The search for my ideal planner continues.
My Ideal Planner would have the following features:
1) Large page size but portable size book (which eliminates Filofaxes, I have finally determined).
2) Week view with the days as columns.
3) Space on the weekly pages to write my lists.
4) Monthly calendars with boxes large enough to write in.
5) Space to write my annual, monthly and weekly goals.
6) Pages of international information like dialing codes, time zones and conversions.
7) A removable address booklet for my contacts and numbers.
8) Nice paper.
9) Pretty cover.
10) My absolutely ideal planner would have month tabs, but I can put those in if I need to.
I have several serious contenders for the title of My Ideal Planner 2011:
For the past several months I've been using my Quo Vadis Trinote.
It works really well for me, with its large day spaces, big weekly layout and space on the week spread for lists. But there are some features it lacks that I would like to have in my planner. I have fixed two of these issues by adding monthly calendars with space to write monthly goals, and replacing my black cover with a colorful cover. The Trinote isn't terribly huge, but I wish it were a little smaller and easier to carry around in my bag. If the rest of my 2011 planner experiments fail, I will happily use my 2011 Trinote for the year because it does work well for me. But I just can't resist the urge to find my Perfect Planner! So here are some possibilities for 2011:
First up, the beautiful Rabbit planner with the month-and-week layout that is so nice. But the day spaces are smaller than I'm used to so I'm wondering if it will have enough space for me to write each day. Also, it lacks information pages that I like to have such as dialing codes and time zone maps. But it wins major points for the beautiful cover, spectacular paper, and unique layout. Being able to see the entire month ahead along with my week's schedule might be very addictive!
My WeekDate planner has lots of features I want: pretty cover, weekly layout with days as columns and space for lists each week.
Even though it has space to write recurring monthly events, it doesn't have actual month calendars. Also it doesn't have international information etc. that I like. I'm intrigued by the format though, and the convenience of not having to re-write recurring events might be just what I need.
Another contender is my slightly tweaked Vertical Weekly Moleskine with space under the daily columns for my lists (click photo to enlarge):
Because the 2011 Moleskine planners now have monthly calendars, this planner is a firm possibility for my Ideal Planner. It's a portable size and slim book, and has monthly calendars with space underneath to write monthly goals.
Other features it has that I love: international information, removable address booklet, hard bound book, and I can decorate the cover to make it pretty. This is a real possibility.
Another completely different option I've been thinking of lately is to switch to a day per page book. I know what you're thinking: how many times do I have to try and fail with a day per page book before I realize they don't work for me? But, I'm still enamored with daily books. I love all the space each day to write details that otherwise wouldn't get recorded on smaller day spaces. If I can learn how to plan ahead better, a daily book could be a good option for me.
One option is to use my Textagenda (with my pretty purple cover from France, not the Grenadine Pink cover that I don't like).
It doesn't have monthly calendars, but it does have the anno-planning pages that I could use as an overview and then use my wall calendar for the monthly overview. This would give me lots of space to write each day, and is a nicely portable size.
Something else I've been thinking of is a Pocket size Moleskine Daily planner. I have one of these for 2010 but didn't use it much because it lacks monthly calendars. But now that the 2011 version does have monthly calendars, this could be an option for me.
Whatever I choose, I want to get it figured out by the end of January and then try to stick with it for the whole year! This would be a major feat for me and I'm not sure I can do it. But after using 13 planners in 2009 and 10 planners in 2010, I'm getting tired of having my year scattered throughout a dozen books. I would love to have my year encapsulated in one, perfect, book.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
2010 Planners Tally
You may remember my 13 Planners post, where I tallied up all the planners I used in 2009. Now it's time to total up all the planners I used in 2010.
First, keep in mind that I do actually use most of the planners I review, usually for a few days, to get a good idea of how they work. Sometimes I switch to that planner, but often I go back to the planner I was using before. I won't include these planners in my total for this year.
I will number the planners as I go:
So, those of you who have been following my planner saga for the past year will remember I started 2010 with my 1) Quo Vadis Minister, which I loved. I started it at the end of November 2009, and I used it until March 2010 (which is a very long time for me to continuously use a planner!).
Then in March I had a really busy time and felt like I needed more space each week to write my lists. Also I wanted pages to write my monthly goals and reviews. And, I really wanted month view calendars.
So, I drew up a 2) DIY planner in my large lined Moleskine notebook. I am not much of a DIY-er and am not at all artistic, so this was a major feat for me. I decided I would make My Ultimate Planner. (But you might guess how that turned out since I'm not using this planner anymore).
It was a great idea: pages for goals, month on 2 pages calendars, and week views with vertical columns for days. To give myself lots of room for my lists, I put a blank 2-page spread between each week. I even put month tabs down the side (as I like so much ). It's a portable size, and has the Moleskine planner's address booklet in the back. I thought this planner was absolutely The Shit.
But...(and you knew this was coming) it turned out not to be the end-all be-all I expected it to be. As it turned out, having to turn the page to see my lists was a Fail. Yes apparently I really am that out-of-sight out-of-mind that I have to have my lists visible alongside my weekly schedule. Also, I found it very annoying when flipping through my book that the weeks were not back to back. And I missed having information pages like dialing codes and time zones in my planner.
Not only that, but the black cover and format I drew were very boring and way too serious. So when I went to London in April it was the perfect time for me to switch to the very fun 3) Dodo Pad A5 Filofax insert in my new Filofax Domino. I loved the weekly changing pages, art, humor and colors.
But, as has happened before, I eventually quit using my A5 Filofax as my main planner because it was just too big and heavy to carry everywhere with me. At the beginning of June I started using my purple-covered 4) Plan-It Planner because I love the large month calendars embedded in the weeks. But after a couple of weeks I had problems because there wasn't space for my lists on the weekly page.
