I love to try new and interesting planners, and I get a thrill when I get to check out one I've never seen before. But I also like the comfort of my trusted favorites I've used for years, and those tend to be the ones I go back to after my forays into new and uncharted planner territory.
Are you using a new planner format or brand this year? Or are you content with an old favorite?
And as always on Fridays, feel free to discuss anything planner related!
Friday, January 31, 2014
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Moleskine Spring 2014 catalog: reduced planners selection for 2015
After months of stalking the internet looking for the Moleskine Spring 2014 catalog, I finally found it! Here it is: http://www.raincoast.com/images/uploads/catalogues/s14-moleskine.pdf
I noticed there is a trend of reducing their planners selection. Last year they did away with the A4 size daily and weekly planners. For 2015 they have further reduced their planners selection, with some surprising eliminations. I wondered when the bubble of their seemingly endless expansion of planner selection would burst. For several years in a row their planners line grew more and more prolific. Looks like they are reeling it in now.
For 2015 they have eliminated all of the Passions Planners, which I am not sad about. I reviewed the 2013 Passions Family Planner and found it over-formatted and the layout cluttery. I was surprised Moleskine went in that direction, because they formerly were about no formatting so you could use the flexible layouts any way you want. The Passions Planners seemed very prescribed. The Dashboard planner has a similar weekly layout but less formatting so it's more flexible to use.
But I am sad to see the colored Extra Small planners have disappeared. I reviewed these cute little planners back when they came out, and I've always thought they were great but overpriced, which is probably what did them in. 10 GBP seems like a high price for such a tiny planner. They are still available for 2015, but only in red or black.
The limited edition planners are Peanuts (again) the Little Prince (again) Star Wars (again) and new Minnie and Mickey Mouse planners. Come on Moleskine, are we five years old? I understand they are trying to drive down the average age of their users, but I would really like to see themed planners for grownups. I loved the first edition Star Wars 2013 planners (which I reviewed here) but ever since then the Star Wars designs for the 18 month planners have been too juvenile, and for 2015 even the 12 month designs are too kid-oriented with comic-book like images. Too bad, because I love Star Wars.
I am happy to see the colored cover planners are still available in large and pocket, daily and horizontal weekly. The Turntable planners (which I reviewed here) are back for their second year. And there is a new planner, the Slimline Panoramic which is a great addition to the lineup.
Even though they are reducing their planners lineup, Moleskine is expanding their notebooks lineup. I have already pre-ordered from Amazon the Orchid color soft-cover notebook. I ordered Plain pages, but these are also available Dotted which is a first for Moleskine. These soft covers are also available in Underwater Blue which is another great color, and Khaki Beige for an understated look.
Also the Simpsons notebooks are already available, and the Mickie/ Minnie Mouse notebooks are out soon if not already. There's also a new Square size notebook which looks interesting.
Check out pg 103 of the catalog which has a paper weights chart stating the paper weight of their normal notebooks is 70 gsm. They also have notebooks with heavier weight paper indicated for fountain pen use, although I haven't tried any of them.
Their line of non-paper products is expanding too, and I have to admit I like the look of the new wallets!
Exciting new stuff from Moleskine as always, although I am sad to see their planner selection dwindling. I hope they don't end up with only daily and horizontal weekly layouts like 99% of the planner brands on the planet.
What are you liking from the new Moleskine lineup?
I noticed there is a trend of reducing their planners selection. Last year they did away with the A4 size daily and weekly planners. For 2015 they have further reduced their planners selection, with some surprising eliminations. I wondered when the bubble of their seemingly endless expansion of planner selection would burst. For several years in a row their planners line grew more and more prolific. Looks like they are reeling it in now.
For 2015 they have eliminated all of the Passions Planners, which I am not sad about. I reviewed the 2013 Passions Family Planner and found it over-formatted and the layout cluttery. I was surprised Moleskine went in that direction, because they formerly were about no formatting so you could use the flexible layouts any way you want. The Passions Planners seemed very prescribed. The Dashboard planner has a similar weekly layout but less formatting so it's more flexible to use.
But I am sad to see the colored Extra Small planners have disappeared. I reviewed these cute little planners back when they came out, and I've always thought they were great but overpriced, which is probably what did them in. 10 GBP seems like a high price for such a tiny planner. They are still available for 2015, but only in red or black.
The limited edition planners are Peanuts (again) the Little Prince (again) Star Wars (again) and new Minnie and Mickey Mouse planners. Come on Moleskine, are we five years old? I understand they are trying to drive down the average age of their users, but I would really like to see themed planners for grownups. I loved the first edition Star Wars 2013 planners (which I reviewed here) but ever since then the Star Wars designs for the 18 month planners have been too juvenile, and for 2015 even the 12 month designs are too kid-oriented with comic-book like images. Too bad, because I love Star Wars.
I am happy to see the colored cover planners are still available in large and pocket, daily and horizontal weekly. The Turntable planners (which I reviewed here) are back for their second year. And there is a new planner, the Slimline Panoramic which is a great addition to the lineup.
Even though they are reducing their planners lineup, Moleskine is expanding their notebooks lineup. I have already pre-ordered from Amazon the Orchid color soft-cover notebook. I ordered Plain pages, but these are also available Dotted which is a first for Moleskine. These soft covers are also available in Underwater Blue which is another great color, and Khaki Beige for an understated look.
Also the Simpsons notebooks are already available, and the Mickie/ Minnie Mouse notebooks are out soon if not already. There's also a new Square size notebook which looks interesting.
Check out pg 103 of the catalog which has a paper weights chart stating the paper weight of their normal notebooks is 70 gsm. They also have notebooks with heavier weight paper indicated for fountain pen use, although I haven't tried any of them.
Their line of non-paper products is expanding too, and I have to admit I like the look of the new wallets!
