Normally in August, I’m excited for Fall, the upcoming school year, and setting up my new planner. However, this pandemic year, our lives are topsy turvy, but at least I can keep the tradition of setting up of my new planner. I’ve been using the Blessed Is She planner since Day 1 when it first arrived. Years later, I’m still a fan, so much so, that I purchased both sizes because I’ve been known to change sizes during the year.

Originally, I planned to use the mini-sized version because I liked the portability of it. It’s the perfect size to throw in my tote bag and bring to appointments and meetings while my kids are at school. We were set to return to in-person learning, but at the last minute our state/county’s Covid numbers rose and distance learning was mandated for all schools until our numbers drop back down.

So I set aside the mini and am using the regular sized planner because it was a life saver during last year’s distance learning, but more of that later. First, I’ll show you the basics.

Although I don’t always have time to decorate my planner, it’s fun to start off with a stack of stickers and washi tape to get me motivated. I always decorate the inside cover with my lovelies because they are my inspiration to try and bring some order and harmony to our busy family life.

For my calendar, I like to color code my items. I have five goal categories so I use five basic colors to correspond.

Red (Daughter of God) is for spiritual activities such as Holy Hour, Confession, special Masses, Retreats, etc. Orange (Wife) are things like date nights. Green (Mom) are school events, violin classes, after school practice, play dates (remember when we used to have those??) etc. Blue is a combo of Homemaker and extended family – work on house projects, shopping/errand days, or activities with extended family members. Purple (Woman) is for me – work outside the home, girls night out, self- care, etc and for BIS (Blessed Is She) activities with other women.

There is a small key on the bottom of my calendar page. It may seem complicated, but I’ve been using the color code so long that it is now natural to me.

The weekly overview.

Here I have the week’s grocery items (to add to my master shopping list), meal plans, prayer intentions, and the week’s To Do’s. If I already know which day an item needs to be done, I’ll add the day of the week so it can be assigned to that day.

I divided the weekly notes page into three sections – brain dump, school info, and general notes. For the brain dump, I basically jot down all the things I need to work on at some point. If it is a definite item I have to do that week I write it in the “To Do” section. If it is more random or I need to get more info on it, it goes in the brain dump. Even if I don’t need to work on it that week, I need to write it down or I’ll forget. Since I sometimes need to reference these notes at a later date, I made it easier to find them by keeping track of where I wrote them.

In the larger note section in the back of the planner I assigned one page to be my Reference page. When I take notes on the weekly page that I will need to reference later, I add it to this page. It’s easier than thumbing through all the past pages trying to remember which week I had a conversation.

In the past, I have used the larger note section for various items such as a Memories page, book lists, and to write a favorite Scripture or short prayer. You could also use it to for lists such as Books to Read, Movies to Watch or track things like how much money you spend or when you go to Confession. The possibilities are endless.

Weekly Schedule View

The hourly schedule is normally where I keep track of where I need to go. However, now that I will be inside teaching kids and coordinating numerous Zoom classes, I’ll be using this section for that.

Normally, I’d use the same color code as my monthly calendar, but since I have to track all the kids classes, I use a separate color code system for this page. Each kid has their own color, with aqua being family items, and red is the things I need to do.

There are a lot of great planners out there, but what makes this planner unique is that it is a Catholic liturgical planner. It has prayers, how to pray the rosary, how to make a Holy Hour, holy days of obligations and reminders to start novenas.

Plus each month focuses on one of the names of God. For August it is God the Creator.

Each month starts with a journal page for prayer and reflection. The planner is more than an organizational tool, it’s also a source for spiritual growth to help us deepen our relationship with the Trinity. I can’t wait to dive in!

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Your Questions Answered

Whenever, I post photos of my planner of Instagram, I’ll often get the same questions. Here are the most common ones with my answers.

I have the mini-sized planner. Any tips for using it?

I love the mini! I haven’t set up the new one since I’m using the regular size for now. However, you can get tips from my previous post – How I Use My Blessed Is She 2018-2019 Mini Liturgical Planner. The planner looks a little different, but it has the same basic features.

What kind of pens do you use?

