Organized or Obsessed? New year’s planning.
Speaking of the new year . . . here’s a photo of my neatly organized drawer of calendars from over the last few years. Okay — over the last 14 years to be exact. Snuggled in the drawer next to my hankies (see the Christmas hankie?), they sit, year after year, records of meetings, parties and birthdays. Some have sad entries like funerals and bad doctor’s appointments, But all the day-by-day goings on are listed in these books, and because they are records of our lives, I can’t stand to throw them away. That makes me organized, or . . . don’t say it.
My preferred calendar is the Gallery brand (galleryleather.com) because it’s just the right size to tuck in my pocketbook. I always get very excited to select my new color every year, and this year, I’m happy to report, I went with periwinkle. Made in Bar Harbor, Maine, I find them at Barnes and Noble and get really excited to select a new color each January.
My first Gallery pocket weekly calendar was purchased in 2003. My husband is begging (nagging) me to ditch my paper calendars and move to the calendar on my phone and computer, but for some reason, I still prefer the paper book version. I’m visual and love flipping ahead to see upcoming weeks, which isn’t the same on a computer. Just today I tried to use the computer version and after entering all the info, it still just showed up on the calendar as “event” and not the specific thing I need to do. Irritating!! Also, when I hand-write the entry on a page in the book, I can draw little hearts and smiley faces — can’t do that on the soul-sucking generic computer.
Last year, you may remember I was in Italy for the new year, and found a beautiful stationery shop and decided to get an Italian calendar — reasoning it would help me learn the days of the week in Italiano. But because the days were organized in a slightly different format, I got all turned around, and instead of helping me with a foreign language, it made me miss a dentist appointment. The cover really took a beating as well, which is different from the Gallery books that always look great, even after 12 months of being shoved in my pocketbook next to snacks and . . . oh, you know you put snacks in your purse too. A little bag of grapes or pretzels comes in handy when you are stuck on the Bayway.
In 2011 I went wild and snatched up the plaid calendar. I haven’t seen patterns since then, just solids.
Gallery Leather isn’t a sponsor of mine, I just thought I’d share something with you that I love, especially at this time of the year. Do you still use a paper calendar or have you moved on with technology? Are you organized and/or obsessed with a particular calendar? Do little things like a new calendar make you happy? Speaking of happy . . . Happy New Year to you!
What a lovely collection of calendars. We have finally hit on something we DO NOT share in common. I prefer lightweight planners with the fewest number of pages possible. (I definitely don’t need those recipe conversions.) And I recently cleaned out a file cabinet drawer with several years worth of calendars and tossed them! Hope I don’t regret it!
Didn’t you need them the very next day after you purged? That’s the way it always works for me. And who couldn’t remember a birthday???? Hmm. Maybe a new calendar is on your new list of things I need to get you after all. hahaha!
OMGosh and I do declare!! I thought I was the only person who saves calendars. You have just proved to my family that I am not (or maybe I am) obsessed. Wish mine were as pretty and organized as yours. Mine are various sizes, shapes, etc. which makes storing them challenging…plus I am much older than you and they are piling up. I keep thinking my children and grands will love reading them someday ?, and fearing they can’t wait to toss them! ? Meanwhile, I can’t tell you the times I have needed/wanted to know dates of past events and was able to find them because of my obsession!
Thanks for letting me know I’m in good company. Happy New Year as we record 2018!
Welcome to the club of the organized/crazy savers! It has indeed been helpful to go back and look for certain events and find what I needed. Hang in there, we are a dying breed!
I must confess to having my calendar on all my devices, but I still write in a real book.
Why is it we can’t break away? Keep trying! You’ll inspire us all.
I save my calendars and have found it very useful to be able to look back and figure out a past date. I love my technology, but I simply must have my paper calendar to keep my life in order. I actually don’t like it when my brand of choice changes anything too.
So glad to know I’m not alone! Happy New Year to you!
Sad to say that I don’t save anything once I transfer special days into my new paper calendar. My mother, however, used to save her diaries (today we call them journals) forever. When she was in her 80’s, she’d sit and read about her early life and adventures. Her adventures usually involved new recipes and current gossip but they were precious to her. I did have an acquaintance who worked at the U of M Libraries who recorded what she wore everyday so that she didn’t repeat the same outfit before its time. I have no excuse…
I have to admit, I do have a calendar to mark special outfits for special occasions, for just the same reason your mother did. What a faux pas to repeat an outfit for the same people! Diaries are great, and maybe I need to make my calendars more of a journal instead of an appointment kind of thing. That way, I can justify keeping them all these years. Glad you have good memories of your mom’s journals.
