How I Use My Bullet Journal – Spring 2016 Update

By bobbi
March 5, 2016
19 Comments

In December, I posted about my switch to a bullet journal and the stats to this little blog went through the roof thanks to that one post. There are a lot of you that are switching to a bujo (bullet journal’s nickname) or are just curious about how others set up theirs. I know I am! I love scrolling though IG and seeing all your pages! They inspire me. 🙂

I thought I would do an updated post since I started a new notebook for 2016. I was going to use the same one since it wasn’t finished but I couldn’t resist a fresh start with a new year.

Before I dive into sharing my set up, please keep a few things in mind.

Stop Apologizing

It’s okay not to decorate. I don’t know how many times I have heard “I want to use a bullet journal but I am not creative” or “I use a bullet journal but it is very plain.” Stop apologizing for that! It’s fine! Plain can be beautiful. The original bullet journal is not decorated at all. I consider mine more of a bujo hybrid – taking the main aspects of a bullet journal and creatively making it my own. The main thing to consider – is it functional?? If you are stressing out over how to decorate it, then DON’T. Keep it simple!!

If It Depresses You, Look Away

Along that same line, if looking at all the artistic bullet journals on Pinterest is depressing you because you can’t draw a straight line, let alone a stick figure, then stop looking! It’s like a couple years back when I was browsing through some mom blogs and it was depressing because these moms looked like models, their saintly kids in hand stitched clothes (who didn’t know what dirt was) were gleefully helping mom in their garden so she could whip up an organic meal after homeschooling them all. Meanwhile I was sitting in front of the computer with sweats and a stained shirt, a garden of dead plants, crayon marks on the walls, pants that were hemmed with iron-on tape, pizza guy on speed dial and my kid just walked by and wiped his runny nose on my pant like I was a human tissue. I finally had to step away from those blogs and accept the fact that wasn’t me.

Eventually, I got my act a little more together and improved in many areas (even if I still can’t sew) and I’ve accepted that I have my weaknesses but I also have my talents too. I still drool over some of the artwork and hand lettering I see on IG but I don’t despair. Instead, I get inspired. I do what I know, practice what I don’t and keep moving forward. So if looking at all the pretty depresses you, stop looking.

It’s More than Pens and Washi

And on the opposite end, if drawing or decorating come easy to you, go for it! Just make sure you are using the journal and not just wasting all your time making it pretty. (She said to herself.) 😉

You’re Gonna Mess Up

Your bullet journal will never be “perfect.” It is like nails on a chalkboard to me, but I have to accept that I mess up. My journal has mistakes. Or I wish I arranged it a little differently. But I’ll live and it still works.

Brainstorm First

If you are starting a new journal (or even a new month), I recommend sitting down and brain storming about what you’d like to have in your planner. Will you have lists? Trackers? Goals? Logs? Then decide how you’d like to arrange the pages – lists first? Or at the end? Or just add them as you go long? Get a general idea but don’t overthink it. Next just jump in and give it a try. You will learn what works great and what was a waste of time. The next month, adjust accordingly.

So in a nutshell:

Brainstorm first. Start simple. Learn as you go. Accept your abilities. Embrace imperfection.Have fun getting things done.

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Okay, now for the tour.

I started a new book in January. I use a Leuchtturm 1917, which already has an index and numbered pages.

Opening Overview

Index/ Table of Contents

Legend / Key

6 Month Overview

2 Month Interval

I break my yearly goals into smaller bi-monthly goals. So for March/April I decide what I wanted to work on and what projects I wanted to get done. That info is kept in this section.

One of my March projects.

Monthly Section

Month cover pages for January and February. This is where I get to practice new designs. It’s not exactly what I had in my head but it’ll do.

I was actually pleased with this one. I feel like my doodling is slowly getting better.

Monthly Challenges – In this section I add the challenges I want to participate in.

In January I did the #ptldoodle challenge. I skipped it in February but am doing it again in March.

In February I did the #InCoWriMo Letter Writing Challenge

Some of the monthly challenges I’m doing in March – #planwithmechallenge, #rockyourhandwriting, #listersgottalist and #holylens. Sometimes I’ll skip days or I’ll do 4 days at once to catch up but it is still a fun activity.

Monthly Trackers

January Goal Tracker

In January, I made a cute tracker will color codes. It was fun at first but it got too complicated to implement it each night. In February I skipped it all together. But I missed being able to look back and see how I progressed.

I brought it back in March but did a modified version without the color codes and all the drawn lines. It’s less pretty but pretty is useless if it doesn’t work. This way, in less than a minute, I can review and mark it off at night. Although, I think next month I’ll just put an X instead of coloring in the box.

Fitbit Tracker

Blogging Tracker

I write upcoming posts in pencil and once it is posted, I write the post in pen.

Gratitude Log for January

Gratitude Log for March

No matter how tough a day I am having, I write down two things I am especially thankful for that day. It helps me stay positive and grateful for my blessings.

Spending Log

Current Month Calendar and Dailies

I don’t like the vertical monthly list normally used in a bullet journal. My eyes and brain need to see a traditional monthly calendar to process quickly so I improvised.

