Habits: Day 5

Habit tip #5 is "Stay consistent". 

This is the hardest thing for me. No one ever looks me up in the dictionary and says, "Oh look it's Pillowfarmer!" 

I'm the worst. I'm the anti consistent poster child. You will find me under that! Haha. 

But creating good habits is never easy. 

So stay consistent. Remind yourself. 

And don't be too hard on yourself. This is my own personal advice. Because I mess up all the time and I need someone to tell me that I'm okay even though I mess up. :-) 

My week isn't super busy. My kids are gone with their dad for Spring Break. So it's fairly slow. But it's important to track my habit keeping. 

I'm pretty good at going to the gym, keeping up with my diet, reading and waking up on time in the morning! These are getting easier too. 

I think this is something to remember. Because good things are difficult things sometimes. It's not easy to create good habits, but it will be worth it! 

Here is a photo of my naughty baby Dixon! I'll check in again tomorrow! 

Take care

-Pillowfarmer

Habits: Day 2

2. Check it daily. 

This is a skill. Haha! I am finding that the thing I admire in successful people is their ability to maintain a routine that contributes to their success. My husband is a creature of habit. Sometimes its borderline insanity how closely he follows a schedule. However, he is someone who hasn't missed a day of work in 6 years, doesn't get sick, isn't overweight, doesn't gamble or smoke and has no known health problems. I admire this for so many reasons. The number one reason is that he is happy. Number two is that he is successful in his career and has a good balance of home and job. Lastly it's that it comes easily him because of his habits and schedule. 

All that said... I am not really like that. So I must find my own way. 

That leads me to my planner and how I 'manage myself.' So here we are at How to Create Habits #2. Check it daily. It's simple. If you don't use a your tools you are a boat without a paddle. 

I want to be effective in my life. 

Everyday. 

Every way. 

My life with a husband, three kids, two dogs, two cats and a hamster is a busy one. We have band, cheer, drill team, soccer, dance, football and church. Sometimes I can't remember what day it is. And I do forget events and appointments if I'm not playing my A game. 

To be the successful person I want to be means managing myself. 

Habits are simply routines that we put ourselves through on a daily basis. Some of our habits are by choice. Some are by nature. They can be good or bad. 

I'm choosing as many good ones as I can! Today I completed 5 of the 6 habits I've chosen to work on. Yay! 

And to share a bit of what I'm doing...

I'm reading through a book on how to study the Bible effectively. 

It's called Living By the Book. It's older and was recommended to my by a friend who knows I like to study the Bible. 

I enjoy creating the habit of reading a book for 30 minutes a day! 

And to not completely be boring ho-hum. Take a look at my Corgi puppy Dixon! Look at the reception he gets with these ears! Haha! 

-Pillowfarmer

My Tokidoki Dividers!

Here is a peek at the dividers I'm making for my planner this year. These are color copies of the Tokidoki calendar I arc'd. I took the pages to Staples and had them color copy them as I did not want to use the originals. I was worried I would ruin them and not have a back up. So I copied first, and like that I have the originals to use for another project if I like. There are 17 dividers and each has artwork on the back and front. That is 32 pages of Tokidoki goodness! 

I really am working on doing what works for me AND enjoying my planner as a creative outlet that lets me decorate and have fun with my stationary supplies. 

Systems are SUPER important, but having fun and enjoying what you're doing in your planner is just as important. 

I'll be posting again soon on my system and how I'm keeping it working for me. 

I think I am sticking with Pillowfarmer as my handle. It's weird. And unusual. Which I like. :) 

-Pillowfarmer OUT. 

Planners, Pantsers, & Trackers!

I used to believe there were two kinds of people in this world. Planners and Pantsers.
Planner people are those sorts that know what's up. They know what time an event is, they usually have some sort of calendar system and they always arrive early. :)
Then there are Pantsers. You know, people who fly around by the seat of their pants. They seldom arrive early or on time and they usually don't know what's coming next.
I'm definitely a combination of both of these...but I really want to be a planner sort of person through and through!
Lately I have discovered that the third sort of person who exists are Trackers. People who keep track of what they watch, eat, buy and do.
My husband has a notebook that is over 6 years old that has every movie, tv show and video game he's ever watched or played. And I have another friend who tracks all her online purchases in her planner and she loses weight by tracking her exercise habits.

So after you've picked your planner. You're left with picking a system!
I pick Diyfish inserts. There's a lot to be said for this system; you could devote hours to talking about how to use these! But, I am simply talking about my re-vamp and what/how I am using my planner.

