CLOSED! – Congrats to Wendy who said:
My favorite thing that I have well organized is children’s books. The paperback ones that do not stand up on a shelf very well, are so organized and easy to find and flip through if they are kept in a canvas cube or box. I have two red canvas totes that I purchased that are full of this type of book. My child’s bookcase looks so much better.
I usually don’t do product reviews as a WFMW post, but I ADORE my BusyBodyBook. I am a calendar/planner JUNKIE! I got a different planner every year while I was in the workforce (and sometimes more to my husband’s chagrin!). Ever since I became a SAHM/WAHM, I’ve been floundering, trying to find a calendar that works for me. Oh. My. Word. I am in HEAVEN with the BBB!!
The BusyBodyBook is a 2-page-per-week-at-a-glance style planner. The first page has a blank section for doodling and a lined section for lists. The second page has a grid system, with 5 columns for each of 7 days.
You can download a sample page on her website to see if the layout works for you. In my BBB, I have a column for each of these areas of our busy life: Me (which includes my only daughter), weekly cleaning tasks/theme (a la FlyLady), my blog posts/link ups for day, DH’s schedule and then my dinner plan for the week. This keeps me moving and never being at a loss. I have not been so on top of things since Lil’ Bit was born. I ADORE the flexibility of this! I can easily switch to temporary work schedules/projects or anything else, if needed.
The BusyBodyBook is available in a couple of formats. First, you can buy it as a personal or family organizer. It’s available in either a school-year format or a calendar-year format and is approximately 7 x 10 inches spiral-bound. You can also get it in a magnetic undated weekly pad that has 7 columns and is 8-1/2 x 11 inches. Lastly, you can get a hanging wall calendar that has 7 columns and is 14 x 22-1/2 inches when hung and shows TWO weeks at a time.
Are you a part of a women’s group? You can even sell the BBB as a fundraiser for your organization!
Watch Donna Smallin, organizing expert, talk about BBB on Bettertv.com.
Right now, Joan is giving away a free 2009 planner with the purchase of a 2010 planner. Just enter code FREEBBB in the comment box at checkout.
Do you want one? You know you do? You can enter to win one! Since I already HAD a BBB, I am giving the one Joan sent to one of you lovely people.
MANDATORY ENTRY
To enter, leave me a comment on this post telling me your best organizing tip. It can be time or stuff; I just don’t want to see a whole string of “please enter me.” comments. If you don’t do this entry you can’t win and I reserve the right to delete any entry that doesn’t answer this question.
Extra Entries
You can also earn bonus entries by:
- following me on Twitter (leave another comment with your twitter handle)
- follow Joan on Twitter (leave another comment with your twitter handle)
- following me on Facebook Networked Blogs (leave a comment with your FB Name if it’s not the same as you have entered in the comment form)
- subscribing to my RSS feed (leave a comment telling me you are a subscriber)
- Blogging or tweeting about this contest (3 extra entries – leave a comment with link in each)
US mailing addresses only (sorry!). You can earn up to 8 entries and you need to leave a comment for each one. Please make sure that I have a way to contact you — either by email, twitter or by commenting on YOUR blog. Contest ends at 5pm EST on November 18 and I will contact/announce winners by the end of the week.
This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family.
Melissa
11 November 2009 at 4:32 PM (14 years ago)I don’t have many tips – I am REALLY in need of help – but I am starting to write EVERYTHING down in a notebook, because I apparently can’t remember anything. By embracing that fact I am actually keeping it together a little better! Thanks for the giveaway!
Wendy
8 November 2009 at 8:05 PM (14 years ago)I subscribe in Google Reader
Wendy
8 November 2009 at 8:04 PM (14 years ago)My favorite thing that I have well organized is children’s books. The paperback ones that do not stand up on a shelf very well, are so organized and easy to find and flip through if they are kept in a canvas cube or box. I have two red canvas totes that I purchased that are full of this type of book. My child’s bookcase looks so much better.
wmmahaney@att.net
Honey Mommy
8 November 2009 at 4:07 PM (14 years ago)My best organizing tip is to try to set a schedule. If you do the same tasks the same day of the week, then you will remember. I also write tons of lists!
Amanda C
5 November 2009 at 7:23 PM (14 years ago)I am a Google reader subscriber.
Amanda C
5 November 2009 at 7:22 PM (14 years ago)I follow on Networked Blogs. (Amanda Corley)
Amanda C
5 November 2009 at 7:21 PM (14 years ago)I follow Joan on twitter as frugalmomto4.
Amanda C
5 November 2009 at 7:21 PM (14 years ago)I follow on twitter as frugalmomto4.
Amanda
5 November 2009 at 7:18 PM (14 years ago)I try to stay organized by making weekly menus along with a weekly grocery list. Also, I make sure that when we’re almost out of something, I write it on the list before I forget and we have no diapers or toilet paper!
Lori
5 November 2009 at 8:54 AM (14 years ago)Subscriber! 🙂
Lori
5 November 2009 at 8:47 AM (14 years ago)Wow – that looks so handy! My best tip (I’m laughing inside because if you could see my bedroom you might not want to listen to me!) is to go crazy once a month and sort through my pantry and get it organized, then I give myself grace for the rest of the month as it slowly gets messy again. Nothing like little hands looking for a snack to mess up my perfectly lined up rows! This also helps me with meal planning because I can see the things that I need to use up. I do the same thing with my fridge/freezer.
Thanks for the opportunity! 🙂
Sharon
4 November 2009 at 11:25 PM (14 years ago)I’m a creature of habit and I found that if I stick with a routine it sure helps with the organization. But the best thing I do is clear out my inbox of emails… open it, read it, act on it, file it. keeps me sane!
Rita @ TesoroFino.com
4 November 2009 at 9:21 PM (14 years ago)This is sooo neat. I love things to keep my life and schedule in order. It’s really a great habit to get into. Journaling keeps my on track. Thanks for sharing.
Amanda
4 November 2009 at 7:05 PM (14 years ago)Ditto on the lists although I am definitely a “right brained” sort of person and tend to struggle with organization. One thing that I like is: I keep my books grouped together by genre on the book shelves and I keep each genre next to a genre that is similar, for example, herb books next to field guides next to gardening books next to home improvement books. Well, it makes sense to me anyway and I always know exactly where to look for a book if I need one. 🙂
Jelli
4 November 2009 at 6:49 PM (14 years ago)My favorite organizing tip is one that lots of people already do: making monthly menus. This way you save time by only hitting the grocery twice per month, and save $ by means of using less gasoline in daily travels to pick up forgotten items.
Tracey
4 November 2009 at 9:14 AM (14 years ago)My best organizing tip is creating lists. Yes, I’m one of those type-A, compulsive list makers, but I stay on task and work much more profitably if I have a list to follow. Thanks for the giveaway – this looks like a great product!