An Overview of my Personal Orange Domino

Hey Everyone! 

Finally! I have moved back into my orange personal size Domino. It has taken me a little while to get settled in, but I think I have figured out what I want to do with my set up! Todays blog will just be an overview of how I have my planner set up. Over the next little while I am going to go through a more detailed view of each section. I am thinking I will make a blog post about each individual section, how I have set it up, what type of system I use to organize it, etc. So keep an eye out for those! 

Also before I begin, I should mention that I have ordered some inserts from Piaric, some stamps from Studio L2E, and some masking stickers from Etsy and I am waiting for those to arrive. That is the main reason this is only going to be a brief overview. I want to get my pages in and my organization system perfected when those items arrive. Then I promise to go in depth with how I use my personal size Domino! 

Let jump right in... 

This is the front cover for those of you who are new to my blog and haven't seen it before. 

Considering I have had this planner for a year and throw it in my bag I take to University and into my purse the minimal number of scratches is impressive. This is definitely a good option for people who don't want to worry about taking care of a real leather planner. 

When my planner is open you will notice I make use of the card slots. In the top slot I have a business card and some cute smash book page markers, in the second slot I have my gold Starbucks card (I'm addicted to Starbucks :) ), in the third and fourth slot I have ticket stubs for things I like to remember, and in the last slot I have my Martha Stewart dew drops for easy access to them. 

In the long pocket behind the card slots I keep my zippered pouch because I don't like having it in the very front of my planner, but at the same time I find the zipper makes an uneven writing surface if I put it in the back. So I store it in the front pocket. 

I have a fly leaf with a table of contents page directly behind it. I like keeping a fly leaf in the front to keep the pages from wrinkling. My table of contents page isn't colour coded I just wanted it to be bright and pretty. The numbers listed next to the section refer to the numbered tabs that come with the Filofax. 

Directly behind the table of contents page I have a piece of thick coloured card stock that I have attached my extra pen loop to. I did this because the card stock is much thicker than any of the other pages and that keeps it from folding over. 

You will notice that all of my dividers have a motivational or inspirational quote on them. If anyone is interested in how I did this please comment below and I can do a post about how I did that. 

Section one is just some information that I may want quicker access to, so rather than having to flip through my notes section I can just have it on hand in the front. This section is also where I keep my year at a glance page that I printed from the blog My Life All In One Place. 

Section two contains my monthly calendar. The way I organize these pages may change when my Piaric inserts arrive. But I will keep you updated on that! Behinf this I have a colour code page, this is for the flags I use. The colour code page for my Martha Stewart dew drops is on the back. As I said earlier I will go more in depth with this in an upcoming post! 

Section Three is my weekly calendar. I use this to write my appointments, and to-do lists. I don't have a separate section for To Do's. In this section I am using a ruler from a daytime planner I had. I like that it was clear rather than black. 

Section four contains lists. In here you can find things such as household cleaning list, shopping lists, routines list, etc. This section will mainly contain things that I want to reference when I am planning out my week. 

Section five is currently being used to hold my blank lined paper. I feel like this section may stay like this as I like having a specific section to go to and I don't have to flip through all my sections looking for a piece of paper. 

Last is section six, in this section I have my A-Z tabs and I use them like a filing system for my notes. I keep things in here that don't fit in any of the other sections! I file each note based on the first letter of what it is. For example, I have my BBA Program filed under C because it is the list of courses I need to take for my business degree, so I think C for Courses. 

At the end of the note section I have another fly leaf to protect the papers in the back from getting wrinkled! I am a little OCD about wrinkled pages... 

In the back pocket I just keep my sticky To Do lists (which I will explain how I use them in another post) and a top opening pocket that has some family photos. In the pen loop I keep a bic fashion pen.

That is all for this overview post, however shortly I will begin posting about each section in depth. Hopefully I won't have a long wait on the new pages so I can get these posts to you. As always I hope you enjoyed this post. If you did please follow and share! Thank you so much for reading and feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions or requests! I would love some input from you all! 

Stephanie xo

Where Have I Been?

Hello Everyone,

So if any of you follow my blog you must be wondering by now what happened to me! It has been a while since I last made a post.. 

Last time I posted I was using my Compact Holborn and was quite happy with it. Since then somethings have changed!! 

