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? 

Coming Attractions: October

{A festively Fall calendar for October, straight from Oana Befort!}

Bow down to Washington! I am back in the full swing of things up here in Seattle, and it is feeling good to have a schedule again. Being in a sorority and school is always busy, and yet, with the new year, I find new energy, and am on the lookout for a new internship or job I can fill the rest of my time with... when I'm not working on updating this blog, of course! 

Can you tell that I'm raring to go this month? It's going to be a good one; I can feel it. It's my birth month - I'm turning 21 on the 15th! - and the leaves are turning, and the weather is starting to fade to that cool chill and brisk sunshine I love so much. Not to mention there's just 30 more days 'til Halloween! Yup, life is good. 

SEPTEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

{#tbt to Disneyland, we left you too soon!; Sigma Kappa walking to End Alzheimer's; and my sister, The Cheerleader, participating in her first philanthropy with Alpha Chi Omega!} 

• My College Fashion Link Up posts from this month: The Maze Runner 
• My favorite post to write from this month: Savannah's Side: Sorority Recruitment
• Your favorite post to read from this month: Review: Still Alice (and a Little Bit about Philanthropy) 
• The post I put the most thought into this month: Review: It's Kind of a Funny Story (exploring YA novels and narratives involving teen depression and suicide) 

these are a few of my favorite links...

1. If you're like me, and have had Lena Dunham's new book, Not That Kind of Girl, pre-ordered since July, then you've probably heard about her funny and (and often poignant) "Ask Lena" web series!

2. Taking a short story-oriented English class this Quarter has already got me feeling some kind of way about small-length literary content, which is what makes this Flavorwire collection of "50 Essays Guaranteed to Make You a Better Person" so appealling!  

3. Did you know that The New Yorker hosts a free podcast, with fiction editor Deborah Treisman, discussing a monthly-chosen short story? Now you do!

4. Banned Books Week has already passed, but some schools celebrated it the worst way possible: by banning MORE books from notable authors like Sherman Alexie and John Green. Annie Julia Wyman writes for The New Yorker about how it felt when her high school started changing up their curriculum for the worse.

5. And just the title of this post from Hello Giggles should be enough to get you pumped: How to Host a Jane Austen Girl's Night In! 

quote of the month

{courtesy of Verily Mag!}

Review: Still Alice (and a Little Bit About Philanthropy)

I am a proud member of Sigma Kappa Sorority here at the University of Washington, and like every other sorority I know of, we spend a good portion of our time and effort during the course of the scholastic year dedicated to pursuing philanthropic projects in our free time. Therefore, when I found a book that would allow me to get a more in-depth look at the disease we raise money all year to fight, I jumped at the chance to pick up a copy. The fact that it was a best-selling novel written by someone lauded by the organization we donate to, was just yet another reason to read Still Alice, by Lisa Genova.

The novel follows the story of professor and cognitive psychologist Alice Howland, as she tackles the terrifying diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Slowly losing her connections to language, her memories, her family, and to reality, Alice must cope with her new form of life by relying on those around her in ways she never anticipated.

Alzheimer's is by no means a rare disease: more than 5 million Americans are currently living with some stage of it, and 1 in 3 seniors dies with Alzheimer's or some other form of dementia. However, it's not necessarily an easy cause to get people motivated for, especially young college women, who might not have any direct connection to it. I don't know how many times I've heard someone say, "think about The Notebook," when trying to get people to think more in-depth about the debilitating effects of Alzheimer's, but I knew there had to be a narrative that tackled the topic more completely than Nicholas Sparks.

That's why I was so excited to find Genova and Still Alice, which was not only produced from a very scientific viewpoint, and is a best-seller, but also is fully endorsed by the Alzheimer's Association as "Recommended Reading." 

Lisa Genova is - incredibly impressively - a neuroscientist, herself, which lends a very interesting veracity to the account (she got her PhD from Harvard!). Something that struck me, in the book, as having been done especially well, was that it lends an interesting perspective to the medical-hospital relationship with patients, as well as explores potential treatments and early detection for the disease without making commitment to the saving properties of these practices. Her attention to the reality of diseases is also notable in her other works, including Left Neglected (about a woman affected by hemispatial neglect following a traumatic head injury) and Love Anthony (about two women and their relationship with a boy named Anthony, who is Autistic), so you know that Genova is not only passionate about the sources of inspiration for her writing, but about portraying them correctly.

I feel like that's one of the reasons why Still Alice is not literature, in the typical sense: it's very dedicated to the disease itself, more than the story around the disease. But at the same time, the fact that it is impeccably well-written from a scientific standpoint makes it more than fiction, by sort of factoring in the affliction itself as a main character, building the story not just around Alice, but Alzheimer's, too. Does that make sense? This is definitely the second time in a row that I'm going to compare a book to The Bell Jar in a review, but the ways that Genova intertwines the narrative of Alice with a first-person experience at the hands of the reader draws you into her reality so completely, makes the disease easily understandable, even for someone who hasn't had a lot of exposure to it.

