Setting up a new planner can be both exciting and stressful.
Exciting because a new, shiny object to covet! But stressful because there is so much to think about and try to figure out.
How do you go about setting up and moving into your new planner?
Think about why you got a planner. What do you want to track? What do you need to track? Grab a piece of paper and write down those items.
If you have a current planner, take a few moments to flip through it. Write down what worked and what didn’t.
Grab your perpetual or Google calendar, any post-its, appointment cards, invites, or other notes you have about recurring and future dates.
Review your new planner and look at all of the sections – dashboards, notes pages, contact list, etc and brainstorm how you could use them. Note any new or different sections from your current planner.
Gather all your supplies. What do you need to set up your planner? Here are a few ideas:
Sticky Notes
Writing Tools – pens, highlighters, pencil
Stickers, washi
Stencil(s), ruler
Page Markers
Inserts
Start filling in those important dates and known events. I prefer sticky notes in case things change and it works with my functional/decorative system. You may want to pencil things in. For birthdays you may want to put down stickers right away. It’s all about what works for you.
For all those other sections, like the dashboards or note pages, you can also plot out how you’d like to use them with sticky notes. The nice thing about sticky notes is you can move them around and visualize how the page will look! Plus they are great if you change your mind on how you want to use different pages.
Determine when you will use your planner. What day will you sit down and set your weekly plans? How often and when will you review your planner each day? Make a plan and stick to it. This will help you get into the routine of using a planner and make sure it doesn’t go to waste.
When I get a new planner, I gather everything above and put down sticky notes for everything I know. I will set up the first month (July/January) how I think I want to plan. If after that month I find things that don’t work I change them. I also set up a week at a time because things change. Plans change, styles change, and life changes. And I don’t like having to remove stickers or white out a bunch of stuff if I don’t have to. I know others will put down some stickers for the entire year. If that works better for you, go for it!
Planning is all about what works for you. You can always try something for a week or month and if it doesn’t work, go back to your old way.
Are you setting up a new planner this month? Leave your best tips in the comments!
May was supposed to be the month to get back on track. I was going to read SOOOOO MANY books and get my reading goal of 52 per year (one per week) all caught up. That did not happen. I may have another low reading year and not make my goal. OR I can try to catch up starting in June…
I did read some really great books this month, one for book club and one for my own photography education. What did you read this month? Anything worth adding to the TBR?
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
☕☕☕☕/ 5
Leni grows up in the wilderness of Alaska. She battles the “great outdoors” and her abusive father while learning to survive growing up and first love.
I loved this book. I felt drawn to Leni and her using books to escape. I enjoyed all the references to different books and authors. I also love the idea of moving to a little town in the middle of nowhere and learning how to live off the land. Of course, Alaska is a little too cold for me. I prefer going off-grid in Hawaii.
This book does cover heavier topics, including domestic violence. It may not be suitable for everyone. I would recommend this book as a coming-of-age, love story. There are no graphic sex scenes, but again, domestic violence is described in detail.
Vision and Voice by David duChemin
☕☕☕☕/ 5
David duChemin explores editing your photos by feel, by the emotion you want your audience to feel.
This book was beneficial to me at a time when I have struggled to edit photos. I may not be able to answer all his questions but I can see where the questions are important. I also realized I need to play more with my images. Use the different sliders to get my image to say what I want it to say.
I would recommend this book to fellow photographers, especially if you are struggling with your editing.
I’ve never done it consistently in the past but have tried a few times to make notes. I have never been successful. I usually take too many notes and I hate writing in books. Recently I got curious and fell down the Google rabbit hole of book annotation. I love seeing other people annotate books but as I read and researched it, I realized 1. I still won’t write or highlight in books and 2. I read a lot of ebooks and audiobooks (many from the library). I thought a book notebook would be a great compromise!
Why should you annotate or make notes about what you’re reading?
For me, I partly wanted to start for book club, to feel more prepared. I also want to be more connected to the books and be present when I read. Lastly, I want to remember the things I read and specifically things I learn when reading non-fiction books, especially photography-related ones.
