Online or Paper Calendar? Best Tip Wins $250!

Written by / Clever Girls Collective

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    • clevergirls4POV.jpgAs a tech savvy mama, I practically live online by sharing knowledge through my website,
    maintaining friendships via Facebook, seeking advice from my network
    on Twitter, and keeping up to date on current events thanks to apps on
    my iPhone but despite my constant use of technology, I maintain a
    traditional paper and pencil calendar.  I’ve tried online calendars like
    Jooners, iCal, and Google Calendar to keep track of my personal, work,
    and family schedules but remain true to my paper calendars.

    There’s something old school and comforting about taking a sharp pencil to block off time for a doctor’s appointment, event at the kids’ school, or to make note of posts for BitMoms.com or LeapFrog that need to be published on a particular day.  My favorite calendars are those by MomAgenda, The BusyBodyBook, and Orange Circle Studio’s Do It All Planner because the spiral binding allows me to slip in a pencil, I can slip in folded sheets of paper between the pages, and there’s a space for every member of my family with squares left over for me to use to schedule my blog posts.  My paper calendar allows me to mesh my work, personal, and family life all in one nice neat little package and the only drawback is having something extra to carry in my bag to those occasional in real life meetings. 

    image3


    Maybe I’d be able to lighten my load if I could find an online calendar system that is as easy to use and visually appealing as my current system but so far, I haven’t found one that I love.  I’m sure that there must be one out there that might fit the bill but would have to meet the following requirements:

    • Accessible on both an iPhone and Blackberry
    • Allows multiple users to add and edit calendar entries
    • Syncs to accounts on home computers
    • Color coding to track activities for multiple family members and work projects
    • Day, week, and month views
    • Free, or at least, inexpensive

    Want a chance at $250? Share your favorite calendar solution with Leticia!
    With a new school year on the horizon, I challenge you to share your favorite online calendar systems that meet the above requirements.  In the comments below, describe how your system helps you and your family stay organized during the school year and beyond.  Details will be helpful as I read through the entries and select the best calendar tool to try! If I pick your solution, I’ll be writing about how it worked, and you get $250!

    Thumbnail image for back-to-school-thumbnail.jpg“Back-to-School Tech Wishes Come True” Grand Prize $500 Best Buy card:
    In addition to collecting your ideas to help our bloggers like Leticia, we also want to help you get a jump on the new school year, and make your back to school wishes come true. Share your back-to-school wishlist and have a chance at winning a $500 giftcard to make your wishes come true!

    See more from Clever Girls Collective:

    Back To School 2.0 Enter to Win!
    Tips for Killing Time at Soccer Practice
    Save Money With Back-to-School Apps

    ===========================================================================================
    Leticia Barr blogs at Tech Savvy Mama, helps families stay safe online as Chief BitMom, has a weekly column on The LeapFrog Community, and can also be found on Twitter. Clever Girls Collective is a social media marketing agency founded by women who wanted to use their deep marketing experience and broad social network relationships for good. We know that women who engage in social media are some of the most authentic, connected, trusted, and vocal influencers — not only online, but “in real life.” That’s why we’ve developed The Clever 1000: an ever-growing, beautifully diverse network of professional, thoughtful social media-connected, natural networkers and influencers who want to engage with and enhance their favorite brands.

    Leticia Barr
    Leticia Barr
    Leticia is the founder of Tech Savvy Mama, a site that assists parents in finding the best technology products, websites, and resources for children of all ages. Tech Savvy Mama was started because of Leticia's personal experience of bringing a computer into her home for their now 6 year old daughter. With a background in teaching and a career as a technology specialist who spent years selecting software and online resources for one of the top 15 largest school systems in the country, she figured that if she had concerns about issues like computers vs. free play, finding the best educational sites and software, and internet safety for children, that other parents did too. Leticia uses her knowledge to evaluate the many different kinds of technology that come through her door and loves sharing honest feedback to make recommendations to her readers. Leticia splits her day between the classroom and being a mom and her nights between blogging at her own site, serving as Chief BitMom for BitDefender, writing for The LeapFrog Community, consulting for PBS Teachers, and Tweeting. Frequently asked how she does it all, she replies that she doesn't sleep much!

