Filofax Question: Is There A Yummy Mummy Fax?

So recently a very good friend of mine asked me the following:

Loulou I need a sophisticated (as in looks nice) but easy to use organiser for hectic mother about town as I keep getting my days mixed up. Can u recommend a filofax for me?

Well never one to shy away from a challenge here are my recommendations for a first time Filofax for a very Yummy Mummy...

The Basics....

1. Which Size?
2. Which Diary?
3. Which Inserts?
4. Which Design?

 1. Which Size?
I would say for a first time Filofax user a Pocket size is a good model size to try out first. It gives you all the flexibility and portability to fit pretty much every bag (minus a clutch bag but then that is strictly a mobile, keys and credit card number isn't ladies). A Pocket is easier on your purse too allowing you to road test the Filofax product before committing a large wedge of cash (unless you choose the Deco but then we will come on to that!)

The Pocket binder size is roughly (depends on the binder as they will vary marginally):

11.5cm across (left to right) when closed
14.5cm in length (top to bottom) when closed

A page is 8cm wide by 12cm long, and in total the binder is 33cm across when opened out flat to write in


Essentially though is means it is about as tall as a CD turned on its side:

This may seem a strange size test but it was the best one I could come up with! The Pocket fits neatly in your hand and isn't too bulky or heavy - essential I will assume with the amount of stuff babies need you to carry around for them!

2. Which Diary?
The standard Filofax Diary is a Week on 2 Pages (WO2P):

This gives you lots of room for making appointments, places to be/people to see and things to remember per day. Plus you have a handy little Notes/Month Dates at the top of this one - a cream one that came with my Deco

This format just doesn't work for me as I like to make more lists and things to remember in general than I do places to be (tragic but my life isn't that exciting!) Therefore I now use the Week On One Page with Notes (WOOPN):

This gives me enough room to pop down if I have a social engagement but also plenty of "rememberings" room for all the things I would otherwise forget!

Recommendation here would be try out the diary that comes with the binder, like I said usually a WO2P and see how it fits. I am guessing that my Yummy Mummy has far more social engagements and things to remember with them than I do so I think this format could work really well for her. If after a few weeks more rememberings space is needed then a quick diary page change could fix it easily.

3. Which Inserts?

All Filofaxes tend to come with a standard set of inserts:

• Diary pages
• Dividers
• A few To Do pages
• Expenses pages
• Notepaper
• Possibly some map pages
• A ruler divider

Key additional essentials for my Yummy Mummy that I would recommend would be:

• Additional To Do pages - usually you only get about 5 at most so a few more are always handy
• Coloured notepaper - always a help to have plenty of paper and the colours make it fun
• Stickers - this will help identify easily what events Yummy Mummy has on when casually flicking through her Filofax
• Clear Pocket - for keeping a picture of her gorgeous little boy close by

Of course the benefit of using a Filofax is that you can personalise it with whichever inserts you find you need and use the most. I adore my stickers, jot pads, post its and card holders....

4. Which Design?

I've saved the most fun part for last....as any Filofax addict knows there are lots of binders in different fabrics, colours, designs....and this means you can really choose a design that represents you when you are out with friends for lunch!

Key elements -

1. Will it lie flat - there is nothing more frustrating than a Filofax that keeps bouncing up every time you try and write in it so I've gone for binders that I either know will lie flat or have been recommended for doing so
2. Cost - I've chosen a mixture of binders from inexpensive to the ridiculous - just to show what lovely designs there are but also show that you can start with something very reasonable and move to a more luxurious one if the system works for you
3. Where to buy - obviously the Filofax site is great for purchasing through BUT you can find a real bargain if you hunt around so I've included some links to some of the sites I haunt regularly - and of course eBay is always worth a check as so many brand new binders at really good prices pop up regularly on there!

So here we go - all prices quoted are from the UK Filofax site:

The Domino - £20

Pros:
I love the Domino range, I own the A5 in Snake, a Personal in Grape and a Pocket in Electric Blue. It lies flat, it is a great price for a first time Filo user and it comes in some fab colours. It isn't heavy and the elastic means you can get lots in it if needed!!

Cons:
It isn't leather, it can scratch (although none of mine have they have been really durable - I mean my Pocket size one came to Glastonbury Festival and survive unscathed)

Favourite colours at the moment? The Lavender and the new Ultra Violet - a perfect Yummy Mummy colour as you'd be able to find it under the nappies every time I'm sure!

The Songbird - £27

Pros:
I think the Songbird is refreshingly different in some ways it doesn't even look like a Filofax and this second choice could equally have been about the Botanic as I think both of these designs are very pretty and girlie. They are also light like the Domino and come with pretty pastel inserts. Again with the elastic closure they can hold quite a bit!

Cons:
The canvas can get dirty when being slopped about in handbags and you could tire of the pattern I guess?

The Finsbury - £43

Pros:
The Finsbury is a lovely leather binder, it comes a wide range of colours and has many, many advocates of its lying flat ability. I think the Aqua and the Pink are gorgeous and I do admit I lust over the Raspberry as well. The cost is more but with it being leather you are assured that it will last a long, long time.

Cons:
It may take a little while to soften up completely and is of course over twice the price of the Domino.


