I love to plan. I buy a planner every single year but I rarely stick to it. I leave it somewhere and forget about it for a bit but I find myself making lists. Everyday I have a to do list and sometimes I make other lists for things I need to do down the road. If this sounds like you, you’ll want to read this review of this planner and maybe snag one for yourself. You can also find the video of Emily Norris telling you all about the planner here or you could read my review and I’ll tell you how I’ll be using it as well!

I’ve never been one to use my phone as a planner. There is just something about putting pen to paper that is therapeutic for me. If I’m ever overwhelmed, I make a list. I write down everything that is on my mind, whether it’s something that’s troubling me or my tasks for the next day. It’s nice to get these thoughts on paper and clear them out of my head so I can sleep.

If you’ve been following me for awhile then you know that I work full time, I’m a mom, and I do woodworking/ blogging as side projects. I can use all the help I can get to retain information because mom brain is real. Stuff just goes in one ear and out the other these days. Lately when people ask me to remind them to do something, I have been telling them that I’ve got to write it down because I will forget and I’ve heard, “you were supposed to remind me!” more than once this last year.

This planner is an answered prayer. It’s something that was made with busy moms in mind and Emily Norris has thought of everything. This planner is the Cadillac of planners. Are you ready to see it?

The cover is beautiful, light and airy looking with a rose gold script and border. Swoon. It’s a hard back and the quality is so good, guys. This thing is sturdy. It’s a great size too, I won’t have to scrunch my terrible handwriting onto tiny lines. Emily has even included a ribbon book mark (Example of mom brain: I just asked Evan what the thing is called to mark your place in a book). Alas, that’s where I am. Literally no more room in my brain for the intake of info. Good thing I’m done with school. Good thing I have this planner.

On the first page of the planner, Emily has written a lovely note and you can tell that she really took her time with this project. So personable. The next couple of pages are the calendar in year view for 2019 as well as 2020. So nice to have. I love being able to look ahead and pick dates for birthday parties or events.

She has then inserted a few pages of her goal setting hacks, along with a few blank pages to write down goals for yourself and family. I love this idea. I usually have a list of my goals just floating around in my purse and I forget it exists until I find it later, smeared with bronzer and some kind of sticky candy. Anyone else have this problem? I’ll be posting a “what’s in my purse” post here in the next few weeks and tell you how I have re-organized everything for the new year! 2019 is my year, guys.

The next several pages of the planner include some instruction on to use the planner for meal planning, budgeting, cleaning routine and mom hacks. She has also given us a chart of all the laundry symbols and what they mean! WHY HASN’T ANYONE ELSE EVER PUT THIS IN A PLANNER? It would have saved so many clothing items. RIP.

I am terrible with remembering birthdays, but she has included a section for that too! No more forgetting! I can look at the list and send out my cards ahead of time. Speaking of remembering things, how many of you busy moms have multiple children with complicated schedules? The next few pages of this planner include a time table for every member of you family. You can use one for each kid and write down their football, soccer, ballet, swim lessons or just when they have a school function or any other standing appointments. This is a game changer. No more flipping through the calendar to remember what day little Timmy goes to piano lesson. Just flip to the chart! Mom’s everywhere, rejoice!

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Okay, time to show you, nice folks the actual planner portion. The page before every month, there is a separate page just for finances. I used to carry a real checkbook. I can remember filling up my car with gas and getting in the car and immediately writing down how much I spent in my little checkbook but when we got married it became too hard to keep track of both our expenses and write them down. After much conversation with my shopaholic husband, we have decided that we will use this page in the planner each month to keep track of purchases over $50. If he spends $50 on something or vice versa we will write it down. I think seeing it in writing will help us to make better decisions the next month.

I love that this planner shows the month with actual space to write down important dates. I plan to use this page for Dr. appointments or to show when I’ve taken off work. I can’t stress enough how lovely this planner is – the color schemes, fonts. Everything is so aesthetically pleasing and simplistic. You’ll notice that I have my 31^st birthday marked. I like peanut butter cups and Chanel. A price point for everyone. Kidding. Sort of.

The planner is broken down by entire weeks. It’s a grid though so you can use the left-hand columns to write family member names or subjects that you need to expand on. Mine are titled: Meals, blog content, Social media (there is A LOT of social media that goes into blogging). I also have one for myself, Evan and Isla. I’ll use this for important daycare events like picture day, or special lunches/ parties, Evan’s band practice schedule for Church and my own weekly schedule. This planner has enough room for me to write down my blog post ideas, the days I’ll promote, write and schedule posts. I LOVE THAT. I was going to get a separate planner but this one is capable of holding all the information that won’t fit in my brain!

To the right of the weekly planning page you’ll find a space for you to write your important tasks, space for gratitude and notes. I plan to use the important tasks for my weekly goals for the blog-views, clicks, re-pins as well as weekly tasks like making sure each post has proper SEO and a featured image. You could also use it for a grocery list or payments you need to make.

So that is how each month is laid out. I’m going to be so organized, you guys. Better watch out.

There are several pages that include more hacks. I love to travel but even more than I love to travel, I love PLANNING trips and making packing lists. Well, Emily has included a list of packing hacks and a general checklist! There is also a page for party planning tips, rainy day activities for your little ones-I mean she would know (she has three boys and lives in the UK, she knows a thing or two about keeping kids entertained when they can’t go outside because of the weather). There is even a section of tips for sick kiddos! See my own post about tips for sick baby here.

The last few pages include a page for gift ideas-I try to plan for Christmas gifts throughout the year so this is very helpful. There is even a section for a bucket list! Hello travel destinations for 2019!

There are a ton of blank pages in the back of the planner to use however you like but if you’re like me and don’t have an address book and constantly have to text your mom for addresses then you could make an address section like I did! Now I’ll have everyone’s addresses for Christmas cards this year!

Emily Norris really has thought of everything when it comes to making this planner. I could not love it more. Evan gave it to me on Christmas Eve – He ordered it the day that they came out. Such a thoughtful Christmas.

I went to Target and bought some really fun colored pens and have my columns on the weekly planning pages color coordinated. If you are like me and get really excited about all of this planning, then here is a link to order your own. It’s a little more money than I would have spent for a normal planner, but this isn’t a normal planner. This thing has so much extra, useful stuff in it. It’s how a planner would be if you, as a busy mom, made a planner to suit your needs/ multiple schedules and give your brain a rest and just BUY IT already! No this is not a sponsored post. I just really like the planner.

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful NYE!

I’ll be back on Wednesday to show you guys some new home décor that I got for Christmas! I’ll introduce you to this really awesome home décor subscription box and tell you how to get your own! Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss anything!

What are some of your New Year’s resolutions? I’d love to hear them!

Here’s to a more organized 2019!