Planner

[clevermanka]

The campus bookstore had no 2016 Moleskine planners in the format I prefer. Instead of ordering online or changing to a different paper planner, I'm giving Google calendar a try. I half-ass use it on the computer, but haven't tried the phone app. Now that I have a phone that does apps, I'll give it a go. It's tough letting go of the old paper planner, but if I can get used to using my phone as my planner, I know it'll be better . And tidier. And more useful, especially where mckitterick is concerned. Wish me luck. I do not easily adapt to technology.

I got hit with a tired bat about an hour ago. Ugh. Stupid fatigue. Everything was going so well for...heck, more than a week. Today, though, not so much.

Once in a while I look at my floor (at home, at the office) and I wonder how I have any hair left on my head. Doesn't help that we have white tile ceramic floor at home and I have a black-and-white zebra striped area rug in my office. So gross.

There is nothing else going on, and the only reason I'm posting is I am attempting to cross-post from Dreamwidth. I tried a while back, but DW wouldn't load for me at the office so I gave up. But am trying again. I have a few people following me on DW who aren't on LJ and so maybe this will better expand my non-Tumblr network of internet acquaintances.

What a fucking boring post for the DW people. Sorry, folks, I'm usually more interesting than this.

Comments

[msmitti.livejournal.com]

I gave up my (way less cool than yours) paper planner a few months ago. Mostly because I got rid of that purse--the cracks in the handle were biting my arm.

I use google calendar on my phone and it is mostly convenient, but the thing that annoys me (this may be just because I am not very phone savvy) is that the next thing on the calendar comes up on the phone home page, regardless of when it is. I find it makes it a much less effective reminder if it is on there three days early instead of an hour early.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I'll keep that in mind, thanks!

[renniemom.livejournal.com]

When you enter the event on the calendar you can change the reminder setting. I use 10 min for some things, 1 day for others.

I particularly like it because Matt and I can share the calendar so he's up to speed on our ever-changing life.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I particularly like it because Matt and I can share the calendar so he's up to speed on our ever-changing life.

Same. Only mckitterick instead of Matt. Obviously.

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

I am an over-planner, so I use a Franklin (paper) planner, Google's calendar function (color-coded! programmable! reminders!), AND a big-ass wall calendar in the kitchen. They each address a different learning and communication style for family members...so, redundant as the system is, something invariably fails if I leave one of those methods out.

And now you know my brand of crazy.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Well, honestly that's what I've been doing for a couple years, now, but since mckitterick pretty much only uses his Google calendar it was just making more work for me. I certainly prefer paper planners, but as I say, I'm a slow adopter.

[kazoogrrl.livejournal.com]

This reminds me that I want to back the Passion Planner for next year. I need paper and digital to keep my crap straight.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I looked REALLY CLOSE at those!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_luaineach/]

While I think I adapt to switching to technology pretty easily**, I still am totally tied to my paper planner (I have used a planner pad (https://plannerpads.com/why-it-works) for years). Mine is color coded like most of the ones you'll see in a google image search of them (https://www.google.com/search?q=planner+pad&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS563US563&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAmoVChMImJ6Eu-yayQIVVN1jCh2lPAOc&biw=2133&bih=1078) and I find it really effective. I've been willing to try online calenders for the sake of family calendaring (and we've tried so many of them over the years) but we've never really found any that work. So, as mentioned above, we also use a giant wall calendar (a desk calendar that I tape up three months at a time) as well as a white board that works as a daily updated week-at-a-time calendar.

I also use this household planner (http://www.theconfidentmom.com/services/classes-products/household-planner-sales-page/) in the pre-propulated-with-chores form and it's in the binder with my planner.

Planner pad has recently come out with an app version so I may take the step to use that as well, since the format is one I already know is effective for me. I've not researched it at all though, so don't know if it is shareable with family members or anything like that. It might be easier to make the switch because it remains more of a *planner* than just a calendar, if that makes sense.

** i mean, when I run out of paper towels now I just saw "alexa, order paper towels" and the amazon echo handles it all and they show up in two days. I didn't have any trouble switching to THAT technology! :)

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

Wait. What? Tell me more about this tech that magically orders paper towels, please.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_luaineach/]

We got an amazon echo (http://www.amazon.com/Amazon-SK705DI-Echo/dp/B00X4WHP5E) quite awhile ago in an "early adopter" prime program thing. It's basically a standalone Siri or "okay, google" as far as asking it for information. But it can also be tied to smart tech in your house (lights, etc. and can use if this, then that (https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201707210) rules to do things like turn on your lights when your alarm goes off) as well as being tied to your prime account so you can just tell it to order stuff and it will search out that same item in your previous orders and then just go ahead and order it for you.

I didn't think I'd use it much when I first got it but I find i do use it for timers, for ordering things, for listening to music or audio books (either via prime or just as a voice controlled bluetooth speaker attached to my phone), to ask if there's going to be a freeze that night, etc. Probably stuff most people use their phones for but since when I'm at home my phone is usually away on the shelf charging, I find it super convenient to just have a HAL that can answer me generally from most wherever I am.