The Chameleon - £50

Pros:
The Chameleon is a real favourite of mine. I find the binders really soft and tactile. They lie flat pretty much straight away (or with a minimal amount of training!) and have really useful pockets on the insides. I have the A5 in Aqua a very recent purchase, and the Personal in Raspberry and they can certainly take some battering when shoved without mercy into your handbag on a daily basis!

Cons:
We are getting into the more expensive end of the binders but I do feel the Chameleon is worth it (and you can get these at a great price on eBay!!)

Of course if money is no object......The Deco - £175

Pros:
The Deco is currently the most extravagant of all the Filofax binders (just to point out while I have an Ivory Pocket Deco I did get it in the sale for half price, yes still a ridiculous sum of money) but it is so soft, and the clasp so gorgeous it makes me smile every time I take out my diary. The Amethyst colour is really lovely and currently only available in the Pocket size on the Filofax site

Cons:
It's mega expensive :0( so a big risk if you've never used a Filofax before....

Other Contenders:

• Adelphi - cute colours, soft leather and the diamond pattern feels very glam - £55
• Metropol - again cute colours, not leather but looks really lovely and really good value - £24
• Breast Cancer Leather - currently an absolute bargain at £22 and a really pretty pink PLUS Filofax will donate £2.50 for every binder purchased

So there are my recommendations for my Yummy Mummy....I've made the Pocket the hero of this post but as it is down to personal preference they may be a part 2 of this review should this not be the right size!

Some good (bargain) sites to check out are:

1. The City Organiser Filofax section - currently with a sale on!!
2. Amazon - for lots of Filofaxes
3. The Personal Organiser - they often sell on eBay too
4. eBay - lots and lots to look at but some real bargains to be had for the patient!

What do you think? Are you a Yummy Mummy and use a Filofax? If so which size? If, like me, you are simply yummy and not a Mummy what do you use to keep organised?

Lx

A Super Organised Day Out

So there I was on another train back from London, this time on a Saturday! And while travelling I was typing up a blog post on my trusty iPad once again. Only instead of travelling for work it was a far more fun event I attended...

 

I spent my Saturday meeting up with the lovely group of Filofax enablers from Philofaxy for a leisurely lunch at the Tate Modern where we all cooed over each others Filofaxes - yes the staff looked a tad bemused when they tried to serve our lunch and the table was full of diary pages, post it's and the most gorgeous highlighter pencils but we had an absolute blast flicking through each other's planners, looking at how we all plan our time and what the different binders looked like.

 

So roll call for the day was:

• Mr Philofaxy Steve himself - who may have convinced me to look at the address software!! Watch this space
• CP - who bought along her stunning Panama Pocket and a yummy Adelphi purse and was as expected fabulousness personified
• Butanben - who I travelled up with part of the way and has the most gorgeous stickers of the whole group
• Shazza - and a Metropol even more stuffed full than my Adelphi plus amazing crafty faxes hehe
• Fiona - and the most amazingly soft and gorgeous Slimline Amazona absolutely lush - and the Baroques were so gorgeous in the flesh
• Jess - who showed us the rare pocket Rose Classic (v pretty but so stiff no chance of that one lying flat) and her amazingly simple but effective system in a lush Pink Finsbury and we must not forget the most amazing Mulberry bag that given half a chance any of us would have tried to run off with
• Adam - and the most amazing time management Filofax in the world ever. I believe he has found Filofax nirvana - his system works so well for him he wasn't even a tiny bit tempted to change either system or binder. An inspiration..
• Thomas - who travelled all the way from Germany and bought us all highlighters that are pencils - OMG you read that correctly how have I never heard of these before? I love these thank you so much :0)

 

We ended our day with a visit to the Neal Street store, to peruse of some of the new products, a full post to follow of what I thought of these, but most surprising for me was that I didn't like ones I thought I would and loved one that from the pictures thought I'd hate.

 

So what did I get? Don't pretend you didn't know this was coming - in a Filofax shop with this group how likely was it that I would make it out without a purchase really?

 

Well here she is:

 

A lovely new A5 Filofax (for work therefore completely justified..) - an Aqua Chameleon which I really didn't think I would like so much when I saw the pictures but was really yummy in person. I saved some money as I bought her insert free as I have all the innards I need already really, but of course there were a couple of things that I just couldn't live without....

 

• Some lovely blue notepaper to go with the new A5
• A set of 6 new blank tabs - I'm planning a system refresh to match a new springy colour, streamlined and simple is my new mantra
• And inspired by Adam some Results Planner sheets. These focus on setting an Objective and what the Success Criteria are to meet it...am very excited to use these

To be honest after seeing Adam's system I am quite tempted by the whole Time Management refills section so will ponder on those for a change maybe next year!

 

Anyway a whole new post dedicated to the lovely Aqua Chameleon will no doubt be on its way very soon, and it really was a lovely day can't wait to do it again soon.

 

Lx

 

Super Saturday

As you will know the past few months have had their ups and downs with some real highs (such as the amazing holiday in Las Vegas) and some really bad lows (Mr P's battles) but yesterday was a good day.

