I've only been following you a short time, so I did not know you had lost your husband to ALS. Taking care of someone with that illness is, in itself, a rough road. But knowing you have also lost your son.....you have definitely had your share of grief. I am grateful for your willingness to be transparent with all of us. You probably have no idea how your story helps others, but it does.
I just read this comment. I didn’t know about your Family. I took care of three of my Family members for 22 years. It’s so hard but it was my honor to care for them. It damaged my health. You are brave. I’m new to your channel and new to planning.
I just recently started following you, my condolences go out to you. You have been such an inspiration. TY for sharing your ideas and also your struggles you never know who might need to hear it to encourage them so keep on doing what you're doing. Love your channel and am improving everyday.❤❤❤😊
Regarding making a planner spread that looks like someone else's, my thought is that once I get started, I want to watch a video of a spread that I love and go along with it and probably copy it but if I get inspired to do something different, do that. I'm thinking that at first I might need to copy some spreads but then once I get the hang of it, I'll be able to change them up a little and eventually come up with my own spreads. It reminds me of cooking. In the beginning I followed recipes exactly but as I learned about cooking I got to the point of following a recipe loosely and making substitutions as I cook.
Here 10 months late but thanks for this. You’re so right. I used to use planners for a few months and then stop because of my mental health I would miss weeks and it would be so annoying to me that I’d give up on the planner. Now I only use undated planners. I’ve also given up doing elaborate spreads because it’s just not me. And with regards to hand writing I used to be so afraid and so upset if I didn’t write very nicely. When I told myself that I will never get enjoyment out of the planner if I don’t use it I stopped caring what my writing looked like 👍
Sometimes I don't always have an idea how I want to decorate during some weeks, especially those weeks without holidays. Sometimes it's just a color theme.
The gratitude practice is AMAZING 🤩. I have a box on each day that says “I am thankful for” and I just jot down something that made me grateful that day. If I’m feeling particularly down I’ll do a “Give Me Ten” where I force myself to find 10 things I am grateful for and write them down. By the time I’m done my mood has lifted
Maryellen, I've watched so many of your videos the past year or so, and this is one of my favorites! You are a great decorator and teacher, but it was nice to just see your face and hear your experiences. Thank you for sharing your planning passion. It definitely speaks to so many of us! ❤
OMG! And I really just loved listening to this video. I embrace this hobby I’ve rekindled on a smaller scale. When I was younger I introduced scrapbooking to my daughter. . I stopped. She continued. As a veteran high school teacher, I always enjoyed planning my bulletin boards. My love ( right now😅) for my classic planning is absolute therapy in another form. Although I am a perfectionist, I’m finding therapeutic to just not flip out if I mess up a misplaced sticker or rip a section of my planner page. Thanks so much for you heartfelt ministry of planner energy. Oh, and that gratitude piece was the icing on the cake in this video. Thank you. I’m not even a dog lover and I’m getting to appreciate and love Bumble.😂😂😂
I just posted a day or two ago that buying and using planner supplies are two entirely different things! I am now moving from the “hoarder” mode into the using stuff. Love this video! Thank you for your honesty and your willingness to share. 🥰
I’m so sorry for all of the loss that you have had in your life. I couldn’t imagine going through everything you have gone through. I have so much respect for you & your ability to overcome
I have been guilty of all of these. It's crazy how many sticker books an pens I've already collected in the year I've been planning. Lol.Thanks for sharing.
Me too! All these sticker books and so many planners I could never use all of them, but they are so pretty and I am so afraid of missing out. think I need some therapy
Thank you very much Mary Ellen for all these amazing tips and most of all, for sharing your "why". Why you started planning and implementing a gratitude entry in your planner. This spoke to me deeply and I just wanted to say," Thank you!"
Wow. 💜 I’ve loved your videos, ever since I first found HP at the beginning of this year, but I hadn’t heard your story. Thank you for sharing it! I am a Christian and verbally thank God for His blessings when I pray, but I’m going to make a point now to write it out and be more intentional with it. Thanks so much for this!! 💜 I should also start daily planning. I love the personal testimonials about how these things changed your life.
Guilty! I finished decorating my whole 2021 planner by like February? and then started AND finished decorating my 2022 planner!!!! Now I’m like ummm what do I do? Oh yeah buy more planners and supplies! There should be like a support group for planner addicts 😂
Here is idea is to write a permission page and put in the front page . It is to remind you that’s okay it that you may miss up or don’t write for a day or week. It is a working progress
I so wish I’d had this 7 years ago when I started “pretty” planning! Great tips and useful to be reminded, agree wholeheartedly about the gratitude xxx💕
I lost my mother at the end of the summer and then school started - I'm a teacher. So I got SOOOOO far behind. I'm still behind. And hearing you say "don't beat yourself up" means a lot!