When I write in my planner, I MUST be able to erase. I used to use pencil until I found these awesome erasable pens a few years ago –  Pilot Frixion Ball Knock Retractable Gel Ink Pen, 0.5mm, 10 Colors Set. I have been using them ever since. There are various sizes available on Amazon and I have seen single colors at Staples.

(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.)

Where do you get the book marks/ stickers/ washi in you planner?

This is the Avery Spiral Slide-In Plastic Bookmark Divider that I use. It can be used full size with the regular planner. The end has to be cut off when used with the mini planner. They come in a pack of three, colored red, yellow, and aqua blue.

The stickers I have on the bookmark are: Be Not Afraid sticker is from Santa Clara Design and the Shine and Sacred Heart are from the Blessed Is She shop. (They “just” posted a new Immaculate Heart sticker that I’ll be ordering!)

You can find other great Catholic stickers from Zelie and Lou, Someday Saints, Santa Clara Design, Catholic Paper Goods, WithJoyfulHeart, LeanneBowenFineArt, Little Way Design Co, Beloved and Blessed, and Handcrafted by Isabela. Have another favorite Catholic sticker shop? Let me know!

I also attached a Tiny Saints Charm. I have many favorites so I’ll change them often.

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

When do you find time to decorate and update your planner?

I like to set aside a little quiet time on Sunday to plan my week. I’ll either go to my favorite spot on the couch or on our deck outside. I’ll review the upcoming week, plan my meals, brain dump all the info in my head and organize it. There have been weeks when I’ve been too busy (or too lazy) to plan the week, but I always regret it since I forget things or am running to the store multiple times for items I forgot to put on the grocery list. It always helps in the long run when I take a little time to get things in order.

If I have time (and I’m in the mood) I’ll decorate my planner. If I don’t, I simply get the info down and don’t worry about it. The key is to use the planner. It can look like a work of art, but if it’s not being used and making my life easier, then what’s the point, right? Thankfully, this planner has been useful, uplifting, and fun!

If you have the Blessed Is She planner, are you using the regular or mini? What’s your favorite feature?

Happy planning!

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, 😉

(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.)

UPDATE: This post is about the 2019-2020 Blessed Is She Planner, which 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.

Every August, it feels a bit like New Year’s since my life is dictated by the school schedules of my children. It’s a new month and a new school year and part of me is in disbelief that the summer has gone by so fast and the other part of me is swooning at the thought of “bouquets of newly sharpened pencils.”  😉

It’s also become a tradition over the last few years that I share with you, my fellow paper loving addicts, how I set up my new planner. I love brainstorming with you about how we can better utilize our planners. Last year I was using the I decided to switch to the regular sized (8 x 10) Blessed Is She Liturgical Planner.

Whether you have the regular or the mini, I’ll share ways in which I’ve made the best of both sizes in my life.

Although there is no need to decorate your planner, I love to add a little color and embellishment to make it my own. (The inner 8 year old in me still gets giddy with cute stickers.) 😉 On the inside cover I used a piece of scrapbook paper and added photos of the hubs and kiddos. They are the reason I try to keep my stuff together; it brings more harmony to our busy family life.

Inside the front cover there is also a pocket for loose items such as papers or planner stickers.

For my calendar, I like to color code my items. I switched up my system to match the color coding of my goal categories. Red (Daughter of God) is for spiritual activities such as Holy Hour, Confession, special Masses, Retreats, etc. Orange (Wife) are things like date nights. Green (Mom) are school events, violin classes, after school practice, play dates, etc. Blue is a combo of Homemaker and extended family – work on house projects, shopping/errand days, or activities with extended family members. Purple (Woman) is for me  – work outside the home, girls night out, self- care, etc. Pink is fun stuff on the calendar, like road trips or birthday parties.

There is a small key on the bottom of my calendar page. It may seem complicated, but I’ve been using the color code so long that it is now natural to me.

The weekly overview.

Here I have the week’s grocery items (to add to my master shopping list), meal plans, goals, and the week’s To Do’s. If I already know which day an item needs to be done, I’ll add the day of the week so it can be assigned to that day.

