Dotmine Day Planners: Pretty & Functional. In Other Words, Just What You've Always Wanted.

Can you believe it's November already?

So that means:

- there's only 55 days until Christmas

- there's only 61 days left in 2010

I'm not trying to send you in a panic, but you should be thinking about your 2011 day planner.

You're not going to use that awful black one issued by the office, are you?

I've got a better solution - Dotmine Day Planners.

You're going to love these because:

- You can personalize it to your lifestyle.

- There are not only different kinds, but lots of pretty covers to choose from (more available from Borders, which carries their exclusive line!).

- You get 17 months of planning - which is really what you need in order to get ahead (and you can work and go to school and it will help you track both).

- They are affordable - $13.99 and $19.99.

Busy professional meets busy life—brought together with a fashionable flair! Efficiently keep track of all appointments: personal, professional and family!
 Record recurring meetings, activities and appointments.  You’re sure to love this life-saver of a planner!

I am using the life_time.mine Day Planner in Blue. The life_time planners combine work and family life, which is perfect for me.

It goes from Sept 2010 to January 2012, so I can use it now (No waiting until January! I love it!) .  The size (7" x 9") is great: not too big, not too small.  The sky blue leather cover is pretty and contemporary without being distracting. I'm happy for the colourful pattern on the inside cover though - who wants everything to be plain?

For planning out your life, you'll love that it lies flat, and that a week on 2 pages gives you a great indication of what you're doing and lots of room to lay it all out.

On the left-hand side of your schedule is a  perforated Work Sheet and on the right, a perforated Life Sheet. This allows you to list what needs to get done, picked up, dropped off, seen, read, cooked, etc. and take the list with you. I'm telling you, it's no surprise that women designed this because they know that these kinds of features are not only lifesavers, but lifechangers!

In addition to all of that, there's a nice wide pocket at the back (you need to put all that stuff somewhere - now you've actually got a place for it), a ribbon bookmark to keep your place (thank you!) and neat planning pages that help you figure out the next step.

If you want to do more and be more, Dotmine Day Planners will help you get there.

More Time Moms Can Help You Get a Handle on Your Time

Whenever I get together with friends, the first things they say is how stressed they are, there isn't enough time for work, for friends, for life.

While I can't give you more hours in the day, I can help you organize your time.

Well, more accurately, More Time Moms can.

Now don't let the name make you think their organizers, calendars and day planners are all about scheduling kid's baseball games and attending PTA meetings.

No way. You can use them to suit your lifestyle and your needs and organize your time.

That's not to say you can't use them to organize you and your family, but they work just as well for a single gal trying to plan out her week, or someone like me, with a spouse, no kids.

Take a look at Mom's Agenda -12th Edition: January to December 2011. (pictured above)

This is perfect.  It's pretty, but with a clean and simple layout (see monthly pages below) so that I can write down my day's events and information without cringing at cutesy flowers and gaudy patterns like many calendars geared to women. And let's face it - haven't you learned from all the calendars that you've used in the past that the simpler the system, the better it works?

There are many features to love here:

- Wiro-biding means that it lies flat, so that you can write in complete comfort, whether you're left- or right-handed. Ahh!

- The pages are both opaque and erasable, so both pen and pencil folks can write with ease.

- There is room to write down your appointments without having to reduce yourself to a 4-point font. Hallelujah!

- With the Monthly Appointment Planner Calendar and Weekly To-Do Pages, you will finally be able to stay on top of most of what's going on in your life (I'd say everything, but it's tough these days!)

- More Time Moms have thought of  everything by including a Monthly Priority Planner Guide, Daily Routine Planners and things like household budgets and a Christmas gift list. Huh. They might just get you cleaning your room and sending Grandma a thank you card for that holiday sweater after all.

- A new inside double pocket allows you to finally cram those receipts and teeny l'il pieces of paper that have been taking over your desk somewhere else. Where you can find them. Genius!

I told you it was great!

And though I stopped being a student long ago, I'm also using their Student Organizer 2011 (pictured below).

- Despite it's rad cover, it too has this amazingly clean format that allows me to write in what I need.

- Which is what I need to do, but not all calendars on the market let you do that. I know you know what I'm talking about!

- And this wall calendar has crazy big squares, so you can write in all of your stuff, without having to resort to abbreviations or anything!  Ooh, I can't get over that!

- There's no need to wait to use it - because it's a student calendar it goes from Sept 2010 to Dec 2010, so you can plan and plot out this year's Thanksgiving and Christmas for once.

-Just because you're not a student doesn't mean you can't use the semester schedules & goal setting charts to keep you on track or get the 2 Free Music Downloads. You've still got it, right?

- Nothing says you can't use the 260 reminder + appointment stickers. In fact, if you want to get really excited like I did, that's okay.

- And no doubt you'll have the inside back pocket stuffed within a week or two. Just sayin'...

If you have to juggle your family's schedules, then I'd recommend the More Time Moms Family Organizer 2011 and the Fridge Calendar 2011. Founder & President Joanne Lalonde Hayes' amazing systems will have you and your family on track for the entire year.

Life is too busy not to write it down. Write it somewhere that WORKS.

Shop the entire collection here.

p.s. There are only 66 days left of 2010. Don't you want to spend them wisely?