I am so grateful for you! I delved deeper into decorative planning this year because of you. I stumbled on a Michael’s class that you taught and it led me down a rabbit hole that I do not regret. I’m more brave, confident and creative and I owe a lot of it to you. Thank you so much 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
You are the reason I started putting a gratitude spot in my planner every week! I agree, it's super helpful. It helps me realize that all isn't lost and I have so many reasons to keep going❤Thank you
Really loved this!! I wish I had been using a planner so many years ago. Everyone has their story, here is mine and why I can relate to you. My younger brother was in a very bad auto accident in 1992. It left him a paraplegic with all sorts of other injuries besides. I was his primary care giver from that time till his passing in 2015. Twenty- three years is a long time, but I would do it all over again, I just would make sure I had the planner outlet to help with the hard times, doctor appts, and all that..... So thank you for what you do!!
Thank you, but don't feel sorry for me. I learned so much over the years, life lessons and others things that will stick with me for the rest of my life! That's why I would do it all over again!!
I’ve been planning for over 30 years, and Number 5 is what I always do, nothing is always going on every single day. What I’ve come to know is undated planners are THE BEST! I hate dated planners because you don’t want to be made to feel like you just have to write in it everyday. Undated planners allow me to start whenever I want to.
I'm new to creative/decorative planning, but not completely new to paper crafting, so luckily I did have some tools already. I've also periodically used a basic planner... but combining the crafting with the planning, is definitely motivating! Of course I still ended up buying way more stuff than "needed" Lol... mostly because when I found Happy Planner, I was SUPER inspired by the flexibility of having removable/customizable pages... so I wanted to try it all out. Lol I think some extra buying is bound to happen while figuring out what works for us. But thank you for always being a voice of reason here... Lol. You are great at reminding us that there are no real right or wrong ways to do this. And that it's "ok to work outside the box" so to speak. 😊
Thank you for talking about not using the planner and not letting it let you feel like a failure. I have been struggling with that feeling for so long. Just knowing that someone else has felt that way too makes all the difference in the world 💕
I love the gratitude piece. My planner doesn't have a lot of room for stickers during the week, so I write more. I try to write little things I'm thankful for or positives regarding what I'm working on. I love your videos so much!
Great tip on the wax paper...you are a gem with your suggestions on planners, although for me being a creative person I like the stickers...but I will use em' seasonaly and use the empty box ones to cross over/connect two days. In your #10 suggestions about gratiude is simply a part of me...BUT...in writing it down and I haven't even started yet...YES, YES to see it in your own words makes me happy, happier. So thankful to you for reminding us who do reconize/remember to be grateful. God bless you Amiga, again thank you for sharing, saving us time, money giving encouragement.....🎯👁👓👍you speak to those of us on limited budget.
Daily gratitude is such an important practice! It is so good for my mental health. Looking for things to be grateful for changed my mindset and made me see the positive more often.
This was really helpful. I just came back from Michael's with my 1st hp. Before that I used an a5 but I have really been getting in touch with my creativity a lot more these past years and I wanted something that gave me a little more space so I can be creative and playful but also still keep track of my biz n personal todos. I did by stickers and washi but that’s bc I know I will always plan. I feel so much more comfortable making the switch to Happy planner after watching your videos 💜
I love these chatty videos. And the tip i didnt know i needed gratitude. I have been drowning in depression and aniexty the last couple weeks but that tip just kinda made sense. Thanks for all that you do!
I wish I had started a planner when my 2 great dane Therapy dogs were alive. I did start a Facebook page for them instead. I did not use my planner for 3 weeks while sick covid but did phone chat, my boss was worried so I back posted. I love your channel and Squaird Plans.
Thank you for this video. I am new to planning and I too started because my husband has started with hospice and I need to keep track of his medical needs. I will try the daily gratitude .
I’m brand new to planning and really excited to get into the decorating aspects. I never heard about or was planning to create gratitude lists but I feel like that’s exactly what I need to start doing in my life. So I just wanted to thank you for putting that in the video.
Wow! I’m totally moved by this video. There are so many things in this that resonate with me. I’m really touched, inspired and even though I get discouraged sometimes, this has helped me so so much. Thank you
I am a perfectionist too and planning is such a struggle for me. I am so annoyed whenever things do not look right or do not coordinate! Thank you for the inspiring words!!
For the fall I decoupaged leaf napkins onto my Big Dashboard planner. I sometimes cut pictures from magazines cause that were the best floral pictures are.
The night of June 2nd, my 48 y/o son and I had our favorite beef stew for dinner. It had been a very hot day. Nick said he was going to take a cool bath. In the tub, he started to have labored breathing. It got worse, I called 911. He died in the living room with the paramedics. Heart attack and asthma. My daughter had died 2011 from an aneurysm. To lose two of my children seemed unbearable. I know that cold, dark place you spoke of. I’m better now. And grateful for so much that I used to take for granted. I’ll write my first gratitude today. Blessings to you.