As I googled and mulled it over, I thought the new Erin Condren Priorities and Notes layout would be perfect for taking notes. I also went through my stash of accessories and built a reading kit which I put in an Erin Condren planny pack to easily carry with my notebook! I also grabbed my new snap-in pocket dashboards. I can stick notes on and in them. They also section out my notebook and I can easily flip to whichever book I am reading at the moment!
Shop Erin Condren (affiliate link I will receive a commission but it will not affect your shopping!)
What do I have in my kit?
Transparent sticky notes
Reusable sticky notes
Small notepad
Highlight strips
Pens
Highlighter
Sharpie (for those transparent sticky notes)
I have been picking pens and highlighters that coordinate with the colors on the book cover. I will have a fun, colorful notebook when I’m done!
The Priorities and Notes layout has six boxes on the left-hand side and lined notes pages on the right. I had hoped to fit a book into one set of boxes/lined page but I realized that will never work for me. I ended up using three pages for my first book and decided that will be my limit for each book.
My first book, The Great Alone, was a little trial and error. Of course, I will make adjustments as needed but I’ve got a good setup now for fiction and non-fiction books. The first page will be the same for all books. The six boxes will be:
About the Book – Title, Author, Fiction/Non-Fiction, Genre, format, and where I got it
Other Books by the Author
What Others are Saying – I like to google after I read and see if there is anything interesting
My Summary
Final Thoughts
My Rating – How many coffees, if I’d recommend it
For fiction books, the next set of six boxes are:
Characters (two boxes)
Relationships – between characters
Setting
Main Theme
Connections – what does it remind me of, does the book mention other media
The final six boxes are:
Quotes (two boxes)
Questions – either that come up as I read or after
What stood out to me
Likes
Dislikes
For non-fiction, the second set of six boxes will be (two each):
Key Ideas
References to review
Questions
The last six will be (two each):
What resonated with me
What did I find Interesting
My Ideas – what can I do with this new knowledge or how can I incorporate what I’ve learned
Each book will have three lined pages. Before starting I will review the chapters and/or sections and divide my three-lined pages evenly. I hope this will help keep me from writing down EVERYTHING. I will use transparent sticky notes to highlight or pop out key moments or ideas. I would like to be more succinct with what I write down. I’ve always taken too many notes, not knowing what is important (maybe because of ADHD?). I do want to have a set number of pages because I often have more than one book going at once and want to be able to set up each book in my notebook.
As this is my first time doing something like this I’m sure I will make more adjustments.
Do you annotate books or take notes while you read? I’d love your tips and tricks! Leave your best advice in the comments.
Want to see a video version of this? Head over to YouTube to watch!
Do you ever wonder about the items Amazon keeps recommending for you?
Amazon kept showing me the Alohaster highlighters and I saw them “marked down” and decided to grab both packs to test so you don’t have to waste your money! Or maybe so you can find your next favorite item!
The Alohaster claim to be mild highlighters that will not bleed. They come in two color packs: Happiness and Youth, with six highlighters per pack. These are softer colors than most Zebra Mild Liners but only have the chisel tip. There is no bullet tip.
The colors are more pastel and soft than many of the Zebra Mild Liners. The colors are very nice. I would recommend these if that is the aesthetic you are looking for. They seem to highlight smoothly and there is no real bleed-through or ghosting with Erin Condren paper. I didn’t test them on thinner paper but they claim to not bleed or ghost. The lines do not have an inky start or end point as some highlighters have.
These sound great! Is there a drawback?
For me, the shape was awkward and hard to hold. They are an odd rectangle shape. I am sure after a few uses you would probably get used to it. It was hard to get a nice grip to test these out. I also know I do not like oddly shaped pens/markers. YMMV.
Overall, I think these would be a nice set of highlighters if you want something mild and pastel. They are definitely not IN YOUR FACE like some highlighters. They will take some getting used to just for the shape.
They are currently listed as $7.99 per pack which is a great price for these! Or bundled for $14.99. I am an Amazon Associate and I may earn a commission if you purchase through my links.
Have you tried the Alohaster highlighters? What do you think?? What other stationery finds on Amazon are you curious about? Let me know in the comments and I will check them out for a future review!
Want the video version of this? Head over to YouTube!
The excitement of launch season is here! What did the Erin Condren Launch hold?
