Black and white Filofax planning

It's plain to see in black and white. Here's the black - a new to me patent black Original Filofax,

which I didn't need, of course, but which called out to me to join my other Originals. What could I do but offer it a new home. It took a while to settle in but has now found its niche as holder of experimental pages. I was really impressed with the Oddslikeme site and decided to try some 'alternative' layouts for weekly spreads and designs. Not being much of an artist I tried my hand at Zentangles which are supposedly easy to do! Not that easy with a rather thick Sharpie though. My paper was cut from a large art paper book left here when DD moved out. It's rather thick and lovely and perfect for writing and drawing. My first attempt was 'not bad' so I had another go.

Not bad again. The opposite page is a very simple layout of a monthly page. I want to keep each page simple and clean and just black and white to complement the black Filofax.

Getting rather wobbly here. The lined pages are card from my Recipe file.

Fourth attempt was 'poor' but acceptable. My Sharpie is too thick and I'm too slapdash. 

All is not lost, though, as I found a colouring book at Poundland which saves me an enormous amount to effort and offsets my 'alternative' weekly spreads.

My colouring book pages can be put into play as 'To Do' lists.

Happy Planning

FFF 9

Can't tear it off, I'll have to use the scissors. What excitement!

Careful now, no scissors - just rip and pull. Don't want to damage my new to me Filofax.

Oh yes I smell the leather. Inhale and smile. 

Neat ring protector.

We approve.

Happy Planning

Keep it simple planning - part 2

What I do need to do

1. Use my monthly dividers as a front picture at the beginning of the planner. This will utilise the dividers and also mark my monthly page.

2. Make better use of the space for each day on my WO2P. My logging of spending can take up less space and I can devise a system on the page to make a running total of spends each week. It is not beyond my wit!

3. Neaten up and make my pages look smart. I shall experiment.

4. Introduce some long term goals and start putting them into action. I'm just drifting along only doing what is necessary and not particularly challenging myself at the moment. It's time to get out of a rut. I can make an initial start with this list!

5. Tidy up my spare bed office desk.

Happy planning

Keep it simple planning - part 1

What I don't need to do

1. Write out a cleaning schedule. I've been there and done that and I now know that I've got the T-shirt because the schedule I started and refined now works for me and I hardly ever have to write routine cleaning tasks down as I know them. The initial logging of the To Dos has been a success and now it can cease.

2. Put month dividers at the beginning of each month. They are not needed and just take up space. I am currently using Filofax WO2P. There are not many pages to make up the year and so finding any particular date is easy. The Today marker marks where I am. I can put the current month near the front and I there's not much shuffling of pages to find where I want to be.

3. Log my spending on a separate sheet. I'm sure I can incorporate it on the daily sections. My logging and tracking should be done on my weekly pages so I have only one piece of paper to work with.

4. Include any pages which are not conducive to everyday planning and organising. I seem to have accumulated dividers, plastic envelopes, contact pages and spare paper. They will have to go elsewhere.

5. Write in different coloured inks as I invariably lose my pens amongst the debris on my bed working areas on my office desk.

Happy planning

FFF 8

Will a personal Ranger Filofax hold more coins than a Pennybridge Filofax? The zipped pockets in Maldens do not hold very many coins and tend to make the organiser too bulky. A zipped see through envelope for coins is too fiddly to use plus the coins have to be shaken flat before closing.

Perhaps I should just carry notes. But where to put change?

Perhaps I should just use my debit card and not carry money.

Perhaps I should just use an ordinary purse.

I think I'd like Filofax to make zipped organisers with a shoulder strap, a purse on the outside plus a handy place on the shoulder strap for a mobile phone. There! Problems solved.

Happy planning

Hospital Filofax

A short (hopefully) hospital stay needs organisation and what better to turn to than my Travel Filofax.

Inside I've taken out my other pages and put in medical information, emergency contacts, hospital letters,

and information,

and a map of the hospital.

