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The Happy Planner: It’s Ok to Change Your Mind

Posted on by Jenna

Have you ever returned to something you swore you would never use again?

I’m sure it happens to the best of us! We swear off a type of product that doesn’t work for us and then stumble across it again years later and decide to give it a second chance. 

It happened to me with disc-bound planners and notebooks from The Happy Planner.

Years ago, I discovered The Happy Planner and Erin Condren and fell in love with the vertical planner. It just made sense to me. I never liked horizontal or hourly, which was what most planners were. I started with The Happy Planner because Erin Condren was pricey, and at the time, I wasn’t sure if vertical would be what worked. And I wasn’t in a position to spend on Erin Condren.

Fast forward a couple of years, and I was annoyed with the discs and was in a better place financially, and I decided to try Erin Condren and the coil.

I fell in love and put disc-bound planners in the rearview mirror.

If you watch some of my YouTube videos, I will talk about how I love the coil and hate disc-bound. I was adamant. I was NEVER going back!

Enter the Hocus Pocus box from The Happy Planner.

I jumped on it immediately because, duh, Hocus Pocus. It is my favorite Halloween-themed movie, and I will watch it multiple times a season! I had to have the box. But this blog is not about the Hocus Pocus box. 

While on The Happy Planner website, I noticed they were having a warehouse sale. I resisted for days but eventually went and poked around. I liked a few items, but again, disc-bound. So I sat on them for a few days, and then, oops, my cart got filled, and I had some new to me items on the way!

I was intrigued by the guided budget planner. The preview pages look like exactly what I need to help my AHDH spending habits. I’ve come a long way on my own with The Budget Mom ideas and Erin Condren products, but I’m not 100% where I want to be. 

The budget planner is for four months.

What really drew me in was the weekly dashboard page. It has five sections and a weekly habit tracker. The sections are what I was trying to do on my own but hadn’t really worked out yet. They are things I want, things I actually need (HAH), What event is coming up this week that I know I will spend money on, what can I do to adjust and save, and What can I give up, say no to, or let go of this week.

I had done this in my planner and bullet journal, depending on the month, but I never found the right words and wasn’t always consistent with it. I hope having it already set up for me will be helpful!

After the dashboard is seven daily pages. I’m not sure I will always use these, but they are nice because each day has a different prompt/question about budgeting/finances. You also get a spot for daily gratitude and small victories.  You get a weekly summary page with three sections at the end of the week. You get a spot to track your weekly spending, a space that asks what you can do better next week, and an area for notes.

For the other weeks in the month, you get the dashboard, a notes page, then the weekly pages, and a summary. I can’t wait to dig in and see if this helps!

Besides the guided budget planner, I also picked up one other planner because I’ve been looking for a new content planner, because none ever seem to stick. I saw the undated checklist layout and decided to give that a try!

Again, the dashboard is what originally grabbed my attention. It has two small headings but nothing too invasive. I can be flexible with the different sections and easily cover the headings. On the left third of the page are three rectangles, with the top being grid, the middle lined, and the bottom blank. The right two-thirds of the page is a dot grid. Between the grid and lined boxes is the label “Priorities * Goals,” and between the lined and blank boxes is “Important Dates.” 

I put priorities, goals, and important dates in my content planner so the labels are perfect. A large dot grid section allows me to track different things, brain dump, or whatever I need for that month. The freedom to create and adjust it easily each month drew me in. I feel like I’m always changing what I need to track each month.

After the dashboard is the monthly spread, I am disappointed with the monthly spread because it is only five rows. I have found in undated monthly views, you need six rows, or for some months, you need to split days. And personally, I hate that. Not everyone will find this to be an issue.

Other than that, the boxes for each day are quite large, allowing plenty of room to schedule content. Each square measures 1.5” x 1.5”. It is a Sunday start, but you could easily change that with whiteout or stickers.

After the month pages, you have six weeks (see? Six!). On the left-hand side, you have a notes column (labeled this week’s list) followed by Monday through Wednesday. On the right-hand side, you have Thursday through Sunday.  

The weekdays have three vertical boxes per day. The top box is a dot grid, the middle is a checklist, and the bottom is blank. The columns are approximately 7.5” tall by 1.5” wide. The notes column has 25 total lines, while each daily checklist has eight lines.

