organization

Acrylic Stamp Organization Part II

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Hi Guys! Come on in and see what I’m doing today!

Acrylic Stamp Organization Part II. My stamps were a HOT MESS! No really . . . A. Hot. Mess.

Big Picture Goal: Find a stamp in under 60 seconds!!!!

Problems:
*They were in a fabric bin I had to dig through
*They were all mixed together
*I didn’t know what I had
*I couldn’t find what I was looking for
*I wasn’t using them as often as I should
*New stamp sets get thrown in the bin

Solutions:
**Jennifer McGuire Ink – she has a series of craft organization videos
**ScrapRack – Tiffany Spaulding has a series of “Get your ‘craft’ organized” challenges

In Monday’s blog, I showed my setup for my stamp storage supplies – what I need when I get a new stamp set. In this blog, I will show how I organize my stamp sets. In Friday’s blog, I will show you how I set up a catalog of my stamps and how it will help me find stamp sets quickly!

I am storing my stamp storage supplies in an InterDesign Linus Container that I purchased on Amazon.

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I am using Jennifer McGuire‘s method for storing my stamp sets. I’ll put each stamp set in its own storage pocket with a piece of white cardstock behind it.

These are the Stamp Pockets I used:
Simon Says Storage Sleeves 5.63 x 7.38
Simon Says Tall Stamp Pockets 5.6875 x 8.625
Simon Says Clear Bags 6×10
Simon Says Background Stamp Pocket 6.758 x 6.75
Simon Says Die Pockets 5×5
Simon Says Stencil Pockets 6 7/16″ x 6 1/4″

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I am using plastic “cheat sheets” to cut the cardstock that fits in the stamp pockets. The cardstock adds stability to the pockets so they stand upright instead of flopping over. They also give a white background and makes the stamps easier to see and read.

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I used my labelmaker and made labels for each stamp set. The label has the name of the company, stamp set number (Close to My Heart numbers theirs, other company stamp sets got numbers like 101-1, 101-2, etc.), and the name of the stamp set.

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At first, I sorted the stamps according to category . . . BUT then I realized that I would still have to look through the stamps to find what I want . . . Also, some of the stamps fit into more than one category – hmm, that’s a BIG problem  . . . PLAN B, lol.

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So . . . I resorted according to company, and I’m going to make a catalog that is arranged using Tiffany Spaulding’s system – by theme and calendar. She has an organization system that I think will work for me.

The catalog will then go in my ScrapRack – you don’t have to have a ScrapRack, you can use a binder, still just as easy to look through and easily find what you’re looking for.

Each of my stamp sets are now in storage pockets, labeled, and organized in the bins according to company.

Stay tuned for Part 3 – stamp set catalog.

Hey, if you’d like to see some of my other projects, check out my Instagram and Pinterest board, and I would LOVE it if you would follow me.

As always, I’m Livin’ the Moments . . .

Acrylic Stamp Organization Part I

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Hi Guys! Come on in and see what I’m doing today!

I am tackling my acrylic stamp storage. My stamps were a HOT MESS!

Big Picture Goal: Find a stamp in under 60 seconds!!!!

Problems:
*They were in a fabric bin I had to dig through
*They were all mixed together
*I didn’t know what I had
*I couldn’t find what I was looking for
*I wasn’t using them as often as I should
*New stamp sets get thrown in the bin

Solutions:
**Jennifer McGuire Ink – she has a series of craft organization videos
**ScrapRack – Tiffany Spaulding has a series of “Get your ‘craft’ organized” challenges

In this blog, I will show my setup for my stamp storage supplies – what I need when I get a new stamp set. In Wednesday’s blog, I will show how I organize my stamp sets. In Friday’s blog, I will show you how I set up a catalog of my stamps and how it will help me find stamp sets quickly!

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Today’s blog uses Jennifer McGuire Ink’s video “Staying Organized – Stamp and Die Storage Storage” for inspiration. Organization only works if you customize it to YOU and how YOU operate . . . just sayin’ . . .

