My Favorite Stationary, Pens, Stickers and Planner and Hand Lettering Supplies

By bobbi
July 28, 2017
46 Comments

Yesterday I shared with you how I set up my Blessed Is She planner. This is part two with my favorite planning supplies. 🙂

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Whenever I write a post about planners, journals, snail mail, or lettering, etc, I always get messages and emails asking me about the supplies I use and where I bought them. To make it easier for you, I compiled a list of my favorite stationary supplies. Hopefully it will help you find a new favorite. 🙂

(NOTE: Revolution of Love is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. I purchased these items on my own and am sharing my honest opinion about them.)

Erasable Pens for My Planner

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When I write in my planner, I MUST be able to erase. I used to use pencil until I found these awesome erasable pens. I have three sizes:.

The thicker Pilot Frixion Colors Erasable Markers.

The thinner Pilot FriXion Pencil, 0.7mm Ballpoint Pen, 12 Colors Set. (Also available in the 24 pen set.)

The even thinner Pilot Frixion Ball Knock Retractable Gel Ink Pen, 0.5mm, 10 Colors Set.

(One note: It has been said that the ink of these pens disappear in extreme heat but the ink will reappear if book is placed in the freezer. I have never had an issue but I also don’t live in extreme heat.)

Colored Pens

These are my favorite regular thin pens. – Staedtler Color Pen Set, Set of 36 Assorted Colors

If you don’t need as many as 26, this 20 pack of Staedtler pens is nice and it comes with a cool plastic case that can stand.

Handlettering/Brush Lettering Pens

My favorite black drawing pens are Micron. I use this when I am practicing hand lettering.

These are my favorite for hand lettering with a brush pen in black ink. I use Tombow Fudenosuke Brush Pen 2 Pens Set. It comes with a hard and soft tip.

For colored ink, I use the Tombow Dual Brush Pens.

Handlettering Introductory Books

I’ve been wanting to improve (and learn more about) brush lettering so I’ve been using these books to practice.

Written by Hand: Techniques and Tips to Make Your Everyday Handwriting More Beautiful by Erica Tighe (Erica is the one that does all the beautiful hand lettering for Blessed Is She.

Creative Lettering and Beyond: Inspiring tips, techniques, and ideas for hand lettering your way to beautiful works of art (Creative…and Beyond)

Calligraphy & Hand Lettering Notepad: Beginner Practice Workbook & Introduction to Lettering & Calligraphy (Practice Makes Perfect Series)

If you don’t want to spend money on a book there are plenty of practice sheets to be found on Pinterest. I have also used these at Tombow.

Colored Pencils

Here are the colored pencils I use – Prisma Scholar Colored Pencils. Costco had this art set available. I haven’t seen them there anymore but found it on Amazon.

If you don’t need all the extras, you can buy just the pencils.

Pen/Pencil Cases

I’m (almost) embarrassed to tell you how many pencil pouches and cases I have! 😉 Here are a few of my favorites.

Weapons of Mass Creation Pouch – Love this. It’s available in three sizes. 🙂

Star Wars Tattoo Flash Nylon Pencil Case 8 x 4in – When I wrote my last planner post, this pencil pouch was sold out. I am adding the link anyway in case they get more or you find another Star Wars style you may like. (They were also sold out of the matching Star Wars backpack I bought but have since got those back in.)

YOUSHARES 120 Slots Pencil Case – I use the above Star Wars pouch for one set of erasable pens that stays with me and my planner in my purse. The other pens and pencils I keep in this larger case that stays at home. I bring it out when I have time to decorate my bullet journal or planner.

I use this smaller Designed for Arrangement pencil case as a little traveling pen/pencil holder when I need a variety of pens to take out of the house.

Magnetic Bookmarks/ Bookclips

London Magnetic Bookmarks – These little book magnets are cute ways to mark my pages. 🙂

Forest Friends Magnetic Bookmarks – I’m a sucker for cute forest friends.