    Read More From Leticia Barr
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    • http://profile.typepad.com/therapydogsheal TherapyDogsHeal

      You must try Cozi Family! It’s a free online calendar with shopping lists, to-dos and even a “scrapbook-lite” journal feature so you can jot down the sweet things the kids say and do and make quick, online photo galleries. You can set up a calendar for each family member, and we even have one for the dog. (He’s got a lot of vet appointments because he is going through chemotherapy.) It can send out weekly or daily updates to each family member to sync up on the week’s plans.

      I use the shopping list feature the most.I keep lists for the stores I go to most. I can text lists to my dear spouse when he’s standing in the store! If you forget your list, you can call an 800 number and they’ll read it to you! Love this thing! It works on Blackberry through mobile browsing and has a $2 iPhone app that I use daily.

    • http://profile.typepad.com/ajacobs Ajacobs

      The only one I can think of that does all those things for free is Google Calendar, which you said you tried but didn’t like. Google calendar has all the features you are looking for and it’s free! I’ve found it to be simple and easy to use. It has always served it’s purpose well for me. :)

    • http://profile.typepad.com/1233807463s31243 melanie myatt

      we use google calendar and really like it. i can click on over from my gmail account (sometimes it will even put in my event for me from reading my email). my husband uses it so we can see both our schedules at the same time. it automatically put in the holidays for us so we know when the kids will be off, etc. even the book club i’m a part of synced book club dates so we have everything together in one place. this summer i printed a hard copy so my kids could easily see what we had scheduled for each day.

      i’m sorry you didn’t like it! i hope you find something that works better.

    • http://profile.typepad.com/amyaustin Amy Austin

      I am a complete Google Calendar (GCal) fanatic. They’ve (I mean Google) even called me to talk about how I use it, after reading a blog post I wrote. :)

      I have lots of calendars set up – my own personal calendar, my husband’s personal calendar, one for each child, one for our school schedule, one for my dad’s screwy work schedule, one for meal planning, one for extended family birthdays and travel dates, one for meal planning, one called “personal data” (see below), one for work…

      It sounds complicated, but having multiple calendars lets me share relevant items with only the people who need it (for example, I could share the school schedule for the kids with all the school friends who use Gcal, without sharing private things like doctors’ appointments, etc.). It also makes it easy to color code everything, and I can toggle irrelevant stuff on and off (I can easily toggle off my dad’s work schedule or the meal planning calendar with one click if it’s irrelevant to what I’m planning).

      On our personal calendars, I list all of our appointments, of course. The searchability was particularly useful when I had infants. After every well-baby visit I’d write down the baby’s weight, length, and the current doses for Tylenol, Ibuprofen, etc. – things we use regularly. So rather than having to call the doctor or the pharmacy for the dose at 3 am, I can just Google search my computer and poof – I know that baby gets half a teaspoon, and how current that information is (did I write that down yesterday or 3 months ago? The date and time is always right there in the search results).

      Have you ever had a house full of sick kids, and after a while you forget who took what medication when? That can be dangerous. Or have your kids ever been on steroids where they step down, taking 5 one day, then 4, then 3, then 2, then one on the last day (they do that with prednisone all the time!!). Well, I just put on each child’s calendar “Gave 1.5 tsp tylenol” at the time I gave it, and then if one falls asleep and upsets the dosing schedule, I can look back over the day easily and see if it’s time for them to have another dose or not. Or if it’s a goofy step-down one, I’ll put the dosing schedule in as an “all day” event, and then when I actually give them the medicine, I’ll put “Gave 4 tablets,” or whatever at the actual time I gave it. I’ll tell you what, this saved us when we had Rotavirus and my husband and I were both sick, and so was my daughter. We were too sick to remember anything, so we put it in Gcal. Also, when you go to the doctor every 6 months or every year, and you know they’re going to say, “How often do you take X,” it’s easy to look back and find out (particularly useful for something like an asthma rescue inhaler! Can you tell I have asthma? Hahha…)