Exciting new stuff from Moleskine as always, although I am sad to see their planner selection dwindling. I hope they don't end up with only daily and horizontal weekly layouts like 99% of the planner brands on the planet.
What are you liking from the new Moleskine lineup?
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Bound planner work-arounds series: Monthly calendars booklet
In my new series on bound-planner work-arounds (as suggested by Mstraat in in the last Free For All Friday) I'll be showing you ways to add features to your bound planner.
In this post I'll show you how to make a monthly calendar booklet to add to your planner, notebook or Bullet Journal. This is especially good for people who go through more than one notebook per year, so you can plan your whole year in the one booklet and move it from notebook to notebook.
You can put this booklet in the back pocket of your planner/ notebook, or if your book doesn't have a pocket you can add an Insta-pocket (which I reviewed here).
To make this booklet I used an address booklet that came in the back pocket of a large Moleskine planner. I chose this booklet because it is very slim. You could also use a Quo Vadis booklet or similar slim notebook.
To start each month on two pages, I made 5 rows of 6 lines each.
Then I drew vertical lines:
I kept the vertical line measurements within the edges taking into account the cut-out areas for the tabs. That made each column 2.75 cm wide.
Below you can see the A-Z tabs:
Here is January filled in:
I cut sticky flags and used them on the A-Z tabs to color code and label the months to find the month I'm looking for easily. Also here you can see the first page and inside cover are available to use for anything you want to reference quickly like goals or emergency information.
There were just enough pages for 12 months of monthly calendars plus a two-page spread for the future year:
The back page is available for any information you want to keep all year, like your contacts backup:
Below you can see how slim the booklet is in the back of my large Moleskine:
Several months ago I made a similar monthly calendars booklet by printing out month pages and taping them into the booklet, but I didn't like that as well because the taped-in pages added a lot of bulk to the booklet.
What's great about making your own monthly booklets is you can make them start any time, so the months can go January-December, on the academic year, starting at the beginning of a project timeline, etc.
You can draw your months any way you like: month on two pages like I've drawn here, month on one page with the opposite page open for lists and notes, or the simpler monthly index like the Bullet Journal style.
When you move this booklet from notebook to notebook, it lets you plan the whole year at a time and also serves as a quick reference of your entire year so you don't have to dig out your old notebook from earlier in the year to check a previous date. I'm using this monthly booklet as my daily index in my notebook.
Look for more bound planner work-around posts soon!
In this post I'll show you how to make a monthly calendar booklet to add to your planner, notebook or Bullet Journal. This is especially good for people who go through more than one notebook per year, so you can plan your whole year in the one booklet and move it from notebook to notebook.
You can put this booklet in the back pocket of your planner/ notebook, or if your book doesn't have a pocket you can add an Insta-pocket (which I reviewed here).
To make this booklet I used an address booklet that came in the back pocket of a large Moleskine planner. I chose this booklet because it is very slim. You could also use a Quo Vadis booklet or similar slim notebook.
To start each month on two pages, I made 5 rows of 6 lines each.
Then I drew vertical lines:
I kept the vertical line measurements within the edges taking into account the cut-out areas for the tabs. That made each column 2.75 cm wide.
I cut sticky flags and used them on the A-Z tabs to color code and label the months to find the month I'm looking for easily. Also here you can see the first page and inside cover are available to use for anything you want to reference quickly like goals or emergency information.
There were just enough pages for 12 months of monthly calendars plus a two-page spread for the future year:
The back page is available for any information you want to keep all year, like your contacts backup:
Below you can see how slim the booklet is in the back of my large Moleskine:
Several months ago I made a similar monthly calendars booklet by printing out month pages and taping them into the booklet, but I didn't like that as well because the taped-in pages added a lot of bulk to the booklet.
What's great about making your own monthly booklets is you can make them start any time, so the months can go January-December, on the academic year, starting at the beginning of a project timeline, etc.
You can draw your months any way you like: month on two pages like I've drawn here, month on one page with the opposite page open for lists and notes, or the simpler monthly index like the Bullet Journal style.
When you move this booklet from notebook to notebook, it lets you plan the whole year at a time and also serves as a quick reference of your entire year so you don't have to dig out your old notebook from earlier in the year to check a previous date. I'm using this monthly booklet as my daily index in my notebook.
Look for more bound planner work-around posts soon!
Monday, January 27, 2014
Worldwide Giveaway! Gallery Leather Monthly planner and Quo Vadis Textagenda Daily planner!
This giveaway is closed. Check the post on Feb 3, 2014 to see who won!
Huge thanks to Mstraat for this giveaway! She is giving away a brand new and unused 2014 Gallery Leather monthly planner, and an academic-year 2013-2014 Textagenda daily planner.
I have used Textagendas for years, so I can tell you all about that one in a minute. I don't have any experience with Gallery Leather planners. Here is what Mstraat has to say about this one:
The Gallery Leather monthly planner is 7.5 x 9.75 inches and 3/8 an inch thick, so actually quite portable. Inside it has: yearly overviews for 2014, then 2013 and 2015; two-page monthly spreads for July 2013 through December 2014 with grid squares 1.5 x 1.75 inches; info pages including US time zone map, ribbon marker, then US area codes, international dialing info, and toll free number & website listings; 21 note pages (42 sides); and a listing of US holidays and space for birthdays and other events. The last page is for personal info. I didn’t test the paper but it seems fairly heavy and is just slightly off-white. The printing is a dark grey color.
Here are some photos of the Gallery Leather monthly planner:
She didn't send photos of the Textagenda because I have several of them myself (which you can see in this post here). Here are some photos of the inside pages. Note the cover shown in these photos is my cover, not the cover included with the Textagenda to be given away. That cover is dark blue, which you can see in the top photo.
