Remember the days when you would just stumble upon a cute planner with twelve simple calendar style pages inside and think - that will do it - decision made...
Not me.
I don't think I've ever stumbled upon a planner that seemed just right because I'm a "but-what-if" kind of girl. But what if I have more to do than that square allows? But what if I want to plan out my dinners for the week? But what if I DON'T want to plan out my lunches or breakfasts for the week? But what if I want to make shopping lists in the same book so I always have everything with me?
The what ifs become endless rather quickly whenever I'm presented with a choice in a store. Just ask my poor husband who spent three and a half hours in IKEA with me Saturday...
Did I mention it was our anniversary weekend trip and he did his best to hide his unending boredom?
Yeah that man deserves a medal.
The fact is, I'm hard to please, not because I'm some kind of planner snob, but because I want what I want. I want what I think I will need to cover all bases. Which is why I was always designing and redesigning little pages of perfection that I would print out and punch and put in a binder, and always needing more printing, more punching, or god forbid more ink when I sat down to plan my next week. It's also why I was stopped in my tracks when I saw the Happy Planner by Me And My Big Ideas (MAMBI for short).
This thing has rings that hold all the pages together and yet the pages are punched in a special way that they pull right off those rings and go back on any time you need to rearrange something...
or just lay them flat to write more neatly if you're the kind of person who can do that sort of neat writing thing.
You can add pockets, folders, and dashboards...
(dashboards are laminated cardstock that you either stick things to or write on with wet-erase markers in case you're not savy on the planner world lingo.)
Or you can take them out!
You can change the covers anytime you feel like a change, or when things start to look worn out...
You can change the covers anytime you feel like a change, or when things start to look worn out...
In fact you can buy a whole package of covers to choose from, or to make other books from spare parts!
But the thing that finally made me stop what-if-ing and buy the damn thing was the punch...
The punch that does the special mushroom shape thing all lined up perfectly that allows you to make your own folders and dashboards and things, or design and redesign pages of perfection on your laptop and print them out whenever you want, or weekly if you really have a thing for buying more ink.
They even have - wait for it.... PAGE PROTECTORS!
Though honestly I wish they were sold in separate packages not multi packs and (in case anyone from MAMBI happens to read this!) I wish they would start making a full page size one, not just the various pockets, because what if I want to just stick in some papers or full size sheets of planner stickers or something... but you already know I'm hard to please.
Now down to the nitty-gritty...
The planner I'm showing here is the Classic size, which means the overall size is about 8 1/2"w x 10"h including the rings. Mine is a little over an inch thick, though you can add or pull out pages to your hearts desire, and they do sell extra rings in both smaller and larger sizes depending on which way you want to go. I added the meal plan and grocery list packet (scroll way up to see the photo above) that I purchased separately, along with a pack of lined and graph paper (also purchased separately) so I took out a few of the months at the end of next year to keep it original size. I can remove the old pages of lists and things as I use them and add back in the new months when I'm ready. This way, if I have a tote bag or a large open purse with me, I can toss it inside and I don't feel like I'm carrying around a brick.
The pages inside are divided into months with nice and large enough to write in monthly spreads at the start...
Followed by weekly pages...
I wasn't sure I would like how the weeks start with Monday and end with Sunday, (something I had always avoided before) but I adjusted quickly and actually like having the weekend together as a block at the end because isn't that usually how you plan for it? If we have a getaway planned or the kids have a sleepover, even just planning for a barbecue... I find I like being able to see it all through in one spot.
Though honestly I wish they were sold in separate packages not multi packs and (in case anyone from MAMBI happens to read this!) I wish they would start making a full page size one, not just the various pockets, because what if I want to just stick in some papers or full size sheets of planner stickers or something... but you already know I'm hard to please.
Now down to the nitty-gritty...
The planner I'm showing here is the Classic size, which means the overall size is about 8 1/2"w x 10"h including the rings. Mine is a little over an inch thick, though you can add or pull out pages to your hearts desire, and they do sell extra rings in both smaller and larger sizes depending on which way you want to go. I added the meal plan and grocery list packet (scroll way up to see the photo above) that I purchased separately, along with a pack of lined and graph paper (also purchased separately) so I took out a few of the months at the end of next year to keep it original size. I can remove the old pages of lists and things as I use them and add back in the new months when I'm ready. This way, if I have a tote bag or a large open purse with me, I can toss it inside and I don't feel like I'm carrying around a brick.
The pages inside are divided into months with nice and large enough to write in monthly spreads at the start...
The boxes for each day are 1.5 x 2.25 inches - ample room for writing, or making lists - with quarter inch headers that are blank so you can decide how to divide your day. I do like having the small monthly calendar in the corner, I find it handy though I often cover it with a sticker if the set has one worth covering it for.
Here's one of my weekly spreads with a sticker set and lots of not very neat or pretty writing...
Overall, I've been thrilled with this planner. And no, I am not getting any incentive to say that. I just happened to find this in a store and fall in love.
I really thought I would be married to this planner... and then I met Erin Condren's Life Planner.
(can you hear me sighing from there?)
And my love affair became a tricky triangle...
but we'll save that for tomorrow's post.
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