      The meal planning was one of the most brilliant things I’ve ever done. Whenever I remember, I put in what we’re having for dinner every night, and set it to repeat yearly. Eventually I won’t have to meal plan, because we can just eat the same stuff every 365 days – and it’s automatically seasonal! Am I rigid about it? No. But it sure helps when I don’t have the energy to come up with a meal plan!! I share this calendar with some friends who wanted to try meal planning, so they’re often eating what we are. If I win, I’ll share it with you. :)

      When we were trying to conceive, that “personal data” calendar (that I keep hidden and private) was a Godsend. I would chart my temperature, when we “tried,” and all the other relevant information right in Gcal. And now we’re pregnant with #3! But I won’t go so far as to name it “Google,” I promise.

      Our parents are all getting older, and several of them live alone. Have you ever freaked out that you couldn’t get in touch with someone for 2 days, only to realize that they were in Spain and you forgot? I have. Well, on the “Family Travel and Events” calendar, I list family birthdays and anniversaries, as well as the dates that our parents and siblings are going to be traveling, so I never forget where they are and send the police to their house to find them (true story). Certain members of our family (but not all) are already trained to use Gcal, so they update their own events for me. Most of them, though, I still do it for everyone (we both have divorced parents, and 2/4 of them are remarried, so we have more than our fair share of family).

      Also, if my sister has a big event coming up and she mentions it, I’ll put a note in the Gcal – Megan’s Whatever – so that I remember to ask her about it afterwards.

      People think I have a great memory and I’m very thoughtful, but it’s all a lie – I have Gcal!

      Since my husband has access to all the calendars, he can see what we’re having for dinner, whether or not the kids have doctors’ appointments, and what I have planned for the week from work (or wherever). And since I have access to his, I know whether or not it’s a good time to call him before I pick up the phone. He knows that if I call when he has a meeting on the calendar, it’s probably an emergency. If there’s something I schedule that I expect him to attend, I copy it to his calendar. I never forget to tell him about anything, because we both use the “week” view so we can see what’s coming well in advance.

      Honestly, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The thing I love most about GCal is that it’s fully customizable – you get unlimited numbers of calendars that you can share in unlimited ways. I don’t know how we ever managed anything without it… Seriously! Setting it up was a beast, initially, but once I got everything on there (several years ago) it has made our lives SOOO much easier.

      Feel free to e-mail me if you have questions about how I abuse my Google Calendar.

      Amy @ http://prettybabies.blogspot.com

    • http://profile.typepad.com/chrissiemz1 Chrissiemz

      I use Cozi its a online calendar that you can use to keep track of all your appointments and keep up with all family events. There is a color coding system you can use differ color for different members of family. I have to admit

      It is very helpful with setting you up on it. You only have to have one account for everyone which is nice. You can access on your phone at the store to get your shopping list.has a sho even has a shopping list. If you have an Iphone it has an app for it. This calendar is awesome I am not too good at writing about it but you should really check it out. I hope you like it. I use it to keep track of what I have going on all week or I would be forgetting appointments. I make lists for Christmas and birthdays to keep track of what the kids are asking for. I am able to stay on track more with this. I am a bit unorganized so I need as much as I can get.

    • http://profile.typepad.com/kim20 ClumberKim

      I hear you on paper calendars. I love them too but they don’t work for a family that’s getting busier every day. My kids are little, just 3 and 5, but we already have ballet, soccer, daycare, and school schedules, plus two parents working full-time outside the home. It’s insane!