So in mid-June I switched to my 5) 2009-2010 Moleskine weekly notebook because it has an entire page each week for lists and notes. Also I think I used this because I was impatient to begin my 6) 2010-2011 Moleskine weekly notebook at the beginning of July. Despite the fact that I used the weekly notebook format for much of 2009 and was never completely satisfied with it because the day spaces are too small for me, I gave it a try again. I thought the new monthly planning calendars might make a big difference. And to be honest, I was excited to start a fresh new planner.
Near the end of July, my moving preparations were really gearing up. For those who weren't following at the time, my husband was changing careers and my family and I were moving internationally. A very stressful situation to put it mildly. So predictably I had a planner crisis. I was having a hard time keeping track of all the moving logistics and what needed to be done when. Also, I needed a lot of information handy, which usually makes me turn to my Filofax. So after my Filofax revamp, I moved into my 7) personal size Filofax with week on 2 pages diary and used my large Noteletts notebook for moving lists and notes. You can read about that here.
But despite the post title, that wasn't gettin' it done. I had a full-blown planner crisis. My wise younger sister helped me through it and suggested I use the planner she's had great success with for the past year, the 8) Quo Vadis Trinote. This planner got me through my move beautifully, and definitely saved my sanity through the difficult transition.
After I started to settle into my new place and new life, I got adventurous again with my planners. Being in the UK opened up new planner possibilities for me. I'd had my eye on the 9) Life Book for awhile and couldn't resist trying it. It has monthly calendars (which I love and need) and space for lists on the weekly layout. Also, now that my household is on a school-year schedule it seemed like it would be more convenient to have an academic-year planner. So I switched from my super-efficient Trinote to the Life Book.
Before long I discovered that the Life Book's daily spaces were not nearly big enough for me to write everything I need to write each day. So I ordered up the 10) Quo Vadis Textagenda (UK version) day per page planner. I used the Textagenda together with the Life Book (which you can read about here). Using two planners at once quickly failed and I went back to my Trinote.
So, 10 planners is better than 13. But still, this is ridiculous. If I have to look anything up, I have to search through all these planners to see where it's written. I'd really love to commit to one planner for a whole year! But in order to accomplish this, I think the planner would have to be perfect. I need My Ideal Planner.
As excellent as my Trinote is, it's lacking some features I'd like: monthly calendars, a pretty cover and a smaller more portable size. The first two I've fixed (with my addition of monthly calendars and colored covers), but there's no way to shrink the book. If I can't find a smaller version of My Ideal Planner, then my Trinote might possibly be it. But I still want to see if I can find something that works as well for me as the Trinote, but in a smaller size. This gets tricky because a smaller size book means less writing space, and as we all know I like to write a lot in my planner.
I plan to use my Trinote through the end of this year, but come January the battle of the 2011 planners will begin. More on that in my next post!
**Edited later to add: Before the end of 2010 I also tried:
11) My large Moleskine day per page planner. (You can read about that failure here.)
12) Personal size Filofax daily + weekly. (Read about that failure here.)
13) Personal size Filofax 2 days per page. (Aaaaand, that failure here, scroll all the way down to the bottom of the comments.)
First, keep in mind that I do actually use most of the planners I review, usually for a few days, to get a good idea of how they work. Sometimes I switch to that planner, but often I go back to the planner I was using before. I won't include these planners in my total for this year.
I will number the planners as I go:
So, those of you who have been following my planner saga for the past year will remember I started 2010 with my 1) Quo Vadis Minister, which I loved. I started it at the end of November 2009, and I used it until March 2010 (which is a very long time for me to continuously use a planner!).
Then in March I had a really busy time and felt like I needed more space each week to write my lists. Also I wanted pages to write my monthly goals and reviews. And, I really wanted month view calendars.
So, I drew up a 2) DIY planner in my large lined Moleskine notebook. I am not much of a DIY-er and am not at all artistic, so this was a major feat for me. I decided I would make My Ultimate Planner. (But you might guess how that turned out since I'm not using this planner anymore).
It was a great idea: pages for goals, month on 2 pages calendars, and week views with vertical columns for days. To give myself lots of room for my lists, I put a blank 2-page spread between each week. I even put month tabs down the side (as I like so much ). It's a portable size, and has the Moleskine planner's address booklet in the back. I thought this planner was absolutely The Shit.
But...(and you knew this was coming) it turned out not to be the end-all be-all I expected it to be. As it turned out, having to turn the page to see my lists was a Fail. Yes apparently I really am that out-of-sight out-of-mind that I have to have my lists visible alongside my weekly schedule. Also, I found it very annoying when flipping through my book that the weeks were not back to back. And I missed having information pages like dialing codes and time zones in my planner.
Not only that, but the black cover and format I drew were very boring and way too serious. So when I went to London in April it was the perfect time for me to switch to the very fun 3) Dodo Pad A5 Filofax insert in my new Filofax Domino. I loved the weekly changing pages, art, humor and colors.
But, as has happened before, I eventually quit using my A5 Filofax as my main planner because it was just too big and heavy to carry everywhere with me. At the beginning of June I started using my purple-covered 4) Plan-It Planner because I love the large month calendars embedded in the weeks. But after a couple of weeks I had problems because there wasn't space for my lists on the weekly page.
So in mid-June I switched to my 5) 2009-2010 Moleskine weekly notebook because it has an entire page each week for lists and notes. Also I think I used this because I was impatient to begin my 6) 2010-2011 Moleskine weekly notebook at the beginning of July. Despite the fact that I used the weekly notebook format for much of 2009 and was never completely satisfied with it because the day spaces are too small for me, I gave it a try again. I thought the new monthly planning calendars might make a big difference. And to be honest, I was excited to start a fresh new planner.
