Hello, my name is Madison and I am addicted to school supplies.
I am one of those nerds that gets butterflies at the sight of a crisp new book, an empty calendar page, or a bag full of colored pictures just waiting to be assigned their category! Each year I search and research for the perfect planner and all the wonderful pens, and stickers to go along with it. Because I am a teacher my school year (August – May) is my year, but let me encourage you it is never too late to start a fresh planner.
The star of the show: The planner
Over the years I have used many different brands. I used Erin Condren for quite some time and loved the personalization that was available. But I realized I wanted a whole page for each day to not only put to-dos, but journal, list gratitude, write goals, etc. So then I went to a Day Designer and although not as customizable I did like that these came in a smaller size so It didn’t feel so bulky carrying around.
Now I am using the Daily Edition from Ivory Paper Co. It is a black, woman owned business based out of Columbus, Ohio.
Pros:
- It has a section for GRATITUDE for everyday that reminds me daily to look for the positives and be thankful.
- I can break down my SCHEDULE for the day so I don’t have to flip back to the monthly overview for the day’s appointments
- It has a READING WISH LIST in the front, which I love because one of my goals this year was to read more.
Cons:
- I wish each month had tabs, but I also see this as a bonus not to over-schedule myself and just focus on the present day. So this year I have challenged myself to only write in my planner for the current and upcoming month in an attempt to live in the present not the future.
- Sometimes it is hard to open and close – but I think this is more due to the new-ness of the paper, cover, and coils and I am sure this will get easier with use.
Introducing our Ensemble:
Pens: Pilot G2
I know it goes against everything I’ve ever been taught as a teacher or Type A introvert but I write in my calendar in pen, not pencil. Do not worry I have white-out readily available. Also let me be sure you are aware that there are different weights of G2. I do NOT like to write with the 10 point, I prefer the 7 point because it flows easier across the page, and sometimes a 0.38 point is nice to have handy.
I assign each color a “task.” In my world, blue is work, pink is Amelia, teal is blog, black is standard reminders such as birthdays/anniversaries, and purple is personal.
Stickers: Frannie Lamb Stickers
As a past scrapbooker, stickers will always hold a special place in my heart. However, I find that traditional planner stickers from Michaels or Hobby Lobby like Create 365 by Me and My Big Ideas are often too overwhelming for me. The pack comes with hundreds of stickers and some of which I won’t ever use. I am also someone who desires uniformity (shocker, I know). So I want my regular appointments to have the same stickers throughout my planner, not just those available in the pack. Enter Frannie Lamp Stickers. There is a category for everything. My regulars are…
- Birthday
- School – this is a writable chalkboard that I can personalize what class I have.
- Therapy – because mental health is important
- Nail Polish – because self care is also important and sometimes (every 2 weeks) comes in the form of a manicure.
- Water Bottle
- Pay Day
- Trash
- Recycle – because I can never keep track of if last week was recycle or if the neighbors are as confused as I am.
- Blog Published/Submitted – these are custom texts labels!
Between these and my backstock from my scrapbooking days I have everything I need to make my planner as beautiful and as colorful as a rainbow (thank you HomeEdit).
How do you keep track of the chaos that is motherhood?