It seems I'm not the only one with a planner obsession. I'm getting tons of feedback on this topic. Keep it coming! If you have found an organizational tool you love, do tell!—I'll collect all the comments I've received in a future post. Sounds like there are some more nifty planners out there I should investigate...including, and this news has me so excited I can hardly stand it, yesterday I read that Small Meadow Press is about to launch its own planner. Cue the exclamation points! If you know me, you know I am a huuuuuge fan of all things Small Meadow. The notecards, the illustrated quotations, the house garlands—really, there is nothing Lesley Austin creates that doesn't make my heart go pitty-pat. A Small Meadow planner sounds too good to be true.
Now on to another fine planner. This is the one I have used this past year and it served me perfectly. It's the Catholic Woman's Daily Planner from Family-Centered Press. All you FranklinCovey fans will be happy to know the Catholic Woman's planner is available in a 7-hole-punched version that fits in your FC or DayRunner binders (FranklinCovey's "classic" size). There is also a spiral-bound version, which is the one I used. If you prefer a larger size there is an 8 1/2 x 11" version available in both spiral-bound and 3-hole-punched editions. Mine is the smaller spiral one and I loved its compactness (but there was still plenty of room for writing Lots of Stuff).
My favorite thing about this lovely planner: printed on each day are the daily Mass readings and saints' feast days and Holy Days. It's a beautiful way to keep tuned in to the turnings of the liturgical year. There are also quotes from the Church fathers on each weekly spread.
The format is a little different this year: click here for a look. Like the momAgenda, each month begins with a two-page month-at-a-glance spread and proceeds to week-at-a-glance pages. (Samples of both at the link above.) The extra pages include daily prayers, prayer journal, address book, web log and year-at-a-glance calendars. You can also choose versions with lesson planning pages, menu planning pages, or both. Lots of options!
I liked the protective plastic cover that doubled as a firmer surface for writing on. Of course a huge advantage to the spiral-bound and hole-punched formats is that the planner always lays flat, unlike sewn bindings.
Designing a planner can be a difficult job, because everyone has such decided preferences. I think the old format (week at a glance on the left-hand page, space for notes, shopping lists, and menu plans on the right) probably suited me better than the new layout, but a lot of people prefer the new version with more space for each weekday. This year's model comes with stick-on plastic tabs, too, for demarcating the months of the year and other sections.
As for aesthetics, well, the momAgenda's pretty colors are hard to beat. But that beauty comes at a price: the momAgenda is considerably more expensive. The Catholic Woman's Planner (there's a men's version too) is affordable, functional, edifying, and inspirational, and I have thoroughly enjoyed using it.
More reviews to come in the days ahead! That's my plan.
Other planner reviews:
momAgenda
Small Meadow Press — Circle of Days
BusyBodyBook
Thanks for another thrilling post!
I have been looking at this planner for months. (When I found out you were moving, I honestly panicked a little bit and thought, "What if she's too busy to review the planners like she promised?")
Posted by: Jennifer | July 06, 2006 at 08:02 AM
Oh! Oh! Oh! A planner from Small Meadow Press! When will it be ready, do you know?? I'm *so* glad I haven't gotten a new one yet. You just made my day, Lissa. :o)
Posted by: Wendy in VA | July 06, 2006 at 08:12 AM
Wendy: Any day now, maybe even today! I heard from Lesley yesterday and she is almost ready to put it on her site. SO. EXCITED.
Jennifer, LOL! You just made *my* day. I am definitely a little off schedule--I meant to have the Charlotte Mason post up days ago, but this moving decision has been such a tornado, touching down unexpectedly, and everything will be a little off kilter for a while. The planner series may slow down, too, but I wanted to talk about those two ASAP since they both start with August and people are planner-hunting now.
Posted by: Melissa Wiley | July 06, 2006 at 08:25 AM
Hee hee... My inner geek is giddy. :o)
I don't know how you've kept up like you have. Maybe it's that no laundry thing... lol
Posted by: Wendy in VA | July 06, 2006 at 08:53 AM
Aaaarrgghh! I meant to say "thank you!" before I hit post. Your blogs are my daily must-reads.
Posted by: Wendy in VA | July 06, 2006 at 08:55 AM
Aw, thanks, Wendy. :) BTW, Lesley's planner is apparently something out of the ordinary--not a typical day-planner but something different. I'm intrigued and can't wait to see its debut in the near future. I used the lovely Small Meadow calendar last year to record (with prismacolors--so pretty on her nice papers) some little adventure or event for each day of the year. It became SUCH a beautiful memory book for us, and I so enjoyed sitting down every evening after the children were sleeping to think about what I wanted to draw or write in that day's square. Lesley's things always inspire me so!
Posted by: Melissa Wiley | July 06, 2006 at 09:36 AM
Lissa,
Thank you for all of your research on planners! I have been so delighted with my Catholic Women's Daily Planner. This current style is just right. It is time to order refills for me, yet now that it has changed, I cannot find anything like it online. I am planning to order a Jan-Dec 2006 planner just finish out the year. Then hope something just as good comes along next year.
Posted by: kristina | July 06, 2006 at 09:40 AM
I'm with you guys re: Catholic Planner. It just isn't as good this year, but I'm afraid I'll have to buy it in its new format afterall, with the menu planning and homeschooling additions. It had been lovely before to have the menu planning and appointments, etc. on the same page as the weekly calendar. Maybe they'll go back to it next year?????
Posted by: Kat Patrick | July 30, 2006 at 11:17 AM
Hi Melissa,
First, thank you for such an informative blog...love the day planner stuff and so many other things I've seen over the past year!
Just wanted to ask about palm pilots... have you covered any of those for using as day planners? I ask because I was a Franklin die- hard for years. In November of 2005 I purchased a Palm z22 and kept my receipts, box, etc. because I planned on returning it. I knew that I would NEVER want to use a digital form of a day planner, but had wanted to try for years. Imagine my surprise when I absolutely LOVED it!!! Will probably never go back to a paper system again. I could not fine a search feature on your blog, so forgive me if this is a redundant question and you've already covered palms! Thanks a bunch and God bless your work and your homeschool!
P.S. I like to journal and was wondering if the Small Meadow press calendar could be used a daily journal of sorts?
Posted by: Mary McCarthy | May 24, 2007 at 06:22 AM