I like this layout because it allows me to split my days between the top and bottom boxes. I can make the top be one account, and the bottom be my other account. Or I could make the top for anything YouTube and the bottom for Instagram. If I have any tasks I need to do, I can easily add them to the center box.

I wanted an undated planner this time because if I don’t use it for a week or a month, I can go back and use those pages later. 

Let me know: would you use the guided budget or vertical checklist planner? How would you use either of them?

Interested in how I end up using the guided budget and the vertical checklist planners? Be sure to follow me on Instagram for future posts with tips and my thoughts on how they work for me!

Watch the video version of this review:

Archer and Olive Planner Review

Posted on by Jenna

Do you love the idea of bullet journals but still want a structured planner? No need to choose one; instead, check out the new Archer and Olive Planners! Today we are taking a closer look at the new Archer and Olive planners and professional line.

Let’s start with the planners!

That’s what you are most interested in, right? I ordered the A5 2024 Wellness Planner ($47) and the undated Art Deco planner ($41). First, the Wellness Planner.

I am an Archer and Olive affiliate. All links are affiliate links, and I will receive a commission if you purchase. You can save 10% with my affiliate code Runsonespresso. 

The Wellness planner is actually 14 months! You get November and December 2023 and all of 2024. The A5 size is cute, portable, and surprisingly not too thick (about 1″). It does have a wire-o binding, which is a letdown if you prefer a regular coil. The abstract design has gold foil accents. It comes with an elastic band in dark blue that doesn’t quite match the colors on the cover. There is one pen loop and a paper pocket on the inside back cover. You also get a plastic snap-in ruler since there are no ribbon bookmarks. 

The paper is the usual Archer and Olive 160 gsm. When you open it up, you get a letter from Bonnie and information on how to use the planner. You get a spread of dot grid paper and 2024 mini months followed by your year-at-a-glance page. The year at a glance has six months per page, and since it’s blank, there are myriad ways you could use it besides future planning. Five more dot grid pages follow the year at a glance.

Each month starts with a tabbed divider with a quote, and on the back is a coloring page. The monthly dashboard is an excellent setup for reflecting on your previous month and working on yourself.

The monthly spread is two pages with a Sunday start. There is a notes column and a different affirmation each month. The box for each day is small, measuring 1.25″ tall by 1″ wide. There is also space along the bottom for notes, doodles, or whatever you need!

The weekly spreads are two pages with six columns across. Monday through Friday are 5″ tall by 1.5″ wide. Unfortunately, Saturday and Sunday are split, measuring only 2.25 tall. Some of us need full days for the weekend because that is when most of our tasks/errands get done! Each day has a sleep tracker at the bottom of the column.

You also have room for five habit trackers, notes, and five weekly priorities. 

You can rate your month with a star rating out of five at the end of the month. There are journaling prompts, a space for affirmations, a creative space, and a notes section. You could use the notes section to journal about the prompt! I do wish there was an additional dot grid page here. 

Overall, I really like this planner. It is a great personal planner, and the A5 size is great for taking with you on the go (or, if you are like me, carrying it from the office to the living room).

In addition, I grabbed the colorful monthly tabs ($9). They are vinyl and very thin, unlike the vegan leather ones from Erin Condren. The thicker the tab, the more your page will bump up. The only problem is you get 12, but the planner is 14 months. I would skip 2023 and put the tabs on the 2024 months.

The undated Art Deco planner is black vegan leather with a subtle design on the front. It has a black elastic band, a pen loop, two ribbon bookmarks, and a pocket. 

As with the previous planner, you get a year-at-a-glance page, but it’s blank. You can start this planner at any time! Six dot grid pages follow the year at a glance.

We move into the monthly view, which has five rows for the weeks, which means you may have to double up the 30th and 31st for some months. I prefer when undated planners do six rows. There is a side column checklist and notes space on the bottom. It feels like a lot of wasted space, and the boxes and checklists could be larger. The boxes are 1″ by 1″, while the lines for the checklist are .75″ wide and .25″ tall.  

Between each month are five weekly spreads. Each week is two pages, and there are six columns across. The columns are Monday through Friday and notes. Saturday and Sunday are in the space below the column, with one day on each page. I like this layout because you get a lot of room for the weekends! The columns are 1.5″ wide and 5″ tall, while Saturday/Sunday is 5″ wide and 2″ tall. 