Here's how to win:
1. This giveaway is open to everyone worldwide!
2. To enter, please leave a comment here on this post. Your comment is your entry. Only one entry per person. In your comment, please say which planner you are entering to win, or both planners.
3. Entries will close at 6pm UK time Sunday February 2, 2014. Any entries submitted after that time will not be counted.
4. The winners will be determined via Random.org.
5. The winners will be announced here on Plannerisms Monday February 3, 2014.
6. The winners must email me with your mailing address by Friday February 7, 2014. If I have not received an email from the winners by that time, a new winner will be chosen. So be sure to check back on Friday the 31st to see if you won!
Good luck everyone!
Huge thanks to Mstraat for this giveaway! She is giving away a brand new and unused 2014 Gallery Leather monthly planner, and an academic-year 2013-2014 Textagenda daily planner.
 |
| Gallery Leather Monthly and Textagenda Daily Planners |
The Gallery Leather monthly planner is 7.5 x 9.75 inches and 3/8 an inch thick, so actually quite portable. Inside it has: yearly overviews for 2014, then 2013 and 2015; two-page monthly spreads for July 2013 through December 2014 with grid squares 1.5 x 1.75 inches; info pages including US time zone map, ribbon marker, then US area codes, international dialing info, and toll free number & website listings; 21 note pages (42 sides); and a listing of US holidays and space for birthdays and other events. The last page is for personal info. I didn’t test the paper but it seems fairly heavy and is just slightly off-white. The printing is a dark grey color.
Here are some photos of the Gallery Leather monthly planner:
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| Gallery Leather: monthly layout |
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| Gallery Leather: holidays and birthdays |
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| Gallery Leather: US time zones map |
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| Gallery Leather: notes pages |
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| Gallery Leather: reference calendars |
She didn't send photos of the Textagenda because I have several of them myself (which you can see in this post here). Here are some photos of the inside pages. Note the cover shown in these photos is my cover, not the cover included with the Textagenda to be given away. That cover is dark blue, which you can see in the top photo.
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| Textagenda: daily layout |
 |
| Textagenda: anno-planner |
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| Textagenda: timetable |
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| Textagenda: reference calendars |
Here's how to win:
1. This giveaway is open to everyone worldwide!
2. To enter, please leave a comment here on this post. Your comment is your entry. Only one entry per person. In your comment, please say which planner you are entering to win, or both planners.
3. Entries will close at 6pm UK time Sunday February 2, 2014. Any entries submitted after that time will not be counted.
4. The winners will be determined via Random.org.
5. The winners will be announced here on Plannerisms Monday February 3, 2014.
6. The winners must email me with your mailing address by Friday February 7, 2014. If I have not received an email from the winners by that time, a new winner will be chosen. So be sure to check back on Friday the 31st to see if you won!
Good luck everyone!
Friday, January 24, 2014
Free For All Friday No. 20: What would you like to see more of here on Plannerisms?
Today I want to check in with you, dear readers, and ask: what would you like to see more of on Plannerisms?
Would you like to see more how-to-use-planners posts? Would you like to see more reviews? (Keep in mind I buy my own planners most of the time, so my reviews are limited by my budget.) Are you liking these weekly forums? Is there something else you would like to see?
Thanks for your input! I want to make Plannerisms relevant and interesting, and a place where you enjoy visiting often.
As always on Fridays, feel free to discuss/ ask anything planner-related!
Would you like to see more how-to-use-planners posts? Would you like to see more reviews? (Keep in mind I buy my own planners most of the time, so my reviews are limited by my budget.) Are you liking these weekly forums? Is there something else you would like to see?
Thanks for your input! I want to make Plannerisms relevant and interesting, and a place where you enjoy visiting often.
As always on Fridays, feel free to discuss/ ask anything planner-related!
Thursday, January 23, 2014
New Plannerisms Planners Facebook page!
Hi everyone, I have just created a new Page on Facebook for Plannerisms Planners! Please Like it to get all the official Plannerisms news. Just search Plannerisms Planners on Facebook, and Like. See you there!
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
The Success Choice new covers: Felt and Caramel Leather
The Success Choice has some gorgeous new covers in: Limited Edition Felt, and new Leather covers!
This is the new felt cover in Red:
The felt is wool, and feels so nice in my hands. It is also very lightweight.
It has an elastic strap closure, and inside you can see there is a placemarker and elastic pen loop.
This is the Caramel leather cover. These come with the tab closure shown here, or now with an elastic strap closure.
The rustic leather looks and feels great, and has that nice leather smell!
Inside you can see the leather covers have pockets for cards and a checkbook, as well as the placemarker and pen loop. You might remember my review of the brushed leather cover I did a couple of years ago with the same features.
Here you can see the color comparison between the Caramel leather and the Chocolate leather. (This is the Success Choice binder I reviewed here.
The felt and leather covers are designed to fit the Women's Success Choice planner and/ or the Choosing Joy in the Journal Journal (which I reviewed here). Below you can see how both can fit into the cover at the same time.
You can order these beautiful covers, and all Success Choice products, at www.successchoice.com. Don't forget, Plannerisms readers get 15% off their total order! Just enter the code plannerisms12 at checkout.
This is the new felt cover in Red:
It has an elastic strap closure, and inside you can see there is a placemarker and elastic pen loop.
This is the Caramel leather cover. These come with the tab closure shown here, or now with an elastic strap closure.
Inside you can see the leather covers have pockets for cards and a checkbook, as well as the placemarker and pen loop. You might remember my review of the brushed leather cover I did a couple of years ago with the same features.
Here you can see the color comparison between the Caramel leather and the Chocolate leather. (This is the Success Choice binder I reviewed here.