Near the end of July, my moving preparations were really gearing up. For those who weren't following at the time, my husband was changing careers and my family and I were moving internationally. A very stressful situation to put it mildly. So predictably I had a planner crisis. I was having a hard time keeping track of all the moving logistics and what needed to be done when. Also, I needed a lot of information handy, which usually makes me turn to my Filofax. So after my Filofax revamp, I moved into my 7) personal size Filofax with week on 2 pages diary and used my large Noteletts notebook for moving lists and notes. You can read about that here.
But despite the post title, that wasn't gettin' it done. I had a full-blown planner crisis. My wise younger sister helped me through it and suggested I use the planner she's had great success with for the past year, the 8) Quo Vadis Trinote. This planner got me through my move beautifully, and definitely saved my sanity through the difficult transition.
After I started to settle into my new place and new life, I got adventurous again with my planners. Being in the UK opened up new planner possibilities for me. I'd had my eye on the 9) Life Book for awhile and couldn't resist trying it. It has monthly calendars (which I love and need) and space for lists on the weekly layout. Also, now that my household is on a school-year schedule it seemed like it would be more convenient to have an academic-year planner. So I switched from my super-efficient Trinote to the Life Book.
Before long I discovered that the Life Book's daily spaces were not nearly big enough for me to write everything I need to write each day. So I ordered up the 10) Quo Vadis Textagenda (UK version) day per page planner. I used the Textagenda together with the Life Book (which you can read about here). Using two planners at once quickly failed and I went back to my Trinote.
So, 10 planners is better than 13. But still, this is ridiculous. If I have to look anything up, I have to search through all these planners to see where it's written. I'd really love to commit to one planner for a whole year! But in order to accomplish this, I think the planner would have to be perfect. I need My Ideal Planner.
As excellent as my Trinote is, it's lacking some features I'd like: monthly calendars, a pretty cover and a smaller more portable size. The first two I've fixed (with my addition of monthly calendars and colored covers), but there's no way to shrink the book. If I can't find a smaller version of My Ideal Planner, then my Trinote might possibly be it. But I still want to see if I can find something that works as well for me as the Trinote, but in a smaller size. This gets tricky because a smaller size book means less writing space, and as we all know I like to write a lot in my planner.
I plan to use my Trinote through the end of this year, but come January the battle of the 2011 planners will begin. More on that in my next post!
**Edited later to add: Before the end of 2010 I also tried:
11) My large Moleskine day per page planner. (You can read about that failure here.)
12) Personal size Filofax daily + weekly. (Read about that failure here.)
13) Personal size Filofax 2 days per page. (Aaaaand, that failure here, scroll all the way down to the bottom of the comments.)
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Monthly pages in Trinote, Part 2
You may remember my post Monthly pages in Trinote where I tried to figure out various ways to add in a monthly calendar section. Now I have found the answer.
First of all, many thanks to Laura Reyna who sent me the link to free printable monthly calendars. Here is the link to the 2011 calendars:
http://www.printable2011calendar.com/
Take a look around their website because they have loads of free printables like weekly household cleaning lists, weekly and monthly calendars for binder organizers of various sizes, and even forms like to do, etc.
I downloaded the 2011 monthly calendars, and I really like the clean layout with the holidays printed on the days. I'm not much of a DIY-er, and my hack scissor-and-tape job doesn't look as nice as someone craftier would make it. But it works for me.
My printer was set to automatically rotate the image and fit the page, but I unchecked that box so that the calendars would be upright on the page. This has two advantages:
1) I don't have to turn my book sideways to use the monthly calendars, and
2) there's plenty of space below the calendar to write that month's goals, reminders, etc. Win!!
You may be asking yourself, where in my Trinote did I stick these pages? Because after all, something had to get covered up.
The Trinote's weekly pages begin the week of the end of November/ beginning of December. Since I'm not going to start my 2011 Trinote until the beginning of January, that gave me 8 pages to stick in monthly calendars. The last 4 months went in the back of the book over the Pay/ Receive pages that I don't use:
This means January-August are at the beginning of the book, and September-December are at the end of the book. I did it this way so that none of the information pages or maps were covered. Having the months split in the book is a small price to pay to have monthly calendars (with space for monthly goals) incorporated into my planner.
Alternatively, if I didn't need the writing space under the months, I could have stuck two months per page and had all the months together at the beginning of the planner.
So now I have the glory of having every type of calendar I need in my Trinote:
Year overview to track travel, holidays, school breaks and bills paid (and another one of these for the following year to write in next year's appointments, renewals etc.):
Monthly calendars to see two months at a time overviews and to track monthly goals:
Power-planning weeks with large daily columns, daily notes spaces, and categorized list boxes (click to enlarge):
And the 3 year overview calendars:
I also have my address booklet, which I use like crazy.
All of this in one book with the large page size for plenty of writing space makes me feel like I'm ready for anything!!!
You can get more information about the Quo Vadis Trinote including links to buy it at:
http://www.quovadisplanners.com/catalog/trinote
Or if you are in the UK the website is:
http://www.quovadis-diaries.co.uk/acatalog/Trinote.html
I don't know if the UK version of the Trinote is exactly the same as the US version. The UK version does have UK-specific information that the US version does not have, according to their website.
First of all, many thanks to Laura Reyna who sent me the link to free printable monthly calendars. Here is the link to the 2011 calendars:
http://www.printable2011calendar.com/
Take a look around their website because they have loads of free printables like weekly household cleaning lists, weekly and monthly calendars for binder organizers of various sizes, and even forms like to do, etc.
