Staying organized can be difficult when you’ve got a lot of things on your plate. Whether it’s planning and keeping track of a home remodeling project or figuring out what’s for dinner, I’m often amazed at the amount of details we try to keep stored in our heads. Not surprisingly, some details slip through the cracks – like when I forgot to get baking soda for last night’s chocolate chip cookies. Included with the latest version of Microsoft Office Home and Business 2010, Microsoft OneNote is a wonderful program that helps us organize all our projects, recipes, and ideas in one place.
The Review
While I’ve been a Microsoft Office user for several years, this was the first time I had the opportunity to try Microsoft OneNote. OneNote is pitched as a program that will help you to stay organized with all of the different projects we take on through the year – from planning a family vacation to keeping a nutrition journal. Included with Microsoft Office Home and Business 2010, OneNote is easy to use right out of the proverbial box (or download, these days.) It includes pre-made templates and planners for many of the common projects, enabling you to just click a button and get started.
I decided to use OneNote to help keep track of a bathroom remodel project. To begin, I downloaded the DIY Home Remodel Notebook from the Microsoft Templates page and created a new project called “Bathroom Remodel.”
Once created, OneNote guided me in easy to follow steps to help fill out my planner. I started off with Before & After photos, making sure to include notes for some of the items that needed to be changed. Using the “Draw” tab, I’m able to draw custom shapes and arrows, add text, or highlight items that are important.
OneNote has an colorful toolbar at the top of each notebook that allows you to navigate to each section. The DIY Home Remodel Notebook has tabs for Before and After, Research, Buget, Calendar, To Do, and Contractors. There’s also a guide option at the end.
I use Excel for most of my tracking, so I could really appreciate the Budget tab. On this page, you can list out all of the costs for your project and note anything important. Even better is that you can do basic math calculations, so I won’t need to jump from one program to another to keep track of the finances.
I think one of my favorite features of OneNote is the ability to share the notebook with others. You can enable the share feature for each project, allowing other people to log-in to view your notebook. This is a great way to keep in touch with contractors, ensuring that everyone is on the same page and that budgets are on track.
The calendar tab is another great way to make sure that deadlines and scheduling are accurate and on time.
Microsoft OneNote makes it so much easier to keep track of remodel projects. It is easy to use and everything is all in one place for everyone to review. You can capture screenshots of other rooms or projects for inspiration and keep track of things on your to-do list. And it’s not just for remodel projects. You can also use it to keep track of your favorite recipes, planning trips, or even your fitness plan. There are over a hundred different project templates available for download that you can use to help you stay organized.
If you’d like to take Microsoft OneNote, and the latest version of Microsoft Office Home and Business 2010, out for a spin, you can visit the Microsoft website to download a 60-day free trial. You can also purchase the whole kit and kaboodle on Amazon for just $151.63.
Microsoft Office Online
- Visit the Microsoft Office Website
- “Like” Microsoft Office on Facebook
- Follow Microsoft Office on Twitter
The WiC Project Microsoft Office Giveaway
The Prize:
One winner will receive a copy of Microsoft Office Home and Business 2010.
Disclaimer: This post consists of my (and/or fellow tester) opinions only. Your experiences may be different. No compensation was given for this review/giveaway. I did receive a free product from the manufacturer or their representing PR agency to use and test for the purposes of this review. This did not affect the outcome of this review.
This would be helpful for keeping track of my appointments and expenses.
I would use it for my blog to keep track of product reviews & giveaways.
boylaneely at hotmail dot com
To keep track of things in my storage.
I would keep track of the kids appointments and practices.
Business appointments and info.
Id use it for work
I would use the calendar.
I would use it to keep track of my appointments and expenses.
I would use it for tracking school assignments
I am putting together an art project for a fundraiser in the area. I would use it for that!
Ghee, we could be very organize for our home office, home projects and school.