There are puzzles to do while I'm waiting for procedures,

plus a few crosswords.

I think I need a log of my stay. Here I'll put in observations, names of doctors and details of my visit.

The A-Z section of my Traveller's Filofax is staying put. I've added more contact details, consultant details and a packing list.

All set and not raring to go!

Happy planning

Planner Peace

My ochre Malden Filofax family is complete, the A5 arriving in the post yesterday.

From the smallest to the largest there is:-

1. Mini Malden, (sounds like a Disney character, doesn't it!), which is my wallet of the moment housing cards, money, bus timetables, shopping lists and blank note paper.

2. Pocket Malden which started out as a thought catcher, went over to being a wallet and mobile holder and is now back to being chief thought catcher, brain dump and in-box.

3. Personal Malden, which is my everyday planner and diary, containing To Do Lists, appointments, important dates and notes.

4. A5 Malden which is initially being carried around and caressed housing spare A5 papers but will one day contain something Very Important. (Don't know what yet but I'm working on it!)

Planner Peace has arrived - for a little while!

Happy planning

Filofax Finking Friday 7

I know it's only September but I think it's time to start visiting my Christmas Filofax, check my notes from last year, prepare pages for this year and start a To Do List and Action Plan for making or buying presents.

Happy Planning

Multiple Planner Syndrome

I think I have this condition which manifests itself in obsessive behaviours such as scouring the internet for different kinds, types or colours of planners and viewing, ad nauseum, You Tube videos of planner set-ups and reviews, not to mention membership of numerous planner Facebook groups.

Since the last list I made of my planners I have acquired a nude Original, a burnt orange Original and an A5 Malden is in the post. Do I need all these planners now? Probably not but I must think I do.

I've noticed on my Filofax adventures that quite a few others have developed this Syndrome. Mine focusses on the Malden family with a collection of different sizes in one colour plus Originals in different colours and 2 sizes. There is still scope for more additions but when does this syndrome become too much? When the shelf is filled? When the bookcase is filled? When time spent planning, organising, storing, binder making is more than the time spent doing and living life? When do we say, 

"Stop - no more!"?

My Christmas and Birthday presents have now been bought for at least the next 5 years. There is a ban on typing in 'Filofax' on Ebay and I shall try not to 'want' the next one so I'll just write a Wish List in my current planner and wish rather than spend more money.

Oh, I forgot to mention the Piazzas!

Happy Planning.

Filofax Finking Friday 6

Autumn planning

1. new projects

2. cosy evenings with my organisers and planners

3. family get togethers to arrange

4. autumn colours for pens, papers and dividers

5. more 'to do' inside the house

6. new recipes to try from my Recipe binder

7. more study in my Study binder

8. gifts and presents to make for family and friends (There's lots of lists!)

9. travel and visits to arrange

10. Wish List visited

Happy Planning

Time to leave home

I've only used my Pennybridge as a wallet up to now as I didn't want to run the risk of losing one of my Maldens but I decided that this little lad is ready for the big world outside and as well as being my Bullet Journal Thought Capturing Brain Dump he's now my wallet come mobile holder. My Pennybridge and 'phone case are now resting. This is my Pocket Malden and the dingle dangle I chose for this is a trolley coin for use when I shop at the supermarket.

I'm on a roll with the Autumn theme and this is a plastic pocket with a cutting from a magazine inside.

Opposite my flyleaf I keep coins in the zip pocket and my card in the slip pocket. It doesn't seem as secure as in a dedicated card slot so I may transfer it into a plastic pocket.

My ICE information is in the next plastic holder,

followed by my year at a glance.

Inside is my Bullet Journal Thought Capturing Brain Dump plus some handy bits of note paper for shopping lists or notes.

The back pocket holds my mobile 'phone and in the other pocket is a bus timetable.

My bus pass fits in one of the front pockets and other relevant bus times are slotted in behind.

I really must crochet a suitably autumnal coloured ring protector. This purple one came out of my mini and is not quite the right size.

Happy Planning