It’s that time of year…my 2021 planner unveiling! If you’re new around here, I am kind of obsessed with planners. (That post from 2009 mentions my Blackberry…LOL.) I’ve been using them since elementary school and there’s just something about a fresh, beautiful set of blank pages to start the year off right. By about September it’s tattered and ink stained, but that’s a sign you’re actually using it.
I am so excited for 2021 for a variety of reasons, but who is ready to start fresh and slowly but surely (hopefully) get back to normal? ME! A friend sent me a meme last March like the one below about not even needing a planner in 2020, which was sadly kind of true. I used whiteout on a LOT of things. Womp womp. More funniness here.
BUT… a planner is more than fun events. The fun events are the best part, but I use my planner daily for things like to-dos, important work tasks, meal plans and workouts. It’s my brain dump and lifeline. I am like Ashley Olsen in New York Minute. I talk more about how I stay organized in this post.
The Unveiling
So without further ado…here is what I chose for 2021: Rifle Paper Co.! The 2021 17-Month Large Planner.
I’ve been a huge fan of Rifle Paper for years. Everything is just so beautiful. I am a sucker for a pretty cover. But, it’s more than what’s on the outside (deep thoughts). I didn’t need a 17-month planner but that was my only option, so the first few months will be blank. What appealed to me about this planner other than its beauty is its simplicity. I don’t need a ton of bells and whistles. I just need a blank slate to write important dates and a space for my to-dos. All at a weekly glance. I have done the daily planners before, but I find better use when I can see the whole week (and it’s less intimidating since you have the week for your tasks, instead of a day. It’s all mental for me). I wrote more about types of planners in this past post. This planner also has some fun stickers at the back. I find I don’t use stickers a lot but these will add fun pops of color. And I always use my beloved Papermate Flair Pens.
Honorable Mention
I always get recommendations, so I wanted to make sure I added those here, along with the other contenders I looked at this year. I always get my planner around Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend, but most of these brands you can still score for a discount. (I procrastinated this year, anyone else?!) And check out Honey for the browser extension if you don’t already have it.
- Create & Cultivate: I feel like these haven’t taken off and there are only two options now at Target only, but I love the layout and the weekly goals and self care places.
- Emily Ley Simplified: A classic in the planner world. I’ve written about these before and used both her daily and weekly versions – available on the Simplified website and the cheaper version at Target. These are beautiful and well made, and super efficient. Current downfalls: The weekly versions on her website do not have the spiral, they are bound, which is a no for me. And a lot are sold out. And there is only one version at Target currently.
- The Day Designer: I *almost” got this one, but I changed my mind at the last minute. This planner is near perfection, and I’ve happily used it in the past. Although I wasn’t thrilled with the covers this year (again, not about the cover but you need pretty!)
- The Happy Planner: Not one I’ve used before but a few people I know have raved about this one. They have an original and a Target version. I wasn’t super impressed with the layout.
- Lily Pulitzer: This was also recommended to me. Has the fun covers with the signature Lily look, but the website isn’t showing me the actual week. So I cannot confirm this is any good.
- Agendio: Another recommendation, this one is cool because it’s completely customizable (kind of like Erin Condren). I wasn’t into that this year – do the work for me.
A Note on My 2020 Planner
This year I’ve been using Kahootie & Co. It’s blank/undated, so I had to fill in dates and everything myself. I was more optimistic at the start of the year for this completely blank planner, but to be perfectly honest I didn’t like it that much. First, I messed up on some dates which threw me off, and then filling in things each week was kind of annoying. So while it was nice in some ways, I want the work done for me as I mentioned above. Or at least started. I am all about the streamlining.
See more of my planners past at my Instagram highlight. And tell me — what’s your all-time favorite planner?
