A genius solution to organize your family life that works for everyone.
My husband walked in the door, tired from a long day at work, carrying several grocery bags. I had my arms full with our twin babies, looked at him and said, "did you get diapers?"
His face fell. "It wasn't on the list."
"I tried to call you."
We were both exasperated and exhausted. And this was just the beginning of our life as a family. There had to be an easier way.
That evening proved that I needed to find a way to organize our family life that worked for both of us (and as my kids grew, for all of us). Life was only going to get busier and more complicated as we added in school and activities. There had to be a simple solution that would grow with us and keep us from dropping all the balls we had to juggle. I found it in a genius family organizing app that was easy to set up, easy to use, and the best part? It's totally free.
This post contains affiliate links. See my Disclosure Policy for details.
Cozi is a super easy family organizing app and website that over 20 million people use and love. Why? Because it turns a family into a team.
It’s hard when the burden of managing everything falls on your shoulders. It’s too much for one person, and often contributes to moms like us feeling that we're not able to keep it all together. Even the most organized among us is bound to be overwhelmed sometimes.
Making it easy for everyone on the team to contribute and take responsibility is the genius of Cozi.
My husband is an awesome teammate, and with Cozi giving us an easy way to collaborate and communicate on the million details that come with family life, we can get it all done without getting overwhelmed. And without forgetting anything on the list, because we can both update and access all our schedules, calendars, grocery lists, and so much more.
Let's talk about meal planning (and that list!)
Meal planning is one of those things that can get overwhelming fast. Either you end up making things over and over for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, or give up and order pizza.
With Cozi, meal planning is easy. Whenever you see a recipe you'd like to try, you just click a button and add it to your Cozi recipe box. And anyone in the family can pitch in and help.
But, wait. It gets even better.
When someone saves a recipe, all the ingredients can be added to the shopping list with a single touch.
Can you imagine? Your spouse and older kids can share the responsibility of meal planning. And that infamous grocery list is at everyone's fingertips, updates and all. No more leaving it on the counter or forgotten additions.
The only thing Cozi could do to make that process easier would be to send a chef to do the actual cooking. (Hey, a mom can dream.)
It's so much more than just the grocery list.
You can coordinate all your family schedules and calendars with Cozi too. And create to do lists for individuals and groups. When you create a family to-do list, everyone can work together to make sure nothing falls off the radar.
Whether it’s a list of weekend chores or all the things to do for an upcoming birthday party, Cozi remembers. Everyone can create lists, add to lists, and take part in making sure it all gets done. PS: you can even print the lists.
With busy family schedules, it's easy to get your wires crossed about events, activities, and when you have to be somewhere. With Cozi, there is no confusion. Everything is in a place where everyone can see it and plan for it.
The special feature every mom will love.
I have the most gorgeous baby books for my twins... and they are pretty much empty. With two newborns, I never had time to finish them. But I didn't miss a memory thanks to the Cozi family journal feature. With it, you can write a single line (or several) right on your phone when you want to capture a moment (and even add a photo). I have tons of quick notes in my Cozi journal to record all my boys' little milestones. And I'm able to share my journal with my husband and mom, so everyone can share these memories.
All the moments that make up the story of your life together are organized and at your fingertips. Genius.
So simple, right? Are you ready to get organized too?
I’ve only touched on a few ideas about how Cozi can help you manage all the moving parts of a happy family. I could write and write and still not cover every inventive way to use this app.
Family life can be chaotic, and that's normal, but that doesn’t mean it’s not exasperating. I love when I find something capable of bringing that chaos down to a manageable level.
Oh! And the BEST part? It's all free. Everything I’ve shared with you is free if you’re OK with ads, so there is no reason not to give it a try. Set up your free account here.
If you want even more features, Cozi Gold is an affordable subscription plan. Right now you can try it FREE for 14 days to decide if it’s worth it for your family.
After you sign up, please come back and tell me what you think! I’d love to know all the ways you’ve found to use it, and I know other readers would love it, too.