Ugh. Monday. Back to real life.
I had the BEST TIME in New York this weekend for a little bit of fashion week action! I only got to experience the very very start of NYFW this year, because I had to have my butt in an 8 AM class on this lovely ( bleh ) Monday morning, but the short trip was FREAKIN’ WORTH IT.
I’ll have a little recap of the weekend up soon & I’ll add all of the new places I discovered to my growing New York City guide.
Okay, so as some of y’all know, I’m an organization freak. I have obsessively planned out my life since I was able to speak, actually.
I can’t help it. #FirstChildProblems.
When I was in elementary school, I used to keep a post-it note calendar ( like Ren from Even Stevens…. LOL & I’m serious. I hope that at least one of y’all remembers what I’m talking about. ) on my wall to plan my very important activities. Just to give you a little insight into my serious over-planning issue, I’ll give y’all a little sampling of what 10-year-old Payton’s calendar looked like…. & this is inspired by actual events and is embarrassingly accurate:
SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2004
8:00 | Wake Up
8:01 | Make Bed
8:03 | Bathroom/Brush Teeth
8:08 | Go Downstairs for Breakfast/TV
8:30 | ‘Work’ on Computer ( i.e. change AIM profile & play Sims )
I mean…
This would go on-and-on until bed time…. & if someone tried to interrupt my very precise schedule I would absolutely freak the hell out. Sorry family, sorry friends.
I won’t go any more in-depth into my longtime incessant need to stay on a schedule at all times, but you get my point.
I’m crazy.
As I’ve gotten older, and now have actual school & work obligations ( though I really did believe my 10-year-old obligations were legit & super serious ), to-do lists galore, an apartment to maintain, a dog to take care of, etc, I find that keeping my life ultra-organized helps me stay at least a little sane.
Some people may think that this kind of organization is unnecessary or tooooo much, but to each his own. I need everything written out & in front of my face to feel comfortable with the day’s antics.
If you’re like me, it probably even gives you a weird satisfaction to have each part of the day planned out seamlessly, too.
Hell… I have a ‘planned’ time to do unplanned ( i.e. ‘fun’ ) activities. LOLz. Not a real human.
Also, if you’re like me, you’re prob a freak about your planner’s layout & such. I take planner shopping oddly seriously. I like to have an agenda with a decent amount of space to write in every day’s plans, a place to write notes in for the week, a section for ‘to-dos’, and a page to get an overview of the entire month.
Enter: The Happy Planner from me & my BIG ideas.
The Happy Planner is a God-send. Basically, this planner is an expandable and bound 18-month planner with a weekly & monthly layout. The planner also comes with extra pages ( for to-do lists, meal planning, keeping track of house work, etc) and lots of customizable decor options like stickers, little inserts with inspo quotes, removable folders, a variety of planner covers if you want to change it up every so often & A TON of other fun stuff. I also really like the lined bookmarks for marking ‘today’s‘ place in my planner & jotting down important tasks that need to be taken care of each day.
I had the time of my freaking life perfecting this planner to fit my lifestyle. I’m not even exaggerating.
Because I’m an absolute freakshow.
To make my Happy Planner perfect for me, I removed a few of the months in the calendar ( so I have August 2015-July 2016 in the planner right now ), set them aside for future use, & replaced that space with the ‘To-Do List,’ ‘Meal Planner’ ( w/ a place for a grocery list! ), & ‘House Cleaning’ sections. I also inserted a few pocket folders & more lined pages for extra notes.
Then, naturally, I went through my school’s academic calendar & all of my syllabi to mark important dates ( tests, quizzes, project due dates, football games, holidays, etc ) through to the end of 2015!
Ahhhhhh. So nice having everything in working order. It makes me feel so…. clean? Is that normal for any of you?
AND GET READY FOR THE BEST PART: I HAVE A DISCOUNT CODE FOR H+H READERS/PLANNER ADDICTS LIKE ME!