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Photo credit: Jane’s Tiny Things

I also love all things Jane Austen so these Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy magnetic clips from Jane’s Tiny Things were a must! ( Note: I just ordered the Anne and Captain Wentworth version to go with them.) 🙂

I LOVE these Star Wars book markers. I change them around my planner to suit my mood. (Darth Vader hangs out by the Mondays. Han by the Fridays. 😉 ) You can find them at HappyHelloCo at Etsy.

Planner Accessories

Tiny Saints Charm – We have lots of these cute saint charms on backpacks and adding my patron saint (also patron of mothers) to my planner seemed appropriate. 🙂

lucky_duck_pen

Photo credit: LuckyDuckDesigns. – For my bullet journal, I purchased this pen holder from this great etsy shop. I love her holders and have a few designs but she often sells out so you’ll have to keep checking back. I also recently found this shop that sells journal pen holders. They are made of a thicker material that doesn’t lay as flat, but she has some cute designs.

Sticky Notes

These are the sticky notes I used for my planner dashboard.

Write It Down Shaped Sticky Notes: 175 Decorated Stickies

Monthly Sticker Subscriptions

I re-live my childhood by continuing my sticker collection. I use them to decorate my planner, bullet journal, snail mail and more. These are two monthly sticker subscriptions that I love.

Pipsticks – There are two different subscription packs: Kids and Adults Pro Club. The Classic Pro Club pack includes 15 sheets of stickers, 1 postcard and 1 quote card. Cost is $14.95. The Pro Club Petite pack includes 7 sheets of stickers and 1 mini quote card. Cost is $9.95.

Stickii Club – There are three different subscription packs for you to choose from: Cute/ Retro/ Pop. Each pack includes 5 or more sticker sheets, 1 bag of sticker flakes, and sometimes an extra stationery item. Cost is $10 a month.

Planner Stickers

You can pick up booklets of planner specific stickers at many places. I have found my best luck at Michael’s and the Target Dollar Bin. I also use stickers planner from Lara Casey and BohoBerry.

Washi Tape

Washi tape can be found at most stores that carry stationary, including Target. I usually wait until Michaels puts them on sale or clearance or use one of their weekly coupons. You can also order cute washi on Amazon.

Other favorites pictured in my planner photos.

Offer It Up mug by Rose Harrington Shop

This Choose to be Grateful mug from FawnlyPrints is my current fave.

I love my Blessed Is She rosary.

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Well, that was a look at many of my favorites! I have been collecting these over the years and many have been gifted to me by family and friends who know I love stationary items.

Stationary Birthday Box

Since my birthday is in a few of weeks, I want to share the birthday love and gift something to you! I have a Stationary Birthday Box that I will mail out to one of my blog readers/online friends.The box will include:

A beautiful canvas pencil pouch
A dotted notebook
Tiny Saints Blessed Mother charm
2 Tombow brush pens
1 black Staedtler pen
1 aqua Pilot FriXion erasable pen
3 rolls of washit tape
Package of decorated pencils
Binder clips
Sticky notepad
A sample of Disney Pixar mini sticky notes
2 magnetic book clips
Stickers

To enter, just leave a comment below and tell me what is your favorite stationary or planner accessory that you currently use or something new you want to try. I’ll choose a winner in two weeks (Aug 11) and mail the package in time for my b-day (18th.) Have fun and good luck!

UPDATE: The contest is over. Congrats to our winner Mary M. 🙂

PS – You can follow RoL on Bloglovin, Feedly or another news feed. If you are a social media fan like me, we can stay in touch through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, GoodReads, Letterboxd, or Spotify, 😉

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How I Use My Blessed Is She Liturgical Academic Planner 2017-2018

By bobbi
July 27, 2017
3 Comments

UPDATE: This post is about the 2018-2019 Academic Planner (Aug 18-July 2019.) That planner has sold out.

The new 2020-2021 Academic Planner (Aug 2020 – July 2021) is now available for pre-sale at a reduced price. Order your planner in the regular size or mini size in the Blessed Is She Shop: Planners. However, the information below is still useful for ideas of how you can use your planner.

