Every year I gather up some calendars and slowly begin the process of narrowing down which one will take the coveted space in my kitchen as my central calendar. The grand poo-bah if you will. I hate to hurt any of their feelings but there can be only one.
Let me share my top four picks with you by telling you a little bit about each of them. I was going to give you a list of the pros and cons of each but I don't think that would be fair. What I may see as a con someone else may see as a plus, only you can decide which one will be suitable for your own unique circumstances. So I'll stick to the facts and then at the end I'll tell you why I choose the one that I did and why it works for me.
Clicking on each calendar title will take you to the online source.
2009 BusyBodyBook Wall Calendar
- Not your typical monthly calendar...this one is in weekly grid format with seven spacious columns accommodating up to seven family members or other activities such as meal planning or household chores.
- Each person simply reads down the column to see their appointments/activities for each day.
- Works well for very busy households with each individual requiring large amounts of daily space.
- Every other column is lightly shaded to provide differentiation.
- There is a 4-inch pocket on the inside back cover to hold important papers, receipts or coupons.
- Offered in two sizes 14" x 11.25" (1 week view) or 14" x 22.5" (2 week view)
- Price: $14.95
2009 Time Too Family Tracker Calendar
- Typical monthly format except this calendar runs from Monday to Sunday.
- Calendar is supersized at 16" x 19" providing large daily squares.
- Each square has two different color guides at the top and bottom of each white square to assist with tracking of activities. The bottom blue area is to help you differentiate your evening activities from your daytime activities.
- Weekends easily stand out as they are lightly shaded green boxes.
- Big green box at the of each month is an area set aside for planning ahead. Beside that is an area to track events that need to be RSVP'd to.
- Printed on 100% recycled, forest friendly, chlorine free paper.
- Price: $29.95 currently on sale for $16.95
2009 Family Facts Family Activity Calendar
Typical monthly calendar format (Sunday to Saturday) however what sets this calendar apart is that each box (day) has 5 different colored and lightly shaded lines allowing you to assign each family member or activity a different color if you want.- Size 14" x 23"
- Fold out write on/wipe-off boards (dry-erase marker included) to list contacts, reminders, notes to family members or anything else you don't want to forget.
- Large pocket at the bottom to keep schedules, school handouts, and other important papers.
- Comes with a large sheet of stickers to mark birthdays, payments and appointments.
- Price: $12.95
2009 More Time Moms Family Organizer Calendar
- Typical monthly calendar running Sunday to Saturday with each large square (2.1 x 3.5) complete with 9 lines to write on.
- Calendar size 15" x 22"
- Large inside back pocket for bills and loose paperwork.
- Large sticker sheet included to mark birthdays, appointments and vacations.
- Can be hung in half month size to accommodate smaller spaces.
- Each month has additional white space for Kid's Chores and Reminders.
- Price: $14.99
So as you can see each of these calendars provides something distinctive for your scheduling
For me I was able to narrow my choices down somewhat because I know from past experience that not only do I prefer to use the typical monthly format (we really don't have enough family activities to warrant the weekly grid format) I also prefer to see big white boxes. Last year I used a calendar that offered colored boxes with various shading and I found it to be too distracting to my eyes and didn't generate the feeling of calmness I crave from seeing big white spaces. Of course keep in mind that this is just what works for me and your needs may be entirely different. Often it does take some trial and error year to year to really cement down your particulars. Because I'd used a completely different calendar last year it really made this year's decision that much easier for me. The calendar I have chosen to be my right hand this year will be the 2009 More Time Moms Family Organizer.
And in case you are worried about the others, please don't. They will be given good homes somewhere else in my house where I can keep an eye on them and still appreciate their beauty :)
Which one do you think would work for you?