Finally, you get two dot grid pages after the five weekly spreads. Perfect for wrapping up the previous month and setting up the next! This is a great planner. I may use it for work!

Lastly, the new professional line notebooks. I ordered the A5 in warm gray florals and black plaid ($35 each). The gray looks more taupe, and I don’t love the floral design. I wish it was a little more gray and had the art deco design. The black plaid looks fantastic! It’s a subtle pattern. Both notebooks are Archer and Olive standard 160gsm with a matching elastic band, pen loop, two ribbon bookmarks, and a pocket in the back.

If you want a more professional look for your dot grid notebook, go with the black plaid or the brown art deco (not purchased). The warm gray floral just doesn’t hit the mark for me.

Shop Archer and Olive (don’t forget to use my code Runsonespresso to save 10%)

Affiliate link and code I will receive a commission if you purchase.

What are your favorite and least favorite features of the new planners? What professional notebook would you choose?

Watch the video version of this review below:

Cafe Noir | August Reads

Posted on by Jenna

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell

Narration by: Ensemble Cast

☕️☕️☕️/ 5

Narration: ☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️/5

One night, two women are out celebrating their 45th birthdays. Separately. A chance encounter in the bathroom leads to the two women meeting and making a podcast, The Birthday Twins. Things start to turn south, and The Birthday Twins podcast turns into a true crime podcast. 

None of This is True is full of suspense. It makes you want to keep reading. It was predictable, but the writing made you want to continue. There were twists and turns, ups and downs. Although shallow and typical, the intriguing characters made you want to read more. I can’t say I liked any of the characters, but I cared what happened to them (unlike in Bad Summer People).

I couldn’t give this book 4 or 5 stars because a section toward the end blamed a teenager for seducing a 43-year-old man. Even if the teenager was a psychopath and tried to seduce the man, he should have said no; this is inappropriate. There was clearly a power imbalance between a 43-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl.

I recommend this book if you enjoy thrillers and stories with unreliable narrators. I also really enjoyed how the story was presented. It was in chronological order, but some were from the character’s point of view, while other parts were clips from the podcast and documentary. 

The narration for the audiobook was excellent. It was well done, easy to tell which character was talking, and there were music interludes before/after the podcast clips. It was very easy to follow along and understand the story. 

The Travel Photography Book by Scott Kelby

☕️☕️☕️☕️/4

Interested in learning about Travel Photography? This book is for you!

Scott Kelby is back with another easy-to-follow photography book, this time all about travel! Each page has a photo with information on how to get that kind of shot while traveling. He explains it to you in terms that are easy to understand like you are shooting and talking about photography.

The book is well-written and easy to follow. The information was very similar to Kelby’s courses at the Travel Photography Conference, but if you didn’t attend, it would be new info for you! I enjoyed it as a great reminder for myself. 

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve their photography, especially when traveling!

Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger

I received this book from Netgalley for free in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.

☕️☕️☕️/5

True Crime writer/podcaster Harley Granger arrives in a small town where ten years earlier, Evan Handy was convicted of the murder of a classmate and attempted murder of another on December 23rd. The same night, sisters Ainsley and Sam went missing and were never found. Granger wonders if an accomplice took the sisters as more women have disappeared over the years.

Madeline Martin, the surviving victim of Handy, runs a bookstore in her hometown and takes care of her father, who recently suffered a stroke. He also happened to have been Sheriff when the murder and disappearance happened. He never believed Handy acted alone and was still working on the cold case up.

Christmas Presents is considered a novella, but it actually felt like a novel. It was an easy book to read, and there was enough intrigue for me to want to keep reading. It felt easy to figure out where the story was going, but because it was so well written, I didn’t mind being able to predict the outcomes.

There were a few things about the book I did not like. The first was the transitions between the characters’ points of view. It went very long and then suddenly switched. I didn’t realize it and was very confused. I had to go back and see if I missed something. There was nothing to indicate a change of point of view. I wish it had been more obvious.

The other is very nitpicky. Madeline Martin uses the term “this town” multiple times to show how small it is, but it’s unnecessary. Plenty of other information and descriptions show how small it is. 

Overall, I enjoyed the story and recommend it to people who enjoy thrillers. And people who enjoy thrillers are set at Christmastime.

Chaos Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties by Tom O’Neill

Narrated by Kevin Stillwell

☕️☕️/5

Narration ☕️/5

I had high hopes for this book and wanted new information. Instead, I got a boring regurgitation of everything already floating around, and there wasn’t anything new for me in this book.

