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folklaur
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| Posted: Dec 28 2007 at 6:26pm | IP Logged
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I need a new planner.
I am a bit of a planner junkie.
But, I really am in need of a new one.
I have read some reviews on different planners....I often find that they have many features I don't need....
And I am trying to decide if one that fits in my purse is a good idea, or if a larger, notebook sized one is better.
I know I want one that can open flat and fold back. I like having all the full month pages together and not interspersed....and if it is pretty or funky that is always a plus.
What do you use? Do you use more than one, or different sizes? What is your favorite? Why?
Has anyone used the one from Small Meadow Press?
Thanks 
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Lorri
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| Posted: Dec 28 2007 at 7:48pm | IP Logged
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I love a good planner, too. I talked about my two favorites on my blog here: Planners
The contest I was running with that post is over, though.
I'm in a hurry or I'd just type it all out for you here, sorry.
When I have more time, I'd love to discuss my dream planner.
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Lorri
mom to    
The Mac and Cheese Chronicles
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Anne McD
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| Posted: Dec 28 2007 at 8:27pm | IP Logged
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I think the best I've found yet is the Franklin Covey Monthly Planner. I tried finding an example online, but couldn't. I got this one at Target. Anyway, its about 81/2 by 11 when closed, spiral bound, and opens up to a two page spread monthly at a glance calender. Pretty straight forward, not pretty, but I bring it with me everywhere (which could be why I keep losing it ), and this one goes from Aug to July, keeping with the school year.
HTH! I know what you mean, though-- there's something about a brand new calender just waiting to be filled in . . . my husband thinks I'm crazy, but I really have a thing for office supplies. There's something about the promise of blank paper that really gets me . . .
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Anne
Wife to Jon
Mommy to Alex 9
James 8
Katie 6
William 3 1/2
Benedict Joseph 1
and baby on the way! 10/14
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MaryatHome
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| Posted: Dec 28 2007 at 8:48pm | IP Logged
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I finally gave up trying to find the perfect planner, and made my own!
This site has LOTS of forms to choose from.
http://www.diyplanner.com/templates/official/beginner
The only thing I don't like about this site is that they have switched from providing the calendar portion every year to a true "make it yourself" format for the current calendar year.
I use a Rollabind system for customization. It allows the internal flexibility of a binder (the ability to move pages around) and the external format of a spiral. I use regular divider plain white binder dividers covered with scrapbooking paper for the "pretty" factor, and have the covers sheet laminated at the office supply (the thick/stiff kind of lamination) when I feel the need for a change.
I helped my Cadette Girl Scouts make a custom scheduling system using this site and my binder. It has worked well for all of us.
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folklaur
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| Posted: Dec 28 2007 at 9:52pm | IP Logged
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MaryatHome wrote:
| I finally gave up trying to find the perfect planner, and made my own! |
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Do you have any pics you could share?
MaryatHome wrote:
I use a Rollabind system for customization. |
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Oooh, what's that?
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MaryatHome
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Well, I'd share pictures if I actually lived in the 21st century. Sadly, though, I am still living in the late 20th, and don't have digital photo uploading capabilities, nor do I blog so as to spare people from the vagaries of my moods.
I use various pages from the site to which I linked, and this year (2008), I just took the monthly pages from the Catholic calendar given out by the local funeral home at church. That's actually kind of nice, because then all my saint and holydays are already there for me.
Right now, my planner is a kind of 50's-ish series of graphic prints. I'm not so much a frou-frou kind of girl (no Victorian or Gibson Girl fanasias) as a bright color and geometrics one.
The Rollabind is difficult to find, and kind of spendy right now. I have recently learned that the US retail distributor has had their license pulled, so supplies are difficult to come by. Here's a link to the corporate site, but it's difficult to buy supplies there. If you live in an area with Staples (I don't), you can see the notebooks in person.
http://www.rollabind.com/index.htm
A similar system is called Circa, and is sold by Levenger. It is actually the same system sold with a different license, with "upscale" accoutrements. See here: http://www.levenger.com/PAGETEMPLATES/NAVIGATION/PRDPREVIEW. ASP?Params=category=326-339|level=2-3|link=IMG#
There is a video link in the right-hand box called "see Circa in action" that shows how it works.
Essentially, the system is based on plastic discs with a raised lip. The punch makes a "mushroom" shaped hole in the edge of the paper (a profile of the disc), which is slid into place around the lip on the disc. You remove the page by gently pulling the paper from the discs (there are 11 along the side on a standard letter-size page) and then reinserting them where you want them. I make my dividers by choosing a 12x12 scrapbook paper, cutting it around the edge of a plain white divider made for a three-ring binder, then rubber cementing the two together. Once the cement is dry, I punch it, and insert it in my planner. The plain dividers come in 5- and 8- tab packs, and if you need more, office supply stores sell indexing kits with more tabs.
I used to carry a "monarch" size Franklin Planner (that's a letter-size one) in an old canvas three-ring binder. I switched to a palm pilot a few years ago, but have found that having a paper system for some things is helpful, too. I have my "home management" binder in a custom book, along with other stuff. I do keep my schedule in both paper and electronic format, and have become diligent about keeping them synchronized, because it is easier to carry the palm with me.
