Get Organized: Planner Essentials

One of my favorite things (and Wendy’s favorite thing to tease me about) is my planner. I’ve always been a paper planner person. I’ve tried over and over again to make the move to a digital organizer and I just can’t do it. I think it’s a combination of the fact that I really like writing things down on paper, plus reminders on my phone just get lost in all of the rest of the noise/messaging/reminders.

I really love my Erin Condren planner, like more than one should love a pile of paper bound together. Yes, they’re pricey and there are definitely hundreds of other options available for a fraction of the price. The thing that really sold me on an Erin Condren once and for all is the sticker availability. Since EC is kind of the gold standard in planners, most of the sticker shops make their stickers specifically to fit within the boxes in an EC planner. The second thing that sold me on an Erin Condren was a birthday gift card from Wendy, also known around here as “Sticker Wendy” just to differentiate her from “Video Wendy.”

So, step one. Get a planner. If you want to start small, go to Target and there are tons of adorable options under $15. There are also a lot of fancy planners available. Like I said, I love my Erin Condren.

Step Two: Pens. Planner people love their pens. I’m a fan of Sharpie Pens and Staedtler Fine Liners for writing on planner pages. If you’re going to be ordering stickers you’ll need separate pens for writing on those. Both UltraFine and ExtraFine Sharpies will work.

Step Three: Stickers. This is a completely optional step, but ultimately one that I love. My very favorite sticker shop is Libbie & Co. Her stickers are high quality, reposition-able, they ship quickly, and she always has everything in-stock. Some of the popular sticker shops sell out quickly – within hours of posting new items – and while sometimes that sort of mania is fun, usually I just want to order stickers for the next month and move on. There is a brand new FB group for Lillie Henry and I alternate between being shocked by the stickers these ladies own and being completely jealous of their collections.

I also think Lillie Henry sells adorable stickers, but her shop is one that is often out of stock. She maintains a FB page for notifications of restocks and new items and for holiday items I’ll order from her if I have plenty of lead time. Her shipping is usually 2-3 weeks, so buyer beware on that one. I ordered my Christmas stickers from her on Halloween.

You can also get stickers in stores. I hear that Michael’s has a good collection of planner stickers, although I’ve never seen them in person.

Step Four: Other embellishments. Some people like to decorate with washi tape. Others use post-it flags. A lot of these things are often available in the Dollar Spot at Target, the dollar store, and a million other places.

Talk to me – are you a planner person? Electronic or paper? Stickers?? Join me in the madness.

Amazon and Erin Condren links are affiliate. By using my Erin Condren link you’ll get $10 off your first order (if you’re a new customer.)