Last spring, I discovered something that truly changed my life – Erin Condren Life Planners. I was selling Thirty-One products at the time, and at one of our meetings, I saw this gorgeous planner that one of the other consultants was using. I flipped through and immediately became obsessed.
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I had to have one for myself!
I ordered my first Erin Condren Life Planner last summer, and have relied on it for everything ever since. I recently ordered and received my new 2013-2014 Life Planner and cannot wait to show it to you!
Let me show you around the brand new 2013-2014 Erin Condren Life Planner:
This year, I chose the Collage Photo cover and customized it with a combination of photos and quotes on colorful backgrounds that I designed myself. {Learn how to make your own HERE.}
I also chose a 12-month calendar that begins in August. You can fully customize your planner by choosing your starting month, as well as a 12- or 18-month calendar.
I operate on a school year calendar since I have a child in school. It just works for me, so you will have to determine what works best for you and your family.
I am beyond thrilled with the outcome! It is absolutely gorgeous! There are endless options to customize your own life planner cover.
Last year I chose the rainbow stripe cover, above left. The Erin Condren Life Planners all come with a heavy-duty aluminum coil binding the pages together. It doesn’t bend, and allows your planner to lay flat.
Inside the front cover, you are immediately greeted with a full-color inspirational quote. There are quotes throughout the planner.
In the front of the Life Planner, there are three two-page spreads for birthdays and anniversaries, or whatever other important dates you need to retain from year to year.
This is a handy spot to note special arrangements for my daughter from year to year. Her dad and I are divorced and we rotate certain holidays. I can write down those dates in this perpetual calendar to remind myself which holidays she will spend with me each year.
This two-page spread shows the 18 months following the end of my planner’s calendar. Since my 2013-2014 Life Planner ends in July 2014, this calendar shows the months from July 2014 – December 2015, for future planning purposes.
Every month and every section of the Life Planner are divided and labeled by colorful laminated tabs for easy reference.
The monthly calendars are on a full two-page spread with plenty of room to write events and reminders.
To the right of each monthly calendar is a “Notes” section. In my case, I use this section to list blog reminders, school events, etc.
The weekly spreads are a full two-page spread as well. The weeks begin on Monday and end on Sunday, which means you are able to view your entire weekend without having to turn the page.
Each day is divided into three sections – “Morning”, “Day”, “Evening”. In my case, I use the “Morning” section for family events and school reminders. The “Day” section holds blog notes, and the “Evening” section is for anything else we have going on – church functions, Girl Scouts, special events, etc.
On the left side of each weekly spread is a section for “Goals & Notes”. For me, this has been the place to write my weekly shopping list.
New this year is a section at the bottom of each day. As you can see by the prompts listed, you can use this section for anything from meal plans to exercise journal notes and anything in between.
The Erin Condren Life Planners also come with 20 note pages, both lined…
…and un-lined. These note pages come in handy for me during school meetings. I can take my planner to school, sign up to volunteer for an event and immediately write it in my planner, then flip to the note pages and write down anything relevant to the event. Awesome!
In the back of each Life Planner, there is a page for “Important Numbers” and “Contacts” so you can keep up with the doctors, mechanics, teachers, etc. that are important for you and your family.
There are 4 sheets of 240 colorful stickers. Two pages are labeled for birthdays, doctor appointments, vacation, etc.
Two pages are blank for all those random events you need to keep up with.
Just inside the back cover there is a double-sided folder to hold loose papers, receipts, etc.
There is even a zip pocket! I’m not kidding when I say that Erin Condren thought of everything.
As if that’s not enough, you are gifted with 12 gift labels in various designs and two “Let’s Get Together” cards.
When I sit down to set up my new Life Planner, I gather the following items:
- Last year’s planner
- School calendar
- Custody calendar (for my daughter’s holiday schedule)
- Work holiday schedule
- My favorite pens – American Crafts Precision Pens in a multi-color pack
- Washi tape
Here is an example of my monthly spread for August 2013. As I mentioned, my daughter splits her time between my house and her dad’s house. We have a week-on/week-off arrangement, so I use washi tape to highlight the weeks that she spends with me. I used a few of the birthday stickers, one for our vacation and one for a dentist appointment.
That’s it! Erin Condren Life Planners are truly life planners. It’s not just a calendar or a day planner. And be sure to check out all of the cover options at ErinCondren.com. You can also visit Erin Condren on Facebook!