So, an important tool in this organization process is labeling. I use a brother P-touch labelmaker I’ve had for a long time – you can just handwrite on labels if you want, you can use sticky notes, however you want to label is fine.
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I cut up plastic folders to make dividers – you can use cardstock, or any other heavy material, as well. These are some I just happened to have – I used them in my classroom, and these were extras.

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I cut the folders into 7 1/4” x 9” pieces and used my We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper to round the edges – I like them rounded, ok? (my husband thought that was a silly thing to do – I may have just a little OCD).

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Then I made Jennifer McGuire’s “cheat sheets” for each size of pockets I’m going to use. The cheat sheets are so I know what size the inserts should be when I need to cut more.

At first I thought this was just over-the-top effort, but having the insert dimensions labeled on the cheat sheets is really handy when I get new stamps. No more throwing the stamp sets into a bin and organizing them later!!!!

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I am storing my stamp storage supplies in an InterDesign Linus Container that I purchased on Amazon.

These are the Stamp Pockets I used:
Simon Says Storage Sleeves 5.63 x 7.38
Simon Says Tall Stamp Pockets 5.6875 x 8.625
Simon Says Clear Bags 6×10
Simon Says Background Stamp Pocket 6.758 x 6.75
Simon Says Die Pockets 5×5
Simon Says Stencil Pockets 6 7/16″ x 6 1/4″

So, this is what I’m going to use when I get a new stamp set. In my next blog, I will show you how I organize the stamp sets. Stay tuned . . .

Hey, if you’d like to see some of my other projects, check out my Instagram and Pinterest board, and I would LOVE it if you would follow me.

As always, I’m Livin’ the Moments . . .

March Cocoa Daisy Plan With Me

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Hi Guys! Come on in and see what I’m doing today!

I am putting my March Cocoa Daisy Personal Day Planner kit to use. The theme of the kit is happy doggies – and they so are.

I start the setup with the month-on-two-pages calendar. I put all of the appointments, birthdays, activities that I know of for the month on the calendar and then fill in with stickers, ephemera and stamps.

I had fun using the kits’ stamps – lots of puppies!! My favorite stamp is the basset hound – my daughter has one and she is adorable!

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Here are the week-on-one-page’s for the month. Love the colors this month – blues, yellows, and coral.

I do the entire month setup at one time and then add in what I need to when it comes up. Hey, look, I’m going to Jamaica at the end of the month – WOOHOO!!!!

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Week One. The month doesn’t start until Tuesday, so I filled in the beginning with the March hexagon ephemera – love it; the weather stickers – March is a mixed bag of weather; a latte and tea cup – both beverages I love!!

I used all of the dog stamps because they are just plain adorable!!

See the dog stickers split between two pages up in the corners? So darned cute!

I also used the “weekend” stamp and put the “Happy” stamp in front of it – “HAPPY weekend” – they usually are, thank you very much, lol.

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Week Two. I used some of the Evalicious Life’s Sweet round stickers to make tabs for each week. Sometimes I have to flip to another week and the tabs make it easy to find them.

I put the “Spring Fever” stamp on this week because this is about when I am just sick of winter and looking forward to getting outside in the warmer weather.

I think “Planner Nerd” is the best new term I’ve learned since I started planning – it makes us look cool . . .

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Week Three. More dog stamps. Daylight Savings time change. St. Patrick’s Day. Big week!

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Week Four. Slow week. Still . . . lots of puppies – lovin’ them so much!

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Week Five. This week begins with Easter and heading to Jamaica on Monday for spring break – Yay!!!!

My husband and I have been married for 35 years and haven’t been on a “get on an airplane and get away” vacation in four years – I am reallllllly looking forward to some sand, some sun, some water, and maybe a few cocktails.

Hey, if you’d like to see some of my other projects, check out my Instagram and Pinterest board, and I would LOVE it if you would follow me.