In fact it was a bloody awesome day because his very lovely consultant gave the news that the chemo has done the trick and shrunk/killed off the nasty cells threatening our happy little life. He's not totally out of the woods yet but for the first time in so long I feel I can exhale all the way out without crossing my fingers. For my boy Mr P is just the most cherished thing in my life, I'd even go so far as to say I'd give up all my Filofaxes and maybe even my iPad if it would help. I mean that's quite a lot no?

And this evening he makes his comeback appearance with his band Hybrid. While he's been off fighting Star Wars type battles he's had a little break from gigging which for him is like having a break from living. He eats, drinks, lives music and playing. So for him to feel so poorly to not feel able to gig shows just how ick he really felt - despite his super positive attitude 99% of the time.

So tonights comeback is the start of claiming back his life. And in a little way it's the first step to me being able to believe that my life can begin again too. Fearing that you are about to loose your soulmate can encroach on how you view things quite considerably from not wanting to go anywhere or see friends (or even talk to them occasionally for fear of breaking down in floods of tears of anger at it all) to not being able to give your A game at work - which I hate as I love my job. But when you spend time out of the office and spend time there distracted means I know I wasn't giving my normal 110% which frankly isn't me.

So this evening I will be having a glass (or 5) and really enjoying myself watching him do what he does best while doing what any groupie does best - get trashed wearing fabulous shoes and dance like a maniac, clap like a loon and then snog the face off the bass player.

Then tomorrow (post hangover) I'm going to say a little thank you to the powers that be whomever that might be and tell them that seeing as they've hopefully given me a second chance that I'll spend the rest of my days making sure every day is a Super Saturday

Lx

A super Filofax weekend....

So it is now the Thursday before the Philofaxy meet up and I am knee deep in lists:

1) Which Filofaxes to take with me to show off (exhibitionist? Moi? Surely not)
2) What to wear (must convey sleek urban glamour in the big smoke and not seaside Dorset bumpkin - but need to be comfy for walking around all day and travelling on the train!)
3) Must remember my train tickets/railcard/phone etc etc
4) Which Filofax goodies I want to buy look at while at the Neal Street store (Vintage Rose Malden I'm a coming for you....)
5) Who else is going and what their names/blog names are
6) What to take with me to entertain me on the long long train journey each way (iPad you are going to be well stocked up again...)

I am really excited about meeting some of the really lovely people I've been conversing with over the past few months about our shared love of planners, stationery and of course Filofaxes....even if my Mother did find the idea slightly strange and Mr P is a little concerned I may be meeting up with a cult who may ransom me in return for my Filofax collection although he is probably more worried that I'm going to return with several more Filos after shopping with this group of enablers - of course if Caribbean Princess has anything to do with it that is probably a very valid worry!!

So here is to Filofaxing Mecca and meeting like minded souls....I'll be sure to report back soon!!

Travelling the Loulou Way (usually with overladen suitcases...)

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After posting my post all about my new Travel Fax, and showing some of the essentials that I can't travel without here I got to thinking that travelling whether for work or play can be a really stressful experience for some. I am one of those people that has to check the tickets/passport/currency hundreds of times during the journey - you know in case between getting out of the front door and into the car a squirrel pick pocketed my handbag, or while in the car (having not left it) somehow the tickets jumped out of my bag and straight out the window. This is a personality trait that drives my darling Mr P slightly mad. Not only is he bemused my constant checking of said items (he does now let me look after his tickets/passport etc after getting most fed up with me asking every time I checked mine if he still had his) but finds the whole process a tad annoying (me? annoying? surely not?)

And as I have also mentioned before we are planning several trips over the next few months (Paris, Whistler for Skiing etc) so the art of list making, packing and travelling without forgetting anything becomes a must. So here is the Loulou guide to travel preparation (otherwise known as how to travel fabulously)

1. Preparation is key

• Research your destination: what is the weather going to be like? Are there any strict dress codes you will need to adhere to? Are there any must haves that you should get before you go (mosquito repellent, suncream, ski goggles etc etc)
• Check out your suitcase size - does it fit within the airline guidelines that you are travelling with - you would be surprised how these vary! Is it still rugged enough to survive being thrown all over the airport, on and off the plane, chucked into car boots, buses, trains....
• Is your passport still in date with enough longevity to get you into the country you are travelling to!
• Do you need a visa?
• What are your top sees and dos while you are there? I find this so exciting to make a top 5 must sees so that even if the trip goes completely off plan I still get to see the essentials while I am there otherwise I know I'll regret it.

2. Budgeting and Spending

• What are the rough costs of things out there and how much are you likely to spend? This is essential for budgeting. Key things like breakfast/lunch/dinner (wine), travel, excursions and of course you must not forget the discretionary budget for souvenirs and the like (handbags for example)
• What is the currency exchange rate like, and will you get stung for using your debit card? The majority of banks in the UK load heavy charges on if you use your debit card overseas, and several credit cards are following suit. Last year after reading the advice on Money Saving Expert ordered a US Dollar FairFX card for my trip to LasVegas. The principle with this card is simple you load up the card with cash and use it like a debit/credit card. The exchange rate is better than most cash exchanges here in the UK, the money loaded is insured if you loose your card you can get another one sent to you, you can really quickly and easily top the card up while you are away. I was so impressed I've just ordered myself a Euro card ready for the Paris trip.

