My Erin Condren Planner

Since middle school, to high school and all the way up to my university days, I've always been obsessed with planners. I'm a very organized and detail oriented person, so for me, having a planner and using it was both very natural and very fun. After university however, I got rid of using a planner as I didn't see a need for it. Fast forward a few years later to present day and I'm back in the planner addict phase! I saw a lot of fellow YouTubers who were also in this crazy planner phase and thought to myself, "This looks like so much fun!" I feel as though the planner has evolved into a life planner/scrap booking project, where to do lists aren't the only things that are kept, but important events are documented as well. I like this idea around the planner, as it's a great way to capture what's going on in my life with the hope of looking back at it some day and remembering all the good times.

Naturally, I made the decision to buy the Erin Condren planner. I love it! When it got delivered, it was like Christmas morning at my house! What I love about the Erin Condren planner are the design, the use of colours and positive quotes, the vertical layout and that it goes all the way to December 2016. I've never had a vertical layout before in my previous planners, but this format did capture my attention. Now that I've had the opportunity to use a vertical layout, I don't know that I would ever go back to the horizontal format. The vertical layout is much more exciting and breaks the mold from the traditional planner format. Currently, I divide the vertical layout into a "Today, To Do, Blog/Bouquet, Little Things and Work Out" section. I'm really digging this layout!

Since getting my planner I've been going crazy with buying stickers, making my own stickers, washi tape galore, pens - colourful pens- etc... The planner addicts would know exactly what I'm talking about! It crazy, but I can spend hours on end decorating my planner, as well as watching "Plan With Me" videos on YouTube - who knew planners could be this interesting! (P.S. Beware it can also break the bank...) To be honest, it definitely is an activity that I associate with relaxing and de-stressing. I love the process of getting creative with stickers, washi tape, and coloured pens - it's very therapeutic to me and brings me joy.

I've been experimenting with different themes for decorating my planner to see what I like best. So far, I have a theme planned for every week up until Halloween. After that, I might choose to do the same layout or try something new - we'll see! That's the fun and exciting part of this whole planning hobby! Decorating and customizing for different events and holidays! I can't wait to decorate for the upcoming winter/Christmas celebrations!

I use my planner primarily to organize all the different activities in my life... sometimes it can get pretty hectic. I find that when I write things down, I'm more likely to act upon it and achieve better results. I like using my planner to organize my thoughts and action plan for the blog and my candy bouquet hobby. It's also motivation for me to keep track of certain goals I have. One example of this is working out. Sometimes, going to the gym is not motivating to me. However, when I get to fill out in my planner what activity I did at the gym, how many minutes I worked out and how many calories I burned, it certainly is motivation at the beginning of a new week to keep going! I also like that I can keep a note of what I've made for dinner, or what new recipes I've tried. If I'm ever in a situation where I can't think of what to make, it really helps to look back and get dinner ideas.

I love my planner and the process of decorating and using it. If you're not too sure about your love for planners, but want to test the waters first before diving in, you may want to start off with a cheaper planner option. You can achieve the same result with just about any planner, if a higher costing planner is not in your plans for the near future.

Do you have a planner? What do you like to use your planner for?

~Usha