The narrator was boring and monotonous. I usually listen at 1.5 speed, and I had to boost it to 1.75, which was still boring.

I cannot recommend this book. I barely made it through. 

Happy Place by Emily Henry

☕️☕️☕️/5

Harriet travels to her Happy Place to spend the week with her best friends, Cleo and Sabrina. She hasn’t told them that Wynn dumped her months ago. Imagine her shock when Wynn is there. Harriet and Wynn pretend like they are still together for the sake of the friend group. It’s harder than either imagined. 

For me, this book isn’t good, but it’s not bad either. It was “meh”. The characters sometimes drove me a little nuts because it seemed they could have just… talked? And all the issues wouldn’t be issues.

The characters were a little much. The author made way too much about their perceived flaws. Like we get it, Wynn isn’t that confident. We don’t need it specifically written out every other page. The book is from Harriet’s point of view and man she prattles on way too much about her, Wynn, and Sabrina’s issues. Like we could cut out half of the book, and we’d still get it.

I had a feeling how the book would end and I was glad most of it I was right about. There is one part I wish was slightly different, not sure how the author missed the opportunity. It would have been an easy thing for Harriet to suggest to Sabrina. I don’t want to say too much to avoid spoilers.

If you like cute romances with communication conflicts, this might be a good book for you! I need a bit more com in my roms. It is listed as women’s contemporary, contemporary romance, and rom-com but it doesn’t really reach rom-com levels for me. It was more sappy.

*New* Erin Condren Home Organization Tools

Posted on by Jenna

Get Your Life Together!

You can send your kids back to school and finally get your house (and life) in order with the new Erin Condren organizational products!

Large Cord Storage Box $24.50

Hide your unsightly cords at your desk or under the tv with the cord storage box. Comes in pink (dusty rose) with the asterisk design on the top. Too bad there aren’t other colors because this pink doesn’t go in my house. Also, no other real use for it other than cord storage.

Adjustable Bookend Organizer $26.50

How I wish this came in other colors! I love this product, but the color doesn’t work for me. It’s flexible in what you can store in it. I can work on your desk, your bookshelf, in your kitchen. If you don’t need it to hold your books for a bit, slide the end in, and you have a desk organizer!

Large Stand Up Folio $38.50

Available in many different designs with black, gray, or pink accents, the stand up folio is great for going from home to the office or coffee shop. It stores a laptop or planner, keeps your notepad and pens handy, and looks great! There are eight total elastic loops to hold pens or cordes, while the mesh pocket can hold your washi or laptop charger. I love this so much that I ordered the colorblends version!

Ultimate Pencil Case $20.50

Match your stand up folio! The ultimate pencil case has a nice hard top, holds six pens, and can double as a phone stand when out and about. *Note I have a Samsung 21 Ultra and fits well without a case. With a Spigen case, it is a little harder to use but still fits!

New EttaVee designs! Stay Golden on the list pad and Hopeful on Family Organizer Planner. I really love the Hopeful design. I like the design and more muted colors.

Monthly Calendar Sticky Notes $10.50

I am not a fan of this one. I don’t know what I would use it for. It’s too big (6×10) to fit in a 7×9 notebook. The boxes for each day are small. Overall this feels like a fail to me. What do you think?

Family Organizer starts at $40.50

A few of the features on the family organizer would not be useful. I feel the recurring schedule would be hard for anyone. Even when I was in school, my schedule would change from week to week. The habit and task tracking allow for one of each as there are only six lines for each section (and it’s Monday – Sunday for the dots, so six weeks?). I think this would be better served with the new monthly planner dashboard tracker. I do think the rest of the sections and pages would be useful for families!

Small Organizer Caddy $36.50

A smaller, more portable version of the previous organizational caddy. Great for taking your planner supplies on the go or toting your supplies around the house. This would also be great for carrying your kid’s stuff in the car. Or maybe items for a picnic? There are probably a million ways to use the small caddy!

Want to grab any of these items? Shop here: https://shrsl.com/38mu5 (affiliate link I will receive a commission if you buy).

What are your favorite and least favorite items in this release? Let me know in the comments!

