Using Your Smart Phone as Your Homekeeping Handbook Part 2

In this second part of this series, I’m going to be talking about how I do my scheduling, to-do list, and cleaning routines.  If you missed part 1 of this series, you can find it here.  It covers how I do my Bible/quiet time and scripture memory on my iPhone.

Home Screen for the Cozi Calendar, the Flylady Edition.

In my huge Homekeeping Handbook binder, this is the section that I use the most often.  It’s really the “brains” of the whole binder system.  When I started looking for an app for my iPhone that I could use to replace this section of my binder, I tried a bunch of different apps trying to find one that would do everything that I needed it to do. I wanted it to contain a calendar, to-do lists and an easy grocery list.  I wanted to be able to access the information from my phone AND my computer.  I wanted something that would send alerts around to each member of the family reminding them about upcoming events and would allow each family member to add and update these lists as needed.  I actually figured I’d have to end up using several programs to find what I need.  BUT that was until I discovered Cozi!!  I actually found this via a Facebook friend who told me about the Cozi Calendar.  This one program had everything that I needed and was so versatile and easy to use AND it’s FREE!!

Scheduling/Family Calendar

Screen shot of Cozi calendar

Cozi’s calendar is so handy!  With Cozi’s calendar, you can manage your family calendar and set reminders. Add an appointment and it uploads to your Cozi account so everyone can see it. It’s an online calendar the whole family can access from their own computers, phones or other mobile devices. When you update via your phone or your computer and the whole family can access the calendar.  You can assign a color to each family member and create a color-coded family calendar, it’s easy to see where everyone is supposed to be. You can set appointment reminders or send the weekly agenda direct to a family member’s inbox.  I’ve found Cozi to be one of the easiest ways to manage home and family schedules in one central location.  You can even import existing Internet calendars, including personal iCals (Google or Yahoo calendar), or public iCals (sports or school calendars).  Print the calendar by week or month to give to your kids. Or, post it in places they’re bound to see them like the front door or their foreheads.  Share family activities with a babysitter or grandparent by adding a tab for them in the calendar.

To-do Lists & Cleaning Routines

Screen shot of my to-do lists

This is probably my VERY favorite feature of the Cozi app!  With Cozi, you can create a shared or individual to do list for anyone in the family. Print your kid’s chore list to post in a place they’re bound to see it. Cozi lets your family manage a task list from any computer with Internet access or with their smart phones.  You can easily check off items as you do them to help you stay on track during the day.  The lists are printable as well, so they are easy to print off for family members.  In my Cozi to-do lists, I have created checklists for my Prayer List, to-dos, morning routine, afternoon routine, evening routine, basic weekly plan, Flylady zones, and a cleaning checklist for each room of the house.

For my prayer list, I simply enter the name and a brief prayer request.  Then when I’m doing my intercessory prayer for the day, I simply check them off as I pray for them.  Makes it quick and easy and I never forget anyone any more!

I have a to-do list of things that I need to do each day, such as make certain phone calls, pay bills, and things that aren’t normally in my usual day-to-day lists.  My usual day-to-day lists include my morning, afternoon and evening routines, my basic weekly plan where I have certain chores scheduled for different days of the week, and the Flylady zones and cleaning checklists for each room of the house.   I simply check things off as I get them done.  Then at the end of the day, I simply uncheck the lists and use them again tomorrow.  No more printing out checklists that get thrown away at the end of the day.

Screen shot of my basic weekly plan checklist

Screen shot of my Morning Routine checklist

Screen shot of my Flylady Zone 1 checklist

Other Cozi Features:

Screen shot of the grocery list checklist

Cozi also has a shopping list feature, but I don’t use it for my grocery list because I have another program that I prefer to use for that.  But I do use this feature for short grocery lists and for listing errands.  I’ll talk about the grocery list I prefer tomorrow when I cover that I part 3 of this series.  Another fun feature of Cozi is it’s journal.  You can take pictures and keep an online family journal.  Not a feature I’ve really used, but I think some people will really like it.

Screen shot of the Journal screen

Overall, I am in love with Cozi.  I think this is one of the most helpful and useful apps for homemakers.  It’s the one app that I’ve found I use most often.  It saves me time and money and really helps me to stay organized.  I actually think that doing things this way is a BIG improvement over my huge, old, dusty binder and I can’t recommend this app enough.

In part 3 of this series, I will be covering Menu planning & Shopping, so don’t forget to stop back by and read it!

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