One thing I know for sure is that you people LOVE planner posts. Some of you are as crazy about finding the perfect planner as I am! 

You guys have stuck with me through so many planner loves! The current love, as you may have read, is the Driven Dreamer from An Organized Girl. I hated sharing with you though because I knew you couldn't get your hands on one, since it's sold out! 

But lucky for you, I snagged a couple extras (mostly because I hoard planners, and sort of because I love you). Tonight we announce our Driven Dreamer winners.....yep, 2 of them! 

I used random.org to generate 2 random numbers to correlate with the comments on the post Planners, Planners, and more planners from last Sunday. 

Congratulations to Natalie Espinoza who was our 2nd comment on the post. Natalie will have 1st choice of color. 

Natalie EspinozaAugust 17, 2014 at 12:04 AM

I love this!! I have been researching planners and this helps a lot!! Love them all but I can't ever make a decision. Look forward to your next post!!

And congratulations to Angie who was our 57th comment on the post.

AngieAugust 18, 2014 at 1:36 PM

Guess what?!! I too, love planners!! Hahaha, planner lovers unite! ;) I attempted to get on the electronic calendar/planner wagon but just couldn't do it. I LOVE paper planners and don't think I would have graduated nursing school without mine, it was my lifeline. For the last year I have been using a May Designs planner, and while I love that it's customizable, I'm not a fan of the layout. Thanks for the chance to win! :)

I'm so excited for both of you to get your new Driven Dreamers! Send me an email to allisondalke@gmail.com with your address and it'll be in the mail. 

Happy planning! 

Planners, Planners, and More Planners

If you're new to the blog, I should warn you that I'm a bit of a crazy person when it comes to planners and agendas. I don't know if we should call it a condition, but it might be something close to that.

I wanted to tell you about this awesome new planner that I found that I fell in love with called the Driven Dreamer, but she went and sold out all the planners she had printed.  But you can go ahead and go follow An Organized Girl on Facebook and check out her website......

The Driven Dreamer planner has my favorite layout right now. It features a weekly layout with to dos under everyday. But it definitely has a couple flaws. The paper is thinner than I would prefer for a planner, but it suffices, and there aren't tabs, which I understand are expensive to include.

I also had a little sweep with A Passion Planner. Also a fan, but still not my all time favorite. I do love the weekly layout though and all the extra space on and before the monthly spread.

You can check out a Passion Planner here.

I may have also just ordered a Kate Spade agenda from Amazon because it was so pretty (didn't I warn you that I have a problem). It's also a weekly layout, but it doesn't have an hourly time log which I love to keep track of appointments and even to block out a specific amount of time to do something.

And to top it all off, today, I ordered the 2015 Day Designer and Day Designer Mini from Whitney English. The Day Designer is also not my favorite because it's a daily layout. I love the space of it, I just don't like being able to see my entire week at a glance. I like to highlight things when they the get done. On a weekly layout, I don't have to re-write things every time they don't get done. If it doesn't happen on Monday, I can still see it on Tuesday when I've got a weekly layout.

But I functioned with a Day Designer for half the year. And really, it's the prettiest thing on the market when it comes to planners. How can you resist?

So there you have it. My favorites right now. I should also mention Erin Condren's Life Planner since I'm a semi-fan. It almost works for me. I just personally don't like the weekly layout without time slots, but it works so well for so many people. And it's durable and so so cute!

Since this is a planner post, you better believe I have a planner to give away....two actually! I have 2 Driven Dreamers from An Organized Girl to give away! {Please excuse the unedited, late night photo below). 

All you have to do is comment below, follow along, and I'll pick a winner using random.org next Sunday, August 24th. They're sold out and the only place you can get one is right here! Good luck!

Giving Hope

Oh my goodness it's been quiet here for so long! Brian may have started a rumor that I'm not writing here because I'm writing a book. And while, it's true that I absolutely am going to write a book, I haven't started yet. 

I do have this deep desire to write though. It's definitely a desire of my soul, and I feel it beginning again. 

Anyhooo....

Did you know that April 24th is National Pay it Forward day!? What if we did something big and blessed a lot of people between now and then? Sounds good to me. 

If you know my story at all, you know that several years ago, my heart was captured by a little girl named Ellie Kate. Ellie suffered from a rare and serious condition called NKH. You can read more about NKH here. You can read more about how Ellie Kate impacted my life here. 

Ellie's momma, Ryan, along with her friend, Amy, are the co-founders of an incredible organization called Hope Link. Hope Link's mission is to connect mother's who have children with rare or undiagnosed disorders while providing encouragement, hope, and support through fellowship and prayer. 

These mommas spend most of their days in and out of appointments and therapies. They live lives that most of us can't even imagine. They are solely devoted to their babies and children. I have never seen a more selfless group of women. Their courage and tenacity has inspired me. They have helped me to understand that fear is only a real thing if you allow it to be. These women are the definition of Hope. They are the hope for their families and their children. They are advocates, fighters, doers. They are women of prayer who serve each other selflessly. 

Hope Link exists to bring them hope. Many of these mommas have babies in heaven and they continue to be a part of the Hope Link family....serving, giving, supporting. 

