My July 2020 Planner Set Up

The number one question I get asked from friends, family, acquaintances, Instagram followers, and more is: what planner do you use?

We’re all searching for that perfect planner, aren’t we? Planners are highly personal, incredibly tactile objects. If you’re someone who uses a planner, then you know what I’m talking about when I say: a calendar simply isn’t the same thing as a planner. It’s just not!

Part of the reason why I use planners is because I sometimes just need space to write down what is on my brain—it helps me to remember and cement that information. Plus, seeing it written in my own handwriting is often easier for me to recall and connect with.

It’s hard to talk about planners without making exact recommendations: what works for me simply might not work for you! However, I do find people love looking at planners and learning why I (or anyone!) has chosen that planner. So, without further ado, this is my planner set up for July 2020.

Planner 1: My Bullet Journal

I use my bullet journal primarily as a brain dump and a daily journal. I make a few monthly lists—tasks, my playlist, a list of books I’ve read, and highlights—but then after that, I try to fit about 5-6 days on every two pages for my morning journal session. I have been doing one list from the original 52 Lists every single day since June 1—I’m almost done with that book, then I’ll move on to 52 Lists for Calm. I find this a great way to journal every day without the pressure of knowing what to write. Usually once I’m done with my list, I’ll write a few things on my plate for the day or that I’m thinking about.

This journal originally started as a work journal; I kept work journals at my old agency where I kept track of tasks and notes. I have probably 10+ journals full from over 5 years. This was a brand new journal then when I got laid off—it’s funny to see those first few pages of business-as-usual notes that turned into journaling and keeping track of phone numbers for lawyers and more.

I almost thought about just retiring it: transitioning it to a journal felt very weird and it took me a long time. However, I don’t like being wasteful with journals—so I just keep it moving and those first 25 pages remain as a testament to a very weird time in my life.

This month’s theme was a 70s-ish flower theme. Nothing fancy—just the basics. I really liked it though. For a full flip through, you can check out my Instagram!

Planner 2: My Habit Tracker

This planner is the Blue Sky Habit Tracker; you can find a very similar one here, but mine was not that expensive! I really like this layout because it involves a monthly page to write down your goals, pick your habits to track, and write. I typically use this for non-work things, like reminding myself to drink water or other habits I’m working on building. I haven’t filled out my July pages quite yet (just a little behind!), but this is always one of my favorite things to do at the beginning of each month: pick my habits, write what worked from last month and what didn’t, and what I want to focus on.

This month, I want to intermittent fast every day through the end of the month—so that will be on the list. (Before anyone asks, I use IF to help with my migraines!) I haven’t decided on my other goals quite yet, but that will come.

I also use these pages to write out my household tasks and to write notes for myself, as well as things I want to remember—like quotes or ideas I have for blog posts in the future! At the end of the week, I usually condense these pages into a notebook or word doc to help me keep track of all my ideas and brain dumps.

Planner #3: My Daily Schedule Notepad

I get soooo many questions about this notepad. So, here are the details; this is the Lamare Embark Weekly Notepad. I use this for planning each day and keeping track of tasks I need to do on-the-fly. Things like texts from clients saying “can you do xyz really quick?” I’ll jot that down and finish what I’m doing, then take it on. I also try to map out my week here: I’ll look at my Asana task list and transfer things to the day I want to get them done so I have a plan in place. It helps me to be able to glance at my week and know when I have meetings, deadlines, and specific tasks planned.

I don’t really use the habit tracker on this notepad—I tend to use that area to doodle! But I do list my top 3 moments during the week; when something good happens, I try to write it down immediately so I don’t forget! I use the to do section for quick notes as well.

Voila! My planner set up for the week. It’s a fairly simple set up, as I have been trying to use my Asana as project management—rather than trying to have one handwritten to do list! This has been a huge help in managing my clients more effectively—plus it’s tied to the tool I use for recording my time for clients, so that works out perfectly.

How do you use your planners?

Do You Need a Habit Tracker?

It feels like habit trackers are everywhere.

Back when I first started bullet journaling, I had never seen a habit tracker before. Now, they’re everywhere. Doodle in the edge of bujo layouts, printed in planners, on apps you can download on your phone.

Search for habit trackers on Google and you get thousands of results.