My New Weekly Layout

I tried a new layout I for the first time this week. It is a weekly spread. I wanted an overview to see what my weekly appointments looked like. I added my menu, prayer intentions, blog ideas to work on and a section for my weekly brain dump. If I find that I need more room for the brain dump, I’ll delete the blog section next time.

On Sunday evenings I usually do a weekly brain dump. I jot down everything that has been floating around in my head. Once that is done I go over the list and assign specific days to do that item. Some tasks don’t need to be done on a specific day so I add an arrow and fit them in on days when I have a little more free time to tackle them.

Sample Dailies

My daily sheets are fairly simple but it works well for me. I have my tasks on top. Schedule to the right. Sometimes I’ll take a full page for a day. Sometimes I will fit two days.

When I’ve been sick, haven’t been able to journal or for the weekend, I’ll often just lump the days together and make note of anything important.

Since the weekends are mostly for family time I’ll sometimes record memories or funny things the kids say.

Or I’ll add the memory to the bottom of my daily page.

Future Planning

The one thing I missed about a traditional planner was having calendars of the entire year to keep track of future events and appointments. To make up for this, I made simple calendars that I cut out and washi taped to the last pages of my BuJo. As the months pass I can remove the paper calendar easily with the washi and still use the blank page for writing.

If you’d like to print out a PDF copy of the calendar, I placed them in a file on Google Drive. Enjoy.

2016 Master Bujo

Another thing I set up differently this month is that I decided to keep a separate bujo for year long lists and logs. It is my 2016 Master Bujo. In it I keep master lists such as these.

2016 Yearly Goals

Books to Read

Log of Books I Read

Movies to Watch

Log of Movies Watched (I will go back and rate the movies with stars.)

TV Shows to Check-out

Words to Ponder (Favorite Quotes)

Pen Pal Info

A master blog list with all my posts of 2016.

I also have a section with important notes/ info that I will need later that I want in a central location. There are more lists coming (including medical stuff, car maintenance, local places to visit) but this is what I have so far.

* * * * *

For more inspiration and ideas about bullet journaling, check out Tina’s Bullet Journal Pals page. She also does monthly list of bullet journal related links. Here is the Feb 2016 List.

I also started a separate IG account for bullet journaling, monthly challenges, snail mail, etc. Find me @bobbis_bujo.

Next week (or the week after, depending on life) I’ll do a follow up post about my favorite bullet journal accessories – pens, pen holders, washi, tabs for dividing sections, etc.

How about you? Do you use a bullet journal? What is your favorite layout or list? Or your best piece of bullet journaling advice? Do share. 🙂

UPDATE – Since I’ve been reading so much lately, I started a separate Reading Journal.

To read other planner posts, visit here.

Blessings to you!

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How I Use My Bullet Journal

By bobbi
December 18, 2015
35 Comments

In my post with tips on choosing the right planner, I mentioned that I switched to a bullet journal. Here’s the story of why.

At the beginning of October I did a my big yearly post about my Erin Condren planner. I loved it! However, I was also taking Mystie Winckler’s course Work the Plan and in it she talked a lot about the bullet journal. The journal/ planner was created by Ryder Carroll as…

“A customizable and forgiving organization system. It can be your to-do list, sketchbook, notebook, and diary, but most likely, it will be all of the above. It will teach you to do more with less.”

Imagine it as a catch all for numerous post it, lists, notes and ideas floating around in your world.

It sounded intriguing so I watched Ryder’s video and visited his website BulletJournal.com.

It was super impressive but I wasn’t convinced to switch. It sounded slightly complicated and it was so black and white… and plain. You know me, I need color and a little pizzazz in my planner or I lose interest.

It was back to my Erin Condren and Mystie’s course. I loved making goals and smaller workable tasks towards those goals but I realized the course was set up a heck of a lot like Ryder’s bullet journal. I started to see how the bullet journal could really work in my life right now. I also loved the idea of having everything in one place because it was bugging me that I had so many different notebooks, journals and pages of random notes that were all over. The appeal of having everything in one convenient spot was winning me over.

I started searching Pinterest for Bullet Journal inspiration and I realized that the BuJo (nickname for the bullet journal) doesn’t have to strictly follow the system that worked for Ryder. You can adapt it and make it your own. This was best exemplified by blogger Kara of BohoBerry.com. Looking though her beautiful artistic pages, I realized that the BuJo could be a great source of life organization AND an expression of creativity. Frankly, she sold me. I decided to give the bullet journal a two month trial. From Nov 1 – Dec 31 I would use the bullet journal. If I liked it, it would be my 2016 system. If I didn’t like it, I would pull my EC planner back out.

Setting Up My Bullet Journal

A bullet journal can easily be done in an inexpensive notebook, although the most popular notebooks are either a Moleskin or Leuchtturm 1917. Kara has a great comparison post about the Moleskine vs Leuchtturm. Although I have no idea how to pronounce it, The Leuchtturm was my choice for these reasons:

Hard colorful cover
Choice of lined, graphed or dotted pages
Acid-free paper that was slightly thicker than the Moleskin
Numbered pages (love that!)
3 pages for an Index/ Table of Contents
An elastic closure
A book marker (some say 2 book markers but mine only has 1)

I love my Leuchtturm.

