Journaling | My organized life

FoxyDori pocket and Filofax Malden

This year I’ve been SO unsettled in my planning. My journaling I have under control and I have method that encourages me to be consistent in my journaling (insert plug here for @journaling_sage on Instagram). I didn’t use my Erin Condren the last half of last year. The main reason is the fax it is big and heavy and I don’t always want to carry a large bag. Even though the Erin Condren Life Planner (ECLP) is an amazing planner, it is just too big for me. So then I tried planning in a Midori passport with a monthly and WO1P inserts, and it worked beautifully (definitely an option in the future if I want something different). While watching tons of YouTube videos, I kept seeing Filofax (Kikki K, Color Crush, Kate Spade planners). Well prior to changing to my ECLP, I used a ring system for YEARS and it worked for me. Prior to the Vera Bradley agenda, I used a Franklin Covey compact. The size and layout was very similar. I knew immediately the A5 planner is too big for me. Even if I needed that much space, I know I will stop carrying my planner. For me, my planner only works if it is always with me. So I got the Color Crush planner and I love it! The inserts are amazing and I was able to design the perfect layout for me (or at least perfect right now). The size is great, it fits in nearly any purse I carry. This is a system that is working for me.

Color Crush weekly pages

So, my system, I’m using Color Crush inserts in the binder of my choice (I’ve fallen in love with my personal Filofax Malden and I haven’t changed binders since getting it). I am also using a FoxyDori pocket in Bay leather for my every day carry (EDC). I loved my Midori passport, but I really wanted to carry a notebook that had everything I needed and wanted. My Midori passport was awesome and leaving it has broken my heart, but I just wanted one more book and my passport was pretty chunky. So I moved to my FN size notebook with some reluctance. At first, though I love the cover, I didn’t have the same excitement that I had for my passport.

Bay Leather FoxyDori pocket

Last week I spent the day decorating my FoxyDori and I LOVE it. I love her so much I’ve named her Joy. My first book I use to design my day (see Planner Perfect), my second book is an 18 month calendar using Boho Cottage inserts from Etsy, my third book is my book of lists and information that I want to carry with me, and finally my last book is for journaling. I also have a dashboard I made, a pocket I made (using the tutorial from the Creative Planner class with Cori and Christy), and a clear pocket that I made from a photo pocket.

I don’t have two different planners, per say, but I do have a calendar in both books. My EDC has the monthly calendar that is the main calendar, the master of schedule. I have weekly pages in my Filofax and I use these to plan my week and see what the week has in store. The daily pages in my EDC isn’t To Do Lists, Tasks, or schedule. It is a picture of what my day will look like, what I want it to look like. It may include some aspects of a traditional planner, but it is really a vision of my day and how I can use today to accomplish my goals (not tasks, goals). In my Filofax I keep my Master To Do List and the lists necessary to manage my family.

FoxyDori top view

FoxyDori side view

June Book and Dashboard

Monthly calendar using Boho Cottage Inserts on Etsy

Pocket Folder and clear pocket

Inside Pocket Folder

I have found a new obsession, the Midori Traveler’s Notebook. I’ve debated for over a year about this product until I finally gave in two months ago. It has been two months, and I’m in love. I’m in love to the point I moved my planning from my Erin Condren Life Planner to the Midori Passport. I love my Erin Condren, but to carry it with me, I had to carry a special bag or purse. I don’t follow the current trend of big purses, so to have a planner in my purse that I use is perfect. I use my Midori to plan and keep lists and it is wonderful. What do I love about the Midori? It is gorgeous. It looks old and loved and the leather feels and smells wonderful. I have two thin books and one fat book in my passport. A kraft folder is the only other insert I use. My passport is fat and the inserts sit outside the cover a little. I am a perfectionist, yet this imperfection doesn’t bother me.

I carry my Midori with me everywhere, in and outside the house. I can’t wait to take it to the Smoky Mountains at the end of the month. This little gem has kept me entertained for hours by planning, doodling, drawing, journaling, and list making. If you are debating about a Midori or a Midori style notebook, I strongly encourage you to make the leap. I love the original Midori and it is my preference. Before you invest in the notebook, know your purpose and personality. A fauxdori may be a better option for you than a Midori. If you do the research and listen to your heart and not outside opinion, you will find the right notebook for you. Pinterest and Etsy will lead you to additional resources on the Midori. If you search Midori Traveler’s Notebook in YouTube, you will find a lot of wonderful information. One of the videos, Midori 101 will give you the basics.