Organize my family life
July 2, 2013 6:06 PM Subscribe
Help me organize my family life. I've seen previous questions and don't think that Cozi is the solution. Maybe it's not an App but Apps I'm looking for, or are we simply not making the most of the tools we have available on our iPhones. How do you keep your family life organized? If you can give examples of how you use the tools vs. just the names that would be even more super-helpful. Details and specific criteria below the fold, but we need to manage and sync multiple calendars, shopping lists, to do lists, etc. Both wife and I have iPhones (me: 4s, her 3gs), she also has an iPad which she will use, also she isn't very techie so the more straightforward the better, and I need to sync an Outlook work calendar from a work PC that doesn't play nice with Outlook add-ons (other than Google calendar).
Additional criteria: Integration with the iPhone calendar. To me this is the deal-breaker with Cozi - it doesn't integrate (or I can't figure it out). Since getting an iPhone my wife has gotten really good at using the calendar on her iPhone. She syncs with her Google calendar which syncs with my google calendar which syncs with both my Outlook work calendar and also my iPhone. It works but seems clunky. Is there a better way to do this? We're currently actively using three calendars (her personal, my work which doubles as my personal, and then a family calendar which captures recurring non-personal events (like, dog needs his revolution, daughter has pediatrician, etc.)
Shopping Lists: By store, pre-populated or at least able to clear the list without losing all the items on it, being able to sort it, filter it to items that just need to be purchased. Location-specific reminders would be awesome. The ability to sync lists between us.
To do lists: multiple lists. recurring and non-recurring events. like to have a housekeeping/chores list; meal planning; ability to create shared lists like projects, and personal lists such as books I'd like to read, etc.
Reminders are good.
Oh it should be able to work offline.
And to emphasize, ideally it needs to integrate with the calendar on the iPhone. It's the default calendar in my wife's life and I'm afraid that any other potential solution will fall apart. We don't currently use iCloud, would that help and could we use it with some of the built-in iPhone functionality? Alternatively I know great chunks of the world seems to love evernote, does it integrate with the iPhone calendar?
Additional criteria: Integration with the iPhone calendar. To me this is the deal-breaker with Cozi - it doesn't integrate (or I can't figure it out). Since getting an iPhone my wife has gotten really good at using the calendar on her iPhone. She syncs with her Google calendar which syncs with my google calendar which syncs with both my Outlook work calendar and also my iPhone. It works but seems clunky. Is there a better way to do this? We're currently actively using three calendars (her personal, my work which doubles as my personal, and then a family calendar which captures recurring non-personal events (like, dog needs his revolution, daughter has pediatrician, etc.)
Shopping Lists: By store, pre-populated or at least able to clear the list without losing all the items on it, being able to sort it, filter it to items that just need to be purchased. Location-specific reminders would be awesome. The ability to sync lists between us.
To do lists: multiple lists. recurring and non-recurring events. like to have a housekeeping/chores list; meal planning; ability to create shared lists like projects, and personal lists such as books I'd like to read, etc.
Reminders are good.
Oh it should be able to work offline.
And to emphasize, ideally it needs to integrate with the calendar on the iPhone. It's the default calendar in my wife's life and I'm afraid that any other potential solution will fall apart. We don't currently use iCloud, would that help and could we use it with some of the built-in iPhone functionality? Alternatively I know great chunks of the world seems to love evernote, does it integrate with the iPhone calendar?
Apologies if this is off-topic, but with institutional (family or otherwise) organization, I've found that a little initial strategic planning goes a long way (this speaks to the concern about making the most of current tools).
I'd recommend committing to a sit-down face-to-face session as you decide whichever new strategy/app to adopt, so that you can decide between the two of you what is or is not likely going to work. For example, *I* think google calendar is amazing, unless I'm collaborating with someone who would rather text me, or refer to a FB event, than check the calendar.
