I’m sharing my favorite way to plan — with cute, fun products! I’ve got a huge list of product favorites and how I use them to make my week better!
Hi. My name is Kristan and I am a giant geek.
I’ve always loved to plan and make lists.
Having everything written down where I can see all my tasks in black and white (or pink and teal, or purple and blue) is one of my favorite things in the world. And crossing things OFF said lists?
Even better.
A couple of years ago I got into the habit of sitting down every evening and making a list of everything I needed to do the next day. Having that laid out and ready to go in the morning has made a HUGE difference in how my day runs and how efficient I am. It’s nice to wake up knowing exactly what I need to do!
Several months ago, one of my best friends was telling me how obsessed she’d gotten with planner videos (yes — videos of people FILLING OUT THEIR PLANNERS) and planner accessories. So I did the obvious thing and laughed at her and rolled my eyes.
And then I got curious. So I started poking around on Etsy and You Tube…and quickly went from disbelief to completely obsessed with cute stickers, pens, and washi tape.
Let me begin by stating the obvious – it sounds weird to plan your planner. I realize this. And when some of my best friends (I’m looking at you, Shelly) found out how in love I was with my new planning system, they laughed a little. And then got curious. And the next thing you know, I was getting emails and Facebook messages from friends and fellow bloggers who saw my planner spreads on Instagram and wanted to know WHERE I GOT ALL MY STUFF!!
Because it can be a bit overwhelming to know where to start, I broke all of my favorite planning products into sections for this post. If you’re looking to stay more organized in the new year, this can be a really great resource for you!
Decorating and planning your planner might sound pointless, but I love doing it. Every Sunday I sit down with my planner and my products and map out my next week. And guess what? When I LOOK FORWARD to filling out and decorating my planner…I ACTUALLY USE IT!! And when I ACTUALLY USE IT…my day runs SO MUCH MORE SMOOTHLY!
It’s nice when a relaxing and creative outlet can also serve a purpose in making your life more organized.
So here we go — this is how I plan!
Let’s start with regular sized planners. These are the ones that most people prefer, because they are large enough to do a lot of writing.
I have used the (1)Erin Condren Life Planner for years and have been very happy with it. There is a 2-page month calendar to jot down notes for special days, but then there are weekly spreads behind that. Each day of the week has three sections dedicated to it. They are meant to be for Morning, Afternoon, and Evening, but I usually use them for Today (is it a birthday? An appointment day? Jury Duty?) To Do (my list of tasks for the day. I write down EVERYTHING, even if I need to fold a load of laundry or pack lunches for the next morning) and Dinner (what we are eating. If we are going out or the kids have a school or extracurricular event, I usually add it to that section as well).
There are several other popular regular-sized planners that are more or less the same, as far as ease of use and plenty of space to write. Keep in mind that these are planners you will most likely keep at home or on your desk, as they are not small or light enough to comfortably carry in most handbags.
2. The Happy Planner
The Happy Planner is very similar to Erin Condren, but less expensive and more geared towards crafty girls. I have seen this planner at both Michael’s and Hobby Lobby, and there is a whole line of accessories you can purchase that go with it. If you DO decide to purchase one of these at Michael’s or Hobby Lobby, wait until a 40% off coupon is available and you’ll get it for a steal!
3. Plum Paper Planner
I really like these planners and they are a favorite with a lot of You Tubers. These planners are cute, affordable, and HIGHLY customizable. You can choose from FOUR different weekly spread options, and there are TONS of add-ons available. Some of the add-ons are: Meal Planning, Baby Planning, and Blog Planning.
4. Paper Source Planner
Another favorite, this is cute and simple, with each day having a very LONG column of lines to make any kind of lists you need! If you’re looking for something super simple, this is a great option.
5. Emily Ley Simplified Planner
This planner goes hourly from 6am – 9am, which means that each day has a line for every hour. If your days are jam-packed, this is for you! There is a to-do list for each day, as well as a box to fill in your dinner plans and any notes. Extras include an inside pocket and a Sunday checklist for weekly prep. The pops of color are fun, and this is highly functional and gorgeous without being overwhelming.
6. Whitney English Day Designer
You can usually find these at Target (or customize one HERE). They are affordable, cute, lightweight, and simple. Each day starts with a Top Three, then a schedule list, and nightly plans, which you can use to fill in dinner plans or extracurriculars.
Next up are the Personal Planners. These are like very large planner wallets. These are usually leather, with a button strap or zipper to close them. They have inside pockets for trinkets or personal items like an ID or credit cards, and are much easier to fit in a purse or take on-the-go. I own a Kate Spade personal planner that houses my credit and debit cards, license, and checkbook. It’s convenient to have on hand for when I’m booking an appointment and need to check availability or make sure I write my time down. It’s also great for housing receipts, grocery lists, or coupons.
Here are some of the most popular Personal Planners:
1. Webster Pages Color Crush
These are GORGEOUS!! There are tons of pretty colors to choose from, and they come with adorable dividers and inserts. There are lots of cute charms and decorative items you can purchase to add, too! These are definitely one of my favorites on the list. They’ve sold out quickly but you can still find some HERE and HERE.
2. Filofax
Filofax personal planners are NOT cheap, but they are great quality and last a very long time. All you have to do every year is change out the inserts!
3. kikki.K
How cute is this? kikki.K is a huge favorite among Planning Bloggers for a reason — it’s functional and HAPPY! The colors are perfect, and the website is full of other fun goodies like this Paper Lover’s Book full of planner decor and fun quotes.
