Frazzled is the mom whose calendar is no help

The job categories are many for a busy mom. The busy mom chauffeur zips around town taking the kids everywhere. The busy mom doctor hugs a child with a fever. The busy mom lover makes time for romance?or at the very least, whoopee.

A busy mom is a proficient juggler?a juggler of needs, time and resources. Efficiency without stress need not be an elusive daydream. It can be more of a reality with the help of some simple tools?a busy mom calendar, pocket planner, weekly planner and the like. The acquisition of all of them, any of them, or just one indispensable favorite is a quick step to being better organized.

The writing is on the wall calendar

An attractive, well-designed wall calendar is an indispensable tracking device that is a boon to organization and peace of mind. But a busy mom calendar made for hanging on the wall needs to have some extra features?some attributes that make it worth attaining and maintaining. Today, big write-in calendars abound, along with decorative calendars featuring classic movie stars, scenic views or other art. Either may fill the mandate for a busy mom calendar.

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A busy mom calendar needs to have plenty of room for a busy mom?s notations. It needs to have room for the write-in blurbs of other family members. And some of the best wall calendars have a generous margin along the bottom that provides a place to tape coupons, theater tickets or shopping lists.

If this type of wall calendar is deemed worthy of being considered a busy mom calendar, the selected calendar will probably be mounted in a place of prominence?the kitchen. The kitchen is a traditional and beloved hub of activity. It?s a place where busy moms use apples to teach kids how to count. It?s the place where kids can learn how to make ice cream from scratch.

The benefits of a comprehensive wall calendar that is written upon in pencil or ink mostly relate to longevity. Many mothers file away their choice of a busy mom calendar when the year is done. A wall calendar whose markings track the annual activities of the family is a valuable reference work for later consultation. Such a chronicle can be looked to when mom needs to be reminded of the dates of events that occurred during the past year?or five years ago.

? Dates of births or deaths
? Dates of pet vaccinations
? Dates when vacations began and ended
? Dates of storms with damage for insurance
? Dates of weddings to confirm anniversaries
? Dates of quarterly tax mailings
? Dates when various bills were paid

Many moms lament at the start of each New Year the incoming deluge of free calendars mailed from charities, non-profits and social clubs. One in a hundred fits the bill as a useful, busy mom calendar. Lots have too much extraneous information?reminders that such and such a date is a national prairie dog day or the date of the annual celebration of the color blue. No doubt, mom would rather have more room in which to note appointments, visits from repairmen or the date little Johnny left under his pillow his first offering to the tooth fairy.

The writing can be erased

A busy mom calendar for the wall of the kitchen or office or den soon will be filled with lots of details about upcoming school conferences, doctor visits and hair salon appointments. But dates change. Cancellations and the re-scheduling of appointments are frequent occurrences.

So, what is the best bet for a busy mom calendar that offers a modicum of flexibility? Consider an erasable wall calendar when deciding upon the ideal busy mom calendar. Write, erase and re-write any appointment, any time. Sometimes, an erasable calendar is just more convenient. Use some other method to track important dates for posterity.

Put the calendar in a pocket

Today?s pocket calendars also are indispensable as portable conveniences that enable a mom to see at a glance what is on her upcoming roster. One of the most valued attributes of a busy mom calendar that fits into one?s purse or pocket is related to spontaneity. A cell phone rings. An appointment is changed. Mom can be in the bleachers at the school gym or at the drive-thru with the kids and immediately make a notation in her portable pocket calendar?her special, busy mom pocket calendar.