Not really good housekeeping but...diaries

[Hithere123]

Hi there :)
So, not really good housekeeping but I know you are an organised bunch so thought you could help. My life has recently changed and become a lot more chaotic and although I'm coping I feel like I'm always treading water. And so with that in mind I have treated myself to a Filofax with the hope that a good diary system will sort me out.
To fit all of my needs I've decided to make my own inserts, is there anything you love about the pages in your diary, anything you wish they did have? Any tips you can give me I would be very grateful of before I take the plunge and print a few months worth.
Thank you, thank you

Go have a search on Pinterest. There are also LOTS of Filofax videos on YouTube. And search etsy as well.

I haven't taken the plunge yet but I think I'll get one next year

I haven't quite done the filofax thing but I've got one of those life diaries. That's a start. Organising - for me a meal planner for mon-fri at least means that's one less thing to gave to think about. And online shopping basket everything you write down when you need it.

What kind of filofax did you get ?

Filofax are good, I buy the diary bit on line as there is more choice of layouts. I assume that you are not making the diary bit?

I tend to keep it very simple and I buy 2 of these 'today' place markers , I keep one to keep my place in the diary and 1 to mark the place of my to-do list (I buy the filofax to-do list).

Yes Mangos I am making the diary bit.
At the moment its a week on two pages but the mon-sunday bit goes down the left page with a box for meal planning (thanks did really). On the right page I have a to do list with check boxes, a box for my college work and a blank box which fits a post it in which I have the following months birthdays written on so I can buy as I see (hopefully a month in advance).
I've had an original a5 size in patent pink, its beautiful! I am also going to laminate and cut my own dividers to make beautiful!!
I can't wait!
Pintrest has also provided me with lots of inspiration :)

This may be a dumb question but how do you punch the holes ? I've looked at the filofax online printing stuff and there are some great things there (my life diary isn't perfect and I preferred last year's page design) but I couldn't work out how to punch the 6 holes a filofax has. Am I missing something ?

You get a filofax punch!!
I have a little plastic one for my pocket one which only really handles one sheet at a time. But for my A5 I have a proper punch. I use it a lot - I use it put appointment letters etc.in the right place.

I like week to view with a page opposite. Allows me to meal plan and write the list of things we need from the supermarket on the same page - this means I forget less things as I check over the meals not just the list.

There's such a thing as a filofax punch ? Of course there is ! Doh ! I'm off to look for one now - thank you !

What size filofax do people use? I have a small one but found it difficult to write in due to its size especially on the lined paper. I've since got an ipad mini but it's just not the same as having paper to write on! Wondering if I should consider getting a bigger version filofax but then there's the fitting in bag issue!

IMO the ones with a bendy cover are easier to write in, I have 2 of the personal sized ones, 'The original organiser' which is really basic but nice and bendy, and the Finsbury which is nicer but not as easy to use.

I love these ideas! I have an A5 paperchase organiser but do not like the standard layouts of any online so would like to print my own however I thought the punches were quite expensive will need to check again.

Laminating your own dividers is a great idea thank you, I always look at pinterest and YouTube but get overwhelmed as I am not crafty at all.

I'm not crafty either but thought I would give it a go. The only problem I had was getting the margins perfect but I go there in the end!! I'm pretty happy with the end result but have only printed 2 months worth in case I want to tweak them! :)

Dodopad

Nearly at the end of my second (academic year) one and still love it. Very controlled on the RH page and totally freeform on the left.

I use coloured stars or dots to makes things so easier to find. So birthdays or medical appointments or household visits all get own colour. when your trying to remember the last time you picked up meds or went to the dentist it's easier to flick through look for the last red dot rather than trying to read everything that's written.