Scheduling time to try out recipes.

The Recipe Filofax in my A5 Lilac Original has made an appearance this year as I am determined to make every recipe I've collected from magazines, family and friends. The Thai curry and Cheesy Leek and Bacon Lasagne have been eaten and this week I've made ...

... the Berry Chocolate Traybake which was very more-ish.

Other recipes have been around in drawers for ages and I've just stuck them on to a page as they were.

At the beginning of the Filofax are some contents pages - meals, pies, cakes, puddings ete.

There's no point in collecting recipes it I don't try them out and so I'm scheduling them regularly. If I don't like one then I'll take out the page.

Crunchy Coleslaw and Veggie Pasta next.

Happy planning.

Making pages for my Filofax

I thought it would be a great idea to make some pages and dividers for my duck egg blue Original using the contents of this Recipe note book.

The pages are just ruled ...

and the dividers are a plain, pale blue.

Alas, the blues do not match.

In fact they are no where near. The Filofax duck egg looks more of a greeny blue than a pale blue.

Ah well, I shall have to put my thinking cap on and try again.

Happy planning

Be prepared

Advanced Planning

I have chosen my Personal Pear Original for my 2017 everyday planner. It's bright, fresh and colourful to welcome a new year.

Already it has in my Monthly dividers ...

with the WO2P that came with it. Hating waste I am going to use these pages even though I'd prefer something different.

To satisfy this desire I'm still trying to come up with 'different' simple designs for a weekly page and storing these in my Personal Black Original. So now I have ...

Very Advanced Planning ...

which may or may not be used for 2018!

Continuing my 'hate waste' habit I've recycled another ear-ring as my dingle-dangle for the Pear.

I'll get back to 2016 now as the best part of the year is yet to come.

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

My Filofax Collection

My planner collection is growing and I need to make sure that I am getting optimum use out of all my Filofaxes. I love collecting the different styles and colours and for variety I swap and change around with their contents as my planning and organising evolves. No one system stays the same for long as I find my way to planning efficiency. Life changes and so plans change - using my Filofaxes keeps my ideas fresh and more creative. 

Here is a list of all my planners and their current uses. There is only one that lies empty at the moment and that is because I need to match its colour with its use - the fluro-pink is so bright and cheerful and is crying out for fun and frivolity to be stored inside. Perhaps it could be a party planner - but we don't have parties here. Maybe it could be a fashion planner but I'm afraid I'm not into fashion, just wearing what I want to wear and not what fashion houses dictate. A Bucket list planner could be a good idea mapping out plans to put my wish lists into action - but I don't have a bucket list as I am content with what I have. I'll just have to keep thinking. Meanwhile here is my list as it stands at the moment.

1. Red Piazza personal

Christmas planner

2. Lime Piazza personal

Monthly, weekly insert storage from 2016

3. Black Finsbury A4

Home binder

4. Fuchsia Original A5

Ebay binder

5. Lilac Piazza personal

Monthly insert storage from 2015

6. Red Pennybridge pocket

Wallet and shopping planner

7. Ochre Malden personal

Daily diary

8. Dark Aqua Original A5

Hobbies binder

9. Ochre Malden pocket

Bullet Journal / Brain Dump

10. Ochre Malden mini

Weight loss recorder

11. Lavender Original A5

Recipe binder

12. Fluro-pink Original A5

Just there to be admired at the moment :)

13. Pear Original personal

2017 Diary for forward planning

14. Blue Active personal

Travel and Holiday planner, journal and diary

15. Burgundy Classic Cross personal

Paper storage

My main 'families' are the Maldens and the Originals. The Maldens to me are the workhorses that take handling in their stride, are comforting to touch and satisfying to use. The Originals are exciting and colourful and they to me are the eye candy of my planning empire being so simply stylish.

Happy Planning

PS I may use my Fluro-pink as a project planner. Now that could be exciting and fun!

Filofax Finking Friday 2

My new to me A5 lilac Original arrived and joined the family. I've made it a cover but stilI wonder how I'll use it. Perhaps I'll just look at it first.

There's lots of different ways of using a Filofax.

Hobbies file
Health and fitness
Home Binder
Travel Journal
Journal
Gardening
Buying and Selling
Work
Family
Blogging and Vlogging
Finances
Pets
Habits
Goals
Project
Recipes
Memories
Craftwork
Garage
Inventory

I'm sure I can think of more.

Now how I can utilise the diary pages?

Colours of my Filofax collection

I've just noticed that my Staples box, which contains my Filofax bits and pieces, has colours in the pattern that match the colours of my Filofaxes.

Personal Red Piazza

Personal Citrus Green Piazza

Personal Lilac Piazza

A5 Fuchsia Original

Personal Burgundy Classic Cross

Pocket Tan Classic Cross

Mini Raspberry Finsbury

Pocket Red Pennybridge

They even match the colours of the crochet blanket that I'm working on.

My Kindle Fire cover also matches
(all right - it's not a Filofax!)

My A5 Dark Aqua Original even matches the newest stripe - just.

They'll probably match my Washi tape too!

Happy Planning.

Filofax system

At the moment the following system is working for me. Of course, systems change all the time due to circumstance, re-organisation and whim!

1. Brain Dump

This Filofax Pocket Malden is a 'take around with me in the home' place to put down everything that occurs to me - facts, ideas, things to do, thoughts. This Bullet Journal way of working has proved to work in motivating me to 'Get Things Done'.

2. From here I filter relevant details to my -

a. ABC list and information black organiser

b. Filofax Personal Malden Daily Planner and Diary

c. 'Out and about' Filofax Mini Finsbury wallet

d. Hobby organisers - Filofax A5 originals

e. Home Binder - Filofax A4 Finsbury

3. Then comes the action. The facts are noted and acted upon if necessary. e.g. looking up the date of St. George's Day and digesting the information.

The ideas are added to the Project List if necessary and further broken down for the Master To Do list. 

The To Dos are put in the daily diary so they will get done.

The thoughts are pondered upon and may be put into action or dismissed.

So far, so good.

Happy Planning.