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

I like those box clever ones but I fear they’re a bit too involved for me - I’d never use tear off shopping lists and Christmas planning etc and then would feel woefully inadequate for not using it fully.

I know what you mean re Filofax - the attraction for me is that I only keep the inserts I actually use - so diary, monthly planner, some notes pages and address book. I’ve accepted that I’m not someone who is organised on paper to the nth degree so can tailor make what I need. I’d love to be the kind of person who bullet journals or would use the glorious planning pages, but I’m not that person (yet).

Oooooo you should look at the happy planners !! They are awesome and so many different types! The website I use is called hey little magpie . They have three sizes in various layouts .

John Lewis at Home didn't have any Filofax, so I drove into the skanky town centre to WH Smith as they said they had a couple of A5 Finsburys in stock (in red and purple).

I didn't realise they would be quite so bulky! But they were lovely. £80 though (and had 2015 diaries inside! Tho the lady said I'd get 2020 inserts for free).

So I've just ordered the green one from JL click and collect so will collect tomorrow after 2pm...so excited! No idea what inserts it will come with tho? And the vast selection in WH Smith was overwhelming.

powerplant yes, it's vicarious living isn't it?
Trip planning?- have you looked at Moleskin.... though I think Filofax do a specific planning one?

jelly yes weekends are a bit small. I work some weekends so have appointments to book in there. And, kids have activities to go to - and parties, and vet appointments etc on weekends.

See LadyMonica I look at that and think "how handy". It would have been perfect several years ago when I worked very part-time, and my diary was much more personal.
Right now I need something that spans both personal (vet appts, shopping lists) and business (client appts, training schedules, lead time on reports, accountants).

So I might consider the day a page and see how it goes. If I found a cheapy version that's compatible with the A5 I'd probably get it and see how it goes.
Like you, I like being able to see my week in one view so I can see where I can squish in more To-Dos.

Olga did you look at the BusyB linked upthread? A5 size mind you, so might not work. But I saw those on my quest, and it's a lovely diary.

Yes, Wavy I hear your frustration. It's the compromise between a decent sized page on which to write, and portability.

I see a gap in the market actually.....if anyone is entrepreneurial in mind (I'm too busy with my existing business to plan and launch something entirely different).
A diary that is not "cutesy" "mum-diary" (god!...nobody is marketing dad-diaries are they? Hmmph.) Is business like. But has space for all of the meal planning, present shopping, send-a-card-to-granny tasks. In the evening and at weekends.
I need a diary that can be a personal assistant actually.
BTW that idea is mine and I declare ownership in all territories and the right to a share in any profits if someone runs with it .

jellycats you've articulated that perfectly! I too " would feel woefully inadequate for not using it fully "...in fact it would feel wasteful to not have fully used those components.

cutebutscary sorry cant get behind anything that says "babes support babes". Nope. I'm too sensible middle aged lady for that cod.

I’m hoping the monthly planner part can do the “life admin” stuff for me so the week to view bit is predominantly for appointments and places I need to be rather than things I need to do. We’ll see how it work out.

Paperchase do inserts that fit Filofax but are a good bit cheaper - might be worth a look if you can find exactly what you need through Filofax.

The green one is lovely @MontyBowJangles

• I’m excited for you 😁

See I know what you mean monty it is overwhelming...which Filofax is right? And they're flipping expensive, so I don't want to be looking at it for the rest of the year thinking, why the hell did I buy that?
It is quite bulky too....but does fit in my bag, which an A4 doesn't.

And I like looking ahead and seeing where appointments are free, which is tricky to do in a page a day job.

“cutebutscary sorry cant get behind anything that says "babes support babes"

Oh god I’m glad it’s not just me - I don’t want a cutesy planner thing, I don’t want aspirations and inspirational quotes and things and I definitely don’t want bloody stickers. Could you imagine me handing my accountant husband a new diary emblazoned with messages encouraging him to “live his best life”, complete with little hammer and football stickers to remind him to fix the shelf or take our son to football. And a place where he could record his weight each week because one of his life goals is to loose a few pounds?

@0lga what about this one? I've had BusyB before and loved them

www.johnlewis.com/busy-b-a6-mid-year-academic-to-do-diary-2019-20/p3979048?sku=237980027&s_kwcid=2dx92700046357849958&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=CjwKCAjw_uDsBRAMEiwAaFiHa1J0MbKb0r2evdH19HcJspb6EATW1X0tJOWglKBBnASipwhqTM4JaRoCO18QAvD_BwE

If not, the WH Smith website has a good filter on it to help you find your perfect one too.

That's such a good point about how girly and patronising a lot of the planners and diaries are. No way would men have those things marketed at them.

I looked at loads in John Lewis, BusyB, Box Clever etc lots had stickers and fluff with them. Some looked lovely on the outside but rubbish on the inside. I agree I wouldn't ever use the stickers, I'm 38 ffs.

Maybe this one is for teenagers?

www.johnlewis.com/ban-do-17-month-2019-20-lilac-glitter-diary/p3995298

www.journals-diaries.com/all-paperblanks-diaries/

www.roterfaden.de/en_US/

www.ordning-reda.com/gb/en/notebook

www.thejournalshop.com/midori-customize-pen-holder-sticker-with-card-pocket-black#/dfclassic/query=planner&query_name=match_and

I love my moleskine...especially now I found if you order early you can get them embossed for free 😊

www.tkmaxx.com/uk/en/search?q=Planner&sort=publishedDate-desc&facets=stockLevelStatus:inStock&page=0

Have you looked at travellers journal types? Or Roterfaden? Basically put however many notebooks in. So a diary, a few notebooks etc. Wallets, all sorts.

Thanks I’ll check out the busy B. Unless that’s the ones with the tear off shopping lists and meal planners. They offend me by implying that all women must do these things and no men possibly can.

I didn’t realise diaries were so gendered. This is a whole new area in which I can fail as a woman and a mother.

Soola I can't remember....did you get a diary yet? If so, what did you get?
You're a great woman altogether, for putting more temptation in front of us. I like the idea of those Roterfaden ones- you could go mad making it exactly right for yourself.

This is the best thread I've read in ages. My smart watch has actually registered increased heart rate. I think that's it for my boring old moleskine for 2020. Time to get on a plane.

You're inspiring me to consider going back to my A5 Finsbury for next year. At the moment I have an A5 Leuchteum diary and the same size dotted notebook in which I bullet journal project work. No stickers or artwork though, just the original methodology for task management. The paper in both is lovely and no bleed from fountain pen ink.

I aspire to be the type of woman who uses a fountain pen to write meaningful thoughts in beautiful cursive on quality paper.

@DuchessDumbarton. What about a Lamy? These are so handy for work

@DuchessDumbarton I’ve ordered this one

uk.filofax.com/collections/lockwood/lockwood-zip-personal-organiser-filofax.html

That’s beautiful @Soola - really lovely.

I love this thread and I love a good diary / organiser.

I recently underwent huge job change and have moved from a executive type role to self employed dog walker and cat feeder!

Suddenly my diary is my lifeline. Make a mistake and a dog doesn't get walked/ cat goes hungry- not acceptable. I really feel the pressure to get it right and check and double, triple check my diary over and over 🥴.

I daren't take it out of the house in case I loose it or it goes stolen from my van which is most inconvenient. I don't like the idea of a second diary as I feel that increases the risk of errors and omissions and I hate online diaries!

I'd love an A5 diary, page per day plus a month or week over two pages as well- hope that makes sense as it's the holy grail for me!!