There are two main reasons I had stopped posting: 

Reason #1 was that I was so busy with University and had a few really hard courses that took up all my time 

Reason #2 my planner was not working for me for a few reasons. 

So first let me tell you why my Holborn was not working for me! I found that the rings in a compact are much to small and not being able to do much but have a calendar in it was very discouraging so I just completely stopped using a planner! Needless to say those few months were very chaotic! 

Now I am back to using a Filofax. I am using my Personal size Orange Domino. It is a better setup for me, but it still isn't the planner I truly want. But at least this one has much bigger rings! I will post an updated setup over the next week! Stay tuned for that! 

Stephanie xo

How I use Martha Stewart Dew Drops

Hey Everyone! 

I am back with another post! This time I want to share with you how I make use of my Martha Stewart dew drop! If you don't know what these are you really need to check them out! They are pretty awesome! 

For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about here is a photo of the Martha Stewart dew drops. As far as I know the only place that carries these is Staples. 

When I first came across these I just had to buy them, of course! I am a stationary addict and I love finding new things I can use in my planner or notes for University. However, when I got these home I realized I didn't know what to use them for and found myself not using them at all. 

Recently I put them in to my planner pocket and figured if they are in there I may just find a use for them! Well finally I did. 

Unlike a lot of people who have families, or children I don't really have many repeating tasks. However, I found that there are some simple things that are reoccurring in my life and decided I could use them for those. 

So I started using them to mark garbage day (because I always almost miss it). Yes I'm the person running to the bottom of the driveway with my garbage at the last possible second. However, since I started using these I am now remembering more often than not. Which is a good thing! :)

I also began using them to mark the day I need to post on my blog! I mean I can't forget about you guys now can I! Yet I still found a problem... I would realize at the last minute that it was the day I was suppose to do something and again it was at the last minute!! 

This was when I came up with my favourite idea for these. Which by the way seems super obvious to me now. I started using one that said today and moved it from day to day the night before I went to bed so when I woke up I immediately noticed what day it was and what I had to get done. 

I absolutely love these and they definitely make life a little easier... and add some colour to my fairly plain Filofax! 

Hope you enjoyed reading this and that it was helpful or entertaining. If you like these types of posts be sure to follow me and keep up to date with my weekly blogs! Thanks for reading. 

Talk to you next time

Stephanie xo 

Extras I use in my Filofax

Hey Everyone!

Today I wanted to share with you the extra things I use in my Filofax to make it (1) more productive, (2) a bit prettier, and (3) more convenient. So lets jump right in!

These are the Martha Stewart dew drops that you can buy at Staples. I use these for things that happen on a weekly basis. These dew drops are more convenient than writing the task in my Filofax because I don't need to rewrite the same thing each week. Instead I just make a note on one of these (such as Do Blog Post) and each week move it to the day I want to do that task! Very efficient and they add a bit of colour to the page. You may have to make a new one once every few months, but that is still more efficient than rewriting the same thing weekly! :)

Martha Stewart Dew Drops.
Bought at Staples.

The next thing I carry in my Filofax is hole reinforcements. These are great to have on hand when a page starts to rip out of the rings. You really don't want to lose that important paper! 

Colorful hole reinforcements.
Bought at Walmart. 

Another item I carry in my Holborn is coloured dot stickers. I use these the same way most people use mark-it dots however these are cheaper and more accessible. The only downside I can find with them is the limited colours. 

Colored dots.
Bought at Walmart.

These papers are from a smash book note pad. The cover of the note pad is laid on top (I chose the "Blank" one however there are different kinds). I tore them out and hole punched them to use as note pages. If you are interested in knowing more about this you can read the blog post I made all about how I use these! Great when you have limited space or information that you don't need to keep in your planner permanently. 

Smash Book Note Pad
Bought at Michaels
May also be able to find them at Walmart in the Craft section! 

These are the same idea as the smash book pages but cheaper! This is great for someone on a tight budget or who wants to save money. All this is is a pack of 100 blank index cards that I ran through the printer. If you want to know more about these you should follow my blog because I will be making a post about how I made these! :)

Blank Index Cards
Bought at Walmart, Target, or Staples.
Can be found at any office supply store, drugstore, or "dollar" store

Those are all the extras I use in my Filofax. I hope you enjoyed and got some ideas for your Filofax! If you have any interesting extras that you use in your Filofax please share them in the comments, I would love to see what you use and get some ideas! I plan to do individual posts about a few of the items mentioned above so if you are interested in see those please follow my blog! Thank you so much for reading and Happy New Year to everyone! 

