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Monday, April 27, 2015

How I Set Up My Planner: 2015-16 teacher and home planner

Guys, I can't even begin to describe how excited I am. I have my 2015-16 planner printed and in my hands!! Although I'm going to be deviating slightly from my usual "Mommy Monday" and "Teacher Tuesday" posts this week, I decided to share these posts in these slots because my planner is THE single most important thing that I use to organize my life at home and at school. So this week both my Monday and Tuesday posts will apply to both Mommy-ing and Teaching :D

I loved the planner I made and used this school year (so much so that my very first post on this blog was all about that planner!). I didn't think it was possible, but I love my new planner is even more!! A lot of the basic format is the same, but I've streamlined the inside, made a bunch of cover designs that all coordinate with the rest of the planner so they are interchangeable, added some new pages, and even figured out how to have laminated tabs! :) I'll be giving you a tour of the inside tomorrow, but today I wanted to talk about how I set it up to make the most of my all-in-one planner.


I have my pages printed on 28lb paper- the rest of the planner creation I do at home. I am still deeply in love with the arc notebooks from Staples. Having the flexibility to move pages around like a 3-ring binder while still laying flat like a spiral-bound notebook is just unbeatable, in my opinion. And because I completely DIY the inside, and use this cheap hole punch from Levenger, it is extremely cost-effective. See how nice it is?


(Side note: the rings in the picture are a little bigger than the ones I regularly use because I'm still using the smaller ones on my current planner.)

I used the same paper tabs as I did this past year. I love the colors and how easy it is to replace if they wear out or you want to change the labels, but they were definitely a bit flimsy. So this year I laminated them! I just used a single-sided laminating sheet. Double-sided lamination won't work for this because you need a complete seal for the lamination to stick and you don't want to laminate over the sticky (and repositionable!) part on the back of the tabs.


I actually use the single-sided laminating sheets for some of my planner pages as well, for things like cleaning checklists that I want to be able to re-use several times, I laminate the page and use a wet erase marker to write on it. The ink comes off easily with a wet paper towel but won't rub off from the other paper. Since the sheets are slightly bigger than the 8.5x11 paper, I had enough space to laminate my tabs on the same sheet, then just cut around the paper and the tabs and voila! I also re-punched the page after I laminated it (which my cheap-o punch handled just fine).

I also have a pen loop and zippered pouch at the back of my planner. I have used both this year and they have held up really well. I keep some blank cards and postage stamps in the pouch, and any time I get a handout in a meeting and don't know where to put it, I throw those in there too. Super handy! The small blue clip in the picture is magnetic. I found some at Walmart on clearance earlier this year and they are awesome! I keep the current month clipped with the current week so I can easily flip back and forth, since those are the pages I tend to use the most often.


Two more things and then I promise I'll stop gushing! :D

You all know how much I love my washi tape. Besides being colorful and fun, it's strong and repositionable- perfect for things that I want to keep in my planner but be able to change out too! I print a copy of my class schedule and district yearly calendar separately and tape them into my planner with washi tape. Inevitably those calendars and schedules tend to change, so this way I can easily change it out when that happens. Plus it adds that little punch of color!

In my recipe section, I have some of these self-adhesive pockets. I keep some of my staple recipes written out on small cards and keep them in those pockets, which are stuck to the pages of the planner. I was unsure of how well they would stay in the pockets, but I have not had any issues with paper falling out this year, so I'm sticking with the same system this year.

That's about it! Putting your planner together is a very personal thing that depends so much on your style, your life, and your needs. Hopefully you got a useful tip or two from my list! I'd love to see and hear how you have "tricked out" your planners as well :) Don't forget to come back tomorrow to see the inside- SO EXCITING!! :D (**updated: check out the complete tour here!)

12 comments :

  1. Wow, very thorough! Can't wait to see the inside tomorrow!

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  2. This is just up my street, my diary is my life savour! I have the worst memory and with two kids to organise and my work it gets a bit messy! Love the idea of making your own and custom designing.
    #TwinklyTuesday x

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    1. Right? I cannot survive without my planner :) Thanks for stopping by!

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  3. You are AMAZING! It's funny, I'm 100% electronic in my organization these days. It's all about Google spreadsheets and SharePoint. Since I work in a super-collaborative environment, that works really well. I have used exactly ONE sheet of paper at work since I started my current job in January. Isn't that nuts?

    Thanks so much for making the switch to #TwinklyTuesday. I hope that many more people will get to benefit from your organizational prowess as a result!

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    1. I tried going electronic for a while but it just doesn't work for me. Even as a student I found the best way for me to remember/learn something was to write it down. I made handwritten study sheets for myself before tests but didn't really look at them after I made them- the learning for me happened in the actual writing process. I do try to keep one google calendar updated with my girls' visitation schedule, which is shared with my extended family so they can plan their visits and phone calls, but that's the extent of it (and, honestly, I'm terrible at even keeping that updated...).

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  4. Thanks so much for sharing with us at Bloggers Brags. I've pinned this to our board on Pinterest. Have a great weekend!

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  5. LOVE your planner! I've already started to assemble mine. How do you set up your cover and back page? Do you use the same 28 lb paper? I love my arc notebook, but the oversized customizable covers that come with it bother me.

    Thank you for taking the time to share your creation!

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    1. I use the oversized clear covers that come with the arc planners and print my front cover on the same 28lb paper (I left it off in the picture so you could see the inside cover). You're right, it is a bit bigger than I would like, but I use mine so much and put it through the paces that I like the extra protection. Also because my tabs are pretty thin, the cover keeps those from getting caught on stuff in my purse and ripping or folding. This past school year I used one of the covers that come with the arc planner as my back cover, but this year I have a new plan to upgrade that a bit- I'll be sharing that as soon as school gets out and I have a chance to finish putting my new planner together!

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  6. These look amazing! Thanks for all the organization tips!

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  7. Very cool! I have seen a lot of people use the arc system. I use an Erin Condren, which I love. Definitely not cheap, but I figure if it is something I use everyday than the cost is worth it. I actually purchased their teacher planner to use for my homeschool year as well. Before that, I would scour pinterest and make my own printables. I still do that for my home management binder, but am not with the planners now. Good for you!

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