To indulge in my love of paper, color, stickers, and planning, I recently splurged on a Plum Paper Family Planner. I hope to spend 2015 enjoying life and focusing on simple pleasures. For me, this means prioritizing time with family, keeping in touch with friends, and making time for learning, crafting, and volunteering. Investing in a special planner to beautify these priorities fit perfectly into these 2015 resolutions.
While deciding which planner to purchase (which was more agonizing than I care to admit), I discovered a whole world of planner inspiration and accessories online, mostly in the realms of Instagram and Etsy. I am thankful for Pinterest as a way to save and organize all of this newfound goodness, as pinning it for later has kept my small school supply budget in check.
I love planners not only because they help me stay organized in the present and future, but also because they make a wonderful scrapbook of the past. A teacher once told me that you can tell one’s true priorities by looking at their bank statement and how they spend their time. A bank (or credit card) statement is easy to access, but a detailed record of our time is less available… unless you are able to look back on a planner (and sometimes a journal, too).
My old planners are a record of so many details and events that I have often forgotten. The doodles and countdowns remind me of what I was excited for at that time in my life. Flipping through them helps me recall vivid memories and feelings that would otherwise be lost. And sometimes, the empty space in an old planner speaks louder than the pages filled in before or after.
This year, I decided on a Family Planner from the PlumPaperDesigns Etsy shop. I loved that I could customize the colors, add my name (which is very hard to find on anything personalized), and add a blogging planning section at the end.
The Family Planner weekly spread had seven different boxes for each day, which could also be customized. I loved the layout, but couldn’t commit to seven labels I would want to use for the whole year. I decided to leave them all blank and write in the section labels as I go. After using the planner for a year, I would be able to figure out what labels I would want printed in next year, if I liked the blank format, or if I would want to try a different spread or planner altogether.
Yes, I’m already thinking about my planner for 2016. Knowing that I could do it differently next time around allowed me to think of this year’s planner as a trial run. This thought allowed me to quit stressing and finally order a planner. The whole process was only a bit melodramatic. Luckily, when the planner arrived I was THRILLED with the way it turned out.
If you’re a fellow a lover of paper, pens, stickers, and planners (aka school supplies), follow along with me on Instagram to see more weekly spreads and planner goodies as I doctor up this beauty.
Do you have a planner? What kind? What do you love about it?
I got a Plum Paper planner last year and I really liked it *except* the size. I just need something smaller! I would really love to see the blog planning pages in the back. I was using the month-at-a-glance pages for that, but I think I’d rather have it in a separate section.
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It is pretty hefty! Especially with everything else I carry in the diaper bag. I made sure to not add too many pages that I would need to be bumped up to the bigger coil. It’s working so far. I wish the blog planning pages were disbursed throughout, but it’s also nice to have them all together for comparison’s sake. Check out the PlumPlannerDesigns Etsy shop to get a look at them!
I love the comment about looking back at a bank statement or credit card. I never thought of that but it is so true. I love your planner! I was recently given a planner for my birthday and I look forward to having a more organized 2015! Happy New Year!
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Are you using the planner for blogging? How is it helping stay organized?
I love your digital marketing tips for 2015! I need to add my LinkedIn goals to the planner to make them official. Happy Blogging!
I haven’t used a planner in years, but I do miss it sometimes. I used to enjoy flipping through past ones and seeing what I had done. I suppose I could do that on Google calendars as well, but it isn’t quite the same (plus, no doodles!) Enjoy your new planner
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Thanks, Bev! Google can be fun, too! So many fun colors to play with. It could also be easy to jot down a memory in the notes section if you wanted to use it as a digital memory book of sorts. I use my iPhone calendar, too… sometimes I need it for the reminders! It doesn’t help me if I write things down and then never go back to look at them.
Great way to stay organized in the new year!
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I’m loving it! Do you use a planner?
I am so glad I am not the only one still using a paper planner! I look forward to getting one each year.. but I have never got one this fancy! I am going to check out that Etsy page right now!!!
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I hope you like them! I checked out Erin Condren planners, too. If you decide to go for it, search for a discount code before you order! I learned too late that a lot of people have referral links in their Instagram profile. Happy Planning!
I love the Day Planner Family Plus – but they sold out for 2015
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