Today’s Blogtember prompt was to share a product that we love and that simplifies our life. I thought long and hard about this one and even though it’s not technically a “product,” I couldn’t resist sharing my planner with you today. I’ve gone through so many planner versions and have finally settled on one that works perfectly for me. Store-bought planners never have everything I need and as much as I love using a bullet journal, the inability to insert pages or rearrange things is a deal breaker for me. After months of using a mini binder, I wanted to share how I’ve created a hybrid bullet journal that meets all of my planner requirements!
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I’m on my second binder and both of them are from Target. The first one was white, which got super dingy and the corners were beat up after a summer in my computer bag. Fortunately, they have a great selection of binders under $5, so I don’t feel the least bit guilty about grabbing a new one every quarter. You can also find super cute ones in the dollar bin from time to time or on Amazon. I tried linking to this exact version, but Target doesn’t seem to have the mini-binders on their website.
I found several cute binder inserts and a set of tabs (similar from Amazon) and they help keep everything organized and pretty. The “dashboard” area of my planner has a couple of cute photos and other ephemera that I love. I’m not quite a planner girl, but you could decorate this and make it as cute as you want! The CAL means calendar, which is what you’ll find after the first tab of my binder.
I have several planner pages behind the calendar section, along with daily and weekly planners. This particular spread was in the Target planner set and I use it to plan for the month overall. I include school and work events, dance schedules and travel plans.
Since the calendar is blank, I use fun alpha stickers to indicate the month and washi tape to mark off different events. These alpha stickers are from, you guessed it, the Target Dollar spot! You can find all sorts of cute ones at your local craft shop and I found a great selection of inexpensive ones on Amazon, too.
These DayTimer folio inserts are what helps keep my daily schedule organized and replicates the bullet journaling concept that I love so much. I get these inserts through my job (we are provided with a monthly calendar each year), but they are definitely worth the price if you’re interested in setting up your own. On the left page, I keep my daily list of bullets and our daily schedule. I use it for daily blog tasks, phone calls, to-do lists, etc. I mark them off as I complete them and anything that doesn’t get accomplished moves to the follow day (see? bullet journal). On the right side, I keep a log of my day at work. I have to bill my time by task, so I write down everything I do and how long I was working on each task. I’d show you the detail, but it’s confidential, so you’ll have to take my word for it!
The following tab is where I keep sermon notes and other Bible study references. Our church provides binders in this size and pre-punched pages each week, so they fit in my planner perfectly! I like keeping them handy for Bible Journaling and reference. At the end of the year, I’ll move them into another binder where all of my sermon notes live.
The following tab is where I organize everything blog related. I’ve tried so many methods of blog planning, but I’ve been using this one for almost six months and it works best for me. I’m sure there are all sorts of super-involved ways to maintain an editorial calendar, but simple is better as far as I’m concerned!
The page on the left is a running list of content ideas. I use these for days when I don’t have anything recent to share about the girls or family life and as I use them, I mark them off the master list and date it so I know where to find that post. I keep random sticky notes here for anything I need to be reminded of and those same notes are on the appropriate day in my calendar section. This pages moves as I fill up the right hand pages — I like to keep it in sight at all times. On the right, is my list of current posts. I keep 2-3 pages dated at a time to fill in my editorial calendar as I schedule posts. I told you a few weeks ago, that my new goal is to stay a few weeks ahead on content, so this is hugely helpful! The highlighted posts have been scheduled (including Facebook and Instagram posts) and the others are in progress.
These pages are from the Target planner set, too. I don’t like using these for planning, but they work great for meal planning. I do love the format of my printable calendar pages, but since I like keeping everything in one place, these work better for me. I try to keep a running list of my daily eats, especially when I’m in the middle of Whole30!
These also come in the packet, but I don’t use them as often. Without the DayTimer inserts, these would be perfect for daily tracking, but instead I keep them at the back of my binder and only use them when I need them. They were perfect for planning my “day in the life” post or for things like dance recital day when we have back to back appointments all day! If you need a suggestion for the perfect pen, this Pilot Razor Point is my absolute favorite. It isn’t waterproof, so don’t try using it for mixed media or Bible Journaling, but it’s perfect for planning and note taking.
At the back of my binder is this pocket, where I keep extra alpha stickers or other small items that I might need.
Are you a bullet journaler or do you prefer a more traditional planner? What are your favorite planning resources? I’m in love with my current setup, but I’m always open to suggestions. Especially when they are as life-changing as this one!
I’m joining Bailey for Blogtember, where we’ll be linking up daily posts throughout September. Visit Love Bailey Jean to see a list of the prompts and join in!