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For as long as I can remember, I have been a paper lover – stationary, stickers, journal, planners, etc. One of my favorite times of the year was when I got to shop for new school supplies – bouquets of sharpened pencils. Sigh. 😉 Things haven’t changed so when the new Blessed Is She Liturgical Planner came out I was giddy with excitement. It is the perfect combination of beauty, organization and liturgical goodness!

The planner is beautiful just as it is and can be appreciated by those who like a clean, streamlined look with a touch of lovely hand lettering. However, it also endears itself to those who want to embellish their planner with washi tape, stickers or drawing. Whichever team you’re on, this planner is sure to please. 🙂

Currently, I use a bullet journal for lists and long term items but I use the Blessed Is She Planner for my day to day living and organizing. Since I am a fan of personalizing a planner to make it your own, I’ll share with you how I use and decorate mine. We’ll start at the beginning.

On the inside cover I made a planner dashboard. I have a photo of my hubby and kids, post its, and a holder for my magnetic book markers.

A new feature in this year’s planner is a pocket for papers, notes and things. I added some washi tape and stickers to decorate it.

On the other side I store stamps and a note card that I need to send out to a friend later this week.

Next comes the year at a glance and a list of holidays and holy days of obligation.

There is a Dates to Remember section and a compilation of some of the Blessed Is She team/writers‘ favorite prayers.

Also new this year, is the How to Pray the Rosary section.

Next we move to the first calendar view. Since this is the Academic version, it runs from Aug 2017 to July 2018. My life revolves around my kids’ school schedule so for me this is the new year, rather than January 1. As you can see, I love to add stickers and washi to my calendar. I also only use erasable pens, since I MUST be able to erase!

An awesome feature of the monthly view, is the listing of the saint of the month. For August it is St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross who happens to be my chosen saint of the year. 🙂 There is also a monthly prayer printed at the top of the page. This is a beautiful way for all of us in the BIS sisterhood to pray together for one another. The days of the week have the saint of the day and holy days of obligation are marked by golden squares. I love how this helps me incorporate the liturgical year into my day to day life!

Photo credit: Blessed Is She

If you aren’t a fan of decorating and are curious to see the calendar without embellishment, here is a sample.

The weekly overview has sections for To Do’s, a grocery list, meal planning, prayer intentions, weekly goals, call/email/follow up, as well as a large notes section. I divided my notes section into three more ares – more To Do’s, blog/writing, and a smaller notes section. My Elizabeth and Darcy magnetic book markers add some extra love to the page.

On Sundays I work on my weekly spread. I’ll do a brain dump and write down everything that is on my mind to get it out of head and onto the page. I put the important items in the main To Do column and the tasks that aren’t pressing in the secondary To Do list. Then I go over my tasks and assign then a day that I need to have them done. When Monday comes I know which items I need to focus on first before anything else.

For my meal planning, I first look in my fridge and freezer to see what items we need to eat before they expire. Then I look at my schedule that week and see which days I’ll have time to make a longer meal and which days I have appointments or swimming lessons in the late afternoon. I assign those days easier meals or plan to use the slow cooker. Once I’ve narrowed those things down, it is easier to figure out what to make and when.

In the prayer intention areas, I list those people who have asked for prayers. Here’s a tip that has helped me – when there is a prayer request on Facebook or Instagram and I promise to pray for the person, I take a screen shot of their request. Later in the evening before I say my night prayers, I look at the screenshots and write down the intentions. That way, I don’t forget!

Although, I like to use my Notes section for more lists, you can use that area for anything you’d like! For example, here I used it to write a short prayer. (Note: This and the next two photos are from the current January 2017 Planner notes page.)

Another idea would be to have a memories page with highlights of your week. You could add photos, ticket stubs, funny things you child or your roommate said to you or journal your thoughts.

Or you could also use that section to start a fun list such as movies you want to watch or books you’d like to read. You can add a magnetic book marker, paper clip or a book dart for quick reference and add to it throughout the year.

Next is the weekly schedule with daily time slots for appointments and tasks. I keep track of the places I need to be or work I have to do.

