What works for me... Notebook

 I like lists.

I am not a schedule person.
I am not type A
I am not organized.  At least, I can't seem to keep organized.

I have often watched the clean, thoughtful, meticulous methods of others
thinking things like:

"I should"

"I could"

"I want to"

and

"A guy really oughta"

And maybe as my seasons change, so will the things that work for me.
I might get really bold and set a schedule I stick to, but in this season
- actually for all my married life of 14 years -
there has been one little thing that has served me faithfully.

My notebook.

My notebook is the place I plan for tomorrow.
The evening before, I write a list of things I want to accomplish on the morrow.
I often write specific assignments for the Bugletts, along with what I plan for dinner
(including a reminder to get X out of the freezer to thaw),
and always a running grocery list.
It holds the things I want to check off in the short term,
and how I want to celebrate Christmas.
No list is too trivial, no thought unallowed in my notebook.

My notebook is completely random.
Sometimes I throw down things to order off amazon.
Birthday gift lists.
Appointments.
Phone calls to return.
An address to remember.

When I get ready to go into town, I designate a whole new page to a list of places
I need to go, and what I need to buy at each place, attempting to list my groceries
in the order I shop through the store..
Sometimes there's a reminder to get fuel.  Or a Mocha Coconut Frappucino. 
One mustn't forget!

My notebook has a place on a shelf behind the dinner/school table,
but it usually follows me around the house throughout the day.
I tuck my notebook into my purse/diaper bag when I go out
and in this way it takes some abuse.

But for me?
A few crinkled corners are totally worth it.

At first I used a blank pad of note paper, and in recent years
I've switched to a spiral bound notebook so I can depend on pages being there
when I hunt down phone numbers I copied weeks before. 

It is my brain on paper.

Many of you can relate possibly, to the feeling of relief one feels when one
knows they can retrieve a piece of information even if the little gray cells
are not pulling through!

The only thing that could possibly make this method better
is  the Pilot G-2 ball point pen.  My favorite in the world!  And did you know they
come in a couple girl-ish colors besides the usual black and blue ink?
If you ever meet my notebook, you will know it by the G-2 pen stick in its spiral.

My secret is out, and an explanation for why I still forget certain birthdays.
Perhaps there could be a page marked just for that.  Birthdays Not to Forget.
Or maybe just a reminder I can check off saying: "go look at the calendar Lady!"



I love my notebook.  <3 <3 <3
(and a new one all ready for me to muff up the corners!)