journal | The Mommy Insider

I never thought I would be one of those moms who was always on the go but now I am. My kids are 3 and 10 and they actually do things. How strange. They go to swim class, computer class, Cub Scouts, play with friends, and do other things that kids do. All of that means that I have to plan things. I have to know whether my husband or I are going to take our daughter to swim and gymnastics, and our son to Scouts and computer class. Without help I am not a great planner, but with my BusyBodyBook, life is easier.

Believe it or not, I have anxiety issues. Don’t laugh. My BusyBodyBook helps keep my anxiety and stress levels low. Having our schedules laid out in a grid format and with me all of the time (I take my BBB with me everywhere) ensures that I always know what’s coming up in the days ahead and that I know who, what, where, why, and when.

There are four columns on each weekly page. I have one column assigned to each of us and a "family" column at the end. When I need to show my husband what activities are coming up and that he needs to take our son to Scouts because I am taking our daughter to swim, I just open my BusyBodyBook and show him. No questions, no arguments, no doubts about the date or time.. just easy to read facts.

How BusyBodyBook helps me:

I can tell if events and activities overlap in time and can plan accordingly
I know which of us (husband or I) is available to take the kids to which of their activities
I can log and track past and future events
I can keep notes
I can keep and tear out a shopping list with the removable shopping lists

More BusyBodyBook on TheMommyInsider.com:

I recently featured Busy Body Book BusyBodyBook in my “Things I Use Everyday” post,
Read my 2006 Busy Body Book review
Read my 2008 Busy Body Book review

Can you tell I can’t live without my BusyBodyBook?

Visit the BusyBodyBook website to see the different BusyBodyBook Family Organizers, wall calendars, and weekly grid pads.

Where do your notes start?
My Moleskine notebook is the first place I jot down things from items to add to my grocery list, to to-dos, and random thoughts of which there are tons, important dates, gift ideas, and other ramblings. From there I usually add those notes to the appropriate iPhone app such as Shopper or NotifyMe.
Without my Moleskine notebook, my thoughts may never make it to completion. What a disaster that would be!

What is Moleskine?
MOLESKINE is the legendary notebook that has held the inspirations and ideas of everyone from Van Gogh, Picasso and Hemingway to famed author, Bruce Chatwin. Artists, authors, and geniuses of all variety have long appreciated the simplicity and superior functionality of these notebooks.

Moleskine notebooks and planners are available in several sizes. The 3.5 x 5.5 in. pocket notebooks are the perfect size to carry in a purse or diaper bag and are great for jotting down your baby’s latest diaper change or that funny thing your toddler said during your playgroup. I use the large A4 Folio Notebook for work notes and for jotting down thoughts I have while at home or in my office.

Moleskine notebooks, journals, and planners make great holiday gifts! Get a pocket hard cover 18 month planner for $12.95 or my favorite Moleskine gift idea is the Volant Color-A-Day Monthly Daily Planner (photo above) which is usually $39.95 but our readers get 30% off by using the link below.

COUPON CODE:
Use coupon code COLORDEAL, and get 30% off of the Volant Color-A-Month Daily Planner (no minimum, no maximum). The coupon is only valid on that item, and it’s good through 12/31/09. Use this link to go straight to the Color-A-Month planner page and automatically apply the coupon code to the cart.

GIVEAWAY!
Enter to win a set of these Moleskine items:

2010 Volant Color-A-Month Daily Planner
Folio A4 Ruled Notebook
2010 Weekly Notebook Planner

To enter, visit Moleskines.com (opens a new window or tab) then come back and tell me what your favorite Moleskine product is in the comments below. Get two entries for Tweeting this post and then leave a second comment with your Twitter ID. Entries accepted until November 30th.