First I set up my legend or key. This is how I would label my daily tasks and notes.

Next I wrote out my yearly goals.

My 6 month overview has upcoming dates.

Next is my two-month Interval page. This is where I break down my yearly goals into small bite size tasks I want to work on over the next two months.

During my Interval, I have 2-3 Projects I want to accomplish. Since it is the holiday season, my projects were things that would help me prepare for our annual Thanksgiving trip to visit family and Disneyland and to prepare for Advent and Christmas.

Monthly View

In the bullet journal the monthly view is supposed to look something like this:

But I really don’t like the layout. My mind needs to see a traditional calendar in order to quickly process what is on the page. So I “cheated” and drew my own calendar. However, that is the beauty of the BuJo. It’s not really cheating because you can adapt it to suit your needs.

November view.

Some one asked me what the “12.2.3” represents each weekday. It is simply the school pickup times for my kids. Between the four of them, they are on three different schedules. (I spend a lot of time driving back and forth.) 😉

December view.

Daily Pages/ Nightly Review

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.

I grab my cute little square tote (that I found at the Target dollar section for $3) and my LapDesk (similar to this one) and sit on the couch to start my evening ritual.

For the last couple of months I’ve been trying to spend about 5-10 minutes in prayer and make an examination of conscience. I think about the things I want to improve and thank God for the blessings of the day, often adding 3 things I’m grateful for each night in my bullet journal. (During Advent I have a separate prayer journal for my nightly exams and prayers of thanks. After Advent it will go back into my BuJo.) Ending the day with gratitude really helps me keep things in proper perspective.

Usually by now it is 9 PM and Brian joins me on the couch. He usually reads a little while I work on my planner then we relax to watch a favorite show.

I look over my bullet journal and review my day. I mark off what I have done and decide if the unfinished tasks should be moved to another day or deleted. I add any other notes of the day (such as online purchases). I also check the notes app on my iPhone for any notes I jotted down while on the run and transfer them to my planner.

On Mondays I have the week’s meals listed. If I don’t assign a day, I at least write six meals that I can make that week.

I don’t usually have Tasks lists on the weekends since it is mostly family time. Instead I add notes about what we did or memories I want to remember.

Many evenings I also enjoy participating in the ListersGottaList.com daily challenge. Saturday’s prompt was – What were your favorite Christmas gifts? I used to keep these lists in a traveler’s notebook but now they are kept here.

On Sunday evenings I do a weekly brain dump. I jot down everything that has been floating around in my head. Once that is done I go over the list and assign specific days to do that item. Some tasks don’t need to be done on a specific day so I add an arrow and fit them in on days when I have a little more free time to tackle them.

Once I review my current day, I make the label for the upcoming day. I write the day’s schedule, household tasks if I’m going to be home that day and any blog tasks I need to work on. I also write any tasks from that week’s brain dump assigned to that day and any other things I need to do or remember.

One of the great things about the bullet journal is it’s flexibility. Last week I was sick on Wednesday and Thursday and did not do an evening review. So Friday morning (after the kids were in school) I added the dates and noted that I was sick and anything else significant I wanted to remember, including a quote from my morning devotion. Some days take a full page and some days only 1/2. It doesn’t matter and I love that.

Other Random Pages

The bullet journal is the perfect spot to keep lists – books I wan to read, movies I want to see, recipes to try, blogs/websites to visit, local places I’d like to see during a staycation, etc. I also keep notes on podcasts or periscopes that are especially helpful.

The BuJo also works well for keeping track of blog posts and keeping a list of blogging ideas.

In December I decided to make a goal chart for my daily goals. I thought a nightly visual would help me to keep my goals in mind instead of getting lost in the shuffle of the day.

The things you can add to your bullet journal are endless!

Future Calendar

The one thing I missed about my Erin Condren is having calendars of the entire year. I liked having visuals in a traditional calendar format of upcoming events. This was especially helpful at school meetings when we needed to quickly review over upcoming events.

To make up for this, I made simple calendars that I cut out and washi taped to the last pages of my BuJo. As the months pass I can remove the paper calendar easily with the washi and still use the blank page for writing.

If you’d like to print out a PDF copy of the calendar, I placed them in a file on Google Drive. Enjoy. 🙂

Favorite Pens

Everyone has their favorite pens. The Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Pens are a favorite of mine but when I am using my bullet journal I really need the ability to erase. I used to only use pencil in my planners until I found Pilot Frixion pens! At first I bought the smaller Pilot Frixion Colors Erasable Marker – 12 Color set because they were less expensive and I wasn’t sure if I would like them or not. I kept envisioning those erasable ball point pens that were popular when I was in grade school – the were smudgy and made a mess. However, these Frixion pens did not smudge at all. The only way they erases is with the special eraser at the top of the pen or you could purchase an extra eraser separately.

I loved the pens but I didn’t check the size and they wrote a little thick. (See sample 1.) I went back to Amazon and purchased the Pilot Frixion Erasable Gel Ink Pens, 0.7mm, Assorted Colors, 24/Pack. Although it was more expensive I knew it would be worth it because they were exactly what I was looking for. (See sample 2.)