I love the rolla system. Here's an example...I am a committee chair (finance and processing) for our parish school's annual auction. I keep a notebook for that project as my central database. However, I don't always need every single page for every meeting. I can take out what I need, put it in my master book, then return it when I am done. The papers aren't loose in a file folder, at risk of flying away. I don't have to take the risk of leaving behind everything, and the process of moving things keeps me aware of what is going on and what yet needs to be done. I also use portable 3x5 cards for quick notes in my wallet. They can be punched and slipped into a notebook, where they are secure. I have meeting planners, project planning sheets, address lists, process charts, schedules, correspondence, maps.....the list goes on and on.
I just can't say enough good things about the rolla system. Seems like my enthusiasm has made this post much too long!
Mary
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Tami
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| Posted: Dec 29 2007 at 7:07am | IP Logged
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I spent a bit of time yesterday looking at planners at both Office Depot and Staples. I really like a 2-page per week spread (preceeded by a 2-page month), with vertical columns (which is what I have now). Why, oh why must they all begin with Monday as the first day of the week??!!  It didn't used to be that way!
My brain just cannot adjust when I look at the planner!
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God bless,
Tami
When we are crushed like grapes, we cannot think of the wine we will become. (Nouwen)
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nissag
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| Posted: Dec 29 2007 at 7:41am | IP Logged
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Laura,
Have you seen this? I have two versions available, a printed and bound version - a hefty tome of approximately 400 pages. The other is an economical option on CD, which you can print (only the sections you want) and place in your own binder (which are also available at the shop).
Not sure if it's exactly what you're looking for. Planners and people are all so different!
Blessings,
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Nissa
Deacon's wife, mother of eleven, farmer, teacher, creator, cook.
At Home With the Gadbois Family
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Dawn
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Laura, this is such a timely topic! In fact, I put up a post last night about the calendar I'm making (a seasonal yearbook). Today I'm working on a daybook (a planner kind of thing). I'm trying to find a balance between pretty and functional.  I also still rely on my file crate system to keep track of papers and ideas ...
One of these days I'll get it all working just right!
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By Sun and Candlelight
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nissag
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| Posted: Dec 29 2007 at 8:10am | IP Logged
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Dawn wrote:
One of these days I'll get it all working just right! |
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Dawn, you are one of the most organized ladies I've ever encountered! And you always do it so beautifully.
Blessings,
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Nissa
Deacon's wife, mother of eleven, farmer, teacher, creator, cook.
At Home With the Gadbois Family
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Tami
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Dawn wrote:
One of these days I'll get it all working just right! |
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And one of these days you'll be printing and publishing your wonderful organizational ideas!! 
Sorry, that was OT. But it did go through my mind when I read your blog this morning.....
Now, back to those planners.... And my frustration about when the week begins! LOL I've noticed that in every one I looked at that was a monthly and weekly, that the monthly calendar does begin with Sunday, but the weekly spread begins with Monday! Seems kind of scizophrenic to me (who doesn't need any more craziness in her life!!)
Am I just too old to make the transition here?
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God bless,
Tami
When we are crushed like grapes, we cannot think of the wine we will become. (Nouwen)
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lapazfarm
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Did you see Lissa's series of planner reviews? I believe she has them all linked on Bonny Glen.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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stefoodie
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Here's mine: it's a Levenger/Circa/Rollabind/DIY system.
I really should do a follow-up to that post and write how it's working for me. (Very well, but still not perfect; but I don't think there's such a thing as a perfect planner.)
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stef
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Martha in VA
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Although, not an actual planner, I just noticed this morning that Holly Pierlot is now selling a printable workbook for establishing your rule. printable workbook
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Theresa
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I too am in the planning stages. I have Amy Knapps Christian Family Organizer to keep in my tote bag that goes everywhere with me. I have seen the family one available in stores and had picked it up over and over again but never purchased it. When I found the Christian family one (which is only available online) I ordered it.
** Edit to say that I just last night ordered the Couponizer System. Menu planning and budgeting our grocery money is a goal for me this year and I thought this looked like a nice system for sorting and keeping track of my coupons.
I also have a larger household journal/planner that I use. It has just about everything I need in a binder format and it also fits in my tote bag but mostly stays at home on my desk.
If you are thinking of constructing your own planner, I have a book that I am currently re-reading called Get More Done in Less Time which is an inspiring book to encourage me to get more organized. It also has wonderful idea's and forms you can reproduce to make your own daybook. There is another version of the book that I found... I'm sure it contains alot of the same information. You can view that one HERE.
I've been working for over a month now on my household journal and it is currently being borrowed by some ladies at church that were not able to attend the mini session I gave on organization and putting together a journal but when I get it back (tomorrow) I will start working on a blog entry about it.
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Lorri
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stefoodie wrote:
Here's mine: it's a Levenger/Circa/Rollabind/DIY system.
I really should do a follow-up to that post and write how it's working for me. (Very well, but still not perfect; but I don't think there's such a thing as a perfect planner.) |
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I've got a blog post rumbling around in my head about how I use my Circa notebooks. Not for a calendar yet, since I bought an 18 month one before I bought my circa. But I made autograph books for my dc for our Disney Cruise, I'm starting a new circa book for the house we're going to be building...
Guess I should get started on that blog.
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Lorri
mom to
The Mac and Cheese Chronicles
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Planners...?
