My (Second) Erin Condren Life Planner // 6+ Months In Review

Happy Wednesday Friends! Last night KC and I watched The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which neither of us had seen since childhood. It was pretty fun to go back in time. I remember having several Esmerelda play sets that I loved. One including her little buggy. The other with a tent and lots of fun props. heheh

Today I'm sharing some new thoughts on my 2017 ECLP, if you were around here last year you probably saw my thoughts on my first ECLP at that time. I'll link them below if you haven't and are interested. :)

Mid-2016 I was on the fence about ordering a new ECLP, but I'm mostly glad that I did.

Pros:

- Still loving the vertical format!
- Still loving the "neutral" version! Pretty fonts and less loud colors!
- I liked that there were more custom options this year when building the planner.
- I'm using the stickers that come standard in the back of the planner more, and I love that they are flag shapes instead of rounded rectangles this year!
- I'm still loving using it to track my goals! (check out this post for my methods!)
- The covers are still beautiful!
- I LOVE LOVE LOVE that this year's planner includes a 2018 at a glance with little lines underneath each month, so you can make notes on what you might want to do next year! Last year I had a mess of post-its at the end instead!
-I'm really liking the designer stickers that I purchased with it this year. They make each planner spread just a little prettier - while still being able to use the planner for functional reasons!

Cons:

-The coil clip this year is of horrible quality. It breaks nearly every time I adjust it. Last year's is still mostly intact after an entire year + of use. Check out the video below for a better look.
-I don't like that you have to attach the clear pocket using the coil clip this year. I'm sure some people do though.
-In relation to the clear pocket, this year it has a zipper instead of a press and seal type of seal on the pocket and my zipper piece broke several months ago. :(
-I still wish it had an address section. I know the perpetual calendar which is included has a small one, but I need more!
-I still wish the pages were a bit thicker.

Video Tour & Review:



Overall:

This planner still keeps me organized and on top of my goals, and I have the added fun element of decorating it a bit more this year as well, which is fun. I'm sad about a few of the changes in the 2017 planner, and a few things that are falling apart. I'm not sure if I will continue with it next year or move on to something else at this point... I made a big purchase with 1Canoe2 for project life items (see that haul, here) and I'm intrigued by their planner, mostly because it is beautiful! :) I'd also just like to see what it's like to use another planner again, but I'm still not sure!

If you are interested in purchasing the ECLP or any of the accessories use my referral code to save $10 on your first purchase: https://www.erincondren.com/referral/invite/alexandraconsolver0703

Other ECLP Posts: First ECLP - 3 Months In, First ECLP - 6 Months In, Video Tour of My First ECLP, How to Use a Paper Planner for Goal Setting Success, 2016 vs. 2017 ECLP comparisons.

What do you guys think? Have any of you tried the ECLP?

What planner do you use? What do you think of it?

Are you like me, feeling the need to try something new?

XO,

Alexandra

2016 Planner Tour & Review // Video

Hello Everyone! I hope that you had a great weekend! Ours was busy, but full of celebrating with friends. :) And we got to see Fantastic Beasts... which was fantastic. #obvs (anyone else want to live in that 1920's apartment?! Adorable!!)

You may have seen my poll about Youtube videos a few posts ago... well, I decided to go ahead and re-film them. I just thought of a way to do overhead videos quickly... and I ran with it! Thank you for the feedback if you gave it. :) I filmed several planner related videos, and several Project Life / photo album videos that I can't wait to share with you guys!

Keep in mind, I'm new to video, and often my cats are trying to topple everything that I'm using to film. #catprobs - LOL So if you hear meowing, collar jingling, spray bottle spraying... that's just life for me.. hehe The volume is best on a device that has a large volume range. I am a quiet talker... so you'll need the volume up a bit. It works best on my phone and my laptop. Also, these videos are detailed. Mostly because I like the detail when I am watching videos like this... but feel free to skip around! :)

Anyhow, the first video here is a tour/review of my ECLP. If you love planners, even if you have read my previous posts, this video will give you an in depth (~25 min) look at my current planner, as well as some of the accessories, and how I am liking it.



If you would like to check out any of my written reviews of this planner, check out my 3 Month Review, and my 6 Month Review.