For on the go writing, I use the Pilot Frixion Ball Knock 4-Color Gel Ink Multi-Pen and hook onto the elastic band of m bullet journal.

UPDATE (12/22/15): I want to add a note about the Frixion Pens. One of the sweet ladies from the FB group Bullet Journal Junkies just warned me that the ink can disappear in extreme heat. (The heat caused by the friction of the eraser is what removes the ink.) Supposedly it can be brought back if placed in the freezer. Sooo while I still love my pens and it doesn’t get very hot where I live, I may or may not switch back to the Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Pens. Sigh. #firstworldproblems

UPDATE: (1/10/16): I didn’t want to fill my instagram feed with bullet journal posts so I started a second IG account just for that. You can find me @bobbis_bujo.

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Well, I think that is plenty to share for now. Hopefully it gave you an overview and maybe a little inspiration. 🙂

Do you use a bullet journal? What kind of things do you keep in it? Any tips for a newbie? 🙂

UPDATE – My new bullet journal post is here: How I Use My Bullet Journal – Spring 2016 Update

To read other planner posts, visit here.

Blessings to you!

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How to Choose the Right Planner

By bobbi
December 12, 2015
2 Comments

This is the time of year when people are getting their new 2016 planners ready and for some, it also means a change in planner styles. If you are debating about what style is best for you, here are a few things that have helped me decide over the years.

Size

If you don’t count the decorated notebooks and journals I used as a kid, my first real planner was a Franklin Covey planner about two decades ago. Since then, I’ve gone through just about every size – large, classic, compact, personal and pocket. It changed as my life changed from single to married to married with one kid to married with four kids.

How will you be using your planner?

Will you be using it mainly at home? Do you want something larger with lots of writing space? Will you be carrying around your planner? Does it need to fit into your purse or diaper bag? Size and portability alone will help narrow your decision.

Suggestions:

If you aren’t sure if a page size is too small or too big, make a mock up to give it a try. When I was debating about going from a standard paper sized 8×11 planner page to a smaller Erin Condren, I cut a few sheets of paper into the size of an EC planner page. I used a ruler to make similar boxes. I used the mock up for a week to make sure I could adapt to it before actually spending money on a new planner.

Budget

The next biggest issue is price. What is your budget? If you can’t afford the $100 Filofax, don’t tempt yourself, no matter how cute it is! Whether you can afford the pricey leather planner or only a spiral notebook in the Target $1 bin, it is more important that you find something you will actually use. That doesn’t mean it has to be expensive.

Suggestions:

If you like the style of a binder, check out different brands and styles to see what is available in your budget. Popular brands include:

Filofax (their non- leather planners are less expensive),
Kikki-K (They have a sale running until tomorrow 12/13/15)
Franklin Covey
Daytimer
Check out the planner aisle in Target, Staples or Walmart for other affordable options.

Create 365 Happy Planner

If you like the style of an Erin Condren spiral life planner, but can’t afford the $50+, then try the less expensive but just as cute Plumb Planner or a Create 365 Happy Planner.

Page Access

Spiral or coil bound planners are great. Many planners, like the Erin Condren, have special tabs that allow you to add pages to your planner. However, if you need to add more than the occasional sheet, then you might want to look at a binder or disc bound planner that allows you to add and subtract freely. You also have the flexibility of creating your own sheets or purchasing digital planner sheets and printing them off.

Suggestions:
If you are interested in a binder system, Toni at A Bowl Full of Lemons has an excellent post that will help you compare the different sizes and brands – Choosing A Ring Bound Planner.

If you are interested in a Discbound style, you can read my post about how I set up my previous Discbound Planner.

Page Layout

Do you only need a monthly view? Do you need a weekly overview or daily pages?

Do you need the daily page to be broken down by the hour to mark appointments?

Knowing how you want to view your day or week will narrow down your options.

Design

What eventually led me to an Erin Condren spiral bound planner last year was the gorgeous design. I loved the patterns, the changeable covers and the colorful pages. It just delighted me to use my planner! I hated the plain black and white planner! (For more info how I set up my Erin Condren, see my post here.)

Photo Credit: MochiThings.com

On the other hand, my sister would go crazy looking at a planner filled with stickers, washi and doodles. It’s just not her style. She wanted plain and streamlined so she purchased the Medium Monthly Planner from MochiThings. It suits her perfectly and is beautiful in its simplicity.

What is your style? Do you need to have colors and decor? Do you prefer simple and streamlined?

Room for Creativity

There are some who want a planner that does more than tell them where to be each day or have a list of To Do’s. They don’t necessarily need the pre-printed calendars and daily appointment schedules. They want a planner that allows them a lot of wiggle room to be creative and keep track of more than their schedule. If that sounds like you, you may want to check out a traveler’s notebook or a bullet journal.

A Traveler’s Notebook is basically a cover (that can range from expensive leather to a fabric Etsy creation) that holds various small notepad inserts – calendars, lined paper, graph paper, blank paper. You can build your notebook to include everything from appointments to drawings to journal entries. The possibilities are endless.

There is a great overview from JetPens.com to get you started – Midori Traveler’s Notebook: A Comprehensive Guide.