3. Packing Lists

• Being a planner nerd this is one of my favourite bits, lists of what I need to buy before we go, what to pack to wear, what accessories to take, what bags I'll need. I love all the list making :0)
• When it comes to bags - think practical as well as pretty. There are numerous restrictions on the size of hand luggage but if you are like me you also want to look sophisticated and stylish not like a back packer (not that there is anything wrong with back packing its just I'm more gorgeous hotel with cocktails than youth hostel). I always have the following:
• Large tote bag - usually large enough to fit the kitchen sink, with a cross body strap for easy carrying and security at the other end
• Possibly another hand held bag usually a black Longchamp Le Pliage (handbag size) which is  perfect for slinging in iPad, magazines, newspapers etc but still looking stylish (much better than a carrier bag as well for those Duty Free purchases)
• Evening clutch bag - usually my Anya Hindmarch Luce black patent clutch as it goes with everything and a sparkly warehouse chain mail number as that has a long cross body chain strap if I know I'm off out dancing (hands free dancing is the only way!)
• Day bag - a cross body canvas bag, usually one with lots of pockets, that is perfect for all the essentials when sight seeing but safe and secure as well

What I carry in my hand luggage

• Key essentials - passport, tickets, Filofax, travel guide, purse, pens etc
• Key needs - glasses, sunglasses, spare contact lenses, make up bag, anti bac hand spray, wet wipes
• Entertainment - iPad, iPhone (charger!), camera, earphones, books/magazines if not on iPad,

And then in my main suitcase

• Clothes - day clothes, evening wear, travelling, warm evening wraps/cardigans etc
• Swimwear - bikini, swimsuit, sarong, beach towel
• Shoes - (for me flipflops x 2, heels x several, trainers - usually wearing, flat spangly sandals
• Toiletries - sun cream, aftersun, haircare, wash bits, toothbrush/paste/mouthwash etc etc
• Linen - (or plastic) bags for dirty clothes and storing any dirty shoes on the return trip

4. Airport Style

• For some reason I really think about what I'm travelling in clothing wise far more than I should - maybe it is because I always hope that someday I'll get a free upgrade to travel First Class (sigh) but I think mostly it is because you have to cleverly layer your clothing when you go from freezing cold UK to stifling hot Mediterranean. Especially as most airplanes seem to love having the air conditioning on -10oC. My icons for best travel wear have to be Jennifer Aniston and Rachel Bilson, they always look snug and cosy as well as comfy but stylish. So here are my top tips for travel wear:
• Think Layers - vest top, cardigan/sweater, scarf/wrap. Remember it will be cold on the plane but potentially sweltering when you get off of it
• Think Comfort - I'm not a high heel traveller, usually I'll be in a pair of flat sandals (if it is warm in the UK) or a pair of converse. Classic and comfy - can't go wrong
• Think Chunky - anything particularly bulky that you want to take with you try wearing on the plane -saves room and weight in your suitcase - I wore my Nike walking boots when travelling to Vegas (we spent the weekend in the Grand Canyon) so as to save room in my bag as they were so heavy!

So there we go - the extensive top tips from me for travelling in style. Do you have any travel essentials that you can't travel without?

Lx

Monday Tastic

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So it's the dawn of another week, one which for us does not for the first time in 9 weeks involve driving down to Southampton for a chemo session. So to celebrate this fact here is another Monday Tastic post about all things lovely this week:

1) Big smoke time again - I'm off back up to the big smoke on Wednesday for an all day meeting in central London. Listening to excellent speakers and hearing all about the developments going on at one of my suppliers should be a mega productive, if a very long, day

2) Eek MOT time - while I'm swanning off to London town the brum brum that I batter every day driving to and from Bournemouth (that is a 70 mile round trip, or 350 miles a week, or a massive 16,800 miles a year!)is heading into the garage for a service and MOT. All together now fingers crossed for a good report please

3) New pencil case - I've written before about my passion for Pilot Frixion pens which I have in many many colours. However I tend to loose them in the bottom of my handbag regularly (mainly due to the enormous size of my handbags, I do love to carry everything including the kitchen sink with me just in case) so I ordered one of these gorgeous purple pencil cases via Amazon so I'm looking forward to keeping all my pens together so no longer will I get caught out and not be able to find my favourite orange one. Result :)

4) The return of the Camera - my beloved digital camera was sent back to Nikon recently for repair, I've only had her since last summer but when we got back from Las Vegas we found that lots of our photos taken in bright sunshine had these horrible lines all over them - ruining many of our shots. So finally I got around to posting it back off to Nikon. Well this weekend I got an email that she was all fixed and had been despatched back to me hurrah! No more crappy blog photos taken with my iPhone camera and just in time for photo taking at Mr P's return gig with Hybird, super hurrah!!

5) Zumba...I know so many ladies that now go to these classes and love it. Just last week my bestie Mrs L attended her first class and loved it so having done some investigation and found that just around the corner a class is held on a Monday/Tuesday and Wednesday evening at a time I can make (I don't get home from work until 7pm at the earliest normally) I think I am going to check it out. Having done no exercise for ages now I'm keen to get back on the waggon and this seems a great, fun way to give it a go! Wish me luck!!

