Category: Work

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DIY 2019 Planner

My 2019 DIY “Planner”

Over the last few years, I have used a variety of planners and I am sure that I am not alone in this endeavor! We all hear the phrase ‘planner peace’ and debate about whether or not it really exists- right? I would like to not think so. I know that last statement sounds crazy but I love to try different systems and planners to help keep me organized. Also, I want there to be many options to match the different seasons of my life. So, this year, I am using a DIY planner.

In 2018, I used a combination of 2 different Erin Condren planners. First, I used the LifePlanner and then I tried out the hardbound LifePlanner. The issue I ran into with both of these is that they do not fit into my everyday bag. The coiled planner is short and squat while the hardbound is large and rigid. Additionally, I write a lot of lists and there just isn’t enough room in either planner to do this. Subsequently, I would also carry a small notebook.

Erin Condren Planners

What ‘DIY’ Planner am I using?

What I decided to try this year, is to use my favorite notebook and turn that into a DIY planner. My favorite notebook is the Markings Leatherette by C.R. Gibson. It is not too big, not too small. Its creamy pages are a joy to write on and it has a good ‘hand feel’ (if that makes any sense).

  • DIY Planner

My ‘DIY’ Planner Set Up

I started by adding an index at the front of the leatherette followed by a 2019 year overview. I then added a tracker page and a key page to note the various meanings behind the colors I plan to use throughout the planner. Once that was in place, I added a monthly view on 2 pages for each of the 12 months. I wanted to group all of the months together because sometimes I need a lot of note pages and sometimes I don’t need any. It all depends on the season of my life I am in at the moment. Having the notes follow the calendars, allow me this flexibility.

My notes will be very free form. This is how I want it. I may include meal plans or shopping lists. I may have a list of ‘must haves’ or house projects I am working on. Each month may have 1 page of notes, 20 pages of notes or none at all. The point of this is that I want to be able to have it with me at all times without needing to upsize my bag or struggle to carry a second bag.

DIY Planner Monthly View

At the end of the notebook, I also started a few long term lists. These I will start at the last page and work backwards. I consider these more of year long lists. Here, I want to include quotes to remember, books I have read or want to read, and also places I want to go.

Why not Bullet Journaling?

You may be thinking this sounds an awful lot like bullet journaling. Yes, in a way. However, even that seems too structured. I tried it before and the series of symbols confuses me. I cannot draw or letter to save my life. As a matter of fact, my handwriting looks like that of a 3 year old! I end up feeling highly inadequate because I cannot draw cutsie tacos on Taco Tuesday! Also, the way a BUJO repeats the same format month after month, defeats the purpose of my flexible set up. I am trying to go for extreme flexibility and I do not want to deal with all the pomp and circumstance of a BUJO. Please don’t hate on me but I seriously do not need to track my mood every waking minute or track my location every time I pick up a penny!

DIY Planner 2019

So far, this set up is working for me. Albeit, it has only been eight days but it is functioning in just the capacity I need it to. What planner are you using for 2019? I would love to hear below!

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Top 5 Things for a Successful Morning Routine

One thing about life is that it can go by so fast.  I feel like it happens in the blink of an eye.  Seriously.  When did this gray hair appear? When did my oldest become of legal drinking age?  How is it that Top Gun is a classic and they are talking about a remake? But I digress.  All of us have the same 24 hours in a day and whether we work out of the home, in the home, with kids or without kids, we sometimes struggle to keep up.  The struggle can be real!  Here I want to share my top 5 favorite things that I incorporate into my morning routine to set me up for a successful day.  Perhaps some of these will work for you too.

#1 My Bed: The Split Top California King i8 by Sleep Number

Every good morning starts off with a good night sleep.  Many studies have shown sleep to be the body’s way to reset from the stress of the day.  Heck, I do not need anyone to tell me that!  I know it! My husband and I put up with a sub par mattress for many, many years.  Every morning there was a new pain and new ache to deal with.  In December, we decided to take the plunge and purchase the i8 as a Christmas present to ourselves.

Up front, it was the most expensive bed I have ever purchased.  However, when we did the math relative to the number of years we would have it, the price was a moot point.  Additionally, I physically couldn’t keep waking up and popping more and more ibuprofen.  With this bed, myself and my husband can customize our sides so that we are able to be as comfortable as possible.

Gretchen 10 PC Comforter Set

The bed even syncs to an app on our phone and lets us know the quality of our sleep.  We probably could have done without the massage option but we got it with all the bells and whistles.  It is worth every penny!  Speaking of penny, if you like the comforter click on the image and it will bring you to where we purchased it: JC Penney.

#2 My Old Fashioned Timex Alarm Clock

Timex Alarm Clock

I can hear it now.  Don’t you use your cell phone like everyone else?  Well, yes I could but how many times do you think your cell phone is fully charged and then suddenly it dies?  It has happened to me many times.  I also know for a fact that it has happened to people I work with.  Those background apps take a lot of battery power and sometimes you just don’t realize it until its too late.  Nothing starts the morning off more rocky than a late start.

My Mom has a truly old fashioned alarm clock.  Hers has to be wound up every night.  That Big Ben alarm clock hasn’t let her down yet!  I rely on a clock with battery back up. It is easy to tell the time and when we loose power the battery kicks in and so I am never late.  At least, not late due to the alarm!  If you want to look at an alarm clock similar to mine just click on the image.  It has no frills like USB or Bluetooth but it is a workhorse.  Like a Timex should be!

