I'm really looking forward to plans flourishing throughout the month and can't wait to see May brings, hopefully it's a bit slower than the rest of the year has been so far.
I began this year with a newish line up which included my Erin Condren life planner vertical layout franken planned with my Erin Condren Daily duo along 2 new introductions of an Erin Condren Pocket planner and an Aura Estelle cloud planner with vertical layout. I have to say this last lockdown during the cold winter months has certainly impacted the way I'm using planners and has really made me think about what to continue in the future.
Everyone loves a present and the 'Spring Experience Box 2021' felt like just that.
Pre-orders for the box were back in January and when box arrived and I couldn't wait to dive in a see what lay inside. We'd had a couple of sneak peeks but that was all and the anticipation was well worth it.
The whole experience!
Inside the box was a delight of themed goodies that I can't wait to share with you.
The A6 Hobonichi is a great “every day carry” (EDC) planner as it’s a compact size yet there’s plenty of space in it. It has 12 monthly spreads at the front followed by the daily pages. At the beginning of each month of daily pages there is a plain page which you can use to note key dates or appointments for the month ahead.
In March, I decided to treat myself to a new planner to recognise how far I’ve come with my mental health in two years. I decided I would finally have another Hobonichi cousin and the Spring start has arrived just in time. Naturally, I turned to my EllieBeth binders (and the website) to help me in this process!
Today I am going to be sharing with you a few of my favourite supplies for planning.
Of course first of all we need a planner, I have found my new favourite, the bullet journal from Scribbles That Matter (STM). After buying this one to try bullet journaling I couldn't help but buy another for my work, it matched my uniform and that was all the persuasion that was needed.
Hello! It’s me, Natalie, here with a question to ask you: what do you do with your leftover stickers? I don’t know about you, but I really dislike having a few stickers left on a sheet. It feels untidy, and they look so lonely and left out! So, I was delighted to find, when I opened one of the Advent Experience packets, a beautiful EBDUK sticker album.
As well as producing wonderful stickers EllieBeth Designs makes a wonderful Creative pack. Each month there is a 'Throw Back Thursday' with a vintage collection being re-released along with a creative pack to match. They are available from the Thursday's release until the end of Sunday and are a fabulous addition to any crafter and stickerator's stash.
If you are ever tempted to buy one but don't quite know what to do with it here are some ideas.
As planners we are all about the visuals. February 2021 is the perfect month for this, starting on a Monday and ending on a Sunday. So with a Monday start calendar, four complete weeks, no overhang, no switching between monthly tabs in my planners…..and I love it!
I decided to celebrate this wonderful visual……… by choosing the beautiful ‘Meadow’ collection for my Hobonichi monthly layout, 2 weeks of its weekly layouts and the first week of February in my Erin Condren vertical layout.
My planning journey has been a long one. From my FunFax as a kid, to studies in high school and college and then through my career at Sainsbury’s. I was always referred to as the ‘Starter - finisher’. The one who was seconded out to lead change programs and up skill new managers and colleagues. I even wrote my own ‘Planning and Prioritising’ Course and delivered it to hundreds of colleagues. Life changed when I became a stay at home Mummy but my love for planning grew exponentially when I discovered the planning community on Instagram and Facebook.
The days when I just used to scribble appointments in an A5 week to a view diary are long gone. Since I discovered the planning community in 2017 I’ve never looked back. I never used to keep a diary going for more than a few months because it looked dull and uninspiring. Having learned that there was a huge variety of planners available to suit different styles plus decorative and functional stickers to use with them, I dived right in!
January 2021, can you believe it???
As we all reflect on the year that has passed, and what a year it has been. We look ahead to what the year ahead has in store for us, we make our plans, set our goals and aspirations.
So I have picked my planners and journals to help me achieve my goals, I have also chosen my one little word, which for 2021 will be Grow.
I feel that it's a good choice for me as I grow within myself, my career and my creative side also.
Do have a word of the year??