I downloaded the 2011 monthly calendars, and I really like the clean layout with the holidays printed on the days. I'm not much of a DIY-er, and my hack scissor-and-tape job doesn't look as nice as someone craftier would make it. But it works for me.
My printer was set to automatically rotate the image and fit the page, but I unchecked that box so that the calendars would be upright on the page. This has two advantages:
1) I don't have to turn my book sideways to use the monthly calendars, and
2) there's plenty of space below the calendar to write that month's goals, reminders, etc. Win!!
You may be asking yourself, where in my Trinote did I stick these pages? Because after all, something had to get covered up.
The Trinote's weekly pages begin the week of the end of November/ beginning of December. Since I'm not going to start my 2011 Trinote until the beginning of January, that gave me 8 pages to stick in monthly calendars. The last 4 months went in the back of the book over the Pay/ Receive pages that I don't use:
This means January-August are at the beginning of the book, and September-December are at the end of the book. I did it this way so that none of the information pages or maps were covered. Having the months split in the book is a small price to pay to have monthly calendars (with space for monthly goals) incorporated into my planner.
Alternatively, if I didn't need the writing space under the months, I could have stuck two months per page and had all the months together at the beginning of the planner.
So now I have the glory of having every type of calendar I need in my Trinote:
Year overview to track travel, holidays, school breaks and bills paid (and another one of these for the following year to write in next year's appointments, renewals etc.):
Monthly calendars to see two months at a time overviews and to track monthly goals:
Power-planning weeks with large daily columns, daily notes spaces, and categorized list boxes (click to enlarge):
And the 3 year overview calendars:
I also have my address booklet, which I use like crazy.
All of this in one book with the large page size for plenty of writing space makes me feel like I'm ready for anything!!!
You can get more information about the Quo Vadis Trinote including links to buy it at:
http://www.quovadisplanners.com/catalog/trinote
Or if you are in the UK the website is:
http://www.quovadis-diaries.co.uk/acatalog/Trinote.html
I don't know if the UK version of the Trinote is exactly the same as the US version. The UK version does have UK-specific information that the US version does not have, according to their website.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Christine's DIY planner
Here is another excellent guest post from Christine, about her DIY planner from several years ago. I'm not much of a DIY-er but I really admire people who have the creativity and patience to come up with cool things like this! And as always, I'm constantly on the lookout for new planner ideas. Thanks Christine, this is great!
Here is a review of a DIY planner from my 2003 student days; one of two I’ve made, but I destroyed one of them at some point (it wasn’t an act of aggression. I was probably moving.).
I used a notebook I once bought in Germany. The only reference to a brand is on the back cover: Eco Art, 100% recycled paper. I like that it’s so simple, perfectly suited as a canvas for your own art.
The medium-thick paper is dyed blue, with one side being rather smooth and the other showing “lines”. I’m afraid you readers may want to help me out with this feature; I don’t know a term for it. I’ve seen it sometimes on more expensive paper with watermarks. I have no idea what the purpose is. These lines are somewhat tactile but never interfered with my writing.
I can’t recall what made me want to create my own agenda; perhaps simply the fact that I had this book and didn’t know what else to use it for. I do also enjoy crafts, something I rarely do anymore though.
When I had some free time, I carved a few stamps out of potatoes, using a simple knife. Most unfortunately, such stamps don’t have a long shelf-life. About one day, to be precise. After that, they’re shriveled up enough to render the carvings useless. One should set a few hours aside for such a project, since the process of applying colours to the design (at times different colours to one stamp) while covering a year’s worth of pages is quite time-consuming. I covered most, but not all the pages. If you'd rather make permanent stamps, arts and crafts stores sell thick sheets of rubber that can be carved with a little V-shaped knife specially made for this purpose. It's really easy and fun, plus it allows for finer details than potatoes do!
What you see in the excerpt here is supposed to be waves, boats, trees, circles and cats. I used Pelikan water colours from grade one (1984!).
At that time - actually, until I found Laurie’s blog - I was pretty clueless as to what kind of planners are out there. It just never occupied me much, plus, as you can see, I only used this planner for the most important information, often forgetting to record things at all. Needless to say, I wasn’t very organized, dividing up things to remember among scrap paper, this book, and - mostly - my memory.
Would I design my own planner again?
Maybe, but I would definitely put more thought and effort into the actual layout. Something that comes to mind every so often is dated stamp (like those that libraries used to use), which might actually look nice and old-school, while making the tedious task of dating the pages more enjoyable. One would still have to change the date constantly, of course. Does all this sound crazy, or what?!
Is there anyone else who’s undertaken a similar task? Have you been harboring a DIY planner project in mind, just waiting for the right time to tackle it? Are you worried that it may not look professional or appropriate in your circles? Or do you fear that all the hard work and aesthetic appeal may deter you from using it? Please feel safe and speak out, because we, the Planner Addicts Anonymous, are here to listen, and possibly help (i.e. prolong your addiction), without judgment.
**Laurie here: I've actually seen a photo of a DIY planner where they used a library date stamp, and it looks really cool. Click here to see the photo on Flickr.
I created my own planner once out of a Moleskine notebook. It turned out really nice, but a few weeks after I made it I decided I didn't like the layout after all and abandoned it. That was a lot of time and effort put into something I abandoned so quickly! But it was a good learning experience.
Please post a comment with your DIY planner experiences!
Here is a review of a DIY planner from my 2003 student days; one of two I’ve made, but I destroyed one of them at some point (it wasn’t an act of aggression. I was probably moving.).
I used a notebook I once bought in Germany. The only reference to a brand is on the back cover: Eco Art, 100% recycled paper. I like that it’s so simple, perfectly suited as a canvas for your own art.
