This Digital Calendar Helps My Busy Schedule Make Sense and Keeps My Family in Touch

updated Sep 7, 2023
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From wall calendars to planners to multiple alarm clocks, there are so many ways to organize time. I can’t tell you the last time I held a paper calendar in my hand, but I frequently tap into the calendar app on my phone for all sorts of responsibilities. Not only for work, but just keeping up with life in general.

My family is spread out across the country, but we regularly stay in touch. It gets difficult with everyone’s changing schedules, so I make sure to keep a record of them somewhere, even if it’s just a screenshot on my phone. The snag? I have a bad habit of losing those screenshots, so I try to put them into my calendar as soon as I can. My phone was my go-to method until I had the opportunity to test the Skylight Calendar. It totally changed my outlook and helped me streamline multiple chaotic schedules. And now when you use code ATFREESHIP, you can get free shipping on your own smart calendar through December 1.

The simplicity of the Skylight Calendar caught me by surprise in a refreshing way. Although it’s not jam-packed with features, it has a clear touchscreen display and functions exactly how you need it to. Multiple calendars can be added to the Skylight without cluttering the screen, and multiple people can be given access to the calendar so they can add events on their own time. And thanks to a newer feature, the time and forecasted weather are also displayed for future events that have a listed location.

In addition to events, you can also add a grocery list, to-do list, dinner plans, and so much more because the lists are fully customizable. There’s also a chore chart option, which allows you to assign tasks to different members of your household and check them off once they’re complete. Everything is color-coded per calendar for easy navigation, and it can be synced with Gmail, Apple, Outlook, and more. The instructions said it could take up to 12 hours for a calendar to sync, but mine took less than five minutes. I have separate Google calendars for everyday tasks, work meetings, and more, so it was extremely convenient to add all of them to the Skylight Calendar with its corresponding app. And when you opt for the paid subscription, you can make use of Magic Import. This feature lets you import emails, spreadsheets, and other event information to the calendar, which then converts that info into events.

Once events are loaded into the Skylight Calendar, there are even more ways to tailor it to your preferences. The calendar view can be set by day, week, or month, and there’s a schedule view that lets you customize the number of days shown on the screen. Like Google Calendar, all-day events are displayed at the top, and the day is broken down hourly underneath. You’ll also be happy to learn that events added to the Skylight Calendar will also sync back to your Google calendar.

Credit: Britt Franklin

I love the easy-to-read display of the Skylight Calendar because anyone can use it. The font size can be adjusted in settings, and the controls are super straightforward. What’s more, if you upgrade to Skylight’s Photo Plus subscription for $39 per year, you have the option to turn the calendar into a digital picture frame. My own images are currently memes, but I’ll add actual photos to it someday. The pictures can be sent by email, text, or through Skylight’s free mobile app, and they show up in minutes. There’s also a sleep mode that can be set manually or scheduled. Because I keep my Skylight Calendar in my office, I’ve scheduled it to sleep between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. so it’s ready to go when I’m most active. I suggest placing the calendar in a spot where everyone who needs access to it can reach it easily, and Skylight makes it effortless to do so. The calendar can stand upright on its own or be mounted to the wall.

When I first got this calendar, I didn’t think I’d use it much. I was used to the calendars on my phone, after all. But I’ve had so much fun using the Skylight Calendar, and it’s helped a lot to keep track of my family’s busy lifestyles so we’re not constantly playing phone tag. The best part is that I feel much more organized and ready to take on the week when I check the calendar each day. I can see exactly when I need to focus and where I have gaps of downtime, which makes life seem significantly easier to manage.

Buy: Skylight Calendar with Photo Plus, $159.99 without Photo Plus