And the speaker quality is good so it's worth it as a speaker alone since you can verbally tell it to pause or turn up the volume or down the volume, etc.

It will also sync to your google calender, etc. It's one of the things that pushes me closer to online calender/to-do lists because you really can't get much easier than just saying out loud "add calling the vet to my to do list"

[silverfae.livejournal.com]

omg, I should not have looked at that Alexa thingy. I'm in love.

I use Subscribe and Save for my consumables like detergent (love these pods (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005QDY8M2?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00)) and Pablo's Fancy Feast and kitty litter. It's cheaper than I can buy it in the grocery store and the UPS man gets to haul the heavies instead of me.

But.. wow.. all those features on that echo. :whimper:

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I remember this conversation from a few years ago when I was tired of using the TimeMine planners and searching for options. Thankfully, my schedule is not nearly as dense as yours. I'm hoping I can make the one-calendar system work, and since mckitterick mostly uses the Google calendar...

[donutgirl.livejournal.com]

being able to use google calendar while away from my desk was one of the main reasons I got a smartphone. of course, that was when I had a real job and was always dashing across campus from one meeting to another, but it is a very useful function. good luck getting it to work for you! I think it is fairly user-friendly...

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'm going to play around with the app tonight when mckitterick gets home to show me. I'm sure it's very simple but you wouldn't believe the messes I get into when I try to figure this sort of thing out on my own.

[aprilstarchild.livejournal.com]

I know I'm going to be just like the residents where I work who can't figure anything out and call me because they don't know how to open their email.

I've had my phone nearly two years and I'm still finding things out on how to use it. I have no idea how people who get new phones every year ever adapt. Knowing me, I'll keep this phone until it's so out of date nothing runs on it!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Knowing me, I'll keep this phone until it's so out of date nothing runs on it!

SAME

[mundungus42.livejournal.com]

My sympathies. I dislike the Google calendar and use it grudgingly.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

It's so ugly and boring and I can't doodle in it...

[tatjna.livejournal.com]

I find google calendar really good because I'm pretty much perma-logged in and it syncs well between phone and computer, and does reminders by phone or email depending on preference. I likes me some reminders!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

So glad to hear it works for someone I know! Yay!

[curieuse.livejournal.com]

It works well for us too. I was very slow to move over and love paper and pens. But it's good. I use only color for everything in my life - work stuff that is regular, somewhat regular things like recurring medical appointment, totally random one-time stuff. If it's purple on there, it's me. Henry has separate colors for teaching stuff, admin stuff, personal stuff. It's VERY convenient because our schedules are really irregular on different weekdays and I can never remember if he's teaching or in a meeting or whatever.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Yes! I remember us talking about this and we were both like "I know I need to move over to a digital planner but don't wanna" and I still don't wanna, but it looks like it's happening which is a rather unfortunate theme in my life these days. So hearing it works for you is encouraging. Very encouraging. Thank you!

[curieuse.livejournal.com]

It was probably obvious but I left out an important word -- I use only ONE color on the shared calendar. It helped me a lot.

[wyomingnot.livejournal.com]

Google calendar (via gmail) is the only planner-type thing I use. But I'm just not organized. And don't have much going on in my life to plan. *shrug* I have a smart phone, but only because it was cheaper than buying a new ipod when my ancient ipod (the gen before 'classic' came out) died. But because I'm in China, and too lazy to do the twister game of installing the vpn on my phone (which because it's chinese doesn't have the play store), google-based apps aren't happening.

I have a feeling I"m not making any sense. Bad day.

But woe to having to abandoned a tried and true organization method! I hope this new one works out for you!

And also, I know what you mean about the hair. Thankfully the faux-wood floor in most of my home hides the worst. But it's still gross. Especially when it gets in my underwear. Ugh.

[1-rhiannon-1.livejournal.com]

I wish you much good luck with Google calendar on your phone! *fingers crossed*

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[silverfae.livejournal.com]

I loves me the Google Calendar for bill-paying reminders. I just set them all up as recurrent "all day" and they are there on my phone on the morning that I need to pay them.
I still have to use a paper planner for Passion Parties, since I have to have it "in sight" for folks to pick a night for a party.

Hey, Over A Week of no fatigue is great! Congrats on unlocking that one!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

It was wonderful! I got so much done!

[the-themiscyran.livejournal.com]

You are very brave.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Ha! A combination of brave and lazy, I think.

[aprilstarchild.livejournal.com]

About a week before I got my pixie, Seamus was sweeping one of the rooms and expressed worry that I was going bald. No, I just shed a lot! Are you sure? This is a lot of hair. Yes, I'm sure.

For several years I lived in a household where all three of us had thick straight-ish hair down to our waist. Even with a cage-thing over the shower drain we sometimes had to put lye down it, and vacuuming was gross. You could have made one of those Victorian hair decorations every time.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Are you sure? This is a lot of hair. Yes, I'm sure.

For real. I sometimes ask myself that question, TBH.