What did you think?

What do you want to know, or see related to planners?

Any other visual people/learners out there?

Anybody else have #catprobs ?

I will likely post more videos on this blog, but if you'd like to follow me on youtube I'd love it! :)

XO,

Alexandra

(My First) Erin Condren Life Planner // 6+ Months In Review

Hi Guys, I know a lot of you are into planners like I am... and I shared my 3 months in post about my ECLP, so I thought I would share how things are going 6+ months in. :)

Backstory:

I was not initially going to purchase the ECLP, they are a little bit bright for my taste, and obviously on the pricier end.... but they got me with the new rose gold design. (which of course was more expensive). So I made it my, "Christmas Present" to myself... and here's what I've got to say 6+ months in!

Planner: ECLP - Rose Gold
Cost: $75 (YIKES)
Time Using: 6+ Months

Extras Purchased: (... it was cyber Monday.... don't judge ....) budget book, activity log, pen holder stick-on, set of bands to hold closed, multiple covers...

6 Months In Pros & Cons:

Pros: 

- I am still loving the vertical layout, which divides each of my days into "brand", "home", and "self" sections. It is still a great way to keep myself organized!
- I like the extra cover I bought. The watercolor and quote are lovely. For whatever reason it seems to be holding up better than the original cover! Which is great! A lot happier about this!!
- I am still using the stickers, I like them for organizing, and to make it prettier.
- I like how it is organized to include yearly goals, monthly goals, etc. and in general how easy it is to keep everything together. I have been using the blank notes pages to keep track of reading challenges, shows I want to start watching, etc.
- I like how many add-ons there are to customize your planner even more without actually ordering a custom planner.
- The post-its are very pretty, they look really cool on the monthly pages, and I like that they clip onto the spiral.
- I have been using the zipper pocket for stamps in addition to my stickers, it's pretty handy!
- I've definitely been more organized, and more into my planning since trying this planner and method. It's been very helpful!

Cons:

- Quality Issues mentioned in previous post, related to spiral and original cover.
- The paper seems a little thin, and my pens and markers are easy to see from one side to the next... so it's hard for me to "decorate" it in fancy writing, etc.
- No address section! As someone who sends lots of snail mail, I was bummed to find no actual address section in this extensive planner. There is a small one in the perpetual calendar (which was included with the rose gold planner). But it holds maybe 10 contacts. We send 30+ postcards every. time. we travel. So this doesn't work for me... I have copied them into the notes pages, which works fine, but I would have preferred a few sheets of contact pages. Erin Condren does sell a separate full sized address book... but that seemed like more of an investment than I wanted.
- The stick on pen holder does not stay in place - I did not attach one to my new cover. It's easier to clip them on the spiral.
- I'm still disappointed with the metallic post-it notes, which were one of the pricier accessories on the site... and the first one ripped when I pulled it off. Overall the paper must be really thin... because they rip pretty easily. Not great quality. (you can see how some rip when you take them off in the previous post). They also tend to not stick super well right away in the planner. They curl up a bit too. But if you shut the planner with the band they flatten out and stick better later. I DO like that the post its clip onto the coil. That's very handy.
- While the do-it-all dot stickers are cool... they aren't the most practical for me. Who goes to the Dr. 6 times per year? Unless you have kids or frequent appointments it just doesn't make sense to have that many. Yet, I used the $ ones to mark pay days... and I ran out half way through the year... I have no idea what to do with the makeup ones ... ? Then some of the cleaning ones make sense... but others are really specific. For example, the spray bottle could mean cleaning as a generic activity. But then there is a recycle sticker, and a washing machine. Why not a dish cleaning or vacuum one then? The logic doesn't quite work for how I plan...You get the idea...
- The cost!

Overall:

I love the layout, I am glad I am trying it out. I am unsure if I will re-order in the future. The quality isn't amazing for the price (original cover especially!), and the design is a little too loud and colorful for me. It looks like she recently released some more neutral ones... but I am unsure if that includes the inside of the planner, or just the covers. I do have several covers now... so I may consider buying an address book... to keep at home... so I can still use the covers, and have one larger address book around to reference. If I did purchase an ECLP again, I would go for the cheapest option with the clear coil.. and probably wouldn't buy a lot of add-ons.

