How I Use My 2016 Planner : Planner-ed Out Perfect, Part Four

You have seen everything from my experiences picking out an academic planner last year, to updating that planner purchase for 2015, to checking in at the mid-year mark! Now, since we're more than a month into 2016, I figured it's about time to see what kind of planner situation I'm working with this year...

First things first: I'm still absolutely loving my trusty Day Designers, by Whitney English!

This year, I've traded in my 2015 Aqua Shell for a 2016 Belle and Blush exclusive edition in Pink Painterly Stripes. The exterior is a little girlier than last year's, but I love how soft and feminine my 2016 edition looks... and so, in fact, did my sister! Delaney - the (ex-)Cheerleader - recently was elected to serve as current president of her sorority, here at UW, and she liked the look of my new planner so much she requested a matching one for Christmas. (I'm clearly the real trendsetter of the family!)

I still love filling my planner with colorful stickers, to punch up my daily agenda with a little color and whimsy. There are quite a few that I bought during the Spring - when I had my regularly-scheduled Finals Week distraction attack - that I used over the summer, and am still using; however, I've also beefed out my collection with the new year, stocking up on things with gold foil accents, inspirational quotes, cutesy symbols, and, of course, lots of flowers.

My personal favorite stickers are a remnant of a fascination I've held since I was in elementary school. I've always been infatuated with the historical significance and symbolism of bees... and yes, I'm very aware of how strange that sentence sounds. But think of it this way: bees are synonymous with royalty ("queen bee" ;) ), sweet things (honey), and flowers, and, of course, hard work. No matter if my planner's daily page is packed or completely blank, you can bet that there's a bee settled somewhere, reminding me of all the things I need to "bee" today. 

When it comes to organizing the contents of each page of my planner, I don't have to do a ton of work: The Day Designer is honestly one of my favorite planners because it allows you to schedule out and reflect on every single part of your day! There are so many fun features, including...

• "Due," "Dinner," "Dollars," and "Don't Forget" spaces at the top of every page make it easy to track the little parts of your day, which might otherwise get caught up in the shuffle. 
• The "Daily Gratitude" block down at the bottom of the page reminds you to reflect on the little things in life, (So far, this year, I've been thankful for everything from "toast" to "hair straighteners," to "working with great people" to my roommate's "triumphant return to Seattle after battling an infected bug bite wound.") 
•  and the entire page is dominated by two columns, of your Daily Schedule and your To-Do list, ready and available to be divided up however you wish. What I typically try to do it consolidate like items on my To-Do list into individual, discrete sections, so I can have them all in one place, and give better focus to what areas of my life need more attention that day. 

There are plenty of other fun elements, too, like the Quote of the Day at the top of each page. I burst out laughing as soon as I opened mine on January first, and had to point out the quote to my mother, as it was one of my favorites. Clearly, 2016 is going to be my year!

So, that's how I'm still working my planner this year. I feel like I've covered quite a bit of ground with my planner journey to this point... y'all have seen everything, from the selection and refinement process, to the experiences of my first year, to how I love to decorate it! Maybe next time we chat about this kind of activity, we can take a glance through my extensive sticker collection... I'll make sure to jot it down somewhere. ;) 

What planner do you carry? How do you accessorize your planner? Let me know, in the comments below! 

Planner Progress and a Mid-Year Checkin : Planner-ed Out Perfect, Part Three

The last time you heard me expostulating on all the reasons why owning a journal is vital to my life, was back in August, when I had whittled down the selection process to exactly which kind of journal I was going to be investing in for the coming year. 

Dissatisfaction with my first foray, resulted in the purchase of a Whitney English Day Designer the following December, and I've been giddy ever since.

(The last time you heard me talking about journals in general, was only a little while ago, when Finals Week had so finely riddle my brain capacity with holes like Swiss cheese that I found myself tumbling headfirst down the rabbit hole of the YouTube planner enthusiast community, instead of actually studying.)

I thought that since about half a year has past since I've had the planner, and therefore, I've had plenty of time to give it some use and figure out the ways I like to use it.

And unexpected water bottle explosions inside my backpack aside, it's held up super well!

That's right, my old Camelback flooded my backpack!
But it's still kicking. :) 

SO IN LOVE WITH YOU AM I 

There's a lot to be crazy about in the Day Designer. I don't know how I ever got along with just a weekly-spread planner, because the page-a-day layout is where it's at. No pesky to-do lists on my phone for me! I've got it all in one place, and plenty of room for adding in other things I'm thinking about. 

What I mean by "Quarter at a Glance."
I just fit everything important onto one page!
Thankfully, the Day Designer has a handy pocket in the front.

Two things I've started doing that I didn't think about before, was tracking my blog upload dates on the monthly calendar, and tracking my meals. 

