One of the first things I do after setting up a new Mac is install Itsycal, a small but powerful calendar app that lives in the menu bar. I use it to replace my Mac’s more limited default calendar, and it serves as a quick, accessible calendar app whenever I need to schedule something, confirm a deadline, or look up the day’s events.

Itsycal is small, free, and open-source. While there are other options when it comes to Mac calendar apps and menu bar utilities (Dato is a popular option), they are either paid or quite complex. If you want something simple and fun, install Itsycal.

By default, Itsycal shows you the date in the menu bar icon, an overview of the current month, and the current day’s calendar events. But there are a few tweaks that make the app even better.

First, let’s customize the menu bar icon. Open the Itsycal app (it’s just a menu bar utility, so you won’t see a full screen app), click on the Settings icon, and go to the Appearance menu.