to think that there's nothing more exciting in life than choosing a new diary/planner for the new year?

[toomuchturmericinwatermelon]

I don't think I spent this long choosing my childrens' pushchairs or even the family car!!

@PlanktonsComputerWife

It's finally the day to break in the first smooth white page! How is this not the best day of the year?

Hoping those awaiting diary deliveries are humanely put out of their misery soon by the postman's knock.

What are these marks? Is it Bujo?

I've opted for a Moleskine A5 week per page:

www.moleskine.com/shop/planners/12-month-planners-2022/weekly-planners/classic-planner-ice-green-8056420858648.html

We also have an A5 spiral bound family planner that lives on the kitchen table in a book stand for everyone to see, and this year I will also use a wall planner in the kitchen and above my desk for study. I try to put one off appointments in my phone too so I don't forget.

Thank you all for sharing. I love stationery! On my end, I've been using a hobonichi weeks for the past three years. www.1101.com/store/techo/en/2022/pc/detail_cover/wb22_k365/
I tend to use the hobonichi as a dairy and the gridded pages at the back end for books read, podcasts done, and any quotes that I like.

I used to do a modified bullet journal in an A6 book back in 2018/19 and it was helpful (I was moving countries), and in 2021 I did the classic bujo, but this year, I'm trying the gute tage (good days) from wine der guten www.eine-der-guten.de/einkaufen/product_info.php?info=p2022_a5-tagebuch---notizbuch-fuer-erwachsene--maedchen-und-jungen---120-seiten--liniert--120-g-recyclingpapier--hardcover--beige-blau-rot-mit-blumen.html

It seems to be a good mix of things to do, as well as a guided journal ( a few sentences about what one's thankful for, the most important thing to do today, and how one can improve their days etc).

My thing with bujo is the fact that I couldn't be arsed to draw up calendars, etc every month. But there are things that I will carry with me, such as a key with symbols, index, and a future log.

For 2023, I might pull the trigger and get the hobonichi A6 size diary (techo, iirc) with the folder and pen, et al.

Now, off to do my vision board. I've done this for the past three years, and it's a bit more helpful to me than making a resolution. I get my materials from neuland eu.neuland.com/markers-more/neuland-markers/

Let's make 2022 a colourful year!

I've got a Boxclever Family Planner, 6 column calendar. I love them! A column per family member, plus one for birthdays, and a column for the meal plan.

Just filled in all the column headers for the year, known meetings and birthdays, plus school events. Makes me feel oh so organised!

Just emerged from a happy couple of days with all my planners and pens! I feel like 2022 can happen now catching up with lovely stationery chat now...

@baffledbunny I'm also a Kaweco sport fan! I have a mint and grey one with a broad nib and diamine Marine ink, the brass sport with a broad nib and various pink inks - still searching for my signature pink - and both editions of the cultpens mini with double broad (BB) nibs which are made by Kaweco. They do use more ink but they are such a joy to write with!

Also very fond of my schooldays L'Plume and my graduation Cross Townsend, both medium nibs, a L'Plume with a fine nib I picked up on eBay and am learning to love italic nibs since inheriting my Dad's two beloved fountain pens. I'm not very good at calligraphy type writing so that's a learning curve!

My most favourite pens never actually leave my house though, they're too precious 😂

@Typecast squeeee that makes my heart happy, thank you! And I am very intrigued by a rollerball that takes ink cartridges - don't suppose you have a link do you?

@Furries crossing fingers for papery conversion I have four businesses and ADHD so my planner collection isn't quite as time consuming as it sounds - just lets me split everything nicely so I can focus on one thing at a time :) (and is the best excuse to buy all the planners that take my fancy, too!)

@hilariousnamehere it's this one amzn.to/3pL1W2o but it doesn't come with any ink cartridges however it takes the small (regular) ones rather than the longer ones.

@hilariousnamehere I have ADHD so I put all apps in phone calander but use a paper diary for work.
Awaiting my boxclever planner to come....

