My Classic Happy Planner: Daily Life

My Classic Happy Planner: Daily Life

• Jul 25, 2018

Back in December, I reflected on my favorite things of 2017 and noted that Happy Planner was at the top of the list. I bought my first one that May after seeing Lindsey from Bring My Books raving about them. And though I swore I wouldn't buy all the things, I should have known that I'd be so obsessed with it. It started with sticker books and soon spiraled into making my own printable pages. So, I thought it would be fun to spend this week talking about how I'm using them. Happy Planners come in three sizes: Big, Classic, and Mini. I have one of each, and they each serve a different function. Today, is Part One of my Classic. There's more to come tomorrow! 

In Happy Planners, each tabbed monthly divider (the page with candy hearts, in this case) is preceded by a monthly overview page. The specific breakdown varies by planner, but most include a spot for Birthdays, Important Dates, Monthly Goals and/or Notes, and a Currently fill-in-the-blank section. In mine, the candy hearts sticker is covering the Goals section because I didn't need it that month. I always fill out the birthdays at the beginning, as well as the dates to remember. Nick travels frequently for his job, so this is where I'll note when he'll be gone. 

The Currently section is one of the reasons I wanted to start using Happy Planners! I preferred Lilly Pulitzer agendas for years, but I loved that Happy Planners made it seem so easy to capture memories. I have all my old planners because they feel like little time capsules, but this one is even more special because it goes beyond appointments and to dos. It captures so much of who I am and what I love, not just what I've done! 

On the Monthly spread, I generally just write down the big stuff: birthdays, appointments, and important reminders. But sometimes I'll include little things too, like participating in a readathon or a creating a Happy Planner Instagram account with Kelly. Yes, I've become someone who has a separate Instagram account for photos of their planner. I don't even know who I am anymore, but I'm having so much fun doing it right now!

I love all the different half sheets that I can insert into any week, though I didn't take a photo of any that I'd written on. From general brainstorming to tracking tasks with deadlines, this is one way I stay organized. One of my favorite things about my Happy Planner is being able to take pages in and out! My post tomorrow will truly highlight the reason why, but it's also useful for this type of thing. It's nice to create a master to do list that I can move from week to week. And, as a lefty, I love not having to deal with rings while I'm writing.

And that brings me to my weekly spreads. I swore that I wouldn't become a sticker person... and look at me now. Those were my famous last words! I used to look at heavily-decorated planners and wonder if they were useful, even if they were beautiful. But now I've realized how fun it can be to create something pretty! I used to think that I wasn't a crafty person, but I'm pretty sure it's just that I hadn't found the right outlet yet. I use my planner to stay organized, but I don't necessarily think of it as a productivity tool. Truthfully, I see it more as a scrapbook.

I'm a stay-at-home mom to a toddler, so I don't need a planner to function in the same way I did when I was working. You won't find meeting reminders or project due dates in here. And yet, as I flip through these pages, I see all the memories I've documented: books I read, silly things my son said, FaceTime dates with my best friends, places I spent too much money, and so much more. It's a record of how I'm crafting a life that I love. I've always been organized, but my Happy Planner has inspired me to record the details, celebrate the everyday, and live creatively.

You might be looking at this and thinking, "But who has time to do all that decorating in their planner?" And honestly, that's totally fair. I have no idea if I'll do this forever. But I love that I'm doing it now – that I'm using some of my free time to chronicle my daily life. I hope I stick with the concept of writing about my days, even if the method changes, for the rest of my life. My crappy memory needs this kind of keepsake!

Okay, that's all for Part One of my Classic. I focused on how I'm using it to record my daily life, but there's obviously a huge component missing: books and blogging! If you're wondering how that fits in, be sure to check back tomorrow. I'm excited to show you what I've created for myself. Things are about to get even nerdier...

What type of planner do you use? Do your journal or scrapbook?

Check back tomorrow for all things blogging and bookish!