I purchased this Travel’s Notebook cover from Crafty Girls x 2 on Etsy. There are so many cute covers at various Etsy shops!

The inserts can be purchased at a number of places. The most popular are the Midori Traveler’s Notebook Refills. Here are a few samples available at Amazon.

Ruled (refill 001)
Grid (refill 002)
Blank (refill 003)
Monthly Diary (refill 017)
Weekly Diary and Memo (refill 019)
Traveler’s Notebook Inserts and Accessories

* * *

Another popular planner style is the Bullet Journal.

The system was created by Ryder Carroll as “a customizable and forgiving organization system. It can be your to-do list, sketchbook, notebook, and diary, but most likely, it will be all of the above. It will teach you to do more with less.” (Picture it as a catch all for numerous post it, lists, notes and ideas floating around in your world.)

Ryder’s website BulletJournal.com has a detailed explanation and video explaining the bullet journal system.

Although there is standard format, people have adapted the bullet journal to reflect their creativity. Just search bullet journal on Pinterest to see numerous versions. Or visit my favorite Bullet Journal user Kara at Bohoberry.com for inspiration.

Pictured – Leuchtturm Medium in Lemon Yellow

A bullet journal can easily be done in an inexpensive notebook, although the most popular notebooks are either a Moleskin or Leuchtturm 1917 (my personal favorite.) Kara has a great comparison post about the Moleskine vs Leuchtturm.

Last month I switched to a Bullet Journal and I explain why and how here – How I Use My Bullet Journal.

Specialty Planners: Catholic

There are planners created with a specific audience in mind, such as homeschoolers, bloggers, Christians, etc. Since the bulk of my readers are Catholic, here are a few planners created for those who want to incorporate their spiritual life into their daily planner.

Catholic Planners

bis_planner_cover

Blessed Is She Liturgical Planner by BlessedIsShe.net

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Catholic Through the Year by Catholic Sistas.com

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The Best Laid Plans by Kelly at This Ain’t the Lyceum.org

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The Catholic Daily Planner by Michele Quigley.com

Specialty Planners: Goal Orientated

Photo Credit: PassionPlanner.com

UPDATE (12/26/15) On my instagram, Nikki commented that she loves the Passion Planner. Someone else mentioned to me how much they liked it. I looked over their site and I love the concept behind it. Creator Angelia Trinidad explains:

I decided to make a tool that helped people clearly define their personal goals and dreams and put them at the forefront of their attention, and a planner was PERFECT for this. Passion Planner helps people break down their long and short terms goals into more actionable steps and gives them a place to incorporate these steps into their daily lives.

I wanted people to use this planner as a compass they could use to guide their daily decisions. It’s simple. You ask yourself: is what I am going to do today going to get me closer to my goals? Yes? Do it. No? Don’t do it.

I wanted to make a tool that encouraged people not only to start thinking about their goals, but make taking action towards them a part of their daily lives. And that’s how Passion Planner was born.

Whether you are already goal orientated or not sure where to start, it is definitely worth checking out.

My Last Tip – Be Realistic!

As much as I love planners, I was disappointed to learn this truth – a planner will not magically make you more active and productive. You can decorate and accessorize all you want but the real magic doesn’t start until you get your butt in gear and start actually doing those things on your lists.

A planner can be an awesome tool, but like a hammer, it won’t suddenly build a house by itself. You still have to do the work. So don’t stress over finding the “perfect” planner. Just pick the one that closest suits your needs and give it a try. More than likely your planning system will evolve as your life changes but don’t worry, that’s half the fun. 😉

What is your favorite planner? Do you have a planning tip to share? Do tell!

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Pinterest Party & Link-up (vol 40): Planner Edition – A Look at My (Erin Condren) Planner

By bobbi
October 6, 2015
12 Comments

The 31 Day of Writing Challenge continues. It’s Day 6 of my 31 Days of Gratitude 2015. Second, it is the first Tuesday of the month so today is our Pinterest Party – Planner’s Edition!

Join me for a Pinterest Party every first Tuesday of the month as we link up and pin it, create it, and inspire others to do the same. Recipes and crafty ideas are encouraged but think outside the box too. Think organizing ideas, birthday themes, a cute outfit, a new hairstyle, marriage tips, life inspiration, traveling destinations, a great quote – anything you’d post to Pinterest.

Show us how you didn’t just pin it but brought it to life!

Not on Pinterest? No problem. Link-up your own creation to inspire us so we can pin in to our own boards. Don’t have a post ready? The link-up will be open for a month so there’s still time. Plus, feel free to link up a new post or an older post that hasn’t had much traffic lately. 🙂 (If you want to grab the button, scroll to the bottom.)

This month is a special Pinterest Party because it is the PLANNER EDITION! Whether you are a planner addict (raises hand) or a newbie just starting to plan, we want to hear from you! If you are a blogger, add the link to your planner post. If you aren’t a blogger let us know in the comments what kind of planner you are using and what you love most about it. 🙂

* * * * *

Here is a look at my planner…

Maybe it is because I am getting older but I have been thinking a lot about how precious our time on earth is and how quickly the days can escape us. The busyness of family life can make it easy for days, weeks, even months fly by and we find ourselves asking, “How is it already a new month??” The hours of my life are precious. I can show my gratitude for each new day by using those hours wisely.

