Correspondence...how do U stay on top of it!?

[tmarie]

I am disgusted with myself. I just realized that my friend's bday was yesterday, dh's bf's birthday was this weekend, and my MIL's birthday is today. I have yet to purchase and mail my Father's Day gifts. I used to be the queen of correspondence, gift giving and was in general great at this stuff. Then I had kids.

Ever since my dd#1 was born, my punctuality with respect to correspondence and holidays has suffered. Unfortunately I live far away from family and college/hs friends, so that makes it all the more important for me to reach out and show that I'm thinking of the special people in my life, kwim? My girl friends from college are super at remembering cards for my bday, my kid's bdays, etc... I feel like I am the only one ALWAYS sending a 'belated' card or ecard. It has been worse since I've stopped working b/c I'm not looking at a calendar every day. I read about moms who plan meals a month out...I just can't fathom it. I hate the disorganization that results from my failure to plan ahead, but I just can't seem to make the time to sit down and do it. Probably b/c my kiddos are always with me and I usually want to collapse after they go to bed!

Has anyone else been in this kind of correspondence rut? Any thoughts on how I can best get out of it?!

tmarie

dd#1 '05
dd#2 '08

[ha98ed14]

Has anyone else been in this kind of correspondence rut? Any thoughts on how I can best get out of it?!

You are not alone. I was THE best person at keepi ng up with friends' birthdays and their kids' birthdays until I had a kid of my own! No ideas because I am still in the rut and I too live on the opposite coast from all my friends and family.

I look at it this way: I can beat myself up about it, but it won't change anything. Right now, my day to day life sucks up all my time and energy. Will it always? I hope not. But for now, I just do the best I can. If I feel I have neglected someone's special day, I acknowledge late, even if it is just in an email. I figure they will appreciate better late (and lame) than never. And altho it is cliche, I really believe that anyone who is really your friend will not hold it against you. They have been or will be there too someday.

[MontrealMum]

Since having DS everything has slipped for me, so you are not alone!

I don't know if this will help or not, but here are two things that I do to help me know what day it is, and what's going on...

I have a birthday book, which is like an address book, and I write everyone's birthday inside. It's super-tiny and I keep it on my desk. Also, I have a very small (paper) calendar on my desk and I literally cross off each day as it passes. Since I WAH and had a year as a SAHM this was vital to my knowing what day it was!

I know lots of people use the calendar in Outlook. I did try marking things on mine when I was in school (tests, papers due) via blackboard - but I'm not sure if that would be helpful or not if you're not in school or working. You need to log on regularly and it does take some time. I guess I'm just not a 2.0 type of girl - don't tell

[niccig]

I feel like I am the only one ALWAYS sending a 'belated' card or ecard. It has been worse since I've stopped working b/c I'm not looking at a calendar every day. I read about moms who plan meals a month out...I just can't fathom it. I hate the disorganization that results from my failure to plan ahead, but I just can't seem to make the time to sit down and do it. Probably b/c my kiddos are always with me and I usually want to collapse after they go to bed!

Has anyone else been in this kind of correspondence rut? Any thoughts on how I can best get out of it?!

tmarie

dd#1 '05
dd#2 '08

Well, I'm in the same rut. I have to send family presents internationally, so I need at least 10 days to get it there on time. Most times, my presents are late. I have one sister who ALWAYS gets things to you early...I just can't do it. I am trying this year. I have a birthday book with everyone's birthday's written in it. I also put everyone's birthdays in iCal and I got an iPod Touch, so it is synced. I have reminders to buy a present/card and then to send it.....so far, I've done OK - one present on time, one late...oops...so not perfect yet.

[elliput]

I have started using the Google calender. And have it tied to my iGoogle home page so that my appointments, birthdays, etc are all right in front of my face all the time.

[mommylamb]

For friends, facebook is a big help. I also put birthdays on my entourage calendar (Mac's version of outlook). I'm not a huge card person, so usually I send ecards anyway.