But today, as we anticipate National Pay it Forward day, I'm asking you to give them a little bit of hope. We are creating a Giving Circle. It's a circle of people who all believe that moms and families who have children with rare or undiagnosed disorders, should have a safe place, a group of people who support and love them. 

You can join our circle, with a $10 recurring monthly donation. Join our circle here.

You can read more about Hope Link and what your $10 donation will contribute to by clicking here. 

Thanks for loving these families. They truly deserve it. 

Another planner option and a WINNER!

You know by now that I am a planner fanatic. I tried to go electronic and did it fairly successfully for about a year. But I returned to the paper planner, and I will never be able to go back to electronic again. 

I've already reviewed 5 great planners here. And I think I will still be personally using the Whitney English Day Designer beginning January 2014. My only hangup was that this is a daily planner (and I am very accustomed to a weekly planner.) 

My sweet friend, Lacey, told me about a planner called The Russell + Hazel SmartDate System. There is a super cute stationary shop in my town that carries them, so I headed over there this weekend to check them out. 

And I like it. 

It's basically a build your planner system. There are numerous 3 ring binder options to choose from. There is a mini (which is what I went with) that is 7x9, and their signature option which is 10 3/4 by 12. I went with a charcoal mini. 

I also purchased the Mini Smartdate Month tabs, the mini Daily Planner sheets (which are not currently available online, but I think the mini Smartdate Weekly sheets would be a great option too), the Mini paper pockets, and the mini filler paper. 

This is a picture of another piece I purchased as well that is basically just a set of tabbed sheets (I think they are called Project Tabs). 

A picture of the daily layout. It includes time slots, a contact list, and a to do spot.

The tabs are laminated and durable.

My friend Lacey sent me a picture of her weekly layout sheet. 

One of the things I love about this planner so far is that I can add blank pages anywhere. That's already been helpful since I have been known to carry around at least 1 notebook in addition to my planner. 

So that's my latest (and possibly most favorite) planner find. 

I also want to make a note about Plum Paper planners. I know many of you have looked at and use them as an option. There are some very cool things about Plum Paper. You can choose your layout style (time slots, morning/afternoon/evening, etc). I have ordered one, but I'm not a huge fan. I can't really tell you why specifically. I think it has something to do with the binding and the paper quality. That's just my personal opinion. It may be a great option for you. 

And we have winners! 

Congratulations to Pat Lupher who won the Lily planner (which seemed to be a fan favorite based on the comments). 

Congratulations to Ed and Jill who won the Stephanie Creekmur planner. 

And Congratulations to tweetsycute and Meoldy Snay. You both won one of the other planners reviewed (either the Polka Dot agenda or the Draw Your Tomorrow Planner.) Since neither of your specified which planner you'd like, it will be 1st come, 1st served. Please comment below letting me know which planner you'd like. 

Once again, I sign off saying....Happy Planning! 

One more day to enter.....

Hi sweet friends! 

I have so many great things in the works. Exciting things. Things I'm reading. Things I'm learning. Things I've seen, so stay tuned! 

I need to mention that I have found another fabulous planner! I have it in my possession and am currently using it. I will post pics and all the details tomorrow. 

But tonight, I'm giving you an extra day to enter to win one of the planners I reviewed here. All comments entered between now and tomorrow at noon will have a chance to win one of those fabulous planners! 

Happy Sunday! 

The Post You've Been Texting Me About! Planner Reviews! {And a Giveaway}

You people must think I'm a planner expert. Maybe it's self-proclaimed.....that's definitely a possibility. 

So when I found out my friend Emmy from Much Ado About you was closing up shop, I just about lost it. 

Then I put my big girl panties on and decided to start looking for another option. I bought several....because I'm a nerd like that. Then I decided to take mediocre iphone pictures of them all for you to see. 

I have decided on what I'm using next year (even though I'm not 100% in love), and I promise to tell by the end. 

So I have 5 that you'll see here and then there is a 6th option that I didn't buy that many of you may like, but it's just not for me, so I didn't waste my money. 

1st up is a cute little polka dot planner that I found on Amazon for $15. It is an August 2013-July 2014 planner with both a monthly and weekly layout. The front and back cover are made of very thick cardstock. 

It is the smallest of the bunch and the most low key. If you're not that into planners but need a place to jot things down, this may be it. 

The front has numerous notes pages.  

It includes a 2-page monthly spread for each month.

The 2-page weekly spread has a place for appointments and to-dos and also features a section for notes at the bottom.

The back includes a Special Days section, future planning section, and a place for contacts.

Cons:

• May not last long term due to quality
• No tabs

Pros: 

• Small enough to carry around everywhere! 
• low cost 

Next Up: The Tomorrow planner. 

This is an undated planner with both a weekly and monthly spread. The front cover is shiny like a black patent leather purse, but it's really just a durable plastic. I found this planner here for $32. The ones on the site are prettier than mine! I think they're new! 

The inside cover features a plastic pocket (love that!) and this beautiful phrase: {Draw Your Tomorrow}. 

This is an undated planner, so you would have to write in the dates on the monthly spread.

