Don’t you just love opening your mailbox right around your birthday and finding thoughtful greeting cards wishing you a happy day? I know I do; it’s such a nice change from the usual bills and junk mail that stuff the box. In this day of instant e-everything, getting a physical greeting card on a special occasion lets you know you are truly cherished.

We all love to get those missives, but how good are you at remembering others on their special days? Do you always remember to send a card or are you usually the one scrambling the day of to find an appropriate way to get in touch, send an e-greeting, or high-five them on facebook…if you remember them at all? If you fall into the latter camp, keep reading. We’ve outlined six simple steps you can take, each in 10 minutes or less, to go from forgetful to one of those thoughtful few who always remembers.

1. Create a Monthly Calendar.

The first essential step is to create a master calendar. We strongly recommend doing this using old-fashioned pen and paper. No, we’re not luddites, but we have had too many clients build one of these using their e-calendar function only to loose everything when their computer crashes unexpectedly. Yes, even if they back up! So, use a gorgeous free birthday calendar template like the one pictured here that I found on The Pretty Blog to create your own. For a more basic one, simply use a blank sheet of paper. Title the sheet on both sides: “Birthdays and Anniversaries.” Then, divide the front page into a grid of six and do the same on the reverse. Label each square on your grid with a month. When you are done, put it in a central spot like on a pin board in the kitchen.

2. Make a List of People/Events You Want to Remember Each Month.

Make a note of each good friend and family member you want to remember in each month. If you are starting from scratch and don’t have a master list but do use social media, facebook is a wonderful resource since most people display their birthdates. Moms and sisters also tend to be another wonderful font of information on this front. The key here is to start. It doesn’t have to be a “perfect” list (there’s no such thing). Focus on your immediate family first and branch out from there.

3. Buy a Stash of Greeting Cards.

No matter what kind of cards you want to send, pretty paper ones or thoughtful e-greetings, it is much more efficient to shop for all of your cards at once. This is the fun part, so just enjoy it. Once you get them home, put them on your desk so that you are ready for the next task. If you love the idea of sending physical cards but don’t have time to hit the store, our Greetings.stash is a great one-stop shop for cards.

4. Address Them All At Once.

It sounds silly, but a lot of people actually go through the trouble of getting a card but fail to ever address it – so it never gets sent. Take the time to address each card now. You don’t need to write and seal the note now, just take care of the envelope’s outside. Ideally affix a stamp on each card as well so you don’t have to scramble for one later.

5. Store Them in Order on a Desktop Basket or Box.

Keep your cards in a spot where you will see them on a daily basis. For many, it’s in a small basket on top of their desks. For others, on their kitchen counter. It doesn’t matter where you keep them, just that they are all stored in the same place so you don’t have to waste time trying to remember where you put them. Get a tutorial on how to make the cute box pictured above at Design*Sponge.

6. Set Alarms in Your eCalendar.

This last step is crucial. You need to put reminders in place at least one week in advance of the date you want to remember. We find that setting an alarm for just before you typically walk out the door in the morning works best. When the alarm sounds, just grab your card from the basket and either drop it in the mail, or bring it with you to fill out and post before the end of the day.

How good are you at remembering people’s birthdays and anniversaries? Are you ready in advance or do you find yourself scrambling to find a card and present at the last second?

As I glance over to my bookshelf I can see two books that I need to return to my university’s library.

Without having found the receipt randomly the other day in my purse from November when I checked them out, I would have be fined two dollars a day per book! Thank goodness I was reminded this time, but next time I better keep track.

This adorable, and simply brilliant “Overdue Book Calendar” from auntjune’s shop on etsy is a perfect find for keeping tabs on of all your checked out library books.

I know it would be perfect for my nieces and nephews seeing as how they manage to pick at least four books every time we visit the library.

My favorite thing about this sweet find, aside from it being such a cute and practical calendar? It is reasonably priced!

The fine from one day of my books being overdue could pay for this gem! Check it out here.

Birthdays are special and should always be celebrated with at least a little fanfare. But every once in awhile it’s fun to go the whole hog and throw a surprise birthday bash for someone you love. It can be especially enjoyable to surprise someone who claims she doesn’t really want to do anything special for her big day.

The trick to pulling off a truly memorable surprise is simply a little bit of organization and planning. So if you’ve got someone special you’d like to surprise, read on for some great ideas.

Sarah on “The Benefits of Meticulous Planning”

“A very good family friend of ours turned 75 in early June. She and her husband have been married for 52 years, and in all that time, he’d never thrown her a big surprise party. In fact, in the hustle-and-bustle of raising six rambunctious boys, the grown-up’s birthdays were sort of an afterthought. Her husband wanted to change all that on her 75th. So, in late March, he started planning for not just one, but two big surprises. First he wanted to surprise her with a big family barbeque at the house with all of the children and grandchildren present. Then, later that same evening, he wanted to surprise her again with an elegant sit down dinner with their grown children and their spouses so all could toast and roast her properly. With enough advance warning, all of the boys were able to coordinate schedules and travel arrangements. The arrivals to the barbeque were carefully coordinated for maximum impact. The look on her face when her sons who had moved away showed up on her doorstep looking for a barbeque was priceless. Then promptly at 4:30pm, everybody took off citing previous engagements. At 7:30pm the grown-ups reassembled at a local restaurant and greeted her with a rousing ‘surprise!’ the moment she walked through the door (she thought she was going out for a quiet dinner with her husband). Instead, she walked into a room decorated with pictures of her throughout the years, balloons, and beautiful peonies, her favorite flower. Her husband had planned every detail meticulously and the results were truly unforgettable.”

Alicia on “Non-Big Birthdays Are Great for Surprises Too”

“You don’t have to wait until someone hits a major milestone, like their 30th or 50th, to arrange a surprise party. In fact, some of the most incredible parties I’ve been to were surprises on ‘odd’ years – like someone’s 37th. The person being feted is often without any expectation for a special celebration and is completely taken aback, which makes it all the more fun for everyone.”

Here are a few ideas for planning a surprise party that will knock the socks off of someone you love.

1. Pick a Date Carefully (and Well in Advance)

Plan in advance! If you try to pull off a surprise at the last minute, things are bound to go wrong. Important friends may have scheduling conflicts that they can’t get out of, or worse, the person you’re celebrating may too. The ideal time to throw a surprise party is a few days before or after the birthday. Otherwise you might be spoiling a quiet dinner, or the birthday person might guess. Once you have the date locked and loaded, send out eVites to guests – they’re quick to assemble and easy for others to lock into their electronic calendars so they don’t forget.

2. Enlist the Help of Others

The more creative brains you can put towards the big event, the more special it will be. For example, without help, Sarah’s family friend wouldn’t have thought to rent a bouncy castle for the family barbeque to entertain the little kids; it turned out to be the hit of the party. From selecting the food to decorating the joint, you’ll be glad to have people on hand to help pull it all together – and they’ll be glad they get to help do something special to celebrate a friend.

3. Get Creative about Ways to Surprise the Guest of Honor

There are many ways to do this well. All it takes is a little brainstorming, which always goes better if you have others brainstorming with you. Here are some ideas to consider. Have a friend invite the guest of honor over for tea or to watch a game and surprise them when she shows up. Another trick is to have one person take the birthday boy or girl out for an errand, and have others set up the house so that upon returning, the party is ready to go. No matter what ruse you choose, the birthday boy or girl will love being celebrated.