I bought a BIBA note book in the Sports Direct to be a work note book, the constellation one is beautiful.

OP I think the papier paper is just ok-ish. I had and loved a rhodia goal book but use a personal size Filofax with inserts printed on Rhodia paper these days (because I am fountain-pen-or-nothing and yes I have a problem and yes I am a pen snob and no I don’t care).

I will tell you what’s more exciting though: buying hot pressed 100% cotton watercolour paper so you can bind your own journal with the right number of pages to do a perpetual nature journal a la Lara Call Gastinger. Honestly, the whole experience was a joy in both posh paper/waxed linen/soft leather, and fully embracing the fact that my ‘diaries’ are way more about fannying about making things pretty than actually getting my life organised. 🤣

@hilariousnamehere - sorry to keep tagging you, but I have a question that I keep trying to figure out, but can’t get my head around. And this question is for everyone else that does things this way.

I’m paraphrasing here, as haven’t scrolled back to find your list, but you have a planner for work, one for family plus one or two there’s I can’t remember.

How on earth do you avoid diary conflicts - surely that must mean looking at 2+ planners, putting entries in both (or more), amending in 2 or more if plans change etc etc etc. Whereas, if you’ve got an online diary (which could be colour-coded by “type” of entry) then it’s easy to see everything in one go.

Sorry, I realise this probably isn’t in the spirit of the thread, but I really am curious. Because, to me, it fries my brain having information in different places. I need to see everything together to feel like I’m in control. But, on the other hand, I’m slightly envious of the love on here for the medium of paper and pen, for using something that makes you happy and for the fact that, at any point, technology could go tits up at any point!

So late to the party, but this is my go to brand:

www.personalplanner.com/US/

I love getting it exactly as I want (including picking the start date), and have all the various trackers to try and shame me into being more productive. It works for the first couple of weeks...

At the moment I'm just annoyed because I suggested it to DH as a stocking present and he failed to deliver. I ordered on Boxing Day and have a week left on my current one, so it's not quite a disaster yet, but Royal Mail need to pull their finger out as it was supposedly dispatched several days ago.

Oh, and obviously naice fountain pens to write in it. This is the best thing about working from home, I'm surrounded by my favourite stationery!

@Furries I use them in different ways.

We have a family Google calendar for events e.g. sports matches, appointments, social things. That stops anyone double booking/arranging conflicting nights out. And I always have my phone on me, so easy to check if anyone asks when I'm free etc.

My planner is just for me. It's my work to do list, my home to do list and my tracker e.g. books I've read this year, weekly menu plans and so on. It's not a diary, more of a reminder of what I need to do each day. As such, it lives on my desk, rather than being something I carry round with me.

So no copying things between the two, just two different uses!

@Furries don't apologise, this is my favourite kind of conversation

I am a slave to Google calendar as my central diary, because it syncs across all my devices and also talks to my calendar systems so clients can book themselves in for enquiry chats, prep calls and shoots when I'm actually free, which has made a huge difference to the number of back and forth emails I was sending (I hate emails - give me a fountain pen and a letter any day!).

So there's maybe a red herring in the name planner for me - I use mine for plotting goals and plans and ideas, and documenting life and recording progress, more than for actual diary purposes.

The desk/studio diary is a copy, I guess - it sits on my desk and has client names, dates, times, expected delivery dates and most importantly contact details on the appropriate date - it came into being as part of my emergency planning so if I'm suddenly incapacitated for any reason, someone can just pick up that book and phone people to tell them - no passwords or access to my systems required! But that info also lives in my Google calendar!

@Furries and for the Filofax that is my main, cart around, everything - I print my Google calendar for the next 3 months every month 😂 and also have a "future log" page borrowed from the bullet journal system.

@BookShark yes similar system here but ooooooo new planner brand I've not come across before 👀 preparing to fall down a rabbit hole again!

@Verbena87 I squeaked out loud at your self bound journal, it sounds so beautiful - would you be willing to share a photo? I'd love to see it!

