Ready? Ok!

Whats that saying about the journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step? Yeah. That.

Where to begin? 

Let's start with this squishy business that is my Black/Pink Buffalo Touch Me Leather Van der Spek!! It has 30mm rings...which basically makes my planner a fatty. I love this planner. It smells good. It holds a lot. Has nice pocket placement and wide pen loop. The essentials. 

Where to start? Pick a planner. Decide to use it. It helps if you love it. But even if you don't, DECIDE to use it. There's a difference between using a planner and collecting them because you like collecting binders. Both hobbies are equally fun and exciting. However, what I am writing about is using a planner. 

Some of the best looking planners are the ones that are well used and bursting at the seams with appointments and information. 

If we want to get anywhere with staying organized and on top of our lives, we must decide that we will use what we have available to us. 

From composition books to this awesome VDS binder, I have learned that to be really effective I have to decide to use my planner every day. Just like in a relationship, I talk to my husband every day. We check in. We talk. We discuss. We remind each other of all the things we want the other to remember. 

It's a sickeningly sweet parallel. But it's true. Say your vow. Promise to use your planner every day. 

I do. 

I also have learned that I can't cheat on my planner...with other planners. Oh my gosh!! We're so sealing the deal and going to the chapel to get married to our planners!! 

This isn't to say you can't have multiple binders! I will maintain my kid binders, recipe binders and fitness binders...but for all information and appointments regarding my life...THIS. IS. MY. BINDER.

This is where I find my stuff. Who I check in with. Who reminds me. I can't be jotting info into my Malden, my original and my VDS and expect to maintain the same quality of relationship...can I?

No. 

Gotta be faithful to recording your life..."all in one place". 

This doesn't seem like much. But oh. 

If you had a planner bug bite you at any time. You are sick. And you will want to own every planner you see on your Facebook planner group. 

And you will want to make new set ups for every binder you meet and you will start spreading your information to all your multiple planners and never really experience planner nirvana with that ONE planner. 

So aside from making planner love sound like marriage...my point. 

1. Find a book/binder/planner and decide to use it. 

2. Stay faithful to recording and planning your life in that one planner. 

More to come! 

-Wayword

Revamp

I have been going through some planner growing pains lately. I chalk it up to a few things. 

•Having a lot of information in too many places. 

•Not focusing on my main planner due to having multiple planners. 

•Not making my systems work for me, instead working around a system. 

I use DIYFish life mapping inserts exclusively in my planners. I have two regular calendars that I use in my meal planning and kids school calendar. Lately I have really been struggling with two issues when using these inserts. 

1) Foward planning

2) To-Do lists

Have you caught on yet that I'm muddling through my issues here? Lol

I am re-doing my planner system! There will be major surgery as I gut my planner and process my mistakes and figure out how to get this system to work for me. 

What I find super duper crazy is that these inserts worked great last year! I had no trouble with my system and everything ran smoothly and I won every planner nerd mom award there was. Haha. 

This does go to show that every so often if you're feeling overwhelmed or even disinterested in your planner it's possible you're doing it wrong. What worked for me last year...is now wrong for me this year. 

People evolve. How we think, process and go about our lives changes every single day. It's ludicrous to think our planning systems would hold up over time seeing as they depend on US to be effective with it. 

This isn't to say my inserts aren't working. I LOVE these inserts. It's also not to say that I need a whole new Malden in purple to get this train running again! Haha. No. 

It's a system that needs attention. 

Over the next week I'll be posting how I'm re-working my planner system. 

Here's to a fresh page!

-Wayword

Arc Madness

According to my arc planner group, I have been going 'arc raving mad'. I am a big fan of Staples line of notebooks. I am still using a ring bound planner for my all the time every day stuff. But for some of the other planners I have in my life, I am using the Arc notebooks. I do recommend these as an inexpensive option to ring-bound planners. 

Last year I was completely overwhelmed with paperwork, information and flyers from my kids' schools. This year, I was prepared with three Arc notebooks for each of my children. I keep a yearly calendar in each notebook along with school information and I punch any flyers or notes from teachers to keep inside. I'll post in more detail about these later. 

My favorite feature about the Arc notebooks is the sizes! They have a large notebook size, which takes the letter size papers 8.5 x 11" and a half sized notebook which is 5.5 x 8.5. This is my half size meal planner. I have been keeping sale ads, coupons, food budgets, menus and my grocery lists in this notebook. Our food bill averaged about $550 a month for the 5 of us. Using this notebook for the last three months, has brought our food bill down to $450 a month instead. 

Upon scouring the internet for printables for a menu and a complimentary grocery list...I just made my own using Word. I am really careful with my ink supply and my printer use! I love pretty colorful rainbowy pages. However, I am printing pages daily and I can't afford the cost of colorful pages. So here we are. :) 

This post is really my attempt to start posting more frequently. I have been MIA for a while. I get really busy with work and family. But, sharing my planner and different ideas for the home is important to me and I want to try to keep up with this. 