The medium-thick paper is dyed blue, with one side being rather smooth and the other showing “lines”. I’m afraid you readers may want to help me out with this feature; I don’t know a term for it. I’ve seen it sometimes on more expensive paper with watermarks. I have no idea what the purpose is. These lines are somewhat tactile but never interfered with my writing.
I can’t recall what made me want to create my own agenda; perhaps simply the fact that I had this book and didn’t know what else to use it for. I do also enjoy crafts, something I rarely do anymore though.
When I had some free time, I carved a few stamps out of potatoes, using a simple knife. Most unfortunately, such stamps don’t have a long shelf-life. About one day, to be precise. After that, they’re shriveled up enough to render the carvings useless. One should set a few hours aside for such a project, since the process of applying colours to the design (at times different colours to one stamp) while covering a year’s worth of pages is quite time-consuming. I covered most, but not all the pages. If you'd rather make permanent stamps, arts and crafts stores sell thick sheets of rubber that can be carved with a little V-shaped knife specially made for this purpose. It's really easy and fun, plus it allows for finer details than potatoes do!
What you see in the excerpt here is supposed to be waves, boats, trees, circles and cats. I used Pelikan water colours from grade one (1984!).
At that time - actually, until I found Laurie’s blog - I was pretty clueless as to what kind of planners are out there. It just never occupied me much, plus, as you can see, I only used this planner for the most important information, often forgetting to record things at all. Needless to say, I wasn’t very organized, dividing up things to remember among scrap paper, this book, and - mostly - my memory.
Would I design my own planner again?
Maybe, but I would definitely put more thought and effort into the actual layout. Something that comes to mind every so often is dated stamp (like those that libraries used to use), which might actually look nice and old-school, while making the tedious task of dating the pages more enjoyable. One would still have to change the date constantly, of course. Does all this sound crazy, or what?!
Is there anyone else who’s undertaken a similar task? Have you been harboring a DIY planner project in mind, just waiting for the right time to tackle it? Are you worried that it may not look professional or appropriate in your circles? Or do you fear that all the hard work and aesthetic appeal may deter you from using it? Please feel safe and speak out, because we, the Planner Addicts Anonymous, are here to listen, and possibly help (i.e. prolong your addiction), without judgment.
**Laurie here: I've actually seen a photo of a DIY planner where they used a library date stamp, and it looks really cool. Click here to see the photo on Flickr.
I created my own planner once out of a Moleskine notebook. It turned out really nice, but a few weeks after I made it I decided I didn't like the layout after all and abandoned it. That was a lot of time and effort put into something I abandoned so quickly! But it was a good learning experience.
Please post a comment with your DIY planner experiences!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Happy Plannerversary!
Today is the first anniversary of Plannerisms! Hooray!
Here is a photo of just SOME of the planners and notebooks I've had the opportunity to review in this past year (click on photo for a tantalizingly larger view):
I have enjoyed this year immensely. I've had the chance to try out (and post reviews for you of) lots of fantastic planners, thanks to the generosity of many wonderful planner people (and also my own bank account).
In this year I have learned a lot about planners and the people who make them. Many thanks to everyone who sent me planners and talked to me about planners. Thanks to the wonderful people who did guest posts here on Plannerisms. And many thanks to everyone who reads my blog! You all have made my Plannerisms experience loads of fun.
And as always, extra special thanks to my sister Sandy for her continued love, support, and understanding of my planner fixation! I love you, Sis!!
There are several Plannerisms posts that I especially like. In no particular order, my favorites are:
Ghost of Planners Past #1: Desperation
Ghost of Planners Past #4: The One That Started It All
Countdown to Fail
There Can Be Only One
This one is a guest post from my sister: Sandy's FiloFAIL, Mole Love, and Trinote Try
Do you have a favorite Plannerisms post?
I'm looking forward to much more Plannerisms to come! Thanks for reading, everybody!
Here is a photo of just SOME of the planners and notebooks I've had the opportunity to review in this past year (click on photo for a tantalizingly larger view):
I have enjoyed this year immensely. I've had the chance to try out (and post reviews for you of) lots of fantastic planners, thanks to the generosity of many wonderful planner people (and also my own bank account).
In this year I have learned a lot about planners and the people who make them. Many thanks to everyone who sent me planners and talked to me about planners. Thanks to the wonderful people who did guest posts here on Plannerisms. And many thanks to everyone who reads my blog! You all have made my Plannerisms experience loads of fun.
And as always, extra special thanks to my sister Sandy for her continued love, support, and understanding of my planner fixation! I love you, Sis!!
There are several Plannerisms posts that I especially like. In no particular order, my favorites are:
Ghost of Planners Past #1: Desperation
Ghost of Planners Past #4: The One That Started It All
Countdown to Fail
There Can Be Only One
This one is a guest post from my sister: Sandy's FiloFAIL, Mole Love, and Trinote Try
Do you have a favorite Plannerisms post?
I'm looking forward to much more Plannerisms to come! Thanks for reading, everybody!
Gakken Sta:Ful 2011 Rabbit planner back in stock!
Great news! Ginko Papers has managed to acquire more of the fantastic 2011 Rabbit planners from the publisher in Japan!
This is wonderful for people who want this excellent layout: the months and weeks are visible simultaneously, and each section's pages turn independently so you can flip through your weeks while looking at the month or vice versa.
Click here to see my review of this planner with lots of photos of the pages and features.
Click here to go straight to the ordering page.
Hurry to order yours before they are completely sold out!
This is wonderful for people who want this excellent layout: the months and weeks are visible simultaneously, and each section's pages turn independently so you can flip through your weeks while looking at the month or vice versa.
Click here to see my review of this planner with lots of photos of the pages and features.
