I have always been a list maker, it’s the only way I stand a chance to remember everything. Where once I used a physical notepad I have now mostly switched to using apps to keep me organised. With a family it’s not just me that needs to stay organised, apps help my partner and I know what’s going on and prevents duplication and arguments. We always have our computer or phone to hand and lots of apps are designed for users to collaborate and sync across devices making it really easy to be organised. These are my favourite apps for keeping family life organised.
A collaborative shopping list makes shopping for the family easier
My Favourite Apps for Staying Organised
For A Family Calendar and Shopping List - Try Cozi
We have been the Cozi app for about seven years. Cozi has a few different sections, but the two we use most are the calendar and the shopping list. My partner and I have a separate log in, but a family account which means we can add our own information to the app and it is visible to both of us. We also have each child set up as a family member so we can allocate calendar entries or tasks to them, but they don’t have a log in (yet, there is every chance we will still be using the app when they are old enough to have access to it).
The shared calendar is really useful so we don’t double book ourselves as a family, but the shopping list is probably my favourite feature. We can add anything we need to it so when we are in the supermarket we have the latest list available and we can tick off items when we buy them.
Some people find Google calendar ticks their boxes, by sharing calendars you get a lot of the same features, but we like to keep our Google accounts separate rather than linking them as a family. We tried a few different apps and found that Cozi gave us what we wanted in the most simple and effective way. We use a paid version which removes ads, but the free version functionality is good too.
For Writing Ideas, Posts and Stories - Try a Native Notepad
I have an iPhone and a MacBook so one of the apps I use most is the humble "notes". This means I can start writing something on my phone and then continue on my MacBook as the two sync very quickly. This really allows me to maximise the use of my time for instance I can draft posts while waiting to pick my children up from school, then copy and paste on my MacBook straight into my blog.
If you are an Android and PC person your notepad will do the same. The exact app doesn’t matter the key thing is that it syncs between your phone and computer. If you have an iPhone and a PC it is a bit harder as you will want to find an app you can install on both. Evernote is pretty popular for this and the free version lets you sync up to 2 devices, but there if you write a lot of notes you might run out of space.
For Managing All Your Different Tasks and Projects - Try Using Trello
Trello is a hugely popular piece of software for managing work. It is designed to work for teams, but it is effective even if it is just you using it. If you are a mum you will always be juggling a lot of projects and this app will keep you organised. These don’t have to be work projects, this could be tasks like organising a birthday party, planning Christmas, tidying the house and paying bills. It is so much more than a to do list. The free version should be enough for most people's personal use. If your children are older it might be worth using a paid version so that you can allocate tasks and work towards common goals.
 |
| Save for later |
