Collins Debden UK has a new website! It is fast and slick, and looks great on my laptop and on my Kindle.
The new website is arranged very clearly and it's really easy to find everything, whether by the top tabs categories, the search bar at the top of the page, or the pull-down Quick Search.
I've said before that when it comes to planner websites, if I don't find what I'm looking for in about 20 seconds or less, I move on to a different website. The Collins website performs beautifully and it's easy to find what I'm looking for quickly.
Another feature I really appreciate is that they show the inside formats of the planners. It's shocking to me how many planner websites show the closed cover of the book and don't show the interior format, which is the most important part! Other features are listed too, and the size measurements are clearly shown so you know exactly what size the planner is.
Later in the year, the 2015 Plannerisms planners will be available on the Collins UK website! I don't know yet when they will be ready to order, but when they are I'll make a big announcement here on Plannerisms with links.
Meanwhile the 2014-2015 Academic year planners, 2015 Business diaries and organiser refills, and the 2016 Early Edition diary are already available to order.
You can see the entire Collins UK collection at http://www.collinsdebden.co.uk/
Monday, March 31, 2014
Friday, March 28, 2014
Free For All Friday No. 29: Your Planner Page Preference: Structured, or Open-plan?
Some people like their planner pages to be very structured with designated spaces to write their appointments, tasks, tracking things like expenses or exercise, and sometimes even with boxes to check off to indicate when you have completed something. Some examples of very structured planner pages are Franklin Covey and the Women's Success Planner.
Other people prefer non-formatted pages, like most Moleskine planners have, without designated spaces to write specific things. Sometimes this is so people can format the page themselves and customize it to their own needs. Other folks just like a free-form, open page.
I like a medium amount of formatting in my planner. If it's too free-form, I don't have the structure I need to show me what needs to be done. If it's too formatted with too many spaces to fill and boxes to check, I feel like it's too much to keep up on and I rebel.
What about you? Do you function best with a structured planner so you can fill in each space as appropriate? Or do you prefer the freedom of mainly unformatted pages?
And as always on Fridays, feel free to discuss and/ or ask anything planner-related!
Other people prefer non-formatted pages, like most Moleskine planners have, without designated spaces to write specific things. Sometimes this is so people can format the page themselves and customize it to their own needs. Other folks just like a free-form, open page.
I like a medium amount of formatting in my planner. If it's too free-form, I don't have the structure I need to show me what needs to be done. If it's too formatted with too many spaces to fill and boxes to check, I feel like it's too much to keep up on and I rebel.
What about you? Do you function best with a structured planner so you can fill in each space as appropriate? Or do you prefer the freedom of mainly unformatted pages?
And as always on Fridays, feel free to discuss and/ or ask anything planner-related!
Monday, March 24, 2014
Christine's guest post: Fabric planner and notebook covers: A stylish way to avoid PVC and other plastics
Many thanks to Christine of Cookie Cutter Design for this excellent guest post on an easy way to make your own cloth cover for your planner or notebook!
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If you’ve used any number of planners, odds are that you are familiar with that leather-like cover they usually come in. It is very difficult to find a planner without a PVC (poly-vinyl-chloride) cover, especially if you seek some variety, and I’m sure that many Plannerisms readers are quite picky about their planners! Some of the problems with PVC are that: - it outgases indefinitely, even in landfills - it releases dioxins when incinerated (carcinogenic and contributing to climate change) - it is a group A human carcinogen, linked to liver cancer - it is a known hormone disruptor - like any petroleum product, its source, production and disposal are associated with environmental harm. Some people actually seek out PVC for its visual characteristics, and many people enjoy plastic products for their obvious practical appeal. I am one of the (probably) few people who avoid PVC like the plague, and I try to avoid new plastic products in general.
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For the last few years I have used Quo Vadis planner refills and ‘dressed’ them in simple fabric covers that I sewed. Here you see them stacked up; I have used the Quo Vadis President, Trinote, Minister, Journal 21, and for 2014 I’m using their APB1. On top you see a little Clairfontaine Notebook. I promise that I have not been paid a cent or received merchandise to write this (although that would be nice)! I like Quo Vadis planners for their variety in formats as well as the craftmanship. I have always preferred their Equology line (100% post-consumer paper) over their regular products, but I don’t have access to their recycled planner refills. (Note from Laurie: According to QuoVadisPlanners.com, the Quo Vadis Club, Soho and Texas covers are PVC-free.)