I mean, The Happy Planner is already cheap AF, but you can use this code:
HCPAYTON
& get 20% off of your purchase! This code is active until 12/31/2015. *insert sly emoji face here*
You can follow along to see how other girls are customizing & using their Happy Planners by following The Happy Planner on Instagram. Putting this thing together is like art. HA.
Haaaappy planning your week ladies! xx
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PS: I have recently talked about my newfound appreciation for being ABSOLUTELY NUTS & going off-schedule *GASP* once in a blue moon! See how a person as regimented as me takes a mental health day here.
P
*This post is brought to you by me & my BIG ideas and Her Campus Media. All opinions are my own!
Loved that post and I too am a planner freak show ! Brilliant LOL
HA! Freak Shows Unite! Thanks for taking the time to make a comment babe!
I am right there with you! I don’t even know what I would do without my beautifully organized book! I just feel so very in control 😉
I feel ya! Control freaks…. I need to learn to ‘control’ that part of me too ( uh… whoops more control ). #Doomed.
I am absolutely loving the amount of craziness you’re showing in this post! That has been me for as long as I can remember. I have shelves and boxes full of planners. Even when I know I just bought a new one yesterday, there is no stopping me from buying yet another one today. (Not kidding about that either.. Just bought a new one yesterday.) ^-^
Love your blog and your crazy personality!
Always,
Alison
I’m glad you appreciate it! Lovin’ browsing around your blog babe!
Where do you insert the 20% off code on the site?
hey ashley!
You have to add your planner to your cart and click check out! you add it when you input your card info & shipping info!
Hope you LOVE it!
I also am a planner / life organizer! I was so disappointed with not being able to find the right kind of planner pages that I took 3 weeks to design my own but I love them so much!
Please… Where can I buy this planner and use your discount code? I have seen post about this planner everywhere… But posts about this planner everywhere, but no purchasing information except on Amazon and no other information about what I need to get no full pictures of what’s inside the planner. So what do I need as a first time user and where do I buy it? I too have just been trying to use my smartphone calendar and planner… But it’s just not big enough are fast enough or cute enough!????
Hi lady!
1. Follow this link: http://shop.meandmybigideas.com
2. Choose your 12-Month Box Kit Planner and click ‘Add to Cart’
3. Click ‘Check Out’
4. When you’re putting in your info, you will see a box on the right that says ‘Discount.’ This is where you input my code: HCPAYTON
Then complete the check out!
Haha I literally bought the planner and all of the accessories you show in the pictures at Michaels last week! Before seeing your post! Been excited to get started organizing my planner all week! We planner nuts are one of a kind 🙂
Don’t you LOVE it??? So happy you can relate!
Just a heads up…this planner is usually available at Michaels and Hobby Lobby and you can use a coupon. I’m a planner nut too!
Oh thanks for letting me know! Planner Nut should be in my Instagram profile, LOL. Thanks for reading, babe! x
You are not alone hahaha i am a planner/agenda/to-do lists/varied colored pens for each specific task freak 🙂
omg the varied colored pens is ME TOO! #CRAZY.
OMG I have the same exact Happy Planner and I totally love it! I use it to help me manage my blog. It’s absolutely perfect. You are not alone in your planner craze!
I LOVE how it allows you to keep track of SO many things at once! It was made for people like us! HA! Love.
I love your blog. The layout, the laughs and the information!
If you ever decide to go all digital, try Microsoft OneNote. IT IS a planner’s dream. BOL!
Thank you SO much beebus!
I’ve heard a lot about OneNote! I just haven’t had time to try yet. Maybe a post on that will come after I try!
I’m a planner “freak” as well.
Confession : when I buy a planner in let’s say October and the planner already started in August, I’m even going to go write down what my planning in August and September looked like.. There’s just something about planners (and notebooks!) that make you feel happy in a way how nothing else makes you feel like that..
