All change for 2013....it's a Filofax diary revamp

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Well not exactly all change I mean I'm still using a Filofax, still using a Filofax insert but I am planning on trying out a new diary format in 2013! I used to adore the week on one page with notes but then had a planner crisis and then when I was lucky enough to receive my Amethyst Deco I moved to Cotton Cream week on two pages inserts as they were so much nicer for the gorgeous binder (see here) And this has worked really well for me for quite a while....

However I'm currently finding that there's just not enough room for me to write everything down that I need to do so I end up with additional note lists hole punched in

Wonky photo no 1

These Chococat note pages are super cute and I'm sure I'll carry on using them occasionally but they don't half bulk out the binder when you end up with 3 or 4 a week!!

So I started to consider changing up my format for the new year as with the wedding coming up the number of things to do/remember/check per week gets larger than ever so I figured a bit more space on the daily planner would be a huge help!

Cue the 2 days per day inserts!

I picked these up months ago from Selfridges stationary hall - if you ever visit London you have to go check out Selfridges and their stationery department I just adore it and it's right next to the magazine section so you can browse all the magazines from overseas as well as our UK versions - I nearly always end up purchasing a couple of American editions of either In Style, Marie Claire or Glamour plus any Martha Stewart magazines I can spy. Yes I download these occasionally via Zinio on my iPad but I'm a sucker for a printed magazine!!!

Anyway.....I saw this 2013 insert and wondered if the additional room could be worth a try and picked it up. Fast forward several months and I can actually add it into my Filofax and start seeing if/how it works for me!

It makes my Aston pretty chunky alongside all the other notes and bits I keep in there:

But certainly when I have it open allows for a much bigger area for writing, making lists and doodling!

Now one of things that worried me first off before I set this insert up was not seeing my whole week at a glance but because I use the month on two pages inserts in my binder as well I always have the brief overview to hand..

Wonky photo no 2 - so sorry for the wonky photos but Blogger keeps turning them round...grrr

But now that I'm starting to fill in the half a page per day I'm really starting to like the additional space and I can see the whole week easily enough by flipping the pages over - plus they also have a snazzy notes box right next to the weekend pages cool eh!

I have to say though reading up on everyone else's planner formats for 2013 I'm a little jealous of the daytimer inserts, the print your own (some of Ray and Steve's inserts for next year look really great) and of course LimeTreeFruits's designs are so so pretty....but I'm going to see how I get on with these first....

Is anyone else making a change next year? Any recommendations on ways to utilise these inserts to their best ?

Lxx

I love Marks and Spencer BUT.....

I love Marks and Spencer I really do. Their fantastic range of products, their emphasis on Plan A for sustainability and let's not forget their food halls YUM! Just to highlight how much I love their products today I am rocking a pair of their ankle boots, a handbag from their Limited Collection range, socks and undies obviously come from there (whose don't!) and a scarf....I feel I should be a typical target customer for Marks and Spencer - young (ahem go with it), disposable income, likes to purchase classic clothing with a nod to the trends (sometimes, usually just a classic frankly I'm a bit risk adverse in the clothing department) surely I should be in their cross hairs this Christmas?

But frankly I feel a bit let down by their Christmas advertising campaign this year! Their advert is the same style of advert we've seen from them for years. There's no Christmas feeling, no real sense of anticipation or excitement. Where's the magic Marks and Spencer?

We are in the midst of a massive recession, things are frankly a bit grim so I think Christmas is about finding that sparkle to maybe spend a day enjoying being with family and remembering all the fun we had as kids to pass on to our kids, if you have any, me I'll be trying to instill Christmas cheer in Boots the kitten's first Christmas!

I'm not talking about spending a ton of money none of us have either, but focusing on the essence of the season - goodwill to all men, love, family, thankfulness.....

Now I know this is difficult to convey in a 30 second commercial but come on this is the biggest and most important sales period for retailers of the whole year. If you can't make money at Christmas you really are in trouble and as we can see in the UK we are loosing retailers left right and centre off of our high streets. Therefore this Christmas, competing for the limited budgets available needs a new strategy not a rehash of the same old campaign rocked out for the past few years.

Cue the the John Lewis Snowman advert. This is an exceptionally well timed advert in my opinion - it pulls on all the heartstrings, it establishes John Lewis (again) as the destination for Christmas and makes me want to shop there. Cleverly though it doesn't actually show any products. No chance for me to dismiss their product range (sorry Marks and Spencers but that's exactly what I did with the products you featured) it just evokes the essence of Christmas and darn it I want to go and shop there purely because of that!

So Marks and Spencer you can take your tired, cliched jumping lingerie dressed models I'm off to John Lewis to feel the Christmas Spirit and no doubt spend far more than I meant to but at least I'll feel good for it!

How are you all facing the Christmas shopping this year? Am I alone in wanting it to be a nicer expeience than just a standard days shopping?

Lx

November Already....a sneaky list and Filofax tour

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So checking my Filofax it appears that we are in November (the 3rd as I write this actually!) and all I can say is HOW????

