Product Review: Organizher On-the-Go Family Planner

No, I didn't spell it wrong, the name of this product line by Mead is Organizher. This particular item is the On-the-Go Family Planner from this collection. I originally bought this specific planner because I was looking for something I could pick up and use regardless of what time of year it was. The planners (and other products from this line) come in a variety of patterns and colors and I have only been able to find them in-store at Target. (Although you can also purchase them online from several e-stores.)

This planner is divided into sections by month, and the numbers are left off of the calendar so that they can be filled in at any time, for any year. I love that because I can buy one and not worry about wasting half a year's worth (or more) of a planner just so that I can get myself organized.

Each month has two calendars, a small one for "at-a-glance" knowledge of your month, and another that goes by week. There is a bit of redundancy since you fill in dates twice for each month, but at least you get flexibility.

The planner contains a set of stickers like most of the family calendars you see these days. These are small, so they are perfect for putting onto the month calendar, but then there is no room to really put any information, which means you end up having to write out times and dates on the weekly calendar. I don't mind this so much since I often forget to use the stickers, but it does make for a nice instant visual.

In the end, the only thing I use the whole month calendar for is seeing which dates I've already got an appointment, that way I don't over-schedule myself.

The planner also contains sections for each month where you can write in a list of tasks and to-do items. Again, I found this to be slightly redundant, but if you have a ton of things to do, it can be very helpful as you try to remember them all and figure out when to do them.

I found that the best part of this planner was the week-by-week calendar. It provides a place for me to not only put all of my tasks, but also a place for me to write down what individual family members need to get done on any given day. Because there are only three people in my family other than me, I use the fourth spot to put things that everyone needs to do or be involved in.

The downside to the week-by-week calendar is that the separated sections mean smaller writing space. If you don't have more than one or two tasks a day to complete, this isn't so bad, but for some who face crunch-time on a daily basis, this means that you may be writing in microscopic font.

At the very bottom of the week-by-week section is a spot for putting meal information. This is handy for me because I like to plan out meals ahead of time. I try to plan recipes around what I already have in the house, and often I'm missing one or two smaller ingredients. I use this spot mostly to write out what I need for a particular recipe.

The planner also comes with a handy elastic strap to mark your spot, which I love since I hate flipping through pages to find my place.

Included at the very back of the planner are two pages for putting down website information - such as the web address, username and password - so that you won't forget it. I don't personally use this though since this is an "on-the-go" planner. It's one thing to accidentally leave your planner behind if it's full of notations like 'fold the laundry' and 'pick up kids'; but if you leave it somewhere with things like your banking password - not good!

The next section is one that I haven't had a chance to use just yet, but I find it helpful all the same since I'm sure I will be using it soon. There is a spot for writing down books you want to read and movies you want to see. I'm constantly poking my husband in the side during movie previews, loudly whispering at him which upcoming flicks I want to view. Somehow though, I always end up forgetting what those movies were, and when they were coming out, and I can't figure out where all those movies I wanted to see got around to. Now I'll finally be able to remember!

The last section is a columned calendar for the year, full of holiday dates. I use this to quickly look up what holiday is next and write down birthdays for friends and family.

Again, the space to write in is a little on the small side, but the planner itself is about 7"x8.5" so that it can be easily carried, so smaller writing space is to be expected.

All in all this planner is well worth the money (about $10) that I spent on it. I found it a bit frustrating that they can only be purchased at Target, especially since it is harder to find the exact item you want in stock, but if that's what it takes to keep the price down, I guess I'm alright with that!

For more details on the Organizher line of products, visit Mead's Facebook page or their official product line page here.

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post, and as always, my opinions are purely my own.