Do you know what a new year means? A new day planner! I’m obsessed. No seriously. I haven’t found one yet that I’ve been 100% in love with. There have been some good ones, but I’m always on the lookout for better ones. This year I lost mine and gave up. Honestly – not having work or school to worry about, I just set any random appointments in my phone. But that’s definitely NOT as satisfying and I’m starting with a new day planner for 2012.
My idea of the perfect planner:
- Has the entire week laid out on one spread (the 2 pages that are visible to you)
- Lines, I need lines.
- Lots of lines. None of those planners that have a design on one page and then has all 7 days squeezed onto the other page. Waste of space.
- Either spiral bound (small spiral, not the huge ones that get in the way) or lay-flat. I can’t stand the ones that don’t open all the way or have huge spirals so my writing gets all crazy near the crease.
- No times. Aside from appointments, my life doesn’t really go by a real schedule. It’s more a to-do list.
- Relatively durable cover – as Blaine always says, anything that goes in my purse will get destroyed.
- The right style — not too girly, or techy. I like clean and simple, but with style.
- Thick pages – sometimes I write with fine point sharpies, I’d like it to not completely bleed through.
Yes, I did just type that out and I do feel a little on the insane side. I made my mind up a few weeks ago and ordered the one below on amazon, but I’ve included some of the runner ups. The one I picked is bigger than I usually go, about the size of those black and white composition notebooks. But the layout is exactly what I wanted.
Thank you. I am a little embarrassed to admit that I have trawled several stores these past two weeks looking for the right planner! I am terminally left handed as well so i find thick spirals or high margins impossible….. Thanks for this post, I will direct friends here when they roll their eyes at my planner less distress!!
look at hers! i just got mine for christmas & i love it!!!
Erin Condren:
http://www.erincondren.com/store/index.php?cPath=129
I am the same way, SO SPECIFIC. I actually haven’t found one that does it for me yet. I’m settling on a black (non-flat-laying) one for now. Not cool. I keep leaving it at home so I don’t “have” to use it.
Thank you!!! I have been looking around the stores to find planners like this only to be dissapointed when I could only find school planners with small spaces. I am going to take a closer look at the ones you have posted and hopefully buy one soon!
I love the feeling of a brand-new day planner. So much promise! I’ve been eyeing the Erin Condren planners, but they’re far too expensive.
we have insanely similar criteria for planners. i’m debating if i should make the transition from school year planner (what i still have) to calendar year planner now, or put it off in order to further delay the scariness of impending adulthood . . .
I love that I’m not the only crazy with an obsession with planners! Thanks for the comments, everyone! 🙂
so funny – I JUST ordered the first planner on your list and so far, it’s perfect! it could be a TAD smaller, but I love the extra room!