Hope you all have a good week

Lx

Slimline Adelphi = The Travel Fax, obvious no?

My Paris Travel Survival Kit

So when I was browsing the internet the other day looking at stationery (I'm an addict what can I say) I very nearly bought a leather travel journal from Papernation thinking how perfect it would be for my (hopeful) travels this year (see here). Then it dawned on me I had the perfect thing already in my Filo cupboard - my slimline Damson Adelphi.

The rings are too small for me to use as my everyday Filofax (I mean come on have you seen how chunky that is?) and it is such a shame not use it as it so lovely. The Adelphi diamond pattern makes opening the binder really tactile to the touch and inside the really useful inside flap covered pocket will be handy for storing receipts and cards. I can have maps and notes and lists for packing oh the organisational joys...

So how have I set it up I hear you cry. Well....ta da:

First up is a clear pocket - currently just housing some more New York shots but will soon hopefully have some gorgeous pics of Paris and skiing as well as other destinations I wish to visit. I want this to be my inspirational section full of shots from beautiful places and destinations.

My dividers were the plain ones that came with my recent Gourmet card Domino pack purchase which I've customised with the sticky blue tabs and my pink sharpie. Current sections are:

Itinerary
This will hold all the essential information for a trip - Flint numbers and times, train details, hotel information etc etc. Plus some Day Planner sheets for those sight seeing days where you need to pack in lots of stops

Notes
In this section will be all my pre travel ideas - places to visit, things to see in each place etc. Then while I am in said destination this is where I'll note all the things we did and saw and enjoyed.

Gratuitous Lamy Fountain Pen Shot

To Do
Clearly in this section will be all the lists of things I need remember to do regards the trip

Budgeting
This section contains budget and expenses sheets so I can track my planned spending compared with what I actually spend (accidental handbag purchases, excessive coffee consumption hehe)

Funnies
This section currently has the commuter game sheets from the City Dweller pack ready for any tedious journeys

Reference
This final section houses my packing lists, world maps, time zone information that we get at the front of every new diary (well I may have to do some shopping while I'm away. You know, help the economy and all that!)

I'm really looking forward to using and tweaking this set up over the next few months both in planning trips and hopefully actually going on some.

The Damson colour will also work really well with some of my other travel essentials:

1. My Tabitha Travel Wallet (an Amazon bargain!)
2. My Filofax Passport cover (a birthday gift from work)
3. My Mar by Marc Jacobs change purse (a stunning gift from Mr P when he was in the USA for work)



1. My stunning Tabitha travel wallet, so soft and luxurious



1. Inside it has spaces for all your essentials: tickets, credit cards, passport etc



2. I'll never loose my Passport in my handbag in this lush cover



3. Girlie pink Marc by Marc Jacobs gorgeousness

So there is my new Travel Fax, have any of you got similar set ups? Or do you use a dedicated journal when you are away?

Lx

iPad 2 - is it a must have for moi?

Apple's New iPad2 Cases

So Apple's new iPad 2 went on sale in the USA last night (our time) and reports are it has sold out already in many stores. There were the usual queues of people waiting to be the first to get their paws on this new piece of kit. And there are a million and one reviews, assessments and video blogs about how great / not great the new iPad 2 is. After all it's Apple and every time they release a piece of kit it is a game changer.

So will I be getting one? If you have been reading my blog for a while you'll know all about my dilemmas over whether to get the first iPad (will I use it, is it really necessary, blimey it's not cheap) if you haven't see here to catch up.

In brief I deliberated for months, I weighed up the pros and cons and then I bit the bullet and bought one see here to red all about it and then my super lovely workplace gave every employee a free one - 2 weeks after I bought it. Oh yes!! unimaginable iPad irony no? Anyhow this meant that we became a 2 iPad family, very handy during the last 3 months when Mr P has been fighting his own battles

So all my previous questions during the deliberations of would I use it have been safely answered. The iPad really is amazing, my top 5 things I use it for?

1 - Blogging: via my BlogPress app (much improved recently!!)
2 - Twitter: I really like the official app for twitter, so simple to use
3 - Internet surfing - apart from the odd annoying website that isn't optimised for iPad viewing (or those that have flash please please can we have that soon on the iPad) the speed that you can surf is amazing
4 - Email: easy to use, type and delete. Perfect
5 - Newspapers/magazines: I love The Times app, How It Works looks fab with the photography, I did download Project issues 1 & 2 but the size of the files are too big and slow for my liking.
5.5 - I know I said 5 but viewing photos on the iPad is so good it has to be mentioned. I love scrolling through all our Vegas and Grand Canyon photos and if I'd had the iPad before we went on holiday we would have noticed the camera had sprung a fault. Hey ho.

Anyway as usual I digress. So iPad 2 - what's new?