As always, I’m Livin’ the Moments . . .

January Paper Panduh Plan With Me

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Hi Guys! Come on in and see what I’m doing today!

I have this awesome view when I am planning . . .

I mean . . . this view + a pot of tea + planner supplies = Heaven On Earth

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I use a Plum Paper Planner for my Blog planning. I took the pages off the spiral and used washi to cover the edges and repunched the holes. They live in my Lavender Kikki k.

Here is the January Paper Panduh kit on the month-on-two-pages.

I used some of the heidi swapp stickers to make tabs on the top – I like tabs so I can find each week quickly and not have to leaf through the pages.

There is a week and a half of open days at the end of February, so I used the washi tape, washi strips, and rose stickers to fill in and pretty it up. I LOVE how that looks.

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This is the first half of the first week. I used some raspberry washi to separate the sections and the planner stickers from the kit. Washi tape is like the BEST thing to happen to decorating – my daughter even used it to make airplanes on her son’s bedroom wall – pretty cool.

I’ve said this before, but I don’t really like roller stampers – I don’t like the way the stamps look – my OCD, I guess. But, I used it anyway this month.

I have a CherryOnTop marker that is a really lovely shade of pink that I’m going to use to fill in the dates.

This is my favorite color scheme/theme of any kit I’ve ever gotten – it’s pretty – it’s pink – it’s girly – I.Love.It.

Hey, if you’d like to see some of my other projects, check out my Instagram and Pinterest board, and I would LOVE it if you would follow me.

As always, I’m Livin’ the Moments . . .

Chic Sparrow Midori

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Hi Guys! Come on in and see what I’m doing today!

I have been eyeing Midori’s for a while and I finally ordered one. I got it from ChicSparrow. It is a Dark Chocolate Narrow Creme Brûlée Deluxe.

What is a Midori? It’s a portable leather cover that has elastic straps inside it that will hold inserts. Inserts can have blank pages, lined pages, grid pages, or dotted pages.

The package was inside a Post Office mailer envelope and this is what it looked like when I took it out of its package. Aaaaaaagh! I love Kraft gift wrap and red and white baker’s twine – I wrap my Christmas gifts just like this. The stamped feather on the front is just plain awesome!

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These two inserts were included inside the package. The top one talks about the leather and how to take care of it – AWESOME! I have to oil it???? What kind of oil?????

The bottom one is a thank you for buying their product and has their social media information.

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For $4.99 I had them engrave “gagegirl” on the front in Goudy Cursive – O M G, I LOVE IT!!!!!!

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Here is the front – it’s actually more brown than this picture shows – it’s definitely chocolate brown in real life. Oooooh, it is just beautiful!!!! AND THE SOFTEST LEATHER EVER!!!!!

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Inside the front cover there are three pockets that can hold business card sized items.

Behind that is another pocket that is the full length of the Midori.

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Here is the February Cocoa Daisy Dori insert.

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This Midori easily holds four inserts – here is a side view.

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Here is a bottom view.

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Inside the back cover is an angled pocket and a pen holder.

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Here is the February Cocoa Daisy Dori kit – there are “Pretty Planner Things Inside.”

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The Cocoa Daisy Dori has a Kraft embossed cover that says “Start Here.”

The pages include:
• A monthly calendar
• 3 lined journaling pages
• 11 blank pages
• 10 graph pages with 7 sections
• 10 unlined pages with 3 sections
• The last page has a design

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Included are 3 ribbon Planner clips from Perfect Papery – one pink, one yellow and one red and white with a heart button.

Hey, if you’d like to see some of my other projects, check out my Instagram and Pinterest board, and I would LOVE it if you would follow me.

As always, I’m Livin’ the Moments . . .

February Cocoa Daisy Day Planner Plan With Me

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Hi Guys! Come on in and see what I’m doing today!