Is your aim to find something that works for both you and your partner's *actual, currently functioning* communication/organization style, or will it be necessary for either/both of you to alter your habits in order to maximize functionality? If so, y'all shoudl make sure you're both on board. For example, do you generally have the same grocery-shopping style, or is one of you the weekly/monthly huge hours-long grocery ordeal and the other the opportunistic, buy-what-we-like-when-it's-on-sale or maybe the crap-it's-quitting-time-and-i'm-hungry-i-will-buy-all-the-things-now type? Each style would need a different "app": e.g., a reminder that "it's weekly grocery ordeal time!" or a notification that "thing you like is opportunistically on sale now!"
Are there kids and related seasonal activities involved?
Have you agreed upon a general division of labor (who buys birthday/holiday gifts for whose side of the family, who books/writes the checks for the housekeeper/gardener)?
Again, apologies if you're already on board with all that and just need a place to write it down; I've just found that lots of good intentions can get lost when differing (perfectly valid) styles of getting-things-done clash.
posted by Schielisque at 7:32 PM on July 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'd recommend committing to a sit-down face-to-face session as you decide whichever new strategy/app to adopt, so that you can decide between the two of you what is or is not likely going to work. For example, *I* think google calendar is amazing, unless I'm collaborating with someone who would rather text me, or refer to a FB event, than check the calendar.
Is your aim to find something that works for both you and your partner's *actual, currently functioning* communication/organization style, or will it be necessary for either/both of you to alter your habits in order to maximize functionality? If so, y'all shoudl make sure you're both on board. For example, do you generally have the same grocery-shopping style, or is one of you the weekly/monthly huge hours-long grocery ordeal and the other the opportunistic, buy-what-we-like-when-it's-on-sale or maybe the crap-it's-quitting-time-and-i'm-hungry-i-will-buy-all-the-things-now type? Each style would need a different "app": e.g., a reminder that "it's weekly grocery ordeal time!" or a notification that "thing you like is opportunistically on sale now!"
Are there kids and related seasonal activities involved?
Have you agreed upon a general division of labor (who buys birthday/holiday gifts for whose side of the family, who books/writes the checks for the housekeeper/gardener)?
Again, apologies if you're already on board with all that and just need a place to write it down; I've just found that lots of good intentions can get lost when differing (perfectly valid) styles of getting-things-done clash.
posted by Schielisque at 7:32 PM on July 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
I know you said the native iPhone calendar is not negotiable, but a better calendar app might really help. I replaced the native app with Readdle Calendar+ (put it in the tray at the bottom and moved Apple cal to last screen) and it is so much better. Fully integrated with Google calendars (including tasks), easier to enter and change events, intuitive and in general 1000x better than the Apple calendar. It works offline and then syncs the next time you have a signal/wifi.
We do also have a wall calendar in which we write all of our family obligations, it's just so much easier sometimes to glance over at what's going on tomorrow than to find a device and open an app. Also makes it easier to write things in when you're on the phone. And it accepts flea med stickers, which alas the calendar apps do not.
If all 3 of your calendars are synching, do you need 3? Can you cut down to 1 or 2? That might make event entry easier, at least.
Have you tried Grocery IQ? We use and like it, it syncs between our iPhones and iPads so we can enter items from anywhere and retrieve the lists from any of our devices. But I'm not a power user so maybe it doesn't have everything you need.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 10:30 PM on July 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
We do also have a wall calendar in which we write all of our family obligations, it's just so much easier sometimes to glance over at what's going on tomorrow than to find a device and open an app. Also makes it easier to write things in when you're on the phone. And it accepts flea med stickers, which alas the calendar apps do not.
If all 3 of your calendars are synching, do you need 3? Can you cut down to 1 or 2? That might make event entry easier, at least.
Have you tried Grocery IQ? We use and like it, it syncs between our iPhones and iPads so we can enter items from anywhere and retrieve the lists from any of our devices. But I'm not a power user so maybe it doesn't have everything you need.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 10:30 PM on July 2, 2013 [1 favorite]
I've just started playing around with ZipList. It has a meal planner (though that may only work on the website - not sure) & recipe box that can send needed ingredients to your shopping list & syncs with various calendars (iCal, google, etc.). You can have multiple lists & can assign items to specific stores. They have a browser bookmarklet that I've found is nice for quickly saving recipes I find on websites so that they are ready for me to drag into the appropriate day on the meal planner.
posted by belladonna at 6:57 AM on July 3, 2013
posted by belladonna at 6:57 AM on July 3, 2013
Dump the third calendar for household items. Put the events on one if your calendars and invite the other person to that event.