Watch the video review:

Cafe Noir | July 2023

Posted on by Jenna

Ready, Set, Novel!  by Chris Baty, Lindsey Grant, Tavia Stewart-Streit

☕☕☕☕ / 5

Ready, Set, Novel! is technically a workbook, but each chapter starts with helpful information about the step you will be working on. It is written in a friendly tone and filled with humor. 

I think it will be helpful to anyone not sure where to start with writing the book(s) in their heads. It walks you through each prep step before you actually write the first draft. The only thing missing is an option to have a downloadable PDF of the exercises with the purchase of the book. I don’t want to write in the book and want to use the exercises for multiple stories.

The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks

Narrated by Gay Hendricks 

☕️☕️☕️ / 5

We can’t achieve because we have a limiting belief that rears its ugly head when we get close to greatness. We can put those behind us and achieve our wildest dreams with some work!

Maybe because I read the audiobook, I found everything to be “just ok”. The info didn’t seem to go deep enough. Sometimes it felt like we left something out. He also seemed to make up his own terms for existing things. Like his concept of time. 

If this book had been longer, I’d have given up because the author’s voice was monotonous and pompous sounding.

I guess this book wasn’t aimed at me. I think it was meant more for corporate America I wanna be CEO types. So maybe if that’s you, this might be the book for you!

Lightroom 7 Point System by Scott Kelby

☕☕☕☕ / 5

I have been a Scott Kelby fan since I got back into digital photography 10ish (?) years ago. I have read several of his books, taken classes, and attended seminars. I think he does an excellent job of explaining all aspects of photography to people. 

I gave this book four coffees because it is a wealth of information and easy to follow. It was repetitive and didn’t teach me anything new because I’ve already learned this from Scott Kelby. I think if you are trying to figure out what you want to shoot and how to work Lightroom, this is the book for you. Kelby covers several genres of photography and explains what is wrong with the image and how to fix it. 

Let Him In by William Friend

☕️☕️☕️ / 5

Thank you, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press, for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

After Alfie’s wife dies, he needs to raise his twin, seven-year-old girls. One night they appear at his bedside saying a man was in their room. After a thorough search, no one is found. Eventually, the girls no longer talk about the man in their room. 

But then something far worse shows up. Black Mamba. 

At first, he seems harmless, but the twin’s behavior changes and Alfie reaches out to his wife’s twin sister Julia, a family therapist, for help.

Friend nails the creepy twin vibe. The story switches between Alfie and Julia’s points of view with many descriptions of the girl’s behavior. There aren’t any big “jump scares,” but a low level of anxiety weaved throughout.

This book falls short in figuring out what type of story it is. The author wants to make it religious, supernatural, and psychological, which is too much. He touches on all three but never delves deep enough into any of them to make the ending satisfying. Instead, I was left with questions. 

Overall, Let Him In is a decent horror book. There is an underlying creepiness throughout. It is a little slower moving than some, but Friend builds anxiety. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a more slow burn or creepy twin story. 

Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum

☕️☕️ / 5

I wanted to love this book. The opening was intriguing, and the book kept you guessing who was found dead (although I did guess correctly well before the climax). The problem was I hated all the characters. Not love to hate, just plain old hate. They were all vapid, shallow, and self-absorbed. I love a well-written asshole, but there were none in this book. 

When I think of a book like Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, you have a main character, Elena; you hate her, but you want to keep reading because she is well-written. You LOVE to hate her. But I didn’t love to hate anyone in this book. I actually got frustrated a few times with how much I disliked all the characters. 

I think with fewer characters, the author could have developed each one a bit more to make me care about what happens to them. Or at least enjoy reading about them. There were a lot of side couples and characters whose chapters didn’t add much, if anything, to the story. Their chapters almost seemed like an afterthought or as if the author needed to add some pages to reach an arbitrary page count.

I don’t know who I would recommend this book to. The story/ suspense was ok. I wanted to know if I was right and kept reading. I wasn’t surprised by the ending. And clearly, the characters aren’t redeeming enough even to say yes; it’s predictable, but the characters are great! It was easy and not very heavy, something you could read on a weekend beach getaway. 

Arteza versus Tombow

Posted on by Jenna

If you’ve been around the bullet journal for any amount of time, you have probably heard of the Tombow dual brush pens. They are the gold standard for creators in the bujo community but can be a bit pricey. Are there any alternatives out there that might be a bit more affordable?

Yes, you can find alternatives to Tombow dual brush pens!

