It’s FREEBIE time and you deserve a whole sheet of gold stars. Download your FREE Adulting Happy Planner Habit Tracker insert.
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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
Download Your File
Use the button below
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.
Print out on your home computer
Trim paper
I’ve put light-colored trim lines so it fits perfectly in your planner
Punch & Use
Use your Happy Planner classic punch so you can add it to your planner.
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:
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.
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!
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 ®.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
Don’t forget passwords anymore! I’m sharing a FREE beautiful black, white, and blush, classic sized 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!
Directions for your Happy Planner Password Log
Download the PDF file at the end of this post.
Print out on regular 8.5 x 11″ paper
Trim down to size by following the grey trim guide lines.
Enjoy and use! Subscribe to my blog for more goodies like this!
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!
Girl, Happy Planner makes menu planning fun. At the very least, you won’t mind doing it! Today I’m going to show you 8 Ways to Menu Plan with Happy Planner. You can thank me later.
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. Read my full disclosure policy here.
Hey there and welcome! Today we’re going to talk about menu planning. No wait, don’t go! I have good news. Happy Planner makes it fun. If you don’t know about Happy Planner, make sure you read my post How Happy Planner Changed My Life.
Now we aren’t going to get into how to create menu plans, as in how to choose which meals to rotate. I actually discuss that in another post. If you haven’t read my post, Easy Menu Planning, go read it. Go on, we’ll wait for you.
Today we’re just going to chat about how to record your menu plans. So I’m going to show you 8 ways to menu plan with your Happy Planner.
Ways to Menu Plan With Happy Planner
Menu Planner Half Sheets
Okay, you may even wonder why I bring this up. Chances are if you’ve been using Happy Planner ®, you’ve been using these forever. Well, I’m sharing it because there are still a bunch of newbs out there! Every day, Happy Planner converts more people into the obsessive, creative planning world. That’s right, come to the dark side…we have stickers! God knows I have converted more than 30 friends and acquaintances.
In all seriousness though, I’m writing this first idea for the planner newbie who isn’t sure about the basics. Happy Planner actually makes half sheets that are specifically for meal planning. On one side are the days of the week. The reverse side has a grocery list. Super. Easy.
Whether you are doing a online grocery order or heading out to a bricks and mortar store, this will save you time. A piece of advice: splurge on the Food Value Sticker Book. It will make menu planning extra fun!
The Weekly Spread
This is probably one of the more popular ways. This is how I used to record my meal plans until I was more selective about my weekly planner space. It doesn’t matter what layout you have, there are stickers for every need and every space. Can I get a Hallelujah?!
Also, don’t rule out the power of the dash board. I love using it to write sticky notes to myself. Additionally, the Happy Planner came out with a meal planning coordinating pack and clear stamps.
Household Extension Pack
Back in the old days, one of the first extension packs was the Household Extension packs. I loved it and helped me keep my chores done so I could sip wine and have a bubble bath instead of folding clothes at the end of the day. #WINNING
Then, like always Happy Planner outdesigned themselves and came out with an updated version of the Household Extension Pack.
It includes:
Chores
Menu Planning
Budget
Projects
On the front you have all seven days of the week with a side-by-side grocery list. On the back, the grocery list continues as well as a planning section for snacks and quick bites. It also includes an area for meal prep or for a recipe. I love this section for writing down recipes so I don’t have to search for it on Pinterest when I’m trying to make it on a school night.
Monthly Spread
Wait…the monthly spread?Hear me out, girl. I know planning a month at a time scares the bejeezus out of you. Let me tell you, you can actually save money by doing so. You can include staples over the month so things like Costco and Sam’s Club make sense. You can plan to actually use leftovers. I know what you’re thinking. What if my plans change?
If you’re really freaked out by planning so far in advance, don’t. You can fill it in a week at a time. Also, don’t forget about those super cute Happy Planner post-its. Like the ones you’ve been stashing away in your craft cart? Come on, girl. Use them! Post its are great for things that you don’t want to memorialize (e.g. like concrete) in your planner. If plans change you can easily move it to another day. Also, if plans fall through completely, simply throw it away and you haven’t lost any prime real estate on your planner. I always use post its for plans that are tentative. You’re welcome.
Daily Half Sheets
My next suggestion is to use any weekly half sheet. What??Like the ones that just have the days of the week on them? Yup, those! They can capture any schedule you choose, including your dining schedule! Again, it’s up to you if you plan on capturing all three meals or just dinner plans.
Below, is a picture of one of my actual menu schedules. As you can see, it’s very easy to use. Just don’t judge me for having Tuna on Rye twice. I love it.
Sidebar
One of the simplest, yet best features in a Happy Planner is the sidebar. The sidebar can be used for so many things, but personally, I love using it for lists. Enter…menu planning. That’s right, girl. Just go ahead and park that sweet little menu plan in that parking spot. It makes it easy to refer to it all week! In fact, some value sticker books have heading stickers and list style sidebar stickers. However, the Household value sticker book contains weekly menu plan stickers that fit perfectly in the sidebar.
Fitness or Wellness Planner
Both the fitness and wellness planner can also be used to track menus. In fact, if you’re dieting, it really does help to write down what you eat because it makes you conscious of what you put in your mouth. Take it from someone who once lost 183 pounds.
There are two fitness planners: the classic fitness and Healthy Hero. Both allow for tracking meals. One thing I started doing this year, was merging my fitness into my wellness planner. If you aren’t familiar with the wellness planner, it’s a planner that focuses more on your body, mind, and soul as opposed to just your body or fitness. But you can certainly adapt it to include your menu or dieting plan.
Menu Planning with the Wellness Planner
Dry Erase Boards
Okay, now for the pièce de résistance…dry erase boards. Dry erase boards made their appearance with the late year / New year release. The dry erase boards were part of the Super Mom, Socialite, Faith Warrior, and Healthy Hero product lines.
I would make one small caution. The dry erase can sometimes smudge off if you are opening and closing your planner a lot. I don’t have that problem because I keep it open all the time on my desk or counter. However, if this becomes a problem for you, simply use wet erase and the problem is solved. I’ve put some of my favorite dry erase and wet erase supplies below.
There you go, 8 ways to menu plan with Happy Planner! I hope I’ve made this humdrum chore a little easier!
I know what you’re thinking. My title is dramatic! It’s just a planner. Wrong. It’s a Happy Planner and true to it’s name, it actually made me happier! Here is how Happy Planner changed my life.
One Hot Mess
With an appointment based job, I had always used a planner. When I left the workforce, I remember throwing away my dull, black hourly planner. After all, I was going to be a stay-at-home mom. What did I need a planner for? Stay-at-home moms have all the time in the world, right? Seriously, I thought there would be time for Netflix, Beachbody and scrapbooking. I know…I was clueless! Believe me, I learned the hard way.
Can I be really honest for a second? It’s going to sound awful. But for the first part of that first year, I really hated being a stay-at-home mom. I had lost my identity. But worse, I felt like I was failing at everything!
Mounds of laundry stared at me from my couch. Hampers were spilling over. Dishes were piled in the sink. I’m a hard worker. But I was seriously failing at every chore and responsibility I had. I double-booked myself all the time and flat out forgot my appointments. Also, I was struggling to adjust to only having one income supporting us. I was a mess.
Nothing Else Calmed the Chaos
I tried putting appointments in my phone. After all, this thousand dollar iPhone has to be good for something, right? It can set an alarm to go off so you don’t miss things. Honestly, half the time I forgot to even put things in it. I’ve always worked better with paper, where I can scribble thoughts and write notes to myself. The phone’s calendar really doesn’t allow for that. I even went back to my boring planner, but I had no motivation to open it up.
Discovering Happy Planner ®
I can recall the first day I discovered Happy Planner. It was an exceptionally rough day. I felt like a failure. I was at Hobby Lobby for some scrapbooking stuff and I stumbled across a Happy Planner. Let me say, this was years ago. Back when there was only a couple of covers to choose from. It was a simple black and white striped cover. I remember reluctantly putting it in my cart. Almost like it was a waste of money. Would I really use it? I specifically remember thinking, “maybe if it’s pretty and I can decorate it, I’ll want to use it.” (I’m pretty sure that is the business model of Happy Planner.) Isn’t that why many people don’t use a planner? They forget to open it up and use it!
And the sticker books? Girl, I was a Happy Planner babe before it was cool! Me and My Big Ideas had been around for a while. I had bought their scrapbooking stuff before. But this was still in the infancy of the Happy Planner. This is back in the day before value pack stickers even existed! There was a handful of 4 page sticker packs and the designs were fairly simple still. Can you imagine a time before metallic foiled stickers? It existed. I was there for it! These days, there are hundreds of gorgeous accessories!
Happy Planner Changed My Life
It Got My Creative Juices Flowing
Switching to Happy Planner totally worked. If you are unfamiliar with it, the pages within are beautiful and cheerful. The monthly dividers are gorgeous and often have inspirational quotes and sayings. Just thumbing through the pages is like opening a book of happiness! And no….Eric Condren doesn’t even come close to measuring up! (Sorry not sorry, Erin). These days, the stickers are to die for…like so pretty you almost don’t want to use them! So pretty, you convince yourself you need every single sticker book. So pretty that you’ll stand near an empty display shelf while a Michael’s employee unboxes the newest release. (Yes, I’ve done that!)
But in all seriousness, it worked. I had no time for arts & crafts. I was a trained artist in Europe. Living without creativity in my life was depressing. Being able to decorate my planner totally made me feel like I got my artistic yearnings out everyday!
It Increased My Self-Worth
Let me be even more personal. Being a stay-at-home mom is really hard. There are no raises or promotions if you do a good job. There are no IDPs and annual performance reviews. No one is there motivating you to do better. You can feel alone and invisible.
I doubt the ladies over at Happy Planner know just how much those cute little motivational quotes actually do motivate me. No one was feeding me positivity…that is until I found Happy Planner. There are days where I totally don’t feel like adulting and I open my Happy Planner and see exactly what I need to get moving. And as much as I hate to admit this publicly, I need my “gold stars” for a job well done. I need to feel like it matters.
I know what you’re thinking. “It’s a planner for goodness sake!” Happy Planner changed my life. First, it keeps me on task and helps me accomplish things (duh, it’s a planner). Secondly, it’s a record of my motherhood journey – every playdate, every birthday party, their milestones and memories are lovingly recorded in it’s pages. I use their wellness planner to maintain a work/life balance as a mom. It helps me prioritize “me time” and has helped me with my anxiety and depression issues. Their fitness planner helped me track my Gestational Diabetes diet (even my OBGYN was impressed). Furthermore, I use their budget accessories to keep me financially disciplined.
It Gave Me Back Control
When I first started staying home, I felt out of control. Frazzled. Overwhelmed. I was a steamy, hot mess! But using a Happy Planner has helped me gain control in every area of my life. I use the Faith Planner to help me maintain my relationship with God. Before the kids get up, I make my coffee, read The Word, and do my bible study. I use the Miss Maker one just for this blog. I use the Teacher Planner for our homeschooling. Honestly, I love it. When I wake up and am tempted to take a day off from homeschooling, all those inspiring teaching and learning quotes, make me want to get back at it and slay the day! It reminds me why I’m doing this! Happy planner changed my life.
It’s Flexible
One thing everyone loves about the Happy Planner is that it is completely customizable. It doesn’t matter if you need hourly, weekly, or a dashboard layout. They’ve got them all! But my favorite part is the discs. The innovative disc system allows you to remove and place any accessories where you want them. And boy do they have accessories! Plastic envelopes, dividers, folders, daily sheets, dry erase boards, more. I’ll be sharing more about the accessories in a follow-up post on how to use a Happy Planner to get organized. My point is just that you can tailor it to work for you and your needs. Above all, I love that it’s so flexible to fit my needs.
Over the last few years, I’ve converted so many people over to Happy Planner: friends, family, old co-workers, other moms – even my husband. I had to find a way to make it less girly for him, but he was anxious to see if would help him since he saw a miraculous transformation in me. It worked for him too. I’m so enthusiastic about Happy Planner because it really did help me plan a happy life.
Be sure to check out some of my other Happy Planner posts:
The holidays are so chaotic. Staying organized can be a real challenge! Today, I’m offering a great tool to help keep you sane and keep you on task with all the things you have to do during the holidays. My Christmas Planner printable will make your life so much easier this Christmas!
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Get organized and control chaos this holiday season. This planner will help you stay on task of holiday hosting, traveling, baking / cooking, as well as shopping and gift-giving.
WHAT YOU GET:
24 Planner Pages!
GIFT GIVING / SHOPPING:
– Gift Idea List
– Stocking Stuffer Ideas
– Christmas Budget Worksheet
– Gift Idea Profile (for those who are hard to shop for)
– Gift Tracker, Long Version
– Gift Tracker, Short Version
– Online Order Tracker
– Black Friday Wish List / Tracker
MEAL PLANNING:
– Menu Plan with Grocery List
– Recipe Page
EVENT PLANNING
– Christmas Eve Daily Planner
– Christmas Day Daily Planner
– Party Planning Worksheet
OTHER:
– Planner Covers – Bar Style
– Planner Cover – Open Wreath
– Planner Cover – Full Wreath
– Undated November Calendar (Use this planner every year!)
– Undated December Calendar
– Christmas Card Tracker
– Christmas Decoration Inventory
– Travel Plans Itinerary
– Christmas Bucket List
– To Do List
– Notes Page
FORMAT: Letter Size (8.5″ x 11″) in PDF – You’ll need Adobe Acrobat 5.0 or later or some other .PDF viewing software.
** THIS ITEM IS AN INSTANT DOWNLOAD. NO PHYSICAL ITEMS WILL BE DELIVERED **
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