Talk to you later,

Stephanie xo

Compact Holborn Setup Update 2014!

Hey everyone! 

Sorry for the late post, but I have been dealing with some health issues and couldn't get this up before today! 

Since I posted my last setup some things have changed in my Holborn so I figured why not show you how I plan to setup 2014! 

When you open my Holborn the first thing you see is my cover page, which is behind a clear flyleaf. I also have a magnetic paper clip holding the two pages together simply because the clip is cute. Since the last time I showed you my setup I have added post-it notes to the flyleaf for making quick notes on the run. (I should mention that the pockets setup has not changed. I keep stickers, Martha Stewart dew drops, and note cards in them). 

My Cover Page

Behind my cover page is where I keep my Filofax registration number in case my planner was to ever go missing. I'd hate to lose my baby haha. 

I have the actual code covered. Just to be safe! :)

Following my registration page is my 2014 resolutions followed by a blank divider that came with my Holborn. This divider contains my month on two pages, however, I am considering purchasing the horizontal month on a page so that I can place them within my weekly pages at the beginning of each month. But for now I have a specific section for my month on two pages. 

This is the beginning of my resolutions list!

This is just a plain divider that came with the planner

On the note section that is at the beginning of the month on two pages I have my colour code written out. I typically remember this, however, in case I am having a stressful day I have them listed! 

This is my colour coding. If you read my previous blogs you will see how I highlight

On my month on two page view I colour in the days from the previous and following month, so there is no confusion and because it makes the pages pretty and colourful. :)

This is what I mean when I say I colour the days of the previous and following months!

At the end of my monthly diary section I have my university class schedule, in case I need it for reference for the first few weeks. 

This is my schedule for 2014! 

Next is another blank divider that came with the planner and this section contains my week on two pages (lined). I decided that this year I would try the lined pages. Hopefully it can help make my writing a little neater! 

Another divider

This is what the lined week on two pages looks like 

At the end of the weekly diary section I have a note card that I made with a list of the blog posts that I want to do.

I will be doing a post about how I make these. So if you are interested in that please follow my blog to keep updated!! :)

After this I have my last divider (again one that came with the planner). This section is somewhat a personal miscellaneous section. In here I keep things such as the courses I need to take for my degree, record of my grades, my personal information (of course), and some important notes and numbers that I may need to reference when away from home.

Just another plain divider 

The courses I need to take. I have my grades covered because I don't feel like sharing that much information with the world :)

At the very end of planner I have a top opening envelope that contains photos of my fiancé and my parents! The most important people in the world to me. (I am not going to insert a photo here for their privacy!)

I hope you all enjoyed and maybe got some ideas for your own planner from this post! If you enjoyed please follow me for updates and share this with your friends! Thank you so much for reading. Leave any questions or requests in the comments below.

Talk to you all later! 

Stephanie xo

How I Use my Week on Two pages

Hello Everyone!

Today I thought I'd tell you about how I make use of my week on two page inserts, and the different ones I have tried!

I guess I will start by telling you what diary pages I have used. My first Filofax can with week on two pages (5 language) I really disliked these as the multiple languages took up way to much space! I know I could just white out the extra languages but I am SUPER picky about how my pages look and I find white out noticeable and tacky looking! (My uni notes will get completely rewrote if I have to use white out... it just bothers me... really I am just weird haha :).

So when I got my compact Holborn it came with the unlined week on two pages, which I liked however I cannot write straight to save my life, so I have decided for 2014 to go with the week on two pages with lines. Hopefully I like them better! I really wanted to try the week on two pages that run from Sunday to Saturday but they didn't come with lines... I guess if the lined week on two pages doesn't work out I will try those next!

Since I use a compact I can't afford to have many extra pages! So I tend to not keep a note section or a To Do section. Since I am a student and I don't really have that many appointments I use my week on two pages diary as a place to write any appointments, group meeting, and my To Do lists (which are typically reading assignments from the textbook and assignments!). For things like important dates, due dates, and exams I use my monthly pages! I have a previous post on that if you are interested.