The felt and leather covers are designed to fit the Women's Success Choice planner and/ or the Choosing Joy in the Journal Journal (which I reviewed here). Below you can see how both can fit into the cover at the same time.
You can order these beautiful covers, and all Success Choice products, at www.successchoice.com. Don't forget, Plannerisms readers get 15% off their total order! Just enter the code plannerisms12 at checkout.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Choosing Joy in the Journey Journal from The Success Choice
This is a wonderful new product from The Success Choice: The Choosing Joy in the Journey Journal!
This new journal is a wonderful addition to the Success Choice lineup. It can be used along with the Women's Success Choice Planners, or alone.
The journal has 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 inch pages and is very light (only 209 g!) so it's easy to carry with you everywhere to capture thoughts and ideas wherever you are. The thick paper can be used with any inks, is acid-free and archival. There are 136 numbered pages, the last three of which are a categorized index (which I will show you in a minute).
The journal is full of tips, quotes and ideas. Inside the front cover is advice on using your journal. (Click on photos for larger views.)
There are several pages, which I will not show, of journaling prompts with monthly themes. These monthly themes are the same as the corresponding months in the Women's Success Planners. The theme of the 2014 planners is Be. Each month has a different topic, for example January's is Be Present. The journal has several journaling prompts for Be Present such as, "How can I be more fully engaged in my interactions with others?" and "What distracts me from being fully present?"
Other journal-prompt topics are Be Organized and Be Self-Reliant. You can use these topics to prompt your journaling, if you like. Or they can be just something to think about. You can work through all 12 topics and their prompts, or choose whichever ones relate to you at the time.
After the journal prompts pages come the journaling pages. On every two-page spread, the left page is blank and the right page is lined. This allows you to use the pages in many different ways: adding in photos, sketching, art journaling, etc.
At the bottom of each right-hand page is an inspiring quote. Also here you can see the pages are numbered.
Here is something that makes this book especially useful: at the back are three pages of categorized index so you can easily find things in the book. The first two pages have designated categories like Plans and Events:
On the last page the categories are blank so you can customize it yourself.
The pre-numbered pages and index in the back would make this book especially useful as a Bullet Journal or other daily-record type book.
On the back cover there are more ideas for ways to use your journal:
The journal is designed to fit into the Success Choice leather covers and felt covers, which are roomy enough to fit the journal in along with the Women's Success Planner. I will show the new covers in my next post. Or it can be used without a cover. The laminated card covers would hold up well even in your bag.
(I apologize these photos are not great, I took them quickly in a brief moment of sunshine! The book actually looks much nicer than my photos show.)
I ordered this journal for myself and I also bought one for my mom, and she loves it! This would be an excellent journal or everyday book for anyone.
You can find the Choosing Joy in the Journey Journal and all the Success Choice products at www.successchoice.com. Don't forget, Plannerisms readers get 15% off their total order! Just enter the code plannerisms12 at checkout.
The journal has 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 inch pages and is very light (only 209 g!) so it's easy to carry with you everywhere to capture thoughts and ideas wherever you are. The thick paper can be used with any inks, is acid-free and archival. There are 136 numbered pages, the last three of which are a categorized index (which I will show you in a minute).
The journal is full of tips, quotes and ideas. Inside the front cover is advice on using your journal. (Click on photos for larger views.)
Other journal-prompt topics are Be Organized and Be Self-Reliant. You can use these topics to prompt your journaling, if you like. Or they can be just something to think about. You can work through all 12 topics and their prompts, or choose whichever ones relate to you at the time.
Here is something that makes this book especially useful: at the back are three pages of categorized index so you can easily find things in the book. The first two pages have designated categories like Plans and Events:
On the back cover there are more ideas for ways to use your journal:
The journal is designed to fit into the Success Choice leather covers and felt covers, which are roomy enough to fit the journal in along with the Women's Success Planner. I will show the new covers in my next post. Or it can be used without a cover. The laminated card covers would hold up well even in your bag.
(I apologize these photos are not great, I took them quickly in a brief moment of sunshine! The book actually looks much nicer than my photos show.)
I ordered this journal for myself and I also bought one for my mom, and she loves it! This would be an excellent journal or everyday book for anyone.
You can find the Choosing Joy in the Journey Journal and all the Success Choice products at www.successchoice.com. Don't forget, Plannerisms readers get 15% off their total order! Just enter the code plannerisms12 at checkout.
Friday, January 17, 2014
Free For All Friday No. 19: Annual cyclicity
Now that we've lived here for about a year and a half, holidays and events are repeating and I'm finally starting to figure out how things are done here. This is the first place we've lived where people really "do" holidays, and now as I come around to each one again I remember what happened last year and what I need to do this year to prepare.
This year Christmas kind of crept up on me. It all came crashing down on me in the last two weeks when I realized I needed to order gifts online (and had to pay extra for expedited shipping because I waited too long), buy cards and gifts for teachers (oh yeah and wrapping/ gift bags for those gifts), cards for each kids' class (students give cards to all their classmates here), etc etc etc. Plus I was busy with home and Plannerisms things too. In the end I was so rushed and stressed I ended up with the flu for Christmas. Bah humbug!
So I'm determined that's not going to happen to me again. Tuesday (the 14th) I realized that Valentine's Day is just a month away, and I remembered from last year that the kids give all their classmates little cards. So I wrote in my planner the first week of February to take my kids to the card shop so they can choose cards for their classes.
This morning I realized that Easter is on its way soon (as if the plethora of Easter candy in the stores hadn't clued me in to that) and I need to write my plans in my planner well in advance so I'm not rushing at the last minute again.
And I'm already writing things to do for Christmas this year in the weekly pages of my planner, so I can have those cards and gifts ready early! No more last minute crunch for me!
I'm doing similar things for my kids' birthdays too: writing weeks ahead to book a venue, buy cake ingredients, etc.