I divided the weekly notes section into two columns. One is still for notes and the other for a more random brain dump. Basically it’s ideas, I brainstorm and get out of my head, but I don’t necessarily need to do them at that moment. However, I know if I don’t write them down, they are easily forgotten. Since I sometimes need to reference these notes at a later date, I made it easier to find them by keeping track of where I wrote them.

In the larger note section in the back of the planner I assigned one page to be my Reference page. I jot down the topic and the week I wrote about it. So come next month, I’m not thumbing through all the past pages trying to figure out where the heck I wrote certain notes.

If you don’t need that larger note section, you could do different things with it such as make a Memories page to highlight the things you want to remember from the week. Or use it to make lists such as Book to Read, Movies to Watch or track things like how much money you spend or when you go to Confession. Or simply use it to write a favorite Scripture or short prayer. The possibilities are endless.

Weekly Schedule View

This is where I keep track of where I need to go. In the To Do’s, I list the top 5 things I have to get done that day (taken off the previous weekly master To Do list.) I use my same color code system that I had for the monthly calendar.

For the tracking circles at the top of the page, I trace my 5 daily goals. I put a letter for each as a reminder –  P (red/Daughter of God) – daily prayer, K (orange/Wife) – daily act of kindness towards Brian, R (green/Mom) – nightly read aloud with the boys, E (blue/Homemaker)I hijacked this circle and added E for exercise since there wasn’t a pressing daily homemaking goal, and S/FV (purple/Woman) – get more sleep, fruits & veggies into my day.

If I have the extra time I’ll mark the circle with the matching color. If I’m short on time, I just mark the done ones with one color. And truth be told, there are times when I skip it all together because I’m simply in survival mode. I want the planner to help me, not burden me with more work.

Also, there are some users who skip the time schedule all together and use the daily column as a long To Do list. That’s a great adaption as well. Whatever works best for you.

Speaking of goals, since the regular planner doesn’t have a goals page, as the MINI does, I used the last blank lined page of each month to put my monthly goals. Instead of writing them down I simply added my goal tending sheet from Lara Casey’s Cultivating What Matters.

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Your Questions Answered

Whenever, I post photos of my planner of Instagram, I’ll often get the same questions. Here are the most common ones with my answers.

I’ve switched from a regular sized planner to a MINI. I like the smaller size, but I miss some of the larger features like the menu and shopping list. Any recommendations?

I loved the mini! I especially loved the goals page. However, it’s true that you give up other items.

After using the mini for a year, I found it best to make the most of the mini’s weekly page. I used the column on the left for my To Do’s. The right hand column I used to keep track of appointments or places I needed to be. For my menu, I simply used the last line in each day’s list to add the dinner meal of the day.

There were busier days when it would’ve been helpful to have a full hourly schedule, so I made my own in Word and printed it out. I was going to paperclip it to the page, but found that adding them to a bookmark was even better. I used Write and Erase Spiral Slide-In Bookmarks from Avery. I ordered a pack from Amazon and although they were too long, I simply cut off the bottom of the bookmark to make it shorter. I washi taped the schedule to the bookmark and it worked great. I kept the extras in the back cover pocket for the days I need one.

For the backside of the book mark, I made a printable with a notes section that could be used as a shopping list or notes.  The “notes” title is a little off to the right so I could add a sticker. (#nerd 😉 )

If you want to print out a copy of the daily schedule or notes section for yourself, I made them available in my Google Drive folder. Here is the Daily Schedule and here is the Notes Section. You can order the same bookmark or simply us a paper clip to add it to your weekly section. (Note on the bookmark: It is a bit loose since the insert tab is shorter than the length but so far it hasn’t been a problem. Also, when you print out the schedule or list, make sure the print job is set to landscape mode and not portrait.)

 What kind of pens do you use?

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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. These two sizes are my favorite.

The thin Pilot FriXion Pencil, 0.7mm Ballpoint Pen, 12 Colors Set (also available in the 24 pen set) are great. I love the various colors.

The thinner  Pilot Frixion Ball Knock Retractable Gel Ink Pen, 0.5mm, 10 Colors Set are perfect if you like your pens really fine or are writing in smaller spaces, such as the calendar section of the mini planner.

