Category: Planning

Is the Law of Attraction Planner Too Much?

Posted on by Jenna

Will the Law of Attraction Planner be the elusive unicorn for those with ADHD?

Law of Attraction Planner $39.05 (Amazon Associate link –  I earn from qualifying purchases)
B5 size, 100 gsm paper

The short answer? No.

The longer answer? The planner part isn’t bad and would probably work well, but the system and prep pages are overwhelming just flipping through them. I could barely get through it to do the review! 

The longest answer?

The Law of Attraction is a 12-month “journey to creating a dream life” through its eight steps. Inside, you get several 10% off coupons, a 15% off code, a postcard with a “handwritten” message on it, including info for two free gifts, a bookmark with two ribbons on top, more free gifts on one side, and a manifestation routine on the other, six sticker sheets (a mix of functional and decorative, and a booklet with instructions on using the planner (and more free gifts and coupons). The planner also has two ribbon bookmarks, an elastic closure, pen loop, and a large pocket in the back.

Yes, there is a lot of free stuff, and don’t worry—there is more in the planner. It feels desperate. 

When you open the planner, the first section is a blank index, which feels odd since there are no blank pages. All the pages have already been pre-printed. A pre-made index would make more sense and be helpful to find things in this book. 

The first section is a flip-out with questions, emotions, affirmations, action steps, and energy-level ideas. Then, we dig into the pre-work, with plenty of questions to answer. Next, it moves into goal setting with space for 50 (!) goals. Who is setting 50 goals? I’m overwhelmed just thinking about that many.

We move into another flip-out that starts with “My Journey,” and this page is actually helpful. It has three columns: where I am now, where I am going, and how I get there. You would fill these in for seven different areas of your life. This might be something I would use in my journal. The rest of the flip-out is for planning how you will achieve your goals and for making space for what you love and are grateful for. 

There are a couple of pages for skills, habits, and people (which reads like Skills I Habits I People on the header). And lastly, mind mapping for breaking down goals and daily action plans. 

And finally! We get to the planner!

The planner has a monthly spread, five weeks, two pages for reflection, and two dot grid pages before starting the next month. At the end, you can reflect on your year. There are also several dot grid pages, some of which are perforated for easy tear-out.

The monthly and weekly spreads remind me of Passion Planner or other similar planners. The monthly page is split in half, with the top having a column on the left for your goal of the month, reward, intention, and skills/habits to learn, followed by your monthly calendar. The bottom half has three desired goals for the month and the top action steps to take to reach those goals. Then, there is a large dot grid rectangle to use however you need. 

The weekly spread has a column on the left side with the goal of the week and priorities, broken down into top priority, priority, and errands and tasks to delegate. A to-do list and a positive habit maker (a habit tracker) are at the bottom. Each day has space for the day’s goal, the top three priorities, and a line for every half hour from 5 am to 9:30 pm. Technically, they have 10 pm but used that place to put a daily water tracker. There is also a small dot grid rectangle for any notes or thoughts you may have during the week. 

The planner part of this could help plan your month and week, especially if you’re focusing on a couple of goals. 

The monthly and yearly reflection pages would be good. The yearly reflection has space for events, books, or movies that impacted me the most, and I wish that had been included on the monthly instead of the box with hours of exercise, total expenses, money saved, self-help, etc. I love the Top 10 achievements, What did I learn this month, and other spots on these pages. 

What do I think of the Law of Attraction Planner? The pre-planning stuff is overwhelming, and there is no need for 18367485 coupons. Would I recommend this to someone with ADHD? No. Too much is going on, and it would be easy to give up and never return. 

What do you think? Would you use the Law of Attraction Planner? Why or why not?

Watch here:

The Power Of Planning: ADHD Edition – Why It’s Essential!

Posted on by Jenna

Do you ever feel like planning just isn’t for you, and why should you even bother?  Let’s look at why planning matters, especially for someone with ADHD.

Before I was diagnosed, I would joke that my planners, calendars, and sticky notes were my second brain.

I wasn’t wrong. 

Planning and planners become executive functions many of us struggle with. Writing things down can help you remember better, and you can always refer to your planner to ensure you haven’t forgotten something. You can add as much information to your planning system as you need, and your planner won’t forget any of it. 

Plus, writing down things can free up your brain so you can focus on other important things, like your job.