Obviously, the book is very sad. I've already said it is impressively realistic, and being that in our current reality, the cure for Alzheimer's disease does not exist, Alice is not prescribed a happy ending. However, the novel still ends - if not happily - then hopefully... and that's something that I did appreciate, just because it so mirrors the objective that our philanthropy is searching for. Alzheimer's can't be overcome, it can't be cured, but there are enough people willing to counter it with increased awareness and support that change must be just around the corner. 

And I do mean business when I say "awareness"... that's the reason my sorority sisters came out in full force at 9:30 in the morning this past Saturday for the "Walk to End ALZ" at South Lake Union. It's what Seth Rogen was striving for when he spoke in front of Congress earlier this year.

It's what I'm hoping happens as Still Alice's movie adaptation gains viewership (no for sure release date yet, from what I can see, but with Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, Kate Bosworth, and *spirit animal* Kirsten Stewart all part of the production, you can bet it will be headed to theaters near you soon!). And if it's already generating Oscars buzz, then you know it's going to be great.

Still Alice and Lisa Genova gave me more hope, for giving more people a chance to relate to a dangerous and destructive affliction they might not empathize with, but at least now they can understand. Together we can #EndALZ! 

To learn more about the fight to end Alzheimer's, head to Alz.Org! 

Savannah's Side: Sorority Recruitment

In which I, Savannah, tell you a little bit about the personal doings of some of the aspects of my life that don't get as much airtime on the blog! 

Hello, everyone! Long time, no... write.

I've been meaning to update for a while now, but unfortunately, my schedule is keeping me pretty preoccupied... I'm currently in the thick of Panhellenic Formal Fall Recruitment at the University of Washington, during which I will be spending my time directing women undergoing the process, and counseling them on how to make the most of it, as a Recruitment Counselor!

Basically, in simplified terms, Formal Fall Recruitment (commonly termed "Rush," though we like to stay away from that word nowadays because of potentially stressful connotation) is the period during which women have the opportunity to get to know the 17 sororities on the UW campus, before school has officially started. It takes about a week, with women visiting and getting to know every chapter, and slowly whittling down their choices of the places they'd like to continue visiting, until they have selected their final three choices during Preference Round. After that, the sororities extend bids to the women they'd like to invite to be a part of their chapter!

(At least, that is the ideal situation. There's a lot more to go into involved in the "mutual selection process," with each sorority narrowing down the women they'd like to extend invitations to at the same time the women are making those distinctions for themselves, but at its most fundamental level, that's how Recruitment works!)

Confusing, I know. My job during all of this frantic business, is to tackle just that: confusion, on the part of the women who will potentially be the new members of the chapters they're visiting (hence their title, "Potential New Members," or "PNMs"). Also, homesickness, stress, disappointment, etc. Basically, as a Recruitment Counselor, I'm... counseling them through Recruitment. 

Not just on an emotional level, though. I'm also going to be living in the residence halls during the process, with PNMs who are staying on campus instead of commuting, and I'll be working alongside Panhellenic to monitor the sororities to make sure they don't go against the rules of Recruitment in any way, as well. I'm also helping running the computer system into which girls input their selections for each stage of the process, and I'll probably handling other odd jobs, too!

In order to be the best asset to these young women during the process, and present the most neutral and objective sounding board for assisting them in their decisions, I'm currently "disaffiliated" from my sorority; meaning, I won't be able to tell anyone which sorority I belong to, nor will they be able to talk about me, nor will any of my sorority sisters be able to contact me in any way (and vice versa) until I run back to my house on Bid Day (the day the sororities extend their invitations to the new members, and the Greek Community basically erupts into one great big party!).

It might sound a little lonely for me, because I suddenly have to go a week within spitting distance of the people I love, without getting to really acknowledge their existence, but fret not: I get to hang out with the amazing women in my Greek Community who have also made the decision to be Recruitment Counselors! I have two specific partners with whom I will be working most of the week, whom I already have come to know pretty well... Miko and Carley are the Beyonce and Michelle Williams to my Kelly Rowland.

In total, I'm incredibly excited for the opportunity to explore the general awesomeness of my Greek Community from another angle during the Recruitment process, and I'm really looking forward to this upcoming week, and especially Bid Day, on the 12th!

Until then, however, I'll relish my free time... especially because I've prepared for that time by downloading Isla and the Happily Ever After, Girl on a Wire, and Heir of Fire onto my Kindle Paperwhite already! So, be expecting to hear from me later about how my time on the streets of the Greek Community goes... I look forward to being able to write again soon!

Formal Fall Recruitment is a pretty action-packed time for the Greek Community here at UW... even during our downtime, we can still hear sororities practicing their Preference songs and Open House door chants through open windows! However, the rewards I have gained from being a member of my sorority - and the Greek Community in general - have truly shaped the direction I'm taking my life, and I strongly encourage all college-aged women to GO GREEK! 

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!