      I’m a calendar geek by marriage. My husband has spent the last few years working on the internet standards to make calendars work just like email. It’s incredibly hard. I’ve had two big babies and I think this is probably harder than childbirth. (Shhh. Don’t tell him I said that!)

      There’s a group, CalConnect.org aka The Calendar and Scheduling Consortium, and they meet three times a year for five days at a time. They spend two of those days doing interoperability testing, seeing if the vendors’ calendar servers can talk to one another. I’m amazed they don’t all just sit in a room and bang their heads against the walls. That would be less painful than wrestling with calendaring. But progress is being made. CalDAV is the current standard and it’s being adopted by most of the big players in this space. Whatever you choose, if it does CalDAV it will be easier if you change your mind later. Your data will be readable by something else.

      I am not in love with Google Calendar but it does everything you are asking for and it’s free. And it speaks CalDAV. I’m using it at work, and though we have our own Apple OS X server at home (running mail, calendar, wiki, etc — yes, we have a family wiki!) I have been able to make it all work together seamlessly. For me it’s one tool in the toolbox, but it sounds like the right solution for you and your family.

    • http://profile.typepad.com/simplyandreah Simplyandreah

      I use a paper calendar that is magnetic and goes on the fridge. I do this for several reasons. The first reason is that electronics sometimes fail. I don’t want to miss anything important because there is no electricity or the internet is down, etc. Also my kids like to know what is on their schedules. If the calendar is posted on the fridge they can easily see what I have planned. This is why I use a traditional paper calendar.

    • http://profile.typepad.com/jasmine2 Jasmine

      I’ll say both. Why, because while I love Google’s calendar and it’s wonderful reminders via my Android, the traditional paper calendar is what I defer to when I’m on a call or am not near my PC. Both have it’s place (especially since I’m a smart pen, handwriting kinda girl) and so I just do my transfer-a-doodle and there, I have my appointments everywhere. Did I mention I have a huge Dry Erase board next to my PC that serves as a reminder when I’m doing those impromptu tentative appointments and need to look really quick to see what I have going on for the week.

    • http://profile.typepad.com/cookiesandclogs Cookiesandclogs

      Google calendar allows both my husband and I to sync our schedules and both of our iPhones. We also have a dry erase board but haven’t been using it.
      cookiesandclogs[at]gmail[dot]com

    • http://profile.typepad.com/nick0166 nicole

      I really really like The BusyBodyBook, they’re so helpful for blogging AND mommy/work stuff! I have started using the Google Calendar and so far so good, but having lived thru Katrina and 21 DAYS with no electricity, I just can’t trust online calendars 100%! At least with pen/paper, I know what I missed!

    • http://profile.typepad.com/dsmills1001 Donna

      I do admit to loving DayRunner type paper calendars (like Nicole’s BusyBodyBook) – but after setting them up and using for a few weeks, I inevitably end up forgetting them and neglecting to keep up with them. So I’m digital all the way. I like Google Calendar, but nothing works as seemlessly for me as Outlook with my Blackberry — as long as I remember to sync them every once in a while.

    • http://profile.typepad.com/easonnino Elena S.

      We use Google Calendar. It synchs to my work outlook- and to my iCal (iphone calendar). My husband has one- and we have access to each other’s so when I need to make an appointment for both of us, I can see if he is available. It has been a lifesaver to keep track of everything. We also have a separate google calendar (that we both access) for family birthdays, and another for my daughter’s custody schedule with my ex-husband. It allows us to take info from a zillon places and see it all at once!

    • http://profile.typepad.com/6p0120a5b8364d970c Cristie

      I wish I could answer which one was better! I use Google calendar because it’s auto synced with my phone. I also have a Busy Body Book that I love too. The problem is I’m not consistent with either!

    • http://profile.typepad.com/tberbells Tberbells

      Call me old school but I like my paper calendars and organizer! I need to see it, need to touch it, it is my security blanket. I literally would sleep with my organizer if I could. Hubby would probably have a fit! lol!