I started a few years ago & stopped after about a year because life got crazy & I just didn't want to do it. I started again this spring & I've been building my planner accessories (mostly stickers) but now I'm looking at other things like the planner puncher, folders, undo, & things like that. It can get a little overwhelming sometimes & I get fomo pretty bad when HP has new releases lol. I got a vertical planner this time & realize I like the horizontal better & I also want to switch from the classic to a big but my planner goes to December of next year so I won't be switching anytime soon. I do think I'm getting better though. I watch alot of your videos & a few other planner babes for tips & inspiration!
im so glad to find your channel and these tips are so helpful! it's my first time getting myself a planner and i decided to get a planner that has: yearly plan, monthly plan and daily plan (time blocking) and yeah my first few days are so messy haha it's better to have a messy planner than a blank one -- thanks for the encouragement ^^
Your video popped up Jan 1 and out of curiosity I watched. Should have watched this video BEFORE I went to Hobby Lobby (40% off this week)!! I journal, so I got an 18 month and took 2021 calendars out to make room for filler paper. Did my first spread yesterday and enjoyed it immensely! Thanks for all your wonderful videos and helpful tips! You are inspiring.❤️
Thank you. This has been very helpful & informative.I remember Heather Kell had a video & I remember she said We don’t need all the washi.Which I love,but I did take her advice on this one,but I do love all things Christmas so I do still get that or just everything Christmas.Again,Ty.I have encouraged my granddaughter to watch this video.We are both into learning more about everything😊😊😊
Great video! I am guilty of some. One of the things I wished I knew when I started was I did not need a planner for everything. I got a classic, mini, memory, Faith, Budget, Recipe, and Wellness. Bad mistake - I was so overwhelmed on how to keep up with them all. I even tried frankenplanNing but that still was too much. Over time I am down to a Classic, Big for work and one for Journaling. I still use my Recipe one and can always get extra sheets. I do use Half Sheets or notebook paper for anything extra. I realized my Budgeting was so different then HP, yet their stickers will work out. The same thing for wellness or Faith - I put it in my everyday one now. I love Notebook Planners to customize to what I like - one for my Essential Oils, Gardening, etc. To think over 30 years ago I keep a notebook with list of To Do's, What to Buy, How to Organize Things, Meal Planning, and Goals.. All these were just written on notebook paper then later list made on the computer and printed out. Boy has time changed.
Thanks, Mary Ellen. Great video.. I've been decorative planning since 2019 (although I've been using planners all my life). I love the decorative stickers and using multimedia in my planner. I am an artist and using art in my planner is fun and exciting for me.
Everyone has and had a journey, thank you for sharing yours and personal tips. You are absolutely correct on writing things down the brain has a way of reading things and thinking it’s an instructional manual.
I do my spreads one month at a time but that has become an issue. I live in Texas and I planned September out at the end of August, 100+ degree weather. My September spreads look like summer, lol. I think I did the same thing last year . I seem to always have a bunch of fall stickers laying around.
Just started planning for this year and found you on tiktok, already love un-du thank you for introducing me to it, it’s like a magical elixir. Love your passion, your vibe and your videos :)
I'm a beginner but I already have like 10 sticker books and wanting to buy more coz they're all so pretty and cute. But when I make a spread I put myself on a 1 sticker book per spread limit. And when I used one I put it at the bottom of the pile and use the next one and the next one until I'm back to the first one ☺
I just saw your tragic news about your son, Michael. God bless you Mary Ellen. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He lift His face to shine upon you during this awful time. I'll be praying for you and Michael too. You're a strong woman and your son was so very blessed to have you for his mother. Sleep tight Michael and God bless you both.
Thanks Mary Ellen. Great inspiration. I’ve lost my way a little with planning. Been back in lockdown pretty much since late May. I’m going to play with my planner for next week! 💕
I'd love to see your beginning spreads that weren't that great. It's hard to imagine that they weren't great. I'm hoping to go back and watch some of your first videos. I'm in a place with horrible internet right now (Quartzsite, Arizona) but we're planning to leave in a few weeks or so and I should have better internet.
Thank you for sharing. I just started doing a gratitude area in my HP and I really like it. I'm looking at it all the time and adding to it. This is one of the areas that I wish I would have added to my planner in the beginning.
Thank you for being so real, I seriously struggle with the perfectionism of dont beat myself up for not using my planner some weeks, it is reassuring to hear a content creator acknowledge this! I also struggle with wanting to change my planner system so often (partly due to new products that come out so frequently). It’s like planner ADHD! 🙃
Love this video! I’ve been a decorative planner for almost a year and have been stubborn on the weekly gratitude list (for no real reason at all), but I’ll give it a try!
i NEEDED this video! Thank you so much. Seriously, I've been overwhelmed with the new year coming up and starting my new planner. I need to remember not to be so hard on myself. To have fun and just use it! I appreciate you! 😍😍😍 I feel like you gave me permission to really explore this hobby and mess up, and it's okay! BTW the got the cute Nightmare Before Christmas planner from Walmart with Jack and Sally. I'm so excited, and I have the Nightmare before Christmas sticker book, too! 😍😍😍
These are all great advice! Thank you so much for taking the time to share this! I have been a planner for a few years but only very recently had the desire to learn how to be a decorative planner. Your videos are inspiring!