Each day has the liturgical feast day listed and it also has a section for tasks to complete that day; a tracker to check off if you’ve cared for your body, soul and mind; and a section to write something that you’re grateful for that day. On my monthly and weekly calendar I like to color code my items. I use purple for daily or regular activities, green for school, orange for my MIL, blue for medical appointments and red or pink for outings and parties.

In the back of the planner is a new added section – lined note pages for your own notes. Love that!

I hope you enjoyed this peak into my planner. I big thanks to Erica Tighe for all her hard work in designing this beauty!

Lastly, I always get emails and messages asking where I bought my planner supplies, so I made a separate post with a list of my favorite stationary/planner products and links of where to buy them. Plus, there is a fun giveaway! Check it out here – My Favorite Stationary, Pens, Stickers and Planner Supplies (& A Giveaway!)

Happy planning!

PPS – Disclaimer: “Revolution of Love.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.”

In other words, if you click on my affiliated links and make a purchase, I get a small compensation that goes towards keeping the blog online. Big hugs to those who click and help support the blog! xoxo 🙂

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The New Blessed Is She 2017-2018 Liturgical Academic Planner

By bobbi
May 26, 2017
3 Comments

Photo credit: Blessed Is She

UPDATE: This post is about the 2017 Blessed Is She Planner. That planner has sold out.

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How I Use a (Blessed Is She) Planner and a Bullet Journal

By bobbi
January 17, 2017
2 Comments

I have been a planner and journal lover since I was a little kid and learned how to staples pieces of paper together to make my own journal. In the winter of 2015, I switched from a traditional planner to a bullet journal and fell in love all over again. I had no intentions of going back to a regular planner. However, when Blessed Is She came out with their gorgeous liturgical planner I was really tempted to give it a try but didn’t want to give up my bullet journal.

As I debated about it and reviewed over the bullet journals I had filled over the year, there was one thing that bothered me. I loved looking back at my monthly logs, various lists and journal entries but I really had no need to go over all my daily To Do lists. They were taking up space.

That’s when I decided to use a traditional planner to keep track of all the appointments, To Do lists, grocery lists and such that I didn’t want to keep for the future. For my bullet journal I would keep all my monthly logs, monthly reviews, journal entries, workshop/podcast notes and the things I wanted to keep for the future. Here is a peek at how I set it up. First, here is my planner.

Blessed Is She Planner

UPDATE: This post is about a previous Blessed Is She Planner. That planner has sold out.

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My Blessed Is She planner has a traditional calendar, which I prefer.

The weekly overview has my Sunday brain dump/TO DO list, meal planning, grocery list, prayer intentions, weekly goals and contact list. There is also a color key to keep track of daily goals (ie. prayer, drinking water, exercising, etc) but I’m not using it at the moment since I have a larger tracker in my bullet journal.

On Sunday night, I sit down and do a brain dump, literally writing down everything in my head that I need to get done in the future. Then I go back and mark which days that task should be assigned. I leave blank the items that can wait until the important stuff is done.

When I plan my weekly meals, I use a post it to jot down food I need to eat up that week and meal ideas. Then I look over my schedule for the week and see which meals can be cooked when. Once I assign a meal a day, I can toss the post it. And if I do need to update the menu, my pens are erasable so no problem. 😉

In the weekly schedule page, I keep track of the places I need to be or work I have to do.

There is a space for the things I must get done that day. I color code my schedule. Purple for work and errands, green for school, orange for speech therapy and doc appointments and pink (or red) for activities to attend.

Then I take the items from my earlier brain dump and assign them to their days. If I have a long list of errands, I just add it on the schedule.

At the end of the day I check of my must do’s, if I took care of myself and two or three things I’m grateful for (that I later add to the gratitude log in my bullet journal.)

My Bullet Journal

Next up is my bullet journal. I use the Leuchtturm2017 Medium Sized Hardcover journal. I prefer graphed but there are also lined and dotted versions. I talk about why I chose this journal here.

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I started a new book for 2017.

The index and key.

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For the new year, I completed Lara Casey’s Goal Setting Series. (I blogged all about it here.) Instead of filling out her powersheets, I used my bullet journal. Here are some sample pages.