Beforehand, I just used a separate journal to figure out upload dates and blog posts for the month, but I would always end up forgetting it, and it wasn't laid out in a way that I could easily switch things around depending on the business of my schedule. I noticed that I wasn't utilizing my monthly spread for much of anything - because I like to be able to see my whole Quarter-At-A-Glance for that sort of thing - so I've just started keeping my update schedule there! It's made a world of difference in helping me decide what post to upload when, and seeing it all in one place has made it a lot easier to visualize what kinds of things I'm uploading each week. 

Tracking meals wasn't really a thing for me, until I saw YouTube user MaeBad using her Day Designer as a Fitness Journal. It's super effective, because it allows you to see at what times of day you're eating (about every three or four hours), and what kinds of stuff you're being tempted to eat at, say, 11pm (peanut butter and oreos). Now, I just scribble in a sort of meal plan in the mornings, and revise it throughout the day as needed. 

But yeah, the Day Designer is still the best thing ever, no matter how many YouTubers I watch exalting the holy grail of the Erin Condren planner. I'm a Whitney English groupie for life. 

Besides, you can always still use fun stickers and washi tape in your Day Designer, too!
(Don't be mean; it's not for you, it's for me. And I happen to like a lot of color. And tiny animals.)

... AND YET...

So, yeah, I'm in love. You'd think that I'd be happy and confident in my choice and that I'd never have to worry about picking out a new planner ever again, so long as Day Designers were still around? Unfortunately not. It's by no means a worry that they'll somehow fade away... it's that they're evolving.

That's right. A couple of days ago, just in time for this post, Whitney English and the rest of the Day Designer team made the grand announcement that they were entering into a new partnership with Blue Sky Planners, to release a special line for Target.

That's right! Now the planners that I love and cherish and have changed my life are now not just as adorable and functional as they have always been... but they're available at much cheaper prices and in twice as many cute styles and sizes.

DARN. IT. I guess that makes this to be continued...

What planner do you use? What did you think of Whitney's big announcement? Should I buy a Target  version of the Day Designer, or stick with my trusty Daily format? Let me know, in the comments below! 

The Best Planner of 2015 : Planner-ed Out Perfect, Part Two

Last time you all saw me talking about my need for a fully functional planner, I was riding off into the stationery sunset with a sturdy, reliable, black-and-boring Mead Planner that I had dug up at Target for ten dollars, and had every intention of decking out with stickers and Post-Its to my heart's content.

However, I just had one of the most intense quarters of my entire college career. Fall saw me change in the ways I write for my blog, spend more time developing my own writing, dedicate myself in a greater capacity to my studies, and earn a major role on the University of Washington's Panhellenic Executive Board.

All of these new opportunities mean a lot of cool stuff going on for the rest of the school year... but also a busier schedule. As in, a LOT busier schedule, something that would require a more extensive  and involved form of planner. So, once again, I took to the Internet, in order to find myself my ideal kind of agenda!

Some issues that came forward last time I was searching for a new planner: 

• It had to be unique, or, in other words, not the kind of basic sorority staple touted by all the other Greek women on campus. Thus, the Lilly Pulitzer was ruled out, because it's essentially what everyone already has!
• It had to be reasonably priced, not necessarily so that it was still affordable for a college kid, but more so that it was reasonably priced for the amount of time I was planning on using it. For instance, while the Filofax might be a little on the costly side, my planner would be something I use every day.
• But the Filofax would still require a lot of time and effort to set up the way I'd want it, so that was still a no-go, for me. My ideal planner had to be easy to use, as well... who wants to be stressed about something that was supposed to reduce your stress?

However, that isn't all. I still had a couple more demands for my daily agenda... 

It would have to be sophisticated... not a colorful, whimsical thing, but staid and sturdy enough for me to make my own mark on it while not looking unprofessional at major meetings and events. This worked with the Mead planner, for sure, but there was also an additional problem: my lists, to-do sections, doodles, and more were cluttering up the pages to the breaking point. Which is why it would also need a more compartmentalized layout, with more room to break things down and plans things out all in one space, to better keep all the plates I have spinning in place on the same page. Additionally, this extends to other parts of the planner as well... I want room for lists, notes, a year-at-a-glance and monthly layouts, too!

UNCALENDAR

My Big actually uses this planner system, as do many other busy women in my sorority, which is why I took the chance to glance through it at the University Bookstore. With many boxes, lined and unlined, ready for you to write in to-do lists and scheduling galore, there's plenty of space for every kind of list you could make in a week. On the flip side, it's way too compartmentalized, with an almost confusing amount of available paper real estate, and not enough room for daily needs, as opposed to weekly. Also, just looking at it is kind of daunting... it sure wouldn't do much to reduce my stress level.