I really need a video of some sticker books that can be used together. I like the idea of single sticker books that can make a whole spread but I always end up needing other sticker options for some reason and I end up flipping through so many stickers each week to find matching color schemes and stickers that can go together- just some pre- matched sticker books that can be used together might be a helpful... 😘😘😘 just an idea!
I agree I have so many books and I’m OCD when it comes to matching. I so wish they’d come out with sticker books that had only 2/3 colors. That would be heaven, not looking through tons (and hours) looking to match that one color
Good tips. My planners are pretty much for stickering. I don't do a ton of writing. I also have more plain weeks than nething. For this reason I buy colorful already decorated planners like Katie Daisy and colorful happy planners. If I don't decorate...boom they are already decorated lol. 4 nxt year i couldn't find any colorful horizontal planners so I'm switching to vertical and combining 2 planners but I use the month sheets most neway so it shouldn't b a big deal. But now I'll have 3 planners. I use the colors as a guide to decorate. I've realized I'm a flower girl!
These are all such great tips. I’d be interested in hearing more about daily planning as it seems to be working well for you. I remember those days when you didn’t want to use Undo! 🤣 Maybe if I got some I’d be a bit quicker with my planning as at least I could remove stickers my perfectionist heart is unhappy with!
Wow that was awesome to watch..and makes so much sense..I honestly am a "couple of those people you mentioned but it's also important to keep a good mindset or I'll drive myself bonkers😄 It's fun and I think it's been mentioned before, but there are ways to use a planner from previous years right? ? Ones that are dated? I think perhaps today sometime I'll try to watch and create a spread "with you" for the coming week ..could use a little inspiration ..for a few things, and .I'm back to work "in person" learning since April...time sure flies, it would be cool too, to try a spread for my " school " planner. I'm an Educational Assistant, and it sure gets busy☺ Thank you again so much...enjoy your videos...have a great day! ! 🤗💕
It's true amen ur awesome for this blog thank you for saying nothing has too be perfect i tell that too everyone especially my bf she loves too write and craft and i tell her nothing is perfect it's u ur own so thanks for the blog ur awesome
Sorry for watching this video late! But its honest and inspiring. Thank you so much for sharing those tips which I believe we will get benefits from them.
Just wondering what the Color Story Sticker Books are that you mentioned in this video? I did a search but it didn't come up. I like the idea of being able to do four spreads from one book. Thank you.
I only buy in destashes from people. And then i have double the fun if i make an amazing spread with stickerbooks i wouldn't buy normally. But i did buy way too much in destash ;)
I wish I would have spent more money on washi and less on sticker books, because I used to watch the UA-cam use sticker books and less washi, but washi is more versatile and I do my entire spreads with washi and barely any actual stickers. I'm making it a habit to actually use my books but I definitely need more washi!
I draw and punch my own planner in advance. I am creative in that way. I don't even buy inserts. I like drawing and colouring. So thinking of adding my own art to my planner pages :)
I've only been following you a short time, so I did not know you had lost your husband to ALS. Taking care of someone with that illness is, in itself, a rough road. But knowing you have also lost your son.....you have definitely had your share of grief. I am grateful for your willingness to be transparent with all of us. You probably have no idea how your story helps others, but it does.
I just read this comment. I didn’t know about your Family. I took care of three of my Family members for 22 years. It’s so hard but it was my honor to care for them. It damaged my health. You are brave. I’m new to your channel and new to planning.
I just recently started following you, my condolences go out to you. You have been such an inspiration. TY for sharing your ideas and also your struggles you never know who might need to hear it to encourage them so keep on doing what you're doing. Love your channel and am improving everyday.❤❤❤😊
Regarding making a planner spread that looks like someone else's, my thought is that once I get started, I want to watch a video of a spread that I love and go along with it and probably copy it but if I get inspired to do something different, do that. I'm thinking that at first I might need to copy some spreads but then once I get the hang of it, I'll be able to change them up a little and eventually come up with my own spreads. It reminds me of cooking. In the beginning I followed recipes exactly but as I learned about cooking I got to the point of following a recipe loosely and making substitutions as I cook.
Here 10 months late but thanks for this. You’re so right. I used to use planners for a few months and then stop because of my mental health I would miss weeks and it would be so annoying to me that I’d give up on the planner. Now I only use undated planners. I’ve also given up doing elaborate spreads because it’s just not me. And with regards to hand writing I used to be so afraid and so upset if I didn’t write very nicely. When I told myself that I will never get enjoyment out of the planner if I don’t use it I stopped caring what my writing looked like 👍
YES......your planning style does evolve over time and your planner is all about you and not somebody else. Your style, your life, your legacy.
I now just wait for the clearances. I don’t buy everything anymore especially when it’s full price
Eerrr it's so hard! Like I see new stickers I want. And its like... sometimes hard to find the stuff later. Its sold out! Lol
How do u stay strong? I have no self control when it comes to waiting to buy on sale..I worry, what If they sell out of the one I really want!
Sometimes I don't always have an idea how I want to decorate during some weeks, especially those weeks without holidays. Sometimes it's just a color theme.
