In an earlier post, I mentioned that I had posted my meal plan online. But I wanted to post a little more on how a family could use Google Calendars to simply life a bit.
The Basics
What is Google Calendar? Google Calendar is a service from Google that allows you to create online calendars. It is kind of like Outlook, but online so you can access it from anywhere – even your phone. You can add appointments to your calendar and set the time, description, location, reminders, and invited guests for each event. You can also quickly create an event by typing in something like “eat dinner with mom tomorrow” – and Google will know what you are talking about. You can set events as private (for your eyes only) or public (for everyone or specific people you choose), allow people to comment on your appointments, and allow people to subscribe via RSS to your calendar.
So that is the basics, but how can a busy family actually use Google Calendar to help manage their life? Here are a few suggestions:
- Keep track of each family member -You are allowed to set up as many calendars as you want. Google displays each calendar’s appointments in a different color. Create a calendar for each child. Use it to keep track of their play dates, lessons, doctor’s appointments, school activities, etc. If your kids are older, they can modify the events if plans change.
- Remember addresses -Have a play date at a new friend’s house? When you enter the address into the calendar, Google automatically stores the address (with a link to a map), so you have everything in one place. No more calling to ask for directions again (embarrassing!)
- Inform your babysitters -Create a babysitter calendar and give the RSS feed address to your babysitters so they are informed when you need a new babysitter. They can accept your invitation and you have saved time.
- Meal Planning -Post your meal plan online and include a link to the recipe if you found it online so no one asks “what’s for dinner?” Everyone in the family just has to logon to see what they are eating. They can even use the comments section to remark on a new recipe. If you want to make it again, just go into the event and change the date for sometime in the next couple of weeks, and you can easily continue planning meals for the next couple of months. If someone needs to stop at the grocery store and get something for dinner and you linked to the recipe, they don’t have to call you from the grocery store, they only have to use the link and print it out.
- Use your phone to access your calendar -Visit http://www.google.com/calendar/m on your mobile phone and you can see all of your appointments. Yes, that means if you are at the grocery store and forgot what you needed for dinner and have uploaded your menu to your calendar, all you have to do is turn on your phone. Or if you are driving somewhere and forgot how to get there, you can see the Google map on your phone.
- Create a To – Do List -Create an “all day event” and list all of the things on your list for the day.
- Get the weather forecast – Click “Settings” and then “General” to input your location and then choose “Show Weather for my location” and the local forecast will be attached to your calendar.
WARNING!!! Make sure to set all calendars to private if they involve locations or people’s names. Setting them to public could be bad, as this guy points out.