The hours of my life are precious. I can show my gratitude for each new day by using those hours wisely.

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That is not always easy for me to do. I am often guilty of wasting too much time. I am all for having down time, play time and me-time but I want to make sure I am getting all my priorities done first and not letting them fall through the cracks while I get sucked into a rabbit hole of social media or Netflix binging.

One way I combat this is through my planner. If you know me, then you also know that I love making lists and if I don’t write it down, I won’t remember it five minutes later. Literally.

In 2013, I was using a Martha Steward Discbound planner (which is sadly no longer available for purchase) and I loved everything about it except that it was too big to carry around with me everywhere. Because I spend a lot of time out of the house, I needed something that was more portable.

In 2014, I switched to a new Erin Condren planner. I thought I would hate a spiral planner since I couldn’t add to it the same way as a binder or discbound but it has not been a problem at all. I loved the layout and portability so much that this is my second year with an Erin Condren Life Planner.

I prefer my planners to run like the school year from September to August so in September I set up my new planner. (It was like Christmas for me.) 😉

I love that EC Planners come with removable covers and I can change them according to season (or my mood.) Last year I had the Favorite Things cover.

This year I went with the “life in little squares” cover using some of my favorite Instagram photos.

Another draw of the EC Planners is all the colors. I don’t like planners with plain black and white pages. I like bright colors that make me want to actually use the planner.

In my monthly spread, I use washi tape to make color coded small squares. Blue are doctor appointments and speech therapy. Green is school related. Red is an event I need to attend or drive the kids to. Orange is a family birthday.

I write the definite items in ink and possible dates and notes in pencil. However, one thing I did not like about using markers or pens is that if I made a mistake, I couldn’t erase it like a pencil. Well, until now! I finally found a solution but I’ll get into that in a bit when I talk about favorite tools.

The weekly page is where people can really go to town to decorate and fill the boxes with all sorts of decor. Me? I seriously just need a space for my To Do lists. It probably looks a little more like a bullet journal but it works for me.

This is how the weekly page looked last year. The three boxes were labeled as Morning, Day and Night.

This year the calendar is still divided up into three sections but it is no longer labeled as – Morning, Day and Night. Instead it is blank, which I love since my top box is for places I have to be that day. The middle box is for things I really need to try and do that day. The last box is for things I should do but it’s okay if I wait until later.

This year you also have the option of ordering a planner with your days going horizontally instead of vertically.

The new EC planners also no longer have that little circle decor going down the side or the mini calendar in the top left corner (which I never really used) and instead it is a spot for your own weekly quote of inspiration. I use a little washi and a sticker or two for decor and that is enough for me.

In the last bottom section I keep track of my dinner menu and posts that I will publish on the blog that day. The right side column is for goals and notes.

Other differences from last year’s layout:

There is no longer a quote at the top of each monthly calendar. Instead there is a lined sheet for notes and a full inspirational quote page at the beginning of each month.

Hey, that’s pretty darn close to my blog’s tag line! 😉

The front of the planner also has a new goal section, which I love.

As readers of my blog know, for the last year I have been really big on making goals. I have my larger yearly goals and smaller monthly goals that help me make progress in smaller steps. I added into my planner my yearly goals in the 5 areas of my being – as a Daughter of God, a Wife, a Mom, a Homemaker and a Woman. The sixth box has one of my favorite quotes. “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” – St. Catherine of Sienna.

I wanted to put my monthly goals on the second page but there was only the one sheet of paper. So I made a color copy and added it to my planner with EC coil clips. This way, each month I can add my smaller monthly goals to my planner. That is so helpful to me.

The back of the planner still has lined, decorative blank (and now) graph pages.

The one thing I don’t like is that there are less pages than there were in last year’s version. Yet, the spiral ring is larger. It’s not so much larger that it is a deal breaker but I would have liked more sheets to go with it. On the plus side, the larger (and sturdy) spiral let’s you add more of your own sheets with the coils

These two photos are from last year’s model but they are basically the same.

A Look Ahead calendar.

Stickers – both pre-labeled and blank.
There is still a pocket for papers, a perpetual calendar to keep the dates of birthdays and dates to remember and a few free goodies in a pocketed pouch.
As an extra, I purchased a pen loop and a separate tablet that sticks to the back of the planner. I use these for notes to school or my own scribblings.

I also had an EC gift card so I added a couple extra items.

Post-it notes that pop into the planner. (I love me some post its!)

Coil clips to add your own pages to the planner and decorative stickers.

Favorite Planner Tools

The green is the thicker line (I don’t know the exact size since the description isn’t in English. The pink line is .7 thick.

Erasable Markers

As I already mentioned, my new favorite planner tool are these erasable markers/pens. I first saw these markers on a Periscope by Tina of Zoo Cuties. At first I bought the smaller Pilot Frixion Colors Erasable Marker – 12 Color set because they were less expensive and I wasn’t sure if I would like them or not. I kept envisioning those erasable ball point pens that were popular when I was in grade school – the were smudgy and made a mess. However, these Frixion pens did not smudge at all. The only way they erases is with the special eraser at the top of the pen or you could purchase an eraser separately.

