The first of the many, many planner reviews is here! I’m starting with a planner I’ve used in the past in a smaller size and loved to pieces. So let’s get into the nitty gritty of the 2018 Rifle Paper Co Lively Floral 17-Month Planner*
The layout of this planner can be found throughout all of the Rifle Paper Co planners, but what drew me to this planner in particular is the size. I love how big and in charge it looks on my desk for writing to do lists.
The cover is thick, hard, and seems like it will hold up to a year’s worth of wear and tear pretty well. I do wish the corners had metal covers as those tend to get beat up over time, but the size of this planner leans more towards desk usage rather than a planner you carry around on a regular basis.
One of the most interesting layout features on this planner is how all of the monthly views are located under one tab at the beginning of the planner rather than dispersed throughout. It’s different (in a good way) to be able to flip through the entire year quickly rather than having to jump throughout the planner, but at the same time I don’t find myself desperately needing this feature. I love it when I’m using this planner, but don’t miss it when I’m not.
Before we get into the monthly views, the front of the planner has the basic pages you want in a planner but don’t necessarily use too often. The 2019 overview is pretty standard without much fluff. I do wish there were more floral designs dispersed throughout beyond just the cover. Rifle Paper Co is known for their iconic designs so it would have been nice to get a few more.
The important dates page could be used for big events or birthdays throughout the year, but I would probably use it for memory/accomplishment keeping. It’s my favorite way to really get a lot of use out of these pages. Plus it’s always so cool to look back on after just a few months.
The most exciting thing about the standard looking monthly view is the sizing of it. This planner fits Erin Condren sized stickers! It would be incredibly easy to add a bit of sticker addiction into these pages. There’s a handy little notes sidebar for the monthly view as well.
The weekly view is why I fell in love and used a smaller version of this planner last year. This is the best agenda I’ve found to use for to do lists. Sure bullet journals and traveler’s notebooks are all the rage right now, but the simplicity and ease of using this for lists can’t be beat. I love how it limits the number of items you can have each day (you get less lines as you go down in sizes) and how it focuses more on to do’s rather than events.
You could always add a sticker or two next to the date with any events or appointments you have, making this a great work planner. It worked wonders for my work-from-home life. There’s definitely room for themes and stickers in this planner, but I would shy away from full weekly kits and coordinate some functional and decorative things instead.
There’s a incredibly roomy pocket in the back with a little ruler detailing on the side. The perfect place to stash some favorite stickers or save paperwork for a current project.
For $34 this planner is simple, yet incredibly useful and functional for to do lists. It would be a fantastic planner for work or even for school to write down assignments and tests while using the monthly views for events. It’s also the planner that started to shake up my confidence in using Erin Condren planner exclusively. It started to really go down hill when more planners arrived a few weeks ago. There’s no fuss or expectations with it and that’s what makes it so great. You could quickly jot down things you need to get done one week and then go sticker crazy the next. It lets you be you a lot more than other, popular planners.
Prepare your eyeballs for an avalanche of planner reviews coming to you soon! Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter so you don’t miss a single one.
What do you think of this planner? Too simple or with room to personalize?