I broke out the February Cocoa Daisy Day Planner Kit and put my February pages together.

Here is the adorable ‘Simon in a dapper suit’ notepad, the month-on-one-page, and the month checklist.

My goal for this month’s kit is to try to use as much of the kit pieces as possible – there were LOTS of hearts – you’ll see.

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Here is the month-on-two-pages. I used the page reinforcers on these two pages because I flip to them frequently.

The pen is a pink Pilot Frixion erasable pen. I use erasable pens because sometimes I have to change an appointment (and I might make a mistake once in a while . . . or maybe more than once in a while . . . maybe).

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Here’s the goal page and the first week-on-one-page. I use the paperclips to help divide the sections up – decorative AND functional.

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Here is my Week 1 on two pages. I made wide tabs out of the wide heart washi and added the Heidi Swapp numbers to them – I can easily find the week I want. I entered the appointments and information I know ahead of time.

Simon loves nerdy girls . . .

I added some hearts . . .

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Here is Week 2. I ran the thin heart washi along the top of both pages and along the bottom of one.

The gold heart-shaped paperclip is AWESOME! It’s really strong and holds the pages perfectly.

I added some hearts . . .

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Here is Week 3. I clipped the red glittered bow to the top – super cute!

I also added some hearts . . .

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This is Week 4. Not a lot going on this week. I used the other gold heart-shaped clip on this page.

And . . . I added some hearts . . .

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Finally, here is Week 5. There are only two days in February this week, so I used the wide washi and covered the open spaces.

Oh look . . . more hearts . . . lol

Hey, if you’d like to see some of my other projects, check out my Instagram and Pinterest board, and I would LOVE it if you would follow me.

As always, I’m Livin’ the Moments . . .

Paper Organization

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Hi Guys! Come on in and see what I’m doing today!

Paper Organization!

It is TIME. To Do SOMETHING. With my paper!!

I use Close To My Heart cardstock because it cuts perfectly in my AWESOME Cricut Explore. It comes in packs of 25 sheets wrapped in thin cellophane and is not meant to be permanent storage. My current storage (a milk crate) makes it difficult to see the colors and getting it out and putting it away is a pain – ugh!! I end up just piling it on top of the crate – Not Ideal . . .

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So . . . I got some CTMH Paper Envelopes . . .

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They come in packs of 3 and hold the 12” x 12” packs of 25 sheets of cardstock perfectly.

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Jennifer McGuire has a really useful video of how she organizes her paper – I kind of modeled my storage process after what she did.

I used my Brother labelmaker and printed labels for the pockets – an amazing thing I learned from Jennifer was how to chain print labels without wasting the label material – okay, yes, how to chain print is in the instructions – but who reads instructions???? I’m a visual learner, so watching her step-by-step process made it so easy for me to understand!

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Here are the pockets I have done so far – I need about 12 more – but you get the idea. No more bent, loose paper – YAY!!!!

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This is a shot showing the labels on the pockets. I’m wondering if I should put labels on both sides of the envelopes – I’ll see if I need to . . .

The only thing I’ve noticed so far is that the snap on the CTMH envelopes makes them thicker – I had to split the envelopes up between two cubes. Also, my bulk quantity of White Daisy and Colonial White don’t fit in the envelopes – I’m going to have to split them into two envelopes . . .

Hey, if you’d like to see some of my other projects, check out my Instagram and Pinterest board, and I would LOVE it if you would follow me.

As always, I’m Livin’ the Moments . . .

2016 Goals

Hi Guys! Come on in and see what I’m doing today!

I’m working on my 2016 goals. There will be some big changes in my life this year. I am retiring from teaching at the end of May and we are selling our townhouse – we will no longer have a residence in the town where we have lived for the last 30 years. We will live permanently at our lakehouse in Indiana. I still plan on working part-time, at least for a while, and we will stay with our daughter whenever we need to be in town.