My fave: Uncalendar Fullsize, $20.95

PASSION PLANNER

If the Uncalendar was confusing to me, then this planner was downright inscrutable. Incomprehensible. Impossible, even! It's plan is to make things easier for you, by whittling your life down to make time for whats most important, but I have no idea exactly how that process works. After I started to get a headache after looking at them for a little too long, I left the printouts I found on Pinterest alone, and quickly searched for something easier to understand and easier on the eyes than all those black boxes and arrows. 

My fave: Passion Academic Planner - Classic, $30.00 (preorder)

KATE SPADE 2015 WEEKLY PLANNER

Cute, and kind of kitschy, like most of Kate Spade's other products, I know a couple girls who choose
to lug these around as well. A black and white planner, starkly organized in signature Kate Spade font, full of quips and quotes to keep you going, it's pretty simplistic, but that's kind of what you need in a planner. Still, it just had the regular weekly organization, and by the time I found these next couple of planners, I had already moved on...

My fave:  Mega Gold Dots 17-month agenda, $40.00

EMILY LEY SIMPLIFIED PLANNER

Honestly, I can't really talk about the merits and drawbacks of the Emily Ley Simplified Planner, without discussing the planner I really ended up falling in love with.

They're very similar, in terms of layout - with a daily view, instead of a weekly, and hour-by-hour breakdowns of the day, as well as room for taking notes on other aspects of daily living - however, my heart went to the one with more room and less hassle...

My fave : Emily Ley Daily Academic Simplified Planner, $58

The Chosen One: WHITNEY ENGLISH DAY DESIGNER

Funny enough, the planner I ended up choosing contained components in its layout that held quite similar to the way I designed my personal planner sheets to look like over the summer, with an hourly schedule on one side and plenty of room for a to-do list on the other, with additional spaces for other boxes to check off and more spaces to write in information. 

What it ended up coming down to, between the Simplified Planner and the Day Designer - being that they have a long-marked competitive streak, being that their interiors are so remarkably comparable, even down to the inspirational quote that went into the upper corner of each page - was that I felt that the Day Designer had just a more professional veneer, that the hours section had a range more tailored to what I would need, the to-do lists gave more available room, and just little special parts of the Day Designer that I really enjoyed, like sections dedicated to a daily "Top Three Tasks," "Dollars," "Dinners," "Due," and "Don't Forget," and even a box for a "Daily Gratitude" down at the bottom! 

I've been using it for four days now - two full days for the Thursday and Friday (1st and 2nd of the year), and one page for the Weekend (3rd and 4th) - and I couldn't be happier with the amount of space and organization I'm given with its layout. At first, I was a little confused as to how I was going to fill all the boxes, but honestly, I feel like it gives me a fair amount of stress relief when I see all the space I have left! 

I've also been using the "Download" section at the bottom - projected to be a kind of "brain dump" area - as a means by which I keep a sentence or two summarizing some of the main thoughts of the day. It has all the feel of keeping a journal - something I've done since the 6th grade! - but doesn't require the same kind of deliberation. It's just so much handier! 

Its cost was a little on the heavier side - about $60, including free shipping and handling at the time I ordered it - but since my planner is something I know I'll use every day, and something I now know I'll be hanging on to after I'm finished with it, it works out perfectly in my favor. 

While The Grommet - the innovations merchandiser where I purchased my Aqua Shell Day Designer - is currently restocking their stores of the product, Whitney English's Etsy shop for the Day Designer will be selling again the morning of tomorrow, Tuesday the 6th. However, if you want one that's ready to go right now, and has the added benefit of being rather exclusive, Belle and Blush has a very adorable Pink Ikat Day Designer only sold through their website, and it's currently in stock (truth: I almost bought this one!). 

So, there you have it: my new journal for 2K15! I can't wait to give it a little more use. and see how much this planner really improves my organization habits. 

How are you ringing in the new year? 

I Need a New Planner! : Planner-ed Out Perfect, Part One

In case anyone was still harboring any suspicions about how much of a total geek I am, let me just lay this down for you: should any kind of producer feel the need to turn my life into a reality show, at some point in time, I will be seated in a confessional booth, talking about my adoration for... notebooks. Notebooks galore. Notebooks for blogging, notebooks for writing, notebooks for journaling, notebooks for random to-do lists that I just need to get out of my head, and especially, the best notebook, the high holiest of notebooks, the Emma Watson of notebooks... the planner. 

I am a planner freak. I love lists and making plans in general, and let's be real: I've got quite a bit in my life that requires wrangling, so with a planner, I have tons of room for making sure everything and everyone is getting taken care of! So with the impending school year, I am once again faced with the quandary of selecting my new planner. Seeking my stationery soul mate, I took to the Internet to find just the right one! 

LILLY PULITZER

If you're in college - and if you're in the Greek System - then you've seen these colorful planners dipping in and out of the totes and carryalls of many a sorority superstar. The tried-and-tested planners come with plenty of options in both print and sizing, and are chock full of lots of goodies, like stickers and fun illustrations for each month. They're also durable, and well-loved by basically everyone I know who owns one.