1 - it's thinner and lighter. Not overly bothered by this as I carry such a large bag most of the time the weight of the iPad is inconsequential. And as I tend to use it propped up on a cushion on my lap I've never really felt the weigh was an issue.
2 - speedier processor. The new iPad has a Dual Core A5 chip making it quicker at downloading and showing stuff. Really? The current one is positively light speed compared to my PC! So nope not a big win there either for me.
3 - front and rear cameras. Good for FaceTime calls, video conferencing etc. I do not do video conferencing, and wouldn't want to inflict my mug on unsuspecting people via FaceTime on the iPad so no big wins there (also seriously you're not going to take photos with it are you? Lighter and thinner it may be but it's still humongous in comparison with a camera!!)
4 - the smart cover - now this is something I love (it is always the accessories that get me) with smart magnets and lots of gorgeous colours. However won't protect the back of the iPad when in a handbag so could be a big issue for me.

See Apple's site for more information and video/pictures.

Not a huge amount of changes then? What's missing from my perspective..

1 - retina display a la the iPhone 4. Not a whiff of this development, shame
2 - flash - I know why but please c'mon we need it!
3 - proper multi tasking / split screen capabilities (I know these 2 are more operational than physical but worth mentioning for me)

So do I want one?

Um, well, technically speaking with my sensible head on, no. There isn't anything I really need from iPad 2. No dramatic changes or developments that will make my life any better....

But yep if money was no issue I would totally get one (and the pink case) because I LOVE Apple's products. And this time I would get a 3G version just so I can use it a bit more outside of wifi areas.

However that £500+ is staying safely in the savings pot for holidays and the like until they make some changes I just can't live without. I mean that is a large shopping pot to abuse for a summer wardrobe no?

Do you have an iPad? Will you be upgrading?

Lx

I Heart Post Its (and pens, and cards, and maps....)

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While studiously working from home today (Pros - get so much more done, coffee run is just me and not a round of 8, peace and quiet. Cons - talking to myself, running out of milk, scoffing the still leftover from Christmas chocolate stash) I realised I'd nearly run out of post its. So now that the working day is done (well technically it was done about 4.5 hours ago but I had lots to do today) my reward is some stationery websites browsing yay (well it is only 5pm it's too early for wine'o'clock!)

And here is my stash from Papernation (and they've got 10% off all weekend using the code OK10PC wayhey)

Paris Post Its 

Paris Post Its  How cute are these. With our planned at some point trip to Paris coming up I thought these post its would be a super cute way to flag things in books/filofaxes etc

It's a Beautiful Day card 

It's a Beautiful Day card I loved the image on this card, it's super positive and such a cheerful message that I figured it is perfect for sending to a friend when times are rocky getting things through the post is always lovely (when it isn't a bill that is) don't you think?

I also got some more Lamy cartridges for my fountain pen in Turquoise yay.

Travel Notebook

I nearly caved and bought this Travel Notebook but as it was £20 I decided not to (saving for the Philofaxy meet up) I usually purchase a Moleskin City Notebook like this one for Las Vegas when I go away to a city for a weekend/holiday and I having used one successfully in Las Vegas and in New York and I was considering getting one for Paris. This was you have a journal of the trip all bound in one place: things I did, places I went, restaurants we ate in, amazing sights/sounds and experiences. I find they work really well as a guide/reference book for potential future trips and the Moleskin books are lovely.

Las Vegas Moleskin notebook

I do however now have the Travel Itinerary sheets from the City Dweller pack which in my Slimline Adelphi could potentially become a Travel Journal...a project for this weekend me thinks! Maybe while I'm at the Philofaxy meet up I'll look at the Travel Pack too.....

City Walks: Paris: 50 Adventures on Foot 

I've also just bought this - City Walks: Paris: 50 Adventures on Foot which is all spangly new and updated since the 1st of March. The pack consists of 50 cards all with a different walk in and around Paris. And as planning the trip is most of the fun these should come in really handy before and during our trip.

So that is my Friday purchase round up, anyone else been buying any lovely new stationery bits?

Lx

Things I love Friday

So another week has gone by in a flash and already it is time for another Things I Love Friday post. In fact it was so quick I didn't even get time to post during the week!!

So here are my top 5 loves this week:

1) Stationery and planner porn - if I've not been copying diary entries into all 3 of my current Filofaxes that I'm trialling in tandem then I've been lusting after everything on The Paperie such gorgeous notebooks, pens, post its and the Emma Bridgewater To Do pads are just yummy

2) Red handbag lusts - for some reason this week my handbag passions has turned towards seeking out the perfect red bag. Partly this is good for the "on trend colour blocking" that has come along this season but as I already own several pairs of red shoes I think this is more looking to jazz up my standard black and grey ensembles with a shot of colour. How my pink Filofax collection will fit in with the red bag though is anyone's guess!!

3) Snuggly clean dressing gowns - the only thing better than slipping into clean sheets is sliding out of a morning straight into a fresh and clean dressing gown - bliss on these chilly mornings (hello snow due again I mean really?)

4) Working Girls - the BBC3 show that takes lazy, ungrateful, miserable, unemployed girls and pairs them hugely driven, hard working, inspirational business women. This mentoring process aims to show these girls how women are running businesses and give them some drive to seek out employment and start working towards a better life. Despite wanting to lob the remote control at the television while they whinged and complained their way through fashion internships this week that most girls would chop an arm off to get, it all ended happily with the sullen brats starting to see how working and building self respect is worth fighting for.