I wanted to order my new planner since I am currently on a July start. I also switched from the Daily Duo to the Compact Vertical. I love the Daily Duo but I only have a few appointments and mostly use it as a to-do list. The compact vertical made more sense for my needs.
I thought I would for sure get the Canvas. I love a plain, neutral usually. But I fell in love with the Wildflower! I totally surprised myself because I am not a pastel or floral person but Wildflower was so beautiful I had to have it.
I know not everyone needs a planner now or they don’t use Erin Condren planners but there are many other items that launched you may not want to miss!
What are the top five popular accessories you should grab from the Erin Condren Launch?
Sticky Notes (Snap-in or Agenda) $10.50
Available in Inspire and Wildflower
Sticker Books $16.50
Available in Inspire and Wildflower
Washi $8.50
Available in Inspire, Wildflower, and Focus
Snap-in Pocket Dashboard (currently out of stock) $10.50
Writing Tools Variety Pack $22.50
Available in Inspire and Wildflower
And don’t forget… you save 15% when you purchase four or more accessories! Shop now (affiliate link – I will receive a commission and it won’t affect your shopping experience!)
What items did you or would you grab from the launch?
Curious about the new Archer & Olive Creativity Case? If yes, this blog is for you!
I ordered the emerald version, with a tan interior (currently unavailable), and is also available in charcoal with a black interior or mint with an off-white interior. All three options have a herringbone pattern on the outside. The Creativity Case is $45 ( you can get it for $40.50 with my affiliate link and code Runsonespresso at checkout. I will receive a commission with no effect on your shopping experience). I found this price to be fairly in line with similar cases.
What is the Creativity Case?
The creativity case is made for on-the-go planning! Even if you only travel from room to room in your house. Archer & Olive states it will hold up to four pounds of planning supplies including 28 pens, 10 rolls of washi, and notebooks up to size B5!
But does it really hold all that stuff?!?
I decided to see what the Creativity Case would really hold. I am happy to report that I stuffed many different products in this bad boy and it could handle all of it!
And more.
Looking at the outside you have that subtle herringbone pattern in the fabric, which gives it a slightly elevated look and feel. The zipper and other hardware are a nice antique bronze and appear to be heavy-duty and ready to work. The zippers open and close easily. The pull tabs on the zipper are a round Archer & Olive logo. The handle will lay flat for storage but easily slides when you need to grab and go.
When you first open the case you have several pockets on one side and a snap-in pen holder on the other. Starting with the pocket side, you get three mesh pockets of various sizes (8.5″x6″, 6″x6″, and 3.25″x6″). These can hold stickers, although you need to be careful sliding them because the paper will get caught on the mesh. You can also put in tweezers, stamp sets, stencils, post-its, washi cutters or cards, and other small tools. Behind the mesh pockets is another large, non-mesh pocket (11.5″x6.5″) perfect for a notebook, stickers, or stamp sets.
The pen holder has space for 28 pens. The elastic isn’t too loose or tight and will safely hole a variety of writing tools securely. Of course, I tested Acrylographs and Calliographs but also Tombows, Ohuhu Dot Markers, Zebra Pens (Sarasa Clip) and Mildliners, EC Dual Tips, and a drawing pencil. Once loaded I shook the pen holder (Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start), and everything except the drawing pencil stayed put.
Behind the snap-in pen holder is the final section. It has two ribbons with snaps across the top and another mesh pocket (5.5″x8″). You can load the ribbons up with washi but if you do more than five per ribbon it becomes harder to close with the snap-in pen holder and you limit the notebook size you can store under the washi.
I was able to fit two notebooks in the space but then it becomes difficult to close with pens on both sides of the snap-in holder.
Overall, the Creativity Case is great for moving around the supplies you need for your current bullet journal. You won’t be able to fit everything you own in it but can fit what you need to the week or maybe month. You can fit three notebooks in there, maybe more if you leave out the snap-in pen holder.
The case seems incredibly sturdy and well-made. Plus it looks gorgeous! I would recommend this if you are looking for a pretty and convenient way to take your journal and supplies on the go!
Want to see a video version of this review? You can watch it here.