Last Thought:

I am really loving how easy it is for me to keep track of my yearly, monthly, etc. goals in this planner. I have a system and it is working pretty well. Is anyone interested in posts for "planning" around your goals?!

If you are interested in purchasing the ECLP or any of the accessories use my referral code to save $10 on your first purchase: https://www.erincondren.com/referral/invite/alexandraconsolver0703

What do you guys think? Have any of you tried the ECLP?

What planner do you use? What do you think of it?

XO,

Alexandra

(My First) Erin Condren Life Planner // 3 Months In Review

Hi Guys, I know a lot of you are into planners like I am... so I thought I would share how things are going with my first ECLP. :)

I was not initially going to purchase one, they are a little bit bright for my taste, and obviously on the pricier end.... but they got me with the new rose gold design. (which of course was more expensive). So I made it my, "Christmas Present" to myself... and here's what I've got to say 3 months in!

Planner: ECLP - Rose Gold
Cost: $75 (YIKES)
Time Using: 3 Months

Extras Purchased: (... it was cyber Monday.... don't judge ....) budget book, activity log, pen holder stick-on, set of bands to hold closed.

Pros: 

-I chose vertical layout, I like it a lot. I divide my day up into, "brand", "home", and "self" - which works really well for me!
-It's pretty. I love the rose gold, I love the lavender.
-I like the stickers.
-I like how it is organized to include yearly goals, monthly goals, etc. and in general how easy it is to keep everything together.
-I like how many add-ons there are to customize your planner even more without actually ordering a custom planner.
-The post-its are very pretty, they look really cool on the monthly pages, and I like that they clip onto the spiral.

Cons:

-Quality Issues:
     -After just 2 months of use, the rose gold started coming off of my spiral.
     -Also at 2 months, the top right corner of my cover (that it came with) has started to separate from      itself, (you can see this in the first picture, top right hand corner.)
-The paper seems a little thin all things considered. My pens and markers are easy to see from one side to the next... so it's hard for me to "decorate" it in fancy writing, etc.
-No address section! As someone who sends lots of snail mail, I was bummed to find no actual address section in this extensive planner. There is a small one in the perpetual calendar (which was included with the rose gold planner). But it holds maybe 10 contacts. We send 25+ postcards every. time. we travel. So this doesn't work for me... I will have to copy them into the notes pages I guess. Erin Condren does sell a separate full sized address book... but that seemed like more of an investment than I wanted. I just wanted a few pages tucked into this planner... : /
-With the pages, and the bookmark clip, and the pocket with my budget/activity trackers it seems really full. The band is helpful (and pretty!) but it still seems like it might be part of the problem with the cover splitting.
-The stick on pen holder does not stay in place.
-I've only used a hand full of the metallic post-it notes, (bought later...), which were one of the pricier accessories on the site... and the first one ripped when I pulled it off. Overall the paper must be thin... because they rip pretty easily. Not great quality. (you can see how some rip when you take them off in the photo above).
-While the do-it-all dot stickers are cool... they aren't the most practical for me. Who goes to the Dr. 6 times per year? Unless you have kids or frequent appointments it just doesn't make sense to have that many. Yet, I used the $ ones to mark pay days... and I ran out half way through the year... I have no idea what to do with the makeup ones... ? You get the idea...
-The cost, especially for the quality

Overall:

I love the layout, I am glad I am trying it out. I doubt I will re-order in the future. The quality isn't great for the price, and the design is a little too loud and colorful for me. I do have several covers now... so I may consider buying an address book... to keep at home... so I can still use the covers, and have one larger address book around to reference. I'm not 100% sure I won't re-order... but I'm leaning toward no right now. If I did... I would go for the cheapest option with the clear coil.. and probably wouldn't buy a lot of add-ons.

If you are interested in purchasing the ECLP or any of the accessories use my referral code to save $10 on your first purchase: https://www.erincondren.com/referral/invite/alexandraconsolver0703

What do you guys think? Have any of you tried the ECLP?

What planner do you use? What do you think of it?

XO,

Alexandra