using my erin condren planner...

So I have had a few days to play around with my planner and I think I have figured out a system that will work well for me.  Like I said in my last post, everyone uses theirs a little differently, and I drew on a few different ideas and put it all together to make it something that I like.

The first thing I did was gather all my supplies together.  I got markers, stickers, washi tape, post-its, paper clips, pens, and sharpie markers all together in a cute little heart box I found at Target a while back.  Then I got out my planner and got ready to get to work.

 The first page is a place to put your contact info, but with the cover being plastic, it is not easy to write anything here.  I had read somewhere that someone used a sharpie, but I wasn't wild about that idea.  I decided on using one of the labels that came free with my planner.  I cut it out to fit in this section and wrote in my contact information.

Then I started working on the month view pages.  I wrote in important work and school schedules so that I could see it all at once, such as the Saturdays that I have to work (ugh) as well as the days that the girls are off from school.  Anything that happens on more than one day, I used washi tape so that I didnt have to write something over and over four or five times.  Below I used gray washi tape to show a week when school is closed, and I used pink washi tape to show that every Wednesday the girls go to church for Boulevards.  Then I used the stickers that come with the planner to highlight special things I have planned that month.

The weekly view is really my favorite.  I wrote in events, schedules, tasks and to-dos in their respective time-frames. I have decided to color-code each person by placing a dot next to the item.  For example, my husbands color is blue and I put a blue dot next to his "to-do".  I used square post-it notes in the night section to show my ideas for dinner.  Now if you are anything like me, you end up changing your mind on what you make which night about fourteen times before the week is out.  I liked the post-it note idea so that I don't have to cross out and write in, I can just switch the post-it notes around.  I am not sure if I saw this idea in someone else's blog or if I came up with it myself. I think I came up with it myself - a genius really.

Another thing I LOVE is using colored rectangle post-its to put my weekly household chores in.  This is for two reasons:  Just like with the meals, I can rearrange which day I do these, and I can also re-use them and put them back in my planner for another day next week after I complete that particular task.  (You know we end up doing these EVERY week - why waste paper?)  And I like that my planner doesn't look as cluttered when I move them to another day.  Do I really need to be reminded of the 736769056 times I have done laundry this year as I look back?

Also, I didn't end up taking a picture of this but I used the far left column to keep track of the chapters I need to read each week for my Bible study that I am a part of, as well as a way to tally how many times a week I work out.  Each time I complete one of these things I just check a box.  The bottom of each day has a place for notes as well, and I use this section to write in things like: "work on scrapbook", or "watch CSI", things that I plan on doing if I have any free time, not exactly a to-do.

So I hope that helps some of you if you are trying how to get the best use out of your planner.  I really love it and am enjoying that all our crazy schedules are all in one place - it makes me feel more in control, just being organized :)