For more Erin Condren goodness, check out these posts:
How will you use it?
89 Responses
Kirsten, I MUST get one of these planners!
I currently have the paisley and love it! I think for next year’s planner I’ll do the photo collage….I mean who doesn’t love looking at pics of the gorgeous people they helped create!! 🙂
I want to try out one of these planners this year!
I really like the collage cover, but seriously – these are so beautiful I can’t imagine throwing them away at the end of the year!! I want to try out one of these planners. It just seems so simple to keep it all organized!
Yes you must! LOVE LOVE LOVE them. 🙂
I know, right?! 🙂 The paisley is beautiful, too. I went photo-less last year so I wanted something really different this year. I’m really pleased with how the collage came out!
You will be addicted – just warning you! 🙂 It’s the best planner I’ve ever used, and I’m from the old school Franklin Covey planner days back in college. This is simply fabulous!
Girl, I don’t throw mine away. It sticks around on my bookshelf in my office! It really is so easy to keep your whole life in one place with these planners. I will never use anything else. 🙂
I love the collage photo cover! I’m a planner person & would be so happy to win! Thanks for the chance 🙂
Thanks Amanda! Good luck!
And I thought my planner from Meijer’s was awesome, these are outstanding!! I definitely am a planner person and have to write everything down or I forget everything!! LOL I’d seriously love to win one of these!!! If so, I’d pick one, I’d choose the photo collage too or the picture this! full frame. Thanks so much for such an opportunity!!! =D
My planner would be put to great use!! Between the schedule of my 3 children, my college classes, blog postings, my gym schedule, student teaching and observation schedule, husbands work schedule and all the other family outings we plan through out the year…..whew 🙂 yep I need one of these to stay on top of it all
Wow! This is an amazing give away! Thank you so much! I absolutely love about half of those life planner covers but I finally chose one to be my favorite; fleur feliz watercolor. I love how you can personalize them too!!! This planner is amazing!
These planners look so fun!
Girl, with your luck lately, you never know! 🙂
Ok, you wore me out just reading what you would use it for! 🙂 Good luck, and thanks for stopping by today!
It really is amazing! 🙂 I couldn’t rave enough about these life planners. I’ve converted all of my friends – especially once they see mine in person and how lovely they really are. The pictures don’t do it justice. Good luck!
They are so fun! And useful and fabulous and all those other wonderful adjectives thrown in the mix 🙂 Good luck!
OH MY GOODNESS!! I must have the 2013-2014 life planner -paisley. I love the turquoise Gold edition, but the paisley is so cute!!
I was torn – I LOVE the paisley! But in the end, I love the collage I put together, too 🙂 They are all so fun! Good luck!
THESE LIFE PLANNERS ARE AMAZING! It’s impossible to pick just one cover, but the white gold edition looks like a must have! So chic! Thanks for the great review and for the referral to so many fun new blogs and pages!
I’m very interested in these planners. My time management lately has been the pits, with a social services job, a husband who is active duty military and getting ready to deploy again, a 15 month old and a teenager…it’s a lot to keep track of! I love all of them, but I really love turquoise/teal colors, so my favorites are the turquoise/gold edition, or the peacock planner.
I absolutely love these planners! I have been wanting one for a while now, but I can’t really afford to purchase one. As far as covers go, this is a super hard decision because they’re all awesome. I think the instagram, party pops, and initial it! are all super cute! Thanks so much for this amazing giveaway! 🙂
Thanks so much Vanessa! The other blogs participating in the giveaway are so fabulous, and so are the Life Planners! Good luck!
Wow, you have a lot on your plate! An Erin Condren Life Planner would absolutely help you stay on top of everything. Good luck!
It is very hard to choose a cover, I know! Erin Condren does such a great job of combining style and function. I love these! Good luck!
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WOuld LOVE to win this. I love the planner cover shown – instagram. Love this so much!!
I HAVE to have one of these!! I want the Gold Edition in PINK!!!!! I’ve been trying to win one for weeks!!
I’m currently loving the bow tie cover!
I adore Erin Condren products! I have the wedding planner and adore it, am waiting for my new life planner and am seriously considering adding the functional family system 🙂
I can’t lie…I’m on my third Life Planner and I’m already itching for next year’s! I love adding pics of my kiddos to the planners! Super excited for this giveaway!!
