2018 was the year of travel and we still have one last trip to go before ringing in 2019! After forgetting quite a few things during the first trip I vowed to get my shit together to not run out of clean underwear again. Here’s how I keep from under/over packing and forgetting things.
1. I made a list
It kinda seems like a no-brainer, but I needed a list I could revisit, revise, and reuse for each trip we went on. I used to just write things down fresh each time which led to a lot of mishaps and forgetting common things I thought for sure, “I wouldn’t forget.”
So I opened up a word document, typed in all of the items Alex and I need to travel with. At the top of the list I put spaces to write where, when, and for how long we will be there. That way I can make sure to pack accurate amounts of clothing depending on trip length. Then I duplicated the list so there were two on the page. I printed it out on sticker paper and cut it out. Presto. Custom packing list I can put into whatever notebook I’m using at the time. I felt like a bloody genius and showed Alex the list way too many times. One time would have sufficed. But no. I kept shoving my creation in his face like a proud parent. But I digress….
2. I start early, but not TOO early
So the thing about me is I worry. Like a lot. I’m the type of person that’ll pack a suitcase two weeks in advance out of anxiety and have to keep going back into the suitcase to grab things I need. This ultimately leads to me thinking something’s in the suitcase when in fact I took it out five days ago and forgot. So I’ve trained myself to still pack early, but not so early that it causes issues. I try and start the initial packing stages about three days before we leave for a trip. That way I can make sure I can clean anything I might need and have plenty of time.
3. I reference the list
I mean that’s what a list’s for, right? Since I do start packing a few days in advance, I can’t pack everything at once. So I make sure to check the list regularly to know what I still have left to pack. There are always those last minute items you throw into a suitcase right before you leave. The list is great at making sure those aren’t missed in the sleep-deprived early morning rush to get to the airport.
4. I bring the list for the return journey
Usually I’ll just use the same list to make sure we bring everything back home that we left with. No forgotten cell phone chargers in hotel rooms for us.
5. I update the list
I realize that the point of this post is to go on and on about this list I made, but seriously. It’s a huge help. Once we get back from a trip I’ll revise the list to remove anything we didn’t end up bringing and adding any items I hadn’t thought of previously. That way when the next trip rolls around, I’m more prepared than ever before and my anxiety is being well managed.
Even if it’s just a document you print off on computer paper and keep in a folder, having a regularly updated list can save you a lot of stress when it comes to packing for trips. Plus it’s a great way to help pack for other people. Alex is much more carefree about travel than I am, so I like to pack his things ahead of time for him. The list helps to make sure we’re both on the same page and I’m packing things I know he needs and he knows what’s going into the suitcase.
How do you pack for travel? What’s your technique?
This wouldn’t be a planner, beauty, and lifestyle blog if I didn’t go through a bi-weekly planner crisis right? Today’s YouTube video goes into more detail about my current crisis and the planner setup I’m in, but a lot of the turmoil comes down to The Rifle Paper Co Planner putting a wrench in things again.
I’ve used the Rifle Paper Co planners on and off for the past three years and they always seem to pop back into my life when I need it most. It’s such a simple layout for a planner, but it’s perfect if you have a ton of to do list items but not a lot of meetings or appointments. I had just started to feel at odds with my daily hourly layout when this gorgeous beauty landed on my doorstep. It was a like a sign from the gods that a planner shake-up was in order.
I’m currently using the planner similarly to how I have in the past, but I’ve added in some functional stickers to mark any timed events that I may have. Every Sunday I’ll sit down and space out any to do items I need to get done the next week. I love having the entire weekly view visible at one time so if one day seems particularly heavy with things, I can always move them around to another day. It’s also easy to see anything I missed from the day before that I still need to get done.
Check out today’s video if you fancy seeing what other planners are currently in rotation!
Let’s talk about goals. I suck at them. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve written a blog post full of goals only to immediately forget about them as soon as I hit publish. Not to mention how many lists of goals I’ve written just to lose the list a week later. A change has to be made. No good business person (hell, no good person in general) can go through life without goals.
The solution on how to make better goals became clear after seeing PlanwithLaken’s YouTube video reviewing the Cultivate What Matters Planner. It hit me like a ton of bricks. This could be the tool to answer all of my goal setting problems. The holy grail to get my ass into goal-setting gear.
When my gorgeous planner arrived stickers greeted me. Always a good sign. A planner that has its own stickers knows what’s up and who they’re catering to. In my excitement I showed Alex the planner expecting him to be like, “Yeah, yeah. Another planner…” Shock is the only word to describe my reaction when he seemed genuinely interested in this one. I tentatively asked if he wanted to work on it together. He said yes…and I did cartwheels in my head.
Fast forward a few months and here we are now. Every week Alex and I meet to do a few more pages in the planner. I talk about this a lot more in the YouTube videobelow if you’re interested in how it’s impacted my relationship. I want to keep this post more review based. But seriously, it’s been marriage-strengthening.
The first 40+ pages are all about figuring out who you are, what you think is holding you back, what matters to you, and why you’re taking steps to make better goals. It’s fabulous and difficult at the same time. Each page breaks things down in a clear, concise way, but the entire planner is designed in a way that you can easily set it down and pick it up based on your schedule.
Once you’ve completed the initial pages and have your goals, you move into the action plan stage. This is where you figure out the hows and whens of your goals.
