Tag: Happy planner

Crafts / DIY, Happy Planner

10 Happy Planner Essentials

by Mary LentzLeave a Comment on 10 Happy Planner Essentials

Just getting started with the Happy Planner? Here are 10 Happy Planner essentials to help get you started with decorative planning.

10 happy planner essentials
This post contains affiliate links. Should you make a purchase through one of the links I provide I may receive a small percentage at no cost to you. Your support helps me offset the costs incurred with this blog. I only link to things I own or absolutely love.

On this blog, you may know I share my love for all things Happy Planner. It is my very favorite tool for staying organized and having a creative outlet in just a few short minutes a day. You can read how my love affair began in the post, “How Happy Planner Changed My Life.”

Recently, I’ve had lots of friends convert over to the Happy Planner and I always get the same questions. What are the best supplies I need to start Happy Planning. Well, I finally made time to write out a list of my favorite planning tools. Here are 10 Happy Planner essentials.

10 Happy Planner Essentials

Washi Tape

If you are unfamiliar with Washi tape, let’s start out with the basics. Washi tape is Japanese masking tape, but it’s decorative and comes in all kinds of colors and prints. It even comes foiled or glittered. Washi tape is a great, inexpensive way to decorate your planner pages. That’s because Washi tape has many feet of tape on one roll making it a great addition if you’re on a planner budget. If you want to know how to decorate with it, take a look at my Planning On a Budget Series below.

washi tape
washi tape

Sticker Books

Stickers are kind of the quintessential ingredient to a decorative planner. Stickers are generally what you’ll be using to decorate your planner pages. In a YouTube video, I share my favorite sticker books that I think new planner girls should start with. Some of my favorite starter books are:

Watch my video below.

Highlighters

One thing that most Happy Planner babes love is highlighters. But the hands-down favorite brand of planners is called Zebra Mildliners. These highlighters come in an array of colors. They have a dual tip (fine and chisel). The nicest aspect of them is that they aren’t fluorescent. They do have brights but they also have muted tones that are easy on the eyes.

Lots of us use them in our spreads along with stickers. In fact, you can actually decorate your entire planner spread with nothing more than these awesome Mildliners. Take a look at my first episode of “Planning on a Budget” series where I show you how to decorate with Mildliner Highlighters.

Pens

Pens are one of the few necessities when using a paper planner. To me, a good pen is like an instrument. I love the feel of a really good pen. I’m currently filming a video of my favorite pens and I’ll update this post as soon as it’s uploaded to YouTube. But for right now, here are some of my favorite pens:

Notepaper

Filler paper is available in a variety of sizes and styles. There is graph paper, lined paper, and dot grid. They are available in all three planner sizes and they are in full sheet and half sheet sizes.

Additionally, there are to-do lists, grocery /shopping lists, hourly schedules, and a variety of other styles to help you meet your needs. I love these for brainstorming and for making lists that would otherwise take up too much room in my planner.

Full Sheets (classic)

Half Sheets

Sticky Notes

Sticky notes are a lifesaver for me. Personally, I hate seeing things scratched out in my planner. Let’s face it, sometimes plans fall through and when that happens, I love sticky notes. Happy Planner babes will tell you that some love to plan weeks or months in advance, while others don’t. This is where I think sticky notes are really helpful. You can “dog ear” a date in advance with a sticky note as a placeholder. If plans fall through or change, you can simply move or throw away the sticky note. Voila! You haven’t lost any real estate on your planner pages. I use sticky notes for everything that might be subject to change.

sticky notes

PRO-TIP: Store prepunched sticky notes on extra rings.

Extra Discs

If you are a newbie to Happy Planner you may realize that as you add accessories, your planner will run out of room on the medium-sized discs that come with your planner. You have two choices. You can remove items or you can simply change out the discs to expander discs. Expander discs are larger and hold more. If you need more durable discs, you can move from plastic discs to metal ones.

Additionally, lots of Happy Planner accessories like sticky notes, dashboards, and notepaper are pre-punched and can easily be stored on extra discs.

Punches

One of the best things about the Happy Planner’s disc-bound system is that you can completely customize your planner. This includes being able to punch things and put them on the discs – even non-Happy Planner stuff. For example, whenever I get a paper invitation to a party or wedding, I punch it and put it in my planner so I don’t lose it. I’ve punched business cards, bills and other things I don’t want to lose.

Punches are available for both the big and classic-sized planners. There also box punches. With those, you can use scrapbook paper to create your own boxes for your planner. A word of caution though: the box punches are just ever so slightly smaller than the current boxes. This is because, in the early days of Happy Planner, the divider lines between the vertical boxes were much wider. Over the years, the lines have slimmed down creating a small gap, so they may not fit perfectly. I make it work though.

Stamps

Stamps are a great alternative to stickers. Some people prefer using stamps for things they do all the time. In my video below, I share how you can use stamps instead of stickers to decorate your page.

The nice thing about stamps is that they are reusable. Meaning, you purchase once and then use them again and again, unlike stickers where you use once and they are done! Using stamps can be an inexpensive alternative to stickers.


Pocket Folders, Envelopes & Dividers

One of the nicest things about Happy Planner is the ability to completely customize and organize your planner and the Happy Planner has a number of accessories that can help you do that.

Pocket Folders

The first is pocket folders. You can find them sold separately and also find them in the accessory packs. These are really helpful for helping tame the odd pieces of paper all over your desk and counters. I use my folders for anything I need to deal with – a bill, something I need to drop in the mail, you get the idea.

Envelopes

I love the little punched envelopes that the Happy Planner has. They offer them in a variety of sizes and I use them to keep small, loose things in my planner. Things like postage stamps, business cards, and other small things I don’t want to lose. I use their larger envelopes for a cash envelopes system and it makes budgeting very easy.

Dividers

Dividers are great. For instance, I run a playdate group. I don’t need to dedicate a whole other planner to it, so I simply created a section in my planner for the scheduling, member contact numbers and to-do lists. I simply created a section using a divider so as to keep it separate from my other stuff. You could use one for anything – church activities, bible study, names and addresses, budgeting, etc. Dividers are typically sold in packs.

That’s it friends. I’ve hope I’ve narrowed down the best 10 Happy Planner essentials for you! Be sure to PIN this post for later and don’t forget to check out my other Happy Planner posts. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube Channel where you can get lots of planner tips, tricks, and inspiration!

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Crafts / DIY, Happy Planner

50 Ways to Use the Year At A Glance Page In Your Planner

by Mary Lentz1 Comment on 50 Ways to Use the Year At A Glance Page In Your Planner

Got a new 2020 Happy Planner? Looking for a way to use the year at a glance page in your planner? Here are 50 Ways to use the year at a glance page in your planner.

50 ways to use the year at a glance pages in your happy planner

I got very excited when my new 2020 Happy Planners have a gorgeous new year at a glance view. I love them, but I scratched my head for a few weeks to figure out what I would use them for. Perhaps if I was struggling, other people might be as well. So I came up with 50 ways to use the year at a glance page in your planner.

There is a variety of ways you can use it. In my social media planner, I’ll be using it for my YouTube schedule. I had been so bad about scheduling days to shoot, edit, and upload videos over last year, so I decided that this would help me make sure I do it regularly. You could also do this for Instagram since the algorithm considers how often you post (you want to post daily for the best views).

You could use this in a variety of ways, but I think using it as a habit tracker really lends itself to a lot of different uses. You could use it to record running times, your weight, water intake, your number of reps and a number of other fitness activities.

50 Ways to Use the Year At a Glance Page

  1. Biblical verse for the day
  2. Positive word of the day
  3. Steps / Miles
  4. Calories in/Calories Out
  5. Exercise schedule (e.g. arms, abs, yoga, walk, weights, etc)
  6. Birthdays and Anniversaries
  7. Water intake
  8. Dinner menu / Meal Planning
  9. Wellness activity
  10. Sleep hours
  11. Reading schedule / Books already read
  12. Work hours
  13. Body Weight / BMI
  14. Practice / Game schedule
  15. Handwriting practice: word of the day
  16. Savings account balance
  17. Checking account balance
  18. Skincare routine
  19. Digital detox activity
  20. Daily chore
  21. Social media post of the day
  22. Cleaning activity
  23. Daily decluttering
  24. Bill schedule
  25. Daily goal / Daily focus
  26. Mood tracker
  27. Money saved
  28. Daily spending
  29. Sales tracking
  30. Social media followers / Subscribers
  31. Youtube schedule
  32. Weekly spread theme
  33. Running times
  34. Current events
  35. Online order tracker (ordered and delivery dates)
  36. Weight reps
  37. Grocery spending
  38. Period tracker/ovulation tracker / sexual activity
  39. A memory of the day
  40. Weather
  41. Daily outfit
  42. Daily Gratitude
  43. Mileage
  44. Blood sugar tracker
  45. Volunteer dates
  46. Kids’ schedule
  47. Vitamin, supplement, medicine tracker
  48. Holidays (Observed and fun)
  49. Binge / TV schedule
  50. New Word a Day (Learn a new word every day)

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Crafts / DIY, Happy Planner, Organization

100 Things to Track in Your Planner

by Mary Lentz1 Comment on 100 Things to Track in Your Planner

Are you staring at your blank planner and have no idea what to write in it? Don’t let those pages go to waste. I’m sharing 100 things to track in your planner.

100 things to track in your planner
Some links may be affiliate links. Should you make a purchase through one of the links I provide, I may receive a small percentage at no cost to you, I only link to things I love, own, or want to own.

Welcome friends. I am not shy when it comes to my love for planners. If you have followed this blog for any amount of time, you’ll learn I love The Happy Planner. You can read how keeping a planner completely changed my life in my post, How Happy Planner Changed Life. I’ve managed to get lots of friends and family members to start using a planner to help organize their life. However, I always get one similar question. “What do I write down in my planner?”

Most people write birthdays and anniversaries and the random appointment, but most pages are left blank. In fact, I’ve heard many people say. “I forget to use my planner.” The reason why people forget to use their planner is that they aren’t opening it up every day – and the way to open it up every day is to have something to write every day! The more often you use it, the more it will become second nature to open it up.

So today, I’m sharing 100 things to track in your planner. I track all these kinds of things in my planner. Here are some ideas to get you started. If you’d like to see how I use my planner, follow my planner-related Instagram @ PaperNPlans.

100 Things to Track In Your Planner

Financial

Take a look at all the fun Happy Planner Budgeting accessories!

  1. Account balances
  2. No spend challenge
  3. Spending Log
  4. Bills Due
  5. Automatic Charges
  6. Gas / Mileage
  7. Business Expenses
  8. Taxes Due
  9. HOA Fees
  10. Savings Goal
  11. Paydays
  12. Debt amount
  13. Credit Balances
  14. Donations and Contributions
  15. Insurance Info

Household

  1. Decluttering list
  2. Trash Days
  3. Shopping Lists
  4. Meal Planning
  5. Daily /Weekly Chores (dishes, laundry, etc.)
  6. Seasonal chores (changing air filters, oil changes, etc)
  7. Chore list
  8. Kids chores
  9. Kids schedules
  10. Recipes
  11. To-Do Lists
  12. Family events
  13. Pet Grooming Schedule
  14. Pet Walking/Feeding Schedule
  15. Pet Vaccine Schedule
  16. Vision Board
  17. Favorite Moments
  18. Baby/Child Developmental Milestones
  19. Brain Dump
  20. Daycare/Teacher Information
  21. Contact Lists/Addresses
  22. Birthdays
  23. Renovations/ DIY list
  24. Weather Login / Passwords
  25. School Assignments
  26. School Activities / Days off
  27. Gift Ideas
  28. Wish Lists
  29. Anniversaries
  30. Babysitter Info
  31. Online order tracking
  32. Work schedules
  33. Pantry Inventory
  34. Freezer Inventory
  35. Laundry Schedule
  36. Yard Maintenance Schedule
  37. Party Planning
Happy Planner Classic Sized Recipe Inserts

Happy Planner Classic Sized Recipe Inserts

These Happy Planner classic sized recipe inserts are perfect for organizing your recipes. The recipe inserts come in a set of three versions – blush pink, pale blue, and neutral grey in a downloadable file so that you can print them at home. Light grey trim lines allow for easy and precision trimming at home. Simply punch, fill in and decorate to your liking. Yours forever to use over and over again! You never have a download limit (you download again if you lose your digital file).

$4.00
Shop now

Health, Fitness, Self Care

  1. Sleep tracker
  2. Water intake
  3. Exercise routine
  4. Calorie Intake
  5. Prescription Refills
  6. Step Tracker
  7. Medicine Tracker
  8. Doctor Appointments
  9. Haircut Appointments
  10. Spa / Salon Appointments
  11. Self-care Time
  12. Allergy Tracker
  13. Vitamins and Supplements
  14. Mani / Pedi Appointments
  15. Weight / weight loss
  16. Symptom Tracker
  17. Food Diary
  18. Menstruation/Ovulation
  19. Body Measurements / BMI
  20. Goals
  21. Skincare Routine
  22. Teeth Whitening Schedule
  23. Mood / Emotions

Take a look at the Happy Planner Fitness and Wellness line

Hobbies

  1. Reading List
  2. Craft Projects
  3. Supply List
  4. Project Instructions
  5. Instrument Practice
  6. Sports Schedule
  7. Bucket List
  8. Fantasy Football Roster
  9. Planner Sessions
  10. Streaming Watch List
  11. Social Media Postings
  12. Gardening schedule/seed starting

Travel

  1. Itinerary
  2. Packing List
  3. Sightseeing info
  4. Hotel Information
  5. Restaurants to Try

Faith

  1. Bible Study
  2. Gratitude
  3. Prayer List
  4. Church Activities
  5. Sermon Notes
  6. Inspirational Quotes
  7. Journal Prompts
  8. Devotionals

Check out Happy Planners Faith Line

Thank you so much for reading. Don’t forget to PIN this post for later or share it with a planner friend. Also, don’t forget to check out some of my other planner posts!

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Christmas, crafts, Crafts / DIY, Happy Planner

How to Make a Happy Planner Squad Girls Ornament

by Mary Lentz1 Comment on How to Make a Happy Planner Squad Girls Ornament

Learn how to make a happy planner squad girls ornament with just a few materials in less than 15 minutes.

how to make a happy planner squad girls ornament
Some links are affiliate links. Should you make a purchase through one of the links I provide, I may receive a small percentage at no cost to you. I only link to things I love or own myself.

Hey planner babes! Welcome to my new tutorial on how to make a Happy Planner Squad Girls ornament. This year, I spent time making lots of different Happy Planner ornaments and this is just one of the cute ideas that I came up with. Be sure to check out my YouTube channel for lots of fun Happy Planner themed Christmas tutorials.

This cute ornament is filled with fake snow and looks like the squad girls are skiing in your ornament. This craft is very easy to make and you can do all kinds of fun scenes. This craft took me less than 15 minutes to make from start to finish. I’ve made a video for you to follow along with and I’ve also provided written instructions below. I really encourage you to watch the video since the instructions were hard to describe in writing. While you are there, please subscribe to my channel and don’t forget to follow my Instagram for daily inspiration.

Materials

Time needed: 15 minutes

Squad Girls Happy Planner Ornament

  1. Open up your snow globe

  2. Cut your acetate

    Cut down your acetate to a manageable sheet about 6 x 8″ and score in the middle

  3. Place stickers

    Pick out the stickers you want to use. Lay your scored acetate down so that half is flat on the table and the other half stands up towards you. Place your stickers about and inch to two inches on the acetate. You may need to reposition the stickers depending on where you want them to be.

  4. Trim down your acetate

    Trim down your acetate by cutting off any excess acetate around your sticker. Then trip your base in a half moon shape. You only need an inch or two. While you’re trimming, trim a little at a time, making sure it fits well in your globe.

  5. Apply Foam Tape

    Apply double sided foam tape to the bottom of your base. Adhere to the bottom of the globe.

  6. Add snow

    Carefully, add your fake snow. Close globe and shake gently until snow is evenly distributed.

  7. Secure

    For added security, super glue your ornament for added protection once you are certain no other adjustments are necessary

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Thanks for reading. Don’t forget to PIN this post for later or share it with another planner girl!

Crafts / DIY, Happy Planner, Organization

Adulting Happy Planner Habit Tracker Insert

by Mary Lentz1 Comment on Adulting Happy Planner Habit Tracker Insert

It’s FREEBIE time and you deserve a whole sheet of gold stars. Download your FREE Adulting Happy Planner Habit Tracker insert.

adulting happy planner habit tracker
This post contains affiliate links. Should you make a purchase through a link I provide, I may receive a small percentage at no cost to you. Your support helps offset the costs incurred with running this blog. Thank you.

Hey planner babes! It’s been a while since I’ve done a planner post. If you are new to my blog, I will tell you I’m a slightly fanatic (trying not to scare you off) fan of The Happy Planner. I’ve been a proud Happy Planner babe since 2015 and you can read all about my journey in my post, How Happy Planner Changed My Life.

Today, I’m sharing a fun FREE printable with you. Recently, someone in the MAMBI Facebook group wished that there was an adulting habit tracker. You know, something where you can give yourself gold stars for adulting. What a great idea.

I mean, I think I deserve something special for cooking instead of picking up fast food and for the fact I shaved my legs in the winter! Also, the kids being alive is a good thing. I mean, I call that a win if no one dies and I keep the cursing down to a dull roar in the car. Am I right?

Adulting Happy Planner Habit Tracker Insert

I’ve made an adulting habit tracker insert for the classic-sized Happy Planner. If I can find some time over the next couple of weeks, I’ll see if I can make other ones for the mini and the big. I’ve made it as a PDF and added some adulting wins I thought were cute. I’ve left 5 blank spaces so you can add your own as well. I know every single entry may not apply to everyone, but I’ve tried my best to write something for everyone.

If you have other ideas for inserts, be sure to let me know. I’d love to make them if I can!

How to Use Your Adulting Habit Tracker

How to use your Adulting Habit Tracker

  1. Download Your File

    Use the button below

  2. Open Your PDF file

    You’ll need Adobe Acrobat or other PDF viewing software to print it. You can download Adobe Acrobat for free here.

  3. Print out on your home computer

  4. Trim paper

    I’ve put light-colored trim lines so it fits perfectly in your planner

  5. Punch & Use

    Use your Happy Planner classic punch so you can add it to your planner.

Download Your FREE Adulting Habit Tracker

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog. By the way, my subscribers get lots of FREE printables (yes, even Happy Planner sized printables) directly to their inbox. So be sure to subscribe so you can get Happy Mail too! Don’t forget to share this post with your friends.

Also, take a look at some of my other Happy Planner posts:

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Crafts / DIY, Happy Planner, Organization

Radiate Positivity Plan With Me

by Mary Lentz1 Comment on Radiate Positivity Plan With Me

The Happy Planner has a new summer release coming to Michaels stores this summer. Let me show you how to use in this Radiate Positivity Plan With Me.

radiate positivity plan with me

Hey friend and welcome back! I love it when the Happy Planner comes out with new accessories. This summer, we’ve had so much Happy hit stores. First we had the Back to School release with both student and teacher planners and accessories. Then we had a whole new summer release of an all new Color Story as well as two main themes Radiate Positivity and Womankind.

Today, I’m doing an all new Plan With Me with a new sticker book, Radiate Positivity. Me and My Big Ideas (MAMBI) surprised us this summer with an all new release of planner accessories exclusively to Michaels stores.

Also, if you haven’t seen it they’ve also come out with these awesome Block Paper Pads (9.99). They are classic sized and ready to tear off and punch for your planner. All the block paper pads come with 100 sheets!

Supplies

You can purchase it at Michaels Stores or on the MAMBI shop. Michaels runs regular sales, but remember you can always get 40% off one regular price item by using the Michaels app.

Here is flip through of the value pack sticker book before we get started.

Radiate Positivity Plan With Me

Why tell when you can show? Here is how I used to two books in my vertical weekly spread of my classic Happy Planner ®.

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Crafts / DIY, Happy Planner, Organization, Uncategorized

12 Tips For Happy Planner Newbies

by Mary Lentz2 Comments on 12 Tips For Happy Planner Newbies

So you bought your first decorative planner! If you are new to the decorative planning world, I’m proving 12 tips for Happy planner newbies.

12 Tips for Happy Planner Newbies

12 Tips for happy planner newbies

Make It Your Own

There are no “rules” when it comes to using your planner. These days there are literally hundreds of Facebook groups and thousands of Instagram feeds with beautifully curated spreads. Ultimately, your planner should reflect you and your personality. It should be functional and actually help you get organized. It’s okay if your handwriting is terrible or if things are crossed out or highlighted. Your planner is yours and no one else’s! Don’t copy or compare yourself. Find your own planner “voice.”

Start Slowly

Confession time: I own every sticker book made by The Happy Planner ®. In fact, I even have duplicates. But then, I’ve been a Happy Planner since 2015. I’ve had a long time to acquire them. When you first get your planner it’s tempting to go a little overboard and buy every sticker book and accessory on the market. But I can tell you, it gets overwhelming for a lot of newbies. Most sticker books have around 1,000 stickers in them. Some people are overwhelmed by spending time flipping around sticker books looking for that one sticker they want. Start slowly. Buy two or three sticker books to start with. You can build your collection slowly (if you choose) over time.

Find Planner Peace

With the October release last year, I was so excited to get the Super Mom planner. After all, I’m a stay-at-home-mom, right? I should rock this thing! Until then, I had always used a vertical planner. This planner was a dashboard layout, meaning it grouped tasks into categories for you like errands, shopping lists, phone calls, etc. Four months into it and I couldn’t make it work. I struggled to decorate it. Then I suddenly realized I needed things by the day, not by the task. I went back to my vertical planner. The one that was tried and true. My point is, don’t be afraid to change what’s not working for you. Don’t hold onto it because you spent money or invested time into it. If something is stopping you from enjoying your planner or staying organized, switch things up. Find what works for you.

Decorating on a Budget

No one says you have to fill up your page with stickers. Some people use washi tape, highlighters, and markers to decorate. Washi tape is a Japanese masking tape. It’s colorful, but it’s also very inexpensive for how much you get on a roll. It comes in all different thicknesses and some even come with foiled metallic designs or glitter. This makes it a very inexpensive decorating option. When first buying washi tape, I recommend starting with basic colors. The Happy Planner has their own washi tape which coordinates well with a lot of their stickers. But Michaels, Joann, and Hobby Lobby all sell tubes and single rolls of washi tape.

Washi tape
Photo by Mary Lentz

Decorating Ahead

I love to decorate 3-4 weeks ahead. I basically plan for the current month. This is easy to do since my life is very routine-oriented. But for some people, they’re a little fearful about planning in advance. Others like to stay within the current week because their decorating corresponds with their current mood. That’s fine. As I said earlier, your planner is yours. However, your planner is also supposed to be functional. One thing that helped me, is using sticky notes as placeholders for future events. If you are worried about plans changing between now and a future event, sticky notes are a great solution. If something changes, you can easily remove or adjust without losing any real estate on your planner.

Scheduling Planner Time

Using a planner is about creating a habit. For people who have never used a planner before, it might be hard to remember to open it up. I recommend scheduling a time to plan. For me, I make time on the weekend, typically on a Sunday. I sit down to decorate and go over all my goals, appointments and tasks I need to get done. I found I have to prioritize planner time. That sounds silly, doesn’t it, but it’s true. Making time to plan has to be just as important as an appointment or anything else I have to remember. I’ve also found that it helps to keep it open on my workspace. For me as a stay-at-home mom, it’s my kitchen. I keep it open on the counter and refer back to it all day long to make sure I accomplish things.

I Bought A New Planner But I Can’t Use It Yet

So perhaps you purchased a planner, but it doesn’t begin until July or January. Fear not, if this is a classic planner, you can buy a monthly extension pack to start right away. The extension pack is available in the classic vertical and in the hourly formats. The pack comes with six months of undated sheets (date stickers included).

Do I Need More Than One Planner

Technically, no you don’t. The beauty of the Happy Planner is that you can do everything from one planner. Wellness, fitness, budgeting, faith (bible study) can all be done from your planner by using stickers as your guide. However, there are definitely people, myself included that prefer more in-depth planner help.

For example, I own a Wellness planner. I really needed some self-care after giving birth to my son. I use it to schedule “me time,” things that bring me joy, and even use it as a journal to pen thoughts and work through emotions. If you want a look at how to use it, see my post How to Use the Wellness Happy Planner. Truth be told, I own 5 planners that I use on a regular basis. (One to run this blog, my every day, my teacher planner, my wellness and my faith planner which I use for bible study.) Other people want a large focus on fitness or budgeting. If that’s the case, there are options for you, but it certainly isn’t necessary.

Wellness planner

Dashboards

I’m a little surprised by this one, but I often hear, “what are dashboards and how do I use them? Dashboards are effectively bookmarks. They are placeholders you can use to easily flip to your monthly or weekly spread. One thing, I also like to use it for is sticky notes! I love to place sticky notes on them as little reminders for things that don’t actually need to go in my planner. I know some people use it as a dry erase board. The choice is yours.

Dry Erase Boards

Which leads us to the next topic. Over the last year, the Happy Planner (MAMBI) has come out with dry erase inserts. Lots of people love the idea. I picked up as many as I could find. However, after they first came out with it, people complained that the dry erase smudged from opening and closing the planner. I highly recommend using wet erase markers like Vis-a-Vis.

New Releases

I always get asked, “when does Happy Planner come out with new product?” The Happy Planner actually has a pretty easy schedule to follow. The new year for Happy Planner actually begins in the fall, normally October. This is when the Happy Planners for the upcoming year start hitting store shelves. In the Spring, often around March or April, there is another release of sticker books, accessories and 18-month planners. These planners begin in July and continue from January to December of the next year. Later in the summer, the Teacher and Student planners and accessories are released. In between the seasonal releases, Happy Planner has started to release few other limited edition releases such as the Be Happy Box.

Planner spread

What Is the Happy Planner Squad

The Happy Planner Squad is a group of Happy Planner enthusiasts (fans like you and me). Using their Instagram accounts, they promote Happy Planner products by illustrating their designs and ways they use Happy Planner in their everyday life. These ambassadors are hand selected by the MAMBI (Me and My Big Ideas – makers of the Happy Planner) team. Once a year, they accept submissions and the rules and guidelines will be on the Happy Planner site. All are encouraged to apply, but competition is fierce. Currently, the ambassadorship commitment is one calendar year.

Before You Go

Don’t forget to PIN this post, 12 Planner Tips for Happy Planner Newbies, for later or share it with a fellow newbie. Also, don’t forget to check out my other Happy Planner posts:

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Mermaid Vibes Plan With Me

by Mary Lentz2 Comments on Mermaid Vibes Plan With Me

This vertical layout, is great to start those summer vibes. Please join me for the first in the series, Mermaid Vibes Plan With Me.

mermaid vibes plan with me

Happy Planner News

Hey there, friend. Welcome to all new series on My Beautiful Mess! I was very excited when, in May, my blog post, How Happy Planner Changed My Life, was recognized at the Go Wild planner conference in Las Vegas by the Happy Planner. Yay!

The post was first seen by Hannah and Stephanie in February and they reached out to me. I had no idea how they planned to use it, but I was very honored that they chose to share it with others.

It was such an honor and even though I didn’t make the planner squad (boo hoo), I’m still excited to be ambassador on my own. So today, I’m starting a Plan With Me series. Here I’ll show you how to decorate your Happy Planner. Hopefully, I’ll give you some ideas – but your planner should always reflect who you are!

mermaid vibes plan with me

Mermaid Vibes Plan With Me

When I think of mermaids, I think of hues of blues, greens, and purple. These colors remind me of the sea. Thankfully, in the second color story book, there are actually mermaid theme stickers.

I have found that the second colorful boxes sticker value pack have boxes that match perfectly with the color story sea stickers. This is my very first Plan With Me video, y’all so be kind! I promise I’ll get better at this.

Materials

  • Vertical planner
  • Color Story 2 Sticker book
  • Colorful boxes 2 book

Before You Go

Make sure to check out some of my other Happy Planner posts.

Also, Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog for more Happy Planner posts, printables and videos.

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Crafts / DIY, Happy Planner

Happy Planner Password Log

by Mary Lentz2 Comments on Happy Planner Password Log

Don’t forget passwords anymore! I’m sharing a FREE beautiful black, white, and blush, classic sized Happy Planner password log.

Happy Planner password log

This post contains affiliate links. Should you make a purchase through a link I provide, I may receive a small percentage at no cost to you. Your support helps me offset the costs incurred with this blog. See my full disclosure policy.

Hey there, friend! I’ve got something super cute for you today! A Happy Planner password log.

Password Keeping

Girl, I’m getting old. I can’t remember anything if I don’t write it down. Passwords are no exceptions. And these days…passwords are getting harder to remember. I mean first we just needed a capital letter. Then a capital letter and a number. Now they want special characters! What next?

Over the last couple of years, I’ve just scribbled them into a sheet in my Happy Planner ®, but as it grew, I had the need for more organization. I’m shocked that Happy Planner hasn’t come out with a password log yet, especially in the household extension pack.

So I decided to make one…at least for you and me to use that will fit inside your classic Happy Planner. Best of all, I’m offering it FREE to you here on the blog!

happy planner password log

Directions for your Happy Planner Password Log

  1. Download the PDF file at the end of this post.
  2. Print out on regular 8.5 x 11″ paper
  3. Trim down to size by following the grey trim guide lines.
  4. Punch with your classic Happy Planner punch.
  5. Enjoy and use! Subscribe to my blog for more goodies like this!
Guide lines

That’s it! Thank you for downloading my password log. I love making helpful things like this for my readers. In the comments below, I’d love to hear what other printables you’d love to see!

Download Your Happy Planner Password Log

Before you leave, check out some of my other Happy Planner related posts:

Crafts / DIY, Happy Planner

How to Use the Wellness Happy Planner

by Mary Lentz5 Comments on How to Use the Wellness Happy Planner

Take control of your emotional, mental, and physical health. Today, I’m going to show you how to use the Wellness Happy Planner.

how to use the wellness happy planner

Hey there, friend! Do you struggle to look after yourself? I know I did. As a mama of two, I was always on the back burner. But then I found the Wellness Happy Planner! I was already an avid Happy Planner, but finding this helped me schedule and prioritize, much needed “me time.” Today I’m going to show you how to use a Wellness Happy Planner ® to practice self-care.

To learn more about wellness and how to care for yourself, I encourage you to read my prior post 30 Day Wellness Challenge. In that post, I provide a FREE printable to help you get ideas for emotional, mental and physical wellness.

Also, in lieu of reading this post, you can watch a video on How to Use the Wellness Happy Planner.

What is a Wellness Planner

The question I get asked a lot is, “what is the difference between a fitness and a wellness Happy Planner?” The fitness Happy Planner is designed to track diet and exercise. The wellness planner can certainly track diet and fitness if desired, but it really offers a deeper health check of body, mind, and soul.

Available Sizes

The Wellness Happy Planner is available as an 18-month planner.

Layout

Right now the Wellness Happy Planner is a vertical format. Like the typical vertical layout, it has three boxes. However, the last box has a journal prompt with a a square grid space. You certainly don’t have to use this space for journaling. It is very easy to cover up with stickers.

how to use a wellness happy planner

The planner has monthly tabs as well as monthly spreads. The weekly side bar includes a exercise habit tracker, a small prompt and a “currently.” section. See my video below for a flip through of the new 2019-2020 Big Wellness Happy Planner.

How To Use the Wellness Happy Planner

There are endless ways to use the wellness Planner. Personally, I use it as part journal, part planner and part memory planner. I use it to express thoughts and work through emotions like a journal. I also use it to actually plan and make time for self-care. Lastly, I use it retroactively to record good things that happen to me as well as gratitude. I think of it as my own authored book of inspiration. If you are struggling with what to record or plan in your planner, here are a few ideas to help get you started.

Body

  • More water
  • Exercise routine
  • Taking walks
  • Food journaling
  • Accountability / Accountability partner
  • Sleep goals
  • Weight loss journey
  • Rest / relaxation goals
  • Spa time / Long baths
  • Skin care routines
  • Vitamins / medicine

Mind

  • Reading
  • Puzzles
  • Unplugging from electronics
  • Being mindful
  • Play an instrument
  • Writing
  • Spend time outdoors
  • Taking a class
  • Decluttering
  • Play an instrument
  • Hobbies / crafts

Soul