I loved the pens but I didn’t check the size and they wrote a little thick for the small boxes of the calendar. I went back to Amazon and purchased the Pilot Frixion Erasable Gel Ink Pens, 0.7mm, Assorted Colors, 24/Pack. Although it was more expensive I knew it would be worth it because they were exactly what I was looking for.

The next time I place an Amazon order I’m going to get the Pilot Frixion Ball Knock 4-Color Gel Ink Multi-Pen for my purse or to hook onto my planner. 😉

Charms

Photo Credit: Tiny Saints

There are tons of charms and elastic bands you can get for your planner. Someone asked me where I got the St. Anne charm on my planner. It is from Tiny Saints. Since St. Anne is my patron saint (for non-Catholics, that’s basically someone in heaven I especially like to ask to pray for me), the patron of moms and my middle name namesake, I thought it only fitting. There are lots of other saint charms to choose from as well.

Planning Tote

During the day if I am not within reach of my planner then I’ll write a note on my iPhone (which is usually in my pocket.) A lot of people like to review their planners in the morning but I am a night owl and prefer to review my planner the night before each day. That is when I’ll write down any notes from my phone into my master paper planner.

Some people like to just keep a digital planner and always have it with them on their phone. I tried that but I am a paper girl. I need to feel the physical touch of pen and paper. It’s what works for me.

To hold all key planning supplies, I use this cute little square tote I found at the Target dollar section for $3. I went back later to get another but they were sold out. I’m glad I at least got this one. In the evening I grab it along with my LapDesk (similar to this one) and sit on the couch with Brian after the kids go to bed. He’ll read a little while I update my planner then we’ll watch a movie or TV show. It helps me unwind and regroup for the next day.

Washi Storage

I have 5 rolls of washi that I use all the time in my planner tote (and duplicates in my traveling office). For all my other rolls of washi, I found this flat 12 x 12 cardboard box at Michael’s.

I cut empty paper towel tubes in half and lined up the washi on top to keep them from rolling around. It may not be glamorous but it works great.

Oldies but Goodies

Lastly, I still use my EC planner pouch. (Pictured here with last years planner.)

Along with my planner I am still using my traveling office. 🙂

Other Planner Option

I’ve been using the Erin Condren planner for two years now and I still love it but that’s just me. There are so many styles to choose from.

Create 365 Happy Planner

If you like the style of the Erin Condren but it’s out of your budget, then try a Plumb Planner or a Create 365 Happy Planner.

Photo Credit: MochiThings.com

Or maybe all this planner decor and colors is overload to your sense and you like your planner to be streamlined. My sister BCM (who for years was the clean Felix to my very messy Oscar) likes her planners plain and simple. She purchased the Medium Monthly Planner from MochiThings. It suits her perfectly and is beautiful in its simplicity.

Traveler’s notebooks are also really popular right now. It wouldn’t work as my everyday planner but I love it for my Simplified Organization brain dumps and for some Listers Gotta List fun and favorite memories of the month.

I’ll have to make a separate post about my traveler’s notebook . 😉

My 2014 discbound planner.

If you like full size pages, try a discbound (like Arc) from Staples and print off your own planner printables. There are tons of free planners and really cute ones to purchase on etsy and elsewhere. Browse Pinterest and find your faves. (If you make and sell planners leave a link of your shop in the comments so we can check it out.)

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In the end, whether it is an Erin Condren planner or a 99 cent notebook from Target, find something that inspires you, matches your current needs and is in your budget. Then have fun planning (and doing!) 😉

What about you? Do you use a planner? What kind? Do tell!

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NOTE: These items were purchase by me and I received no compensation. However, if you order anything from this Erin Condren link – bit.ly/ec_referral_rol, I will get a small store credit and you will get $10 off your first order! Yay! 🙂

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I’m linking up this post with the sweet Jess and Kate over at Sweet Little Ones Blog.com for this week’s Tuesday Talk. 🙂 Go check out their blog. There’s plenty of good stuff to read!

Now it’s your turn.

1. Choose your creation or inspiration, share about it and snap a photo if you can.

2. In your post, link back the original blogger/idea, rather than your Pinterest pin. That way credit goes to the proper person. 🙂 (But feel free to add your Pinterest profile link so we can follow you!)

3. Add a link back here so others can play along.

4. If you want to use it, here is the html code for the logo:

5. Link up below. Make sure you’re sending us to your actual post, and not to your general blog address.

Want to find me on Pinterest? I’m here – pinterest.com/bobbi_rol/

The link up will be active for a month. Have fun!

PPS – This post contains affiliate links.

An InLinkz Link-up

A Look at My 2015 (Erin Condren) Planner

By bobbi
February 26, 2015
11 Comments

Note: For the update version of this post, click A Look at My 2015-2016 (Erin Condren) Planner & Favorite Planning Tools

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I planned to do a post about my new planner in January but life happened. So, I better get it posted before February is over. 😉

Anyone that follows this blog knows that I love making lists and using planners. Not because I am organized but because I am scattered and have the attention span of a two year old sometimes. If I don’t write it down, I won’t remember it five minutes later. Literally. If I am not within reach of my planner then I’ll write a note on my phone (which is usually in my pocket) and at the end of the day the notes get written down before they are also forgotten.

