LilSugar

2012 Planners to Fit Every Personality

SavvySugar — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 05:29:28 PST

The first step toward a New Year is buying a new calendar. These 2012 planners will help you keep your cool as you coordinate your schedule. Whether you prefer planners that are strictly professional or packed with personality, we've found 10 notebooks to suit any style.

Track Diapers and Feedings on Lullaboards Baby Log

LilSugar — Wed, 27 May 2009 10:38:19 PDT

New parents anxiously track their wee one's feedings and changes. While some rely on notebooks and loose-leaf paper, others count on electronic devices to do the dirty work for them.

For the eco-conscience mom, Lullaboards ($28) is a dry erase system for reporting a baby or toddler's daily duties. The boards come with an attached dry erase marker and magnets and adhesives to attach to any surface. The boards are available in baby and toddler editions with numerous design options to choose from. Depending on the edition, the boards have space for recording feeding sessions, nap-times, diaper duty and to-do lists.

Lil Find: Skip Hop Day to Night Baby Log

LilSugar — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 05:00:33 PDT

Getting to your tot's first few pediatrician appointments with your lil one in tow is nothing short of a major accomplishment. Packing the diaper bag with all of the necessities, getting your babe outfitted and getting beyond the front door takes some strategy. So when the doctor asks you exactly how much milk your tot is getting and you can't remember, don't worry.

The Skip Hop Day to Night Baby Log ($39) tracks all of your baby's info in one central location. With sections for recording six months worth of feedings, diaper changes and sleep. The book comes with an illuminated "time capsule" that serves as a clock, timer and dim flashlight for recording middle of the night information without waking your sleeping beauty. When your infant passes the six-month mark, the book can be stored until the next child comes along and you try to recall just when your first-born began sleeping through the night or when she took her naps.

Moms On the Move Need Essentials Organizer

LilSugar — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 10:00:56 PDT

I love the idea of being organized, but with a family running in all directions - it's not always a reality. The smidgen of downtime I have is on the bus to work, which does lil good when my magnetic page planner is at home hanging on the fridge.

I've tried to go tech and load our appointments, pick-ups and drop-offs, and party dates into my Blackberry, but there's something so satisfying about putting pen to paper. I was thrilled when Amy Keroes of Mommy Trackd sent me over her latest invention, MOM Essentials: A One-Stop Organizer for Moms on the Move ($15).

The small book can be slipped into my laptop bag and has weekly calendar sheets, to-do lists, space to remember website sign-ons and jot down your family's take-out orders. The tear-off pages bring a sense of satisfaction when you toss them into the recycle bin. Additionally there's a page of Post-its ready for sticking, which for me means an easy way to leave my husband messages on the front door and the dashboard of our car.

Lil Find: LobotoME

LilSugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:30:40 PDT

As a mom running in a hundred different directions each day trying to organize my life, work and family of four, I have become a mental note taker. But, jotting things down in my head doesn't allow for my husband or kids to view the "To Do" list.

LobotoME organizational products are a great way for a mom to make her list of tasks a family affair. Since women don't need one more thing to lug, the momME weekly planner pad ($20) with tear and tote sheets is ideal. It has space for your schedule, errands, kiddie activities and more. The Help ME note pad ($10) is a polite way for you to delegate duties to your better half. In fine print, it reads, "Objective: Do this or Die."

Mommy's Lil Helper: momAgenda

babysugar — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 05:00:52 PDT

Before I had a kid, my days were scheduled to a "T" mostly because I had time for walks, lunches, dinners and parties. Now, it's a whole new ballgame. In addition to planning my own life, I've got to keep tabs on my babe.

Since she's got playdates, music lessons and doctor's appointments, momAgenda helps me keep it all together.

To learn more about momAgenda's amazing products,

Created by a mom, momAgenda organizers keep mothers on their toes by giving them a place to manage their schedules and those of the rest of the family. Available in a variety of fun colors and styles, there's a product for every kind of mom out there.

The Desktop version started it all by offering moms a week–at–a–view where they can plot out their schedule in addition to that of four children. For those who like to take it one day at a time, the Mini Daily breaks the pages down into single days offering a tad more space per diem for the extra busy mama.

New to the momAgenda family, the Kitchen Folio is full of plastic paper protectors and dividers, which are perfect for recipes, school letters, activity schedules, field trip forms that need to be signed, and lunch menus.

In addition to all of the fancy, but reasonably priced planners, you can buy gift sets, clipboards, pads of paper, and clips to keep tabs of extra important dates.

Kitchen Folio by MomAgenda	Mini Daily momAgenda
Pink and White Bucket with Fuchsia Planner by momAgenda	momAgenda Large Clipboards
Desktop Planner by momAgenda	momAgenda Exective Edition

Organize Your Health

FitSugar — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 13:30:00 PDT

On the road to becoming the healthy, happy you, it pays to be organized. Keeping a mental list of all your various projects can be overwhelming. There is just no way to remember all those things you need and want to do.