    • http://profile.typepad.com/ewokmama1 Ewokmama

      I like the Google calendar a LOT. It’s a really good calendar system, IMO. You can create one for each family member, share them, and color code them to view a big meshed calendar. It’s invaluable for managing my son’s schedule since I got divorced. I only use my paper calendar for checklists really.

    • http://profile.typepad.com/melaniebleile Melanie Bleile

      I am a fan of Google Calendar. Trying to keep up with appointments and schedules of 5 family members is not an easy thing. I can either enter appointments and to-do’s in my Palm Pre or online at Google and I am always reminded without fail when something is coming up. I receive an email AND a notification on my phone. I don’t think I could use anything else! I also have a dry erase board on the kitchen wall for the rest of the family members so they can keep up too :)

      melbieaz@gmail.com

    • http://profile.typepad.com/ruralmoms Ruralmoms

      My advice is to stick with the paper calendar and accept the minor inconvenience of having to carry it around. With all the slim and purse-friendly size calendars out there, it’s not hard to find a substitute for your current version, if needed.

      As I’m attending college courses, I use a collegiate calendar tailored to my school- which is wonderful as all of the important dates are already imprinted.

      I’m “old school” by choice. I’ve used a number of electronic calendar setups over the past twenty years, in fact I was one of the “early adopters” of this technology, but… I inevitable return to my good ol’ paper calendar system.

      At a glance you can easily see a clear month, week, or daily shot of activities and it’s just as easy to access (sometimes more easy to access) as electronic counterparts.

      Sometimes technology clouds our modern vision. Faster, bigger, gadgets with oodles of features isn’t always better- it’s just faster, bigger, and filled with oodles of gadgets that are time consumming to set up, and you won’t wind up utilizing. So you wind up doing things like purchasing a phone that sings, spins, and does a jig for you, but you still simply use it to make phone calls.

      There’s an old adage that sums it nicely- “If it ain’t broke, then why fix it.” Stick to the paper system… just sayn’

      Best,
      Barb

    • http://profile.typepad.com/kgseymour1 Kgseymour

      I’ve moved pretty much entirely to Google calendar — I keep track of different job schedules, assignments and deadlines, and my husband’s crazy travel schedule on there. But I have to say, I kind of miss my paper calendar where I’d use different colored pens and highlighters to keep things straight. This is way easier, but there was a real sense of accomplishment to using my giant paper desk calendar, you know?

    • http://profile.typepad.com/conniefoggles ConnieFoggles

      I use both online and paper. For online I use Google Calendar. I like that I can have more than one calendar and that I can have it on my iPhone as well. Since my husband is tech challenged though, I still use a paper calendar so we can share family events and appointments. Plus that’s how we plan vacations, my conferences, etc.

    • http://profile.typepad.com/robynwright Robyn Wright

      I gave up paper calendars long ago. Outlook’s calendar is what we use in our family. Any of us can add an appointment to the calendar on our own machines and then we just invite the rest of the family via email. They accept and it is automatically added to their calendar on their computer then. Each of us use an iPhone and so it is easily synced with those as well. With Outlook I am able to create private events just for me also, plus I have an additional calendar for my blogging in Outlook. I can view both of these at once or either individually and I don’t have to clutter up the rest of the families calendars with it either – I just don’t send invites to them. If need be I can also share my calendar with anyone via email. Many online event sites, like Eventbrite, have the link to add to Outlook Calendar readily available also – just click, make any changes, and save.

    • http://profile.typepad.com/6p0120a5e36d9b970c twitter.com/AndreaUpdyke

      I am another Google Calendar user but Cozi is a much prettier application. Good news is you can link them! So if your husband prefers the interface of Google, he can update there and it will automatically feed to Cozi! Both can be used via mobile device.

      I also like pen to paper, but find nothing gets updated as easily as the google calendar.

