So 2017 is the year I've decided to delve into the world of planners. On starting out, I didn't realise just how popular keeping a planner is these days and I also didn't realise how many different types are out there. Thankfully there is quite a big community of planner addicts with blogs, youtube videos, Pinterest accounts and Instagram pages full of tips and ideas.
After looking through all this helpful advice I was then able to narrow my choice of planner down to a Filofax. I thought I'd do a little review of sorts on here to pass on my thoughts to future planner owners and therefore carry on the circle of (planner) life. It took me a while to decide on the size and colour but in the end I chose 'The Original Organiser Patent' in the 'Personal' size and the colour is Duck Egg. The 'Personal' is the most well known size of planner with loads of room for extra sheets. At first, I wasn't sure whether to go for this particular size or the 'Personal Compact'. The 'Compact' is a bit more slimline for carrying about but I chose not to go with it in the end as I knew I would be adding more inserts, stickers and things so wanted to have that extra space.
In the above photo you can also see that I purchased some business card pockets as well as a zip file and some extra coloured lined pages. These all, including the planner, were bought from the main Filofax website and the delivery was really fast even though it was during the busy festive period so thanks for that, Filofax!
On the bottom right you can see some colourful plastic dividers. I got these from the OlamDesignStudio on Etsy and I highly recommend them if you've been hunting for colourful dividers like I have. They are based in London and the delivery time for me was super fast! I got a set of typed tab stickers too (which you can see above the dividers in the photo), and you can choose from a variety of sticker sets depending on what you'd like your dividers to be for. They also do custom orders!
Next to the stickers in the photo is a six hole punch and I bought that along with the paper cutter (also pictured). Both were bought on Amazon, the hole punch here and the paper cutter here. I got these because I started to find so many brilliantly designed planner inserts online which you can buy, download and print. There are loads on Etsy that I have my eye on but it also gave me the idea to create my own as well. If I create any in the future I'll be sure to post them up.
So what's inside? On opening the Filofax there are two card pockets, one vertical slip pocket, two elastic pen loops and one multifunctional elastic holder. I won't be using it to hold my bank cards but I will be filling up this area with decoration, clips, post it notes, that kind of thing.
There's a transparent plastic insert at the front and following that is a set of numbered card dividers. These are handy for starting out but I'll be popping in the coloured dividers that I mentioned above.
There are then sheets of lined, squared and blank paper, followed by sheets of coloured lined paper. I was really impressed by the amount that you get with the Filofax as it's more than enough to get you started. I plan to customise mine quite a bit but if you were to prefer to use just what is provided it would be perfect.
Continuing on we have more coloured sheets, followed by a contacts section and then the 2017 diary itself. It's a week on two pages diary but you can get other options on the Filofax website if you prefer a different layout. There are also lots of custom made diary layouts and designs that you can get from Etsy suppliers too. There's a year to view page as well as important dates and a section for personal info.
At the back there's a vertical slip and a jot pad pocket so even more room for putting bits and bobs in. I always lose business cards from shops I like or little flyers that I've picked up because they end up disappearing into the depths on my bag and then migrate to the bin as crushed blobs. These little pockets will be perfect for collecting things like this.
Overall I'm really glad that I settled on getting a Filofax. There's so many options for making it your own whether that be from the official Filofax inserts or customising it yourself. It's sturdy, has a classic quality to it and will be perfect for starting me on my planner journey. By the way, all views here are my own, and I just thought I'd share them with my fellow planner addicts.
I got lots of new stationary items to go with it so I'll pop up a post about them soon.
