Home educating Mum Kirstie on the Family Life Book

Blogger and wellbeing mentor Kirstie Anne is a long time fan of the Life Book. With a new business and a packed family schedule to manage, Kirstie swapped from the Life Book to the Family Life Book. She tells us how she uses the Family Life Book to organise a busy work and family schedule and how the columns can be used for more than just names.

"As a busy home educating mum, I've used and loved the Life Book for several years, it was basically my brain and I would be lost without it! When I launched my own business working from home, I found that I ended up with scribbled notes all over the place and I needed something to streamline everything onto one page. The Family Life Book looked like the perfect solution to my expanding post-it note problem.

I thought the columns would be super useful for separating all my jobs, so I could see clearly what needed to be done and break down larger projects into daily tasks to make things more manageable. I started off using each column separately but then settled into a 'half 'n' half' double spread like this which worked better for me – sort of diary appointments on one side and to-do lists on the other.

The meal ideas section is a feature I love since I always meal plan for the week to save both time and money. The ample notes and holiday planning sections are perfect for jotting down ideas as they come to me. These pages have held everything from detailed termly home ed planning to ideas for a Minecraft themed birthday party (I got carried away on Pinterest!)

I also really love the big pocket at the back; not only is it stuffed with stickers, name labels and coupons but it's where I stash my 'emergency teabag' (it's my favourite tea and they only sell it at Christmas!). Throughout the diary, I use a combination of the handy stickers that it comes with and also Pusheen stickers to satisfy my inner child!

After years of using the Life Book, it took a little time to adjust but now I'm just as in love with the Family Life Book as the Life Book. It's my papery ally, helping to share the burden of the maternal mental load, holding all the information that my brain is too tired to remember!"

Head over to Kirstie's blog for wellbeing advice and an insight into busy mum life!