      Good luck!

    • http://profile.typepad.com/printgirlink Printgirlink

      i use google calendar but that’s just because I sit at my computer all day long and i have like 4 different calendars on there, personal, family, finances, work, etc. however, when it comes to lists… that has to be written down. i’ve tried using the notepad in google and on my phone, etc but i just can’t get use to it. there is something so satisfying about literally crossing off my to do list.

    • http://profile.typepad.com/jacksonelizabeth Elizabeth Jackson

      I always used to have my calendar on my work computer, and then either print out a week’s worth of schedule to carry with me, or keep a small calendar book and pen in my purse. But ever since I got my handheld a few years ago, and can sync it directly to my computer calendar, I would NEVER go back to my old way! It’s so much easier and convenient – - I update one time, in one place, and my whole schedule goes with me, not just the current week.

      So I would definitely vote paperless! :-)

    • http://profile.typepad.com/1228274202s32095 Leanne

      While I really, really love non-electronic calendars (we use a clear plexiglass calendar that we write on with dry erase markers – colored coded by family members and hung right in the main bathroom) I also really like Cozi. Cozi is a online calendar that you can use to keep track of appointments and obligations and also has a color coding system for different members of family.

      I know it’s iPhone compatible, and I think it is with blackberry, too. Although it hasn’t replaced our white board calendar, it is really useful for keeping all members of your family in the loop… Good luck!

    • http://profile.typepad.com/lbandj Lbandj

      I don’t use online calendars because i always forget to update them. It is soooo much easier and convenient to write down the times of your appts as you make them, instead of having to be on the computer or the cell. And they are a snap to look at to see what is upcoming (and way less to get distracted by then with a computer.

      Of course, I don’t have Blackberry or an iPhone, and I have no desire to move to Google, so I am a bit out of the loop ;) A wall calendar that has separate lines for each family member works well for us.

      My ti[ is that if whatever you’re using works for you – then keep doing it! It mgiht not be them sot tech saavy, but it works!

    • http://profile.typepad.com/tannawings Tannawings

      I don’t use on online calendar or with any device. Our calendar is on the kitchen wall as it seems it is a central location and everyone can see it ( bathroom is used more often, but hey- that would be odd LOL)

      Wall calendars can’t be lost nor will they lose all their info if there is a power surge.

      A wall calendar is also a ‘tradition’ for us for many years. It’s where it has always been and likely where it will stay. It teaches responsibility to check the calendar and to write down your own appointments ( if old enough) and it’s a great way to ‘cross’ days off when something is being anticipated :)

    • http://profile.typepad.com/beingalison BeingAlison

      I think paper. Just because it’s in front of me and I can touch it. I can look at it just passing by. I get too distracted sometimes while being on the computer and would probably forget to check a calender if it was online or someplace electronical lol.

    • http://profile.typepad.com/cozifamily CoziFamily

      We are so excited to see so many Cozi fans here and thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences. Thanks also to the terrific team at LifeScoop for covering such an important family topic. I always love learning more about different ways families are tackling the challenge of staying on top of everything.

      For a quick a comparison of Cozi vs. GoogleCal (we get this question a LOT), you can read this short post: http://bit.ly/97TiYB

      Also, I’m happy to answer anyone’s questions on Twitter, our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/Cozifamily), or of course, right here!

      Carol @cozifamily

    • http://profile.typepad.com/kimlam Kim Lam

      I used to feel the same way you did. I had my paper calendar and love it! Except every year I was once again searching for the “perfect” calendar. Last fall my girlfriend recommended Google calendars. I was resistant at first.

      At first I straggled the 2. I usually bring my calendar to my Passion Parties so I knew what my schedule so I could book my future parties. However, I also put those party dates in Google Calendar so hubby could see what nights I’d be working. I also added things like blogging events, girls night out, networking meetings, and my Mocha Mom meetings. Hubby also is given permission to see my calendar. Now instead of calling me when to see which Fridays or Saturdays I had a party he could just check the Google calendar. Also, if I put on the schedule that I had a business conference call at 9pm, he could adjust his schedule to be home in time to take care of the baby so I could concentrate on my phone call.