For personal tasks, Google Tasks can have multiple lists and shows up on the right hand side of your GCal. It has apps for various platforms that sync offline. You can't share tasks lists, though.
On the shopping lists (and recipe organizer) I use Springpad and wrote a quick post about that here. The short version is that you can create shopping lists directly from your recipes. We use this and update it simultaneously in the store while shopping. We meal plan by dragging the recipes we're cooking that week to the top of the stack. Works great. You could also use the "Board" interface (which looks like a bulletin board) creating headers for each day and dragging meals for that day under the headers.
You can also create Springpad "Events" that will sync to a Google calendar. (I don't believe this is two way sync, though).
However, if you really want calendar integration, I'd probably just meal plan on one of the calendars you have, using Springpad for recipes and shopping lists.
You can also use Springpad for todo lists, as they're just multiple checklists. Might be worthwhile if you're going to use it for recipes and shopping lists. These are shareable and work offline in the Springpad app. However, the Todo lists don't integrate with your calendar.
Hope that helps.
posted by cnc at 4:51 PM on July 3, 2013
For personal tasks, Google Tasks can have multiple lists and shows up on the right hand side of your GCal. It has apps for various platforms that sync offline. You can't share tasks lists, though.
On the shopping lists (and recipe organizer) I use Springpad and wrote a quick post about that here. The short version is that you can create shopping lists directly from your recipes. We use this and update it simultaneously in the store while shopping. We meal plan by dragging the recipes we're cooking that week to the top of the stack. Works great. You could also use the "Board" interface (which looks like a bulletin board) creating headers for each day and dragging meals for that day under the headers.
You can also create Springpad "Events" that will sync to a Google calendar. (I don't believe this is two way sync, though).
However, if you really want calendar integration, I'd probably just meal plan on one of the calendars you have, using Springpad for recipes and shopping lists.
You can also use Springpad for todo lists, as they're just multiple checklists. Might be worthwhile if you're going to use it for recipes and shopping lists. These are shareable and work offline in the Springpad app. However, the Todo lists don't integrate with your calendar.
Hope that helps.
posted by cnc at 4:51 PM on July 3, 2013
Response by poster: Is your aim to find something that works for both you and your partner's *actual, currently functioning* communication/organization style, or will it be necessary for either/both of you to alter your habits in order to maximize functionality?
This is a good point, and as I've thought about it more I think what I'm really solving for is a solution that meets my actual, currently functioning communication/organization style because I'm going to be the power user, but is frustration-free and straightforward enough for my wife to start using as well.
Have you agreed upon a general division of labor
I do the grocery shop, most of the cooking, and bill payments. My wife does most of the cleaning between visits from the cleaning lady. Birthday presents are usually purchased on the way to the event (which is part of the problem). We have a newborn baby and a doggie too.
As I've become older I've recognized I do better with having lists. Not necessarily because I'm forgetting stuff but because I can't keep track of all the chores and also all the fun things I want to do.
In terms of grocery lists, I've got a weekly shop built around meal planning but then I will also try to hit up Costco on a monthly basis to stock up on staples or a specialty shop for something else we've run out of. I want to be able to keep track of these lists. My wife needs to be able to add items that we've run out of or she's got a craving for. Similarly, I want to be able to have other shopping lists for everything I might need to get at the home improvement store, the mall, etc.
Todo lists, again I'll be the primary user of the lists but it needs to be something that she can easily input into and review. There will obviously be a chores list and like I mentioned in original question lists of books, etc., but also stuff like "fun stuff" that my wife could input into so we're not sitting at 5pm on Sunday suddenly remembering that on Tuesday one of us thought and forgot that it would have been fun to go on a hike this weekend. Ideally, would be able to look at the Todos without seeing all the todos at once and being able to assign and reassign dates/times to the items so they're not missed
I know you said the native iPhone calendar is not negotiable, but a better calendar app might really help.