I pick this system because I am a planner, pantser and a tracker. :)

Most people will almost always need or want a view of the month. Some people like their view to be a full page, half page, or like me a 3.75 x 6.75 page. Whatever size...it's a good idea to figure how to utilize this page. I use mine to plan upcoming events. This is the page I look to whenever anyone asks me to do something. I use color coding to mark my days with whatever is coming up. (I will explain my color coding later) However you plan, pants or track...this is a good page and place to just mark down that you're busy on any certain day. I know that on the 5-6th of this month my Mom was scheduled to have a defibrillator put in. I knew not to plan anything that day because I have a tiny square on that day reminding me to not double book myself. 

A nice plus to the Diyfish inserts is the monthly chart behind the main calendar page. This page is ideal for the tracker in all of us. I re-did this page because it was very jumbled and hard to read. I simplified things so you could see that the top half is explanations of my upcoming events that are also listed on my monthly view page.

My son (green) has ensemble practice and my daughter (pink) has cheer practice. These are revolving events. However, I outline the day they're scheduled and color in the box when they complete a practice. By keeping track of this, I could dispute lesson fees or mark their attendance should there ever be the need to do so. 

The middle part of the page are events that don't revolve, but rather they are one time events that may fall under the same category. Such as doctor appointments, open houses, or class dates. I color code these events and use the same line if they're the same type of event. For open house, I had one on the 17th and I have one on the 23 for two different kids. 

The bottom part of the page are true tracking events. My instagram posting, blog postings, going to the gym and when one of my kids takes a day off from school. I only use this as a reference usually. My kids will ask to stay home when they're feeling slightly ill and I can remind them that they have missed two days this month already and it's probably best to trudge through. This is really helpful for the kids that love to play hookey, because you can't dispute my monthly chart! 

If you don't use this sort of monthly chart, you could always make yourself a tracking page or a page for explanations of your blocked out dates on your monthly view. I use this because I like seeing what I've done and when. 

Our nutshell. 

1) Find a monthly view. 

2) Block out dates/times you WILL be busy. So not to double book yourself. 

3) Create an explanation page or a tracking page if your calendar is too small to go into detail as to what you're keeping busy with. 

Very small apologies for the length of this post, but there's so much thought that goes into how to effectively use this page I felt the words just coming out blah blah blah. So if you're still here...thanks! 

-Pillowfarmer

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

My Week 12

Here is my week 12!

I keep looking for trends, habits and weekly rituals that I use in making my planner pages. Sort of as an opportunity to figure out how I 'tick'. Everyone uses these DIYFish inserts differently! I love that. I see some people 'plan' with them. I see some use them as they 'journal' through their week. And some people who do a bit of both! I'm noticing that I'm a bit of both!

I can't seem to get through the week without decorating! I MUST have color!

It's been a constant since I discovered these pages to chart my progress with my diabetes and blood sugar levels in the bottom left corner. Lately I have taken to writing down some of the things I'm eating during the day. I do use an app on my iPhone for keeping track of my actual carb intake and exercise regime. But! I wish I could remember to write it all down. It's just not practical for me to yank out the planner, sweaty palms and all after I've run for an hour on the treadmill. lol. 

Consistently using the bottom right 'box' on the right page for a quote or an inspiring thought. I also use it for doodles. Some days at work I spend a lot of time waiting on hold on the phone. This is a GREAT time to doodle! I encourage people to look up pictures or doodles that you'd like to learn how to create or draw better and do this while you're on the phone or talking to someone. Obviously this day I used a post it...and didn't draw...but how inspirational am I? :D 

My long box on the left page/right side with the numbered times is my bullet journaling! I think I am utilizing this as a bullet journal section. I write what I did with an asterisk * and make check boxes for things I plan on during that time/hour of the day. I also use stars as an indicator of something I wish to keep and color code. I am still quite horrible about color coding my day...but I'm hoping the stars will help me when I go back to reference and color code for the week. 

Top 'box' on the right page/right side is my daily 'TO DO' list. I seldom do everything on this list! haha! In fact it's mostly just a wish list. Like, Sarah, you wish you could do all this! haha. I did pretty good on Thursday though! I was definitely Superwoman that day. Geeze. Good job Me. 

The top left box on the left page/left side is for quote/weather/mood. Sometimes I cover up the weather and mood if my quote is longer. I will sometimes use this space as a list section. List of things I love, books I should read, things I'm grateful for etc...and sometimes I just tape in a quote! 

I have really been focused on using my planner as a dieting tool. It goes with me everywhere! I write all my important secrets and plans in it! Why not utilize it as such? So, I'm working on adding a DIYFish insert section for my diet/fitness plans. 

And on that note, I have almost strictly starting using my Malden for ONLY DIYFish inserts. I still have my A-Z sections, but eventually whatever information I have in there filters it's way into a daily page, then it's logged into the color code section and then filed away for reference later if I need it. I have been using Evernote to keep information that I need to keep an eye on for daily/weekly references. Needless to say, that using these inserts does make your Filofax bulky...however, I don't need extra sections with me ALL the time because I can file them away under older pages with my color coding to find later should I need them. 

