Finding the Perfect Online Organizer to Meet your Needs

In the last couple of years, online organizers have popped up and become a popular way for families to stay more organized.  I have spent the last few weeks comparing four of the most popular online organizers to see how they are different from one another. 

The one thing that these four all had in common is that they are all free to users but after that they differ slightly so you may want to consult this list to find one that best meets your needs before signing up.

	Cozi	CasaBlast	Famjama	Dotpag
Stores  Mobile Numbers	X	X	X
Send Texts to Stored Numbers	X	X	X
Family Calendar Feature	X	X	X	X
Can Color Code Calendar by Family Member	X	X	X
Stores Grocery/Shopping Lists	X	X	X
Able to text shopping lists to stored mobile numbers	X	X
Able to email shopping list			X
Has a 1-800 number you can call into to hear your shopping lists	X
Diary or Journal Feature	X			X
To Do List Feature	Yes, sorted by family member	Yes, You can text tasks but not sort by person.	Yes	Yes
Save and organize internet bookmarks			X	X
Address Book Feature		X	X	X
Track Kid's School Assignments			X
Allows Family members to submit meal requests			X
Shows local weather forcasts			X
Has iphone App			X
Has Blackberry App.
Has Android App
Syncs with Outlook Calendar	X	X	X
Send batch Texts to Groups or Teams			X
Tracks your RSS Feeds				X

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Friday Five: Five Routines Every Mom Needs

I have said it before and I will say it again...


"Routines, as boring as they may be, are the building blocks to a more organized and less stressed existence."

In my opinion there are five areas of every mom's life where she needs a good solid routine (There are probably more but then it wouldn't have been a Friday Five post.) So here are five of the big ones:

                              1  . A morning routine: Let's face it for most families mornings are nothing less than sheer chaos. You are trying to get yourself and your family ready, fed, and packed to head out and face the day. Along with being chaotic-- mornings are also stressful and one of the most common times of the day that fights break out amongst family members. You are still tired and rushed... never a good combination for anyone. However; having a good morning routine can ease some of that stress chaos by making mornings more predictable and less rushed.

Get kids up at the same time, have them get ready in the same order (kids like predictable), serve a healthy breakfast about the same time each morning, and try to always say goodbye without angry words... these things will always start your day off better.

2. An Evening Routine: The natural flip side of the coin. Are there certain things that you can do each evening to help prevent some of the craziness of the impending morning rush? Here are three quick things you could do each evening to help you in the morning: 

You can pack briefcases, backpacks, purses, and diaper bags the night before with anything that will be needed the following day.

You can make your kid's lunches for school the night before (I do this with everything but the sandwich... I am not a big fan of soggy sandwiches- so I make those in the morning)

You can lay out tomorrow's clothes so that you do not have to dig and search for what everyone wants to wear in the morning.

You can pack briefcases, backpacks, purses, and diaperbags the night before with anything that will be needed the following day. 

You can make your kid's lunches for school the night before (I do this with everything but the sandwhich... I am not a big fan of soggy sandwhiches- so I make those in the morning)

You can lay out tomorrow's clothes so that you do not have to dig and search for what everyone wants to wear in the morning.

3. A laundry Routine: Let's face it... if you do not have a routines to stay on top of your laundry it will multiply into a pile that will take over your home! My goal is one load a day- everyday. I start it in the morning when I get up, I throw it in the dryer at lunchtime, and I fold it after dinner and put it away as I go into say goodnight to each of my kids. This routine works for me... but everyone is different. You might try assigning each day of the week a specific load. For example; Colors on Monday, Whites on Tuesday, Jeans on Wednesday, Towels on Thursday, Another load of colors on Friday... etc...

4. A clean up Routine: If you have small children at home all day, set time aside twice a day is what I always tell clients. One clean up before lunch and one again before dinner. If you have not read our post about clean up songs be sure to check it out for a big improvement to how your little one's pick up toys!
If your children are older and you are not home as often than one evening clean up should be fine. The point is... clean up the messes daily when they are small and they will always be manageable... let them grow for days or weeks and everyone's stress level and reluctance to clean up will grow!