Making your own cover is easy:
1. Get yourself some fabric you love, ideally of medium weight. In the past, my fabrics included old (‘vintage’) pillowcases; now I use fabric I designed myself.
2. If using new fabric, prewash or simply dunk it into hot water for a minute and let it dry - then your cover won’t shrink later on. NOTE: “oilcloth” fabric is coated with plastic (by far most commonly PVC)
3. Using a tape measure, measure the length of your planner or notebook: measure the closed book from edge to edge around the spine. Then measure the height. Add 1/2 inch (1 cm) to the height and about 4 inches (10 cm) to the length measurement - less, if your planner is very small. Mark the fabric on the wrong side with a pencil or pins. Cut out the piece.
4. Hem the short edges of the fabric, either by using an over-edge function of your sewing machine or by using needle and thread to prevent fraying.
5. Fold over the short edges of the fabric by about 2 inches - it helps to wrap the planner in the fabric and pin the top and bottom fabric edges together. Remove planner and machine-stitch along the top and bottom. Use the over-edge function of your sewing machine OR straight-stitch by hand first and follow up with a simple manual over-edging as you did in step 3.
6. Your cover is finished! When it gets dirty, just wash in the machine or quickly by hand. I recommend air-drying.
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I hope that some of you now feel inspired to make your own fabric cover for your planner refill, perhaps at the end of this year. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to leave me a comment!
SOURCES:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyvinyl_chloride
http://www.epa.gov/airtoxics/hlthef/vinylchl.html
http://www.consumer.org.my/index.php/products/106-household/206-pvc-plastic-products-outgas-poisons
If you’ve used any number of planners, odds are that you are familiar with that leather-like cover they usually come in. It is very difficult to find a planner without a PVC (poly-vinyl-chloride) cover, especially if you seek some variety, and I’m sure that many Plannerisms readers are quite picky about their planners! Some of the problems with PVC are that: - it outgases indefinitely, even in landfills - it releases dioxins when incinerated (carcinogenic and contributing to climate change) - it is a group A human carcinogen, linked to liver cancer - it is a known hormone disruptor - like any petroleum product, its source, production and disposal are associated with environmental harm. Some people actually seek out PVC for its visual characteristics, and many people enjoy plastic products for their obvious practical appeal. I am one of the (probably) few people who avoid PVC like the plague, and I try to avoid new plastic products in general.
For the last few years I have used Quo Vadis planner refills and ‘dressed’ them in simple fabric covers that I sewed. Here you see them stacked up; I have used the Quo Vadis President, Trinote, Minister, Journal 21, and for 2014 I’m using their APB1. On top you see a little Clairfontaine Notebook. I promise that I have not been paid a cent or received merchandise to write this (although that would be nice)! I like Quo Vadis planners for their variety in formats as well as the craftmanship. I have always preferred their Equology line (100% post-consumer paper) over their regular products, but I don’t have access to their recycled planner refills. (Note from Laurie: According to QuoVadisPlanners.com, the Quo Vadis Club, Soho and Texas covers are PVC-free.)
Making your own cover is easy:
1. Get yourself some fabric you love, ideally of medium weight. In the past, my fabrics included old (‘vintage’) pillowcases; now I use fabric I designed myself.
2. If using new fabric, prewash or simply dunk it into hot water for a minute and let it dry - then your cover won’t shrink later on. NOTE: “oilcloth” fabric is coated with plastic (by far most commonly PVC)
3. Using a tape measure, measure the length of your planner or notebook: measure the closed book from edge to edge around the spine. Then measure the height. Add 1/2 inch (1 cm) to the height and about 4 inches (10 cm) to the length measurement - less, if your planner is very small. Mark the fabric on the wrong side with a pencil or pins. Cut out the piece.
4. Hem the short edges of the fabric, either by using an over-edge function of your sewing machine or by using needle and thread to prevent fraying.
5. Fold over the short edges of the fabric by about 2 inches - it helps to wrap the planner in the fabric and pin the top and bottom fabric edges together. Remove planner and machine-stitch along the top and bottom. Use the over-edge function of your sewing machine OR straight-stitch by hand first and follow up with a simple manual over-edging as you did in step 3.
6. Your cover is finished! When it gets dirty, just wash in the machine or quickly by hand. I recommend air-drying.
I hope that some of you now feel inspired to make your own fabric cover for your planner refill, perhaps at the end of this year. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to leave me a comment!
SOURCES:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyvinyl_chloride
http://www.epa.gov/airtoxics/hlthef/vinylchl.html
http://www.consumer.org.my/index.php/products/106-household/206-pvc-plastic-products-outgas-poisons
Friday, March 21, 2014
Free For All Friday No. 28: Extra pages in your planner?
