New Year, New Datebook - Getting Organized

It's a wonderful time of the year! Time to browse for a planner for the new year!

Yep, I am one of those people who still carry a paper & pen day planner. One reason? Because I can't carry miscellaneous items and an emergency $10 in my phone.  Other reason - I like writing stuff down. I rarely take notes on my phone, only when there's nothing else around. For notes to myself, to-do lists, jotting down phone numbers or things I want to check out later, quotes, notes from an event - I like to keep it all on paper, in one convenient, portable, always accessible place.

There are some folks who would settle on one planner and get the same one every year, rather than launch an annual search for a new and different book. One day, perhaps, I will be that person. For now, I'm switching planners again.

This year, I'm ordering my planner from FallinDesign.  It's a South Korean company that I came across when looking for the datebook I had a couple years ago, the LiveWork Agenda, but that company seems to have gone out of business or maybe changed their name, not sure. With the numerous array of journals and datebooks, you might assume that despite all the electronic and digital gadgetry that comes from South Korea, paper & pen is still very popular.  The options are great and the prices are reasonable, though admittedly, you may take a hit on shipping and timing for delivery.

In the past, I've had these planners:
ARC Disc-planner, from Staples.  I like this planner for its flexibility, but I realized that at year's end, I like all my pages to be bound and easy to flip back through, if necessary. I noticed a lot of people have this in a larger, notebook size and I may consider this system for full-page notes.

LiveWork Agenda - This is the agenda I had previously, and found again at FallinDesign. It's book bound, approximately 5"x7", i.e. fits in my purse, and is pink (important feature.) I like the open page design, which lets me customize to my use - there's space to write appointments, but also to-do lists and dinner plans.

PassionPlanner - If you need a planner that helps you set goals and all the steps to get there, or you like products with a story, go with the PassionPlanner. The pages are laid out to encourage you to think about where you want to go and how you are going to get there. You can order the journal in whole or download the pages for free (yeah, I don't know how they make money on that!)  I don't have the whole planner, but I like the monthly pages for my posted-on-the-wall, always visual planner - partly because it prints on two pages so its big and easy to see.

GoogleCalendar - is my electronic back-up, primarily because of the automated alerts via email and/or texts. This has saved me many of times. If only my paper & pen day planner could do this! It's also useful for my family to be able to look up dates and input their activities. Another nice feature is being able to print out the calendar, with custom-selected dates, so I can leave it with my husband, children and/or babysitter to keep them on track without me.

I've collected a few other day planners and journals that I like on a Pinterest page, as well, in case I need some more options.

For me, the new year is like the first day of school. I'll sit down with my new planner, pen, pencil, couple cute stickers, and put in all my appointments and reminders. And of course, a cup of coffee.  Happy planning!

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My Favorite Back-To-School Supplies

I was that kid who loved a new box of 64 crayons and would organize the box by color. All the greens together, all the reds, those random silver and gold and pewter over in the corner.  I’d gather enough paperbags to cut and fold into crisp book covers for all my textbooks.  Be sure to label everything clearly with my name.

And not much has changed since then.  While my kids are checking off their school supply list of pencils and 3-ring binders and protractors and multi-button graphing calculators, I gather the items I need for back-to-school.  For the things that need to be replaced or added to, this time of year is a great time to pick up my favorite office supplies while they’re on sale for the kids.

4-tab sectioned folder.  There always seems to be some new folders and organized in the aisles at Staples. I found a 4-section folder, perfect for our family, for all my “stuff I need to know about my kids’ activities” folder. Their class schedules (for when I need to make during-school doctor’s appointments), their sports schedules, identification cards for sports associations, class syllabus, list of teachers. Its easy and convenient enough to carry with me to back-to-school night and the rest of the year.

Sharpies. These are fast becoming my favorite writing instrument because they can write on anything (including your children), they come in every color you could ever want (even neon) and you don’t have to scribble on a corner of paper to get the ink flowing. I use them to write notes, label kids’ stuff, label my stuff, sign books.

Coffee mugs. I tend to drink from the same coffee mugs every morning, part of the morning routine.  The monkey mug is a constant, my sorority mug has been added to the cycle. The cheetah mug is being retired, I’m scared the handle is going to break off mid-sip. And then of course, there’s the to-go coffee mug for those busy mornings. One from Starbucks Madrid is the throw in the purse one - it doesn’t leak – really it doesn’t. I don’t know why they don’t have this model state-side. (Starbucks – are you listening!?)  And I have a pretty Lily Pulitzer one someone gave me as a gift for mornings I want to be fancy.

Google calendar.  I still carry a paper planner – because. But to coordinate all the goings on in our family, and to be able to shoot my husband a calendar item, I rely on Google calendar. I color code our activities and can print out the calendar by day, week, month, or some other unique day-count. The best feature – it sends me reminders by text and/or email of where I’m supposed to be. That’s the one thing my paper calendar can’t do.

Note cards. Who doesn’t love getting a real, hand-written note in the real mailbox? One of my goals is to get better at writing more notes to people, especially since I like buying pretty cards.

Bound journals. I like journals for all my notetaking. From the little 3x5 Moleskine style to the cloth-covered, ledger. I am not hardly ever without at least one in my purse. Because I take notes wherever I go – church, meetings, programs, seminars, book talks – and make lists all the time. As a writer, this allows and encourages me to write wherever I am, whenever I have a few free moments. 

And since adult coloring books seem to be the new thing, and I don't have to share my daughter's Princess books any longer, I think I'll pick up a pick of colored pencils for myself, too.

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