Diaries Diaries Diaries!!!!!

[DuchessDumbarton]

I love this time of year.
A new blank paper diary is a thing of joy for me. Apps/Google don't cut it for me.
I need advice please.

I need a diary that

• serves for both home and work
• allows me to book in clients to appointment slots (about 4/day)
• keep track of house maintenance/meal planning/kids schools stuff/kids after-school activities etc etc etc.
• not spiral bound
• preferably A5 size
• I love a good pocket and pen loop in a diary

I like Moleskine, but it's probably too minimal for me. Maybe if I got a nice cover??
Posh (brand) diaries- I had one a few years ago. Nice quality paper, but maybe a bit too kitsch to be professional (diary will need to be out in front of clients).
Filofax? I haven't had one before....but I feel the binder rings would annoy me?

Anyone have a favourite that they can link to so I can drool?

All suggestions most gratefully etc etc

Thanks Soola ....and thanks for all the links (you enabler you).

ReeRi I think you were the main source of temptation....though realistically, I had set myself up by starting a thread asking for recommendations.
It was always going to be a thread full of temptations wasn't it?

I got this one in a lovely purple. It's just smashing.
2019 AND 2020 diary....so I'm stuck in already. Had it out and about, in my handbag, today.

Orange, I wish I was technically competent and could post pictures, but I'm not. Sorry. But I agree, I would rather drool over diaries than babies none of which are nearly as cute as my own.

Enjoy Duchess! My very first "grown up" diary was a purple leather Filofax, I was about 15, it was the 80's... how much I loved that Filofax....

Sounds like you made a good choice OP. I hope you are very happy with it for years to come 😊

Have been following this thread as love diaries, but have been using my phone for the past year (SAHM but lots of kid appts, social stuff, reminders etc).

Yesterday I got a job! I'll be out in the community and have lots of appointments and locations etc, so definitely need a gorgeous new diary. Just been looking at that link you posted @DuchessDumbarton ... do you have the Classic A5 Organiser? Was it £85?! And then how much were the dated inserts for it if you don't mind me asking? I live in a small town with no decent shops so can't go anywhere locally to see it in the flesh (and stroke and sniff....).

Ooh lovely op, good luck with it! I have an A5 real leather zipped filofax and I love it.

Check out NBPlanners, they do really handy filofax compatible inserts, meal planners, family organisers,fitness trackers etc.

Thanks keep and Ree...it's like a new car! "Keep it between the ditches" as they say here.

Congrats! Monty It sounds as if you have a job along my lines (healthcare?). Already, I've found it so handy...and feel a bit sad for my unwieldy A4 oldie.
There was no way that I would bring that into a client home as they tend to look over your shoulder when you try to discreetly check your availability for next time.
Mine came "preloaded" with a 2019 and a 2020 diary which is what swung it for me, as I have already booked clients up to June.
It has "to do" list pages, a notebook, a clear pocket, dividers.
A large tab at the front keep bits and pieces of important papers handy until I need them.
I didn't pay as much as the one I linked to - it was €80 and seems to be a bargain when I checked online.

Fairy thanks for that recommendation- they have nice monthly tab dividers which I will order- very handy for navigating my way around it.
The zipped version is lovely and I feel jealous (momentarily, until I handle my own again )

I got a nice action day academic planner when I started uni. With checking out that brand on amazon. Mine had a pen loop.

This thread has soothed my tortured soul today.

Thank you everyone for giving me lots of lovely stationary links to ooooh and aaaah over.

You've inspired me to replace my old, tatty but very loved personal sized filofax on which the rabbit has fallen off and the elastic has broken, with a beautiful leather A5 one. I have 2 jobs, a kid and a husband, I think I need a bigger one!

I absolutely live by my beautiful, now somewhat battered purple leather Filofax - it keeps all parts of my life running smoothly, easy to tuck in a bag and big enough to cope with my ever changing diary notes. Glad you found one that suits you - I’m now off to look at inserts for next year.