The gratitude practice is AMAZING 🤩. I have a box on each day that says “I am thankful for” and I just jot down something that made me grateful that day. If I’m feeling particularly down I’ll do a “Give Me Ten” where I force myself to find 10 things I am grateful for and write them down. By the time I’m done my mood has lifted
I love that!
Love this idea
Awesome idea👍
Maryellen, I've watched so many of your videos the past year or so, and this is one of my favorites! You are a great decorator and teacher, but it was nice to just see your face and hear your experiences. Thank you for sharing your planning passion. It definitely speaks to so many of us! ❤
Thank you so much!!!
OMG! And I really just loved listening to this video. I embrace this hobby I’ve rekindled on a smaller scale. When I was younger I introduced scrapbooking to my daughter. . I stopped. She continued. As a veteran high school teacher, I always enjoyed planning my bulletin boards. My love ( right now😅) for my classic planning is absolute therapy in another form. Although I am a perfectionist, I’m finding therapeutic to just not flip out if I mess up a misplaced sticker or rip a section of my planner page. Thanks so much for you heartfelt ministry of planner energy. Oh, and that gratitude piece was the icing on the cake in this video. Thank you. I’m not even a dog lover and I’m getting to appreciate and love Bumble.😂😂😂
I just posted a day or two ago that buying and using planner supplies are two entirely different things! I am now moving from the “hoarder” mode into the using stuff. Love this video! Thank you for your honesty and your willingness to share. 🥰
I’m so sorry for all of the loss that you have had in your life. I couldn’t imagine going through everything you have gone through. I have so much respect for you & your ability to overcome
Thank you ❤️
I have been guilty of all of these. It's crazy how many sticker books an pens I've already collected in the year I've been planning. Lol.Thanks for sharing.
Sammeee I am so overwhelmed with how many I have and HAVENT USED
Me too! All these sticker books and so many planners I could never use all of them, but they are so pretty and I am so afraid of missing out. think I need some therapy
Thank you very much Mary Ellen for all these amazing tips and most of all, for sharing your "why". Why you started planning and implementing a gratitude entry in your planner. This spoke to me deeply and I just wanted to say," Thank you!"
❤️
Wow. 💜 I’ve loved your videos, ever since I first found HP at the beginning of this year, but I hadn’t heard your story. Thank you for sharing it! I am a Christian and verbally thank God for His blessings when I pray, but I’m going to make a point now to write it out and be more intentional with it. Thanks so much for this!! 💜
I should also start daily planning. I love the personal testimonials about how these things changed your life.
Guilty! I finished decorating my whole 2021 planner by like February? and then started AND finished decorating my 2022 planner!!!! Now I’m like ummm what do I do? Oh yeah buy more planners and supplies! There should be like a support group for planner addicts 😂
You are adorable ❣️❣️❣️😉
@@caycollie8284 😆
Me too. I like what I did. Phew, but I am waiting until December 30 or so to use next year. Patience is hard.
There is a support group! It's called scrapbooking lol
Here is idea is to write a permission page and put in the front page . It is to remind you that’s okay it that you may miss up or don’t write for a day or week. It is a working progress
I like this woman. She so humble, so nice and so sincere and her advices helped me a lot.
I so wish I’d had this 7 years ago when I started “pretty” planning! Great tips and useful to be reminded, agree wholeheartedly about the gratitude xxx💕
It's to late..I am a sticker, pens & washi aholic. Getting them in my planner not so great at. But so many ideas in my head at the time I buy. ugh!!
I lost my mother at the end of the summer and then school started - I'm a teacher. So I got SOOOOO far behind. I'm still behind. And hearing you say "don't beat yourself up" means a lot!
I have so many HP sticker books and washi tapes. I’m no longer using HP but feel I need to get one for 2022 to use it up.
You definitely don’t have to use HP stickers in a HP. I use them in my bullet journal, Hobonichis, Wonderland222 and more.
You are glowing. Shows you are happy.
Thank you!
I wish there was a heart button instead of just a thumbs up. Very nicely done! Shirley
I am so grateful for you! I delved deeper into decorative planning this year because of you. I stumbled on a Michael’s class that you taught and it led me down a rabbit hole that I do not regret. I’m more brave, confident and creative and I owe a lot of it to you. Thank you so much 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Thank you for talking about gratitude! I want to include that in my planner from now on. 😊
So true! I have enough lol But I found my planner peace and will be ordering just what is my favorites.
You are the reason I started putting a gratitude spot in my planner every week! I agree, it's super helpful. It helps me realize that all isn't lost and I have so many reasons to keep going❤Thank you
Really loved this!! I wish I had been using a planner so many years ago. Everyone has their story, here is mine and why I can relate to you. My younger brother was in a very bad auto accident in 1992. It left him a paraplegic with all sorts of other injuries besides. I was his primary care giver from that time till his passing in 2015. Twenty- three years is a long time, but I would do it all over again, I just would make sure I had the planner outlet to help with the hard times, doctor appts, and all that..... So thank you for what you do!!
That’s such a hard road, I understand but wow…what a long time. So sorry!
