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

Google Paperblanks. They're beautiful and perfect t.

@Soola wow, I have organiser envy! I really fancied the Lockwood zipped too, but my writing is really messy and bulky, and I was worried the personal size might be too small? So went for a Finsbury A5 (yours in A5 is £120!) but now worried it's too big to be carrying around Time will tell.

Is it really sad that every time I woke in the night (about five times, once for an hour) the first thing I thought about was collecting it later today?! It didn't say on the JL website if it just comes with a 2020 insert, or (fingers crossed) a mid-year Aug 19 - Dec 2020 one...or nothing? So was on Amazon in the night looking at A5 refills. The Filofax ones are £12.95 and not lined, whereas this company do them for £8.25 and lined (might be better for my scruffy writing).

Academic 2019-2020 Week on Two Pages Lined Diary Organiser Refill Planner Insert Filofax Compatible (A5: 148 x 210mm) [[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07NDHBZZN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_.5yMDbTS2KMCD?tag=mumsnetforu03-21 NB planner]]

I was also looking at Lamy pens - very nice! Think I'll stick to a Bic 4-colour for now...one step at a time

@peoplepleaser1 tbh you're probably best of going to a few physical shops to get a proper look and feel. I went to John Lewis, Waterstones and a large WH Smith yesterday to conduct research.

I've had a small paperblanks in the past and loved it (had a small magnetic strip to close it, which was very satisfying!).

Filofax do have lined diary inserts - they provide a blank one but you can buy a lined one for a week across two pages. Paperchase also do lined inserts for their organisers which are compatible with Filofax and are much cheaper. It’s worth shopping around.

Ooh thanks @jellycatspyjamas that's a great help. Yes I'm happy with a week across two pages, so will shop around.

@MontyBowJangles I’ve has a5 size ones before as well as the pocket size ones but the personal size one is more suitable for me now.

To be honest the pocket ones never got used properly as whilst they look cute they weren’t practical.

I haven’t had a zip around before so that will be new to me

I now want to get a gadget that cuts corners -

www.instagram.com/p/BsC2FbxCQhL/?hl=en

I have an A5 filofax. I love it.

It does have a pen loop, you can get different dairies, this year I have had a page a week, but next year it will be a page a day.

I like that I can get things like coloured paper in it. The ring bind is actually useful, eg if you have a meeting booked in you can add a page with notes for that meeting and then move it to a future meeting.

This is mine

www.google.com/shopping/product/17416283709537845706?q=a5+filofax&biw=1024&bih=526&prds=epd:14013892170472848353,paur:ClkAsKraXyhJ1FUwq7Af7fb3FZVTc4enKDFTmuI2FjXVYa1Qt9p0cP-lgbWI8vKdsNJXloDCNUTgMkLxCad9_tnKVGmb-Ei3k4fUUTckkfRdJwjoDznyUTzfgBIZAFPVH73rwoC-S8kN9V1w0JhBr7EArEaaGw,prmr:1&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjZksDynYflAhVRQkEAHWrJAqoQ8wIIvwM

That’s exactly the same as mine - I love it!

Haven’t seen one of those corner things before @Soola I like it

I've had the text from JL to say my A5 Finsbury Filofax is ready for collection! I can't get there til after lunch tho

@Soola oh wow, sounds like you have quite the collection now! What do you do with your old ones? And sorry to sound thick but what's the point in the corner cutter gadget? (Apart from it looking after?).

Mulberry used to do the most gorgeous desk diaries but they seem to have discontinued them and only do the smaller ones now.

@MontyBowJangles. I think the cutting tool is so that you can easily pick up the diary to flick through as it's a different shape to the other pages.

@peoplepleaser1 why not take a photo of your diary for your dog commitments, maybe a week at a time?

why not take a photo of your diary for your dog commitments, maybe a week at a time?

I do this when I don’t feel like carrying my diary with me to work

chuffoff that's hilarious! Increased heart rate over diaries!
Is there anything in the links that looks interesting (I'm still clicking on the Mark's Tokyo Edge one - I love that the months are tabbed on it).

Crepuscular I cant get on with the Bullet journal at all...no need to come over all missionary on me. I can get that it works for some, just not for me .

Yes, Olga when I win the Euromillions, I will become an acolyte of the Dalai Lama exuding serenity and using a fountain pen to record my thoughts and gratitude on beautiful paper.

Wheel how did I know you would recommend a Lamy.
I don't have one of their pens, but do have (bizarrely) a pencil. Which is, indeed, a thing of beauty. Again, bizarre to describe a pencil as beautifully designed...but, it just is.
I do have a birthday later this year, and am due to go to Big Smoke and will be adjacent to a very nice pen shop. I am of an age that thinks "buy once and do it right". Thanks-thanks, for the even further temptation

Aha! Soola so you have joined the cult! And after all the lovely links to every other possible brand that you posted!

Ah now Monty waking up dreaming of diaries is maybe a little too much. Did you collect it yet? Can you post a picture of it chez vous?

DuchessDumbarton. Unfortunately, if you buy a Lamy pen I don't think you'll be 'buying once' - they are very moorish!

Here she is ...but only a 2020 diary and not in a format I like New job starts Tues so think I'm going to get the other style week-to-view 2019/2020 refill from Amazon Prime linked above.

Monty love the colour- it's gorgeous. Well wear.
That's the date format on the one that I got....not sure I'm in love with it but have put it together for now.
As I said, I am contemplating asking for the page a day version- Christmas maybe.
The overall binder is too nice not to have the page layout you want.

I didn’t like that page layout when I first got it but I got used to it. Still love the professional / time management one though

Have just ordered these refills so I can start using it straight away. I'm term-time only so will be perfect, even though it's annoying I'm paying for this Aug and Sept even tho they've gone. Will see how I get on with the layout.

Photo would help...

We need a permanent diary / stationary thread, surely 🤓

Filofax advent calendar anyone??