Click here to go straight to the ordering page.
Hurry to order yours before they are completely sold out!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Looking for a 2011 planner?
Are you searching for the perfect planner to guide you through 2011? Hopefully I can help you in your search!
The first thing you have to decide is whether you want a bound-book style of planner or a loose-leaf binder system (like Filofax etc.). Here is my post Planner Preference: Ring Binder vs. Bound Book to help you decide.
Here is a list of reviews I have done of 2011 planners, with some suggestions to help you figure out what you need and want from your planner in the coming year.
Click on the highlighted links for my complete reviews with lots of photos of features of each planner, and links to order the planner from the appropriate website if you are interested. Click on photos for a larger view:
**Edited to add: in my original post I left this planner out because it was sold out, but now it is back in stock! If you want a beautiful, super-slim planner with fabulous paper and a unique layout: months and weekly pages visible at the same time, you MUST check out the Rabbit planner (click here for the ordering page)! Click here to see my review of this fantastic planner:
If you want a sleek, classic style planner that suits many needs in many circumstances, check out the Moleskine planners (here is my review of the Large Daily and Vertical Weekly Moleskine planners).
If you want a similar style to the Moleskine but with all seven days as vertical columns and space for notes in a portable size planner, then it's the Leuchtturm medium weekly planner you want.
If you want a very small, portable planner (perhaps as a companion to your smartphone) then you want the Moleskine Extra Small planner (in daily or weekly format).
If you want a portable planner with a pretty cover, large weekly view, and monthly calendars across a two-page spread with the months EMBEDDED in the weeks (a very hard-to-find format!) check out the Plan-It Planners. Click here to see my review of the academic year version. Click here for the 2011 January-December planners.
If you are very busy and need lots of space to write each day and need to write task lists on your weekly pages to see everything you have to do and when you have time to do it all in one view, you can't go wrong with a Quo Vadis Trinote or Minister planner. Click these links for my reviews of the Trinote and Minister, links below go straight to the Quo Vadis product pages.
The Trinote format has Notes spaces for each day:
The Minister is a slightly slimmer book:
If you have lots of recurring events each week and/ or month and are tired of re-writing them each week (because sooner or later, you'll forget to re-write and something will slip through the cracks) then hurry to order your 2011 WeekDate planner before they sell out! Its unique format allows you to "Only Write It Once" as the brand's logo says. Click here for my review of the 2011 WeekDate weekly planner.
If you want to keep track of your and your family's schedule while having fun and learning interesting facts in a weekly-changing planner, check out the Dodo Pad diary (which comes in various formats and sizes including desk, mini, wall, and Filofax inserts). Click here to read my review of the 2011 Dodo Pad A5 Filofax insert on Philofaxy.
If you want budget sheets, menu planning, shopping lists, holiday planning and more incorporated in your weekly planner, take a look at the Life Book by Organised Mum.
All of these planners, believe it or not, I actually own so if you have any specific questions about any of these that I didn't cover in the reviews, post a comment and let me know. I'd be happy to help you sort through the piles of options and help you find the right 2011 planner for you!
Of course there are loads of other options besides those listed here, but this selection will get you started or maybe show you some options you hadn't considered before.
Good luck reaching your own personal Planner Nirvana in 2011!
For those of you who have already decided what planner you will use next year, please post a comment and tell us what you've chosen!
The first thing you have to decide is whether you want a bound-book style of planner or a loose-leaf binder system (like Filofax etc.). Here is my post Planner Preference: Ring Binder vs. Bound Book to help you decide.
Here is a list of reviews I have done of 2011 planners, with some suggestions to help you figure out what you need and want from your planner in the coming year.
Click on the highlighted links for my complete reviews with lots of photos of features of each planner, and links to order the planner from the appropriate website if you are interested. Click on photos for a larger view:
**Edited to add: in my original post I left this planner out because it was sold out, but now it is back in stock! If you want a beautiful, super-slim planner with fabulous paper and a unique layout: months and weekly pages visible at the same time, you MUST check out the Rabbit planner (click here for the ordering page)! Click here to see my review of this fantastic planner:
If you want a sleek, classic style planner that suits many needs in many circumstances, check out the Moleskine planners (here is my review of the Large Daily and Vertical Weekly Moleskine planners).
If you want a similar style to the Moleskine but with all seven days as vertical columns and space for notes in a portable size planner, then it's the Leuchtturm medium weekly planner you want.
If you want a very small, portable planner (perhaps as a companion to your smartphone) then you want the Moleskine Extra Small planner (in daily or weekly format).
If you want a portable planner with a pretty cover, large weekly view, and monthly calendars across a two-page spread with the months EMBEDDED in the weeks (a very hard-to-find format!) check out the Plan-It Planners. Click here to see my review of the academic year version. Click here for the 2011 January-December planners.
If you are very busy and need lots of space to write each day and need to write task lists on your weekly pages to see everything you have to do and when you have time to do it all in one view, you can't go wrong with a Quo Vadis Trinote or Minister planner. Click these links for my reviews of the Trinote and Minister, links below go straight to the Quo Vadis product pages.
The Trinote format has Notes spaces for each day:
The Minister is a slightly slimmer book:
If you have lots of recurring events each week and/ or month and are tired of re-writing them each week (because sooner or later, you'll forget to re-write and something will slip through the cracks) then hurry to order your 2011 WeekDate planner before they sell out! Its unique format allows you to "Only Write It Once" as the brand's logo says. Click here for my review of the 2011 WeekDate weekly planner.
If you want to keep track of your and your family's schedule while having fun and learning interesting facts in a weekly-changing planner, check out the Dodo Pad diary (which comes in various formats and sizes including desk, mini, wall, and Filofax inserts). Click here to read my review of the 2011 Dodo Pad A5 Filofax insert on Philofaxy.
