You may have seen adverts for the O2 Joggler, a new electronic organiser for families. The massed mummies of Mumsnet have been trying them out, with mixed results.
But for some of us, when it comes to being an organised mum, new-fangled electrickery just doesn't cut it. Tippy-tapping on a screen will never do it for me. I need to write stuff down in my own handwriting to remember it. And with two children at two different schools, several jobs, a house and Dennis the Kitten to wrangle, that's a lot of stuff to remember.
And this is why I have to pay tribute to the one thing that keeps me on the straight and narrow, and ensures that I (almost always) pick the right child up from the right place: my Filofax.
Now the brand has been brought right up to date with a new Family Organiser Pack. Friends, it's a thing of beauty. If, like me, you love the smell of fresh stationery in the morning, you'll love this. Let me tell you more:
On the outside, it looks like your regular personal organiser, but look inside and you'll find sections including:
- Information sheets for babysitters - so you can leave your details easily before you take off for the night
- A school section, so you've got all that vital contact information ready to hand
- Space to list the pros and cons of your dilemmas. I think I might need extra sheets for that bit.
- A party section, so you can list the details of your event and even little boxes so you can tick off who's RSVP'd.
- Sports and clubs information - so you can fill in who needs to be where, when.
- A budget sheet, so you can see where all your money's going and weep about it
- Meal planner sections, so there's no excuse to miss out on your five a day
- A chore list, including a place to tick when jobs are done. I can only assume that this is to make delegating easier, so you can dish out jobs to the rest of the household.
- There's also a shopping list, address book and section for birthdays and anniversaries.
In fact, the only thing that's missing is fifty quid and Johnny Depp's phone number. Apart from that, it's very comprehensive.
The Filofax Family Personal Organiser starts at £28 and is available from here.