Planning the planner(s)

This year I have been using a Happy Planner as a journal rather than the dotted Wordsworth & Black notebook I used in 2021.

I bought a new planner for 2023 a little while ago but hadn't decided quite how I was going to use it.   I don't need a planner as such as all my appointments etc are on my phone and the calendar in the kitchen.

I spent some time watching videos on YouTube which show how different people use their planners.  Many of them are into something called Frankenplanning where for each month you take a section out of anything up to 7 planners!  I think that's taking it a bit far.

Having said that, it was my intention to only have one planner/journal for 2023 but the way it's looking there may well be three.

Firstly, there's the main one in which I shall record what has happened each day.  This is how I've used my planner/journal this year with a page at the end of each month with photos of some of the things that have happened.  I did start blogging about it but stopped taking photos of my journal pages in June.  The pages are a daily vertical layout.

I think this year I might include photos on the weekly pages rather than putting them on a page at the end of the month.

The second planner/journal has pages with a horizontal layout.

And it has this cover.

However I am going to swap out the cover to this:

I'm going to use this as a journal to record my thoughts mostly on what I read from this book which I actually bought in August 2021 but haven't used.

I hope to include other thoughts about life in general.  Or not, as the case may be!

The third one is this pretty wildflower planner which will have a variety of pretty lined paper in it.  I am going to use this for the journaling of a course I have signed up for with Fibre Arts Take Two called: Essence of Identity with Donna Watson.

I'm also going to include with this photos of my creative work and list the materials used and the size etc.  I also want to start writing about how I made each piece and what techniques I used.  I'm hoping this will lead to understanding the piece of work which will inform the next pieces I make.

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time you will know that I choose a Word for the Year.  As I write this I'm still not sure what that word is for 2023.

However come back next week to find out how I get on with choosing the word.  And whether that means a 4th journal!!!!!

Thanks for  joining me today.

Happy New Year

Planner mania

I feel that using this planner is like a mix of the journal I was keeping last year and the scrapbooking I did years ago.  I am finding it really enjoyable although somewhat time consuming.  But being creative is much better than scrolling Facebook and Instagram.

I showed you the setting up of my second planner in this post.  I am really using it as a journal rather than a planner.  And my diary/journal/planner featured in this post.

Today I am featuring my main planner/journal.

In last year's journal I put a photo in almost every week.  In this journal I decided I would use the last page of the month (which is supposed to be a Currently page for February), as a photo memory page for the month.

Here's the calendar pages for February.

This week's pages

And next week's pages in production.

I'm still watching lots of YouTube videos especially Planning With Bumble (MaryEllen) and Scrappy Wife (Elisa).

Thanks for joining me today.
Bernice
 

Addictive or what!!!

Oh dear.  This Happy Planner lark is becoming very, very addictive.  I promised myself I would only have one planner but then I bought a Be Happy box called Grateful Heart and another planner came in the box.  So now I have two.

Warning! Long post.  Lots of photos.

I decided that now I have {more} than one planner I would use the second one to record the {more}.

I have mixed up a variety of products in this planner which is called frankenplanning.  I know!

Here is a a folder and an opening card divider.

I decided to print out a bigger version of the Values, Intentions and Goals from my everyday planner journal.

This new planner came with 4 tabbed dividers.  This one says Define Your Passion which I thought would be a good lead in to the Creative section.

I printed out a larger version of the original Creative list in my other planner.

I moved the books read tracker to this planner and made myself a blog post tracker.

I've made several pages about workshops and online courses I'm doing.  It's my intention to write about what I'm learning and to include photos.

Next, I have a section on my finished pieces of work and those which are still works in progress.  I have written how they were made.  I want to go back to this to write about what I learned and what I could have done differently in the hopes that will lead to other piecs.

The next divider says Happy & Grateful.  I decided to use this section for my Spiritual intentions.

The opening page and list

My daughter-in-law recommended a Bible-in-a-Year reading plan on YouVersion.  I've downloaded the year's plan and intend to colour in each completed day.

Following on are the notes I've made whilst reading the Bible and listening to the accompanying podcast.

The next section has my notes from the talks on Sunday at Jubilee Church.

The next section is for the physical intentions

However making the page is as far as I've got.  Does cutting out and glueing count as movement?   It's probably good for my mental health but not really getting me any fitter.

And the last section's divider says Be Present in the Moment.  A suitable comment for my section on Community.

This section will record the various activities I'm involved with.  Here's a list of all the themes we've had in Snapshot Girls.

I have spent most of the week working on this.  I hadn't realised it would be so time consuming.  However now it's almost set up it should take up less of my time.

Thanks for joining me today.
Bernice

A new planner

 Happy New Year

For many people January 1st is a day when they set resolutions and so often these don't last long.   For the last few years I have chosen a Word of the Year.  Last year's was Intentional.  News on my word for 2022 to come!

Throughout 2021 I followed along with Valerie Sjodin's Plan With Me premium version, although I did do my own version of it.  I'm pleased to say that I've almost completed the journal - just a few gaps to fill in for December.

I had planned to carry on in this journal for 2022 doing a version of what I've been doing the last few months.  However I looked into trying something else.  I wanted to do something creative but easy!

Before I settled on using the Happy Planner for 2022, I binged watched YouTube videos showing ideas on how to use one.  There are 26 HP Squad members and 5 Mentors and eventaully I decided to settle on three ladies: Heather, MaryEllen and Elisa.

I already had some Happy Planner stickers from visits to the US so I knew what standard the products are but hadn't ever invested in a planner.

I decided to buy the Neutral Watercolor themed Planner and the matching stickers.  I also bought Watercolor Recovery theme stickers.

After watching numerous videos I started on pages in the planner.  I started by stamping 2022 over January 1st & 2nd.   I may decide to colour these.

Then I did a little collage of our evening out on December 27th using photos I took at SYmphony Hall and the Cosy Club where we had dinner.

I added lots of stickers.  It was ready to use.  It took me most of a morning to do these pages.  I really need to speed up - but I expect that, as with most things, that will come with practice.

I have also bought other sticker sets and some extension packs.  I think this is a particularly expensive hobby here in the UK.  In the US where there are discount coupons to use at Michaels, JoAnns or Hobby Lobby it is probably somewhat cheaper.

I am looking forward to using the planner during the year.  I hope to make into a record of my year rather than just an apointments book.

More on my Word of the Year next week.

Thanks for joining me today.
Bernice