If you want budget sheets, menu planning, shopping lists, holiday planning and more incorporated in your weekly planner, take a look at the Life Book by Organised Mum.
All of these planners, believe it or not, I actually own so if you have any specific questions about any of these that I didn't cover in the reviews, post a comment and let me know. I'd be happy to help you sort through the piles of options and help you find the right 2011 planner for you!
Of course there are loads of other options besides those listed here, but this selection will get you started or maybe show you some options you hadn't considered before.
Good luck reaching your own personal Planner Nirvana in 2011!
For those of you who have already decided what planner you will use next year, please post a comment and tell us what you've chosen!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Gakken Sta:Ful Schedule 2011
This is a diary format I've been searching for for a very long time: the current month and current week visible at the same time! This planner is the Schedule 2011 by Gakken Sta:Ful. I ordered this planner from Ginko Papers. I mentioned this planner in this post. Click here to see the planner page. Update: this planner was sold out but is now back in stock!! Ginko Papers managed to get some more from the publisher in Japan. So HURRY to order yours before they sell out completely!!!
First let me say this: This planner is from Japan. Ginko Papers is located in the US. I live in Scotland. And this planner arrived SEVEN DAYS after I ordered it! That is incredibly fast!!
Second, let me summarize the planner: it is AWESOME. The Rabbit cover (to celebrate 2011 Year of the Rabbit) is beautiful front and back.
The cover is plastic-covered which is great for those of us who tend to be messy (speaking for myself here!).
Here is the fantastic layout with the month on top and week (with all 7 days as columns!!) at the bottom. The pages in the monthly section turn independently of the weekly, so you can look at your month while you flip ahead in your weeks or vice-versa. On the monthly pages there are a few lines for reminders or goals that month, and on the weekly page there are several lines for To Dos that week. Click on the photo for a larger view.
Each daily column has a space at the top to note the significant event of the day (holiday, birthday, deadline etc.) and a space at the bottom for notes, daily totals etc. The columns are lined and timed from 8:00 to 22:00.
And look there at the right side of the pages: monthly tabs!! Hooray! Monthly tabs really do make it easier to find the month and week I'm looking for.
Inside the front cover there are two plastic tabs that hold the monthly and weekly sections to the current page, so when you open the book it automatically opens to the current month and week! I love it!
As if the beautiful cover and fantastic format weren't enough, there are loads of other great features in this planner!
Inside the back cover there are 3 slots for cards, and a full-length pocket behind for loose papers. There's another plastic clip for larger papers, and there's even a pen loop!! (Pen not included, that's my own Sakura Micron in there.)
The back pages of the calendar sections have space for personal information.
There are also loads of other pages in the top section, like Addresses:
Passwords:
Subway maps, very interesting:
And year planner pages:
At the front of the calendar section there are reference calendars for 2011 and 2012.
Additionally, there are lots of notes pages in the top section behind the month pages.
To be precise, there are 37 lined pages and 15 quadruled pages. That totals 52 notes pages. That means I can have one page for each week of the year to write my weekly to do list. Which I can then view at the same time as my weekly schedule. This is absolute genius!
The monthly section goes from October 2010 through March 2012, giving you a few extra months' planning. The weekly section starts December 20, 2010 and ends January 1, 2012. But there is a bonus! Included is a weekly booklet supplement for October 2010 through December 19, 2010 so the user could start this planner at the beginning of October in both the monthly and weekly sections. This means I can start using this planner immediately without having to wait until January!! Instant gratification: Priceless.
The paper is exquisite. Super-smooth, and absolutely no show-through. I don't know what the weight of the paper is but it's fantastic.
This book is incredibly slim, and at 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 inches it is very portable. It will definitely fit into any of my bags and is so light I'll have no problem carrying it with me everywhere.
Highest praises for Ginko Papers customer service. After I ordered my planner, I received a very nice email from the owner (!) of Ginko Papers confirming my order and giving me tracking information. As I mentioned before, the shipping was mind-blowingly fast, and the international shipping rates were extremely reasonable.
And on top of all that excellence, there was included a beautiful Rabbit post card with a hand-written note! Wow, that was really nice! Thank you Ginko Papers!
According to the Ginko Papers website, 2011 the Year of the Rabbit will be a calm year where all of our hard work finally pays off. Sounds great to me!!
For those of you who really want the calendar format of this planner but weren't able to order it before it sold out, you might take a look at the Himori The Beginning diary (click here for the ebay page). I have not ordered from this seller and I have not tried this particular diary, so I can't tell you about the quality or anything else. But according to the photos it has a very similar layout with weeks and months visible simultaneously.
If you are interested in other new and interesting planner designs, be sure to check out Ginko Papers' selection (quickly before they sell out!). There are lots of cool planners like the weekly and monthly planners with embroidered covers, or with covers that are clear zip storage pouches. Very cool!
First let me say this: This planner is from Japan. Ginko Papers is located in the US. I live in Scotland. And this planner arrived SEVEN DAYS after I ordered it! That is incredibly fast!!
Second, let me summarize the planner: it is AWESOME. The Rabbit cover (to celebrate 2011 Year of the Rabbit) is beautiful front and back.
The cover is plastic-covered which is great for those of us who tend to be messy (speaking for myself here!).
Here is the fantastic layout with the month on top and week (with all 7 days as columns!!) at the bottom. The pages in the monthly section turn independently of the weekly, so you can look at your month while you flip ahead in your weeks or vice-versa. On the monthly pages there are a few lines for reminders or goals that month, and on the weekly page there are several lines for To Dos that week. Click on the photo for a larger view.
