Planners

November 23 2024

The Ultimate Guide to Planner Monkey Co.

I know it’s been a while since my last planner post, but I’m back and excited to share my thoughts on Planner Monkey Co. This stationery and planner company is relatively new to me, and I discovered it through a friend on Instagram! At the time, I was specifically looking for an undated planner so that I wouldn’t feel pressured to plan or journal every day. If you’re seeking that flexibility, this might be the perfect planner for you.

Planner Monkey Co. offers a wide range of planners in various types and sizes, from A5 to pocket dimensions. Additionally, the planners are available in several colors, including grey, pink, beige, and black, which is a nice touch for those who prefer colorful covers. One standout feature is the use of 52gsm Tomoe River Paper, which is highly regarded in the journaling community for its quality.

Standard TN

A5 Undated

After exploring their options, I chose the undated monthly planner in a standard traveler and A5 size. I really appreciate the freedom this layout provides, as it includes only 12 undated monthly layouts, allowing you to customize your planning experience. The subsequent pages are blank, enabling complete creative control over your layout.

However, I must note that this particular planner is currently out of stock. There is an alternative option called “Freely Noted,” which offers a similar layout but without the monthly calendars at the front.

One drawback I noticed with the planner is that the binding isn’t wide enough for it to lay completely flat. The curved binding doesn’t allow the planner to open fully, which can be a bit frustrating. That said, the pricing remains competitive with similar products like those from Sterling Ink. The newer version of the Freely Planned Undated is available for preorder at $43. Overall, despite the binding issue, I think Planner Monkey Co. has some great offerings worth considering!

Overall, Planner Monkey Co. presents an appealing option for anyone in search of an undated planner that offers flexibility and quality. With a variety of sizes, colors, and the premium Tomoe River paper, it caters to different preferences and styles. While the binding may not be ideal for everyone, the overall design and affordability make it a strong contender in the stationery market. Whether you opt for the undated monthly planner or the “Freely Noted” alternative, you’re sure to find a layout that inspires your creativity and enhances your planning experience. If you’re interested, be sure to check their offerings and see which planner suits your needs best!

Standard TN Undated

A5 Undated

Check out my planner review on Youtube…

November 3 2024

Exploring Planners: Papertess Designs

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As we get ready for 2025, we’re still on the lookout for the “perfect planner.” When in reality, we know that doesn’t exist. However, I came across this amazing planner company, Papertess Designs, browsing on late night Instagram, of course. Papertess Designs offers a wide variety of planners and notebooks ranging from but not limited to B5, A5, A5 Slim, B6, A6, Pocket, Weekly.

I decided on the Chapter ’25-The Yearly Notebook-Edition 2025 and the Weekly Notebook-2025 Edition so let’s take a look at my top two key features:

First, let’s take a look at the Weekly Notebook 2025 Edition. One of the key features of this planner that I really enjoy is the multi-section design weekly layout. Although this is a dated planner, this feature allows for easy organization based on your specific needs, whether it’s tasks, appointments, or notes. It makes it easier to prioritize and visualize your week at a glance. A second key feature is its lay flat design, which enhances its usability making it easier to draw, write, and take notes without it closing. We all know that this can be hard to achieve with some planners, but Papertess Designs masters this capability beautifully.

Details:
+ Size: 186 mm x 95 mm x 15 mm
+ Line Spacing: 4,5 mm
+ Grid Spacing: 4,0 mm x 3,9 mm
+ Paper: 52 gsm SANZEN Tomoe River Paper – white
+ Cover: Soft Cover / Cover Color Options: Sand, Black, Sage
+ Monday Start
+ Specials: Rosegold stamped Cover
+ Pages: 380
+ Opens completely flat
+ Rounded corners
+ About 224 extra notes pages in the back of the planner

Layout:
+ Yearly Overview: 2 pages
+ Yearly Overview Tracker: 2 pages
+ vertical monthly Tracker: 6 pages (4 months per pages)
+ 12x months on 2 pages (January – December)
+ 53 x week on 2 pages (January – December)

Now moving on to the A6 Chapter ’25-The Yearly Notebook-Edition 2025. One of the key features that caught my attention when purchasing was the one page weekly layout designed for you to see all tasks or prioritizations on one page. This feature makes this planner incredibly functional and flexible, allowing you to organize your time effectively. The following 7 pages are undated. This feature allows you to be creative, using it for sketching, brainstorming or journaling. The second key feature that I found astonishing is its compact design by including undated pages after the weekly layout, making it easy to utilize without sacrificing its functionality. No more flipping from the front to the back trying to find pages that are hard to find.