I will always take the paper version and I get really excited to have a new calendar or planner! Happy New Year!
Yippee! One more crazy person to confirm my weirdness! Congratulations on your practical side!
Happy New Year (almost) LA!!! Speaking of calendars…..my grandmother had volumes of calendars. Remarkably she was able to get the same book style calendar for YEARS. BUT, what she did with those particular calendars instead of using them to keep her schedule and appointments, she would use them as a diary. For every single day she wrote something down, if not but one sentence, just something that occurred that day in her life. It may have been as simple as, “it rained today and I went to the grocery”. Nothing ever so deep as a personal diary we think of…..just “what occurred” that particular day.
My brother (first grandchild) now has this cherished library of calendar books safe and sound in his keeping and we have all read through them through the years. We especially love to read the day we (my brother, sister, and cousins) were born. It is so precious what she said. I don’t think she ever thought anyone would want to keep them, but we absolutely cherish those things!
I always said I would do this same for my children and grands one day. Still haven’t. Lol!
What a beautiful idea! I think you’ve inherited your grandmother’s charm! (write that on your calendar for today)!
Thank you! You have given me permission to admit that I have little pocketbook calendars back to 1974! The number of times I have referred to dates has made them invaluable. And having spent eight years in England, I understand the frustration with the days of the week on their calendars being in the “wrong” order.
I was thrown off for the entire year with Wednesday being where Thursday usually goes! 1974? You win!
I LOOOOOOOOOVE a paper planner. I’ve been using the Bullet Journal method for several years now and it really works for me. I too love being able to quickly flip ahead or back and see everything at a glance. My phone just doesn’t have that kind of flexibility. And, adding something always seems to take FOREVER when typing it in. I’m glad to hear you’re on the same “page” too! Harharhar!
Good one!
Ok. I’m a forever convert to my iPhone/iPad calendar!! Don is also! (I made him! ?) We can let each other know instantly of doctor appointments and social occasions date and time! No need to type it out. Just ask Siri to add it to your calendar!! Use emojis to add pizazz! You always have your calendar even in a tiny purse!! Under location, put in a contacts name: viola! The address appears! Just the greatest!! You can print t out each month!!
I do have many calendars that I’ve saved, and it is fun to look back…. BUT, TECH IS THE WAY TO GO! Maybe you’re too young; I’m 72. ?
You make good points. Bob also tells me the benefits of having the entire family updated, but when I tried, they fussed about knowing about my hair appointments, and I couldn’t figure out how to make some things shared and others private. Too much trouble. I’ll have to get you to give me a lesson.
I do save mine forever. I just bought my Lilly calendar today. I keep three: the Lilly in my bedroom desk, the daily on my vanity, and the monthly freebie which some charity angling for a donation sends each year in my kitchen desk. I synchronize them regularly. They came on very handy years ago when I was involved in a legal matter– the smoking gin you might say.
That is smoking gun not gin!
Hahaha! Good slip-up! I’ve also just started keeping a large planner on my desk, and it’s so nice to be able to glance at it and know whats going on. I like your idea of one in the kitchen too. And gin.
I love your calendar collection Leslie Anne, but I’ve been using calendar on my Mac for years and LOVE it! Color code your entries and they automatically appear on all your other devices, so fast and easy…but I don’t have a cute shelf of leather booklets arranged in a pretty rainbow…
You know, life is all about accessorizing, right? My calendars to look spiffy, I have to say. I’m impressed with your tech-savvy method, and perhaps I’ll make a new year’s resolution to try and learn it. The problem is, I think I misplace my phone more than my calendar.
I would never throw those out! I have a few of years when I was organized and kept good records of our days and I could kick myself it would do any good for those years I didn’t keep recorded dates, shame on me. It’s so easy and helpful to have this way of looking back. Good for you, those are keepers for sure! Happy New Year Leslie Anne…….
You encourage my habit. Now I must encourage you to hoard something as well. Happy New Year!
Still using paper and I save them, too. Mine are the 8 1/2 x 11 inch paperback kind. too big for a purse, but with great size squares to write multiple items for each day. I usually find them at a local office/teacher supply store. But, this year I picked one up elsewhere, and while it’s a bit prettier on the outside and has a nifty pocket page (already holding two “save the date” cards), the format is slightly different, and I’m afraid I’m going to write Wednesday’s info in Thursday’s square!
Happy New Year!
I guess a little change-up every now and then keeps us on our toes! Happy non-confusing days in 2018 to you!