We are just mere days away from heading to San Francisco for PlannerCon and I’m in full-blown packing mode. It feels like ages since I’ve flown anywhere so I’m taking the entire process very seriously. Plus I’ve never packed so many planner supplies before and I must say I’m pretty jazzed about it. So whether or not you have a planner conference to attend soon or just want a nosy look at what I’m bringing, here are the dets.
Honestly I’m not bringing much. From my experience hosting a planner meetup, people bring too many supplies that they never will use. I’m keeping things simple and to the basics of what I use most. I won’t be bringing my entire washi tape collection or a dozen different pens. Chances are I won’t find myself doing that much planning at the conference anyway.
I’m of course bringing my current Erin Condren Life Planner with relevant cover. Although I doubt I’ll be making a lot of to do lists during the trip, I figured my Rifle Paper Co Agenda should come too just in case inspiration strikes during one of the workshops and I want to plan out my next big project (hint: I want to create note page sticker options). I also am bringing a small notebook to jot down any ideas or notes from speakers.
I’ll also be bringing two pairs of each of my favorite pens, just in case. Nothing would be worse than having a pen die at a planner conference. The shame.
Although I won’t be bringing my entire stash of washi, I will be bringing some samples of my favorites to swap with fellow washi lovers. No need to tote twenty pounds of tape across America when a few feet of each style will do!
I must admit I do plan on bringing my entire sticker stash in my accordion file though. It’s small enough to easily tuck into a suitcase and it’ll be nice to have my favorite type of supplies around if I do find some time to plan. I keep my sticker collection a reasonable size for this very occasion!
I’m so nervously excited for PlannerCon that I’m sure I’m forgetting something. If you can think of anything, pop it into the comments.
If you’re anything like me, then you have quite a lot of planning supplies. I swear some days I have stickers popping out of places I didn’t even know I shoved them. So I’ve been making it my mission to clean up my act and organize my planning supplies in a style that works for me. My best system so far includes a variety of different storage solutions rolled into one.
For washi tape I’ve found nothing better than using an acrylic sunglasses case. There are dividers in each drawer that are the perfect width to hold rolls of washi tape up so you can see your entire selection. I also use this drawer to hold paper clips and magnetic bookmarks. The little sections in the drawers work great to separate different, smaller supplies.
The easiest way to store your supplies it to get a drawer unit like one of the famous IKEA Alex drawers. I have two units in my filming office that hold the majority of my supplies. I recently posted a video walking through my stationery organization in one of them if you’re curious. It’s by far the easiest solution if you have piles of things laying around that you just want to get out of sight and in some sort of organization. Separate each drawer into categories and gather like items together.
The thing is, you can make any storage you have work for you if you’re creative. I have this small apothecary looking drawer unit that would be great to store sticky notes, washi tape, planner clips, and other, smaller supplies in each drawer. Instead of buying new storage solutions, look at what you may have that isn’t in use and try to figure out how to re-purpose it.
One storage solution that’s absolutely free is to use the clear packaging that your sticker orders come in to store weekly sticker kits. Rather than throwing them all away, divide out your coordinating stickers, put them each in a clear bag, and keep them all in a neat stack in your sticker storage. That way you won’t lose any pieces to a weekly kit and will have it all together for when you’re ready to use it.
What simple ways do you use to store your planning supplies?
Although it’s great to have a pretty planner full of gorgeous stickers, it’s also much more important to have said planner working in your favor. Your planner needs to be a helpful companion that encourages you to tick things of the to do list, rather than be a distraction from tasks. Lately I’ve been working on how to set realistic cleaning and chore goals in my planner. Here are a few of my tips and tricks.
The most obvious tip, plan ahead. Sure it may seem like it would go hand and hand with planning, but that’s not always the case when it comes to scheduling chores. This is very helpful with tasks that may slip your mind or aren’t as frequent as other chores. Things like cleaning underneath the refrigerator or changing out filters. Mark them ahead of time in your planner based on cleaning recommendations. So when every six months roll around you’re already prepared.
Spread out the tasks that occur weekly so they don’t all pile up on one day during the week. That way if something happens to come up on a particular day, things seem a lot more manageable than having to move an entire laundry list of things you have to clean and do.
Set a routine so you know what to expect every week. Maybe on Mondays you do laundry and on Fridays you vacuum the house. Figure out a weekly chore schedule that fits well around the other tasks in your life so you’re actually able to accomplish some of them.
Once you have your routine and have planned ahead for less frequent activities use stickers to create a clear, uniform system. Use the same sticker type every week so when you flip open your planner you’re able to see that same symbol week after week. If you’re constantly changing up how your chore list looks or where it’s located, you’re more likely to forget something.
Give yourself a catch up day every few months. Pick one day every three months or so that you keep clear of any responsibilities. Use this day to catch up on all those things you put off. Hang the gallery wall you’ve had all the supplies for, file the mountain of paperwork, or wash the windows. Any time you think of something you want to do but don’t feel like you have time for, add it to the catch up day list. When that day rolls around on your calendar free of any other activities, you have the perfect opportunity to finally get them done.
So pull out your planner, start planning ahead, and get back on top of your chores and cleaning schedule. Now I’m off to do the dishes!
What are some of your tips and tricks for setting realistic cleaning and chore goals?
I’ve tried quite a few sticker organizational methods over the years of planner decorating. From using clear protective sheets to a boatload of washi tape to hold down all my individual sheets, I’ve tried most of the methods out there. Using an accordion file is by far the best way I’ve found to store planner stickers.