Okay...out! 

-Wayword

Using DiyFish

Here I am, setting up for my day...still using DIYfish inserts. Now, I haven't really been plagued with "planner rash", where you aren't happy with whatever new set up you try. You're always itching for a new planner or a new system that will work. I genuinely have only tried the Filofax week on 2 pages and this new system from DIYfish. It's working for me, I haven't felt the need to change anything. I do get a bit of a hankering for...bigger rings? Simply because I want to carry more inserts with me. However I don't think there's any justification for this as I don't plan that far ahead and what I do plan for that far in advance is covered by yearly/monthly inserts that Fish has already implemented in her system. (I can talk myself out of anything! It's a gift. ) 

That's not to say that I am not still tweaking what I am working with. I added monthly tabs to my sides. You can also see that I added the clear color coding book marker as well to my system. This is useful...but like I said previously I STRUGGLE to use this. I know that someday when I want to go back and look at a particular thing the color coding will save me. But, for now I have to remind myself to mark my pages and to remember to code where it's needed. 

DIYFish has a Facebook group now! Very helpful group of ladies who seem to understand the ins and outs of this system. I admit we make it harder than it is to print and use...but there is a bit of a knack to it. I consider this system useful for someone who wants to track everything! And you LOVE to track everything! On the Facebook group, Fish herself posted a photo of the top of her Filofax. It showed numbered tabs for the months. I HAD TO HAVE THIS. (sometimes I don't talk myself out of things and I insist that I MUST have them.) Oddly enough, even though I called Korea and spoke to some very precise speaking Koreans, they would not sell me these tabs Fish uses. So I had to make my own!! Like what? LOL. They're actually not too bad, but instead of handwriting, I wanted to use my labeler to give it that professh look. :) 

These were the smallest tabs I could find the day I was doing this...and I don't mind the colors, so I went with it. However, I know that Avery makes printable numbered tabs, so I may go that route in the upcoming months. 

Overall, still using system. Still making it work. Tweaking. Changing. Lots of realizations about how I organize and plan. I'll post my last week, next! 

-Peace Love Plan Ahead Always!

Wayword

Lists

• Work has banned cell phones from entering our building. This has caused a major upset with all of my co-workers. It's not that we're on our phones all day long...but it's difficult to sit and stay in a building all day without knowing anything of the world outside. 
• Needless to say, it HAS impacted my blogging, picture taking and Facebook where my planner is concerned. However, I do use my planner a ton more than I did before. Because I'm not allowed to have my digital pda with me, I HAVE to use my Filofax! How amazing is that!? 
• I am becoming more courageous with planning events due to having a planner. I feel less stress that I will fail and that I will forget something important. 
• I love my hairstylist. He's been my soul mate and best friend for over 8 years now. I can talk to him about anything. Lately, it's been so good to just BE myself with him. I saw him yesterday and first thing I said was, "I want crazy purple hair!" and he says, "Yeah!! Let's do it!" Gosh, I need that in my life. 
• Been playing more video games. 
• Been working hard on making and maintaining my female relationships. This is a real struggle for me. I gave my heart to my "not really ever best friend, but what else do I call her" best friend years ago..and having female friends is SO hard for me. My eye is so crooked when another female wants to hang out or go for coffee. I'm jaded. I hate that I still carry that. But I'm working on trusting..and I'm working on pushing myself to keep on in my relationships with other women, even when they're difficult. 
• Chris and I decided to spend one or two weekends a month having dinner parties at our house. Not huge parties...just have someone(s) over for food and movies or chatting to catch up. Considering what a freak I am and what an introvert he is...this is HUGE. 
• I realize that my blog lately has been nothing but Filofax porn and not a lot of knitting, food or randomness...so I'll work on that. 

Peace. Chubby pandas and what the heck...vodka. LOL 

-Wayword

Week 4!

I am trying to figure out my system. Who knew that you needed to figure out your own planner system? Lol 

Color coordinating LOOKS so pretty! But...I don't stick with it. I get random and I'm like, "I need to use purple here because it will match this side!!" And I abandon all reason and start a different way of coding. 

Here's my week 4. I want to be more function than fancy. I really really do, so I'm torn between decorating and using space wisely. Lately I decorate a little and add as I go to keep from over doing it. 

Here is my attempt to 'balance'. ^_^

Using my hydrate stamp! I think next week I'll use more stamps. They give it such a tidy look. Not to mention "functional"! Yeah buddy. 

Tiny little file folder I found at Fred Meyer for a dollar. It's a Studio 112. 

Clearly saving some space for the busiest  part of my week. 

A close up of the tiny file folder! So kewt! I put my two favorite quotes in it. 

Ps. All this makes me want to add a new section to my Filofax! Gotta keep track and plan!  Haha! 

-Wayword

Hem and Haw!

This photo got a lot of comments and likes from the main "Philofaxy" Facebook page. It caused me to think really hard about my "processes". How I plan, how I organize my thoughts and how I go about my week, menu and plans. 