Last year I was using a Martha Steward Discbound planner and I loved everything about it except that it was too big to carry around with me everywhere. Because I spend a lot of time out of the house, I needed something that was more portable. I heard a lot of people rave about the Erin Condren planner but I was doubtful and they were pricey. However, I had a coupon and decided to give it a try.

The delivery of it became an “event” because it came in such a pretty box with special treats.

I looked through their selection and chose an Erin Condren Life Planner with the Favorite Things cover. (I bought my planner in later 2014 so the new 2015 versions may look a little different.)

I love that you could choose the words that filled your cover. I also like that the covers are interchangeable so if I am tired of the cover or want to change it according to seasons, I can lift the cover off and pop in a new one. (I have another version of this cover in darker fall colors but I am back in spring mode now.)

I do not like planners with plain black and white pages. I like bright colors that make me want to actually use the planner. However, I do not like my planner to be so filled with decor that I don’t have room to write.

I use washi tape to make small squares on my monthly calendar. Blue are doctor appointments and speech therapy. Green is school related. Red is an event I need to attend or drive the kids to. Orange is a family birthday. Pink polka dots is a night out for me. I write the definite items in ink and possible dates and notes in pencil.

The weekly page is where people can really go to town to decorate and fill the boxes with all sorts of decor. Me? I seriously just need a space for my To Do lists.

The calendar is divided into three sections – Morning, Day and Night. I covered the Morning label with washi tape and use it as my schedule for places I need to be that day. In the Day section I write down the things I need to try and get done that day. The Night section I use to add To Do things that I eventually want to do but it’s not urgent. I make little boxes next to each item and fill them in as I complete them. In the last bottom section I keep track of my dinner menu and posts that I will publish on the blog that day. The right side column is for goals and notes.

There are some days when I want a whole page to keep track of what I am working on. When I had my discbound planner I made daily goal sheet printable pages. They were too big for this planner so I shrunk it down and cut it to size. On the goal sheet I keep track of my prayer/inspiration of the day and my act of love to put it into practice, my “must do’s”, household goals, who I need to contact and if I am really ambitious, I’ll also track my food and exercise. I don’t use this on the days I am hardly home but I love it for the days when I have longer stretches at home. You can buy Erin Condren coil tabs to add sheets like this to your planner but I just used a bit of washi tape and stuck it to the plastic book mark.

If you’d like to print out a copy for yourself, you can find the full size Daily Goal Sheet in this post here. The roughly 6.5 x 8.5 sized Daily Goal Sheet (as pictured) can be printed from here. (I added the blue lines to know where to cut the paper.)

Other featured of the planner – Along with pretty inspirational quote pages, there are lined pages for notes and blank pages for drawing or scribbles.

A Look Ahead calendar.

Stickers – both pre-labeled and blank. (To be honest with you, I forgot about these until I was doing this post. I’ll have to put them to use next month.)

There is a pocket for papers and zipped pouch. I keep the free labels they sent with my order in there. (Not pictured is a pull out perpetual calendar to keep the dates of birthdays and dates to remember.)

As an extra, I purchased a pen loop and a separate tablet that sticks to the back of the planner. I use these for notes at room mom meetings and such.

For Christmas the kids got me a EC planner pouch. I love it since I am always throwing the planner in my purse or a tote bag or a diaper bag. Technically, we are out of diapers but I still need a big bag for changes of undies, snacks and random Legos and Star Wars figures. The pouch keeps the pages from getting smashed or smeared with jelly hands.

Along with my planner I am still using my traveling office. 🙂

I’ve been using the Erin Condren planner since August and so far it has worked really well for me. You can take a look at the planners that are offered and see if one suits you. The most important thing is to find a planner that you like and that you will use. Whether it is an EC planner or a 99 cent notebook from Target. Find something that inspires you, matches your current needs and is in your budget. Then have fun planning (and doing!) 😉

What about you? Do you use a planner? What kind? Do tell!

NOTE: These items were purchase by me and I received no compensation. However, if you order anything from this link – bit.ly/ec_referral_rol, I will get a small compensation and you will get $10 off your first order! Yay! 🙂

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, Pinterest, GoodReads or Instagram. 😉

PPS – This post contains affiliate links.

Revolution of Love

Do small things with great love.

Tag Archives: planners

How I Use My Bullet Journal – Spring 2016 Update

Opening Overview

Monthly Section

Future Planning

How I Use My Bullet Journal

UPDATE – My new bullet journal post is here: How I Use My Bullet Journal – Spring 2016 Update

How to Choose the Right Planner

Size

Budget

Page Access

Page Layout

Design

Room for Creativity

Specialty Planners: Catholic

Specialty Planners: Goal Orientated

My Last Tip – Be Realistic!

Pinterest Party & Link-up (vol 40): Planner Edition – A Look at My (Erin Condren) Planner

Favorite Planner Tools

Erasable Markers

Planning Tote

Oldies but Goodies

Other Planner Option

A Look at My 2015 (Erin Condren) Planner