Planner Party Guest Post Number Six: Denise!
October 22, 2015
{Happy Thursday, my friends! Please welcome Denise to the Party!}
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Talking planners... a weird fondness I have!! I will try to stick to the
topic at hand (& edit myself! I can run on about this topic!) ...(As can I, Denise - no worries! ~ Dawn)
What planner I am using and how I like it
The Short of it:
(1) I am currently using a regular size (little bigger than 8.5 x 11"), spiral-bound monthly/weekly view calendar. I had to look, it is by BlueSky.
(Photo below shows one side of the month view.)
(2) I really, really, really like it!
(I try not to use the l-o-v-e word flippantly!)
The LONG of it:
(1) I have used many different kinds/styles, yet I have been coming back to this one most frequently. Why have I been using this particular style for a while? It 'stores' easy. At the end of the year (well, the beginning of the new year, actually) I pull the pages out, trim them,
3-hole punch them & store in my 3-ring binder journals.(The smaller versions - I call them the half-size - don't store as nicely.)
(2) What I like about it:• Easy to tote around. Fits easily in my attaché case & my totes. (I have
several, so I can keep them packed up & ready to go!)• Monthly (tabbed, 2-page open spread) & weekly view (one week covers 2
pages).• The durable covers.
• The slick interior cover & back pages (post-its come on & off with ease!)
• The size of the monthly, lined boxes.
• The size of weekly view.
• No time slots.
• The quality of the paper. I like it, I really do.
• It lays flat when open.
• It is easy to fold so that only one side is showing.
• It holds up to my scratching.
(3) What I would change about it:• More note pages.
• Maybe holiday planning pages, like at the end of the month.
• An easy way to "add" pages into it??
I have a small spiral bound planner that is given to me & I don't use it, so I rip the pages out & stick them in as best I can; they don't turn easily!
I would like to be able to add pages into it, while still in the spiral binding, with ease!
• A pocket! I adhered a plastic pocket to the back to easily slip papers in on the
go. Double stick tape. It has held up well & this is the third or fourth year I've used this pocket.• Some way to keep pens. (They don't stay clipped to the front for me!)
(4) How I use my planner:• I use my monthly calendar to record appointments, events, etc.
• I color-code my planner. I use two different, 4-color pens. (The standard has blue, green, black, red. The 2nd has light blue, light green, purple, pink.)
• I use the weekly as kind of a record of what actually went on that day,
special things to note, recording my blessings, recording some +/- of the day (positives, negatives), etc.• I have JUST RECENTLY (inspired by that time-sapper called Pinterest) begun to "embellish" my planner. I don't know that I like it, to be candid. I'm kind of a plain-Jane type gal! I do like *sketching* in my planner, however I DO NOT know how to draw!!
(5) How I do NOT use my planner:• I do NOT use the planner to record my TO DO LIST. I use Microsoft Excel
to do that. I have a MASTER list that is categorized, then prioritized. I make a MONTHLY TO DO LIST from this master list. I print this out & either clip to the inside cover OR slip in the pocket (depending on how full that is!) ... THIS is a separate post, I am sure!!
I can't wait to hear from the others - I always pick
something up I can use! Thank you, Dawn, for the opportunity to share
this fondness with others!!
Denise
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Denise, this was a wonderful post! I am so grateful you shared so much of your planner and how you use it - and don't use it! (I think that to-do list is DEFINITELY a future post!) The fact that you keep coming back to this planner speaks volumes to me. I've said this before to others, and of myself - if you continue with something, its clearly working for you on some level. Even if it's not perfect, it's a good fit! (Like my Day-Timer monthly calendar refills - also lined boxes like yours, which I love!) And I am in agreement with you - Blue Sky is amazing! I have loved their planners for many years and always linger over them at Target. The Day Designer I bought a few months ago is made by Blue Sky. They do planners right!
I am also right there with you on durable covers - and the way paper feels! Quality paper is a must! Half the reason I lag on making my own planner is I can't find paper I really like! (Yes, I really am that picky, lol.) I am also picky about how a planner flips and if it can, as you described above, lay flat on one side. I need to focus on the day at hand!
And I love that you defined how you would change your planner if you could - if only the manufacturer's would listen to us, lol! And also that you told us how you don't use it. I'm constantly finding different "homes" for my to-do lists, so that I think would make a great separate post!
p.s. I think your drawings are charming. :)
Well my friends, what say you now? Please leave a comment and let Denise know what you think and if you have any questions. I'm curious how many of us are working with new planners (perhaps again) and how many use the same one year after year. I have a few items in my "planning repertoire" that I return to every year, but I still find fault here and there.
And as always, thanks so much for stopping by - see you here again tomorrow!