Each daily column has a space at the top to note the significant event of the day (holiday, birthday, deadline etc.) and a space at the bottom for notes, daily totals etc. The columns are lined and timed from 8:00 to 22:00.
And look there at the right side of the pages: monthly tabs!! Hooray! Monthly tabs really do make it easier to find the month and week I'm looking for.
Inside the front cover there are two plastic tabs that hold the monthly and weekly sections to the current page, so when you open the book it automatically opens to the current month and week! I love it!
As if the beautiful cover and fantastic format weren't enough, there are loads of other great features in this planner!
Inside the back cover there are 3 slots for cards, and a full-length pocket behind for loose papers. There's another plastic clip for larger papers, and there's even a pen loop!! (Pen not included, that's my own Sakura Micron in there.)
The back pages of the calendar sections have space for personal information.
There are also loads of other pages in the top section, like Addresses:
Passwords:
Subway maps, very interesting:
And year planner pages:
At the front of the calendar section there are reference calendars for 2011 and 2012.
Additionally, there are lots of notes pages in the top section behind the month pages.
To be precise, there are 37 lined pages and 15 quadruled pages. That totals 52 notes pages. That means I can have one page for each week of the year to write my weekly to do list. Which I can then view at the same time as my weekly schedule. This is absolute genius!
The monthly section goes from October 2010 through March 2012, giving you a few extra months' planning. The weekly section starts December 20, 2010 and ends January 1, 2012. But there is a bonus! Included is a weekly booklet supplement for October 2010 through December 19, 2010 so the user could start this planner at the beginning of October in both the monthly and weekly sections. This means I can start using this planner immediately without having to wait until January!! Instant gratification: Priceless.
The paper is exquisite. Super-smooth, and absolutely no show-through. I don't know what the weight of the paper is but it's fantastic.
This book is incredibly slim, and at 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 inches it is very portable. It will definitely fit into any of my bags and is so light I'll have no problem carrying it with me everywhere.
Highest praises for Ginko Papers customer service. After I ordered my planner, I received a very nice email from the owner (!) of Ginko Papers confirming my order and giving me tracking information. As I mentioned before, the shipping was mind-blowingly fast, and the international shipping rates were extremely reasonable.
And on top of all that excellence, there was included a beautiful Rabbit post card with a hand-written note! Wow, that was really nice! Thank you Ginko Papers!
According to the Ginko Papers website, 2011 the Year of the Rabbit will be a calm year where all of our hard work finally pays off. Sounds great to me!!
For those of you who really want the calendar format of this planner but weren't able to order it before it sold out, you might take a look at the Himori The Beginning diary (click here for the ebay page). I have not ordered from this seller and I have not tried this particular diary, so I can't tell you about the quality or anything else. But according to the photos it has a very similar layout with weeks and months visible simultaneously.
If you are interested in other new and interesting planner designs, be sure to check out Ginko Papers' selection (quickly before they sell out!). There are lots of cool planners like the weekly and monthly planners with embroidered covers, or with covers that are clear zip storage pouches. Very cool!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
2011 Moleskine Weekly Vertical tweak
It's not enough of a hack to call it a hack, it's really just a small tweak. But it could potentially make a big difference for me.
First, some background: you may remember my review awhile back of the 2011 Moleskine weekly vertical planner. I love that the 2011 Moleskine planners now have monthly calendars with boxes large enough to write in. I am always on the lookout for a planner with the following properties:
1) Weekly view with days as columns (Moleskine: check).
2) Monthly calendars with boxes large enough to write in (Moleskine: check).
3) Bound book (Moleskine: check).
4) Space for lists, notes, motivational quotes, etc. on the weekly pages (Moleskine... um, well let me just fix that).
Below is my solution, in my 2011 Moleskine Weekly Vertical planner (click on photo to enlarge):
I'll use the top half of the daily columns as my days. Then below the Gap between 1 and 2 pm (Moleskine, really, I know you've made that space there due to the Sunday arrangement, but you could easily do away with it) I'll use those areas for my lists and notes. I'll just ignore all the printed time markings top and bottom.
Here is a closeup of where I'll write my Weekly Goals, To Dos, and Phone/ Email lists. In the space at the very bottom of the week I'll write the Motivational Quote Of The Week. (Click photo to enlarge.)
I like this idea a lot, but the only way I'll know if it will work for me is to actually try it out. January will be a very planner-experimental month for me!
Will you be conducting any planner experiments in the new year?
First, some background: you may remember my review awhile back of the 2011 Moleskine weekly vertical planner. I love that the 2011 Moleskine planners now have monthly calendars with boxes large enough to write in. I am always on the lookout for a planner with the following properties:
1) Weekly view with days as columns (Moleskine: check).
2) Monthly calendars with boxes large enough to write in (Moleskine: check).
3) Bound book (Moleskine: check).
4) Space for lists, notes, motivational quotes, etc. on the weekly pages (Moleskine... um, well let me just fix that).
Below is my solution, in my 2011 Moleskine Weekly Vertical planner (click on photo to enlarge):
I'll use the top half of the daily columns as my days. Then below the Gap between 1 and 2 pm (Moleskine, really, I know you've made that space there due to the Sunday arrangement, but you could easily do away with it) I'll use those areas for my lists and notes. I'll just ignore all the printed time markings top and bottom.
Here is a closeup of where I'll write my Weekly Goals, To Dos, and Phone/ Email lists. In the space at the very bottom of the week I'll write the Motivational Quote Of The Week. (Click photo to enlarge.)
I like this idea a lot, but the only way I'll know if it will work for me is to actually try it out. January will be a very planner-experimental month for me!
Will you be conducting any planner experiments in the new year?
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