Prepare yourselves for a whole lot of photos my friends because these bad boys are so photogenic.
It was only a matter of time before Erin Condren put their hat in the traveler’s notebook ring. On October 9th they’re launching their
On-the-Go Folios*. There will be two color options to choose from for $20 with the option to add embossed initials for $5 more.
Each design comes with the signature asterisk on the cover of the faux leather material.
The cover is sturdy, yet floppy and malleable. There are four elastics that look pretty strange when they’re empty. Look at those poor elastics all sad waiting for notebooks full of ideas…
The covers can comfortably fit four Erin Condren Jot Your Thought journals. The notebooks run flush to the edges of the cover and it doesn’t seem like you can do that much
jump banding for more inserts.
I’m definitely most excited about the new petite planners that are being released alongside the folio. There are a ton of new options dropping, but the daily planner has my interest peaked.
The new petite planners come with a functional sticker sheet in the back packet just like the other editions.
If you’re a sticker junkie there are a ton of new sets debuting as well. Although I’m not a huge fan of the puffy stickers they’ve been releasing lately, the more functional boxes are on my must use list.
There are also two new sets of washi tape! I wasn’t joking guys. TONS of new products are coming our way over the next few weeks. Choose between the asterisks or the foil scallops that made their first appearance in the fall seasonal surprise box.
There’s also (I swear I’m almost done!) a new weekly schedule pad that I’m already planning on purchasing multiples of for holiday gifts. It’s such a simple design, but the gold foiling accents add a level of class.
Phew. We made it to the end! So my thoughts. If you have yet to try a traveler’s notebook and have quite a few Erin Condren products, this could be a really great option to dip your toes into the world. It’s at a fair price point, but doesn’t come with a lot of bells and whistles (I’m talking pockets and a pen loop). It’s a great solution to how to organize all the petite planners, but it seems like a product you’ll grow out of after a few months once you figure out exactly what features you want in your notebook.
I would love to see more adventurous pattern covers as well beyond just a rose gold and charcoal option. I’m lookin’ at you rainbow hexagons! The daily petite planners are my definite favorite from the launch and I’m hoping they release more insert options over the next few months.
Oh, Erin Condren. You did it again didn’t you….
If I were to do college all over again, this would be the planner I splurged on. It’s the type of planner that just makes
sense if you’re in school. You’ll see what I mean as we go along. Plus one of you lovely lot will win this planner! I’ve reviewed previous additions of this planner
in the past, but for anyone new out there, let’s get into all the details about the
Ashley Shelly planner shall we?
There’s a nice sturdy pocket in the front and a few icon stickers in a snap seal pouch. Plus the coil has plenty of room if you’re sticker obsessed and want to pack them in throughout the year.
The monthly spread is lined! I love a good lined monthly view and wish more planners threw in some faint lines to help us crooked writers out.
There are two pages at the start of every month to really help you focus on the days ahead. There are places for goals, bucket lists, and spots to get your mindset right before diving into the month ahead.
It’s the weekly spreads that really make this the perfect academic planner. On the left side there is space to write class times, work hours, and appointments. On the right side there is space for six to do list items (the perfect amount to get done in a day). There’s a section to write anything that’s due that day as well as record dinners. It’s so simple, but so effective. I was a huge color-coordinator back in college and it would totally work in a planner like this to have different colors for work, clubs, school, and homework.
If I were to go back and time and find myself in my freshman year of college, I would use the monthly spread to mark upcoming events, keep track of travel, and record important school dates. The weekly spread would be all about homework, sorority events, and work shifts. Splash a few stickers here and there and my stress levels would have been greatly reduced if this planner appeared in my life back in 2010.
Although I love this planner inside and out, it’ll be more useful to one of you! The giveaway will go on for one week and is open internationally to anyone 18-years-old or with parental consent.
I feel like I’ve mentioned this on the blog before, but I’m garbage when it comes to goal setting. Sure I have goals, but I can never seem to put the right benchmarks in place to get them done in a timely fashion. So here’s hoping a blog post will keep me accountable to get these things done by the end of 2018.
- Sign up for another workout class. I take a HIIT class once a week, but I really need to increase it to two classes a week for my mental sanity (as well as my physical health of course). I’m thinking either a spin class or a yoga class. There are a bunch of places in the Grand Rapids area, but it always takes me a lot of mental pep talks to try something new.