#3 My Coffee Makers

Cuisinart and Nespresso Coffee Machines

Yes.  You read that right.  It is plural.  I have 2 coffee makers but each one serves a purpose.  I have the Cuisinart coffee maker so that it brews automatically on a timer.  I prep it the night before so that in the AM I can awake to the beautifully tantalizing aroma of coffee.  Since it is a 12 cup machine, there is plenty for my husband and my son as well.  Any leftovers, I put into a glass jug and store in the fridge so I can have homemade iced coffee.

The Nespresso takes coffee to a whole other level.  I am the only one who uses this because it yields a very strong coffee.  Well, I really only buy the strong brews anyway.  The flavor is bold and smooth.  Unlike other single serve coffee pots, the crema that forms on top adds such a richness to the cup of coffee that unless you try it, you will not understand.  It is divine.  It is for those days when I need a little extra pep in my step or when I just want to sit and really enjoy a great cup of coffee.

#4 My Shower Cap

Sassy Stripes Shower Cap

OK.  Now I may be starting to sound a little bit like my mother.  In my defense, my mother has a plain Jane see-through shower cap.  I, on the other hand,  have this really fun Betty Dain shower cap in the print Sassy Stripes.  I never used to grasp the concept of washing my hair every 2-3 days.  For many years, I was a staunch wash the hair every day kind of gal.  What I didn’t realize was how bad that really was for my hair.  Having naturally curly hair already sets me up for dry hair but washing it every day added to it.

This shower cap stays in place while I shower and does exactly what it is supposed to do.  It keeps the water out.  It also looks super cute and fun.  Wearing this allows my hair to have a break in the washing cycle and maintain some of its natural moisture.  I then spritz on my favorite dry shampoo to refresh my scalp and tah-da.  I am work ready.  This really helps my hair maintain its health and helps me get ready quickly.   I try to match my early morning schedules with my no hair wash days.  It really helps me set up for success.

#5 My Planner

I honestly couldn’t keep any of it together without my Erin Condren Life Planner.   Regardless of how much sleep I had or how much coffee I drank.  My EC helps keep me on track with all I have to remember.  Between my work, my husband’s work, my daughter’s school schedule and all her after school activities there is no way I could keep track of it all.  I also track her specials classes, whether she is buying lunch or not, and what we are having for supper.  I refer to it multiple times a day.

Erin Condren Life Planner

I used a planner all throughout high school and college but went away from that practice for many years.  I found myself writing things on pieces of paper and leaving them everywhere.  I would put things on my phone but then it wasn’t accessible to everyone else.  Having a plan and referring to it makes keeping my family’s schedule easier and takes a lot of stress out of my morning.  I review the night before, make sure I have everything ready and in the AM I am ready to execute.

So there it is.  My Top 5 items for a successful morning routine.  What is something that helps keep you on track for a successful day?

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Lessons from the Softball Field

It’s been a few years but I am finally back to sitting on the sidelines watching my daughter play sports. Between my work, my school, my husband’s work and my daughter’s broken leg, we really haven’t been able to devote much time to sports. Now that our schedules are lighter and my daughter’s leg is completely healed, she is back out on the field.

I must say I missed seeing her have fun and learn how to work as part of a team. In addition, participating in sports allows my daughter to understand the importance of time management.  This is especially true in figuring out how to balance homework, practices and games!  She has also extended her circle of friends since she was able to play on an older team.  This is due to her date of birth relative to the cut-off for the specific age brackets. Not to mention, the exercise is good for her too!  Talk about the amount of transferable life lessons.

As I sit on the sidelines, I can truly say I am in awe. My daughter had not played in years and yet she put herself out there.  Softball was something she has always wanted to play and to start on an older team is tough.  She doesn’t remember much from her earlier team-sport experiences.  Plus, it was t-ball and nobody won or lost.  The age bracket she is currently on is child pitched and scores are kept.  Some of these kids have one heck of a pitch too!  But despite the newness of all of this, she shows up and she tries hard to learn what she can from the coaches and the other players.

After most games, the teams have a relay race around the bases.  It is a great way to end the game with everyone rooting each other on and getting out any remaining energy.  One day I sat there and cheered my daughter around the bases, I could see she was running her heart out.  She was towards the end of the lineup and her team had a slight lead over the visiting team.  As she rounded third heading home to tag the next runner, it happened.  In the blink of an eye, my daughter went from full sprint to a dead stop.  Her cleat got caught in a rut and she went down hard.  Face first with barely enough time to put up her hands.  The crowd went from loudly cheering to dead silence.  It was that kind of fall.

I fully expected her to lay on the ground crying and for her team to ultimately lose the relay.  But that is not at all what happened.  Instead, my daughter got right up and finished her leg of the relay.  At that point, you could tell she was holding back the tears and biting her bottom lip as the coach was assessing her for any injuries.   She ultimately did cry after all was said and done.  Despite the pain and some minor scrapes, there were no serious injuries from the fall.   Her team won the game that day but also the relay race.


How many times has this happened to you?  Not literally falling flat on your face, but figuratively.  Honestly there is such a profound lesson in this.  My daughter knew that she had people depending on her and that she needed to do her part and finish.  Despite the pain, she pushed through for her team when it would have been much easier just to stay down and cry.

Sometimes in family or work it is not about us.  Despite everything else, we must push through the pain, heart ache, difficulties and get to the finish line.  Whatever that may be- this is different for everyone.  Knowing that someone is depending on us, gives us a greater meaning and added responsibility.  This could be a child, a parent, a co-worker, a boss, a customer, etc.  I may pause to shed a tear or to eat a pint of ice cream but ultimately, I know that I too must push through because people are depending on me.  Whether we stumble with our children or loved ones or in our career, pushing through some of the difficult stuff will always make us a better person on the other end.

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