Back in high school and college, I always had a paper planner. I would jot down homework, test dates and most importantly, social events. I had an assortment of pens and markers and during class I could be found playing around in my planner doodling. However, as the years passed, I was more prone to use my iPhone’s calendar. Before I knew it, I wasn’t using a paper planner at all. With three kids and a husband, a shared calendar was how we communicated in our house. Our digital calendar is how my husband and I plug in doctor appointments, sport practices, and our kids’ school schedule.
All of this was about to change when a friend gifted me an Erin Condren planner. My friend was always raving about her planner and how much she loved it. I have to admit, I was intimidated when I opened my new planner. I wondered if I would even use it since I relied so much on my iPhone calendar. As I slowly started to plug in events in my planner, I suddenly knew why so many people were obsessed with their planners.
Please note this is not a sponsored post, I just truly love my planner.
Flair pens, binder clips, washi tape and stickers quickly became my favorite components to my new planner. I’ve always been a fan of office supplies and back to school shopping was a highlight of my summer as a kid, so it’s no surprise that this was right up my alley. I began grabbing stickers here and there at local craft stores and even started ordering more stickers tailored to my needs on Etsy.
Any given Sunday night, you will find me set up with my lap desk in bed drinking an iced Starbucks drink with all my planner supplies while I plan my week. I consider this my Sunday night self care. I find it to be very calming and therapeutic. I have each family member color coded and special stickers for sports, and if there is a holiday, I have washi tape or stickers for that as well. You can say the planner my friend gifted me certainly started an obsession.
Besides a place for planning out our future events, it’s a great place to go back and include memories and events after they have happened. It’s become a memory keeper as well. While my husband and I still use our digital calendar for everything, my planner is a great addition just for me. In a house full of boys, this is my pretty girly space where I can make it all my own.
I’m already looking forward to my Sunday night planning session, do you have a paper planner? How do you use your planner?