They may not be quite as nice but they make a decent alternative. I compared the Arteza dual-tip brush pens to Tombow. Both are water-based markers with a brush tip and a bullet point tip. 

I chose colors from both that closely matched to compare. Tombows have a much larger selection of colors than Arteza, which is excellent if you want all the slight nuances in colors. Arteza has the basic colors you need and most people could get by with only the Arteza colors. 

For the test, I used Arteza A501 and A102. From Tombow, I chose 452 and 055. The blue Arteza is a bit lighter in color but very similar to Tombow. The yellows appear to be an almost exact match. 

The Tombow brush is a little bit longer than the Arteza. You can kind of tell when you write because it is a little smoother. In comparison, the bullet tip on the Arteza looks to be slightly more fine than Tombow.

My biggest issue with the Arteza markers is when I go to erase pencil marks it can start to pill or pull the paper up. You need to use a plastic eraser and very lightly remove the pencil marks. If you go with the Arteza use a soft pencil and make very light marks. 

Overall, the Arteza is a decent alternative to the Tombow if you are following a budget. 

What are your favorite budget planning supplies? What else would you like to see compared? Drop your thoughts in the comments! 

Watch the video version here.

How To Make a Gaming Notebook

Posted on by Jenna

What do you do if you have a surplus of notebooks and start a new hobby? You start a journal dedicated to your new hobby! Keep reading for how to make a gaming journal! 

I had wanted to start gaming again (I mean, can I really say again when the last time I “gamed” was when Gameboy was still a thing??), and then I watched The Last of Us. I knew I had to play this game. I ordered the game and the first time I played,  I knew I wanted a notebook to keep track of everything.

I grabbed a journal I got from Cricket Paper Co and got to work!

Of course, I had to make the opening page a dedication to Gameboy. I had to have one when it came and saved up my babysitting money until I was able to afford it. And Tetris. Because who doesn’t love Tetris? I sketched out the Gameboy and then used Tombows to color it in. I also attempted a pixelated font. 

Next, I made a simple cover page for The Last of Us, using HBO posters as inspiration for the font and virus. I drew out a PS4 remote and did a key for what each button does for this specific game. I don’t always remember what everything does and this has been a great help! I can review it before I start and keep it open next to me. 

My first section is for tips. There are tons of in-game tips and more on the internet. After tips, I made a chapter and checklist tracker. I can keep track of what I’ve completed and if I found all the items and pendants. Because I missed the first few pendants, didn’t even know I should be looking for them!

I made a spread for artifact locations. I thought it might be easier to reference in my notebook than trying to google at the moment to make sure I didn’t miss something. I did the same for the walkthrough info. I can make quick notes from the websites to reference while playing. 

Lastly, I made a play log to track the dates I play and what I accomplished that time. I thought it would be fun to look back at and compare if/when I playthrough again!

What would you track in a gaming journal? Do you keep notebooks for your hobbies? If so, what do you track?

Watch the video walkthrough of my notebook here. 

Cafe Noir | June 2023

Posted on by Jenna

Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach by Evelyn Tribole, Elyse Resch

☕☕☕☕ / 5

Diet culture is everywhere we look. We cannot escape it. There are tv commercials, social media ads, and sometimes even our friends and family get pulled in. But you can break the cycle and learn to listen to your body. 

This is the idea behind Intuitive Eating. 

I have been working on this for the past year or so naturally. This book was interesting and offered some new areas to think about and work on. I would recommend this book to everyone. We all need to work on getting away from diet culture.

It was an easy read and offered a lot of real-life stories. 

The Photography Storytelling Workshop: A five-step guide to creating unforgettable photographs by Finn Beales

☕☕ / 5

Ugh, this book. I could barely finish it. The second half basically repeated the first half but using different terms. It is clearly aimed at very beginners. Like people that have never taken a photo before? I mean, not even on your phone. It was far too simplified and offered no new info.

I cannot recommend this book to anyone. I think there are way better books out there for people looking to get into photography.

Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

☕☕☕☕ / 5

The 70’s were the decade for rock n roll. When you hear the phrase “sex, drugs, and rock n roll” you probably picture a band similar to Daisy Jones and the Six. The book documents the rise and eventual fall of a band told through an interview-style narrative. 

