Managing the Family Calendar with Cozi.com

In September I was able to attend the Type A Mom blogging conference, where I met Robbie Cape, CEO and President of Seattle-based website Cozi.com, and their Social Media Director, Carol Schiller.  I had already heard a little about Cozi.com through buzz around the blogosphere; the company generously supported many bloggers’ trips to the mega-conference BlogHer. 

Partnering with web-savvy moms makes sense for Cozi, as their entire site is built around simplifying families’ lives through a free online organizer.  At Cozi.com, you can coordinate a Family Calendar, keep a Shopping List & get Dinner Ideas, manage a To-Do List, and keep connected through the Family Journal.  Right now they’re even running a contest (through March 11) where you can win Free Groceries for a Year.

I was recently invited to check out Cozi.com and see how it works for our family.  Today I’ll be writing specifically about the Family Calendar feature, but come back on Friday too, when I’ll focus on some other useful tools the site has to offer.

First of all, I want to say that I love the look of the Cozi.com site, and the entire interface is very user-friendly.  It’s quick and easy to register for an account, and everything you do is private and secure (unless you choose to make the Family Journal available to others, which I’ll write about on Friday).  The site is free to use, but as a consequence does include a moderate amount of ads; however, I’m glad to say that none of them are intrusive or out of place.

When you sign up for an account, you get a central hub page for your family.

You’ll see in the upper right is the reduced screen for the Family Calendar.  From the main Family Calendar page you can enter information with color-coding based on which family member the event applies to, you can sync up your school’s calendar (if they have an internet calendar online, which many do – Cozi will search that for you), as well as any other internet calendars.  You can also set up the system to send email or text message reminders of your calendar items, and you can sync everything up with Microsoft Outlook if you use that at work or on your mobile device.

My husband travels about 2 weeks every month, and it’s a challenge for him to know what is going on, and when.  He wants to stay connected and aware, but that’s hard to do with him on the road so much.  I used the Family Calendar feature at Cozi.com then sent him the login information and asked him to tell me what he thought.  You might be able to read his response in our Family Journal on the screen shot above, but if not, this is what he said:

If it is kept up to date, I can see looking at this when trying to figure out the best dates for training, dealer visits, region meetings, etc. I’m not sure about linking it up with my Outlook, but having it handy would allow me to put the real important events into my calendar.

I’m glad he likes it, because I can see it being an incredible asset for our family.  And you don’t have to have a spouse who’s gone a lot to appreciate the service.  I know for myself, I’m terrible about keeping a planner or purse-sized calendar on me when I’m out and about.  I rely on finding appointment cards buried in the bottom of my purse or my faulty memory when I’m at a school Booster meeting and need to schedule a volunteer shift.  If you have an online calendar and a mobile device, you can check things out right away, and have it accessible to everyone else in your family, too (even if they’re on different mobile devices, or simply have access to the internet).

Now, remember when I said earlier that they are running a contest for Free Groceries for a Year (from now through March 11)?  It’s worth mentioning again, because (a) who wouldn’t want free groceries for a year?! (b) all you need to do is enter your email for a chance to win, and (c) I get an extra entry for everyone I send over!  And if you’ve checked out my new blog, Birdfood, you’ll know that I’m starting to cook all sorts of yummy meals at home.  I could really use those groceries!   PLEASE USE THIS LINK TO ENTER.  Good luck!

 

*Disclaimer:  I was invited by Cozi.com to check out their site and am being compensated to write this post.  What I have written here is my honest opinion of and findings on the site.

You might also enjoy these related posts from Tree, Root, and Twig:

1. Inspiration, Information, and Tools from Cozi.com
2. Our Family Calendar
3. I’m Trying Not To Snicker

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