This year truly has flown by at such a rate of knots it's been hard at points to keep track - I mean so far I've:

1. Started planning my wedding to the lovely Mr P (which is now only 308 days away eek) and ordered my wedding dress (omg that's a big decision - will Mr P like, does it suit me, will I look like a giant meringue, am I too old for a traditional dress.........) I went with gut feel in the end and I love it fingers crossed Mr P will too!
2. Learnt to ski on holiday in Canada (badly but such fun who knew seeing as I thought I'd hate it)
3. Went to V Festival and saw the amazing Killers live again, and managed to secure tickets for Glastonbury Festival 2013 yay!
4. Visited Barcelona and celebrated my birthday watching a Spanish covers band while drinking goldfish bowls of vodka
5. Took Mr P to Minatur Wunderland in Hamburg (and actually enjoyed it there, the level of craftsmanship and detail is incredible. And as for the teeny tiny replica Christmas Coca Cola lorry - too adorable!)
6. Became a grown up and started having my hair coloured at a salon as opposed to dying the bathroom random shades of brown while attempting it myself
7. Started (and failed) at a shopping ban (trying again!)
8. Started weight watchers and have lost over a stone and bit (or thereabouts...) so far
9. Found myself using my Kindle far more than I ever thought I would (particularly handy for reading 50 Shades without anyone knowing hehe)
10. I finally tried the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks and became OBSESSED with it..but it's now gone replaced by the Christmas flavours so instead I'm hunting down any Pumpkin spice syrup/flavouring that I can use at home in coffee instead (any recommendations???)

And the biggest thing was of course becoming a kitty parent to the most adorable kitten in the universe called Boots (cue gratuitous photo opportunity....)

Phew and that's just the top 11 things list....I am so lucky to have all this in my life. Especially considering everything on the news at the moment.

As to how I'm keeping on top of things (cue excessive Filofax content and images, look away here non Filofax fans) I'm using my Personal sized Orchid Aston (sighs while gazing at her) as I always say for ages I was using my Personal Deco in Amethyst which still is (and always will be my favourite ever Filofax) but as I take my Filofax everywhere with me, chucking it in handbags, using frequently, open on desks, removing it from Boots playing with it /sleeping on it /trying to chew it etc etc I don't want to damage/scuff/scratch her so she's having a wee holiday tucked safely away. This of course means one of my other binders can come out of retirement....

And for Autumn/Winter this year I'm using the Aston, she's such a lovely shade of plum/pink/purple very autumnal feeling. And here are some shots of my current set up (frankly no real change from earlier in the year as the system works for me but I love the pictures!!)

Outside shot - I love the seam details and the leather is so soft but durable (if you know what I mean?)

This is the inside cover with stamps, post its and business cards on the left and a clear pocket with my Harrods reward card on the right (bit like a Boots advantage card but never gets used!) and a quote that I love from Anya Hindmarch:

"Fire yourself every day and come back as your successor"

In the back of that first clear pocket is an ancient pic from a magazine I tore out (I do that a lot pictures and quotes that inspire me, things I want to read or purchase, potential gift ideas etc etc) Also in there is a "From Dorset With Love" business card - yummy treats I purchased at a food fair :)

In the next clear pocket on the right hand side are mementos - my Eiffel Tower ticket from when I went to Paris last year with Mr P, a Ski Pass ticket from Whistler earlier this year, more favourite quotes and pics...

Onto something a bit more interesting...the diary! I'm currently using (and have been all year I think) the Cotton Cream WO2P which has a notes box at the top of the left hand page. I'd never really gotten on with it before but it seems to be working OK for me this year as I've had more to do's/better system for writing them down than before maybe in this format?....I've already got a 2013 refill the same but I also have a half a day to a page insert to try out next year as well which I'm quite excited about!

As you can see from the pic I use colour a lot (no real system I keep trying but then I either forget or I need to write something down immediately (the curse of having a memory like a goldfish) so I grab the nearest pen!

It was a busy week this week (aren't they all at the moment?) as we had two wedding related things - visiting the registrar on Saturday and Sunday off for lunch at our wedding venue for a meet the parents lunch too (as in our parents meeting each other for the first time obviously we have both met each other's parents!)

I am in love with the ChocoKitty little tabs (top of right hand page as they remind me of Boots!)

As well as my WO2P I HAVE to have a monthly diary in there (and I have Nov/Dec this year and the whole of 2013 in there at the moment) as I need to be able to plan quite far ahead for holidays/work/wedding stuff etc etc and I like being able to see the whole month at a glance. It also means I can schedule in things like when Mr P has gigs or birthdays etc. As you will see this month there was a Christmas Event at Boots that was so important I stuck in the reminder....!!

And finally a sneak peak at my Wedding section - as well as top tab section in my Filofax for on the go notes I have this super cute little notebook that I keep in my Filofax for sketching and ideas as my master planner for the Wedding is an A5 Vintage Pink Malden...more on that I'm sure in a later post!

You can also see my Xmas top tab - currently that just has the Christmas Card list I made last year and a load of cuttings from magazines about potential gifts for people so obviously couldn't show you that!

Hope you are all well and you enjoyed my rambling about the current set up and what I'm up to! How are you all??

Lxx