This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Sharpie, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #StaplesBTS http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV
It’s nearly back to school season! Don’t you just love the rush of getting the kids all ready for school and buying beautiful new notebooks, markers and lunch boxes? I’m a sucker for pretty notebooks and colorful markers. I still remember how excited I was to go back to school shopping for all the items on our supply list when I was younger, back in my Trapper Keeper days. While my excitement for back to school now focuses on my kids, it’s also about getting our family back into a routine.
As I started looking at the back to school deals at Staples, the fashion assortment of Sharpies caught my eye. All those colors…all that color coding I can do. Yes, even I who loves all things digital, has paper calendars and check lists. I read an article last year that said we remember more of what we write down on paper than we do after keying it into a computer (or phone.) The brain registers these two actions differently, and it’s handwriting that has the staying power. After reading this, I felt better about sticking with paper and pen for my weekly agenda. It has made a difference keeping track of my schedule as I write out the week ahead, along with my menu plan, every Sunday.
September has always felt like a fresh start to me, even if it’s not really a “new year.” Today I wanted to share with you a fun, FREE, printable calendar that you can use each week to stay organized. There are three ways you could use this to help keep everyone on the same page in your home.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE WEEKLY CALENDAR PRINTABLE
(this is a file in Google Drive, open the link then go to File–>Print)
1. Print out the calendar each week and write out your family’s schedule and color code with Sharpie markers. The Fine and Ultra Fine Sharpie packs are currently on sale at Staples through August 24th, while supplies last. I love all the colors in the fashion pack I bought. (I dug up my Nana’s old cranberry mold glass jar to hold them all for easy access. You can get the same effect with a wide mouth pint jar.)
2. Print out the calendar once, color code your “master” schedule and then laminate it. You can then add in the weekly appointments that change using a dry erase marker. (Hint- I use the wet erase markers, which you can also find at Staples.)
3. Print out the calendar for each child and write out their weekly schedule with them. I know the young ones ask a hundred times a day when they are doing something and which day it is. Having their own calendar schedule is a great way to teach them the days of the week, and explain to them when their activities will be. Use the Sharpie colors to color code their schedule for non-readers. Red = school, blue = swimming and so on.
What other ways can you use this calendar? Are you a back to school organizing junkie like me? Want to shopping at Staples together and see what deals we can find?
I love the idea of a weekly calendar like that. I am definitley an “at a glance” type person and love seeing the week all in one handy place like that.
I’ll have my wife do any of the writing our house. My handwriting is atrocious. But I like the ideas.
I need a weekly calendar like this – Thank you – and Sharpies are a favorite around our house.
I love all of the new sharpie colors. I have an electronic color-coded calendar, but I have chore charts printed out that this would be perfect for!
Going to do this for my son who is starting pre-K! And I love sharpies. I just bought a fun set of colors. Who says Moms can’t have fun with their writing instruments too!
Love the calendar and the meal plannng! Oh, and the Sharpies!!! As a teacher, Sharpies are a must. Hands down, the best marker out there. Obsessed with the ultra thins!
As a former teacher, I absolutely love using Sharpies to color code my family’s calendar! My jar of Sharpies looks just like yours- full of fun colors!
I’m obsessed with Sharpies. Always my first thing in my carriage for my “back to the classroom” shopping. Cute printable too!