My Household Planner Revealed (& a Few Free Downloads)

Right now you can purchase my latest ebook, Organizing Life as MOM, newly revised which includes 173 pages of inspiration and planning ideas. 118 pages are fillable planning sheets, meaning you can customize them to fit your life, your family, and YOU. This is the ultimate household notebook manual. The pages have been updated and redesigned — and, honestly, are a lot cuter than the free ones here.

Remember this? Awhile back I told you about my household notebook in which I busted out of the binder and had a planner spiral bound. I realize that for some this might seem wasteful because it’s a consumable product instead of a reusable one. But I actually use this planner, whereas I have shelves of abandoned binders that didn’t work for me.

What I love about the spiral planner:

1. It’s compact. Since it’s spiral bound, it can fold back on itself and take up very little space on the countertop. This makes me more likely to have it handy, to write in it, to carry it around the house with me.
2. It’s highly portable. Due to its compact nature, it’s pretty easy for me to tuck it into a tote bag and take it along to the doctor’s office, on errands, or on trips.
3. It’s easier to write in. I love the ease of a spiral notebook and how it doesn’t interfere in writing in the same way that those three rings do.

So, this is what works for me. Maybe it will work for you, too.

I’ve struggled for years to find a planner and checklists that would help me do my work. And I’ve seen some good ones. But, I still found myself  making up my own forms on the computer, tailoring my worksheets to fit my daily life. As you’ll see, I’m a little OCD in that I like to check off things to feel productive and I need to see a lot of detail in writing, otherwise I drift to things not on my “to do” list.

Today I thought I’d spill my guts. Or at least the guts of my notebook. Here are some of the things I’ve included in my planner:

Priorities – this is a form I use for identifying and remembering my priorities, making goals, and setting a plan of action to achieve those goals. This downloadable includes a blank form in case your priorities aren’t the same as mine.

2010 Calendar and Dates to Remember Page – Last year was a nightmare in terms of calendars. I never knew who had what dentist or orthodontist appointment because I didn’t have a central place to write all our appointments. I had them written in several spots which makes for missed appointments. This year I made up a two page spread/month calendar which allows me lots of space to fill in all sorts of activities and events. I even impressed my husband with this one — that’s one of my joys in life — to impress my hubby.

Daily Checklist – here is the template for my everyday. See what I mean about OCD? Can’t help it. I like to tell myself what to do. (The Morning and Evening High Fives are lists of chores for the kids to complete, but I have to remember to follow up.)

Meals We Like – This form helps me remember our family’s current favorite meals, something that can change with the wind. One month they devour lasagna, the next month I eat leftovers for days. Go figure. Periodically, I quiz the family and jot down the foods they’re craving or request to have. This helps me immensely with meal planning.

Monthly Meal Plan – I’ve been planning a month of meals for quite some time now. At first I just printed off a simple calendar grid, but for the last few months, I’ve resorted to this kind of list. I love having a month planned at once. It helps me save so much time!

Weekly Household Chores Checklist – This list is customized to my home, but I think it might fit yours, too. I also try to have a loose weekly schedule for when to do which tasks, but that changes with the seasons.

While this is what suits my life, it may not fit yours. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t one out there that will! You might want to check out the planning pages available at Simple Mom, Money Saving Mom, $5 Dinners, and Motivated Moms.

What kinds of planning pages do you use in your household notebook? Don’t have one? Why not?

Don’t forget to visit A Soft Place to Land for more do-it-yourself inspiration.

Right now you can purchase my latest ebook, Organizing Life as MOM, newly revised which includes 125 173 pages of inspiration and planning ideas. 80+ 118 pages are fillable planning sheets, meaning you can customize them to fit your life, your family, and YOU. This is the ultimate household notebook manual.