      Then I had hubby create his own calendar, so I could be updated with his work schedule since his schedule is different from week to week. He used to bring home a paper copy of his entire retail staff’s schedule-it was hard to read and gave me a headache. Once I got him on his own Google Calendar and reminded him often enough, it became habit for him to input his calendar. He also included his non-work things on it too, like going out for drinks with friends, etc.

      Next I have a calendar for the kids schedule as well as family events. This includes field trips, doctors appointments and things like a day at the beach. Both of my kids are small enough that we currently only need 1 calendar for both kids. Before I had my smartphone, I’d call him at work and had him add the kids dr’s appointment right after we left the dr’s office. That way I wouldn’t forget to input it when I got home.

      All of the calendars above are accessible to both of us. He can update events to our family, his schedule and my personal calendar.

      Each calendar is color-coded. I can toggle each person’s calendar on or off.

      Now here are the other calendars I use to stay productive. Hubby doesn’t have permission to see these but it’s because I don’t want to crowd his calendar.

      First I have one called “Kim’s DMO” DMO stands for daily method of operations, basically my to-do list. If I have a client call at 8pm, I’ll add it to my calendar with my client’s info, what the call is about, and her phone number. Then I had google send me a reminder text 10 minutes before the call. When I receive the text, everything is there for me to make the call in case I had forgot and was out at dinner. I could step away for 10 minutes to make my call and had all the info on my phone. I also add my to do list on my DMO calendar. Sometimes I don’t get to it all, so I can just drag it to the next day (don’t do that too often because it can become a bad habit). it’s nice to look at my DMO each morning to see what’s on tap for the day.

      For your to-do list, you can set times you do each task. As your reminder for the next task pops up (you can send reminders via email or SMS), you can keep track of your time one each project.

      Now my Samusng Moment syncs with my google calendar so I can access it directly from my phone. I can update and edit any event in any calendar I have permission to do so. I can toggle my different calendars on and off just like on my desktop.

      Ever since I’ve used this method for my to-do list, I feel much more productive. I can set recurring to-dos. I can make each item very specific so I have all the info at my fingertips. Best of all, if I know I need to do XYZ 2 weeks from today, I can go ahead and put it on my DMO and forget about it because the calendar will remind me. This is perfect for client calls I need to make a month or more away.

      I also write for the From Left to Write online bookclub. Linsey created a google calendar for our deadlines. So now I can toggle it and see what’s on tap at a glance. I’ll then set myself an event to write my post on my Kim’s DMO calendar-that way, I’ve set time aside to do it.

      I’m training for a 5K so I’ll probably create a 5K calendar so I can input my training schedule and set reminders for myself the night before so I can plan my day accordingly. I don’t want to miss anymore training!

      I noticed I have used my paper calendar less and less. I think the last time I wrote in it was April? Maybe.

      It’s easy to customize Google Calendar too. Hubby’s week runs from Monday thru Sunday, his work schedule. Mine is Sun-Sat cause that’s how I roll. You can view it daily, weekly, or monthly (that’s mine). Same on my phone.

      When hubby updates his calendar at work, my calendar at home syncs almost instantly.

      I hope this is helpful for you. I’m sure there are many more things you can do with it. The key to finding the perfect calendar is find a system that works for you (the method in which you track your schedule) and use it consistently.

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003406334915 Demeke

      I worry that Google world domination doesn’t bohter me like Microsoft domination. Mybe because google offers these things to you instead of just putting them on your computer regardless? Mostly I find out about Google innovations here, so I guess they can’t be too in-my-face bout them. Still, it could all be a cunning and devious evil plot to subvert us all.I may have to check out that calendar, I could do with good one.