Emily Ley's Simplified Planner Review

New job means it's time for a new planner, right? With a totally new and ever-changing schedule, I was struggling with scheduling which is something I hadn't experienced before! Last fall, I picked up a great $7 planner from TJ Maxx that was great for the price, but wasn't cutting it any longer. I'm a former die-hard Lilly planner kind of girl, but was ready to branch out to something new. I also write down everything, down to memories like first kisses and anniversaries, so I knew I needed a lot of room to write since my planner is also my diary. 

After some research, I decided on Emily Ley's Simplified Planner. I'm currently spending my evenings working through her book "Grace not Perfection" which is all about embracing simplicity, and celebrating joy, and thought a planner focusing on the same things would be the perfect fit! After Instagramming some fresh and fun office supplies, including my new planner, I got a lot of requests to do a review on how I've enjoyed it!

Similar in size and weight to the standard Lilly planner, I love how customizable this planner is. There is a page for every day which features an hour-by-hour list on the left side, and a "To Do" list on the right side. The bottom quarter is broken up in two sections for dinner planning and notes. The top of each page also has a brief inspirational quote that I look forward to reading daily! Additionally, there is a monthly spread with a month "To Do" list, and tabs dividing each month up. I also ordered my planner with my monogram, as well as a green magnetic page marker. 

It's so helpful to me to keep two separate lists each day of events and meetings, and actual tasks that need to be completed. With the focus being daily, it's easier to keep track of items that might not get done each day and transfer it to a more manageable time frame. 

6 Tips to becoming a Pro-Packer

I thought I was a pro-mover. Having moved every two years growing up {and sometimes on only three weeks notice} taught me the importance of throwing things away before the movers pack trash in a box, and organizing things to be packed in the way you want them to be unpacked. But see here's the thing: we had movers. It's a little different if you're doing it yourself and just moving across town. This move, we have a lot more stuff and a lot more furniture. Packing the U-haul is going to be like playing a major game of Tetris! 

But I have learned a few useful tips that I'd like to share and hopefully make someone else's life a lot easier in the future:

• Take out the Trash: Every time I start packing, I throw stuff away. It's my goal to throw out a whole bag of trash after each packing session. This is hard for someone who wants to hold on to every note, coupon, sauce packet, etc. Maybe I am a hoarder... I'm also trying to purge decor items that either don't match what we have now, or what we're planning on for the future. Moving into our own home will come with a lot more customization opportunities than what I've had renting, so I don't want to hold onto things that don't match the new house or new look.
• Little box carries a lot: My box packing mantra. I like to reuse boxes that have come in the mail that are usually on the smaller size as they carry clothes, makeup, or books. These boxes are typically wider and much more shallow than your traditional moving box, so it forces me to pack less which lends to more boxes but a lot easier time hauling them down a flight of stairs and across a parking lot. Another box favorite? Chick-fil-a fry boxes. Probably the sturdiest boxes I've ever run across. Call before lunch and have them hold their lunchtime boxes for you to pick up after 2 p.m. You'll get a ton. 
• Mix and Match: Fill your china boxes with dish towels. Put books in your rolling suitcases. Put random items that aren't necessarily related, like mixing fall and Valentines Day decor, but need to be stored in the same location, in the same box. My somewhat OCD brain wants everything to be organized and orderly, but mixing allows you to save packing filler materials, and also prevents over packing too many heavy items like a box full of only books.
• Pack what you want First, Last: After loading the trailer during the morning and driving to the new house a couple of hours away. I know I'll be exhausted. So I'll need my bed, linens and pillows, and bathroom things first. Pack everything first and make sure all bed and bath items are easily accessible. After dragging in the mattress, you'll probably have just enough energy to hang the shower curtain, brush your teeth, and sleep on top of the mattress with just a sheet...and not the fitted one. 
• Clean out the Kitchen: Do Not take old food to the new house! Even if it's just a box of brownie mix. Moving is a great time to clear out and start over with a fresh, new outlook on life. This is something I'm really not good about, but when the move is more than just across town, it's kind of a necessity. I also find that I have a little bit of my great grandmother in me, and save ziploc bags, tin foil, and twist ties to reuse. This is not the time to move them to the new place! Just start a new collection. 
• Organize You: For me, this means my personal files. Actually put away the W2s and the pile of paperwork that comes with buying a house into their appropriate locations, and not just let them stay in the stack on the kitchen table. I need to print out all of my references about transfers from my email {mail, power, etc.}, that way in case anything goes wrong or isn't turned on, or is lost, YOU have reference of what was supposed to happen at your fingertips in your personal file folder. 
  
  BONUS TIP! Another organizational process shared with my by a co-worker and mom is to only move furniture into the house first. If you have a garage, fill it with aisles of boxes, only a few high, and bring in a few at a time to intentionally unpack and put away. They can still be grouped by rooms in the garage, but it prevents having boxes all throughout the house for months at a time. Plus, if you're like me and super excited about having a garage again for the first time in years, you're going to be working in overdrive to get the space freed up! 

What are some of your best #movingtips?