This is an example of how I was using my week on two pages (unlined)

As you can see in the photo above I write in exams, dues dates, To do's, appointments, and notes of things that I did and want to reference the date I did them. 

To keep this organized and less confusing I use colour coding. Instead of highlighters I use colouring leads (I have a post on that as well if you want to check it out!). I am making some slight changes to my colour code for 2014 but pretty much I highlight most things except for To Dos for those you can see I highlighted the subject such as business 3700 and listed everything for that to do under it. 

If I were to have non-school related to dos I would also categorize them. For example: bills (which I would highlight) then list the bills I need to pay under it, errands (highlight heading) and list them, etc. 

This method won't work for everyone but I think it is definitely a great method for students to use and people who have a lot of to dos that are in different categories! 

The photo above is an example of how I mark holidays or birthdays, etc. That one is valentines so I outlined it in red and pink to make that day stand out! 

If I have other notes or something that I want to elaborate on in my weekly pages I just take one of my smash book note pages or my home made note cards write my note on there and insert it between the week pages. If you are interested in seeing what I use for that I have a post on that last week! 

Some suggestions for anyone trying to figure out how to organize their weekly pages:

1. Use colour. Whether it is coloured pens or highlighters, or colouring leads. This helps make the information stand out and if you know your colour coding system than you can look at your pages and be able to get an immediate idea of what you have going on! 
2. If you don't have many appointments and meetings use your weekly pages to write your to dos on. This will save you space in your planner and gives you an idea of what you need to complete that week!
3. Find weekly pages that work for you! I have had to try a few different kinds and I am still not sure if I like the ones I have.
4. Don't write too much information about each thing, use note cards or sticky notes to put in extra information or reminders that you won't need to keep after you complete the task. This not only declutters your pages, but it also saves space! 

As always thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed! If you have any questions please leave them below. I try to respond to everyone who comments. Also if you would like weekly updates about my post please follow me on blogger, bloglovin', or through email! 

Talk to you next week!! :)

Stephanie xo

Cheap and Easy Note Card Inserts

Hey everyone! 

I am back to today to tell you about a cute and simple way to make small note/ToDo card inserts for your Filofax. This seems to be pretty common with Filofaxer's on YouTube and a lot of you may already know this or use this idea. However, for those of you that don't here is a "DYI" insert idea! 

A big problem I find--and I am sure a lot of my fellow Filofax users find--is that you want to have the space of an A5 page to write on, but the portability of a compact or personal size. As a university student I have a lot of group projects and papers, which result in a lot of group meetings. I note these meeting on my week pages, however it would take too much space to also jot down everything I need to remember to bring or tell my group members at the meeting. 

So to solve this problem what I have done is taken Smash book pages and hole punch them. I keep these in one of the pockets in my planner and then if I need to make a note of something that I don't have space for on my weekly pages I will write it on there and put it in between the weekly pages. Another thing I do if I want more space to write than what the smash book pages provide me is I take a normal (3 x 5) blank index card and print lines on them (I also keep some of these in my planner pockets), I then hold punch them as well and can use either for notes and ToDo lists. I actually have my Blogs Ideas listed on a note card! 

Below are photos of some of the pages, the index cards, and what the cover of the smash book note pad looks like. I have also included an example using my Blog Ideas note card! 

This is an example of the smash book note pad cover. I got mine at Michaels craft store. There are a lot of different options to choose from! 

These are some of the pages from the smash book note pad that I keep in my planner. They are small so you can make a quick note or ToDo/To Bring list on them and stick it in between your weekly pages or even in front of your flyleaf! 

For bigger lists or more detailed notes I googled printable note paper, put the index cards in to my printer, and set the page size for 3 x 5. I printed double sided for these so I can keep ongoing lists such as my blog ideas list! 

This is an example of my Blog Ideas note card in my Filofax! I just highlight the ones I have done so that I know I completed them but can go back and look at what I have posted about and if it is ever a good time to do an update post! 

You can also do this with scrap paper you may have lying around your house, or scrapbooking paper, even paper bags or envelops! Just be creative and personalize your planner the way you like it.

I hope this was helpful to some people If you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comments! As always thank you so much for reading and if you want weekly updates please follow my blog!

Talk you later!
Stephanie xo