It's already here! My 2011-2012 Extra Large 18 month Moleskine weekly notebook

Ever since I ordered this planner yesterday from The Paperie UK I've been thinking about it nearly incessantly a lot. I expected it would arrive early next week.  Imagine my delight when it arrived TODAY!  I just ordered it yesterday!  And the shipping was free!!!

Please excuse my less-than-perfect photos taken hastily in my windowsill in my excitement about posting this as soon as possible. You can click on the photos for a larger view.

Look!  It really is the 2011-2012 planner! You guys, I have a planner that goes ALL the way through the end of next year! And it's only just March! (Yes I realize my level of excitement about this is sick.)

Once I got done hyperventilating, I ripped off the wrapper to inspect the monthly calendar situation.  You see, in my excitement last night I was surfing Moleskine websites and looked at MolekineUS to see if their 2011-2012 18 month planners are in yet.  They weren't, but they are listed as "coming soon."  (***Update: the 18 month planners are now available for purchase on MoleskineUS, click here for the product page.)   But I noticed, with alarm, they have noted: "Also included is a monthly view for the year, in column format on a 6 page spread."  Noooooo! I tried not to panic thinking my beloved months with days as squares were gone after only one publication year.

But I am extremely happy and relieved to report that the monthly calendars with days as squares are there!  Whew!

**Edited to add: I especially like the spaces at the top and bottom of the monthly calendars. In the top space I write things that are due that month, like if someone is due for a vaccine booster or if my insurance is due for renewal.  In the bottom "Notes" space I write goals or projects for the month, progress toward them, and anything else specific to that month.  Click on the photo below for a larger view.

In the Extra Large page size, the monthly calendars are especially wonderful.  You can see in the photo below that each daily square is more than an inch wide, which gives lots of space to write in each day:

(Yes my ruler is purple. What other color would it be? :) )

In the past I've abandoned the Large size weekly notebook because the day spaces are too small for my needs. I really don't think this will be a problem in this Extra Large size planner!  The day spaces are about 7 1/2 inches wide, and nearly 1 1/2 inch tall:

And I love that entire right page for lists, notes, reminders, quotes, party guest lists, whatever!

The Moleskine 18 month weekly notebook has all the international info pages that come standard in Moleskine planners including dialing codes etc.:

Something that the 18 month planners have that the 12 month planners don't are Timetable pages, of which there are two 2-page spreads like this:

This timetable is extremely handy even for those of us who are not in school ourselves. I will use it to keep track of the busy schedules of each of my family members. There's a 2-page spread each for the fall and spring semesters, so I can stay on top of who needs to be where for after-school activities.

The Extra-Large weekly notebook only comes in the soft cover, which is too bad because I prefer the hard cover. Oh well. There is a back pocket, but it doesn't have an address or reference booklet. It does contain 3 pages of handy color-coded stickers:

My biggest complaint about Moleskine planners is that I don't like black covers. I find them boring, and a little depressing.  Of course I would prefer purple.  Then I had a sudden realization: my faux leather Dodo Pad diary cover in iridescent lilac is the same size as the Extra Large Moleskine!!!!!!

But then I discovered to my extreme frustration that the Moleskine was just a tiiiiny bit too tall to fit into the cover.  So I had to butcher the cover just a little bit by ripping out the top seams of the inside flaps:

The result is that the Extra Large Moleskine fits in beautifully!  I even have easy access to the Mole's back pocket:

And I get to look at the beautiful lilac color around the edges of my weekly pages every day!  Not to mention I get to handle the softness of the cover all the time. 

Enormous planner + cover combo Win!!!

So now I have a Moleskine planner that will carry me through all of next year, in a gorgeous and soft purple cover.  You guys!!  I may have reached Planner Nirvana with this!!!