You can use planning to create action plans and manage your time. Imagine you have a to do list that is a mile long; it’s not hard to do, huh? You can look at your planner to see what you have going on today or this week and see where you can slot in your different to do. You can also see what tasks may need to be rolled to next week, delegated, or maybe even dropped.

Not sure how long a task will take?

Your planning system can help with that, too! You can track when you start and end a task. For example, you need to give the dog a bath and think it will take only a few minutes. But does it really? Mark down the time, then gather the supplies, start the water, get the dog, wash the dog, clean up, and groom the dog. When you are done, note the time. Now, you have a baseline for how long your task actually takes. 

I know time management can be tricky. I’ve struggled with it—I still do, actually. But I’ve gotten much better since taking HB90 and using Pomodoro-type techniques. 

It’s hard, but it does help!

You can also use your planning system to create balance and learn when you need to say no. Pretend someone asks you if you can help them move this weekend. You check your calendar, and you have your niece’s birthday that afternoon. You could help move in the morning, but do you really have the time and energy to do both? When you put everything on your calendar, you can easily see what you have going on each day and make an informed decision. 

The last two reasons go together. Planning can help reduce overwhelm, stress, and anxiety and give you a sense of control over your time and life. 

Have you ever felt like a million thoughts are zooming around your brain? You can’t focus on any one thing because there are so many thoughts. Well, writing down all those thoughts, sorting them, and adding to dos and events into your planning system can help stop the overwhelming, anxiety-inducing thoughts.

You have now set those thoughts free and can go about your day. 

Getting all those to dos out of your brain gives you back control. You can decide what you need to do with each thought and when you will do it. Now that you’ve booted all those stressful, zooming thoughts, you can also find time in your schedule to relax. 

Why do you plan? Let me know in the comments. 

Remember, every to-do list needs a caffeine boost, so grab your coffee and get planning!

How to Unleash Your Potential: A Guide to Personal Growth

Posted on by Jenna

Have you ever found yourself with a bunch of purchased online courses, yet they remain unwatched, gathering digital dust? Or maybe it’s a stack of books, unread in the corner. If so, it’s time to put those to use for your personal growth!

Before diving into the how-to, let’s talk about why personal growth is important. It’s about learning new skills and empowering yourself. So, what areas of your life do you want to improve?

Once you’ve pinpointed the areas you want to get better at,, it’s time to set some goals. This is where most people would tell you to set SMART goals. On the surface, I “get” SMART goals, but they never work for me. I never stick to them. I always struggle with at least one of the letters per goal. 

This isn’t necessarily about goals though, and you probably already have set goals for this year, so let’s dig into how those untouched video courses and books can be put to work! To start, list out all your courses and books then note any that you’ve started but haven’t finished yet.

Next, compare your goals to your list. Find ones that align with your goals then decide which ones you want to work on, and remember, you have limited time. Map out a general idea of how much time you have each month, week, and day. Maybe you can read your book at lunch or watch a course in the morning before you get ready for work. Don’t go crazy and try to do too much! You will burn out. 

Now that you’ve got an overall plan, it’s time to… procrastinate!

Procrastination – the enemy of progress. We’ve all been there. Let’s tackle it head-on! I’ve got some tips to kick procrastination to the curb and get you moving.

  • Chunk it down – does the course have 17 different videos? Start with just one. Start with one chapter in your book.
  • Use a timer – sit down and watch or read for 25 minutes, then take a short break.
  • Stop distractions – turn off notifications, stay off social media, and find a quiet place to watch or read.
  • Reward yourself – when you finish a module, unit, or chapter,  however, it makes sense to break it up, and treat yourself to small rewards, like a walk, a coffee break, or watching an episode of your favorite show.

Now we gotta make the plan!

Create a study plan that suits your schedule. Make it manageable so you can be consistent.

  • Start with why: What do you hope to achieve by taking this course or reading this book? Write it down. 
  • Map out the course content: Familiarize yourself with the course structure, modules, and video lengths. For a book, look at the table of contents and review the chapter titles. This will give you a sense of the commitment needed and help you break it down into manageable chunks.
  • Schedule your sessions: Dedicate specific time slots for watching videos or reading, taking notes, completing assignments (if any), and reviewing material. Be realistic about your available time and energy levels, and factor in breaks to avoid burnout.
    • Some books have assignments at the end of chapters. I find it helps if I keep track of them in a notebook and work on them separately from reading. I keep reading even if I haven’t done the assignment. Sometimes assignments take a while to complete and I like to read through the book in about a week. And remember, not all assignments need to be done. You aren’t being graded. If they don’t apply to your goals, skip it!
  • Tailor your plan: Adapt the schedule and make adjustments as needed. I like to do this at the end of the month, what’s working, what’s not, and what do I need to change?

