In an attempt to stay get organized, I have purchased several day planners throughout the years. Usually these planners only get used for a few days, maybe even a few weeks, but eventually I just give up on them and they end up in the back of a closet somewhere or in the trash. I can never seem to find a planner that works for me. Well, 2011 is almost here and I am determined to get organized. Instead of going out and buying a new planner I decided to convert one of my old planners to fit my needs. I found my old
Franklin Covey
planner ( I think it was from 2007 or 2008). I took out all of the old planner pages and using Microsoft Excel I made a few of my own pages. Then in an attempt to make this ugly black leather planner a little more girly I decided to add some pretty pink polka-dot ribbon. I also ripped out the zipper and added a couple ribbons to tie it closed, then added handles to make it easier to carry. This was the end result.
And I HATED it!! Don't get me wrong. I think its cute, and definitely more girly, but the thing is huge. Having two young kids, I almost always carry a large diaper bag with me wherever I go. That's a big enough pain in itself, and now I was suppose to drag around this chunky planner too?? I could squeeze it inside the diaper bag but that left little room for anything else.
I like the size of the pages ( I have tried smaller planners, but they didn't have the room for what I needed) It was just the chunky cover that I didn't like. I thought about using a smaller notebook type planner, but I like the option of being able take out and insert pages as needed. Then I got the idea to rip off the cover and replace it with this one
This is actually the cover from an old
MEAD Notebook
that I was about to toss. I cut it off of the binding, cut it to the size I needed, punched some holes in it, then slipped it over the old rings.
I needed a lot more tabs than what was in the original planner so I took the A-Z address tabs, covered them with white tape, then re-labeled them. I also colored them with highlighters, mainly because I was bored.
My tabs include:
Schedule - I write down anything that NEEDS to be done on a certain day or week.(ei. appointments, bills to pay, people to call, ect...)
Finances - I am terrible at keeping track of our finances but I hope to change that.
Shopping - I have a master shopping checklist, an accordion envelope that I made from scrap paper to hold coupons, weekly menu planner sheets, and blank lined paper for shopping lists, as well as a sheet to keep track of price comparisons and sales trends.
Housework - There is currently nothing in this section but I am planning on trying out the
FlyLady method.
To Do - Master 'To Do' list and blank paper to jot down anything else to do.
Lists - Movies to watch someday, Wines to try, and Books to read.
Medical - Used to keep track of each family members hospital visits.
Fitness - As I have mentioned before, I have recently discovered a passion for working out. I like to keep track of the workouts I do so that I can go back later and try to beat my old scores. I really need to keep track of what I eat also, but that will have to wait.
Contacts - Phone number and Addresses of anyone that I think I might need to call someday.
Gift Ideas - A separate page for my hubby and each one of our daughters. Any time some one points something out that they like, I jot it down. Hopefully this will solve the "I have no idea what to get them" dilemma. I would also like to start buying gifts throughout the year instead of waiting two weeks before Christmas or a birthday.
WWW - A list of user names and passwords for different site, a list of websites that might be useful someday, as well as blank paper to jot down any website that I think might be interesting but don't have the time to look at them at the moment.
Ideas - This is were I write down anything that I might want to remember but it doesn't fit in any other category.
Stuff - I had a bunch of scrap paper lying around (one side was used but the other side was blank). Instead of tossing it, I cut it to fit in my planner and punched some holes in it. This is used for my daughter to draw on and keep her busy at doctors appointments, restaurants, ect..., to jot down a quick note to leave for my husband, or if i ever need to jot down a few items to pick up at the store and don't want to waste an entire page from my 'Shopping' section.
TDIYHSHP - Anything and everything related to this site.
Goals - Currently empty, but I would like to start tracking my goals someday.
I also added a few old envelops that I had lying around to keep receipts, coupons, and notes.
How do you stay organized?
. Read more about it here. Don't think the snap-together floors look
and you got yourself a simple way to decorate any wall.
. They have some great ideas for decorating plates as well as many, many more home decor projects. You can even take a peek inside before you buy it!
, I filled it with a small amount of tempera paint . You can use one color or two. If you use two colors keep in mind that they will mix. I secured the opening with scotch tape
to make sure that it did not leak. 
to draw pictures or they can just use their fingers. If they use their fingers be sure to clip their nails beforehand.
insect replant.
around the door. Someday I'll have a huge yard to display more decorations, but for now I will just dream. 
fewer people are buying books. Although I have an app for the Kindle
I still prefer to buy real books. I just love the look of a wall full of books and hope to someday have a wall of my own to cover with books. Check out these great DIY book displays.
. You can find the tutorial and make your own by clicking here.
