Planning Obsession

Something that most probably don't know about me is that I am a huge planner nerd. I absolutely love a handwritten, hard copy planner in front of me and I feel one thousand times more productive when I open the cover. Stupid I know but if you geek out about planners too, I KNOW you get it. I have tried so many times to like electronic to-do lists and calendars on my phone but I just cannot get used to them and do not accomplish as much when relying on them. 

Last week I bought a new planner for 2018 and I posted a poll on Instagram asking if you wanted me to talk about my various planners I've tried, what I loved, hated, etc. and I got 100% yes! So I've decided to share with you today a little bit about my love for planners.

Let's first go over some basics that I look for in my planners. I have to have a monthly spread and weekly spreads too. I've tried daily pages in the past, but I feel like it wastes paper and I don't end up using a whole sheet for the day so I've always reverted back to weekly spreads. I also like enough room for to-do lists and plenty of notes during the week. I like to take my planner with me, so I need it to be durable and last during a year's worth of adventures. While I like a little pop of color here and there, I usually like a mostly black and white planner, which allows me to use whatever color pens or even functional stickers, I want. 

And now for the planners...

Erin Condren Life Planner: The one I had for the end of 2015 and all of 2016 was the original Life Planner with the vertical layout. This planner is one that really re-established hardbound planners again and most of you have probably seen it or maybe even owned one. I coughed up the terrifying $50+ for my Life Planner and I really did like it for the first few months. I liked that there was 3 vertical boxes a day that I could customize how ever I wanted and there was plenty of notes space. This may come as a surprise to you because most people love it, but I doubt I will ever buy a Life Planner again. For me there is really 3 reasons; the cover, the thickness, and the price. First off I HATED the cover. Erin Condren is known for the interchangeable covers that you can customize and get in a million different patterns. I really thought I would love this until I started using my planner. Within a few weeks, I was losing tons of the plastic tips that connected the planner to the coil, and I had to contact the company and they sent me a code to reorder a new cover. Luckily I snagged a deal and got BOGO free so I figured this breaking cover wasn't normal and was glad I'd have two now to last the rest of the year. Except the same thing happened AND my covers started peeling at the corners. I'd say they had great customer service, but the product just wasn't working. Mind you I am not that hard on things and take great care of my stuff. The other two issues I have are how thick the Life Planner is. I had the 18 month, so that didn't help, but I still feel like this planner is just so much thicker than most and a pain to carry around with you. Lastly, the price is just difficult to swallow for me. I think there are just as great or even better planners for less, so I doubt I'll ever go back to Erin Condren. 

One thing I do like is Erin Condren is always coming up with new things and improving previous designs, so I've noticed they have coil-less and hard bound planners now which do solve the problems that I had. I do believe they are a little more inexpensive than the Life Planner too, so that is nice. If you're someone who would leave their planner only in one location, like home or at work, you may really like the Life Planner, but for me it just doesn't work.

Sugar Paper for Target: If you click here you can see this specific planner I have been using for 2017.  I bought it at Target for $20 (I mean can you really beat that?!) Target has been stepping their game up in the planner world and collaborating with some pretty cool design companies like Sugar Paper, Day Designer, Britt & Co.,  May Designs (hint hint hint)...I really liked the hard bound black cover and this one satisfied all of my needs. It was simplistic in color and design, had weekly and monthly spreads, and was thin and easier to travel with than my Life Planner. I have to say that I really did love this planner for most of the year until about 2 weeks ago when it broke. The front cover unattached from the binding. It's usable but a pain to work with because it keeps moving around weird when I try to write. Up until it broke I really thought I would repurchase a planner for 2018 that was similar in size and design. I don't have much more to say about this one besides keep your eye out at Target for planner launches because they kill it!

May Designs for Target: Now we have reached the good stuff. I am absolutely obsessed with my new planner from May Designs. I have a lot to say so let's just dive right in. I bought this one here for $19.99 and it's beautiful, simple, functional, but most importantly CUSTOMIZABLE! It's esstentially May Designs' version of a traveler's notebook, a leather-type cover with elastics that allow for you to connect your own mini notebooks together. If you've never heard of this but love planning please do yourself a favor and google it (but only when you have extra time to blow because you will get sucked in)! I spent a good few months last year (when I was just over the Life Planner) dabbling with the world of Bullet Journaling (again google at your own risk, but PLEASE do it). Bullet journaling is essentially a brain dumb method that involves you creating a planning space out of an empty notebook. It involves you creating your own spreads which allows for complete customization. I really enjoyed it but was too busy at the time to really continue so I went back to a pre-designed planner for 2017. 

So fast forward to now and why I love this May Designs Traveler's Notebook. It came with two notebooks, half the year in each, and I purchased two blank, lined notebooks to insert as well. I also love that it fits the thin Moleskine's that I always keep on me for doodling, lists, and such. 

So where am I at now? I currently have dove right back into bullet journaling in a moleskine for the last two months of the year in the Traveler's Notebook and ditched the Sugar Paper planner because it's broken. I love that this has allowed me to carry the rest of 2017 and the first half of 2018 with me so there's no awkward time of carrying two planners at the end of a year. The thing I love most about the Traveler's Notebook is that at the end of the year if I still love this cover and it's in good shape, I can just buy some new May Designs custom notebooks and use it again! If you've never browsed their site YOU NEED TO. They make the most beautiful customizable notebooks for whatever you need them for. 

I hope this was helpful for all of you who requested this post over on Instagram. If you aren't following me please do it ASAP so you can vote on my polls that help decide what content I bring to you next! Scroll down to the bottom of this page to FOLLOW ME!

Leave a comment below with your favorite planner or any planning tips! Also, let me know if you want to see more planner related content on Andrea Fontana Beauty. I know it's not beauty related, but we all need to be organized to be productive so I love sharing this type of stuff with you!

Have a beautiful weekend,

Andrea