Don’t you just love it when you find the easy way out? That’s what happened to me when I embarked on the daunting task of setting up a web site for my family. I wanted a place to upload family photos, keep a running grocery list and store a family calendar that could be accessed from any computer (giving my husband no easy outs for scheduling a poker game when we were meant to be having brunch with my best friend’s family). Everything about this project was overwhelming, from coming up with a domain name that hasn’t already been taken to choosing a server that wouldn’t charge an arm and a leg—never mind choosing a calendar format to accommodate all of our schedules and deciding what photos to would make the cut.

Then, I came across something that made all those harried tasks blissfully unnecessary, even the ones that involved annual and monthly fees. It’s called Cozi.com and it’s a free family scheduling website. Sign up and you’ll get your own family calendar (color coded by family member) that will even send out reminder messages via e-mail or text message, a family photo collage screen, family journal, and a customizable lists page for groceries, to dos, etc. The best part: If you forget your list once you’re at the store, you can call a toll-free number and have it read to you over the phone. This is like a dream come true—even better than any web page I could have dreamed up for my family!

SEE ALSO

* All things Halloween: Costumes, crafts, party food, more!
* Teach your teens “techno manners”
* Join the ALL YOU book club!
* Head south of the border for dinner (without leaving the table)

Posted by Betsy Stephens, health and relationship editor