(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.)

Where do you get the book marks/ stickers/ washi in you planner?

This is the Avery Spiral Slide-In Plastic Bookmark Divider that I use. It can be used full size with the regular planner. The end has to be cut off when used with the mini planner.  (As previously shown.) They come in a pack of three, colored red, yellow, and aqua blue.

The stickers I have on the bookmark are from: Be A Heart.com (however, I think the Mary stickers are sold out.) Be Not Afraid sticker is from JustLovePrints and I Trust in You sticker from Someday Saints.

On the cover of my planner I added stickers from Blessed Is She (Shine) and Made for Christ (Sacred Heart.) She has so many awesome stickers in her new shop! I also attached a
Tiny Saints Charm of St. Anne, my patron.

You can find other great Catholic stickers from Santa Clara Design, Catholic Paper Goods, WithJoyfulHeart, and LeanneBowenFineArt. Have another favorite Catholic sticker shop? Let me know!

The magnetic book marks in the photos above were purchased from Target. The brand is Kelly Ventura for Blue Sky.

For a more complete list of all my favorite planner tools, including stickers, washi tape and pencil pouches, visit this post – My Favorite Stationary, Pens, Stickers, Planner and Hand Lettering Supplies.

When do you find time to decorate and update your planner?

I find Sundays are the best day for me. I can usually carve out an hour to myself and I sit down at my favorite spot on the couch in our family room. I go over the upcoming week, plan my meals, brain dump all the info in my head and organize it. Sometimes I listen to music or put on an old movie and sometimes I am surrounded by a bunch of wild boys cheering for their favorite football team (their dad included.) It’s not exactly peaceful, but they enjoy having me there cheering too. 😉

If I have time (and I’m in the mood) I’ll decorate and color code my week. If I don’t, I simply get the info down and don’t worry about it. The key is to use the planner. It can look like a work of art, but if it’s not being used and making your life easier, then something’s wrong. However, if you can use it and have fun, well, that’s the best of both worlds.

Happy planning!

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, 😉

(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.)

UPDATE: This post is about the 2018-2019 Blessed Is She Planner, which 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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Last year, I shared with you how I set up my 2017-2018 Blessed Is She planner. I’m excited to be here once again sharing, but this time with my MINI Blessed is She 2018-2019 Liturgical Academic Year Planner. For the last two years I have been using the regular sized (8 x 10) Blessed Is She Liturgical Planner and although I loved it, I preferred it to be a little smaller and easier to take with me out of the house. So when the smaller size (6.25 x 8.25) came out, I was ecstatic. I finished setting it up and am eager to start using it next week!

Although there is no need to decorate your planner, I love to add a little color and embellishment to make it my own. (The inner 8 year old in me still gets giddy with cute stickers.) 😉

Inside the front cover there is a pocket for loose items such as papers or letters. (Remember those?!)  I added a photo of my family for a little inspiration to remind me that I am working at being more organized because it makes our family life run smoother. (Confession: I’m actually naturally scatterbrained and unorganized. I use a planner to combat that and bring a little more order into my life.)

In the prayer section I added a little washi tape for color.

After the prayer section I added once of my favorite prayers – Come Holy Spirit – and my current favorite invocation – Jesus, I trust in You.

For my calendar, I like to color code my items. Green is school or lessons. Orange is medical appointments. Pink or Red is special occasions or something I need to attend.

Washi tape and stickers add color and clarification. For example, I “shower” my soul with Confession on First Saturday. I chose one day (the 17th) to may my monthly bills. I mark violin lessons and birthday dates, etc. 🙂

As I explained in my last goals post, because I am a little scatterbrained and I love making goals to help me stay focused and organized. Otherwise, the days just slip away from me and I feel like I’ve been busy but haven’t really accomplished much. I explained how I make big goals and then divide those into bite size actions.