Did you get the Creativity Casse? If so, which color did you grab? If not, what color would you get? What will (or would) you carry in it?
Have you ever stumbled across an online shop like Notebook Therapy and wondered if you should order from them? You wonder, will my order ever show up, or are the items as nice as they seem in the photos? I get it. I’m always a bit skeptical when it comes to new to me online stores. But you don’t have to worry because I’m gonna order from these places first and let you know how it goes.
I’ve ordered from Notebook Therapy twice, so that should tell you something. 😉 I have been 99% satisfied with the products. Orders were packed and shipped quickly. The actual shipping time took a few weeks but that is to be expected with items coming from overseas and going through customs.
What have I purchased?
A little bit of everything! I’ve purchased a bullet journal, washi, and the Hinoki Cherry Blossom set (which was recently restocked!) Everything I received appears to be high-quality, well-made items. If you don’t get the cherry blossom set, at least consider the Hinoki travel journal. It is DIVINE!
My only issue has been with the Cherry Blossom weekly planner. The travel planning page that should have folded out was sliced. I could easily fix it with tape but shouldn’t have to. It was also printed slightly off and once I noticed it, I could not unsee it.
It would not dissuade me from buying from Notebook Therapy in the future or recommending them. I understand mistakes happen and not everything will be perfect. Neither of the things with the weekly planner was truly a deal breaker.
I haven’t really dug into using my items much yet but once I do, I will be sure to update on how they perform and hold up.
Want to see the video of all those items? Watch now
Let me know in the comments what shops you’d like to see featured on the blog and if there are any specific items you are curious about.
Another slow month for me. Unfortunately, I was struggling with some depression and it made it very hard to read. I wanted to. But every time I picked up a book, I could read a chapter and then I needed to stop.
What did you read in April? Share in the comments and inspire others to add to their TBR pile!
Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown
☕☕☕☕☕/ 5
What does it mean to really belong? In Braving the Wilderness Brown does what she does best, makes you think and feel about belonging through a mix of personal stories and research. She covers how and why we have become such a polarized society and what we can do to overcome those initial reactions to those that seem different from us.
Brown speaks to the courage it takes to be yourself. Your true self. Not the self your parents want you to be. Not the self your partner or your boss wants you to be. She talks about how it can be a difficult road to navigate but in the end, it is worth it to stay true to yourself and your beliefs.
I had started this book years ago when it first came out but couldn’t get into it. I set it aside and read many other books in the meantime. For 2023, my word of the year is renew and all about becoming my true self, even when it feels difficult. I picked Braving the Wilderness back up as I felt I was in the right place to read it this time.
Oh boy, I was right!
I feel like I flew through this book but in reality, I took it slow and re-read passages to make sure the message stuck. I felt close to Brown in parts where she was telling her personal stories. I wanted to yell out “ME TOO BRENE! ME TOO!” at parts. I had to take other parts slowly as tears welled up in my eyes. When I finished, I felt satisfied and ready to head into the wilderness.
I would recommend this book to any Brene Brown fans (of course). It is also a good, short read for those looking for the push they need to be themselves or find the courage to stick to their personal values but still find ways to bring others into their conversations.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
☕☕☕☕/ 5
Kya has almost always been alone. One by one, she is abandoned by her family members. She learns to fend for herself in the marsh and becomes the marsh girl to the townspeople. A wild, unknown entity. Then she meets and falls in love with Chase Andrews. But does he actually love her or the idea of taming the marsh girl? One day, Chase is found dead. Was it an accident or was he murdered?
For me, this book started a little slow. There felt like a lot of background that could have been condensed. I get the author wanted to build up the back story but it kind of dragged a bit. Once we got to the meat of the story, it started to pick up and was much easier to read and get into.
Slight Spoiler alert maybe: Once Chase is found dead there is a lot of speculation of who would have murdered him. Eventually, it comes to Kya is put on trial for his death. I like that the author made it feel real, not like some of the tv law shows.
Until the very end, I went back and forth with what I thought happened.
I would recommend this book to people that like a slow mystery with commentary on economic and social classes. There is a lot of talk of the differences between townspeople, the marsh people (white trash), and the blacks in the southern US. The story also goes between two timelines. Kya’s story starts when she is a small child and builds to the present time. The other timeline starts with the discovery of Chase’s body and is interspersed throughout Kya’s story.