Many of us use day planners for work, so why not use a planner as a tool for your personal life as well? I came across these from lobotoMe.com. Talk about organization! They make notepads for everything.

My favorite is the Feed ME meal planning to do list. It's a pad of 50 sheets ($8) and helps you plan out your meals for an entire week. On the right-hand side, there is a preprinted grocery list so you can keep track of all of the ingredients you need so you are organized when you go to the grocery store. This way you don't wander into the cookie and chip aisle, and hopefully the organized list keeps you from having to make multiple trips back to the store for forgotten ingredients.

I also like the organizeME Weekly Planner ($16 per pad of 60). It's a way to organize all the chores and errands you need to get done in each day, and a way to remember to take care of yourself too. It has a spot to write down what healthy dinner, exercise, and "me time" you have planned Monday through Sunday. It even has a little spot on the bottom to check off when you've had your 8 glasses of water a day. These sheets can tear off and fold to fit in most daily planners.

Taking care of yourself is something you need to do everyday, and sometimes you need to plan for it in advance. I'm all for anything that can make eating healthy, getting exercise, and staying stress-free easier. There's a lot to keep track of, and these day planners can help keep you on track.

Why Everyone (Even 20-Somethings) Should Make a Will

Business Insider — Tue, 22 May 2012 00:15:44 PDT

Getting a will is not just for those who are on the cusp of retiring. People of all ages should consider writing one, says Business Insider. Here's why.

Despite the well-known fact that everyone alive today will kick the bucket at one point or another, nearly 60 percent of Americans admitted in a 2011 poll conducted by online legal service Rocket Lawyer that they didn't have a will.

In fact, one-third said they'd rather do their taxes, get a root canal, or give up sex for a month than lay out their dying wishes in black and white.

All right, let's not get out of hand now.

Making a will these days is easier than ever, and if you've been putting it off simply because it seems daunting, then you could be making a big mistake.

"You do it for your family's [future]," says Rocket Lawyer founder Charley Moore. "[A will] enables you to start thinking about issues like whether you have the right insurance coverage, life insurance, and ways of replacing your lost income."

Whether you're 22 years old and just ran your umpteenth marathon or you're ready to retire, laying out an estate plan should definitely be near the top of your to-do list.

It's one of the three most important documents every adult should have.

Here are the other two, according to Moore:

A living will: Also called an advanced healthcare directive, a living will is where you lay out all the nuts and bolts of your end-of-life care. If you wind up in a coma or unresponsive in the hospital, then a living will can help your family decide how to handle your medical treatment.

Durable power of attorney: Choose an attorney you trust to administer your estate after your death, says Moore. He or she will be objective (unlike family members), and their entire job is to follow your wishes.

Read on for more.

Fixes For These 10 Money Mistakes

Business Insider — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:15:04 PDT

Everyone makes mistakes. Business Insider shares solutions for some common money mistakes people make.

Recently, two friends confessed they live check to check - a revelation worsened by the fact that they only check their bank balance once or twice a month.

We called in the finance experts, and here's what we decided they should do to get on track.

"I check my balance once . . . every two weeks."

The mistake: The more we rely on our debit cards, the easier is to go over budget - and risk having our bank misorder the charges to slap us with overdraft fees. It's the reason my friend keeps paying $39 for that Starbucks latte.

The fix: Get in the habit of checking your bank balance morning, noon, and night, says financial expert Farnoosh Torabi. "Rather than compartmentalizing into a once-a-month chore, make checking statements a habitual, daily thing."

"What, my bank offers an app?"

The mistake: Ignoring your balance can make you "forget" about incoming bills and checks waiting to clear, and not using your bank app is careless.

It also keeps you out of sync with your money, something you don't want to do in an era of rampant identity theft.

The fix: Download the app!

Read on for more.

Countdown to the Big Day: How to Hire a Personal Trainer

Leta Shy — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:50:46 PDT

You're hiring a caterer, florist, and wedding planner, so why not also enlist the expertise of a personal trainer? If you're trying to lose weight for your wedding, having a trainer can be one of the best ways to help you reach your goals. But since you're on a timeline, it's important to ensure you're getting what you need from your training sessions. Here's how to hire the right personal trainer before you walk down the aisle.

Start early: Personal trainers can help you get results fast, but they're not miracle workers. Waiting too late to lose the weight can add unwanted pressure, which can make workouts stressful and ineffective. To ensure you have enough time to lose weight the healthy way, celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson recommends that future brides start shopping for a trainer at the beginning stages of their wedding planning (like when you start looking for the venue).
Know your goals: Your personal-training package will start with an initial assessment of your fitness level, but you should have an idea before you begin your trainer search of what you want to get out of your sessions. Are you already a pro on the elliptical but want to know how to get your arms in strapless-wedding-gown shape? Do you need your trainer to recommend a healthy eating plan to complement your time in the gym? Knowing what you want in a trainer helps you both ask the right questions before designing your fitness regimen.

Read on for three more tips for picking a personal trainer.