There are free printables and planners, cheap habit tracker planners you can buy in Walmart (I have one!) and so many more.

Habit trackers are everywhere.

But do you need one? How effective are they really? Let’s break it down.

What is a habit tracker?

The idea of habit trackers is this: you have a goal —> you break that goal down into month-by-month steps —> you set daily habits that contribute to those monthly goals (which add up to your larger goal).

Here’s an example. You want to reduce your resting heart rate over the next year. You set month-by-month goals of increasing your average number of steps (being more active) and using your standing desk more. Here are a few habits you might track:

• Drinking enough water

• Taking breaks to walk around

• Doing short workouts

Other examples might be self-care focused, like taking your medication everyday, doing de-stress rituals, and making time for yourself.

You can use all kinds of habit trackers. As I mentioned, there are tons out there! You can buy habit tracker planners, draw them yourself in your bullet journal or existing planner, and even download apps. There are lots of ways to make habit trackers a part of your life and daily routine. But here’s the question: do they really do anything?

Do habit trackers really help?

It took me a long time to come around on habit trackers. I really didn’t like them to start with. I found them a little fussy and they stressed me out; if I wasn’t able to check those boxes (and for my loftier goals, sometimes it just wasn’t possible!) I found myself getting upset.

However, I think there are ways to make habit trackers work for you. Not everyone is going to want to meet the same habits. I don’t want to drink 8 bottles of water a day (I know, I know, but also, that’s so much water), nor do I want to exercise everyday. There are things i want to do everyday, like make my bed, wipe down the counters in my kitchen, and write for 20 minutes. So I track those habits, because they mean something to me and by using a habit tracker, I’m able to see just how good my routine is getting.

The question is: are habit trackers right for you?

Here are a few things to consider:

• Use a habit tracker that works for you. My husband uses an app on his phone to remind himself to take breaks every 2 hours while he works, drink enough water, and take his medication. I use a habit tracker planner to help me keep control of my house to do list and daily habits. Different methods, same idea.

• Pick habits that mean something to you. If you browse bujo layouts everywhere, you’ll see a ton of habit trackers that track water intake, sleep… you get the drill. Sometimes, I find bullet journaling to be a little esoteric; the fancy charts that track sleep and mood and habits… it’s a little overwhelming and while I love data, I don’t necessarily want to quantify every aspect of my life into a chart. So my advice is: pick habits that are meaningful to you and as many (or as few) of them as you want.

• Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed. If you find tracking your habits makes you stressed out or super irritable—then it’s not for you! Don’t put it in your bujo, return the planner (or give it to a friend), delete the app, whatever. If it doesn’t work for you, it doesn’t work for you and that’s ok.

Do you use a habit tracker? Do you like it? Let me know in the comments!

5 Steps for Thanksgiving Prep (+ Free Checklists!)

Preparing for Thanksgiving, whether you are hosting yourself, getting ready to travel to family, or just doing a Friendsgiving, always feels like a huge task. Thanksgiving is a big deal for a lot of people. As much as I love Christmas, I hold a special place in my heart for Thanksgiving—and everything that comes with it. I love Thanksgiving food; I love picking Thanksgiving outfits; and I love getting to spend time with family members I don’t get to see as often as I like.

That being said, Thanksgiving can be super stressful. If you’re traveling, you have a million and 1 things to remember; add in kids and it becomes easily 5 million and 10 things to remember. If you run your own business, if you are working full time, if you’re pregnant… stress on top of stress on top of possible toxic family relationships that can leave us exhausted and needing TLC… instead of refreshed.

This year, I want you to promise me that you will make sure to treat yourself with kindness and love at Thanksgiving. It can be a time of stress for lots of people, along with a disruption in routine. If you’re feeling low, make sure to treat yourself to some self-care and self-soothing activities so you can be rested and recharged.

1. Stock up on supplies in advance

Know you’re going to need like 5 bags of potatoes for your world famous mashed potatoes? Buy them now! Or buy 1 bag per week until you’ve got enough.

Know you’re going to need special activities for your toddler for a flight? Buy them now!