I like lots of extra pages and content in my planner: conversions, international phone codes, maps (lots of maps!). I especially like local- and country-specific content in my planners, like in my UK Quo Vadis diary, my Russian diary and my Diary 2000. But I realize not everyone likes these pages taking up planner space.
Do you like extra pages and content in your planner? If so, what?
And as always on Fridays, feel free to discuss anything planner-related!
Do you like extra pages and content in your planner? If so, what?
And as always on Fridays, feel free to discuss anything planner-related!
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
2015 planners available now, and soon
Yes I know it's only March, but I'm already excited about next year's planners! I'm very happy to see some of them are already available, and others are coming out soon.
2015 Planners already available:
Collins UK's 2015 business diaries are already available to order. They even have a 2016 Early Edition for people who really need to plan ahead.They also have 2015 diary inserts for Filofax and similar binders. Their 2014-2015 academic-year diaries are also available now.
Moleskine's 18 month diaries are available now from Amazon UK, and Amazon.com says they'll be released on the 26th. These diaries go from July through to December of the following year, so the 2014-2015 version will get you all the way through the end of December 2015.
Filofax UK already has many of their diary inserts available for 2015.
Qimmis.com has diary inserts for Filofax, Franklin Covey and other ring binder systems. You can choose which month you want your inserts to start, and can choose 3, 6 or 12 months' worth. They have inserts available now that can start in June 2014, so if you choose 12 months of those they'll get you halfway through 2015.
2015 Planners available soon:
Moleskine's 2015 planners are due for release in May (US) and June (UK). I have already pre-ordered some from Amazon. You can see Moleskine's entire 2015 planner lineup in their catalog here.
Quo Vadis UK says their 2014-2015 academic-year diaries will be available at the beginning of May, and their 2015 diaries at the end of May.
Brush Dance datebooks and Organised Mum diaries are usually available in June. I can't wait to see their selections this year!
Are there any 2015 planners you are eagerly anticipating?
2015 Planners already available:
Collins UK's 2015 business diaries are already available to order. They even have a 2016 Early Edition for people who really need to plan ahead.They also have 2015 diary inserts for Filofax and similar binders. Their 2014-2015 academic-year diaries are also available now.
Moleskine's 18 month diaries are available now from Amazon UK, and Amazon.com says they'll be released on the 26th. These diaries go from July through to December of the following year, so the 2014-2015 version will get you all the way through the end of December 2015.
Filofax UK already has many of their diary inserts available for 2015.
Qimmis.com has diary inserts for Filofax, Franklin Covey and other ring binder systems. You can choose which month you want your inserts to start, and can choose 3, 6 or 12 months' worth. They have inserts available now that can start in June 2014, so if you choose 12 months of those they'll get you halfway through 2015.
2015 Planners available soon:
Moleskine's 2015 planners are due for release in May (US) and June (UK). I have already pre-ordered some from Amazon. You can see Moleskine's entire 2015 planner lineup in their catalog here.
Quo Vadis UK says their 2014-2015 academic-year diaries will be available at the beginning of May, and their 2015 diaries at the end of May.
Brush Dance datebooks and Organised Mum diaries are usually available in June. I can't wait to see their selections this year!
Are there any 2015 planners you are eagerly anticipating?
Monday, March 17, 2014
Hobonichi survey--tell them what you want!
I received this link (below) to the Hobonichi survey from Lindsay, their wonderful translator and overall Hobonichi wizard. She would love to hear everyone's opinion of their Hobonichi planner, whether you have the English version or the Cousin version (or any other version too). She said there currently are no plans to make an English version of the A5 size Cousin, but if there is enough interest they will consider it in the future.
Here is the survey: https://jp.surveymonkey.com/s/
You can see my reviews of the A6 size English Hobonichi Planner here and the A5 size Japanese Hobonichi Cousin planner here.
Here is the survey: https://jp.surveymonkey.com/s/
You can see my reviews of the A6 size English Hobonichi Planner here and the A5 size Japanese Hobonichi Cousin planner here.
Friday, March 14, 2014
Free For All Friday No. 27: Planner page size/ writing space: How big is too big?
Too-big pages lead me to write more than I can accomplish in a day, which makes me feel overwhelmed and behind.
How big is too big for you?
And as always on Fridays, feel free to discuss anything planner-related!
How big is too big for you?
And as always on Fridays, feel free to discuss anything planner-related!
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