2016 Planner Search

So after a brief detour, I'm back with my regularly scheduled post. I have been on the search for my perfect planner team; you know, all the goodies that will help me accomplish my goals. When I began the search, I quickly became overwhelmed with the overload of planner options. I knew I wanted my gold Kate Spade notebook cover to be my launching point that all the others would need to coordinate with. There will be five books as part of my team, each serving a specific purpose, my mini notebook, my daily planner, my monthly calendar, my memory keeping agenda, and my monthly challenges agenda. These will be my staples but any additional supplies can be considered bonus eye candy and subject to change with the seasons.

Once these were established, I figured out my specific needs for both my daily and memory planners.

Daily Planner Needs	Memory Planner Needs
Binder or Arc System	Flexible to Hold Bulkiness
Vertical Layout	Horizontal Layout
A Pocket to Fit Monthly Calendar	Room for Pics, Memorabilia, and Embellishments

These two will be my work horses and likely the most photographed for Instagram and this blog. My Kate Spade and Monthly Calendar are both gold, by chance not intentionally, so I want my others to fall into the Floral and Pastel/Mint categories with gold accents. These are popular combos right now so this should be easy enough. I do want to mention I realize we are in the midst of a season change but I decided to carry my favorite season with me year round! Also, to minimize cost I will be excluding ring planners in this search.

I mentioned in my previous post that I dream of being a part of a design team for some of my favorite brands. So I feel it necessary to focus on working with those products that are most suitable to my current needs. After much comparison I have filtered it down to five brands, Paper Source, The Happy Planner, Erin Condren, 1Canoe2, and Inkwell Press. Each of these are outwardly perfect for what I'm looking for but let's get down to the pros and cons of each, in no particular order. I'll list my notes on each then do a comparison chart at the end.

Disclaimer: None of these planners are currently in my possession therefore all pictures will link back to their original sources.

{1}PAPER SOURCE SUCCULENTS

Isn't this cover gorgeous! It has the colors I want, the gold foiling, and even a hidden coil. This one only comes in a horizontal layout and has a pocket in the front. This planner covers all my needs for a memory planner.  

{2}The Happy Planner

For starters, this cover is not my first choice of their five options but I prefer the fonts and colors in this one. I know I can get a new cover on Etsy, so that's no deal breaker. I really appreciate that I can find this planner in the store along with many of their accessories, including pockets. This is an 18 month vertical layout planner and you can even get an expansion pack. I've taken the expansion pack for a test ride in my planner and so far it works for me. If I choose this planner I will go all in and use it with the arc system, no forcing it into a planner. That would mean the added expense of purchasing a hole punch eventually.

{3}Erin Condren

Everyone knows about this planner by now. This cover is a great fusion of some of my outward choices. This planner has both vertical and horizontal layouts which makes it a potential choice for either of my planner needs. I like that I have the option to get Jan-Dec 2016 which I prefer for memory keeping. I also know there are tons of hacks that can help to fulfill my other needs for a daily planner.

{4}1Canoe2

I am so in love with this planner for so many reasons; that cover for one! I love the inside font and the non-traditional layout. This would work great for memory keeping but may fall short of space for the extra goodies and pics I would want to add.

{5}Inkwell Press

Last but not least, here goes another coveted planner we all want to drool over! This cover is beautiful but I wouldn't mind some gold foiling to go along with it. The mission board is my favorite feature for a daily planner. This one is available in horizontal, vertical, and even A5 Horizontal. I imagine this planner could be added to just like the Erin Condren. Unfortunately, the vertical layout has times listed and no blocking which really makes it hard to commit to.

Wow! That was a lot to get down. Now let's see about that comparison chart.

	Price	Size	Layout	Custom Inserts	Daily or Memory Keeping
Paper Source	$36.95, or $49.95 custom	7.5” x 9.25”	Horizontal	DIY	Memory
The Happy Planner	$24.99	7.75” x 9.75”	Vertical	Yes	Daily
Erin Condren	$50, or $65 custom	7.25” x 9.25”	Vertical or Horizontal	DIY	Either
1Canoe2	$42 (12m), or $44 (17m)	8” x 10”	Boxed	DIY	Memory
Inkwell Press	$54	7” x 9”	Vertical, Horizontal or A5 Horizontal	DIY	Either

After all this work, I have realized that I failed to research bleed-through on each of these. Even so, I'm confident with the proper supplies this will be a minimal concern. Finally, I think there is a clear winner for my daily planner choice, and for that price point I may be able to justify the cost of one of the others! So there it is in black and white. What planner would you choose and why?