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’m in too - I can’t stand cutesy mum diaries with affirmations and goals and shopping lists. I’m not actually that organised and don’t want filling in my diary correctly to become yet another chore I don’t get round to.

Simple diary, week to view, monthly organiser page - all good here. Can I just say though I’ve used Paperblanks notebooks for journaling (actual reflective writing, not bullet journaling) and they’re lovely, quality paper, quality product - I felt a bit sad writing all my inane witterings in there.

It’s here. Week to view and not an affirmation in sight.

Lovely- well wear, Olga.

Those of you who bought an A5 Filofax... Can you recommend a decent 6 hole hole punch if you've got one please? I'm going round in circles reading shit reviews for the little £9 Filofax one which stores within the diary itself, and the rapesco one for approx £12 which says its suitable for the A5 size but apparently you have to punch three holes then turn the paper around and punch another three!

I'd rather not spend £20+ on one but it's looking like the only option right now?

I like my A5 filofax. If you get a punch then you can insert any papers into the rings and know that they wont fall out as they might if just tucked in to a regular diary.

Theres also a choice of diary formats, and you can customise it - for instance you can file your meal planning pages or accounts etc with the relevant week or at the back of the diary or you can move them around!!

Monty I have an a5 filofax metal punch. Although Im not sure you can still buy them new

<a class="break-all" href="https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Filofax-Pocket-Metal-Hole-Punch-210130/183920441692?ul_ref=rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-53481-19255-0/1?ff3=2&pub=5575376664&toolid=10001&campid=5338268676&customid=CjwKCAjw3c_tBRA4EiwAICs8Clc0ovVS2F9P5l1pWYiwDoiwCTP8vUs7vQ8Ue48-TO3q1j4_og1WPBoCldoQAvD_BwE&lgeo=1&item=183920441692&srcrot=710-53481-19255-0&rvr_id=2158067567417&rvr_ts=0a73f1c716e0a4e9bf502694ffc4a827&_mwBanner=1&_rdt=1&ul_noapp=true&pageci=d089531e-8b22-47af-8f41-0b972387cca7&epid=7012073832" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Filofax-Pocket-Metal-Hole-Punch-210130/183920441692?ul_ref=rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-53481-19255-0/1?ff3=2&pub=5575376664&toolid=10001&campid=5338268676&customid=CjwKCAjw3c_tBRA4EiwAICs8Clc0ovVS2F9P5l1pWYiwDoiwCTP8vUs7vQ8Ue48-TO3q1j4_og1WPBoCldoQAvD_BwE&lgeo=1&item=183920441692&srcrot=710-53481-19255-0&rvr_id=2158067567417&rvr_ts=0a73f1c716e0a4e9bf502694ffc4a827&_mwBanner=1&_rdt=1&ul_noapp=true&pageci=d089531e-8b22-47af-8f41-0b972387cca7&epid=7012073832

Sorry not sure if that one is A5

@starfishmummy that's the type I'm after, but don't really want to spend £24 on it Inc p&p! Maybe I'll have to set up alerts on ebay for one but seems they hold their value

MUJI do a nice A5 diary. I've just bought my 2020 one.

It isn't flashy but for me it's functional and lasts the year- not spiral bound. Has plastic wallet at front and back to slot things in. One week to two pages - one page has the 7 days, the other is a full blank page for notes.

Towards the front There is a month summary over 2 pages for each of the 12 months.

www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?Sec=12&Sub=51&PID=12005&qclr=4550182260700

Lusting after a lot of these, but my nan buys me a dairy diary every year!

@MontyBowJangles they seem to last well.

There seems to be a brand called rapesco that makes cheaper ones but I have no idea what they are like

I've gone for a filofax and love it, they do pocket size and A5 and do everything you want.

@starfishmummy yeah rapesco is the £12ish one I mentioned which looks like a decent six-hole punch, but when you read the Amazon reviews people say they're actually no good for A5 Filofax as holes don't line up and you have to do three holes, take paper out and rotate, then do another three holes. Which sounds a right faff and I'll no doubt balls it up every time!

So I have RTFT and I don't think anyone has linked to Personal Planner. I ordered mine earlier in the year and love it. You can order it to your own personal requirements down to size, cover, days per page etc, plus extra lists or sections. Takes a couple of weeks for delivery but worth it IMO for the customisation aspect. Someone recommended them on a thread in the Stationary group.

www.personalplanner.com

Evening Diary-lovers!

Apologies for the delay in reporting back.

OK-dokey, I'm going to post each picture on a separate post so that I can clearly explain what each thing is.

First picture - the outside of my new Finsbury Raspberry Personal-size Filofax with my hand for a size guide! I bought it here from Amazon:

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004VQVHBK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?psc=1&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&ie=UTF8

The leather is very thick but no strong smell.

It came with a 2019 diary inside (a week to view) it so I could get started straight away.
The inside left cover has slots for credit cards (doubt I will use that)
The right cover has a pen slot and a zipped pocket.
You can't see it here but it also came with a clear ruler/bookmark to mark the current week.

I also should have said it also came with a few To Do sheets and a few sheets of coloured paper. It cost £41 from Amazon.

So here's a picture now of the Filofax and the 2020 diary insert I bought to go with it. (Link here - cost £12)
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07P43TCS3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?psc=1&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&ie=UTF8

You can see there are tabs down the side for each month and a month planner at the start of each month.

And here are the sections to my Filofax over and above the diary. I have: (the dividers came with the Filofax)

• calendars (one of the main reasons I got a Filofax - so that I can start pages for important dates I already know for 2021, 2022 etc and keep the pages until needed. I used to write far-in-the-future dates in the back of my current diary and then have to rewrite it all every year.)
• to do (work)
• to do (home)
• food diary/meal planner
• passwords etc
• notes

I have also bought some transparent punched pockets to keep in the back to put in photos and things :-)

That's a lovely colour Kenzo.
Almost as nice as mine .

I've had mine for a month now, and am still delighted with it. Am particularly delighted with the fact that my 2020 diary is behind a divider, so I can book clients straight away (which is relevant to my job).
I've even managed to keep the pen that I bought to go with it....which is a triumph as pens usually migrate to kids schoolbags, the car, the office pot, the kitchen etc.

And, it's really professional to pull out in meetings or appointments.
And, it's portable in size vs my old A4 (which I do not miss, at all).

Agree, raspberry leather is lovely. And non black makes it easier to spot in depths of handbag

Soola are you concerned about the zip going?!

Everyone here seems to have impeccable taste, so I'm hoping a few can head over to my thread about ballpoint pens and smoothness of writing...

Pen/biro stationery help please!! www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3840728-pen-biro-stationery-help-please