My saint of the year. (I used Jen’s Saint Name Generator to find one.) My word of the year – Simplify. (I explain how I chose this word here.)

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My inspiration board. (I wrote more about that here.)

On the fifth day of the series, I finally decided on my goals for 2017.

After my goal section, came my lists such as my house project list and movies to watch.

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My movie log of the movies I’ve watched.

My list of TV shows to check out.

My book log for the books I’ve read.

RevolutionofLove.com - planner_bujo_jan_17_u Last year I started a separate bullet journal for reading where I keep greater details such as book challenges, lists of books to read and character notes and book quotes.

After my lists I have my faith and inspiration section.

I have things like favorite quotes.

I don’t need a list of liturgical feast days since I have one in my BIS planner but I added a confession log.

And a list of spiritual books I’d like to read this year.

After that I have other information such as Important notes, pen pal addresses, and podcast and workshop notes.

In my monthly section I have…

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My monthly title page.

Monthly challenges such as Plan with Me Challenge, Rock Your Handwriting Challenge and the 52 Week Dogwood Photography Challenge.

When I review my day at night, I mark off it in my monthly tracker if I completed my goals of the day. I printed this tracker from Bohoberry.com. It is free to those who subscribe to her Tribe Resource Library.

Next is my Fitbit tracker log.

Monthly spending log.

Monthly blogging calendar.

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At the end of the month, I add highlights of the month. Here is a sample from September 2016.

I’m two weeks into January and so far it has been going really well but it will take a few more months to see just how much I like using both systems. I’ll keep you posted!

Daily/ Nightly Review

If you are not used to planning, pick a time that works for you. Maybe it is in the morning or while the kids nap in the afternoon or on the train going to work or at night. I wrote previously:

Some people like to do their planner review in the morning before the day starts. Since I’m not a morning person, all my energy in the morning is focused on simply getting myself out of bed, ready and my four kids fed and off to school by 7:40 AM. Yeah, a morning planner review if not happening. For me, an evening review after all the kids are tucked in bed and kissed good night, the dishes are done and the next day’s lunches are made…this is my me time to unwind.

This still holds true. In the evening I take some time to say my night prayers and write in my prayer journal and then review over my day and planner. If I’m beat, I keep it short. If I have energy and am feeling creative, I’ll draw in my bullet journal while Brian reads or while we watch a TV show. The main thing is to make sure I use it every day and I write everything down. (Or I WILL forget.)

It used to be that if I couldn’t decorate my bujo and make the page pretty, I wanted to wait until I had more time. I’ve learned to forget about it. Just get the info down. Besides, that is the essence of a bullet journal. Short and easy to use. I just happen to use a decorated, hybrid version. If I have time to make it pretty, fine. But if I don’t, it doesn’t matter. Just. Get. It. Done. 😉

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UPDATE: The 2018 Blessed Is She Liturgical Calendar Planner (Jan – Dec 2018) is now available to order here.

For those interested in bullet journaling or want more info on how and when I plan, you can find my other bujo posts here: How I Use My Bullet Journal and How I Use My Bullet Journal – Spring 2016 Update.

Lastly, I always get emails and messages asking where I bought my supplies, so here is the info in advance.

Staedtler Color Pen Set, Set of 36 Assorted Colors – These are my favorite regular thin pens.

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When I write in my planner, I MUST be able to erase. I used to use pencil until I found these awesome erasable pens. I have three sizes:

The thicker Pilot Frixion Colors Erasable Markers.

The thinner Pilot FriXion Pencil, 0.7mm Ballpoint Pen, 12 Colors Set. (Also available in the 24 pen set.)

The even thinner Pilot Frixion Ball Knock Retractable Gel Ink Pen, 0.5mm, 10 Colors Set.

Weapons of Mass Creation Pouch – Love this. It’s available in three sizes. 🙂

Star Wars Tattoo Flash Nylon Pencil Case 8 x 4in – When I wrote this post, this pencil pouch was sold out. I am adding the link anyway in case they get more or you find another Star Wars style you may like.