@Typecast 🤯 ordered, thank you so much! I had no idea such things existed and I am Very Excited

I customize mine with Plum Paper, and I obsessed over it for days. I love a new planner!

@hilariousnamehere - thank you so much for taking the time to reply and explain. I’m not going to lie, my mind is still blown. It makes me feel really nervous, but I totally know that it’s my issue.

As an aside, it sounds like you have a really great career. Blooming love seeing people who make a living out of something they are passionate about.

I don’t think my brain is set up in a way to work with paper planners, but I’ve really enjoyed reading this thread and seeing the care that goes into what works for everyone. And the joy that results from doing this.

Hopefully this year will result in lots of efficient planning, whatever medium is used, because that will mean a bit more normality all-round!

@hilariousnamehere here we go. Binding is a bit rustic because I’m used to Coptic stitch.

[quote Verbena87]@hilariousnamehere here we go. Binding is a bit rustic because I’m used to Coptic stitch.[/quote]
@Verbena87 Oh my goodness it's glorious sorry for delayed reply, first couple of days were more work manic than expected (but yay, planners to the rescue). I think you've just inspired me to add bookbinding to the list of things I would love to try my hand at one day.

Is the calendar motif a stamp or a print or a drawing? The whole thing is beautiful, thank you so much for sharing!

@Furries ahh don't let my weird brain make you nervous - I'm a big fan of everyone finding the right system for them, whether that's digital, paper or both :) I hear there are some people who just keep all their appointments and dates and commitments in their head but that makes me nervous

Well I have buyers remorse. Got sucked in to this thread and ended up buying a Beautiful Papier diary having not used paper diaries for 10 years. I’m now sitting here looking at it feeling stressed about the fact that if I don’t write something in it I will be tormented by blanks. Help! :-)

Oh no! Write something - anything - to break the blank paper fear :) can you put in birthdays, or what you did yesterday? Once you start writing you'll be away - it doesn't have to be pretty

@ilovetomatoes

Well I have buyers remorse. Got sucked in to this thread and ended up buying a Beautiful Papier diary having not used paper diaries for 10 years. I’m now sitting here looking at it feeling stressed about the fact that if I don’t write something in it I will be tormented by blanks. Help! :-)

I get that a lot @ilovetomatoes. I look at the blank space and don't know how to even start. So what I do is I use the space as a planner, diary, journal, jotter, all at once. If I cannot think of anything to write, I might draw a little picture of what the weather was like that day, something I ate, something amusing one of my DC said... and I often find things start flowing from then on. I am not even much of a drawer, so I might google what I want to draw, for example 'rainbow cloud cute', and then copy it, and let my own version fill the space. I often find that little snippets of creativity like this, give way to more inspiration. Sometimes I just add a sticker!

Thank you both!

@toomuchturmericinwatermelon I love the idea of adding stuff my kids say. That would fill it up in no time!

I have a diary entry from 2010 when my 3 YO DC asked me 'mummy will you miss me when you're dead?'
It was so funny I wrote it down, and 12 years on we all still repeat it from time to time. I would have never remembered that phrase had I not written it down on the day it was said. I have lots like that now and sometimes I attach the sentence to a photograph of the DC at that time.

@ilovetomatoes

Well I have buyers remorse. Got sucked in to this thread and ended up buying a Beautiful Papier diary having not used paper diaries for 10 years. I’m now sitting here looking at it feeling stressed about the fact that if I don’t write something in it I will be tormented by blanks. Help! :-)

This happened to me too. I left my planner blank all last week and relied on my phone. But over the weekend I entered more stuff in my to-do list, crossed off some stuff today and realised how satisfying it is to cross stuff off with a red pen.

In Waterstone's they have some journals with pre-typed sections to be calmer, more successful, achieve inner peace etc etc.... I am not really a big believer in that kind of motivational stuff, but they may help some people.

Yes! I got a lovely one from The Works for £2.