Thank you, but don't feel sorry for me. I learned so much over the years, life lessons and others things that will stick with me for the rest of my life! That's why I would do it all over again!!
Debra God bless you. What a loving big sister you were/are. Your loving kindness will surely be blessed.
I’ve been planning for over 30 years, and Number 5 is what I always do, nothing is always going on every single day. What I’ve come to know is undated planners are THE BEST! I hate dated planners because you don’t want to be made to feel like you just have to write in it everyday. Undated planners allow me to start whenever I want to.
Yes!!! You are teaching beginners to love their creativity! Really, there is no right or wrong way.
I'm new to creative/decorative planning, but not completely new to paper crafting, so luckily I did have some tools already. I've also periodically used a basic planner... but combining the crafting with the planning, is definitely motivating! Of course I still ended up buying way more stuff than "needed" Lol... mostly because when I found Happy Planner, I was SUPER inspired by the flexibility of having removable/customizable pages... so I wanted to try it all out. Lol I think some extra buying is bound to happen while figuring out what works for us. But thank you for always being a voice of reason here... Lol. You are great at reminding us that there are no real right or wrong ways to do this. And that it's "ok to work outside the box" so to speak. 😊
Thank you for talking about not using the planner and not letting it let you feel like a failure. I have been struggling with that feeling for so long. Just knowing that someone else has felt that way too makes all the difference in the world 💕
Gratitude and affirmations make such a huge difference to create positive mindsets.
I love the gratitude piece. My planner doesn't have a lot of room for stickers during the week, so I write more. I try to write little things I'm thankful for or positives regarding what I'm working on. I love your videos so much!
❤️
Great tip on the wax paper...you are a gem with your suggestions on planners, although for me being a creative person I like the stickers...but I will use em' seasonaly and use the empty box ones to cross over/connect two days. In your #10 suggestions about gratiude is simply a part of me...BUT...in writing it down and I haven't even started yet...YES, YES to see it in your own words makes me happy, happier. So thankful to you for reminding us who do reconize/remember to be grateful. God bless you Amiga, again thank you for sharing, saving us time, money giving encouragement.....🎯👁👓👍you speak to those of us on limited budget.
Daily gratitude is such an important practice! It is so good for my mental health. Looking for things to be grateful for changed my mindset and made me see the positive more often.
You are so right. There about half a dozen sticker books I got in the beginning and I ask myself, why did I ever think I liked that.
This was really helpful. I just came back from Michael's with my 1st hp. Before that I used an a5 but I have really been getting in touch with my creativity a lot more these past years and I wanted something that gave me a little more space so I can be creative and playful but also still keep track of my biz n personal todos. I did by stickers and washi but that’s bc I know I will always plan. I feel so much more comfortable making the switch to Happy planner after watching your videos 💜
I love these chatty videos. And the tip i didnt know i needed gratitude. I have been drowning in depression and aniexty the last couple weeks but that tip just kinda made sense. Thanks for all that you do!
Hugs Gina
My gratitude: This video that felt like a warm fuzzy blanket on a rainy day. ❤️
I wish I had started a planner when my 2 great dane Therapy dogs were alive. I did start a Facebook page for them instead. I did not use my planner for 3 weeks while sick covid but did phone chat, my boss was worried so I back posted. I love your channel and Squaird Plans.
Thank you for this video. I am new to planning and I too started because my husband has started with hospice and I need to keep track of his medical needs. I will try the daily gratitude .
I’m brand new to planning and really excited to get into the decorating aspects. I never heard about or was planning to create gratitude lists but I feel like that’s exactly what I need to start doing in my life. So I just wanted to thank you for putting that in the video.
Wow! I’m totally moved by this video. There are so many things in this that resonate with me. I’m really touched, inspired and even though I get discouraged sometimes, this has helped me so so much. Thank you
Thanks! Glad it helped ❤️
I am a perfectionist too and planning is such a struggle for me. I am so annoyed whenever things do not look right or do not coordinate! Thank you for the inspiring words!!
This year I started doing a thankful Thursday with 5 things I was grateful for every week and it really DOES make a difference! Thanks for sharing!!
For the fall I decoupaged leaf napkins onto my Big Dashboard planner. I sometimes cut pictures from magazines cause that were the best floral pictures are.
Happy that you talked about all these things. I find. Myself doing those exact things. Ty
The night of June 2nd, my 48 y/o son and I had our favorite beef stew for dinner. It had been a very hot day. Nick said he was going to take a cool bath. In the tub, he started to have labored breathing. It got worse, I called 911. He died in the living room with the paramedics. Heart attack and asthma. My daughter had died 2011 from an aneurysm. To lose two of my children seemed unbearable. I know that cold, dark place you spoke of. I’m better now. And grateful for so much that I used to take for granted. I’ll write my first gratitude today. Blessings to you.