The planner helps you break down a large goal into smaller, bite-sized pieces. It takes something that can feel incredibly overwhelming and makes it seem doable.
My favorite part? It checks in on you. It doesn’t just help you make some goals, pat you on the back, and says, “Good luck.” Every month you can review how they’re going, what progress has been made, what might need to change, and what happens next.
The monthly (and quarterly) check-ins are exactly the type of things I need to keep me accountable. It stays with you the entire year.
There are a ton of other accessories and items on the website to look over if you’re interested including this gorgeous goal-setting sticker book. I love it because it includes stickers you can use in your main planner to remind you to check back in on your goals.
My biggest complaint about the planner is the coil and cover. I wish they were a bit more heavy-duty and sturdy. It’s not the type of planner you tote around with you every day, but one you leave at home to check back in with a cup of tea and an evening free.
I’ve enjoyed the process with Alex so far and can’t wait to dive in deeper and start really developing our goals for 2019. It’s the perfect time to snag yourself one of these Cultivate What Mattersplanners with the new year right around the corner. Maybe we’ll finally be able to keep our New Year’s Resolutions after all?
This year I’ve been on the hunt for planner companies I’ve never heard of. I wanted to bring you more than just another raving review over Erin Condren products. I wanted to provide you with tons of options in all price ranges to help you start 2019 right. My journey led me to Golden Coil Planners and it’s like I found the mecca of customizational planners.
The entire planner is customize-able. No lie. From personalizing your front page to picking your layout and adding in birthdays, you can design your planner from scratch. There’s a set number of total pages for your planner, but you decide what those pages are.
There are options of pages you can add to the front of your planner before the monthly view begins.
There is a standard monthly view option (that starts on a Monday!). You choose which month your planner starts and ends on as well. So no waiting for the start of the year to dive right in.
There are over 18 different weekly spread layouts to choose from. I opted for this horizontal on one page and weekly to do list on the other since it’s a layout I rarely see. You can choose anything from daily pages to standard weekly pages.
Now this is where things get really cool. Once you’ve picked your weekly style, you’re able to fill up the rest of your remaining pages with TONS of add-ons. There are more than 35 different layouts to choose, from baby trackers to meal planning. You’re able to choose how many of each page you want and create something completely unique.
Although the planner is around $60, it’s a fair price considering you’re creating a completely custom planner tailored just to you. The website is so incredibly easy to navigate and use. If you’re picky with your planners, this could be a great solution to give you everything that you’re looking for.
inkWell Press Planners. I’ve heard about them for years since getting seriously into the planning game, but couldn’t truly understand what the fuss was about until I had one of their disc-bound planners in my hands. I get it now. Oh do I ever.
If you’ve been following my planner journey for a while, then you know I usually avoid disc-bound planners like the plague because they’re usually flimsy and more trouble than they’re worth. inkWELL solves all my woes by giving the planner a seriously thick cover. The discs stay firmly in place and I don’t feel like everything is going to get beat up if I put the planner in a bag.
This planner has a TON of awesome pages that give it a little extra something. This big events page is a favorite for writing down monthly accomplishments, but you can also use it as an overview of the big events coming down the pipe.
Goals are going to be a huge focus for me in 2019, so seeing a nice section to break down goals into categories has me very excited. Plus it helps you to break them down into quarters for serious productivity.
Throughout the entire planner is this gorgeous geometric hexagon theme that I cannot get enough of. It’s simple, elegant, and a great place to write out plans and goals for each month.
Classic monthly view, but I love the little addition of the Top 5 to add a few items that need to get done that month.
Now the weekly view. This is where things have me all sorts of confused. It’s a fairly standard looking vertical layout with lines and three large boxes at the bottom for “Top 3” tasks/events. So simple, yet so effective. As soon as this planner arrived I set up a spread for the current week and used the bottom section to write appointments/meetings/events etc. and left the top section for a good ol’ to do list. Obsessed.
I’ve fully come to accept that planner switching is the name of the game so I’m eager to introduce this planner into my rotation officially when it starts in 2019 to see if it works for my current lifestyle. That’s the thing about planning my friends and you’ll hear me say it over and over, planners need to change and adapt with you.
The back of the planner has some gift lists and travel pages, some notes pages and project pages, but I’ll leave all the little remaining details left for you to discover on your own.
The Pros: It’s gorgeous, professional, and simple in all the right ways. It leaves a ton of room for customization, but you can still deck it out with stickers if that’s your scene. It also has a lot of extra pages to eliminate the need for other planners or notebooks to track travel and gifting. On the website you can choose from a bunch of different layouts as well if the classic layout isn’t for you.
The Cons: Honestly, I can’t really find any. If you seriously hate discs than maybe that? But even this disc hater is coming around to the idea of it…The color scheme is a soft pastel so rainbow lovers may want more color, but at this point I’m just looking for cons for the sake of it.
The Price: It varies. The planner I have is around $70 for all of the features. You’re able to purchase the pages, cover, and discs separately to build your own planner. So depending on your planner needs your price could be more or less.
Who it’s Good For: Everyone. It’s a good all-around planner that could work for any age and lifestyle. If you’re on a tight budget, this one probably isn’t for you, but if you’re planning on investing in a planner, this is a great option.