Watching passively won’t cut it.

You need to be engaged or you’ll find yourself re-reading the same paragraph seven times. Here are some techniques to keep you engaged, taking notes, and applying those concepts in real life.

  • Take notes, highlight key points, and summarize what you’ve learned after each video or chapter. This helps solidify your understanding and identify things you want to look into more.
  • Pause while watching or reading and reflect on it, ask yourself questions, and connect the information to your existing knowledge. You could create flashcards or mind maps to test your understanding.
  • Look for additional resources like textbooks, articles, or online forums to help your understanding. 

And don’t forget to track your progress.

Watching your progress is motivating. Keep tabs on your achievements and areas you want to improve. Celebrate those wins along the way!

  • Create a dedicated journal for your personal and learning goals. Regularly update it with your achievements, big or small. This not only serves as a tracker but also helps you reflect on your progress.
  • Develop a simple spreadsheet to track your progress. List your goals, and update regularly with milestones, completion dates, and any challenges faced. Use color coding to represent different achievements, making it easy to spot your successes and identify areas that need attention.
  • Set aside time each week or month for reflection. Review your goals, assess your efforts, and note any achievements or improvements. 

Congratulations, my fellow learners! You’ve got a plan to watch those untouched courses and read that stack of books! Consider them conquered.

Leave your favorite tips or tricks for watching courses or reading those books in the comments!

From Scattered to Slayed: 2024 Planner Stack

Posted on by Jenna

As we head into the new year, what is your plan to slay your goals in 2024? How will you plan, track, and slay that to do list to make it a done list?

With a planner stack!

If you like to know what planners others are using, I gotchu. This is my current 2024 journal and planner stack.*

*Stack is subject to change at my whim. Switching it up is okay if it’s not working for you!

This post will contain affiliate and associate links. I may earn a commission if you buy through my links. Affiliate links do not affect your shopping experience. They let companies know you like my content. You will see “Affiliate Link” next to all affiliate links and codes.

Erin Condren https://shrsl.com/38mu5 (affiliate link)
Erin Condren 7×9 Vertical Life Planner – The Catch-all
Erin Condren Desk Calendar – The Editorial Calendar
Erin Condren Companion Planner – The Braindump and Lists

The Happy Planner https://www.dpbolvw.net/click-100953659-14092331 (affiliate link)
The Happy Planner Wellness Layout – The Fitness Journal
The Happy Planner Mini Dashboard Layout – The HB90 Goals
The Happy Planner Big Vertical Layout – The Content Planner

Archer and Olive – Code Runsonespresso to save 10% https://www.archerandolive.com?aff=543 (affiliate link and code)
Archer and Olive A5 Bullet Journal – The Monthly Stuff
Archer and Olive Wellness Planner – The Memory Keeper🖤
Archer and Olive B6 – The Media Journal
Archer and Olive 8×8 – The Reading Journal
Archer and Olive 8×8 Lined – The Journal Journal

Other https://amzn.to/3RWIbTN (Amazon Associate link)
Hobonich Day Free – The Memory Keeping Kit Planner

It seems like a lot, but many of these won’t be daily. Some will get set up at the start of the month. Others will be checked in once a week or so. 

What is in your planner stack for 2024? Leave yours in the comments!

Watch the video version:

2024 Goals: Mastering the Low Buy Lifestyle

Posted on by Jenna

Is your desk overflowing with pens and markers you never use? Do you have a collection of “impulse planners” that gather dust? This year, let’s declutter our lives and wallets together!

We will combine planning and creativity to turn our to-do list into a DONE list. Today, we look at some 2024 goals, including a low buy year.

Imagine a year where you focus on experiences, growth, and saving money. 

For 2024, a real low buy is one of my biggest goals. It’s not about the money but how much stuff I already have. I don’t need anything. I just want it. And my ADHD impulse spending kicks in.

Ohhhh shiney!