I’m so sorry. Since this video was filmed I lost my 27 year old son. I understand. 😥
I started a few years ago & stopped after about a year because life got crazy & I just didn't want to do it. I started again this spring & I've been building my planner accessories (mostly stickers) but now I'm looking at other things like the planner puncher, folders, undo, & things like that. It can get a little overwhelming sometimes & I get fomo pretty bad when HP has new releases lol. I got a vertical planner this time & realize I like the horizontal better & I also want to switch from the classic to a big but my planner goes to December of next year so I won't be switching anytime soon. I do think I'm getting better though. I watch alot of your videos & a few other planner babes for tips & inspiration!
im so glad to find your channel and these tips are so helpful! it's my first time getting myself a planner and i decided to get a planner that has: yearly plan, monthly plan and daily plan (time blocking) and yeah my first few days are so messy haha it's better to have a messy planner than a blank one -- thanks for the encouragement ^^
Your video popped up Jan 1 and out of curiosity I watched. Should have watched this video BEFORE I went to Hobby Lobby (40% off this week)!! I journal, so I got an 18 month and took 2021 calendars out to make room for filler paper. Did my first spread yesterday and enjoyed it immensely! Thanks for all your wonderful videos and helpful tips! You are inspiring.❤️
The suggestion not to plan ahead was golden😊
Thank you. This has been very helpful & informative.I remember Heather Kell had a video & I remember she said We don’t need all the washi.Which I love,but I did take her advice on this one,but I do love all things Christmas so I do still get that or just everything Christmas.Again,Ty.I have encouraged my granddaughter to watch this video.We are both into learning more about everything😊😊😊
Loved this video would love a part 2 🥺💕
Great video! I am guilty of some. One of the things I wished I knew when I started was I did not need a planner for everything. I got a classic, mini, memory, Faith, Budget, Recipe, and Wellness. Bad mistake - I was so overwhelmed on how to keep up with them all. I even tried frankenplanNing but that still was too much. Over time I am down to a Classic, Big for work and one for Journaling. I still use my Recipe one and can always get extra sheets. I do use Half Sheets or notebook paper for anything extra.
I realized my Budgeting was so different then HP, yet their stickers will work out. The same thing for wellness or Faith - I put it in my everyday one now.
I love Notebook Planners to customize to what I like - one for my Essential Oils, Gardening, etc.
To think over 30 years ago I keep a notebook with list of To Do's, What to Buy, How to Organize Things, Meal Planning, and Goals.. All these were just written on notebook paper then later list made on the computer and printed out. Boy has time changed.
True! That’s another one. Start with one planner.
Thanks, Mary Ellen. Great video.. I've been decorative planning since 2019 (although I've been using planners all my life). I love the decorative stickers and using multimedia in my planner. I am an artist and using art in my planner is fun and exciting for me.
Plus, you might want to do a "rewind" spread!
Everyone has and had a journey, thank you for sharing yours and personal tips. You are absolutely correct on writing things down the brain has a way of reading things and thinking
it’s an instructional manual.
I do my spreads one month at a time but that has become an issue. I live in Texas and I planned September out at the end of August, 100+ degree weather. My September spreads look like summer, lol. I think I did the same thing last year . I seem to always have a bunch of fall stickers laying around.
Just started planning for this year and found you on tiktok, already love un-du thank you for introducing me to it, it’s like a magical elixir. Love your passion, your vibe and your videos :)
Hi! I think I’m going to start with a classic planner, a pen, and some filler paper for notes and that’s all for now. :)
I'm a beginner but I already have like 10 sticker books and wanting to buy more coz they're all so pretty and cute. But when I make a spread I put myself on a 1 sticker book per spread limit. And when I used one I put it at the bottom of the pile and use the next one and the next one until I'm back to the first one ☺
That’s a great idea. It can be very overwhelming to use multiple sticker books for one spread
I just saw your tragic news about your son, Michael. God bless you Mary Ellen. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He lift His face to shine upon you during this awful time.
I'll be praying for you and Michael too. You're a strong woman and your son was so very blessed to have you for his mother.
Sleep tight Michael and God bless you both.
Thanks Mary Ellen. Great inspiration. I’ve lost my way a little with planning. Been back in lockdown pretty much since late May. I’m going to play with my planner for next week! 💕
I LOVED THIS VIDEO MARY ELLEN!!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING ALL THESE GREAT TIPS FOR BEGINNERS!!!!!!!
I'd love to see your beginning spreads that weren't that great. It's hard to imagine that they weren't great. I'm hoping to go back and watch some of your first videos. I'm in a place with horrible internet right now (Quartzsite, Arizona) but we're planning to leave in a few weeks or so and I should have better internet.
I absolutely luv your channel. I’ve always been a planner but your channel has help me take it to next level! Keep being beautiful!!
Thanks so much
You are amazing! Everything you’ve said sounds so like me, lol! You have so many wonderful thoughts and ideas. Very inspiring. Thank you 😊
Thank you so much for this video - I am a beginner planner and it's nice just to hear you talk through these tips. Thinking of you and your family...
Thank you for sharing. I just started doing a gratitude area in my HP and I really like it. I'm looking at it all the time and adding to it. This is one of the areas that I wish I would have added to my planner in the beginning.
