I’m not sure where to start in this Happy Planner Girl post? Telling you all the various planners I used in the last year (Happy Planner Girl Carpe Diem Personal, Happy Planner Girl Illustrated Faith, Happy Planner Girl Recollections Hourly), or telling what I’m using now? Since this post is all about a Happy Planner Girl finding planner peace, I’ll start with what’s working right now and please God–no really, please God help me to be happy and at peace with what I’m using because I need to save the time and money. So, have I found planner girl peace? I honestly think so. Through much trial and error, I have settled on two paper planners and one digital. Wait! I can explain and you’ll see why this is not as complicated as it sounds.
Happy Planner Girl: Planner Peace
There are three of us who drive and four of us with phones in our home. We need a quick and easy way to keep track of everyone. I use Google Calendar on my phone and computer because Chris, Veronica, and Anna are all synced into it. All family activities and appointments get entered into the calendar. Each of us can check the calendar on our phones at any given time. We can also enter addresses or other important descriptions. One of the things I love about Google calendar is the notifications. When we enter an appointment, practice, activity or function, we can set up notifications. I typically send an email to myself the day before and a reminder sent to our phones 30 minutes before.
I’m a blogger, writer, and small business owner. I need a specific planner for The Littlest Way. I keep track of goals and ideas, scheduled posts, expenses and income, social media and other important blog information. I just started using a Classic Happy Planner for The Littlest Way this past December. I started early to make sure it was going to work. As soon as I started adding some additional inserts, I knew I definitely found planner girl peace for my business. I just really like this planner. I like the size, I like the colors, I like the customization abilities, I like that although this is my business planner, I have lots of room to add family information. I like adding goals and ways to keep to track of them.
Personally, well, this has pretty much been my struggle this past year. I love paper and pens and organized planners but I never quite found “my planner.” I have tried: Happy Planner (Standard and Large), Websters Pages Color Crush Personal, a Marion Smith A5 with Websters Pages Color Crush inserts, a Passion Planner (Compact and Large), a Living Well Spending Less planner, and my own concoction–not the free download I offer; this was a hybrid business/personal planner. I ordered an Erin Condren, Blessed is She, but gave them away before even trying them. Whew! If it was pretty or could be prettified, I think I tried them this last year. Sometime in the Fall, my friend Misty messaged me saying she thought I might enjoy a Travelers Notebook. So I’ve even tried a Travelers Notebook.
I was fully prepared to use my Happy Planner for personal and work, but I was struggling with the idea of things getting caught in the rings or the rings getting caught on my purse. And although I love, love, love my Marigold Carpe Diem and my Personal floral, they just didn’t feel right. You understand right? I was in kind of a planner limbo…or purgatory until my birthday.
My daughter Anna and I flew to Florida to visit my oldest daughter for my birthday. While we were waiting for our plane by buying overpriced bottles of water in the airplane store, I saw a lovely purple planner with zipper. (I can’t find the one I have, but scroll down and look at the lovely muted gray with roses. That will be my 2019 Planner!) For some reason, I’ve suddenly been drawn to purple, but back to the planner. I picked it up and it felt good. It felt right. I loved that it zipped closed. I opened it and loved the layout, the inspirational quotes, and scripture verses. I bought it hesitantly, because, well see the above list of everything I’ve purchased that didn’t work out. And I made Anna promise me she would make me use it! No matter what!
She hasn’t had to make me use it once. I carry this planner with me from room to room, office desk to kitchen bar, and my purse. I carry it along with my Bullet Journal for Mamas. That will be its own separate post at some point. In addition to those two, I also have 2018 PowerSheets Collection, that I haven’t finished working through yet–Hello February. What is the funny meme right now about January being a trial month? Yes, I totally agree!
So yes, this Happy Planner Girl has found planner peace. And to make sure I stay in peace…get ready. I’m slowly going through my Instagram feed and unfollowing planner pages. I know. Tough decision. But when I think about the time, energy, and money I spent last year trying all the planners…what a waste! I have what I love. I have what works for me. I’m sticking with it. *And if you happen to see my wandering Happy Planner Girl eye…Stop Me! Just like I mentioned in our Lent Devotional for Women about books; at this point, me buying any more planners would be gluttonous.
Lisa Faris says
Hi Jenny. I feel your pain when it comes to planner choices and finding the right one. I have used a paper planner for more years than I can count, and I have bought more binders than most stores would carry at any given time. The A5 always works well for me, and is a great size (for me), but I let myself get swayed by the pretty eye candy of the new versions, sizes, types, etc. I tried a travelers notebook, because I loved the looks of them and the smallness, but I just couldn’t function. It was too thick and bulky by the time I added all that I needed. Then I tried personal size, but then I needed to have two planners… so what was the point. I decided no matter what, I will stay in my A5 size for all of 2018. I holds everything I need (personal, work, RCIA, and crafting business,) It looks nice, and I can change up the binders if I get bored because I already have them.
Thanks to your great idea, my next step is to unfollow all the planner groups that don’t apply to my current size/style right now. I don’t need the temptations. Happy Planning….
Amy Burke says
Hi Jenny,
Have you posted any pictures or videos of the pages within this new planner you’re using? The website doesn’t have pictures of the inside of the planner. I’d love to see a sample of the inside.
Thanks!
Have a Blessed Day and Weekend!
Amy
melinda schmidt says
I have planner struggle too! And I bought a fabulous prayer Journal at the Indy Airport in December! I’m going to have to investigate this Happy Planner Girl!!