It's complicated! And I realize that I'm a freak. Haha!! I don't follow any set codes for color coordinating and I'm so random with how I use my tapes...people were asking why I did this, what was that...etc. And I was really surprised about how much interest there was in my menu planning! 

So I've added that to my list of "to-do's" for this year. Figure out my meal plan/budgets and how to share with others how I make it work. :-) 

Exciting and scary. Lol

But you can accomplish anything if you have a plan! 

Peace. Love. Plan Ahead! 

-Wayword

Listies

• I can't think of any good resolutions other than the old ones that I've made, but haven't kept. 
• Recovering from a really bad flu. It was a good flu in that I lost 6lbs. I know about 4lbs of that is probably water, but hey! That is good news. hehe
• Watching movies/tv shows have kept me occupied while I've been sick. However, I only pay really close attention when they show a binder or a planner. Then I pause and (zoom in if it's Netflix) contemplate what planner brand it is. It caught my eye that Robin from "Sister Wives" uses a Kate Spade! 
• I think if I keep any resolutions this year they will be the ones that involve documenting my year, yarn, weight loss and planning/organizing. Those seem to be the most important. 

-Wayword

Christmas

My Christmas is over. Somehow I always feel like the year is over when Christmas is over. I always spend the last week of December in limbo. I can't use my new calendars or planner pages yet..so how am I using up my last week of 2013??

Making new goals and printing out my January Filofax calendars!  I got the A5 Original and the calendar inserts are for 2014 (as well as being vertical) and I haven't had the chance to use them yet. However my 2014 is VERTICAL! I don't think I can work vertically? It's so strange how you can get hooked working one way that's it's almost impossible to think about working in another format. So, I'm printing my January month horizontally. 

I really want printed inserts from Piaric or maybe a rainbow set from KiddyQualia on Etsy. This far I have been printing my own from Philofaxy. I feel torn between buying a set to use or keep printing my own. Time wise it would good if I bought printed ones. It would save me time, paper and ink that's for sure! But, I have enjoyed printing out various printables and making my own calendars.  

Okay, it's off to play with paper! 

Peace, Love and Plan Ahead!! 

-Wayword

Filofax Wallet

I have totally fallen in love with my Filofax. I use it daily...for so many things in my life. I didn't realize how much I counted on my brain to remember what I needed to do, remember, keep track of etc...Believe me..it's ALOT. 

So here I have a personal sized Domino Filofax! It's my first of the Filofax brand. I bought it off Amazon for about $39. I confess to having this little planner become my new religion. :) It's been used as my 'main' planner for the last three months. However, Chris bought me a new A5 Fluro Pink Original Filofax for my birthday. So I made myself move into that today...when I made my Domino a WALLET. It was actually really hard for me mentally to leave my personal size. I am not sure what that's about! All I know is...I LOVE my Domino. :) 

The Domino does not have as many slots for cards as other Filofax's. But, I generally only use two debit cards, my driver's license and my Snap Fitness key card on a regular basis. I'm using the front side pocket for stamps and my color coding dots. 

The 'dashboard'. Gotta keep it pretty right? 

More 'dashboard'. And having a photo of my husband and kids reminds me to be careful of my spending. I have a tendency to over spend and need to be careful all the time! 

I re-used the dividers! I could not throw these out or make myself make new ones! So I re-labeled one and was able to just use the rest as they were. I have really gotten good use from my Purple Cow laminator. I don't know how I lived without it. Haha! 

I bought four packs of business card holders from DayRunner. They hold 9 cards each. They are meant for paper business cards and made a really snug fit for the plastic club cards I have. I have about 9 pages/27 cards in this section. 

It's all about the money! 

I seldom carry cash actually...but lately I have been contemplating using a cash envelope system. So I might implement more of these zip pockets if I do. 

I "plan"on having a section for my bill information. Things like account information and numbers, due dates and balances. I created a financial planner for this sort of thing, but I plan on syncing them so I can have that information with me, should I need to pay bills or talking to a creditor. 

More inspiration! Here is a register for my checkbook and debit cards. I haven't been very good at using these in the past. However, it's my new resolution to keep up a register. 

Lastly I made a holder for my checkbook. I slide my checkbook into the little purple pocket so I don't have to carry the bank book along with me. Saves a bit of space in my Filofax. 

I think I still need a bigger pocket for receipts. And I really want a coupon section! I am just not sure what I could reasonably take out without having to have a second wallet. My whole purpose is to only carry my Filofax as a wallet. I'll let you know how it turns out. 

And soon! I'll share my set up in my new Fluro Pink! 

Peace, Love and Plan Ahead! 

-Wayword

October!

Here is my decorated month for October. I made it during lunch at work with what I bought for $5 at Michaels. I don't do cutesy so much, but it feels ok in my planner. I'll save my other styles for my art journals. Kind of freeing to slap stickers everywhere. :-)