5. A routine for running Errands: Errands are inevitable... we all have to run by the bank, the store, the dry cleaners, etc... at some point in our weeks. I always tell clients to make a list of the errands they need to run the next day and write them down in the order you are going to run them so you are saving driving time and gas. Before you leave to run errands make sure that you have everything you will need to complete them; grocery list (check), dry cleaner stub (check), water bill to drop off (check).... you get the idea.



Need help developing a routine? I would love to help you develop some routines that are customized to your family's schedule. Click here to find out how I can help you.

Do you have an area in your life where routines really help? Leave me a comment; I would love to hear about it!

Staring at Mommy's Shoes

This may sound strange to many of you, but one of my greatest time management tools in my life as a WAHM is my shoes. I know, I know... many of you were probably expecting me to say my planner, my watch, a timer, or anything else traditional thought of when one mentions time management. (Though I love all of these too).

It is true though my shoes are vital to my sanity as I try to constantly juggle my competing roles and mom and business owner... let me tell you why:

Before I launched Simple Organized Sanity in the early month of 2009, I worked at home in numerous different capacities while my children were very small. I am thankful everyday for those early experiences because many of the tricks that I learned in those days have become the foundation of my now evolving business.

One day, when my oldest son was about three years old I told him that I had to make a work phone call and do some computer work. I asked him to please watch his video quietly on the couch while I went just a few feet away to the dining room table. As I was walking away I clearly remember him saying to me... "You can't go to work Mommy... you don't have any shoes on."

Out of the mouth of babes. From this simple observation made by my toddler I began a tradition that I still cling to this day. I told him he was right and I marched into my closet and put on a pair of shoes and along with them my mindset that I was changing roles and "going to work". He watched his video and I did my work... when the video ended, I kicked off my shoes and resumed my role as mommy.

Now that my kids are older... the concept has remained even though the application has changed slightly. Over the years I have discovered that if I really want to feel like a successful business woman... I need that mentality shift so I now keep a pair of old heels under my desk. Every time I set down to work I slip them on my feet (unless of course I already have a pair of "work" shoes on) it is that simple act of changing my shoes that also allows me to focus and change my mind set. Not only that... it keeps me on task, I am less likley to shop online, chat with an old friend, or get lost in mindless google searches if I have made that mental adjustment of changing my shoes.  This visual reminder is a great way to help me make the most of my often limited office time.

The shoes do not only serve as a reminder to me, my kids have grown used to this routine as they have gotten older. I have often caught them looking at my shoes to see which hat I am wearing at that moment... Mommy or CEO... and more often than not they respect that time and know that I will be done soon and able to meet demands and help fill needs.

You can establish a visual reminder in your own home office it can be shoes like mine or maybe a special lamp that you turn on when you are working.  It could be a sign that you hang on your door or an item of clothing that you put on.  Whatever item you choose to use will work as long as you use it consistantly.
I can't tell you how thankful I am for that day so many years ago when my son stated such a simple observation that transformed an entire line of thought and approach for me... therefore creating my favorite time management tool out of a simple pair of shoes.

Add Time to your Life

If you look on the right hand side of our blog there is a box that reads:

"The average American wastes about an hour a day looking for things they can't find or redoing work that they already did but lost."

Think about all the other things you could be doing with that hour. What is disorganization costing you?

I was thinking yesterday about that quote and what it really means... what else could you do for yourself or your family if you had an added hour a day... that is an extra seven hours in a week!  I always tell people that getting organized is one of the very few things in this world that can actualy give you more time. 

Most of us have a list a mile long of things we would do if we had extra time!  However, in case you can't think of any exciting enough to motivate you... read this list of 50 things that women/moms can do if we only had that extra hour in our day:

 Spend Time With Family

1. Play with your kids

2. Read a book with your kids

3. Cuddle on the couch and watch a show with your kids

4. Go on a bike ride with your family

5. Take your kids out for ice cream

6. Spend an hour of time with your husband

7. Do a craft project with your kids

8. Bake cookies with your kids and share them with someone in your life

9. Play a board game as a family

Pamper Yourself

10. Take a bubble bath

11. Get a massage

12. Sleep in an hour

13. Get a manicure or pedicure

14. Go to the salon for a cute cut and style

15. Get a facial

16. Take a nap

Educate yourself

17. Read a book

18. Read a magazine

19. Go to the library

20. Research a topic you want to learn more about

21. Take a class that is offered in your community

Socialize

22. Go to lunch with a friend

23. Catch up with an old friend on the phone or by email

24. Plan a play date for your children.

25. Host a dinner party with friends

Do Good

26. Volunteer in your community or kid’s school

27. Visit a local nursing home and adopt a senior citizen to visit

28. Get involved in a church program where you can do community outreach

29. Volunteer at a local food bank or soup kitchen

30. Mentor a Teen Mom

31. Get more involved in your kid’s sports teams or activities

Try Something New

32. Take up a hobby

33. Start a blog

34. Start a journal

35. Plant and Tend a garden

36. Take a class to learn a skill you have always wanted to learn (dance, art, music)

37. Learn to bake or cook something new

38. Learn a foreign language

Make your house the home you want

39. Scrapbook old photos

40. Clean out a closet

41. Organize your pantry

42. Find ways to make your home more green and implement one a week

43. Tackle an overdue project you have wanted to do

Be a Healthier Version of You

44. Take a yoga/fitness class

45. Start working out

46. Shop at a health food store to find new foods and snacks for you and your family

47. Go for a walk

48. Try a new physical activity each week: Roller skating, biking, hiking, swimming, etc

Plan Ahead

49. Search for Vacation locations and shop for deals

50. Get a jump start on early gift giving for the holidays by shopping sales

Do any of these ideas appeal to you?  Do you find yourself reading one or two of them and saying... "Yes, I wish I had the time for that!"  It is not out of your reach... you can start today by making a choice to committ to get more organized and enjoy life a little more.  It's amazing what you can do when you are not bogged down by clutter!

I would love to hear what other ideas you have, which idea is your favorite... or what you would do with that extra hour a day.  Leave me a comment and you will be entered to win a 10 free downloads from our company Simple Organized Sanity!  We will draw for our winner Friday at 2:30 CST!  I am excited to hear from you.

Voicemail can save you time each day!

Americans come in third in the world wide cell phone usage race, with eighty-nine percent of our population now being tied to phone calls anywhere at anytime. The only countries that outrank us by number of cell phones are China and India. 

I myself am amoung the ranks of chronic cell phone users... my husband lovingly refers to my beloved smart phone as my "pacemaker".  The nickname fits too, it is always near me and I use it's many capablities to help me manage all areas of my life.  I have a calorie counter, MP3 player, stopwatch, calendar, contact manager, to do list, and many other applications that make my life easier and more organized.

However, one of the most basic features of my phone tends to be the biggest problem for me... incoming phone calls.  I can get many, many calls in a day; personal calls, business calls, cold calls, and others.  The number was becoming so overwelming that I was having a hard time getting work done... until I had an realization that changed my daily life for the better.  My phone has a voicemail feature. 

I knew I had voicemail and I used it to answer calls when I could not get to my phone fast enough.  However, it was when I realized that my voicemail could easily become my best friend in business that I really began to appreciate and utizlie the feature. 

I saw that I do not have to answer EVERY call that comes through my phone.  I have now given myself permission to ask myself, "To answer or not to answer." and have implemented new rules and guidelines for myself.  For example, if I am at work in my office in the middle of a project, I turn my ringer on silent and allow my trusted voicemail to carefully record each question or need for me to address at a specfic time later in the day. 

By implementing these new guidelines, I have given myself permission to put more value on my time and have reduced my stress.  I am now able to get more out of my time when I am working, and more out of my phone calls when I make them because I am not distracted by other tasks. 

I challenge you this week to use your voicemail feature on your phone too as a time management tool, not just a back up when you don't jump the couch fast enough to get there. Release yourself from the feeling that you need to answer EVERY single call at the time they are calling.  If you are eating dinner, reading to kids, or trying to do a project... let the phone call go to voicemail and you can return it at a time later when you have more time and attention to pay to the caller. 

This one small change in your life can help save you time, energy, and frustration every day!