5) Foody lusts - Mr P's last chemo session took place this week so I am avidly looking forward to lots of social events, dinners out and fun times with my boy once he is back on his feet again. (mmm Chinese)

How have your weeks been?

Lx

Planner crisis (part trois)

So after many a rambling blog post about my trials with converting to a pocket size and converting back to personal. I'm now dithering again - this time between 3 (yes 3) different planner systems....

Option 1 - the current personal sized week on one page with notes diary format in my Magenta Adelphi
Option 2- a city dweller diary week on one page with spangly notes diary format in my Personal Raspberry Chameleon
Option 3 - week on two pages/day on one page hybrid in my Pocket Deco

Hmmmm. While I have spent many a happy hour this week of an evening transcribing my diary contents into the City Dweller diary format much to the chagrin of Mr P I'm still not sure about which of the three could be a winner so I'm going to run them in tandem for a while and see how I get on. Insane yep, but worth a go surely?

Monday Tastic

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So here we are first full week of March and the weather peoples are predicting a massive cold snap coming - including snow! While unamused at this chilly turn of events at least hopefully it will be that lovely cold, clear weather - sunshine makes everything feel better. And after a very enjoyable and relaxing weekend which included some coffee out with friends, watching some good movies and chatting on the Philofaxy skype call I'm all set for the week ahead, so here is my Monday list for the week and it is another jam packed one!

1. Mr P's Last Chemo Session

So this week is Mr P's final chemo session, it has been a long 9 weeks in some ways but thankfully it does feel like it has gone relatively quickly. And this also means he should be soon getting his appetite back so fingers crossed we can start hitting up a list of eateries around our little seaside town including in no particular order - steaks at The Galley, a curry (lamb tikka bhuna mmmmmm) from our local takeaway, a romantic night at our restaurant Sense and enjoying a yummy Chinese too (yes I'm a food obsessed maniac - if you have to spend weeks not being able to cook dinner you would be too!!)

2. Battle: Los Angeles

I am so very excited about this movie, I am a real sci-fi fan and the scale of the effects look so awesome I just hope it isn't one of those movies where the trailer looks amazing and the film sucks so bad (2012 I'm talking about you!!). Fingers crossed I can convince Mr P to come with me to watch it in the cinema soon

3. New Filofax Inserts

So last week I was naughty and ordered the Filofax Gourmet Giftbox - the Gourmet card was the objective along with City Dweller diary pack - the Domino Filofax was just a free bonus :0) I had a happy few hours reorganising my Adelphi with the new pages. I'm not currently changing over to the diary pages from the City Dweller - I think the spacing maybe a little small but I really love their notepaper design and the To Do's etc. I'll make sure to blog about it later this week once I've played about with them all for a few days.

4. Silk

I got into this new BBC1 drama about Barristers through the wonders of the BBC iPlayer App on the iPad this weekend - with some really interesting characters and a plot arc that is going to be creepy as much as it is curious I think this is my new Tuesday night addiction!

5. Pancake Day and Lent

So this Tuesday is Shrove Tuesday which means only one thing for us not particularly religious types - pancakes! Yummy. My favourite filling has to be the plain and simple lemon juice and sugar mmmm can't wait! Here's hoping I can make some on Tuesday evening.

So what's in your Filofax this week?

Lx

iPad's Log, March 4th 2011

7am
Today I am finally escaping the confines of my home in Weymouth to go out and about with my owner Loulou. As of yet I am unsure where we are headed or what my main tasks may be - we have downloaded the past 2 days editions of The Times newspaper so I'm guessing there will be some train travel involved...

7.45am
I was right - first stop we are on the train to Bournemouth where Loulou works. So far The Times editions have been skim read (business sections and the articles on iPad 2 have been particular favourites - should I be worried about being replaced?) and some notes taken in Awesome Note - bumpy train journey means the iPad is a better performer than the Filofax in this case Loulou hates messy handwriting.

9am
Hmm so it appears we are landed in the office. Damn chilly outside glad I'm wearing my furry jacket to keep me snug and protected. Also gives me a chance for a little nap as Loulou updates reports and catches up with people.

11.30am
Second train of the day and I'm back in action, iPod app playing Take That to drown out the annoying background chatter of foreign students and finishing reading of The Times. Coming up appears to be reviewing of some meeting notes and PDF newsletters that are saved in iBooks - I should make carrying vast numbers of books and documents unnecessary (of course Loulou has several magazines alongside her Filofax in the bag today so woe betide anyone trying to snatch that bag it weighs a ton, I mean there's even a spare pair of shoes in there!!)

1.00pm
Quick tube map check, some initial thoughts and notes made in Awesome Note and I'm all set ready for this afternoon's meeting....

2pm
So we are at the big London meeting venue where my amazing note taking skills will of course in big demand. Or at least I'll be able to show off my numerous magazine apps - aah the applause, the admiration, I really am a truly magical piece of equipment even my Dad says so (Steve Jobs you are a god).

4.30pm
And we back on the train. Frankly I am a little disappointed in Loulou's use of me during that meeting. I saw no action whatsoever and listening to all those marketing people drone on sent me into quite the deep sleep..but I'm back and ready for action. So up pops Pages and Loulou's written up the notes and thoughts from the meeting quick as you like. The email all prepped and ready to send once we hit wifi land again. Time for a well earned movie break so up comes VLR and Despicable Me - fabulous I've wanted to see this film for ages!

