Bumplog: getting organised

If you've spent any time reading Bod for tea, or if you know me personally (in which case I apologise), you'll know I like to be organised. Heck, it's not a nicety it's a genetic abnormality! If I don't feel organised I don't feel right. While other women salivate over shoes and dresses I'm slobbering over stationery and personal organisers. It's not something I'm proud of. I'd love to be all laissez-faire and fly by the seat of my pants, but I'm just not. I'm the geek at the back of the room with the Filofax/diary/schueduler/DayTimer/Franklin Covey. You name it, I've probably tried it.

Franklin Covey is probably the best system I've come across. But the format that I really like - weekly across two pages with loads of spaces for 'to do' lists and notes - isn't available in the UK and shipping from the US is just crazy (and even I'm not that crazy, well not since OH checked our bank statement this month *gulp*).

So I've been on the hunt for a new way to stay organised. Here's my criteria:

• Roughly A5 size so it's small enough for a handbag (who am I kidding with toddler and a baby on the way? It's a holdall) but big enough to be able to read my own scrawl without a magnifying glass.
• A weekly format across two pages.
• Space to write a daily 'to do' list including both personal and blog related tasks.
• Monthly calendars to plan ahead and keep track of birthdays.
• Copious notes pages.
• Looks the business.
• Doesn't require me to take out a second mortgage.

Not too much to ask for is it?

Then I was flicking through the back of Women and Home Magazine (those little adverts in the back always fascinate me - who hasn't seriously thought about one of those sarong things that looks like a dress?) when I came across an ad for Organise-Us.com. Mmmm... sounds like someone like... well, me. So I had a browse of their site and OMG I fell in love. This company knows me. They've read my criteria list. They know what I needed and they've made it. And what's more they've made it in the UK. Woo hoo! 

My new diary *swoon*

So here I am the proud owner of a new mid-size 2012-2013 Organise-Us diary in Marine Blue. It has everything I was looking for. And it starts in September so I can begin using it when Curly Girl starts pre-school and get organised for Peanut's arrival. 

You can choose your inside
 cover and ribbon colours

*squeeeeeaaal*

*blush at squeal*

At £37.95 for the basic version and *gulp* £64.95 for the leather bound one it's not a cheap diary. And let me just point out here that this is not a sponsored post. I bought the diary with my... ok OH's hard earned cash. But it's perfect for me and (I'm) worth it.

So here's how I'm using it:

Monthly pages

• On the monthly pages I write in birthdays and map out holidays we're planning to take and any time that OH is going to be away. 
• In the weekly pages I add our schedule for the week and,  underneath each day, the tasks I know I have to get done. There's even enough room for me to write any posts I know I want to schedule for that day. 
• I've turned the finance section into a monthly forward planner for Bod for tea with ideas for posts at different times of the year
• In the copious notes pages at the back I've started a list of things I need to get done before Peanut arrives. 



Weekly pages

• There's even a flap at the back I can use to keep the odd bits of paper in that clutter up the kitchen but I can't bring myself to throw away just in case I need them. 

It's miraculous. If it made me a decaf coffee and changed the sheets I'd consider becoming a bigamist.

How do you organise yourself? Do you have a favourite diary or system you use? You never know, I might be tempted....


DISCLAIMER: This is NOT a sponsored post. I just fell in love with this diary system and decided to write about it for the benefit of you lovely people. In fact I like it so much, watch this space for a follow-up post profiling Organise-Us.com and it's founders Lisa and Vicci.

Top image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net