Oh my gosh I have been stalking these planners forever! I want to win this SOO badly. Ok so you asked me which one I would get:
I would get the Beautiful Pasiely design with a multi color and a white backround. Along with the PENS and bands to hold all of it together! Oh I’m wishing on a star, clicking my heels, blinking really hard that I WIN!!
THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS!
Good luck! Thanks for stopping by to enter 🙂
Those Gold planners are so gorgeous! Good luck!
Very cute! Good luck!
I’m thinking about getting the Weekly Schedule Pad or the Functional Family system myself. All of her stuff is so fabulous! Good luck!
This is my 2nd one and they are AWESOME! I’ll be an Erin Condren girl for life 🙂
HAHAHAA!!! Don’t forget to cross your fingers and toes! Good luck!
I Want, I want, I want! Great Post!
2014 will be my third life planner! I can not live without one! I can’t wait to use a friend’s amazing artwork as my cover this year!!
I am going to be a first year teacher and these teacher lesson planners seem PERFECT! 😀 I don’t care if I win or not, I am totally going to get one of these!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! 🙂 Good luck!
Awesome – please send me a pic! I’d love to see it 🙂
If I were a teacher, I would definitely snag a teacher planner. They are so awesome!
Thanks for the giveaway.
I’d get the fleur feliz cover.
I commented before but Im seeing its not showing up?.. but anyway I would love one of these planners they are awesome and I would def choose the collage style its so perfect!
I love all her items! But the must have planner this year for me is the favorite things – there are so many new things that I’ve learned I love and want a daily reminder of the good in my life 🙂
I love the Favorite Things cover!
I think that I am going to get the rainbow stripe cover this year. It’s so hard to decide!! I’ve already spent an hour on their website!
I love the paisley cover – I can’t decide between multi on a white background, and coral!
I love all the covers! It’s so hard to choose a favorite, but right at this moment, I like the dahlia and the gold edition covers.
No prob 😉 Good luck!
Oh pretty! 🙂
I love the collage! So glad I chose it this year!
That’s fabulous! That’s the style that actually got me hooked on Erin Condren in the first place!
Yep, that’s a good one!
It’s fun to shop and check out all the options 🙂 Good luck!
You can’t go wrong with paisley no matter what color!
Nice choices! 🙂 Good luck!
Strange… I commented a long time ago and don’t see it now. I love the flour feliz. 🙂
What an amazing planner!
Kristin
ExploringDomesticity.blogspot.com
I think I love the Life Planner Collage best but they’re ALL beautiful! 🙂
I love the Life Planner Collage. Great place to see family pics daily and thank God for my blessings.
I must have the Fleur Feliz cover for my next planner (or the Chevron…kinda torn). This year’s is the rainbow, which is beautiful.
I’d love the favorite things or the picture this, cut out! I have been eyeballing these for ages and every year get so anxious when I see everyone else buying them and me just window shopping, drooling over the amazingness! Fingers crossed. 🙂
I have been drooling over these planners for an embarrassing amount of time. I go back and forth as far as which one I’d prefer and, right now, I’d go with favorite things.
I’ve never had one before but have heard so many wonderful things!! So this year I’m going to purchase. I love so many of the designs but I’d have to say my top two are frame up and taffy!
Kate
katherinedelanoy.blogspot.com
I am obsessed with these planners!!!!!!! My favorite cover has to be the gold edition turquoise!
LOL!! Well it would be nice=D Can only wish, right?
Really want to order one this year!! Love the turquoise and gold!
I’d love the Taffy Stripe this year!
Ordering a planner tonight and having a really hard time deciding between 12 or 18 month! Any thoughts?? Thanks!
How wide are the stickers/columns? I know they are the same size, but I don’t know what size that is.
Where did you get your washi tape? It’s beautiful! I need some for my planner. 🙂
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Never mind, I found it on Etsy. 🙂
Since you are a Thirty-One Consultant and an EC addict… you’ll be the perfect one to answer my question! I’ve been wanting to find a case to protect my planner (sounds crazy, I know!) Do you think the “Fold-it-up organizer” would work to hold it and keep it from getting it torn up?
Hey Allyson! While I’m not currently a Thirty-One consultant, I am familiar with the fold-it-up organizer and am SUPER familiar with the EC planners. Just ordered my third! 🙂 I think the organizer would work for you, but you may not have room for anything else, like pens or anything. It’s made for a tablet and the EC planners are thicker than tablets, so if that isn’t a problem for you then it should work. Hope that helps!
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