my planner

so i keep a well detailed planner. i did all through college, and even though i'm not nearly as busy now, i still do. its funny, i'm not always the neatest person, like say when it comes to laundry, and i'm a mess in the kitchen, but there are some things i keep completely organized- like my email inbox. and my planner. in college, it was actually color coded by category. i only use certain pens in my planner- generally, when i get a new planner, i get a new pen and that is all i use. i'll put a sticky note in my planner before i write in it in the "wrong" pen. i use 1-2 clean mark through lines when i have done something, and scribble out in zigzags things that get canceled. i find that by the end of the year, my planner becomes a sort of journal- mostly because, i write everything down. if its not in my planner, chances are, its not going to happen. some weeks have more written down than others. often, i stick in grocery lists, menus, etc. sometimes, when i'm feeling overwhelmed because i have a lot to do, i flip back through all the weeks before to see all the things i have accomplished, all the things that are marked out. i really like that.

when looking for a planner, i am pretty picky. i like plenty of space for each day to write things out. i dont like times listed. i like for the planner to have a full month or year view to write in quick notes like vacations. it has to feel good to- this one, the pages are crisp and yet it bends easily. i like to identify where i am in the planner somehow- in my last planner, i used a paper clip. this one, the bottom right corner tears off so all the ones are torn up to where i am. i also appreciate notes pages- in this one, i have a list of all the magazines we are currently subscribed to. typically, i go for an academic calendar over a true 12 month calendar-  i haven't been able to make the switch since being in college, and i find that academic planners seem to suit my fancy. also, they tend to come in pink :)

here's some pictures for you to get a visual of what i mean...



the planner, with this year's pen...a uni 0.7 blue ink jetstream. it writes very nicely.

this week in my calendar- it's a pretty light week so far



here's the overview calendar at the beginning- highlighted days have to do with my PTO at work





a good busy week a while back- see all i accomplished!

recently, i added a small notepad to my planner to keep up with different lists that i always want to be able to get to- like restaurants we want to check out, ideas for our basement, and a dream list for our future home. this has been a good way for me to keep a log so that i don't forget. now, i don't have a smart phone yet so its hard to truly say, but i think i will always prefer paper & ink over technology. theres just something about the satisfaction of crossing through things when they have been accomplished, and of make a neat & tidy check list in my own handwriting. here's a few samples from the notepad (labeled "ideas")

this was some planning we did for our lifegroup (sunday school class)



so there you have it friends, a peek inside my planner life.