YOUSHARES 120 Slots Pencil Case – I use the above Star Wars pouch for one set of erasable pens that stay with me and my planner in my purse. The other pens and pencils I keep in this larger case that stays at home. I bring it out when I have time to decorate my bullet journal.

London Magnetic Bookmarks – These little book magnets are cute ways to mark my pages. 🙂

janes_tiny_things_1

Photo credit: Jane’s Tiny Things

I just found these and added them to my planner – Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy from Jane’s Tiny Things. So cute!

I LOVE these Star Wars book markers. I change them around my planner to suit my mood. (Dath Vader hangs out by the Mondays. Han by the Fridays. 😉 ) You can find them at HappyHelloCo at Etsy.

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Tiny Saints Charm – We have lots of these cute saint charms on backpacks and adding my patron saint (also patron of mothers) to my planner seemed appropriate. 🙂

lucky_duck_pen

Photo credit: LuckyDuckDesigns. – I purchased this bullet journal pen holder from this great etsy shop. I love her holders and have a few designs. I also recently found this shop that sells journal pen holders. I ordered one but haven’t received it yet.

Luke’s Diner Mug – Just for fun!

Although, this mug from FawnlyPrints is my current fave.

Okay, I hope you enjoyed this peek into my planners. If you have a question I didn’t cover, just let me know. Happy planning!

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The New “Blessed Is She” Catholic Planner

By bobbi
July 22, 2016
8 Comments

UPDATE: This post is about a previous Blessed Is She planner that has sold out.

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To many people, the start of the new year is on January 1st but for many (including moms with kids in school) the new year is more likely from Aug/Sept to the end of summer vacation. That means that in August and September we are looking for new planners or updating our old ones. Well, if you are looking for a beautiful, functional and Catholic planner, look no further! The new Blessed Is She Liturgical Planner is now ready for pre-order and let me tell you, it is gorgeous!! Take a look!

A Look at the 2016-2017 Blessed Is She Planner

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The Blessed is She Liturgical Planner runs through September 1, 2016 – September 3, 2017. (This one is sold out. Order the new one here.)

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The inside cover.

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Artwork and handlettering by the lovely artist Erica of Be a Heart. (I interviewed her for Saturday Spotlight here.)

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Weekly layout with sections for: To Do, Groceries, Meal Planning, Prayer Intentions, Notes, Goals and more.

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Daily hourly layout.

Other features:

reminder to start specific novenas
liturgical colors for the entire year
handlettered bible verses for inspiration / memorization
Saints of the day and month
helpful prayer reminders

There is also a prayer section with favorite Catholic prayers of the Blessed Is She writers. (Including yours truly.) 🙂

The planner is $60. The price may seem high but it comparable to other name brand planners and unlike some less expensive ones, this was Made in the USA!

I love my bullet journal and don’t plan on changing but I am purchasing this one to use as a blogging planner. (Although, to be perfectly honest with you, this planner is so beautiful and inspirational, I am seriously considering keeping my bullet journal for all my lists and goal tracking and using this for my day to day planning. I’ll keep you posted!) In the meantime, place your order before they run out!

Happy planning!

UPDATE: I decided to use the BIS planner and a bullet journal. Find out how it works for me at How I Use a (Blessed Is She) Planner and a Bullet Journal.

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Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

Category Archives: cleaning & organizing

My Favorite Stationary, Pens, Stickers and Planner and Hand Lettering Supplies

Erasable Pens for My Planner

Colored Pens

Handlettering/Brush Lettering Pens

Handlettering Introductory Books

Colored Pencils

Pen/Pencil Cases

Magnetic Bookmarks/ Bookclips

Planner Accessories

Sticky Notes

Monthly Sticker Subscriptions

Washi Tape

Other favorites pictured in my planner photos.

How I Use My Blessed Is She Liturgical Academic Planner 2017-2018

The New Blessed Is She 2017-2018 Liturgical Academic Planner

How I Use a (Blessed Is She) Planner and a Bullet Journal

Blessed Is She Planner

The New “Blessed Is She” Catholic Planner

A Look at the 2016-2017 Blessed Is She Planner