I absolutely LOVED this book! It may be one of my favorites of the year. I loved the oral history style writing, and the similarities to a favorite band (Fleetwood Mac anyone?). There were so many great quotes sprinkled throughout from all the different characters.

The book made me feel the emotions of the band. I loved and hated the characters as they work their way through the 70s music scene. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys Taylor Jenkins Reid or those that enjoy historical fiction and rock n roll of the 70s. 

I may not have been there but I felt like I was. And it felt like all the other biographies and documentaries I’ve seen from bands in that time period. 

What books did you read in June and which one was your favorite?

adhd planners

ADHD Planner Round-Up

Posted on by Jenna

Over the past year, I’ve reviewed 10 different ADHD planners.

These planners are often recommended for those of us with ADHD. I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. Some I couldn’t even use while others I could see the potential if they changed a few things.

So, how do they stack up against each other?

Here are the 10 planners ranked from unusable to would (or did!) incorporate into my planner stack. YMMV.

  1. CanPlan Mental Health – this is definitely made for someone with more than just ADHD
  2. The ADHD Planner – so much potential but execution is lacking
  3. Essential Daily Planner – great if you have zero weekend plans or to-dos
  4. Mudra Life Planner – ugh, the size is the worst and there’s no monthly view between weeks
  5. Tied with #6 Living Well Planner – the planning part is fantastic but the goal setting and budget need work
  6. Tied with #5 Wilkii Planner – great idea but a tad overwhelming, poorly designed monthly view
  7. The Planner Pad – high learning curve but it makes sense once you figure it out. Undated has no monthly view
  8. Tied with #9 Hero’s Journal – great for projects or goals. Daily, undated (no monthly) but it one you can use as needed for those busier days
  9. Tied with #8 Clever Fox Premium Edition – loved the weekly view with dashboard! But all the months are together at the front of planner, not between weeks
  10. Live Rich Planner – it has a lot of space to track everything but you need to remember to go back to the monthly and weekly dashboards

Linked to the original review in case you are curious.

No planner will ever be perfect. Some will get pretty close and if you can make some adjustments (with whiteout or stickers) could be just right for you!

What planner do you use? What do you like/dislike about it? What planners would you like to see next in the ADHD planner review series? Lemme know in the comments!

Want the video version of this top ten? Check it out!

How to do a Mid-Year Goal Review

Posted on by Jenna

When was the last time you sat down, did a goal review, and thought about what you wanted to accomplish?

Many of us set goals at the start of the year and plug away at them each month and week. But do we ever take the time to really check in with ourselves and our goals to see if they are working for us? Or if we even care about them anymore?

We may think we check in consistently but lately, it has felt like I have just been going through the motions and feeling a bit overwhelmed. I am sure I am not the only one feeling this way. June feels like the perfect time to do a goal review. It will be ideal timing to kick off the last half of the year!

It may be time to simplify.

First, we want to think about our current gaol system. Is it still working? Are we still excited to sit down and do our goals each week? Can I use it in a different way to make it work better for me?

For me, I feel I don’t need the MakseLife planner. It is a lot and I think the companion notebooks or even a bullet journal would be a better fit. But since I already have the planner, I am going to make it work for me. Looking forward to 2024, I will skip the planner.

Next, we need to evaluate our goals.

I am going to simplify my goal categories. MakseLife has eight categories and many seem to overlap. I’ve been moving a couple of goals between categories trying to figure out the best fit and decided to change from eight categories to four. My categories will be personal (encompassing personal, fun & recreation, family, and spiritual & personal growth), fitness, finance, and home.

I moved work & learning to the HB90 system for the last quarter and it has been working amazingly well. I am going to carry that forward.

Now is the time to look at our goals.

Are those goals you set back in January still working for you? If you want to keep them, do you need to make any adjustments? For example, I want to keep my goal to read 52 books this year. I have 35 to go. Instead of a book per week, I am going to focus on finishing five per month (from June – December).

Lastly, how are you going to plan and track everything? Since one of my goals is to shop my stash, I set up my new goals in MakseLife using stickers I already have. I also used some stickers to create trackers to mark off. I will continue to use my planner and stickers to plan and track my goals.

Besides the annual trackers, I can use stickers to make monthly or weekly trackers to help keep me break down, plan, and tackle my goals.

Are you updating your goals? What’s working, or not, for you? What tips do you have for planning, tracking, and doing your goals? Drop them in the comments to help others!