It’s a real challenge that I work on every day. And I’ve seen people say stuff like “just do it” and “you have to have a system” or “you have to work on it every day.” I hate when people say that stuff because I do work on it. I do have systems, but I can’t always control the ADHD impulses. 

That is my long, rambly way of saying that I will attempt another Low Buy year. I started really strong in 2023, but it lasted only a few months. And attempts to hop back on the wagon always fell short.

I started by reviewing last year’s video, linked here-ish, and I think I had too many guidelines. It became hard to follow. I also tried to track it separately from the rest of my budget stuff. This year it will all be tracked in a budget planner. 

I’m going to streamline everything for 2024. KISS. 

Keep it simple, stupid, so that’s what I’m doing.  

My guidelines are gonna be pretty basic. I will set a monthly budget and TRY to stick to it. I will review and adjust at the end of each month if needed. I will shop my stash before I buy anything. If I have something similar, skip the purchase. I also want to write down items I want and why and really think for a couple of days before purchasing.

Of course, there are exceptions to the rules. 

I have some subscriptions that I plan to keep, including Ali Edwards, Sweet Bean Plans, and Archer and Olive. I also will grab all the KrissyAnne Designs Celebrations add-ons. 

One of my big goals is NO BOOKS. I have a stack of books and about a billion Kindle books. I don’t need any books. It will go on my Amazon wishlist if I can’t get it from the library. I won’t buy any of those until I get through my book stack. 

Speaking of Amazon, I need to limit my Amazon impulse purchases. It’s too easy. I do get a few things from Amazon, so I’m not going to give up Amazon completely, but I will limit those impulse buys. 

Besides the low buy, I do have some other goals for 2024. 

Although I’m not using a MakseLife planner this year, I still loosely follow the system. I like some of their categories, but I like to combine Fun and Relationships into Personal as they have a lot of overlap for me. Learning and growth go together. And that leaves Work, Health, Finance, and Home. So I ended up with six areas. I thought about what I wanted in each area and came up with the following.

Personal:

  1. Read 52 books 
  2. Project Life 
  3. Weekly Art Project
  4. Play video games
  5. Watch TV shows, documentaries, and movies 
  6. At least once a month events/activities 
  7. Weekly + Monthly Resets

Growth:

  1. Watch videos weekly for self-improvement/continued learning
  2. Nightly journaling
  3. Monthly Charity donation

Work:

  1. Consistency in posting content
  2. New Images for Fine Art America
  3. Write book

Health:

  1. Again, consistency with running and lifting
  2. Eat to fuel
  3. Meal Prep

Finance:

  1. Pay off the final credit card
  2. Stick to budget
  3. Continue building an emergency fund
  4. Max out Roths

Home:

  1. Home Improvements – exterior paint, AC replacement
  2. Follow Clean Mama Planner
  3. Plan gym space and office makeover

This feels like… a lot. It will be about finding the balance and using my time wisely. I sometimes spend more time than necessary mindlessly scrolling*. Instead of doing that, I could read or work on project life. We usually watch TV in the evenings, and instead of scrolling, I can work on art projects or writing.

*I figured out why I mindlessly scroll in the evenings. I have a needy pibble that insists on sitting in my lap. It is easy to scroll. I need to make other things easy to do with a lap full of pibble.

What are your 2024 goals? I’d love to hear what you want to accomplish and support you.

Watch the video version here:

https://youtu.be/5tnXzOGqU64

Productivity and ADHD: A Review and Comparison of Erin Condren’s Goal Setting and Productivity Planners

Posted on by Jenna

Setting and achieving goals can be challenging for those of us with ADHD. You may struggle to break the BIG goals into smaller, actionable tasks. If you’re anything like me, you’ve tried everything to try and crack at reaching your goals. 

Erin Condren has several products aimed at goal setting, and we will compare and review two different planners to see if one or both will help those of us with ADHD reach our goals! And even if you don’t have ADHD, this can still help you take a closer look at the planners to decide if either is right for you!

The Goal Setting and Productivity Planners are A5 in size and have instructions at the beginning. They are listed at $25.50. You can find them both here. Affiliate link: I will earn a commission if you purchase.

First up is the Productivity Planner. The first section is Set and has 12 goal/project pages to plan out what you need to do. After that section is Plan, and you get 24 pages with eight action step boxes each and 18 pages with four checklist sections; each has 13 checkboxes. Then, there are 16 pages with two longer checklists with 217 checkboxes per list. Lastly, the Plan section has 18 lined pages.