I did not know until after I finished Where the Crawdads Sing that there was controversies surrounding the author. I read about her past and it adds an interesting postscript to the book. The first involving the unsolved murder she may be involved in (allegedly as no one has been named a suspect but she is wanted for questioning) is interesting and kind of parallels the book. The other is the way she wrote the dialogue for many of the characters. She tried to write North Carolina coastal, small town, 1960s accent. It was difficult to read. Some have called it racist, as it is done for the two main black characters,Jumpin and Mabel. But even the rich, white boy Chase had words interspersed in the “accent” (for lack of a better word). The setting of the book is made very clear. It is also made clear there are lines between the white townspeople and the white marsh people and the black people. We don’t need this awful dialogue.
The Wilkii Planner* claims it can help beat procrastination and boost productivity but can it help those of us with ADHD?
*I am an Amazon Associate link and I may receive a commission if you buy through the link.
The Basics: Size: A5 13 weeks, undated Colors: Available in six colors Cover Type: Black – Vegan Leather Colors – Eco Cloth (looks like linen) Price: $32
Inside the box: Planner Growth Sticker for your weekly score Postcard with a QR code to get the PDF guide and videos Two ribbons, pocket in the back, elastic belly band
I love the QR code on the postcard! It’s awesome to have both a written guide with photos and video for different types of learning. The guides walk you through the planner and how to use it.
I sometimes think staring at a blank planner page can cause us to freeze and not know where to start. Having a guide helps you see how others use it and help you decide how you are going to make it work.
When you first open the planner, your first spread is the wellness wheel. It is like programs like MakseLife and Level 10 Life. You get five areas of your life to rate and set goals for. The layout and idea of this page are simple which is helpful for those of us with ADHD. We aren’t overwhelmed with areas to set goals for.
The goal setting is very simple.
The planner asks, “During the next 3 months I will…” and you get three lines per category. It’s simple and should be easy. With the planner being 13 weeks, you are e goal per month.
The only con with the wellness wheel pages is there was nothing in the pdf or videos for it. You are kind of left figuring these pages out for yourself.
Turning the page, we start with the monthly pages.
All three monthly spreads are at the beginning. For me, I prefer a planner to go monthly, weekly, and daily then next month. I get for undated planners having the months in the front makes more sense. I would need to mark the monthly pages and make an effort to flip back to them.
The monthly pages have a large note section on the right-hand side but the con to that is the daily squares are very small. I would be able to fit in one thing each day. If you have small handwriting this may not be an issue.
There is also a lot of wasted space on the monthly spreads. There is an inch on both the top and bottom that could have been better utilized. I would have liked to see a half inch across the top, make the bottom space larger and make the daily squares bigger. Then you can have a small notes column and a notes section along the bottom.
After the monthly pages it is labeled daily but it is a bit misleading.
It is both your weekly and daily pages. You get a two-page weekly spread followed by a two-page spread for the seven weekdays, a weekly review, and a setup for the next week. This setup continues for all 13 weeks.
Starting with the weekly spread, we have a column on the left side titled legend. You can put in an area of your life (school, work, kids, fitness, etc) and add a colored pen or highlighter to help time-block all areas of your life. Color coding is a great way to know what you have going on each day. I think this is great that you get a legend each week. You can change and update as your needs change.
You have a vertical column (approx 1.3″) for each day of the week (Sunday start). The actual space to write on is about an inch. Again, hard for those of use with BIG writing but doable.
The hours start at 6 am and go through 10 pm with the half-hour listed. I love that they go from 6 am to 10 pm as many planners will end the day at 7 or 8 pm. It is also great that they included the half hours. Many of these planners will put the hour and a line then the next hour and a line with no room to put events that start at 2:30.
Not all events are scheduled on the hour!
Next, we have our daily spreads. You get two pages per day, so lots of room to map out your day, make notes, or even doodle if that’s what you need!
The first page is your daily plan. You have room for three power hour tasks. These are your top three, what you absolutely gotta do. There is room to put in the time and how long it took. Next, you have four today’s tasks for those little things you can knock out. Maybe you need to fold your laundry or schedule an appointment, you can add those to your today’s tasks.
