Keeping a Family Calendar

At my house I consider myself the CEO and part of that duty means I have to keep up with what, when, and where for our family members’ lives. I think I've tried just about every system, but after reading this if you have suggestion or ideas, I'm all ears.  

When my kids were young, before the real dawn of technology (these mini computers we carry around with us and call phones).  I had these great spiral notebook planners that were made just for moms.  Because I'm one of those strange people that likes being organized when I brought home a new calendar it was like opening a present at Christmas.  I relished in the blank pages of a new year staring back at me.  Just so you know that is completely the old me.  Nowadays, I'm just lucky to know what day of the week it is.  I chuckle at how crazy life seemed when my kids were little as I compare our days now that they are a year away from all being teenagers.

When I got an iPhone I decided to jump on the electronic calendar train.  Boy was that an epic fail. I honestly tried to like it and I didn't give up quickly or easily.  My issue is  I really like to see the whole month in full view and here is why.  Just because we are free for an event or outing it doesn’t always mean we will go.  I have always attempted to make sure down time at home is part of our routine.  That means I want some weekends or at least one day over a weekend here or there where our calendar is empty.  I look forward to going and doing, but I also appreciate those much needed down days.  If I can see the whole month in one big picture it allows me to see if I am overbooking our family.

I’m disappointed in my lack of love for electronic calendars because I am seduced by the idea of those apps that allow the whole family to connect their calendars.  In reality we are not there anyway.  My 16 year old is my only one that carries a cell phone.  My 14 year old has her brother’s hand me down phone, but she isn’t interested in having it with her everywhere she goes. Honestly, half the time it isn’t charged. I know that is hard to believe in today’s world, but it’s true.  So much so, that I have to remind her to take it with her when she goes places I want her to have it.  My kids are not attracted to technology because of their ability to help us organize and communicate as a family.  Go figure! 

I did finally convince them it was important and their responsibility to check their email on a daily basis this past school year.  Oh and just so you don’t think they are sitting around without some device in their hand.  Let me tell you they are.  For them technology is about watching Netflix, texting their friends, reading ebooks, listening to music, and for my oldest Instagram.  Oh to have been a parent during a time when all this technology at your finger tips didn’t exist.  That thought is for sure another day’s blog topic.

Now that you know I’m freakishly old school when it comes to calendars here is what I have come up with that seems to be the right fit for us (ME).  I have a ½ ” three ring binder that I have filled with calendar pages I created.  I like big boxes (and I cannot lie).  My kids would roll their eyes if I said that to them.  You guys get that I’m just aging myself and those who know me well know I’ve never made a huge effort to be cool.  I’m a goof and I humor myself, so I’ll just keep on keeping on. 

Anyway, back to liking big boxes… I like a big box for each day and I like having a column on my calendar month page where I can jot down information like addresses and phone numbers for doctors or additional notes that won’t fit in the box for an event on a date like what I need to bring with me.  What I don’t like... is my family constantly asking me questions about what we are doing on a given day or week and this is where the inspiration for a calendar wall was created.

I did some researching on Pinterest.  I’m a Pinterest addict for sure, but I have a lot of inspirations that can be credited to Pinterest browsing.  My research resulted in the creation of a calendar wall with the means to hold a week’s worth of our family’s calendar.  I started off with a premade dry erase one that had a box for each day of the week and a hanging paper calendar that displayed each month. I think my last one was the Chick-fi-a calendar you get with the Calendar Card.   It worked okay, but then the boxes got too small and really I needed my monthly calendar to be more portable.  My challenge was creating something that had spaces large enough to fit the information for each day.  I took a trip to Michael’s, the craft store.  A very dangerous place for me.  The answer to the challenge was 5”X7” frames.  I also found a cute frame that had twine strung across the opening along with mini clothespins.  I did contemplate making my own, but sometimes I just want a project done and it’s worth it to me to pay the extra for someone else’s efforts. This was one of those time.

On the computer I created 5”X 7” mats that had the days of the week on them.  I also had to get picture hanging hardware because my frames were the ones meant to stand up on a table or shelf.  After attaching the hardware and inserting the mats the hard part was arranging the frames.  I used the tip,  probably found on Pinterest, where you make a paper cutout of your frames and tape them to the wall with painter’s tape.  This allows you to figure out your placement before hammering a bunch of holes in your wall.

I added a wall decal above all my frames with a scripture verse to encourage a positive attitude as we go into each week and day.  I found mine on Amazon and didn’t think it was too hard to apply. 

Thankfully, most of the time these 5”X 7” frames are big enough to fit everything on them.  I use a dry erase marker to write the day’s date and any information I need front and center to keep us on track with where we need to be each day on the glass.  I keep a small dry erase eraser on the small desk below this calendar space. 

Just so you know, after I finished this whole project I realized I should have placed/centered it all a little differently because of the height of my kitchen cabinet in relation to the light switch, but here is the thing nobody is coming to my house looking at how perfectly centered my calendar wall frames are and well if they are it's only bugging them that it isn't perfect.  There was a time I would have had to go back and make it perfect.  Now is not that time for me and I have to say I love that I can let stuff like that go.  It's freeing.

I try to update the calendar on Sunday evening, but sometimes it’s Monday or Tuesday before it happens.  I’m thinking no one but me really looks at the calendar because they don’t say anything when this happens and I still get asked what we are doing on occasion by my loves.  Oh well, having it where I can easily see makes me happy and makes me think I’m keeping my family in the know.