Get what you know you’ll need in advance, before it can 1) sell out or 2) stress you out. The closer we get to Thanksgiving, the more hectic the grocery store will be. I always do my best to avoid grocery stores the week of Thanksgiving; if I urgently need something, I try to replace it with something I do have and I try to have everything I’ll need plenty in advance.

Make a big list of everything you might need and go get it this weekend or during next week.

2. Make a list (and check it twice)

To repeat: make a list. I’ve included at the bottom of this post a PDF of my Thanksgiving checklists I made for myself! I also included some self-care and self-soothing checklists, as well as customizable options if you want to write in your own ideas. Make your lists, keep them close, and find comfort in knowing that, no matter how stressful this season is, you have options to make yourself feel better and reduce that stress.

Here’s a sneak peak of one of these lists:

3. Have self-care in place

For many people, Thanksgiving can bring up reminders of past behaviors that aren’t healthy or happy. Many of us have good Thanksgiving memories, but for me personally, Thanksgiving can be triggering for some of my more negative body-focused behaviors, such as restricting or working out excessively. If this is something you struggle with, make sure you have self-care routines in place to stay healthy. And remember: you can always remove yourself from a situation that makes you feel uncomfortable.

Here are a few suggestions for Thanksgiving self-care:

• Make sure to have your medication if you are traveling & take it according to your prescription.

• Ask a few friends to be on standby if you need someone to talk to. You can also ask your therapist if they have a phone number you can call if you need extra help or if you can email or text them.

• You don’t have to venture into your hometown and respond to every person you remember from your past. It’s ok to walk away.

• Practice breathing exercises in advance to calm your heart rate and help yourself stay calm in situations that might trigger you.

4. Add self-soothing to your routine

Self-soothing is a part of self-care. Sometimes, the media mistakes self-soothing routines as self-care, but the truth is, self-care often is unpleasant and doesn’t feel good. Self-care is going to therapy (which can be emotionally exhausting), whereas self-soothing is a behavior you do afterwards to feel better, like journaling, listening to music, or taking a bath.

As Thanksgiving approaches, if you struggle with the season, make sure to not just have your self-care routine in place (for both home and travel), but self-soothing techniques. Here are a few suggestions:

• If you’re traveling, take along a book you love to read and make sure you have music or podcasts that make you feel good to listen to.

• Have plenty of self-soothing supplies on hand like bubble bath, bath bombs, and scented lotion.

• Give yourself time to self-sooth as part of each day of the holiday. Taking 10-15 minutes every evening to do something to sooth yourself will make a huge difference.

• Download a sound machine app on your phone for soothing sounds to help you sleep or play while you journal, meditate, or practice breathing exercises.

5. Remember that perfection isn’t necessary

No holiday, no day, will ever be perfect. I think we all know that. If you forget a critical part of the meal, no one is going to really care that much. Just say, “oops, I forgot!” It’s not the end of the world. It’s easier to say that than to live it, I totally get it. That’s why I recommend practicing some deep breathing exercises beforehand.

Here’s a breathing exercise I like:

• Breathe in and imagine you are filling a pitcher at your sink. Let it fill all the way to the top.

• Breathe out and imagine you are pouring the pitcher of water down the drain. Pour it all the way out.

That one is my favorite because I like to imagine the sound of the water. You can also find lots of great apps on your smartphone that help with breathing and meditation.

Do you feel ready for Thanksgiving? I’m getting excited, but also nervous. If you’re feeling like me, I hope you grab these free checklists—I know I’m already using mine to get ready!

Let's Get Organized this Holiday Season (Without Shopping)

I love being organized. I don't often consider myself the most organized person around, but when other people see my work areas, they always seem impressed by the order of it all. Mainly, I just like to have a place for everything so even if I let things go, I can quickly clean everything up. However, since Forrest was born, my work areas have fallen into a little bit of a disarray. I've shown up early to appointments and then late to others. Generally, I only know about half of what is going on at any time. I need to get my stuff back in gear and get organized again. I've been looking through Pinterest for some ideas and these are my favorites. 

1. Use this Moleskine hack. 

Almost everyone has a spare notebook lying around. If you've ever expressed any interest in writing, surely someone (well meaning!) has bought you a notebook. Maybe it's a Moleskine, but it doesn't have to be. I love turning Moleskines into planners, either with month calendars or weeks. They really are the perfect size for it. You can create any kind of planner you want: a bullet journal, a weekly planner, or just a book of lists. Whatever. Use it to plan your goals, set up a timeline for the New Year, or create a budget for yourself. The options are endless. 