A new chapter begins!!
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So . . . the first thing I did was a “brain dump.” I first heard about this concept from Alexis’ Strange and Charmed blog/videos. In a very simplified explanation, it is a way of emptying your brain of all the stuff that’s in there – you are dumping your brain. Above is my “brain dump.”
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Then I went through my brain dump and organized it into a list. I’m getting closer to my 2016 goals . . .

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I joined The ResetGirl’s Goal Getters Club Facebook group (LOVE THE NAME), recently created by Cori Spieker, and she begins her introduction with:
“I have had a vision for building a positive resource for planner girls to gather and encourage each other for a long time! I am so glad you are here and hope you find what you need to make changes and create your own happiness!”

The group is organized into different areas, such as Personal Development, Work/Life Balance, Finances, Relationships, Organization, Self Care/Fitness/Faith, and Career/Entrepreneurship.

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She has some free files I am using to help me start organizing my 2016 goals. The first file I used was the “My Word For the Year.” My word last year was “motivate,” and I chose that word because I was really spinning my wheels about what I wanted to accomplish and wasn’t getting anywhere on my own. Heidi Swapp introduced me to the “Word of the Year” concept last January and it really helped me BE motivated – I started a blog in the summer and have written three blogs a week since I started – who knew that one little word could make all the difference????

So . . . this year, my word is “Moments.” Again, Heidi Swapp was my inspiration – she encourages you to write down one little thing that happens every day so you can “Stop the Blur.” Honestly, I don’t write down something every day – I tried – didn’t work. However, I do use an app on my phone called “Collect” and I took a picture EVERY DAY THIS YEAR! I recruited my family to send me a “Pic of the Day” whenever they had something they wanted to share. Now I have an awesome collection of memories that range from momentous occasions during the year to simple everyday moments. I have 365+ memories of 2015 to look back on . . . an unbelievable feat!!!!

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The Reset Girl has another page for categorizing goals. So after organizing my 2016 goals, I entered each one into the category where it fit the best – a super easy way to organize that crazy list I came up with.

My Big Vision Goals are to open an Etsy shop, and to increase my social media numbers. My Self Care Goals are to read 18 books this year (I read 11 last year), and to take a bubble bath every Sunday. No Spiritual Goals . . . No Financial Goals . . . Family Life Goals are to retire, sell the townhouse, and get a part-time job. I Want to Do goal is to organize my craft supplies. I Want to Learn to make Planner stickers, and to take better pictures with my new DSLR camera. No Habits to Break . . . Habits to Develop are to set a daily schedule, schedule blogs two weeks ahead, make Sunday Planning Day, and make monthly goals.

Phew, it’s a work in progress, lol . . .

Hey, if you’d like to see some of my other projects, check out my Instagram and Pinterest board, and I would LOVE it if you would follow me.

As always, I’m Livin’ the Moments . . .

January 2016 Cocoa Daisy Plan With Me

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Hi Guys! Come on in and see what I’m doing today!

Here’s my January 2016 Cocoa Daisy Plan With Me in action. Above is the Month-at-a-Glance and a NEW PAGE for whatever you want – I’m going to use it for my Monthly To Do’s. It has check boxes so you can keep track of what you’ve done as well as what you have to do yet.

Don’t you just love the colors? They’re a warm mix of oranges, reds and yellows in an African/animal pattern.

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Here is my Month-on-two-pages. This page gives me an overview of my month. It’s an easy place to refer to and see what I have coming up. There are touches of pink scattered throughout the kit – here you see it on the flamingos.

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This is also a NEW PAGE – I am going to use it as an overview of my goals for the year.

Setting big and small goals is important for me so I can make sure I’m actually going somewhere rather than staying in one place and treading water – I like to think I make progress somewhere, lol. This year I utilized my planners to keep myself organized and on a schedule.

I’ll be working on my 2016 goals next week – I might blog about it . . . we’ll see . . .