Thanks for the code, guess I’m going to use it hehe 😉
xox Lyn
Honestly I did this in my planner too….. just the big things though. HA.
Happy planning!
Shipping to Ireland is $46 ????
Such a pity. It is such a cool planner!!!
Aww dang! I’m sorry!
Well, HI from Texas! So cool to connect with someone so far away! xx
I’m so glad I’m not the only freak addicted to my planner out there! Beautiful post, really funny & useful!
I love the look of the planner. I am currently using Erin Condren Life Planner, which I love, but the sticker you order from them are (sorry to say)…boring.
I only saw the Happy Planner yesterday at Michaels and fell in love. Do you have problems with the pages coming loose?
Hi Michele!
Ya know, I thought I would have issues with the pages coming loose, but I haven’t yet!
I actually really like that I can remove them, so I can take them out & write on them ( because sometimes the spiral part gets in the way of my writing! ) and then put them back in! So helpful and my handwriting stays PERFECT!
You should check out the made for each other agenda at http://www.etsy.com/shop/mfeoagenda and on Instagram @mfeoagenda 🙂
oh my gahhh! Love that planner!
So simple & cute.
Thanks! Would love to send you one! 🙂 Email me at mfeoagenda@gmail.com
I am only 13 years old and have a very precise schedule that I have to follow or I go completely nuts… and my mother doesn’t even think it is required.. I have really bad OCD moments too.. It gets bad sometimes.. 🙂
You do YOU Gracie! I have been like that my entire life! If it’s important to YOU, then it’s IMPORTANT! Don’t forget to relax a bit too, though! ( I have a post on this as well ).
Much love! xx
I have that same exact planner! I’m a planner freak as well haha but it’s so oddly satisfying to have everything planned out! I’ve been using a planner since 3rd grade. Can’t break the habit now haha
Damn wish I had your code last week now the box kit I was trying to purchase is sold out 🙁 I did buy the gold happy planner from Amazon.
I am totally obsessed with my happy planner and went on to purchase the fitness planner box set (and maybe the recipe planner, if we’re being really honest…) I love, love, love it and now have a dangerous Etsy sticker addiction to fund too! 🙂
Hobby Lobby carries this exact one and you can use your everyday Hobby Lobby 40% off a regular priced priced coupon!
I just bought this planner and judging by your posts I am going to be one very happy and very organised chickadee! Can not wait to get it in my for little hands now!!!
THANK YOU 🙂 🙂 🙂
OMG. You’re going to love!
So I am new to the whole planner thing- a teacher so organizer by nature and love lists, stickers and artful presentation! so I am intrigued by your planner shopping day! and a logistic question- do you keep your planner with you? or leave it at home! I am open to any suggestions and helpful hints! thanks in advance!
have a great day, Eileen
Hey girl!
I keep my planner with me in my bag/backpack depending on where I am! I have multiple planners ( freak ) for things like Blog Post Schedule, Social Media, Etc, and this one allows me to include all of those planners into one large one! It isn’t exactly SMALL in size, but because it is many planners in one, I don’t find it inconvenient to carry with me!!
xx Hope this helps!!!
I love that someone is crazy about planners as I am! I love anything dealing with stationary, from pens to sticky notes!
I love My Happy Planner! But it can be really heavy with the expansion and household packs. I have the bigger disks and the original. I use the original disks and carry around 4 months worth of calendar and budget. It makes it so much lighter in my purse or work bag. If I need to add dates to the months ahead of what I’m carrying, I write it down on scratch paper and put the dates in when I get home.
The promo code isn’t working when I enter it in the discount box at check out 🙁
The promo code expired, girl! I’m sorry!
Love this! I am also a planning fiend and I just used your discount code to save $9.00! Thanks for sharing!
I came across your post, and INSTANTLY bought the planner! I also purchased the extra household pages! After that, I went back and purchased several other things for this planner! I’m way too excited to finally get this planner! I also found several posts where I can print out pages that aren’t sold for the planner and add them to it! I can’t wait! Thank you so much for the 20% off!!
hope you LOVE it!!