2. Pick a Planner.

Getting a new planner doesn't always mean buying something. Lots of bloggers dedicated to planners and organization make planner packs for readers that you can download and print for free. How awesome is that!? I like this one linked above, but there are tons on Pinterest. You just need a binder of your choice, a printer, and some paper. 

3. Create a "Family Planner." 

This is something I've been meaning to do for ages. A Family Planner organizes cleaning lists, warranty information, timelines, and more for your family and more. If you have kids, you can include a calendar and school information. Again, there are tons of free templates for Family Planners out there. This is first on my list for holiday organization!

4. Make it cute. 

As with anything, I think the more personalized you make it, the more you're likely to keep using it. I use a Happy Planner to organize dates, blog posts, and my journal entries these days and I love taking 10-15 minutes every week to decorate the next week. It's just relaxing! Check out my Paper & Planners board on Pinterest for some of my favorite free, printable sticker pages for planners, scrapbooks, and more. 

How to Make a Baby Planner

For months, I had a spare Filofax cover floating around. I ordered it last year and promptly realized that it was too small for my handwriting and I didn't like any of the available Filofax calendars. (I know, I know, I'm picky.) I dismantled it and waited to use it for something useful. I follow a lot of #plannergirls on Instagram, which has given me lots of ideas for how to use spare planner covers and more. (Although, I don't see myself scrapbooking my planners so intricately anytime soon, although I love looking at the creations of others!) After I got pregnant, I knew that it would be a great idea to make a planner for my pregnancy and the baby. 

I'd looked through Pinterest trying to find a good tutorial or at least rundown of how another mom made a baby planner... but I couldn't find anything quite like I wanted. I decided to rough it and ended up making 5 tabs for myself: Basics (for to do lists, contact information, etc.), Hospital, Baby, Post-Partum, and Notes & Questions. 

I used a set of tabs that came with my original Filofax diary to trace onto some scrapbooking paper. After cutting them out, I used a hand punch to punch them for the Filofax cover. I used some stickers from a Simple Stories Baby Boy set to make the tabs, although they look a little wonky on the first one (it was my first try, what can I say?). 

From there, I separated each tab into some separate sections.

Basics includes a page of basic information about Danny & I (our birthdates), my doctor, my hospital of choice, and potential emergency contacts (my mom, Danny's parents). Then, I have sections for To Do lists, both pre-baby and post-baby. The basics section is basically a place for me to jot down things I need to remember to do or write a list of things Forrest really, actually still needs (a changing table pad, a carseat, a stroller) without having a million post-it notes floating around my house. 

Hospital has further information about my choice of hospital (including any notes I write down from my hospital tours, since my doctor delivers are two totally different area hospitals), as well as my birth plan, a packing list, and notes for Danny. Basically, I wanted to make sure that I have all my medical information and wishes written down in one place because, while I will remember them, Danny may not. 

Baby has a section for first stats, medical information, and any other notes I might need to write down and keep track of. This section also has a feeding log (to keep track of feeding times and breastfeeding concerns), as well as a diaper log. (If you're wondering why the "Name" section of Baby Stats is blank, it's because there is always the minute possibility that the baby will be a girl and therefore, not named Forrest. Gender determination is still sometimes incorrect.) 

Post-partum is a pending section: mostly, I'll use it for notes from the doctors, any instructions I might receive, and questions I might have. 

Notes & Questions is my most-used section right now! Whenever I think of a question for my doctor, I write it down here. Whenever I notice Forrest kicking more than usual, I write it down (as well as anything that preceded it, such as drinking a soda or eating ice cream). It's basically where I record anything that might be important for my upcoming appointments. 

If I hadn't had this Filofax lying around, I probably would have used a plain notebook (with dividers) to make a working baby notebook, but I'm glad I decided to repurpose a Filofax. It's the perfect size to carry around and I don't have to worry about buying diary refills for it... I can just cut down notebook paper or other loose leaf paper to use in it. I've found a lot of ways to keep myself organized lately, and this is just another way that I keep my memory in check.