Plan with Me: The Happy Planner

I have evolved a lot over the past year, but despite all the growth I’ve found, one thing that will remain the same is my love of planning.

I am a planner. Sometimes I get obsessive about my need to control and plan, but at heart, my passion is pure. Though we are in modern times with modern technologies, I like to plan using pen and paper. How many times have you made a calendar event on your phone only to realize it was for the wrong date or time? Pen and paper fails only when you fail.

For me, it’s thrilling for me to make To-Do Lists with Post-It notes and crumple up each one as I complete a task. Crossing off each day with a thin smooth line is so soothing. Knowing what my days, weeks, and months look like by just turning a page to the date is a euphoria that never gets old.

A few years ago, I discovered a crafting phenomenon unlike anything I’d seen before. After going to a big-name craft retailer whose name will not be mentioned for various reasons including them not needing free promo, but also one of their locations racially profiling me (another story for another day), I stumbled upon an aisle of beautifully bound planners and planning accessories I didn’t even realize I needed. Though there were many planners to choose from, I decided on the Happy Planner® by me and my big ideas. Those who are familiar with crafting brands know they’re OG’s in the craft community.

I was an early adopter to the Happy Planner lifestyle and true to their brand vision, it really is the perfect combo of creativity and organization. I’m no artist so this is the perfect way for me to be creative in a nontraditional way. I am on my third planner and I couldn’t be more excited. Without further ado, I introduce to you a walkthrough of my 2019 Classic Happy Planner® – Life is a Party.

Picking your Happy Planner isn’t as easy as just grabbing the cutest cover and going about your day. You can’t judge a book or a planner by its cover. However, it is a good place to start. The Happy Planner comes in three sizes and about a dozen different layout styles. For sizes, there’s the mini, classic, and big happy planner. I prefer the classic size. I find the minis to be too small and the layout uninspiring. Every year I consider getting the big planner but I’m just not that busy to fill up that much space.

I picked the Life is a Party Classic Planner because the cover was so colorful and inviting. But what was inside is what sold me. Each page of the planner is a literal celebration of life, color, and everything that’s happy in life.

Each month leads with a fun and festive gold foil month and sprinkles! There’s space for a “Top 3” which I will return to at the end of each month and recap my top 3 “whatevers“. There’s also a notes section which I find particularly helpful to keep longterm notes.

Each month also features a grid layout where you can get a quick outlook on your whole month. Similar to the month summary pages, the grid page also features top events and notes. I use this one to add events or milestones I already know will happen.

The highlight of this planner (and there are many) is the “Holiday Bonus”. I don’t know that there’s an official name to what this feature is in the planner, but every month includes 6-7 random holidays. Days like “National Frozen Yogurt Day”, or “National Cuddling Day”, or “National High Five Day” keep me excited to celebrate totally useless holidays.

Each month has laminated tabs to make flipping through easier. The cover is also a sturdy laminate and ususally makes it through the most of the year before it really starts to wear.

The layout for the Classic Happy Planner’s varies. This year introduced a new lined vertical layout which is a nice format in comparison to the 3 box grid they feature in others. It allows me to compartmentalize my days a little better and also is a space saver as I tend to write big.

The magic of the Happy Planner (beyond all the cute little details that are standard in each planner) is the stickers. There are stickers for EVERYTHING. Fitness stickers, To-Do stickers. Motivational stickers. Holiday stickers. Stickers to stick on other stickers.

You can also buy accessories for your planner. My first year I found a pack of pocket folders on clearance and have saved them since. This folder is a perfect match for my planner this year!

As fun as planners may be, they really are an incredible part of my daily routine. I find that my planner reduces my anxiety and stress knowing that I can keep all my important information in one space. I don’t leave the house without my cellphone or my planer. Owning a Happy Planner has been one of the most exciting and worthwhile creative ventures I’ve started.

How do you stay organized? What planners or apps do you use to stay balanced? Let me know in the comments below.