Get Ready for 2020 With Happy Planner

I’m kind of wishy-washy when it comes to planners and journals. I’ve tried a few methods but they always go to the wayside after a few months. This month I’ve been introduced to my next planner, Happy Planner. I’m hoping my fear of commitment doesn’t scare me away from this beautiful set and all its lovely accessories. Most of Happy Planner’s planners are refillable and expandable with various size rings that are easy to pop in and out. You can even do something called “Frankenplanning,” but that’s for another post.

Before we start, I want to ask you a few questions and keep your answers in mind as you read this post.

1. What kind of planner are you? Do you have a lot of details to write? Do you go to events that require hourly attention? Do you use your planner more as a journal than a planner?
2. Do you like stickers? What do you want your stickers to be able to do for you?
3. Do you carry your planner with you or do you leave it at home?

Got your answers? Okay. Let’s begin.

Starting With Happy Planner

To start, you need to determine what size you want and if you will be carrying it around with you all the time. Happy Planner has four sizes:

• Classic
• Mini
• Big
• Twin Loop (not refillable)

I went with the mini planner because I like to be able to throw it in my bag and go.

Next, while looking over the planners you need to decide what layout bests fit your style. Not all planners have the same layout. Happy Planner has three distinct layouts for their planners:

• Vertical Layout (slim space but functional, easy to break each day down by hourly appointments)
• Horizontal Layout (more room per day to write)
• Dashboard Layout (a box for each day as well as boxes for bills, calls, shopping, and focus items)

For my choice, I went with the Mini Happy Planner – Ooh La La – 12 months. It has a nice place inside for each month and it’s the horizontal layout so I have room to write all the things for each day.

The calendar area is okay in size, but not big enough to write more than an event or two inside the boxes, but that comes with the territory of getting the mini planner.

All the Accessories

Wow. Where do I start? I guess I’ll start with stickers. There are so. many. stickers. Seriously. I got a little overwhelmed when looking at all of them. And while what you use is up to you, there are specific packs for the mini planner if you want something that fits what you are using. If you like stickers, look through all the ones Happy Planner offers but before you go there, decide what you want to use the stickers for.

• Do you want to track wellness, schoolwork, home duties, finances, or holidays?
• Do you want them to be functional stickers or just for decoration?

Thinking about those things ahead of time will save you some time while you look through all the options. My favorite at the moment is the holiday pack.

Next, I would like to mention the expansion packs. You can get something to organize your budget and expenses, fitness, weekly breakdown, food and meal planning, additional months, holiday packs, and more. And if Happy Planner doesn’t have what you are looking for, Etsy is full of people who have designed their own layouts and, with the Happy Planner punch, you can make them fit your planner.

If you are the kind of planner that needs some space to store receipts or notes, there are the folder and divider accessory packs for you to dive into.

What About Notes?

Next to tasks, notes are the next big thing I’m always needing to put in my planner. Especially around the holidays by noting what is coming from where and when. Happy Planner gives you two options. You can buy the note filler paper for your journal or you can buy a note-specific journal. I have a note-specific journal to try out but I have a feeling I’ll be using the note filler paper more.

Overall Impression

Overall, I like how personal Happy Planner allows you to get with their product. You can personalize it as much or as little as you want and the planner will still work for you. The fact that you can easily rearrange pages or expand your planner with larger rings is a big plus in my book.

Looking at Happy Planner’s website, it can be overwhelming, but if you break what you need down as I have in this post, you will be able to navigate it with ease.

In my next post, I’ll be showing you how to Frankenplan. That’s the art of taking multiple planners and combining them into one to suit your specific needs.

Disclaimer: GeekMom was given a review sample.

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