P is for a Perfect New Planner

Sometime last Spring, I first saw my friend Sam share her custom planner on her blog (Sam's Noggin). I have struggled to find a perfect calendar -- one that will organize everything I need without having waste space for things I don't need. I had a bit of planner envy when I saw hers, and I considered getting a customized planner created for me. I then wondered if I could make one myself.

I'm very proud to share the planner that I created for 2013. I love the collage of pictures I chose for the front cover.

I designed the calendar pages to consolidate all the information that is usually floating around the house on scrap pieces of paper, to help me focus on my priorities, and perhaps to keep me a bit more organized than I've been in the past.

Across the top of each spread, I have labeled columns for Appointments/Activities, Meal Plans, Notes, Bible Reading, Prayer Requests, and Grattitude. I also have space to record a Shopping (Grocery) List, Errands, and Miscellaneous To-Do's. My calendar has now become both a way to keep track of upcoming commitments and a way to journal my days.

In addition to keeping track of all of the everyday things, I added a section to the back of the planner to help organize my blogging. I'm already finding that it helps keep my stress level manageable to put blog commitments and ideas in a single place instead of relying on my memory.

I was surprised to find that creating my own planner was less difficult that I imagined. I also found that I enjoy playing around with the different tools available in Pages on my Mac. I underestimated the program when I thought it was just word-processing and chose to stick to the Microsoft Word that I've always used. I printed the pages on paper that is just slightly heavier than normal copy paper so that there isn't as much bleed through. I took it all to Office Depot and had the clear front cover, a heavy back cover, and a spiral binding added for only a few dollars.

I'm thrilled that I finished my planner in time to start the New Year. I'm also happy that Planner starts with "P" so that I can count this post as my contribution to Blogging Through the Alphabet this week.