I'm thinking of a way to move this information from year to year so I don't have to come up with it each year. I think I'll put countdown activities (things to do when there's 3 weeks to go, 2 weeks to go, 1 week to go) for each holiday/ birthday/ event on sticky notes in my monthly planner pages (on the pages between the months) and move them year to year so that as each month comes along I know exactly what I need to do to prepare!
Do you keep track of what you need to do each year for holidays and events that recur annually? How do you keep track?
And as always on Fridays, feel free to discuss/ ask anything planner related!
This year Christmas kind of crept up on me. It all came crashing down on me in the last two weeks when I realized I needed to order gifts online (and had to pay extra for expedited shipping because I waited too long), buy cards and gifts for teachers (oh yeah and wrapping/ gift bags for those gifts), cards for each kids' class (students give cards to all their classmates here), etc etc etc. Plus I was busy with home and Plannerisms things too. In the end I was so rushed and stressed I ended up with the flu for Christmas. Bah humbug!
So I'm determined that's not going to happen to me again. Tuesday (the 14th) I realized that Valentine's Day is just a month away, and I remembered from last year that the kids give all their classmates little cards. So I wrote in my planner the first week of February to take my kids to the card shop so they can choose cards for their classes.
This morning I realized that Easter is on its way soon (as if the plethora of Easter candy in the stores hadn't clued me in to that) and I need to write my plans in my planner well in advance so I'm not rushing at the last minute again.
And I'm already writing things to do for Christmas this year in the weekly pages of my planner, so I can have those cards and gifts ready early! No more last minute crunch for me!
I'm doing similar things for my kids' birthdays too: writing weeks ahead to book a venue, buy cake ingredients, etc.
I'm thinking of a way to move this information from year to year so I don't have to come up with it each year. I think I'll put countdown activities (things to do when there's 3 weeks to go, 2 weeks to go, 1 week to go) for each holiday/ birthday/ event on sticky notes in my monthly planner pages (on the pages between the months) and move them year to year so that as each month comes along I know exactly what I need to do to prepare!
Do you keep track of what you need to do each year for holidays and events that recur annually? How do you keep track?
And as always on Fridays, feel free to discuss/ ask anything planner related!
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Guest post: Review of the X47 DUO4 wallet.
Many thanks to Graham for this guest post detailing his experience with the X47 DUO4 wallet, which looks like a great way to combine your planner and wallet into one grab-and-go organzer!
For me, a truly practical combination of a wallet and an organiser is the Holy Grail.
In the past, it has been organisers which have attempted to make themselves money friendly, with pockets for plastic cards and notes and zipped sections for coins. These additions have always felt like an afterthought, and I’ve never found them practical. One could never get to one’s money easily and efficiently, unattached papers would fall out and the whole process became a trial. The addition of cards and coins would make the organiser lumpy, making it less easy to write on. All in all, not a good marriage.
So what about trying to make a wallet into an organiser? Enter X47’s Duo4. The Duo4 has been carefully designed to make a success of the wallet/organiser combination.
It is slightly larger than a Filofax mini and has been cleverly designed to pack in features without wasting space. Plastic cards are stored in layers instead of overlapping each other, and, together with the high quality of the coin pocket, the Duo4 gets fatter as it fills but doesn’t bulge or get lumpy, which makes writing in the diary and notebook much easier than I had expected.
There are no rings – an insert (about the size of those used in the Filofax mini format) fits neatly onto a steel spine, which makes using both sides of the pages very easy; and a pen (a Filofax mini pen fits perfectly) fits inside the unit and folds neatly around the insert, again making optimal use of the space. You can get a good idea of how the Duo4 has been designed by watching this video – it’s in German, but is also very instructive even if you don’t understand the audio.
For me, a truly practical combination of a wallet and an organiser is the Holy Grail.
In the past, it has been organisers which have attempted to make themselves money friendly, with pockets for plastic cards and notes and zipped sections for coins. These additions have always felt like an afterthought, and I’ve never found them practical. One could never get to one’s money easily and efficiently, unattached papers would fall out and the whole process became a trial. The addition of cards and coins would make the organiser lumpy, making it less easy to write on. All in all, not a good marriage.
So what about trying to make a wallet into an organiser? Enter X47’s Duo4. The Duo4 has been carefully designed to make a success of the wallet/organiser combination.
 |
| Compact Finsbury, the X47 Duo4, Mini Finchley |
There are no rings – an insert (about the size of those used in the Filofax mini format) fits neatly onto a steel spine, which makes using both sides of the pages very easy; and a pen (a Filofax mini pen fits perfectly) fits inside the unit and folds neatly around the insert, again making optimal use of the space. You can get a good idea of how the Duo4 has been designed by watching this video – it’s in German, but is also very instructive even if you don’t understand the audio.
As a wallet I have no complaints about the Duo4, except that I would be nervous about carrying it in my back pocket for fear of bending the steel spines on which the inserts sit. Where the compromises have been made it’s been in the organiser, where the space saving theme is continued. The paper in the inserts is thin and the week on two pages diary split into two inserts each of 6 months. The amount of space to write for each day is limited – it could never replace the desk diary of a busy professional. I manage my to-dos on a computer so my inserts don’t include a section for those – if they did the amount of diary space for appointments would be reduced even more. To save space the month is written only as a number and public holiday names are, somewhat annoyingly, written in a page’s top margin rather than on the day itself. Also, when being used on the go, the organiser really needs to be placed on a surface as it would be very awkward to use it while held in the hand.
I’m a great believer in customer service, but this was an area where I felt very let down by X47. Of the questions I sent before purchase, one was never answered and the others given a somewhat curt gruff response after 24 hours. This may be a language issue – X47 is a German company and haven’t fully or successfully embraced their international customers as yet – but when a product costs over EUR 200 queries should be answered quick sharp and in full. No excuses.