We're terribly disorganized and forgetful with communicating commitments to each other. This has gotten much better since we both got iPhones and instituted the "if it's not in the calendar it doesn't exist" rule. The nice thing about the native calendar - and a functionality my wife uses often - is the ability to create calendar events by tapping on dates in emails and text messages. I'm not trying to be funny but how is the Readdle Calendar+ better vs. the native calendar. I downloaded the free version, and it definitely looks slicker, but is the Google Tasks integration that is the main difference? I haven't used Google Tasks, but it looks rather comparable to iPhone Reminders. Is that a fair assessment? Does anyone use iPhone Reminders?
I like Evernote.
I want to like Evernote. I've tried it and OneNote and have often got stuck in trying to perfect the "perfect GTD system" vs. using the tool. How did you get past that. Are there any templates or best practices "walk throughs" you'd recommend in terms of setting something up that's quick yet functional?
Thanks to everyone for your answers so far, this has been helpful and I'm open to more suggestions/experiences.
posted by dismitree at 7:36 PM on July 3, 2013
This is a good point, and as I've thought about it more I think what I'm really solving for is a solution that meets my actual, currently functioning communication/organization style because I'm going to be the power user, but is frustration-free and straightforward enough for my wife to start using as well.
Have you agreed upon a general division of labor
I do the grocery shop, most of the cooking, and bill payments. My wife does most of the cleaning between visits from the cleaning lady. Birthday presents are usually purchased on the way to the event (which is part of the problem). We have a newborn baby and a doggie too.
As I've become older I've recognized I do better with having lists. Not necessarily because I'm forgetting stuff but because I can't keep track of all the chores and also all the fun things I want to do.
In terms of grocery lists, I've got a weekly shop built around meal planning but then I will also try to hit up Costco on a monthly basis to stock up on staples or a specialty shop for something else we've run out of. I want to be able to keep track of these lists. My wife needs to be able to add items that we've run out of or she's got a craving for. Similarly, I want to be able to have other shopping lists for everything I might need to get at the home improvement store, the mall, etc.
Todo lists, again I'll be the primary user of the lists but it needs to be something that she can easily input into and review. There will obviously be a chores list and like I mentioned in original question lists of books, etc., but also stuff like "fun stuff" that my wife could input into so we're not sitting at 5pm on Sunday suddenly remembering that on Tuesday one of us thought and forgot that it would have been fun to go on a hike this weekend. Ideally, would be able to look at the Todos without seeing all the todos at once and being able to assign and reassign dates/times to the items so they're not missed
I know you said the native iPhone calendar is not negotiable, but a better calendar app might really help.
We're terribly disorganized and forgetful with communicating commitments to each other. This has gotten much better since we both got iPhones and instituted the "if it's not in the calendar it doesn't exist" rule. The nice thing about the native calendar - and a functionality my wife uses often - is the ability to create calendar events by tapping on dates in emails and text messages. I'm not trying to be funny but how is the Readdle Calendar+ better vs. the native calendar. I downloaded the free version, and it definitely looks slicker, but is the Google Tasks integration that is the main difference? I haven't used Google Tasks, but it looks rather comparable to iPhone Reminders. Is that a fair assessment? Does anyone use iPhone Reminders?
I like Evernote.
I want to like Evernote. I've tried it and OneNote and have often got stuck in trying to perfect the "perfect GTD system" vs. using the tool. How did you get past that. Are there any templates or best practices "walk throughs" you'd recommend in terms of setting something up that's quick yet functional?
Thanks to everyone for your answers so far, this has been helpful and I'm open to more suggestions/experiences.
posted by dismitree at 7:36 PM on July 3, 2013
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Don't know if it syncs with iPhone calendar, but its awesome search functionality helps us keep track of things we tend to forget like say:
Weekly commitments, Doctor's appointments - we just have a folder for that - and a search quickly brings up whatever is coming up
Grocery lists - a folder for that which everyone can access and edit
Family meal planning - works the same way, and Evernote food lets you clip recipes directly.
In all, I've found that the more we use it, the better it gets because it just keeps all these notes. That it isn't rigid calendar is also a plus and as long as you know what you're searching for, it works exactly like a google search to bring things up.
posted by greta_01 at 6:52 PM on July 2, 2013