My Plum Paper Planner!

At the beginning of 2018, I decided I wanted to try a different organizational system to make me more… well, organized. But also more productive. I went to my Skimm-bassador Facebook group and asked about the different planners all of those smart and ambitious women use. I also briefly considered bullet journaling, as I could really watch BuJo YouTube videos all day. Many people suggested the Erin Condren planner. However, I landed on the Plum Paper Planner, as it seemed a bit more customizable. If you are interested in getting the Plum Paper Planner, please let me know, as I can send you an email where you can save 10% on your first order!

This blog is going to be very picture heavy, so you have been forewarned!

The base price of the Plum Paper Planner is $32, which is pretty reasonable in the planner world. The price does go up if you choose various section add ons (as I did) but I think it’s a great starting price point.

Something else that’s great is that you can choose which month you want to start in. For example, you could choose March so you wouldn’t have a wasted January and February to lug around with you, which would be annoying. This is so helpful if you wanted to change up your organization plan mid-year!

The cover alone took me hours to decide on, as there are hundreds of different customization options. You can even get a circle monogram in the middle, or even add the year. But I decided to just put my name along the bottom.

The front has the typical year at-a-glance.

There is also a spread for ideas/goals.

Then each month is divided by tabs. You have the option to go for a more greyscale look or a colorful look. I decided to go for color the first time around because it made me happy. 🙂

Each month, there is room for goals, birthdays and other important dates.

Then there is the actual monthly layout.

For the weekly layout, you have five different options to choose from, including some horizontal versions. But I don’t understand how people work in that format! I need space to actually write across and make lists, so I went with the two-page weekly spread.

You can always stop there… but I didn’t. I added a few Section Add Ons. They have so many: Reflection, My Home, Meal Plans, Blog Planning, Budget Planning, Fitness, Baby, My Class, Direct Sales, Wedding Plans, Homeschool, Brainstorm and Travel. Seriously… there is a section for basically everything you need!

The first is the My Home section. Honestly, I am not using this section very much so in the future, I probably won’t get this again. It is nice to have all the home service providers in one area, but there are also laundry tips and a gardening spread among other things and I’m just not using most of it. There is a section where I can write down things I want/need to buy and I am using that part. Y’all know that I always have a wish list.

The section I am using the most is the Fitness section. I really enjoy (well, enjoy is a strong word) tracking my weight and measurements since I started working out again. I also like setting goals for myself — and meeting them!

The section I use the most after Fitness is the Blog section. It’s really helpful for me to track how we are doing in terms of our social media accounts, plus it really helps me to jot down blog ideas here, so they don’t live in random notes on my phone. This will also help me with future blog plans, especially if we end up doing some regular monthly/yearly types of blogs that we can plan out a little early.

I like that at the end of the year, I will be able to easily track my progress and will be able to set future goals based on what we’ve achieved throughout the year.

The section that I actually don’t really use is the Social Media section. I sort of thought I would use it for things that I am actually using the Blog section for. I may end up just removing this section completely from the planner, as it’s already pretty heavy, so I don’t need the extra pages if I’m not going to actually use them. This section would be super useful if I was planning out social media campaigns, but at this point, I am not really doing that. It’s not a bad section, it’s just not what I need.

The only thing I would really use this section for is to keep track of some of my Affiliate Programs pages/passwords. I don’t really write down passwords for any of my other accounts, but I tend to lose track of those particular accounts.

I added in some Notes pages at the end of every section, and I’m keeping track of various things throughout the month. I thought I was going to do a little modified bullet journaling here, but I haven’t done that very much yet. Instead, I’m keeping track of random things, like books and shows I’ve read/watched throughout the month. I also keep track of various makeup products I’ve purchased and which ones I love more than others. I think it will be cool to flip through at the end of the year and see what I’ve been spending my time (and money) on.

The planner also came with some stickers to decorate throughout the year. I also bought this additional sticker book.

So far, I am really liking my Plum Paper Planner! I look forward to using it this year and I now know more about what I want and need for my future planner! If you are interested in a planner, please comment and let me know! I can send you a referral link that will help you save 10% if you decide to order your own planner for yourself!

Purchased; All opinions are my own

laurenelectro

A self-proclaimed beauty junkie/hoarder with a serious Sephora problem. This blog is a total rationalization of that problem. Everything is TOTALLY fine. Her free time is a mixed combination of making fun of reality TV with her husband, hanging out with cats and finally trying to figure out how to do her hair.