In the world of smartphones and computers, I still enjoy using a planner. Pen to paper just makes everything official. A couple of weeks ago, I learned about the Happy Planner by Me & My Big Ideas aka MAMBI. This is a popular planner that you can customize just about any way you want. You have your choice of covers with inspirational quotes and colors. Check them out here Michael’s Happy Planners. I’d suggest going to the store and looking at the planners in person so you can select the best design for you.

Inside the Happy Planner, you’re greeted with a Hello page. The planners cost around $30.00 for the classic size.  Michael’s usually has a forty or fifty percent off coupon.

Most of the planners are for eighteen months, running from July 2016 to December 2017.

I bought mine in late October, so I have about three and half months of the planner that I missed. I will utilize those pages in some way.

Each month there’s a page that features a three-month calendar, and areas for birthdays, goals and important dates. There’s even a  personal interests list that you can fill out.

The great thing about the Happy Planner is that it can be customized to your needs. Simply remove or add dividers, note paper, folders, or even a new cover easily with the pull off tabs. You can  expand your Happy Planner by purchasing expansion rings.

I purchased two add-on sets for my planner. The first set contained three dividers with stickers. I like to put one divider at the front of the current month and one at the end.

I put the “hustle today” stickers on one divider.  I used double sided tape to secure sticky pads on the other divider so that I have quick access to them.

My second set includes two folders, stickers, a decorative paper clip, note paper, and sticky notes. These add-on sets are $9.99 at Michael’s, but I got a buy one and get one fifty percent off special. Not bad.

I like to keep a folder loaded with stickers and other items at the end of the monthly calendar. They’re easy to grab and use throughout the month.

Let’s spruce up the planner. The November cover page was lime green with a chevron pattern. No quote…nothing. Boring. So I cut the back off a tan colored note card and then cut the front off a different note card that said “grateful” and adhered them together. Next, I added blue gems. Now, I have a snazzy November cover page.

Next, I added some stickers and filled in the front page.

It’s really nice to have that three-month calendar spread at the top. I put stickers around November since that’s the current month.

The next section is the November month at a glance. There’s a lot going on in November, including my vacation. It will be a staycation this year since I’m still in physical therapy and recovering from my ankle surgery.

I want my Happy Planner to be happy, so I use inspirational stickers and fun pictures.

I want to add some Thanksgiving stickers, but so far I haven’t seen any that I like. I lined some of the date boxes with green washi tape and added decorative stickers in the corners of the calendar to spruce it up.

Here’s the first week of November which includes the last day of October…Halloween. I went a little wild with the Halloween stickers but I like it. Since I used cats, bats, and owls for Halloween, I decided to continue with the animal theme for the rest of the week. I think it’s best to use a theme for a week or two and then switch it up.

These are the cutest stickers ever. I bordered the date boxes with washi sticker strips to add some flair. If you need to add an event and you’ve covered up all the space with decorations, simply use a sticky note. Feel free to go wild with your planner. It’s a creative space that should make you happy when you open it.

Initially, I didn’t like the fact that the dates boxes are vertical instead of horizontal, but I soon changed my mind. This design gives me plenty of space for both stickers, events, and appointments. It’s perfect. MAMBI recently came out with a rose and gold Happy Planner with horizontal date boxes. It’s extremely difficult to find and not worth the effort in my opinion.

 

I also bought a mini Happy Planner for work. This is a twelve-month calendar so I won’t be using it until January.

The mini-planner has a similar layout to the classic planner except the date boxes are horizontal. These are normally $20 but I got it for half off at Michael’s.

If you want to see more “Plan with Me” blogs, please let me know. I’m going to be focusing on holiday weeks, movies, and some of my favorite characters like Minnie Mouse. I’ve gathered some great ideas from Youtubers such as Cheap Crafty Girl Happy Planner.

I’m new at this but if you have any questions about the Happy Planner, please leave them below. So far, I’m loving this planner. It’s a great way to stay organized and it’s FUN.

Stay Blessed,

Barbie