- Start work on a planner subscription box. I’d love to launch a planner subscription box in 2019 with all the fixings. I’m talking planners, clothing, home accessories packed into a quarterly released box. Right now it’s only just an idea, so I’d love to make some sizable progress on box design and themes by the end of the year.
- Check in with friends two more times. When I get busy the letters and text message check ins fall to the wayside. I’d love to check in with my friends and family two more times before the year is up. Luckily Christmas cards can definitely count as one! I still try to do this despite busy schedules to make sure they all know just how important they are to me.
- Take some time off. Like legit time off. Not work travel or family visits, but legit do nothing time. I’m even open to a staycation.
They say you should make your goals doable right?
Alex and I just celebrated our second wedding anniversary and we take gift giving very seriously. We decided last year to stick to the “traditional” anniversary gift themes to keep us creative.When our cotton anniversary approached, we both knew the competition was on.
Let’s start with what I got Alex. Of course the best place to go is Etsy when you don’t have a creative DIY bone in your body. I knew Alex had a love for cross stitch (seriously how did I find this unicorn of a guy?!) so it seemed like a no-brainer to get a custom portrait of our family at this moment in time. There are a ton of shops to choose from, but I selected
this one because the style really fit us and it came in a frame. The owner worked with me over a few weeks to make sure our cats came out just right and everything was perfect. It came from overseas so definitely give yourself a good two months lead time to make sure it arrives.
Alex knocked it out of the park with his gift. He found
this shop to make us custom dolls. The details are insane on these adorable things. Poppy dress? Check. Bow tie? Check. I love how similar but different our gifts ended up being. What can you expect when you spend nearly every day together?! It got to the point that we had to tell a friend what we were getting the other person just to make
sure we weren’t doing the same thing.
So if you’re in the market for a good cotton anniversary gift or just want to mix things up, definitely check out these shops on Etsy. They made our second anniversary really special.
The summer blew by in a blink with all the travel we got up to. We only went kayaking once! What a serious shame. I did find some time to shake my my makeup routine and a few products stood out as summer favorites I’m sure I’ll be using even as sweater weather hits.
When I made the shocking discovery that the
bareMinerals Complexion Rescue shade I’ve been using for years is in fact TOO DARK FOR ME, my world changed. A bit over-the-top sure, but going down a shade or two made a huge difference. I went from shade five to two and now mix the two together since I have the slightest of tans. I’ve loved the coverage and dewy finish of this for years, but am so glad to finally have the perfect shade. I can only imagine what other foundations I’m not wearing the right color of…
I’m still in a real
Glossier moment with my two favorite products being their
Boy Brow in Brown and their
Cloud Paints. I’ve been wearing Dusk all summer long and have to actively try to wear other blushes just to mix things up. It’s a gorgeous coral-pink that gives a nice flush to the skin without being too overly blushy. It’s also the most buildable blush I’ve ever used. Boy Brow is a brow gel that I use as a brow filler. Lazy me loves swiping this on my brows and calling it good. Plus it darkens up my pretty light brows so you can actually SEE them.
Occasionally I force myself to step away from the
Stila One Step Correct and try another primer. I’ve been giving the new
bareMinerals Blemish Rescue Primer a go and although it’s not going to replace One Step Correct, it’s definitely a great alternative. It’s hydrating, smooth on the skin without feeling silicone-y, and leaves a nice base to put makeup on top of. If you’re in the market, check this one out.
With it being so hot here lately I’ve taken to actually using powder to keep the shiny away. I’m always a fan of dewy, but greasy and sweaty is just too far. The
It Cosmetics Airbrush Perfecting Powder helps to set everything in place without looking cakey or too matte. It also helps to make sure nothing slides off my face during the day. It also has SPF 50 which is bananas. All good things, right?
I’ve also been using a setting spray like nobody’s business.
Urban Decay’s All Nighter is my usual go to, but I’ve been using
Chill and honestly can’t tell the difference between the two. They take some time to settle onto the skin, but my makeup lasts so much longer when I use a spray over when I don’t.
Dry lips are basically my MO all year round, but I wanted to mix things up from using my usual plain vaseline to something a bit more festive. I know…look out…Kayla is over here really shaking things up.
Vaseline Rosy Lips has everything I love about vaseline, but with a bit of color thrown in. Wild child is my middle name.
Summer has been so hectic over here that I must admit I’m pretty excited to wave the humid weather goodbye and throw a cozy sweater on. Remind me of this when it’s the dead of winter, k?
