Using Google Calendar to Organize Your Busy Mom Life

Doctor’s appointments, dance class, field trips, sleep overs, and more! As your children get older, and especially if you have more than one child, it will get harder to keep track of who needs to be where at what time. My children are still young, so it’s not so bad for me yet, but I am getting an early start on being organized.

I have been using Google Calendar for quite a while to keep up with my own schedules both personal and business-related. I love it because it is accessible from anywhere, so I am not locked down to having my calendar only accessible on my home computer. I can access it from any browser, and from any cellphone! I just happen to have an iPhone and the interface for Google calendar is awesome.

It also allows you to have multiple calendars. I currently have one for myself, my home biz, the kids, and a personal one that is not shared for those “sensitive” appointments. Another awesome feature is that if Daddy, or anyone else that you care to share with is also on Gmail, you can give them access to the same calendar so they can see or post appointments and always know what the kids are up to.

I am also planning to make one for household items so I can try to stick to a schedule for laundry, vacuuming and stuff like that. You can set a reminder on items so that it can tell you “Hey! Time to go change the sheets!” Well okay, maybe that is extreme, but why not?

A couple of other advantages to using Gmail for your mail and calendar is that they recently implemented tasks. This is GREAT for a busy mom. You can have separate lists, and check them off when done. Be sure to check that out. There is also built in IM for chatting with your buddies; it even does video. And with over 7gb of space per account, you don’t have to worry about running out of mail storage! The organization options are awesome!

Here are a few tips for getting started:

1. If you do not already have a Gmail account, head over to http://gmail.com and click “Sign up for Gmail.”

2. Once signed up, there are a few settings that you might want to change to get the best experience from your account. Click the “Settings” tab in the upper right hand of the screen.

   • Just for fun, choose a photo that will be displayed to others that you email or chat with on Gmail by clicking “Select a Picture” in the My Picture section.

   • Definitely create a signature. You want people to know who you are! And you can add links to your blog or website, or anything else that you want to promote when you send email!

   • If you plan to use your new account with a cell phone mail client or Outlook (or any other desktop mail client), be sure to enable IMAP under Forwarding and POP/IMAP.

   • Under Labs, enable Tasks! Every busy mom needs a good To Do List, right? Also enable the “Google Calendar gadget” This shows a mini-calendar next to your mail so you don’t have to always flip to the Calendar app to see what is going on.

   • Feel free to poke around with all the other options, there is tons of other good stuff to check out.

3. Setup your new calendar: At the top of your account, click on “Calendar” in the upper left corner. You will be welcomed to Google Calendar and can setup your name, time zone, etc. Be sure your time zone is correct if you want to be on time for meetings! If you only want to use one calendar, you are done. Otherwise click on the “Create” link under My Calendars on the left side of the screen, setup the name, etc. and be sure to ‘Share’ with whomever you like that also has a Gmail account!

4. Access your new mail and calendar while on the go! Google mobile supports any phone with a web browser. Point your phone to http://m.google.com or use your PC to visit http://www.google.com/mobile/ to see if your phone is supported and get more info.

   Here is a screenshot of how my calendar looks like on my phone. This is a month view, but there is also a day and week view:

   

   If you have any questions or need help, just let me know.

   Enjoy your new found organization!

Related posts:

1. Destress Your Holidays by Mapping Out Your Calendar
2. How Mommy Blogs Have Saved My Life
3. A Busy Weekend in the City
4. Time Management for the Busy Mom
5. Five Thanksgiving Tips to Help a Busy Mom