If you are just starting out on making goals, then I recommend you keep it simple and concrete. Chose one thing in each area listed in the BIS planner. Then make sure it is a tangible action and not too vague. For example, for your “faith focus” you may want to write down pray more. That’s a great goal but a little vague. Get more specific. Instead you could write… I will set my alarm 10 minutes earlier to read the Scripture and daily devotion. Or on the my commute to work I will turn off the radio and pray the rosary. Or while I am nursing the baby at 3pm (or 3am) I will pray the Diving Mercy Chaplet. Get it? Be specific.

Next, at the beginning of the month I brainstorm all the things I need to do that month. Later I can assign those items to a specific week or day.

Lastly, I can add the prayer intentions that are on my heart that month. (And if you’re wondering, I refer to my immediate family – hubby and kids – as my fam. Mi familia is my extended family – parents, siblings, etc.) 🙂

The weekly spread is where I will be spending the most time. I like that I can see the week at once and if I don;t finish Monday’s items I can just keep working on them Tuesday. I also love the boxes that allow me to check off items as I finish. (I’m a lists girl!) At the end of the day it is great to not just focus on the to dos and didn’t dos but to be thankful for the good that happened and record it in the gratitude section.

Now, the only drawback about getting the mini is that in order to keep it small, you have to give something up. The mini doesn’t have the same weekly overview – meal planner, grocery list and notes section – as the large planner. Plus, it does not have the daily hourly schedule. This is how I modified my planner to make up for that.

For my menu, I simply used the last line in each day’s list to add the dinner meal of the day.

In my planner I usually use magnetic bookmarks to hold my place. This year I wanted to try a clip on bookmark. I couldn’t find one that worked well until I found these Write and Erase Spiral Slide-In Bookmarks from Avery.  I ordered a pack from Amazon and at first they seemed too wide and definitely way too long. However, I simply cut off the bottom of the bookmark to make it shorter. Then I realized that it could also help me to solve the daily schedule issue.

While I did not always need a daily hourly section like the larger size planner had, there were some busier days when it would be really helpful. I decided to make my own hourly schedule. I was going to just paperclip it to the page but now the bookmark is a perfect spot for it! I simply made one in Word, printed it out, cut it to size and washi taped it to the bookmark. I keep extras in the back cover pocket for the days I need one and skip it on the days I don’t.

I also made a printable with a notes section for anything I needed to jot down, such as items to add to my shopping list or info to add to my bullet journal. The “notes” title is a little off to the right so I could add a sticker. (#nerd 😉 ) I washi taped it to the opposite side of my bookmark.

If you want to print out a copy for yourself, I made them available in my Google Drive folder. Here is the Daily Schedule and here is the Notes Section. Then you can order the same bookmark or simply us a paper clip to add it to your weekly section. (Note on the bookmark: It is a bit loose since the insert tab is shorter than the length but so far it hasn’t been a problem.)

Lastly, in the back of the planner if a notes section with lined pages and another back pocket. Love it.

Well, that is the basics of the planner. If you use a section differently than I do, please share it with me. I love to get new ideas!

UPDATE: I walked through my planner on Instagram. You can find the planner story in my highlights here.

Planner Supplies

(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.)

I am constantly asked what kind of pens I use or where do I get my stickers. I have a whole post answering those questions here – My Favorite Stationary, Pens, Stickers and Planner and Hand Lettering Supplies.<.span> However, here are a few relevant items from the post.

Erasable 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.  I like these for my bullet journal but not so much for my daily planner. I prefer a thinner point.

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

However, my favorite for my daily planner is the thinnest version –  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

If you don’t want to use erasable, 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.

Pen/Pencil Cases

I’m (almost) embarrassed to tell you how many pencil pouches and cases I have! 😉 You can find them in stationary stores, the Target school section (I got a cute R2D2 one last year), cosmetic sections (yes, I’d rather have a bag of pens over a bag of makeup) or find something online. Here are a few of my favorites I ordered on Amazon.

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

I just purchased this summery Primrose Hill Nautical Birds Collection Cosmetic Pencil Case. So cute!

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

Spiral Bookmark

Avery Spiral Slide-In Plastic Bookmark Dividers – These are the ones from above. They come in a pack of three.

Magnetic Bookmarks/ Bookclips

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

Harry Potter Page Clips (I bought these at Target but they sell the double pack on Amazon.)

