Why I Am a Happy Planner Girl

I get so excited when the new year draws close because I get to go out shopping for one of my favorite things –

a new planner!

I’ve always been a planner girl. I love writing. By writing, I mean pen and paper! Old school!

There’s just a certain feeling that comes with making a list and then crossing out what you’ve accomplished. You don’t get that same feeling on an electronic device. I feel such a sense of accomplishment when I can cross stuff out. I mean, let’s be honest, I am not above writing down a task I’ve already completed, just to cross it off!!

My Love for Making Lists

My love for lists comes from my dad. He made a list every single day. “You can’t forget it if it’s on your list.” That’s what he always says.

One of my jobs when I worked with him, was taking his mostly crossed off lists and turning them into new lists. I loved it! To this day, he and I both make lists for tasks we need to complete. I can’t begin to tell you what a huge difference it makes in my productivity when I have a list in hand.

For years I’ve tried to get Ryan on board the whole list-making process. He tries, for the most part. Problem is, he ends up losing his list! 😉

But anyway, I digress, this post is about planners!

The Beginning of My Planner Obsession

When we lived in Honduras, my brother would get me a new planner every year for Christmas, along with a few cool pens and highlighters. It was my favorite gift every year!

Now, I’ve never owned a fancy planner, never anything more than your regular small 12-month calendar planner from Target or Office Max. But I always have to have extra stuff to go along with the planner. Folders for receipts, notepads for lists, notebooks for ideas and notes, and so on.

So this year, I decided I wanted something more comprehensive. I wanted something that was easy to use, had everything I needed in one place, and of course, was pretty!

I think I should also mention I went a couple of years of my adult life without a planner in an attempt to use an electronic calendar/reminder system but it didn’t go so well. It’s just not for me.

My Search For A Planner Begins

So I started my search for a planner and boy have I been missing out!

There are so many options out there, and so many beautiful planners and accessories! I can’t believe I’ve been using a simple little planner all these years!

A friend had strongly recommended I look into an Erin Condren planner which is the one she uses and loves. I saw hers and of course, loved it. I did research on it, and it seems everyone who uses it loves it as well.

Honestly, though, I just can’t bring myself to spend that kind of money on a planner. I mean it has everything I want, but I just didn’t want to spend over $100 to get the planner exactly how I wanted it.

I Chose The Happy Planner

So when I came across The Happy Planner from Me and My Big Ideas, I was thrilled!

This planner is beautiful, gets really great reviews, and has everything I need and want for a really reasonable price. After watching countless videos and reading multiple reviews, I was convinced that The Happy Planner was for me!

Disc Binding System

The biggest difference I see between Erin Condren and The Happy Planner is the binding. The Erin Condren uses spiral binding and The Happy Planner uses a disc system.

Unboxing The Happy Planner

My Happy Planner came in a bundle box and I got it for a great price. I decided to get the Big Happy Planner since I will mostly be using it at home. They do also have a regular-sized one, as well as a mini.

My bundle box came with all sorts of goodies. It comes with the planner itself, several sticker sheets, a pen, 12 decorative dividers, sticky notes, and 1 pocket folder.

They have different themes you can choose from. I chose this one because of the beautiful aqua cover, and of course because it says “Be Happy”.

See me unbox my new Happy Planner:

Tons of Cute Accessories

There are all sorts of accessories to go along with it too. If you happen to get bored in a few months and want to switch things up, there are all sorts of extra covers available. There are even some very nice looking leather covers. As for my cover, I thought it was perfect for One Happy Housewife 😉

I did happen to get a couple of accessories to go along with it. I got extra paper for note-taking, some extra pocket folders, and some washi tape just for kicks 🙂  $46 is what I paid for everything! You can’t beat that.

The Monthly View

I love the big squares in the monthly view, plenty of space to write and decorate!

Overview of Goals, Tasks, and Important Dates

This page is one of my favorite features. It comes before every month, and it’s kind of an overview of your goals and tasks for the month. It also has a nifty spot for birthdays.

Colorful & Inspiring Dividers

The inside dividers are so colorful and most of them come with inspirational quotes.

There’s even have a special hole puncher you can purchase so you can create your own pages to put into your planner. The cool disc system allows you to take pages out easily and just as easily put them back in.

Setting Up My Happy Planner

I’ve set up and started using my Happy Planner and I just love it!

All the extra goodies that are available for my Happy Planner make setting it up so much fun. I mentioned some of the extras that I’ve gotten above. While setting up my planner, I got a few more. Some of the fun stuff that I’ve gotten include:

More Washi Tape

It’s so much fun decorating my planner with this stuff. So much so that the first set of Washi tape that I got with my planner kit just wasn’t enough. I mean just look at some of the pretty designs that are available. How could I resist? I had to get more Washi tape! Can you blame me?

A Washi Tape Dispenser

More washi tape meant I had to have a place to store it! So I got a Washi tape dispenser. It’s perfect! They come 3 to a pack. The only problem is I haven’t filled them up yet. So now, I’ve gotta get some more Washi tape!

Lots of Stickers

There are tons of stickers available to help you deck out your planner. I got the Mom Life Pack, the Productivity Pack, the Alphabet Pack, and a Seasonal Pack.

See what I’ve done so far and the extra goodies that I’ve gotten in this quick video I put together for you.

Well, if you’re trying to decide on which planner to get, I hope I helped make your decision a little bit easier. Please, leave a comment below and let me know what your favorite planner is.