Below is a shot of the weekly layout. (There are much better pictures on their website).

It also has plenty of notes pages in the back as well as another pocket on the back cover.

Pros:

• Size is small enough to fit in your purse and carry anywhere! 
• Undated means you can purchase one at any time and start using it. 
• Durable cover

Cons: 

• No monthly tabs (All the months are at the front of this planner....not in front of their respective weeks). 
• Undated....I personally don't want to fill in all the dates. 

I have a feeling this next one may be it for some of you. It is a Lilly Pulitzer Agenda (Large). You can find it here or on amazon. I personally bought mine on amazon. There are multiple sizes to pick from.

This is a August 2014-December 2014 planner with both a weekly and monthly layout. It has thick, durable cover and a rubber band to keep it closed. 

 Ahhh! Monthly tabs!

The inside cover features a double sided card stock pocket to collect fun things.

It features a page of stickers! How fun is that?!

 It's the most colorful planner in the group!

This planner has the monthly spread both at the front (all together) and then throughout the planner (where you see the tabs) before the weekly layouts for each month. 

It also features a "Dates to Celebrate" section, "Holidays and Horoscopes," and a "Notes" section. 

Pros:

• Long term planner that you could begin using immediately
• It's colorful! 
• Durable monthly tabs!
• Stickers....I'm almost 30 and I still love stickers. 

Cons: 

• Thick and not as easy to tote around 
• weekly layout isn't divided into any kind of sections (that is a personal issue) 

I really love this planner and would probably use it if I liked the way the days were arranged in the weekly layout. 

Next up.....some cuteness from http://www.stephaniecreekmur.com/. This planner is cute and girly and happy. I will give it that. The Stephanie Creekmur planner runs from August 2013-January 2015 and can be found here for $50. This planner features a weekly and monthly layout. 

And I love the inside cover....

The weekends throughout this planner are in a fun pattern (as well as the notes sections). The monthly spreads are found at the beginning of the planner. (not in front of their respective weeks)

The weekly spread simply has open space and a place to the right for notes.

Pros: 

• It's pretty. 
• Long term planner that you could begin using immediately. 
• It is smaller and more portable than the Lilly Pulitzer planner. 

Cons:

• It's pricey. 
• There are no monthly tabs! 
• The months are found at the beginning of the planner....(again, a personal issue)

Then there is always the Erin Condren Life Planner. If I liked the weekly layout of this planner (which means....if it had appointment times) this would be the winner in a heartbeat. This is the planner I don't have pictures of because I knew it wasn't right for me. 

I would HIGHLY recommend checking out this planner. There are tons of people who love it. I just personally cannot stand the Morning, Afternoon, and Evening separation of the days. I need times. It's an issue. 

Pros to the Erin Condren Life Planner:

• Durable
• You pick the start date
• Beautiful designs
• laminated monthly tabs!

Cons: 

• weekly layout makes me crazy (again, a personal problem) 
• a little pricey (but absolutely worth the money) 

I feel like I should also say that I have numerous products from this website including the Jumbo Planner, the Weekly Schedule Pad, the notebooks, the Functional Family System, the Teacher planner, and more stuff that I'm not going to list because I realize I may have a problem....anyways, the point is, check out the Life Planner. 

So my personal planner choice for 2014 is......

The Whitney English Day Designer. You can find it here for $55. 

Now, I want to say that I know full and well that this planner is not for everyone, and I will admit that it is far from my perfect planner, but it was the closest thing I could find. 

 This is a monthly and daily layout planner that runs from January 2014- December 2014. I can't believe I'm picking a daily layout, but it's the best I could find!

This thing is huge (major con) but the cover seems durable. You have to set goals and fill out worksheets before you can even start using the thing (which is sort of my love language).

The monthly layout has a place for you to revisit the goals you set at the beginning of the year. 

And a place for all your big ideas....which I like....since I have lots of Big ideas....like no social media for a year! Who does that?!

This is a peek at the daily layout. I admit it's a little overwhelming, but I love that it has the times in the left hand column and a list of to dos in the right. It also has a place for you to identify your top 3 things for the day as well as a place to record something you're grateful for. 

There is also a place to plan dinner, track your spending, and remind yourself to not forget that special something!

Then, Saturday and Sunday are listed together on one page with a reminder to take time out to do fun things.

Pros: 

• Extremely well thought out and intentional 
• Durable
• Daily layout including time schedule (love those time slots!)

Cons: 

• It's HUGE! 
• There are no tabs at all
• Doesn't start until January :( I'm ready to use it now! 

So there you have it. There they are (minus the Erin Condren....which I'm pretty sure most of you will buy). Do not judge me by the lack of paint on my toenails. (And that's my golden retriever's foot....just in case you were curious. He was not interested in moving for my picture.) I'm going with the giant one....because I'm crazy like that. 

The question is.....what's your pick? Comment below and you just may win it. I'm giving away the 4 I'm not using, but you've got to comment below to be entered into the drawing. I'll draw 4 winners on Sunday, November 10th. Be sure to mention the one you think you'd like the most! 

Happy planning friends.