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This is my first week-at-a-glance, which only consists of two days – so I used some of the washi tape to decorate the first five days – that was sooooooo fun! Maybe a little much??? Naaaah . . .

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I like these goal pages at the beginning of each week – another place to reinforce my goals – I was thinking I would make my list of yearly goals on the first goal page and detail some of them on these weekly pages.

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Here is the 1st Week-on-two-pages spread. Again, there were only two days to fill in, so I used stickers and washi tape to decorate the empty space. Fun!!!

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Here is the 2nd Week-on-two-pages spread. I start out filling in birthdays and school dates, hair appointments, doctor/dentist appointments. I used some gold triangle numbers to label the dates. I also used some of the tabs at the top of the page to make it easy to find each week.

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Here is the 3rd Week-on-two-pages spread. Can you tell I’m trying to use all my stuff????

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This is the 4th Week-on-two-pages spread. I love the giraffe. I’m also layering stickers more – an easy way to get a different look.
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And . . . here is the final Week-on-two-pages spread. Decorating the pages is a lot of fun, but honestly, it takes quite a bit of time. I watch YouTube videos to get new ideas – layering the stickers, for example. Sometimes I just let the supplies tell me what to do – sometimes it works out great – sometimes not so much!!!

One of the reasons I get a monthly subscription is to keep up with the trends. Did you know that the Pantone colors for 2016 are Serenity (a light blue) and Rose Quartz (a light pink). I’m looking forward to using these colors . . .

Hey, if you’d like to see some of my other projects, check out my Instagram and Pinterest board, and I would LOVE it if you would follow me.

As always, I’m Livin’ the Moments . . .

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CTMH Everyday Life Planner

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Hi Guys! Come see the CTMH Everyday Life planner that became available December 1, 2015. It’s a pretty, basic planner . . . It has really pretty colors and is an affordable planner for the beginner or for someone that wants a simple planner that also looks “pretty.”

Planners can be whatever you want them to be – you can use them strictly as an agenda of reminders and dates for the month – or you can use them as a creative outlet and beautify them with stickers . . . and washi . . . and stamps . . . and whatever you feel like doing. It’s YOUR organization tool – make it whatever you want it to be.

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The bundle came with a roller stamp that has all the basic stamps you would need for planning:

To Do
Due Date
Shopping List
Menu
Pay Day
Don’t Forget
No School (my favorite)
Birthday
Party
Vacation
Checklist boxes
Hearts

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The binder has 3 rings, is black and has a gold floral design on the front. I would think you could decorate the binder with the year, or your name, and some people even name their binders (I’ve never done that, but . . . whatever . . . it’s yours).

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It has a clear bookmark that says “Today” with an arrow on it – these are really handy for marking your place inside, and for tearing your washi tape – a pretty cool technique, btw.

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This is the front of the January divider – it has a pretty pink floral design on it.

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There’s a section for each month that includes a month on two pages . . .

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. . . a week on two pages in a horizontal orientation . . .

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. . . and a lined page for notes at the end.

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In the very back is a two-sided folder for holding stickers, pictures, etc. Love the gold foil accents . . .

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And finally, the bundle includes four sheets of planner stickers – essentials when planning, (or so I’ve been told, lol – I may have a few stickers).

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I also got a set of “Picture My Life” journaling cards. It has monthly cards that can be used horizontally or vertically. You can make bookmarks out of these or hole-punch them and put them in the calendar page. There are lined journaling cards for writing out thoughts or adding interest to your pages. Lastly, there are “Birthday” cards that you can use each month to remember these special days.

Like I said, it’s a nice, basic, affordable planner that you can easily use as it is or embellish to your hearts desire . . .

If you’re interested in this planner, check it out at http://jdominique.ctmh.com/. I’m looking forward to trying mine out.

Hey, if you’d like to see some of my other projects, check out my Instagram and Pinterest board, and I would LOVE it if you would follow me.

As always, I’m Livin’ the Moments . . .

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