Details:
+ Size: A6 – 148 mm x 105 mm x 18 mm
+ Grid Size: 4,0 mm x 4,0 mm
+ Paper: 52 gsm SANZEN Tomoe River Paper – white
+ Cover: Soft Cover / Cover Color Options: Sand, Sage, Black
+ Monday Start
+ Specials: Rosegold stamped cover + spine
+ Pages: 520
+ Opens completely flat
+ Rounded corners
+ All pages are numbered
+ About 24 extra notes pages in the back of the planner

Layout:
+ Yearly Overview: 2 pages
+ Yearly Overview Tracker: 2 pages
+ Quarterly Pages: 4 pages (3 vertical months per pages)
+ Quarterly Pages: 8 pages (3 horizontal months per pages + notes pages)

The planning section is divided and bundled by months:
+ 1 x Month on 2 pages
+ 1 x Blank grid spread: 2 pages
+ 4 x Week on 1 page + 7 blank grid pages (some months have 5 x week on 1 page + 7 grid pages)

In short, the A6 Chapter ’25-The Yearly Notebook-Edition 2025 and Weekly Notebook 2025 Edition by Papertess Designs stands out with its thoughtfully designed layouts and practical features that cater to diverse planning needs. The combination of functional sections and a lay-flat design makes it a pleasure to use for anyone looking to enhance their organization skills. Whether you’re managing tasks, jotting down ideas, or tracking appointments, these planners provide a flexible approach to weekly and daily planning. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this planner! Please share your comments below and let me know how you integrate planning tools into your daily routine.

Check out my video…

October 23 2024

Aura Estelle Planner Review: A Deep Dive into Productivity

Eliza Planners 5

Here we are again, exploring another fantastic planner! For the next few weeks, we’ll continue our journey through the world of planners and shops that enhance the planner and journaling experience. This week, we’re diving into the wonderful features of the Aura Estelle Planners. Just a heads up: the 2025 TRP planners have launched and are being shipped, so be sure to check out the new planners in collaboration with Annie Plans.

Now, let’s focus on the planner I personally own. A couple of months ago, I purchased the Weeks Catchall Planner in an undated format, eager to test it out before the new year. After all, who wants to wait until January to start using a new planner? This planner is comparable in size to the Hobonichi Weeks, which gives you a good mental picture. One standout feature of all Aura Estelle Planners is the white 52gsm Tomoe River Paper, known for its smooth writing experience. The planner features a sleek black laminated cover adorned with gold foil lettering, and the grid size of 3.4mm is perfect for smaller handwriting—allowing you to write two lines per grid.

How Am I Using This Planner?

Great question! I realized I wasn’t being as productive as I wanted to be with the numerous tasks I needed to complete to promote myself on social media. So, I decided to use this planner as my task organizer, or as I like to call it, my “To-Do Planner.” It has been incredibly helpful for organizing my tasks and prioritizing what I schedule in my main catchall planner each week. I utilize the left side of the planner to highlight my top priorities for the day, and for the remaining pages, I create vertical columns for the rest of the week. Each day, I jot down tasks across various areas—Patreon, my website, home responsibilities, and morning journaling. By listing out everything I aim to accomplish for the week, I can easily track my progress. At the end of each day, or the next morning, I note what I completed and migrate any unfinished tasks to the next day, ensuring that I attempt or finish all tasks. Overall, this planner has significantly boosted my productivity, helping me hit my goals weekly. Writing everything down has made me more committed to completing my tasks because we all know the struggle of procrastination!

What Not to Do: Don’t beat yourself up for unproductive days. Racing against life is counterproductive! This planner is merely a tool to help you organize and prioritize what’s important, enabling you to be more productive than before.

What to Do: Have fun with this planner! Set SMART goals and balance small tasks with larger ones. Trying to tackle massive tasks in one day can lead to burnout.

What Kind of Cover Fits This Planner?