6.22pm
Apparently the film was excellent (yep there was lots of embarrassing laughing - I really don't think I can take Loulou out in public again oh the shame) the right amount of schmaltz and laughs for a train journey. I've been eyed up by several of the suits travelling on the train as well. Of course they may have been eyeing up Loulou ( however more likely that damn laugh kept disturbing them) So the big question - is she going to start watching another movie or read the latest edition of Elle that was downloaded earlier? Either way I'm all set as most impressively I've still got 78% juice remaining - I'm so energy efficient I even surprise myself sometimes!!

7.46pm
Back home in the warm and finally reunited with my wifi signal. Time for some Facebook, Twitter and then a well earned early night.

Midweek Madness

Image (Tip of the day: do not EVER search hump day in google images it really is terrifying!)

So here we are hump day already - another week flying past at breakneck speed - cue mutterings like "ooh aren't policemen getting younger" and "I don't know where the time goes" and "I remember when" anyway I digress....

So it is midweek, the point where we start looking forward towards the weekend while reviewing the To Do list from the start to see how we are progressing along. Whether that be the never ending work list or the even bigger list of chores and errands we all do everyday. For me it's been a productive week thus far with lots (for now) completed at work regarding plans/budgets although in marketing that is the easy part - making the plans into reality, hitting the deadlines and targets is the hard bit. But also the most satisfying. You have to be an obsessive list and spreadsheet addict to work in direct marketing otherwise you'd never know whether you were coming or going!!

This week I was aiming to not spend money on things I don't really need and start trying to save some money every month (of course allowing a budget for the Philofaxy meet up at the end of March I have a feeling this lovely group of enablers and me in a Filofax store will equal a very expensive day in London!!). This new frugal facing week has not gone to plan and I've not only been tempted by the online Filofax store, but also made the mistake of venturing onto eBay and into Beales (department store down here on the south coast) where there was a 20% off sale. Oops.

However my haul this week has included:

I've actually got the black one - but how cute is the pink!

1 - Marc by Marc Jacobs iPad case.
A soft, squishy, padded case of lushness to transport my iPad out and about. I do already have a case for my lovely iPad, a practical one, with sticky up flap to make typing easier and solid external protection but it does leave the iPads corners exposed to the elements in my handbag (a deadly environment, just ask Mr P) and until Mr P's case arrives he has been borrowing it when transporting his iPad out and about on hospital trips and the like. So having spotted this little beauty being sold on eBay starting at just £1.04 I couldn't resist a little bid and oops I bought it...with a very satisfying saving of more than half price compared to retail. It is a complete sleeve with super soft padding inside and a nice secure zip to make sure my iPad remains in one piece while I'm gallivanting around.

2 - Pocket day on one page diary and Gourmet Gift box.
The diary I mention in my post here and I've read so many posts about the Gourmet card and gift box pack I figured I'd be stupid not to buy it. With the City Dweller diary insert (worth £17) and the card (worth I think about £50 - I got a bit confused on the website) the box pack being only £35 is a super bargain - or as I put it Oooh way to get a free Filofax (oh yes did I mention the Grape Domino is included)

Wallis top (really pretty in person)

3 - Spring-tastic wardrobe additions.
So while sashaying through our local department store (yes the huge 20% off banners in the windows might have lured me in) I spotted the cutest pink and grey top with beading and a pale blue blouse. Both perfect for work and are not in my winter "uniform" of black hurrah. Shame its currently absolutely freezing here today and they have virtually no chance of seeing the light of day for weeks, but I'm prepared for when spring finally makes an appearance.

Wallis shirt - only mine is in blue!

So not too bad in the overall scheme of things but a big massive oops when I'm supposed to be saving. Ah well, there's always next month!

Here's hoping I make it through the rest of the week without any further accidental purchases...well unless of course that personal Ivory Deco pops up somewhere half price

How are you all doing this hump day?

Lx

Pocket Experiment Part Deux?

So I was reading some Filofax blogs (I know I know you don't need to tell me the obsession is getting out of control) and I reread this post by Yvotchka on Put It On My Headstone about her set up in the gorgeous Aqua Pocket Finsbury and it got me thinking. Could this set up - combining Day Per Page as well as Week on Two Pages work for me?

Would this give me enough room to write my lists and notes but also have the overview of the year/week? Could this change in format work in the Deco?

I'm also still considering whether the City Dweller pack could be an option for the Deco - I've been lusting after it's cool girl about town sections since it came out - I desperately want to be the sleek, urban sophisticate as depicted by Carrie et al in Sex and the City (minus all the multiple man dating/humping/dumping I'm a one man type of girl and perfectly happy with the one I have thank you - those girls needed at least an A5 Filofax to manage their complicated social lives) and the Deco certainly lives up to that ideal.

Hmmm the sensible part of me thinks I should wait until the Filofax meet up and then I can look at and evaluate all the different diary types. The other part of me knows that I can't wait that long!! Filofax.co.uk shopping basket here I come.....