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.

Charms

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

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 Michael’s puts them on sale or clearance or use one of their weekly coupons. You can also order cute washi on Amazon.

I hope you enjoyed this overview! If you’d like to purchase the MINI Blessed is She Liturgical Academic Year Planner  or the regular size, now is the time before they run out! Plus, right now there is free shipping on orders over $25. Can’t beat that!

Planner Goodies Giveaway

If you are already using the planner, I hope you have as much fun as I have been! And to make it a little more fun, I am doing a giveaway to celebrate my birthday month (August.) What better way to celebrate another year of life than with some fun planner goodies! (I told you I was a nerd.) 😉 You can enter using Rafflecopter. The prize is a package of planner goodies including – the Primrose Hills pencil case listed above, rolls of washi tape, planner stickers, a magnetic bookmark, page clips, pencil, and a Frixion pink erasable pen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

UPDATE: Thanks to all that played along! Congrats to the winner Holly and the (added) second place winner Kristen. 🙂

Good luck and happy planning!

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, 😉

PPS – Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Photos in this post courtesy of Blessed Is She.net.

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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Hey guys! Have the days been as busy for you as they have been for me? Usually things get really crazy in May but this year the crazy started early in April with so many school functions, family events and life happenings. The only thing keeping me from losing my head is making sure I keep track of everything and write it down in my planner. I’ve tried using electronic versions on my phone and computer but I can’t help it, I’m a paper and pen girl. I like the feel of the paper, the scratch of the pen and if it’s color coded, well, bonus!

Since I have four kiddos in school my life revolves around the school year schedule. So come January, I’m not looking for a new planner. But come spring, I am! As you may know, I am a big fan of the Blessed Is She Liturgical Planner! I love it! Although to be completely honest, the one thing I complained about it was its larger size. It wouldn’t be a problem if the planner stayed in my home but I need to bring it with me to appointments and school meetings and I just wished they had a smaller version.

Guess what? My wish came true! There are now two options for the new 2018-2019 planner.

The original (8 x 10) size and the mini sized (6.25 x 8.25) version!! (Insert your favorite happy dance gif)

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I think you get the picture. 😉

So here is a sneak peek at the new Blessed Is She Liturgical Academic Year Planner for 2018-2019. It covers August 2018 – July 2019.

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BIS Academic Planner Regular Size Features:

The monthly layout.

The 8×10 Blessed is She Liturgical Academic Year Planner runs August 2018 – July 2019. It features:

+ Full color throughout entire book, with Liturgical colors used
+ Finished with high quality gold foil
+ Double sided pocket
+ Soft-touch lamination on a hardcover
+ 80 lb white paper stock

Weekly Layout View 1

You will find a place for

• Groceries (the list is situated so you can cut it out and take it with you to the store.)
• Meal planning
• TO DO list
• Notes
• Prayer intentions
• Goals and more

Weekly layout View 2

You’ll also find…

• An hourly layout for every single day
• 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

Isn’t it awesome?! Place your pre-order here.

BIS Academic Planner Mini Size Features:

Mini monthly view

The MINI Blessed is She Liturgical Academic Year Planner (6.25 x 8.25) runs August 2018 – July 2019. It features:

+ Full color throughout entire book, with Liturgical colors used
+ Finished with high quality gold foil
+ Double sided pocket
+ Soft-touch lamination on a hardcover
+ 80 lb white paper stock

Mini Monthly View 2

On the goals page you’ll find:

• Space for your monthly goals in regards to your faith, personal, family, work and fun. (Being a big goals person, I love this!)
• Monthly To Do list
• Monthly Intentions

 Mini Weekly Layout

You’ll also find…

• Daily To Do lists
• Notes
• Reminder to start specific novenas
• Liturgical colors for the entire year
• Saints of the day
• Helpful prayer reminders and more.

As soon as I finish posting this, I’ll be pre-ordering my mini-planner. I love to use if for my day to day calendar and To Do lists. I pair my BIS planner with my bullet journal that keeps my year long lists and trackers.

Which planner are you going to chose?

Happy planning!

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PPS – Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.