The last section is Track, which starts with 20 pages of daily habit tracking with 26 lines per page. After the daily trackers, there are 12 pages of monthly trackers with 12 months per page. After the monthly trackers, you have 20 pages of progress tracking. 

The Productivity Planner ends with two pages of reflection and functional stickers. 

I would struggle more with using the Productivity Planner than the Goal Setting Planner. For my ADHD brain, this planner is very overwhelming. I struggle to use habit trackers and would give up after the first few weeks. I love the checklists and the project tracker and could use those with the Goal Planner. 

The Goal Setting Planner has sections for six different goals. Each section starts with a goal overview and action plan page. Next is a two-page spread of 16 action step boxes. You get 18 weekly pages for planning and reflection, plus two pages at the end to check in. 

After the six goal tabes is a final reflection tab with a lined page to list your accomplishments and an additional five pages for reflection, in the back of the planner is a sheet of decorative stickers.

With my ADHD brain, I need another system to help me use the Goal Setting Planner. It is too open-ended and not detailed enough to use on its own to set and breakdown goals. I would use this with HB90 (affiliate link: I will earn a commission if you sign up) for three quarterly goals. Following the HB90 system, I could easily set up the overview, action plan, and tasks. The weekly page would be perfect for planning what I want to do during that week and tracking taskblocks. 

You could use both planners for projects and goals. The Productivity Planner focuses more on habit tracking and long-term routine building, while the Goal Planner offers weekly planning but no trackers. 

Which one would you pick and why? Let me know in the comments, as I’m unsure if I will use these. 

Watch the video review here:

Celebrate All Year with KrissyAnne Designs

Posted on by Jenna

Do you want to celebrate every single day of the year?!

Then the KrissyAnne Designs Celebrations Collection is the perfect companion to your planner or bullet journal! (Affiliate link I will earn a commission if you buy).

But what is the Celebrations Collection you ask?

The base kit can be purchased with or without a binder ($135 or $129 respectively) and comes with 26 pages of stickers to use all year! The 26 pages include four sampler pages with birthday, anniversary, and some select stickers for different holidays throughout the year. There are 12 pages of daily holidays, one for each day in 2024! And lastly, there are 10 celebratory decoration samples you can use to plan your weeks during the year (includes sheets for each season, Halloween and a few others).

The Collection is valued at $210.

Besides the main collection, there are tons of add-ons and accessories available now and more will be released throughout the year to round out your planner!

With the launch this year is a set of seasonal washi ($14.25), Doodles ($57.50), and so much more!

New this year is a postcard that comes with your order to track the add-on releases throughout the year! It is the perfect size to washi tape or hole punch to keep in the front of your Celebrations binder. You can mark off when you purchase and receive each release. And if you order and receive 12 different add-ons, take a photo of your postcard and email KrissyAnne Designs for a surprise gift!

Who doesn’t love surprise gifts?!

The Celebrations Collection is now available for the general public to shop! If you miss out, they will take pre-orders and ship before the end of the year. Be sure to shop early (and if you’re like me? Often 🤣). Affiliate link I will earn a commission if you buy.

How will you celebrate 2024?

See the collection:

Archer & Olive Fall Launch | Vintage Library Sub Box

Posted on by Jenna

Fall might be my favorite launch time, right behind Halloween, of course!

When the fall Archer and Olive launch was announced, I marked my planner and got my trigger finger ready. I didn’t want to miss out on any of the fall goodies! And my sub-box came around the same time, so stick around until the end to hear my thoughts on Vintage Library!

I ordered both sets of calliographs. I finally realized I don’t really use or like the acrylographs and skipped them this time. I always reach for the easier-to-use item, so calliographs it is! The fall launch had two sets, Autumn Morning and Autumn Midnight. I was mostly drawn to the Autumn Midnight, but both sets look very nice together. They did add labels to both sets, which is extremely helpful.

How fun would it be to be the person who gets to name pen colors?

I also ordered the gray pouch. It is a nice, sturdy canvas material with the enchanting wolf print inside. There is only one large pocket, no internal pockets. It is long enough to fit calliographs, Tombow, or other duel brush pens. The gray canvas feels stiffer than the green one released earlier this year. 

