I used to pride myself in being a very organized mom but all organization went out the window after throwing a fourth kid into the mix. I let my desk get so cluttered with paper, mail, catalogs, and books that I thought being an organized mom was never going to happen again.

I was so excited when Parent Bloggers Network offered Family Matters for me to review. I was hopeful that the Family Matters color coded products by Day Runner could help me get my life organized.

I’ve had the products for a couple of months now and I have managed to get organized and stay organized.

Exhibit A

This is my desk prior to receiving my Day Runner Family Matters products. As you can see it was a complete disorganized mess.

Exhibit B

Isn’t this much better?

I lined up the color coded storage cases with the activity folders on the right. I assigned a color for each of my kids except the baby and two for me. One for personal paperwork and the other for business. Every day after school my kids put important papers from their backpack into their color assigned storage case. This has eliminated the stacks of papers on my counters and the loss of important forms.

The undated erasable wall planner was on the wall to the left until my kids got a hold of it but it was nice for the short time I had it. My only problem was that I didn’t update it as often as I should. Maybe that’s why it took me a week to realize it was missing.

I love the erasable door hangers that are also color coded. I gave my husband one so he can jot down things he needs me to pick up at the store but he kept misplacing it. I think a magnetic strip on the back would be a great addition to the hangers so they can be placed on the refrigerator when not hanging on a doorknob.

My kids use theirs to remind them of things they need to take to school. They are the perfect last minute reminder as we walk out the door to the garage.

My favorite Family Matters product is the wire bound monthly/weekly appointment book that I had no idea how much I needed until I had it. The planner is also color coded and is divided up into monthly and weekly sections. It doesn’t begin until January 2008 but I’ve already started filling in important dates. I prefer the monthly view but I can see the weekly view being useful during very busy weeks. I keep it open on my desk so it’s handy for jotting down notes and important dates. There is also a very helpful priority to-do list on the bottom of each page of the weekly view.

Overall I really like the products. The color coding is a great way to keep a busy family organized and my kids think the color coding is fun which also helped keep them organized. My only complaint is that I would prefer the products to be a bit more stylish and offer patterns or bolder colors.