And funny enough, even though it is a brand-name planner, it costs about the same as the Etsy planner included in this post, and, depending on the size, even comes down to be one of the least expensive! So don't let the fancy pedigree get in the way of all your whimsical planning needs.

However, while they are the ultimate in collegiate chic planners... that also means that everyone has one. So, without as much expense, with all the bells and whistles, but without the unique quality that would make your planner stand out against the masses, the Lilly Pulitzer planner could be a serious contender.

My fave: Trippin' and Sippin' in the Large Agenda Size, $28

FILOFAX

So, I used to think this was kind of a retro-type option for how you were supposed to organize yourself, mainly because the last time I saw one of these puppies before this summer was back at our after-school daycare, in the "Pretend Office" bucket, along with brick-sized cellphones and fountain pens long missing ink.

However, nowadays, thanks to a veritable litany of Filofax users scattered all over Etsy and Pinterest, there are plenty of options for colorful customization, from free printable pages you can insert, to washi tape decorating tips and other ways to make it your own. 

However, this is also a reasonably expensive option... your average starter Filofax runs at about $50. And if, despite those alluring freebies, all that customization adds up to an ever-increasing budget, then the professionalism of this planner system might be well out of my college-student price range. 

My fave: Patent Personal Organizer, Pocket Size, in Lemon, $40.95

ERIN CONDREN 

A close runner-up for the Lilly planner in the hands of sorority women, Erin Condrens were made for the Panhellenic girls with too much passion for just one planner: if you like to-do lists, if you like doing the readings for the homework before class, and if you like organizing your closet by color, you'll like these planners. Hence, why I was originally planning on buying one before the last school year started!

However, don't go on the company's Facebook page: it's a veritable minefield of unhappy customers at the moment... yikes! Apparently, should the reviews and complaints ring true, the customer service department isn't the best at fixing mistakes, and production quality isn't always at its top form. 

So, is the astronomical cost worth all that hype (as well as all those unhappy reviews on Facebook?).

My fave: 2014-2015 Life Planner in Photo Floral, $50

PLUM PAPER PLANNERS ON ETSY

Lauded by many as Erin Condren's knock-off cousin, and touted by many a mommy blogger, Plum Paper Planners present a lot of options, without quite as hefty a price as some of their competitors. However, you also have to take into account that these aren't subjected to the kind of scrutiny that something like Lilly Pulitzer, or even a growing cult brand like Erin Condren, are, in terms of durability and user testing.

The planners are much more simplified in terms of layout: less colorful, with less flashy additions cluttering up the place. It also allows for more interior customization, with multiple planner options available - teacher and student planners, fitness planner, wedding planner, etc. - and tons of covers. .It's all a little overwhelming to sort through, but that just goes to show how much customization they offer

Also, unanimously in the fours and fives, the Plum Paper Planners have next to no unhappy customers. However, they're still asking for quite a bit in terms of pricing, at $31.

My fave: 2014 & 2015 Planner, Pennant Design, $31 (without customization)

MAKE MY OWN

No lie, this is how I got through this past summer: by printing out my own scheduling space, and storing it all in a 1/2 inch binder that we had lying around. Fully customizable contents, day-by-day sheets perfectly tailored to what I wanted, allowing me to micromanage my own matters to my very heart's content, my summer planner has been absolutely stupendous... but isn't really the right fit for my hectic school year schedule.

THE CHOSEN ONE

You're going to laugh. An afternoon after writing the first couple of sections of this post, I went to Target, and made a decision that my mama would be justly proud of: I went the thrifty route, and picked up a basic black Mead July 2014 - June 2015 Planner, for about $9. After so many colorful options displayed above, how did my brain rationalize such an austere, minimalistic decision? Well, let me tell you. 

With the above selections, I was perfectly ready to drop $50+ on a planner, and a part of me still thinks that would be a reasonable decision, due to the inhuman amount of time I spend with my that particular article of schedule organization. However, when I saw the Mead planner, I had an epiphany: I could spend $50 bucks on a colorful planner that was customized for me, but that I had no guarantee of liking, or I could buy a $9 planner and customize it myself! Instead of just a planner, I could now treat myself to back-to-school supplies like colorful pens, washi tape, stickers, and more, all of which I plan on using to make my new planner special. And because the planner itself already has open calendar space for the month of August, I can start breaking it in before school even starts! 

And hey, if for some reason the Mead doesn't work out, I can always buy a new kind of planner system at the start of 2015, and no harm done... but for now, I'm excited to get artsy! 

Thanks for sticking with me throughout this (incredibly long) planner journey. Look for future posts about the rest of my 2014-2015 school supplies haul, and other back-to-school topics, appearing on the blog in August!