There is then space for four scheduled events such as appointments or meetings. And then three impromptu tasks for those things that come up throughout the day. The bottom of the page has a spot to mark which wellness wheel area you are going to take action to grow.
On the second page, you get a mindscape area for whatever you need it for, It is a dot grid space approximately 4.6″ across and 3″ tall.
Next, you have your daily score section. Each task area has a point value assigned (4, 2, and 1). You will add up your score for each task you completed and see what kind of day you had (weak, average, strong, and outstanding). There is a space to record your score.
The bottom has space for nightly reflection including lessons learned, positive attributes you displayed, and if you prepared for tomorrow
The setup of the daily page is great. It makes you prioritize what is important and what is and if I have time/energy type task. It also has you thinking about the next day (if you remember to do your nightly reflection).
At the end of the seven days, you get a weekly review. This time you will ad up all your daily scores and see what kind of week you had. Then you record your score on the growth sticker. This is a great way to see how your productivity changes over time.
We all think progress is a straight line but it’s not. It goes all over.
I like the idea of the daily and weekly score with the growth tracker but I also know I wouldn’t use it consistently. I would start off strong and then stop. Then a few weeks later I might try it again.
I get the idea behind it is the gamification and making it fun for the ADHD brain. I would start doing it the first week or so but after that, I would stop. I might just put what I feel my score would be without adding up the points too.
Everyone is different and the daily score might work for you!
After the weekly score, you get four questions for reflection. I think the questions are great and can help you look back at what you did (or didn’t do) and plan for the coming week.
The second page is my favorite part of the planner. It is “Next Week Set-Up” and you get a bunch of lines to list tasks, their due dates, and priority level that you would like to get done.
I would use this to list out everything I know I have going on next week then go through the past week and pull out things I need to migrate. At the end of each day, I highlight the tasks I didn’t get to and need to move so it’s easy to list them out.
Having a spot to put them all is awesome! Then you aren’t flipping back and forth more than needed. You have everything in one spot, you can assign it a date, and a priority.
Lastly, there is space to enter three people you will reach out to. I’m not sure I would use this but it is a nice touch.
At the back of the book, you get six dot grid pages for notes, future planning, or whatever you need. The paper is smooth and thick. It holds up to most pens and highlighters with little ghosting (Ohuhu Metallic Dot Marker) and zero bleed-through. There was minimal ridging from the ballpoint pen.
The back cover on mine is bent a little by the elastic band. The front is fine and this would be something I could live with.
Overall, the Wilkii Planner would help someone with ADHD plan, be more productive, and help with procrastination. (I’m always gonna procrastinate, some things will take me forever to do).
Would you use the Wilkii planner? What are your pros and cons?
Head over to Instagram and enter for a chance to win the Wilkii Planner!
Ugh, I had been going strong with reading and then March happened. I did finish one book and it was one from my physical TBR that I really want to get through! I guess that’s a bonus point for me. 😆 I hope your March reading was much more fruitful than mine. Let me know in the comments your favorite book you read this month!
Lift Like a Girl by Nia Shanks
☕☕☕.5/5
This book covers weight training, diet/nutrition, and fitness. Nia Shanks covers these topics based on the fact most women are raised to think they need to “earn” their food, fix their weight, and be smaller. But is that really the best approach to health and fitness?
Shanks encourages you to find exercise you enjoy and do it for enjoyment, not punishment. Not as a thing you do to get to eat food. She also covers how food should help us fuel our life and how a balanced approach to eating should look.
There is also a simple weight lifting plan included in the book.
I gave Lift Like a Girl 3.5 out of 5 coffees. It was a good read, not to long, but covered a lot of topics. There is nothing groundbreaking in the book. She covers all the relevant topics and has both scientific evidence and client stories to round out those topics. Overall, a decent book without a lot of fluff, which I appreciate.
I would recommend this book to women interested in health and fitness especially if they are newer in their journey. If you’ve been around a while you probably already know everything in the book but could also be a nice refresher or reminder. Sometimes even those of us who have been doing this a while need that.