I have never in my life heard of anyone with a planning problem like me! When I was little I did minute by minute schedules and I would hang them up in my closet and I had a different one for each day of the week! This is so funny because honestly this post could be more or less like me!
hahaha, YESS! This is what I love about blogging… you can find weirdos like you all over the country/world. Happy planning!
Oh boy- I think you and I are kindred spirits. I found you through pinterest (looking at the happy planner) and I totally get what you are saying. I have an Erin Condren LP, which I love, but dislike that I can’t take pages out.It bugs me that my writing gets screwed up near the coil binding. I also have a Levenger circa notebook, which is disc bound, like the Happy Planner. and I LOVE the fact that I can take the pages out, reorganize them to suit me,etc. I wish I had known about the Happy Planner before I bought an 18 mo ECLP, but that’s o.k. I will use it for this year and then make the switch. Here’s to all of us who like to do things our OWN way.
OMG– when my writing gets messed up because of binding, I absolutely want to throw a fit. I don’t actually do it (usually) but internally, I am screaming. Being able to remove the pages is SO much better.
Love my Happy Planner!!! I bought the ARC punch from Staples so that I can punch anything I want to fit into the HP. I can print my own printables I designed for my money management, chores, and other things I track, punch them, and have the perfect mesh of the things I loved about the Erin Condren Planner and my Filofax. I think I have found the perfect planner for me!!!
I’m so happppy you love it! It’s definitely my favorite for planning ALL things as well.
Hi! Could you tell me what font your type is in this post? It’s so clean, I’m in love with it!
I believe it is Lato! I didn’t design this theme, but thats the name of the font I just found in the coding! xx
I must have this in my life!!!
What stickers did you purchase? – I’m in love!!
I just purchased the ones that CAME in the pack!! xx
I have a happy planner as well and post updates about it on my blog, if you’d like to check it out 🙂 I am actually considering getting a 2nd one just for personal use because I use my one now for everything- work, school, appointments, etc. And with all of my decorations on it, changed appts, it looks soooo messy by the end of the week- the ocd in me kind of freaks out a little inside. Ahahah. So glad someone can relate! I am thinking about getting an erin condren for personal use though, because although I love my happy planner- I hate the disc system because the pages tend to fall out for me. [I flip them a lot as I write appts and stuff in for work, go back and check things, etc] so be careful of that! What are you studying, by the way? I just started school tuesday. I am only taking one class, but am considering going back full time.
I’ll definitely check that!! I’m considering moving onto a different planner ( same general layout ) with a more aesthetically pleasing ( to me, at least ) cover. Stay tuned for that post!!
I’m studying Political Science with a minor is Sociology! It’s the Pre-Law track ( felt ambitious coming into college…. HA ).
Good luck with everything!! xx
Payton I just found you and this post. Any discount codes for us obsessively highly structured late comers?!
I wish!!! I let you know if I find anything else! xx
I thought I was the only one who compared my organization to that of Ren from Even Stevens! Haha! Love it! There’s nothing wrong with being freakishly organized
LOL– literally, she’s a PERFECT image of whats really going on for people like us! Ya know, I agree with you. Organization is so important. xx
Anyone know of anywhere to buy this planner without paying crazy postage?
Some people have told me that you can find it at Michaels craft stores! If you aren’t in the US, however, I’m afraid I don’t know! xx
Would you post a picture of how the overview of a month in your planner looks? i love your style and am interested 🙂 lots of INSPIRATION for my planner from this blog post!!
Hi Olivia!!!
Since posting this, I’ve actually started using a digital planner for daily events and such, and I’ve switched to using a physical planner for my to-do list! I have a manager inputting events into my calendar sometimes, so digital is easier! Thanks for the sweet words! xx
could you post a view of what a month overview looks like? i love your style and am interested!