The only thing I'm feeling like I 'need' is the fitness section. But, I made the finance section work using my DIYFish inserts, so I'm sure I can make a fitness section work out too. :) 

So stay tuned for that!

Peace Love Plan Ahead!

Sarah 

Using DIYFish inserts!

Self explanatory. But I got on the band wagon and am trying out DIYfish's inserts. They're HEAVEN. I love them! I am working hard to fill the pages. But it's so much better than not having enough space! 

Also made my own charm! I love it! ^_^ 

Peace. Love. Plan Ahead! 

-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

Documented Life Project Part 2

I added the top tabs to define the months. I wasn't sure I wanted tabs after punching, stamping, dynamo, laminating, cutting out again, then xyroning them...but hey, after all that work!? Might as well. 

It looks fabulous. :) 

-Wayword

The Documented Life Project

I joined The Documented Life Project on Facebook. It's hosted by a circle of friends from Art To The 5th. It's supposed to be a Moleskine planner/journal, but as I already use a Filofax for my planner I will be using it as an art journal. I added some "tip ins" or extra pages using washi tape and some 90lb mixed media paper. It made my Moleskine into a FATTY! 

Don't they look cute together? 

I have not created anything art/collage-wise since 2007. Something was lost then...but I found it today! The first day of this new year. Yeah buddy!  I had a lot of fun just letting go and painting and stamping and sticking and more painting. 

I noticed people picking a word for the year. I have no idea what that's about! It's a guess that it's a word that inspires you. I dislike being defined by any ONE word, especially for a whole year! But to start, I really like the word "unwritten". So I added that element. 

My thoughts lately have been on love. How to love people. Why I should love people. What does it mean to love people. I have been really irritated with family I have on Facebook that claim to be Christian people and spew so much gay hate and muslim hate and hate hate hate. It's inspired me to love love love. and more love. It should also be noted that during my layering process I really hated the way the cover looked. I hated the color, hated the shades and the shapes I was making. I kept at it and kept working it until it finally became pleasant again. Reminded me of my relationships with my family and loved ones. Sometimes they're ugly and not fun...but keep at them and they become lovely again once you work through the hard stuff. 

Art is such a relief. It gets all of "it" out of you. Whatever "it" is...it looks better and feels better out on a page. :) 

-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

This week!

I found this really cute sushi Hello Kitty sticker and had to use it! I thought the Hello Kitty part was one sticker and all the sushi was smaller stickers. But the small sushi was the card board backing. I was sad. I had to cut them out by hand!!! They aren't too thick so it's worth it. 

I am almost disappointed that I cannot cut washi tape straight! I need to find my paper cutter. Need. 

My email this week had a 40% off any regular priced item at Joann's. Squee!!! Get a laminator!!!! Lamination MUST be done!! I found a $20 laminator at Costco earlier today. I didn't buy it because I wanted to get a quality one from Joann's with my coupon. 

There was a really nice Scotch laminator for $50. I was excited! But I got to the register and my coupon wasn't valid with the "machine". So no laminator. :-( 

I might go get the one at Costco? But I'm a tad worried about the quality. So more research to come! 

My sister and I are keeping a diary/revolving letter book at the moment. So here's that. :-) 

Mostly just writing back and forth in a diary-letter to each other. We did this as teenagers and I'm glad we've picked up it again. :-) 

I enjoy all the paper I've been able to play with lately!! 

-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. :-)

More planning crap!

I have an obsessive personality. The tendency to run amuck and overboard with everything pulses through my veins! Here is my "post it" dashboard. You will note that I have no regular size post its that I use for my post it quote of the day. I usually have those on hand at work so I don't normally carry them with me in my Domino. I found the leaf and the thought thinkie bubble from Wal-Mart. They are the Wal-Mart brand and surprisingly sticky!! They're great so far. I have noticed a few here are there that will leave some glue residue on the page underneath, but nothing really bad and it's only every few pages. The iPhone post it I found at Wal-Mart too...not sure what brand they are though! 

Here is my week. I started to fill the whole thing out, but realized I end up blurring/hiding those with my photo editor. So I stopped and just took a photo of it before it was filled in with my 'to do'. Speaking of that! I really want this stamp. It has everything I want on my week on two pages!! I love using rubber stamps...it's so much better than my doodles and handwriting. This week I did less stickers, more washi tape. Which I realize as a Filofaxer...is like a drug. You flash that washi and the Philofaxers come running! Holy cow. I love the different angles and patterns I see on people's week. I feel like I should have a pattern book of different ways to washi!

My skull washi looks sort of weird by itself. You can't quite see the sugar skull flowery details, so it's hard to make it cheerful. (I like cheerful as I'm usually quite the grumpy pants.)

My goal this week is to clean out one of our spare rooms to use as a craft/knit/filofax room!! YAY!! Hopefully I'll find the time/energy to get it done!

Here's to a fantastic week!!