These points aside, this is definitely the best wallet/organiser combination I’ve come across so far.
I’m a great believer in customer service, but this was an area where I felt very let down by X47. Of the questions I sent before purchase, one was never answered and the others given a somewhat curt gruff response after 24 hours. This may be a language issue – X47 is a German company and haven’t fully or successfully embraced their international customers as yet – but when a product costs over EUR 200 queries should be answered quick sharp and in full. No excuses.
These points aside, this is definitely the best wallet/organiser combination I’ve come across so far.
Graham Rhind, http://www.grcdi.nl/author.htm
Monday, January 13, 2014
Ask Plannerisms: large weekly planner with days separated into schedule and to-dos?
A reader recently emailed me asking if I know of a large weekly planner where the days are divided into separate spaces for schedule and tasks. Kind of like this Sarah Pinto one, only larger.
It seems like I have seen something like this, but can't think of where in my endless online browsing I saw it. In an academic planner maybe? Has anyone seen a planner like this?
Meanwhile I suggested they could always get a large horizontal weekly planner (like this Blue Sky one) and divide the days themselves. Alternatively, if they wanted a daily version, the Franklin Covey daily planners have separate columns for schedule and tasks every day.
If anyone can think of a large (larger than 5 x 7 inches) weekly planner with the days divided into schedule and tasks, please leave a comment! Thanks everyone!
It seems like I have seen something like this, but can't think of where in my endless online browsing I saw it. In an academic planner maybe? Has anyone seen a planner like this?
Meanwhile I suggested they could always get a large horizontal weekly planner (like this Blue Sky one) and divide the days themselves. Alternatively, if they wanted a daily version, the Franklin Covey daily planners have separate columns for schedule and tasks every day.
If anyone can think of a large (larger than 5 x 7 inches) weekly planner with the days divided into schedule and tasks, please leave a comment! Thanks everyone!
Friday, January 10, 2014
Free For All Friday No. 18: One week into 2014, how's your planner working for you?
Now that we are more than a week into 2014 and at the end of the first full workweek, you have an idea of how well your planner is working for you. What's the verdict? Is it working well? Does it need some tweaking? Or have you realized it's not working well at all and needs replacing?
And as always on Fridays, feel free to discuss/ ask anything planner related!
And as always on Fridays, feel free to discuss/ ask anything planner related!
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
How I use the Monthly Goals pages in my Plannerisms planner
On several of the reviews of the Plannerisms planners, people have commented on the two pages between each month asking, surely nobody expects me to have this many goals each month?
And no, you're right, the purpose of those pages is not to fill them with goals. It's to track your goals, and do your mid-month and monthly reviews (if you do them).
Tracking and evaluating your goals are the most important, and most frequently neglected, steps in reaching your goals. Without tracking the data and evaluating your progress, how will you know if you are reaching your goals or not? The monthly Goals pages give you space to do this, so you can track your progress all year. I give some specific usage tips and ideas in my post on how to use the Goals pages in the Plannerisms planner.
This doesn't have to be as hard-core or disciplined as it sounds. To give you some examples, here is how I use the monthly Goals pages in my Plannerisms planner:
One of my goals last year was to get on a cleaning schedule at home. So on the right page of my monthly Goals pages I made a kind of chart of what needed to be done each week, every two weeks, and every month.
Then I designated a week (shown by a circle) when I needed to do each task. Every-two-weeks and monthly tasks had a circle on the week when I needed to do them, to avoid piling up too many of these tasks on any particular week. Or if I had an especially busy week that month, I made sure not to schedule extra tasks during that week. This served three purposes: I saw when each task needed to be done; I had a record of when I actually did each task; and I could easily see when I procrastinated tasks (shown by arrowing-over to another week). You can see I procrastinated a fair amount, and failed to record often. Work in progress.
Another ongoing goal I have is to save money. Part of that is tracking finances. I keep a list of regular monthly expenses in the booklet in the back pocket of my Plannerisms. But extra or unexpected expenses get written in the bottom left quadrant of my monthly Goals pages. This includes payments for my kids' dance and music lessons (which only occur every three months, and on different schedules), when we fill our heating oil tank, electrician or plumber bills, etc.
Another purpose of these monthly Goals pages can be to schedule household maintenance tasks like replacing furnace or air conditioner filters, checking/ replacing CO2 and smoke alarm batteries, and other regular household tasks that need to be done annually or on an otherwise irregular schedule. This will keep you on top of these without too much time passing (with potentially dangerous consequences). It will also give you a record of when you last changed the batteries or whatever so you know when they need done again.
Other potential goals tracking for these pages: blood pressure/ sugar levels, miles run, weight/ body measurements, credit card/ debts payments, and anything else you need to keep track of. It's a handy landing place and great way to reference your progress.
So in a way, the monthly goals pages are mislabeled. It should say Goals Tracking, but that would look cluttery on the page so I left it at Goals.
I hope that helps answer questions about the purpose of the monthly goals pages!
And no, you're right, the purpose of those pages is not to fill them with goals. It's to track your goals, and do your mid-month and monthly reviews (if you do them).
Tracking and evaluating your goals are the most important, and most frequently neglected, steps in reaching your goals. Without tracking the data and evaluating your progress, how will you know if you are reaching your goals or not? The monthly Goals pages give you space to do this, so you can track your progress all year. I give some specific usage tips and ideas in my post on how to use the Goals pages in the Plannerisms planner.
This doesn't have to be as hard-core or disciplined as it sounds. To give you some examples, here is how I use the monthly Goals pages in my Plannerisms planner:
One of my goals last year was to get on a cleaning schedule at home. So on the right page of my monthly Goals pages I made a kind of chart of what needed to be done each week, every two weeks, and every month.
