I’m feeling plannerific - is that a word? This time of the year means lots of things but one thing is for sure: time to choose a new planner! I started using one last year and really do love the idea of having a book to help organize myself - I think this comes from the fact that we were required to use agenda books in high school, and because I have a slight obsession for all types of stationery (even the papergoods aisle in Homegoods excites me). I wanted to share some of my thoughts on the types that I’ve tried, including what worked for me and what didn’t, so I made a video talking about the Martha Stewart discbound system (which is similar to the ARC system), a Kikki K leather planner (very much like Filofax), a quick run-in with Erin Condren, and my latest love for Emily Ley’s Simplified Planner. At the bottom of this post, I will link to everything for you, including other brands that I’ve heard of and am tempted by. :)

If this is your first time choosing a planner, you might feel overwhelmed by all of the options - I was! Knowing what works best for you will come over time. I personally wish that I had just started with a pre-printed planner last year since the DIY-ness of the printables ended up being on the pricey side. Once you factor in the cost of the actual binder/book, paper, printing, hole punch, tabs, etc. etc., it really adds up. And I say this as someone who doesn’t do a whole lot of decorating inside with stickers and washi tape, though I do love a GREAT pen (especially a fuschia colored one). I figure, if I am disorganized enough to need a planner, I am definitely not organized enough to decorate every page.

The story of how I found Emily Ley’s planner is kinda funny. I had seen it online after an Instagram comment on a photo. Her site has videos where she talks about why she created this planner to be SIMPLE and they resonated with me. On top of that, Emily is just CUTE. No, SUPER CUTE. Anyway, she lists retail stores on her site, one them being Gus and Ruby Letterpress in Portsmouth, NH. I called them early on a Saturday morning recently to ask if they had the new planners in stock and when they said that they had JUST received them, I shouted into the phone, “Oh my gosh, I am showering right now and I am coming!” They offered to ship it to me but I really did want to see the whole store too, since I love letterpress. I had never been to Portsmouth and didn’t even know how far away it was. About 58 miles later I was there and this baby was coming home with me (the store itself was quite fabulous!) I have to say that being able to see the planner in real life made a HUGE difference for me.

There are two other patterns that you can choose for your cover, too. What I love about this book is the page-per-day setup. There’s something about having that clean, fresh start to every day. Having the time-slots on each day is a must for me, as it the place for my to-do list. If you follow my words board on Pinterst, you also know that I have a thing for quotes - the very first quote on the very first page is from a Robert Frost poem that I actually have hanging in my office. It’s a sign…

There’s a nice spot on the cover page inside the planner where you can write your name, but whaddayaknow…I fudged that up big time. Tried covering it with stamps and that was worse, so I made a sticker with my name, address, email and phone number on it (this is why in the video there’s a huge “#” over the sticker - I didn’t think to cover that with a post-it!

If you would like to print your own sticker, you can download it by clicking the button below. I printed mine in color on an 8.5 x 11″ address label/sticker sheet. If you do this, my advice would be to trim the sticker not right on the edge but rather leave a little white margin - this way, if the cut is not even, you won’t notice the crookedness as much.

Here is a sample of what mine looks like, but the download has dashed lines where you can fill in your own info:

And here are some places that you can check out for planners of all shapes and sizes - if there are any that I missed but that you love, I’d love to add them. Please leave a comment for me. Thanks!

Emily Ley
Martha Stewart discbound
ARC system
Kikki-K
Filofax
Erin Condren
Paper Plum
Kate Spade
Whitney English Day Designer
Design Love Planner
Moleskin
Lilly Pulitzer
I Heart Organizing
A Bowl Full of Lemons