Thank you for being so real, I seriously struggle with the perfectionism of dont beat myself up for not using my planner some weeks, it is reassuring to hear a content creator acknowledge this! I also struggle with wanting to change my planner system so often (partly due to new products that come out so frequently). It’s like planner ADHD! 🙃
Love this video! I’ve been a decorative planner for almost a year and have been stubborn on the weekly gratitude list (for no real reason at all), but I’ll give it a try!
i NEEDED this video! Thank you so much. Seriously, I've been overwhelmed with the new year coming up and starting my new planner. I need to remember not to be so hard on myself. To have fun and just use it! I appreciate you! 😍😍😍 I feel like you gave me permission to really explore this hobby and mess up, and it's okay! BTW the got the cute Nightmare Before Christmas planner from Walmart with Jack and Sally. I'm so excited, and I have the Nightmare before Christmas sticker book, too! 😍😍😍
Thanks for the inspiration and honesty and affirmation!!!!
These are all great advice! Thank you so much for taking the time to share this! I have been a planner for a few years but only very recently had the desire to learn how to be a decorative planner. Your videos are inspiring!
I really need a video of some sticker books that can be used together. I like the idea of single sticker books that can make a whole spread but I always end up needing other sticker options for some reason and I end up flipping through so many stickers each week to find matching color schemes and stickers that can go together- just some pre- matched sticker books that can be used together might be a helpful... 😘😘😘 just an idea!
I agree I have so many books and I’m OCD when it comes to matching. I so wish they’d come out with sticker books that had only 2/3 colors. That would be heaven, not looking through tons (and hours) looking to match that one color
Newbie here ... this is very helpful! Thank you 👍😊
Thanks for the reminders
Good tips. My planners are pretty much for stickering. I don't do a ton of writing. I also have more plain weeks than nething. For this reason I buy colorful already decorated planners like Katie Daisy and colorful happy planners. If I don't decorate...boom they are already decorated lol. 4 nxt year i couldn't find any colorful horizontal planners so I'm switching to vertical and combining 2 planners but I use the month sheets most neway so it shouldn't b a big deal. But now I'll have 3 planners. I use the colors as a guide to decorate. I've realized I'm a flower girl!
These are all such great tips. I’d be interested in hearing more about daily planning as it seems to be working well for you. I remember those days when you didn’t want to use Undo! 🤣 Maybe if I got some I’d be a bit quicker with my planning as at least I could remove stickers my perfectionist heart is unhappy with!
This was a great video!! It was so nice to just hear from your heart! Thank you for sharing 💜💜💜
Wow that was awesome to watch..and makes so much sense..I honestly am a "couple of those people you mentioned but it's also important to keep a good mindset or I'll drive myself bonkers😄 It's fun and I think it's been mentioned before, but there are ways to use a planner from previous years right? ? Ones that are dated? I think perhaps today sometime I'll try to watch and create a spread "with you" for the coming week ..could use a little inspiration ..for a few things, and .I'm back to work "in person" learning since April...time sure flies, it would be cool too, to try a spread for my " school " planner. I'm an Educational Assistant, and it sure gets busy☺ Thank you again so much...enjoy your videos...have a great day! ! 🤗💕
It's true amen ur awesome for this blog thank you for saying nothing has too be perfect i tell that too everyone especially my bf she loves too write and craft and i tell her nothing is perfect it's u ur own so thanks for the blog ur awesome
This video was so helpful! Thank you for your transparency and all the planning nuggets shared. 💕
Thank you. I needed to hear this.
You always give amazing tips and I wish I had seen this before I started planning last year and bought soooo many sticker books, lol
Great advice across the board. I definitely fell into some of those traps in the beginning.
Thank you so much 😊
Sorry for watching this video late! But its honest and inspiring. Thank you so much for sharing those tips which I believe we will get benefits from them.
Just wondering what the Color Story Sticker Books are that you mentioned in this video? I did a search but it didn't come up. I like the idea of being able to do four spreads from one book. Thank you.
Any video you recommend about writing gratitude lists? I have never done it but am very interested. Thank you!
I only buy in destashes from people. And then i have double the fun if i make an amazing spread with stickerbooks i wouldn't buy normally. But i did buy way too much in destash ;)
Such good advice! Thank you! ❤️
I think planning should be first and foremost about writing. Making it cute or pretty as well should be a fun afterthought.
I wish you could demo along with what you are talking about in this video.
Great tips! 🙌🏼 Looking beautiful btw 💙💙
Thanks Farah 😊
I just want a planner that gets me through the days without forgetting everything
I wish I would have spent more money on washi and less on sticker books, because I used to watch the UA-cam use sticker books and less washi, but washi is more versatile and I do my entire spreads with washi and barely any actual stickers. I'm making it a habit to actually use my books but I definitely need more washi!
I draw and punch my own planner in advance. I am creative in that way. I don't even buy inserts. I like drawing and colouring. So thinking of adding my own art to my planner pages :)
I've been finding clearance planners, do you by clearance ones or just new planners?
I buy new ones. But I get a lot of them for free