Then I designated a week (shown by a circle) when I needed to do each task. Every-two-weeks and monthly tasks had a circle on the week when I needed to do them, to avoid piling up too many of these tasks on any particular week. Or if I had an especially busy week that month, I made sure not to schedule extra tasks during that week. This served three purposes: I saw when each task needed to be done; I had a record of when I actually did each task; and I could easily see when I procrastinated tasks (shown by arrowing-over to another week). You can see I procrastinated a fair amount, and failed to record often. Work in progress.
Another ongoing goal I have is to save money. Part of that is tracking finances. I keep a list of regular monthly expenses in the booklet in the back pocket of my Plannerisms. But extra or unexpected expenses get written in the bottom left quadrant of my monthly Goals pages. This includes payments for my kids' dance and music lessons (which only occur every three months, and on different schedules), when we fill our heating oil tank, electrician or plumber bills, etc.
Another purpose of these monthly Goals pages can be to schedule household maintenance tasks like replacing furnace or air conditioner filters, checking/ replacing CO2 and smoke alarm batteries, and other regular household tasks that need to be done annually or on an otherwise irregular schedule. This will keep you on top of these without too much time passing (with potentially dangerous consequences). It will also give you a record of when you last changed the batteries or whatever so you know when they need done again.
Other potential goals tracking for these pages: blood pressure/ sugar levels, miles run, weight/ body measurements, credit card/ debts payments, and anything else you need to keep track of. It's a handy landing place and great way to reference your progress.
So in a way, the monthly goals pages are mislabeled. It should say Goals Tracking, but that would look cluttery on the page so I left it at Goals.
I hope that helps answer questions about the purpose of the monthly goals pages!
Monday, January 6, 2014
2013 Planner tally
As usual I used a lot of planners in 2013! I stuck with my weekly Plannerisms planner all year, but switched around my day per page planners in search of the perfect combination of page size and portability.
Here is my chronological What I'm Currently Using from 2013:
January 1, 2013: I'm starting 2013 using my wonderful 2013 Plannerisms planner, which is a weekly + monthly. I designed this planner as My Ideal Planner after using however many hundreds of different planners over the years. I'm absolutely thrilled it's been published! I'm using the purple cover one, because purple is my favorite color.
I use my Plannerisms planner for all scheduling, appointments, task lists, and goals (annual, quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily).
As I've done for the past two years, I'm also using a day per page planner to record each day. I've used a lot of day per page books over the years and haven't found exactly what I'm looking for, so I created it in a Paperblanks Midi size journal, which you can click here to read all about.
January 12, 2013
I went back to using my Franklin Covey two pages per day inserts in my
binder, because I needed tabbed sections and more space for lists. You can read all the details in my post about it here!
And of course I'm still using my weekly + monthly Plannerisms planner for all planning and goal-setting. I love it!!
February 18, 2013-March 25 2013: I think I may have solved my Day-Per-Page dilemma! I'm now using an approximately A5 size (6 by 8 1/4 inch) Time Traveler day per page planner/ diary.
It gives me the same page space per day as the Franklin Covey 2PPD in a slimmer, lighter, bound book.
Here is my post on the Time Traveler day per page planner with lots of photos of the excellent features.
March 26 2013: The Time Traveler was too big and heavy to carry everywhere, as always seems to happen when I try to carry a large day per page book. I went through several planners I have lying around to see if I could find a solution, you can see my video about that here.
I settled on the Quo Vadis ABP1, which last year I predicted would be the daily planner I would use this year. It has the largest page size in the lightest weight book, and I really like the daily layout.
April 9 2013: After just a few days with the ABP1 I went back to the red Time Traveler day per page planner. The two books are so similar in size and weight, even though the ABP1 is a little lighter the difference wasn't enough to make it worth starting over in a different book.
If I was going to use a different book, it would have to be smaller. I tried using my Textagenda for a few days but couldn't cope with the format. I even downsized into my 2013 pocket daily Moleskine despite abandoning it last year for being too small. I like the portability but again the pages were just too small for me. I also realized if I moved to a smaller daily book, I would have to journal in a separate book which would require me to start over with journaling in a new book.
I decided to stay with my A5 Time Traveler after all! It's the one I keep coming back to and I have all of this year so far in it. I downsized my wallet and other things to lighten my bag so I wouldn't mind carrying it. I've been journaling in it more this year than I've been journaling for the past few years so I like that. And I love the book--the white paper, the soft cover, the maps and info pages. I love the layout of the daily pages and having plenty of room each day for anything I want to write. So I'll stay with my Time Traveler as my daily planner, logbook and journal all in one!
For a couple of weeks in June I tried using a non-dated pocket notebook to record my days for better portability, but it just didn't work for me. I have to have a big, designated page each day to encourage me to fill it, and so I can back-fill later. I think a large daily book is just my thing! I happily went back to my Time Traveler and I'm already looking forward to getting another one for 2014!
And of course I'm still using my weekly Plannerisms planner!
July 1, 2013: My Plannerisms planner and my Time Traveler daily diary are my mid-year planner winners! You can see my post about it here.
Click here for details on how I use my weekly planner and day per page planner together.
August 23, 2013-September 2013: I switched to using an A5 size notebook for recording each day, lists and notes. The how and why is a bit of a long story, I explain it all in this post here. The notebook I'm using is the Daycraft Signature Inspiro that I reviewed here.
And I'm still using my Plannerisms planner for monthly and weekly planning, and goals.
The two of these together allow me to plan, set goals, record, make lists and take notes in completely portable books.
October 1, 2013:
I know, I know, the back-and-forthing is ridiculous!! My notebook was
working fine, I just missed my Time Traveler day per page diary too much
so I went back to it. The reasons why are in this post.
In my Journal Evaluation 2013 post I give my verdict on my day per page diary.
December 4, 2013: I had intended to finish my day per page diary for 2013 and start a new notebook system January 1st, but I have so much going on right now I couldn't wait. I started my large Moleskine blank notebook with my 3 part indexing system (which you can read the details of here). I use it to record each day, write my lists, brainstorm and keep information.
I did a video detailing the pros and cons of using a day per page diary vs an notebook vs a Filofax, you can click here to see it.
And of course I'm still using my Plannerisms planner, and am using it for my Annual Review where I look back through 2013, evaluate which goals I achieved, which ones need continued work, and which goals can be eliminated.
I already have my 2014 Plannerisms planner ready for next year! I'm filling in dates and events, and thinking about my goals for 2014.
Whew! So I went from trying lots of different day per page diaries to settling on an undated notebook. I'm enjoying the freedom of undated pages, but I wonder if I'll have the discipline to stick with writing every day like I did with the dated day per page diary.
Will I stay with the undated notebook? Will I go back to a dated day per page? Keep your eye on my What I'm Currently Using page to find out! On that page you can also find links to my planner usage all the way back to the beginning of 2009, to see the chronicle of my planner journey. What a trip it's been!
Here is my chronological What I'm Currently Using from 2013:
January 1, 2013: I'm starting 2013 using my wonderful 2013 Plannerisms planner, which is a weekly + monthly. I designed this planner as My Ideal Planner after using however many hundreds of different planners over the years. I'm absolutely thrilled it's been published! I'm using the purple cover one, because purple is my favorite color.
As I've done for the past two years, I'm also using a day per page planner to record each day. I've used a lot of day per page books over the years and haven't found exactly what I'm looking for, so I created it in a Paperblanks Midi size journal, which you can click here to read all about.
February 18, 2013-March 25 2013: I think I may have solved my Day-Per-Page dilemma! I'm now using an approximately A5 size (6 by 8 1/4 inch) Time Traveler day per page planner/ diary.
It gives me the same page space per day as the Franklin Covey 2PPD in a slimmer, lighter, bound book.
Here is my post on the Time Traveler day per page planner with lots of photos of the excellent features.
March 26 2013: The Time Traveler was too big and heavy to carry everywhere, as always seems to happen when I try to carry a large day per page book. I went through several planners I have lying around to see if I could find a solution, you can see my video about that here.
I settled on the Quo Vadis ABP1, which last year I predicted would be the daily planner I would use this year. It has the largest page size in the lightest weight book, and I really like the daily layout.
April 9 2013: After just a few days with the ABP1 I went back to the red Time Traveler day per page planner. The two books are so similar in size and weight, even though the ABP1 is a little lighter the difference wasn't enough to make it worth starting over in a different book.
If I was going to use a different book, it would have to be smaller. I tried using my Textagenda for a few days but couldn't cope with the format. I even downsized into my 2013 pocket daily Moleskine despite abandoning it last year for being too small. I like the portability but again the pages were just too small for me. I also realized if I moved to a smaller daily book, I would have to journal in a separate book which would require me to start over with journaling in a new book.
I decided to stay with my A5 Time Traveler after all! It's the one I keep coming back to and I have all of this year so far in it. I downsized my wallet and other things to lighten my bag so I wouldn't mind carrying it. I've been journaling in it more this year than I've been journaling for the past few years so I like that. And I love the book--the white paper, the soft cover, the maps and info pages. I love the layout of the daily pages and having plenty of room each day for anything I want to write. So I'll stay with my Time Traveler as my daily planner, logbook and journal all in one!
For a couple of weeks in June I tried using a non-dated pocket notebook to record my days for better portability, but it just didn't work for me. I have to have a big, designated page each day to encourage me to fill it, and so I can back-fill later. I think a large daily book is just my thing! I happily went back to my Time Traveler and I'm already looking forward to getting another one for 2014!
And of course I'm still using my weekly Plannerisms planner!
July 1, 2013: My Plannerisms planner and my Time Traveler daily diary are my mid-year planner winners! You can see my post about it here.
 |
| Purple Plannerisms weekly and red Time Traveler daily planners |
Click here for details on how I use my weekly planner and day per page planner together.
August 23, 2013-September 2013: I switched to using an A5 size notebook for recording each day, lists and notes. The how and why is a bit of a long story, I explain it all in this post here. The notebook I'm using is the Daycraft Signature Inspiro that I reviewed here.
And I'm still using my Plannerisms planner for monthly and weekly planning, and goals.
In my Journal Evaluation 2013 post I give my verdict on my day per page diary.
December 4, 2013: I had intended to finish my day per page diary for 2013 and start a new notebook system January 1st, but I have so much going on right now I couldn't wait. I started my large Moleskine blank notebook with my 3 part indexing system (which you can read the details of here). I use it to record each day, write my lists, brainstorm and keep information.
I did a video detailing the pros and cons of using a day per page diary vs an notebook vs a Filofax, you can click here to see it.
And of course I'm still using my Plannerisms planner, and am using it for my Annual Review where I look back through 2013, evaluate which goals I achieved, which ones need continued work, and which goals can be eliminated.
I already have my 2014 Plannerisms planner ready for next year! I'm filling in dates and events, and thinking about my goals for 2014.
Whew! So I went from trying lots of different day per page diaries to settling on an undated notebook. I'm enjoying the freedom of undated pages, but I wonder if I'll have the discipline to stick with writing every day like I did with the dated day per page diary.
Will I stay with the undated notebook? Will I go back to a dated day per page? Keep your eye on my What I'm Currently Using page to find out! On that page you can also find links to my planner usage all the way back to the beginning of 2009, to see the chronicle of my planner journey. What a trip it's been!