4. Franklin Planner
These have been around for forever! They’re cute and highly customizable — you can even choose from several different sizes.
I love washi! It’s so fun and easy to use (and remove). I have a TON of it!! I usually use washi to tape in small photos (this printer is perfect for adding little pictures) or cards. I also use it to cover up planner header sections that I want to use for something other than their title. Going on a trip? Tape in a big ol’ strip of washi over all the days you’ll be gone.
Here are some of my favorite washi tapes and resources (Target, Michaels, and Hobby Lobby are great places to look, too!)
1. Pastel Arrow Washi from Mailbox Happiness
2. Ice Cream Washi from Scrapbook.com (they have some great sales sometimes!)
3. Little B Gold Arrows Foil Tape from Simon Says Stamp (I LOVE this thin little tape! It’s so delicate and pretty)
4. Sprinkle Washi from Paper Panduh (love the shop and the washi. Cute all around)
Planner Stickers!! It is SO easy to fall into a planner sticker rabbit hole. There are tons and tons of great options. There are checklist stickers, box stickers (to section off certain areas of your list. Or just look cute), decorative stickers, and tons of fun icon stickers that serve as a reminder (laundry baskets, grocery bags, nail polish, etc).
Here are some of my favorites:
1. The Paper Garden Collection from Two Little Bees Co.
These sets are so incredibly gorgeous!
2. Sprinkled Donut Stickers from Scribbles Prints Co.
I love anything dessert themed, and these are too cute to resist. It’s an all-around fabulous shop for all things planning!
3. Pink Sprinkle Stickers from Plan It Planet
I used this set recently. They looked so cute!
4. Dirty Laundry Stickers from Karolina’s Krafts
Her little icon stickers are some of my FAVORITES! She has little stickers for almost every task or event — trash, book club, prepare dinner, ballet class…literally anything!
Cute clips are one of my favorites and I am always asked about mine. Use them to mark pages in your planner for easy reference. They poke out of the top and look so cute!
These clips work fabulously as bookmarks as well. My ALL TIME FAVORITE planner clip shop is only open from time to time and takes limited orders, but if you can get in, THIS is the very best place for clips!
1. Harry Potter Magnetic Clips/Bookmarks
Seriously. SERIOUSLY!! How cute are these?? As an aside, there are TONS of Harry Potter planning stickers and charms available on Etsy.
2. Pug Felt Clip
Perfect for a dog owner. Felt clips are my favorite because they’re so sturdy.
3. S’mores Felt Clip
Yes, please. I love dessert-themed clips.
4. Piglet Clip
Lucy’s favorite is piglet and this makes me think of her.
I am most definitely a pen and marker hoarder. I can’t tell you how many times I see one of the kids drawing, only to scream, “NOT MY GOOD PEN AGAIN!!!!”
Mom definitely has her OWN pens that are not to be touched. Sorry, not sorry.
The best pens for planning are highly pigmented, fine tipped, and do NOT bleed! The last thing you want to do is turn the page to plan your next day and have writing that has bled through, making it impossible to see what you’re doing.
1. Le Pen
My favorite! These are the absolute best.
2. Staedler Fine Liners
These write incredibly fine and come in a huge variety of colors.
3. Papermate Felt Tip
These always write perfectly and are affordable.
Now that you’ve got your fabulous pens…you want to make sure your writing and doodles are cute! I love these books and have learned so much from them! They’ve come in handy with Bible Journaling (a post I can do another day?) as well. Jon David loves to sit with me and practice out of these as well, so it’s a fun activity for us to do together.
1. The Complete Book of Chalk Lettering
This comes in handy for decorative chalkboards, but you can use the techniques for regular writing as well.
2. The Art of Whimsical Lettering
There are tons of tutorials for cute letters in this book!
3. Zenspirations Letters and Patterning
Learn to add texture and interest to designs with this book!
4. Creative Doodling & Beyond
If you like to add cute little illustrations, this is a great book to learn how!
Now I’m going to really blow your mind. Because I’m about to tell you that you can actually get boxes of surprise planner goodies EVERY MONTH!! There are actual subscription services that exist for this very purpose — how fun is that?! These boxes usually have a monthly theme, so everything in the box matches somewhat and can be used together.
Not only is it convenient and fun, but the products comes in the cutest little packages. It’s so fun to unwrap!
Here are my favorite Planner Goodie Subscription Services:
1. Panduh Box Subscription
2. The Planner Society Kit Club
3. Studio Calico Planner Kit
4. Happie Planner Kit
And last, but certainly NOT least, tassels and charms. These are definitely not necessary, but they look so cute clipped onto a planner coil and they make me happy. I suppose they could also be used to mark your place in your planner, but I just love them for decoration.
1. Hold Me Closer, Tiny Donut from Haute Pink Fluff
I own this one and it’s so fun! This shop has tons of cute tassels and pom poms and they are super affordable.
2. Mini Macaron Stack from Mahal Made
Those tiny macarons! Those colors! This is so incredibly adorable.
3. Cupcake Pom Poms from Hanee Lovely
This shop is just full of planner adorable.
4. Webster Pages Planner Tassel
I love everything in this shop! Tons and tons of stuff to look at.
There you go! I took something that should be relatively simple and straightforward and turned it into a super complicated hobby that costs more than it should. You’re welcome.
I’d love to hear your planner favorites. I’m always looking for new stuff!
The post My Favorite Way to Plan appeared first on Confessions of a Cookbook Queen.