You might be wondering! Three covers I know will fit this planner are the Hobonichi Weeks Cover, Moterm Weeks Cover, as well as the Galen Leather Slim Cover. Recently, I’ve been loving my Galen Leather Smoky cover, especially for its generous pen loop, which accommodates my larger fountain pens beautifully.

Aura Estelle also provides a guide on how to use the planner effectively. Check it out!

Layout Overview:

– Yearly calendar on 2 pages

– Yearly columns on 6 pages

– 12 monthly spreads at the beginning of each month (not grouped together)

– Each week includes 1 weekly overview page and 3 free grid pages

– 30 free grid pages at the back for extra notes

– Size: approximately 7.4 x 3.7 x 0.3” / 94 x 188 x 8mm

– Grid Size: Monthly/Yearly 3.4 x 3.4 mm, Weekly 3.55 mm

– 12 months, 52 weeks

– Total pages: 274

– Price: $34.95

In conclusion, the Aura Estelle Weeks Catchall Planner is an excellent choice for anyone seeking a reliable task planner that enhances productivity and organization. Its thoughtfully designed layout, paired with high-quality Tomoe River Paper, allows for smooth writing and effective task management. By prioritizing daily tasks and tracking progress, users can stay committed to their goals and overcome procrastination. If you’re looking to streamline your planning process in 2025, this planner could be the perfect fit for you. I’d love to hear your thoughts—what do you think about the Aura Estelle planners, and what’s in your planner lineup for 2025?

October 17 2024

Top Features of Sterling Ink Planners You’ll Love

Eliza Planners 4

Planner season is an exhilarating ride! When mid-year hits, the excitement to dive into a new planner takes us to uncharted realms. Let’s be real: the thrill of new planner season and shopping for planners is hard to resist—I’m definitely guilty of it. From July to November, we become planner enthusiasts, often overspending on all the goodies we think we need.

I got a head start this year because I knew that by November, finding my desired planners would be a challenge, with stock running low and shipping delays. Remember that Hobonichi website outage? Exactly! Thankfully, I managed to snag a few (okay, maybe more than a few) planners for my 2025 lineup, and each will get its moment in the spotlight. First up is Sterling Ink

For those unfamiliar, Sterling Ink offers a wide array of planners suitable for everyone’s needs. Their selection includes various sizes, from A5 to pocket-sized planners and notebooks, even five-year diaries. Plus, they come in a range of colors to match your aesthetic.

For next year, I chose the N1 (Standard TN) Vertical Full Year 2025 Common Planner. I wanted to minimize unused space and streamline my planning process. This layout is perfect for blending planning and journaling. I opted for the undated version to give myself the flexibility to use it at my own pace without the daily pressure. My favorite feature is the slim vertical weekly section, which suits my handwriting beautifully. Plus, it includes 272 extra pages for those who need additional space.

However, there’s one downside I noticed after purchasing: the extra pages meant for journaling could have been distributed evenly behind each week. Personally, I prefer not to flip back and forth since combining journaling and planning doesn’t work well for me.

Sterling Ink offers this planner with the following details:

Size: N1 (110mm x 210mm x 12mm)
Paper: Tomoe River paper 52 gsm white (New Sanzen).
Softcover.
Cover Gold Stamped with “Common∙Planner”.
Spine: No writing
Cover color: Onyx (black), Caramel (brown)
Lay flat sewn binding
Grid size: 3.6mm x 3.9mm (0.14″ x 0.15″)
Gilded edge and White edge options available.
272 pages

Undated Common Planner Layout

4 x blank page spread (vision board, word of the year, index)
4 x Quarterly tracking pages (2 page per quarter and Undated)
14 x Month on 2 page spread. (Undated)
53 x Week on 2 page spread (Vertical layout)
121 x blank grid pages with PAGE NUMBERS.

Orders over $35 USD:

United States: Free domestic shipping.
Canada: $6 USD flat rate shipping.
International: $8 USD flat rate shipping.
All shipping methods will include a tracking number.

In short, the thrill of planner season never fails to inspire creativity and organization. With so many options available, finding the perfect planner can truly elevate your planning experience. I’m excited to share my journey with the Sterling Ink planner and hope it resonates with you as well!

Have you started planning for the new year yet? What planners are you considering for 2025? I’d love to hear about your favorites and any tips you have for navigating planner season! Please share your thoughts in the comments below. Happy planning!