It wouldn’t be an Archer and Olive launch without washi tape! I grabbed both the enchanting wolf and books & coffee. I love both designs for different reasons. The colors and theme of books and coffee feels very fall. The enchanting wolf doesn’t really say fall to me, but I love the different shades of blue with the gold. It will be great to use any time of year!

And no Archer and Olive order would be complete without stickers! As with the washi, I got the enchanting wolf and books & coffee sheets. You get two of each. The books & coffee stickers have the same saying as the washi.

I also had to have the stamp set! It will be perfect for creating fun bullet journal spreads or memory keeping. It will be perfect for next year’s reading journals. It came with several stamps, an ink pad, and an acrylic block. Besides books and coffee, there are also leaves, which could be fall or regular, depending on which colors you pick. 

Lastly, I grabbed the book & coffee notebook in 8×8. I am loving the square notebook lately. It’s such a fun size and versatile for many things! I love the box it came in. It looks like a book and slides out. The notebook is a deep green with a rose gold icon and matching rose gold ampersand on the ribbon bookmark. I also took the opportunity to pre-order the A5 because I love this design so much!

Personally, I love all the items I got in the fall launch. Everything is beautiful, and it feels very much like fall and Archer and Olive returning to their roots. There are some fall launch items left. If you want to grab something, head over to Archer and Olive, and don’t forget to use my code Runsonespresso, to save 10% on your order (affiliate link and code, I will receive a commission).

Did you grab anything in the fall launch? Let me know in the comments!

Now, for the Vintage Library Sub Box.

OH. EM. GEE. THIS. BOX.

I haven’t been a subscriber since the beginning, only about a year or so, but this is by far the best sub-box I’ve received! Pretty much everything in this box was perfect, and I will find a use for it all!

The box itself has a beautiful book design around the outside, and the top says, “Welcome to the Archer and Olive Library. You are invited to come inside and take it all in. Every wall is filled with handcrafted books with exquisite detail. There is quiet peace, a record of the human experience throughout history. Find your favorite nook, settle in, and stay a while”.

Such a beautiful sentiment.

Starting with the calliographs, we have a set of five. I believe some of these have been in other collections, but I don’t mind because all the colors look so good together. There are different shades of browns/tans and blue. Unfortunately, these ones are not labeled. That is a small disappointment.

We get four rolls of washi, starting with a roll of gold stars you can use for book reviews! I love this idea. You don’t need to draw or try to use a stamp or stencil. One roll looks like individual spines of books, and another like all your books lined up on a shelf. And the fourth one looks like postage stamps with “book review,” “currently reading,” and “from the library of.” What a fun idea! The washi is a nice touch and will be great in journal spreads.

The sticker sets are called book and typewriter stickers. Each pack has two stickers (four total), and each set has a white and a very light off-white sheet. The sheets have letters, numbers, and symbols. I like the idea of these; they look great, and a lot of thought went into it. But I have no idea how to use these. I would have much preferred stickers of books. 

I was very excited to see the next item as I had wanted one for a few months but hadn’t gotten to looking for one. It is a rotating date stamp and ink pad. Perfect for dating your journals! You can change the month, day, and year. And once you have rotated through all the years, there is a blank space so you can still use the month and day.

Next up are the oversized binder clips. They look cool, but I don’t know how I will use them. They measure about four inches tall and two inches wide. They are much larger than normal binder clips. 

We get a cute little memo pad that looks like the old library checkout cards for paper products. They are blank, so you can use them for anything. It is tri color with blue/gray/purple, yellow, and pink. I wish the pink were a different color. It doesn’t really go with the rest of the box and colors used.

Then we have the pocket library, which is a nice box with two oversized pocket notebooks. The details on the box and notebooks are fantastic! One is burgundy, vegan leather with lined pages, while the other is olive linen with a vegan leather pattern inlay with dot grid pages. I don’t want to use these; I want to display them! 

The last item in the box is an A5 notebook in blue buckram cover with navy and pearl accents. It is a dot grid notebook. This one feels special. So much so that I don’t want to use it! Of course, I will, but I want to find its perfect use. Maybe a future reading journal?

If you have any ideas for the book and typewriter stickers, please drop them in the comments because I am at a loss at how I want to use them. 

Watch the video version, and be sure to subscribe for future videos!

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: