Why I Switched Back to a Happy Planner

Many of you are aware of my love for planners. It’s kind of an obsession of mine, and I’ve tried many. MANY.

My recent fave was a travelers notebook, which served me VERY well for two years. Then I switched to a bullet journal, which I didn’t ever really fall in love with. So that led me back to an old favorite for this year…

The Happy Planner.

It’s like coming home.

I discovered Happy Planners a few years ago, and I used one faithfully for a while. At that stage in my life, a travelers notebook fit my needs better, but now…a Happy Planner (HP) is where it’s at for me once again.

(OH. PS – this is not a sponsored post, though there may be a few affiliate links. I really just love sharing my love for Happy Planners, because they’re super amazing.)

Here’s the thing about a HP. It’s pretty basic right off the shelf. There’s lots of room for customizing it – or not. If simple and basic is what you need, a HP will fit the bill. If you want to glam it up, a HP will easily transform into a work of art. It’s all about making it work for you.

Things I love about the HP:

• There are different layouts and sizes of planners available. Pick the one that works best for you! I love the classic sized, dated layout with a seven day week, and three blocks for each day. This is perfect for me – I use one section for a to-do list, one section for meal planning, and one section for homeschooling/appts/etc. Need a smaller planner? Grab one of their (ADORABLE) mini HPs! Decide to start planning in May instead of January? Grab one of their undated planner options and get going! They make it so easy to find a planner that fits your needs.
• Loads of awesome accessories. This time around, I purchased a hard cover for my HP, and let me tell you. It is rocking my world. I HIGHLY recommend one of these if you plan to take your HP on the go. Plus it’s super cute. I also grabbed some pen loops and magnetic bookmarks, and I’m planning to pick up some elastic bands to keep my HP nice and tightly secured when it’s not being used. There’s even a lovely deluxe cover that will fully protect your HP investment…maybe I’ll need that next year?! If you are a fan of using stickers, there are TONS of those available, along with paper punches, and stencils for layouts.
• Extra bundles and inserts to help with goals and organization. Want to track your habits? Want to get serious about meal planning? 2020 is going to be the year that I get REAL serious about tracking/recording our finances, so I grabbed the budget bundle. I also picked up a set of pocket folders, and a pack of blank pages to use for notes at meetings and conferences. SOOOOOOO many fun things!

Because HPs use the disc system, adding and removing pages is a breeze. Having twelve months crammed into a HP is not always ideal – it can feel large and clunky with all those pages to lug around. So to keep my HP from being huge and unwieldy, I keep four months at a time in my planner, and store the upcoming months and pages in a big ziplock bag. I can add and remove sections easily, which makes it slimmer and much easier to travel with.

All in all, a HP is just like any other planning system: you have to make it work for you. Otherwise it will just collect dust. The more I dive into the world of planners, the more I recognize that I have to make my planner fit my needs. That’s when the magic of having an organized life begins – when you’re excited to use your planner, you know it’s a great fit for you and your lifestyle.

The girls in my family have started a little HP gang – we literally left our family Christmas gathering to make a run to Michael’s to buy Happy Planners. THESE ARE MY PEOPLE.

I live in the middle of nowhere, so I often shop on Amazon simply because it’s easiest for me. But when it comes to shopping for HP supplies, definitely check out Michael’s, Joann’s, and Hobby Lobby. They all have a great selection of HP materials and also usually have coupons/sales that make the products much more affordable. I found a lot of my planner goodies on sale or clearance at Michael’s and Joann’s when I was recently in the big city. I spent about $35 on everything (my planner PLUS all the accessories). So those sales and coupons can definitely save you some money!

What ‘s your favorite planner?