It's getting to be that time of year again; time to get your 2010 paper planner, but which planner is right for you? Navigating through the many types of planners to find the perfect match is a lot harder than you would think. You need to choose a format, a size, a color, special features, etc. Lucky for you I'm here to help! I will help guide you to your ideal 2010 paper planner.

1) First you must decide which planner format you need:

• Daily Format: This is 1 page per day format, with hourly appointment times. It's best used if you have a busy daily schedule or need to log your daily activities in detail.
• Weekly Format: 1 week over 2 pages, with a planning section for each day. Perfect for managing a busy work or school week.
• Monthly Format: 1 month over 1 page or 1 month over 2 pages. Ideal for quickly tracking appointments, vacations and special occasions.

2) Next you need to decide the size of your planner. Do you want something that fits into your pocket? Or would you prefer something larger that would sit on your desk? Or something in-between?

3) What kind of binding do you want? Do you prefer a wire-bound, book-bound or a ring-bound binder?

• Wire-bound and book-bound are better options if:

• Ring-bound is better for:

• Loose leaf pages that you would remove and replace at the end of the year.
• Adding additional pages
• Adding additional features like holding business cards, photos, a calculator, etc.

4) Now that you have a format, size and binding in mind, what additional features do you desire? Do you want a durable hard cover or a flexible cover? What color or design do you want for your cover? Do you need sections for taking notes, tracking spending, keeping address information, etc?

Don't go through 2010 with a planner that you're not satisfied with. There are many options available, and if you're still struggling with choosing the perfect planner, one of our qualified customer service representatives will be happy to help - 800-365-9327. After reading my 2010 planner guide let me know which planner you have chosen.

About two months ago, my home computer decided to experience a fatal error, do a system dump and not reload again. It had been acting up for some time, being slow, disagreeable and just cranky in general; popping up with all kinds of sarcastic and cryptic error messages. I thought it was just old and uncooperative. I had been more than understanding; I made sure that I started it up early, giving it plenty of time to load, relax and think about working before I would actually put it through its paces.

So, I found myself facing everyone's worst nightmare... a blank canvas and having to recreate all of my favorites after getting the computer back. Have you ever needed to dig through a pile of papers or sticky notes that were strategically hidden around the office for usernames or passwords? Or have you ever wasted time looking up forgotten web addresses? Fortunately, my system restore issue was less inconvenient because I had just recently started collecting all my website information into one little book. Here are a few things that I found had worked for me:

• Take the time to document your "favorites" and most useful websites that you use. If you don't want to do this on hardcopy, you can also create an account with delicious.com and bookmark your favorite sites online - so that no matter what computer you are using, your favorites and bookmarks will be available to you.

• If you document your username and password, sometimes it's best to write down a hint of what your password is rather than writing both side by side. This way if you ever lose your book, someone won't be able to easily access all of your account information but you will be triggered to remember what your password is.

• Whichever system you document this information in, be sure that it is in as inconspicuous location as possible, but in a place where you won't forget where it is.

• Most important, be sure to backup important files including the "My Pictures" and "My Documents" sections of your computer - just in case your machine decides to act up. I was so happy that I didn't lose my favorite moments as a result of the crash. Even the best computer technicians might not be able to save some of those precious moments if a virus or "fatal error" takes hold of your machine.

One item that is offered by AT-A-GLANCE® is the web address book or password keeper. It has many features that make it handy and useful for this purpose. Check it out and let us know what you think about this idea.

So it's that time of year where some people are dancin' in the streets with joy while others are looking a bit more dejected and downtrodden - time for the kids (and teachers) to go back to school!  Regardless of which camp you're in (the happy dancin' folks or the "so-sad-I just-lost-my-freedom" group), there are some simple tips that can help to keep the sanity in your household at this time of year:

• Don't wait until the last minute to get your school supplies (yes I realize you will have to get some last minute or special request items after school has started but take advantage of the sales and special offers as they come up.  It won't hurt to stock up on the things you know you'll need like pens, notebooks and even non-perishable lunch sized snacks for the brown bag.
• There will be a myriad of activities and extra-curricular clubs.  Keep all equipment, special gear or clothing for activities in one location.  Put dance shoes & leotard, musical instrument & sheet music, jersey, spikes & pads or whatever you may need for a specific activity into a container in your room (a plastic crate or box in the closet works well) or if you have the space, somewhere near the door that you use to leave for school so you'll see it and remember it.
• Get ready the night before to prevent morning stress.  Put things needed for the next day together the night before.  Don't forget homework, books, permission slips, lunch/lunch money, afterschool stuff, etc.  It's even a good idea to lay out what you are going to wear the next day (that way you know it's clean/ready to go.)
• Keep a central family calendar or planner where everyone's activities are listed.  Each person should keep his or her own planner but then as a family, there should be one central location where everyone can look to see what's happening.  A large wall calendar or planner can work wonders.  There are some good options with plenty of space for writing or color coding for each member of the family.  Be sure to list appointments, reminders, long-term projects and special events. Don't forget birthdays, family events/vacation, games, practices, dances and countdowns to key events like graduations.

Now, these are only a few ideas, I'm sure there are tons of others.  Share how you keep the household sanity when it's back to school time?

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