I received my accordion file as a gift from a subscriber, but you can find them on Amazon (like this similar one) or the Container Store if you’re blessed/cursed to have one close to you.
In today’s video I show my sticker categories, but ultimately you’ll want to divide up your collection into whatever sections that make sense to you. Have a lot more stickers than I do? Have a separate accordion for kits functional stickers, and decorative so it doesn’t get overwhelming. Plus you can always have an “on the go” case for the stickers you use most often.
For a while there I was pretty fickle with planners. I jumped around like crazy and every few months I was using something different. Thankfully things have settled down and I’ve fallen into a planner routine I’m quite happy with lately. All thanks to the addition of this Rifle Paper Co. Midnight Agenda.
I’ve been on the hunt for something to keep my to do lists in for ages. I feel like I’ve tried everything too. Sticky notes in my Erin Condren Life Planner, erasable dashboard covers, personal sized planners whose only purpose was to do lists, etc. This is the first system that I’ve stuck with for an extended period of time because it ticks all of the boxes.
The book itself is small (around 5×7) and incredibly portable. The hard, gold-foil cover keeps everything protected and makes it so I don’t have to worry about it bumping around in a bag. It’s much easier to tote around than my ECLP so I find I take it out into the world more while leaving my ECLP at home to be the more prettier, memory keeper of the two.
The layout is fabulous as well. All the monthly views are up at the front for easy scheduling while the weekly to do lists all fit on a two page spread. A lot of the downfalls of my other to do list planning methods were that I couldn’t see the entire week at once. I like to spread my to do list out over the work week so I don’t feel overwhelmed at the start of it and constantly trying to catch up as the week goes along. This way I know exactly what I want to accomplish for the entire week, but it more manageable daily pieces.
The weekly view also makes it great if I happen to not finish or complete a task for a particular day. I can still see that unchecked task for the rest of the week and can get back to it at a later day. I’m not constantly moving a to do list item from one day to the next so it leaves things less cluttered. The weekly spread acts as my entire to do list, just spread out over the days.
Of course I still add stickers. That’s what I love so much about this little guy. It still lends itself incredibly well to adding cute stickers. I tend to buy a lot of decorative stickers without really having a plan for what to use them for, so this gives me a reason to pop a few cute ones here and there to snazz up the weekly spread.
As for events I use these skinny labels to write down anything that’s happening that day above the to do list. That way I know what’s going on without it taking up too much space. It helps me rearrange my to do list for that day to make sure I’m not over-reaching on my goals since there’s something else that’ll take up some of my time.
This planner is a fantastic addition to my planning routine and has made me much more productive and organized. Plus it’s only $15 right now! Score!
We all do it. Horde those gorgeous notebooks with grand plans of what we’ll one day use them for. But of course we never do. I think it’s safe to say I have a good dozen or so of these empty notebooks I’m saving for a rainy day. I’m saying enough is enough and finally putting them to good use. Here are some easy ways to finally use that empty notebook.
Create a book of lists where each page is a different list. Write a list for places you want to travel, favorite foods, future baby names, favorite Etsy shops, etc. You could easily fill a nice sized notebook with a ton of different lists. Do this every year and see how your interests change over time.
Try your hand at bullet journaling. An empty notebook is the perfect place to start creating your own system of planning. Create a yearly overview, books read, weekly spread, etc. There are a ton of resources on Pinterest including this handy board I’ve made.
Give journal writing a try. I’m sure we all have those angsty teenage diaries that are cringe-worthy now. But if it can work for our younger selves to work out a few issues it could also help now. Whenever I’m feeling particularly overwhelmed writing in a journal really helps to work out the thoughts and feelings I’m having to make better sense of them.
Finally start work on that big dream you have. I’ve always toyed around with the idea of opening a brick and mortar store. So I took one of my numerous empty journals and am using it for ideas and inspiration. It’s super helpful to put ideas in one place so I’m not just putting them out into the universe with no hope of ever recovering them when the time comes that I need them. Think of whatever dream or plan you’ve wanted to pursue and make a dedicated notebook for it.
Create a gratitude journal and write a few lines every day about what you’re thankful for. This is a perfect way to lead a more positive, focused life and to rid yourself of daily negativity.
Put together a travel scrapbook with all those ticket stubs and pamphlets from that last trip you took. Give each location/event its own page and paste down any souvenirs you may have. Then write in some thoughts about the experience.
Start a letter notebook with a friend. Write a few pages to your friend and mail the book to them. They’ll write their thoughts and send it back. In a few months you’ll have a back and forth log conversation. This is great for a significant other who’s long distance or keeping in touch with friends.
Write unsent letters to work out your emotions. Maybe you’re upset with your boss or a family member. Use the notebook to write out your thoughts and feelings so you don’t bottle them up and let them explode in the worst possible way. Of course you’ll want to keep this notebook well hidden so it doesn’t fall into any unwanted hands. Maybe make a ceremony of destroying it once it’s done!
Use a notebook for daily to do lists. That way you aren’t constantly trying to hunt down that scrap of paper you wrote on. They’ll be all in once place and you can transfer to do list items from day to day if you don’t happen to complete them
Write letters to the future. To your future self, your future kids, your current kids, your significant other. This would be a very fun project to look back on ten years down the road and see where you were at in life.
So let’s all stop hoarding those notebooks and put them to good use!