Not healthcare, but working with people Sounds like you're very happy with your investment OP - am chuffed for you!

Where do people buy their inserts from? I'm tempted to drive into the nearest big town tomorrow to go drool and stroke. John Lewis might stick them?

I want this one!!

That’s a really lovely one - I can’t justify buying another just now, my purple Finsbury is still in very good condition.

@jellycatspyjamas is this the one you have? The purple is sold out but I quite like this green one...off to JL now!

I LOVE this thread and think I may need an A4 filofax. Just pondering whether I could buy one and still justify my drawer of 30 odd notebooks.

I'm totally distraught you bought a new pen without consulting us - I was going to suggest a new pen and I'm fearful you have ruined my Saturday.

It is @MontyBowJangles the purple is lovely but I must admit that green is fabulous too.

burnout see Ithought action day would be the diary for me. I got one a few years ago, and had a lovely week after Christmas setting it up. It was lovely- great colour, nice paper, seems well laid out.
I abandoned it before the end of January (got a page a day Moleskine instead). It just didn't work for me warned you, I'm fussy.

Slattern it is very satisfying to have -deluded notions be organised on paper.

Orange you replaced your stolen one? What colour?

jellycats do you use page a day in your A5? or week on 2 pages inserts. The latter came with the one that I bought but I am considering asking for the page a day as a Christmas or birthday present.

Monty they had the inserts in my lovely local bookshop. Then there's Amazon (boo hiss, don't want to give them the business, not least because the US has slapped taxes on Irish goods).
Filofax direct.
And a few kind people linked to useful online pages from where you can print off your own. Cant see the link now that I have scrolled back up- I'll have a search. Philofaxy?

Yep, I was right- here you go.Philofaxy

Wheel you cant just plop that kind of goady comment on a thread and not clarify.
What kind of pen? What do you recommend?
I'm a blue ink afficiando.... would love to use a fountain pen (I have notions) but it's not practical nor allowed in healthcare.
Link to some nice flow-y pens? Not a Cross or Monat Blanc....dont like the feel of those in my hand. Nothing too spendy- I''ll lose it.

Ohhh what a lovely way to spend an hour looking at all the lovely diaries. I m looking to buy one to plan a big trip. So much choice

I use a week to two days for appointments and a month to two pages for planning the month. I do different jobs on different days so it helps me to see the shape of the whole week across two pages if that makes sense, although I’ve really toyed with day to a page because my days can be crazy busy.

The weekend spaces are too small in week to view but I can live with that for the sake of seeing all my weeks appointments in one place. The answer would probably be a bigger diary but that doesn’t feel so portable and like you, I don’t want clients peeking over my shoulder while I’m writing up my diary.

I really like these boxcleverpress.com/products/perfect-year-a5-diary I've used the Life Book for years, but that is spiral bound...

Hi Stationary Experts < waves>

I’m a nice diary newbie here . I’ve always used something cheap and nasty, 99p from the Card Factory. But now I’m inspired to go ever so slightly up market ( baby steps).

I need

Handbag sized, so A6 I guess
Lightweight but won’t fall apart
Lies flat

Under £20
Enough space for write appointments for several people ( me and my 3 kids ) at the same time

The Marks Tokyo Edge falls down on this last essential criterion.

I don’t need a lot of planning type pages, maps, conversions charts etc. Month to view pages are good. And nothing that’s a lot of work like the bullet journals.

Any suggestions please ?

MUJI diaries are my favourite! I love the week-on-left-side, squared paper-on-right layout, perfect for my needs. Lots of space for notes and scribbles. I have a faux "travellers notebook" cover (from etsy) that I keep it in, along with a small sketchbook for design work. Works perfectly.

I've always wanted to love Filofax but I've never been able to get on with how much smaller the pages are compared to the cover. It's annoying, if I want a decent size page I'd have to go to a bigger size, which is just too heavy to lug around.