Erin Condren Deluxe Monthly Planner 2017 Overview

It’s that time of the year, friends. The new year is just around the corner, and so that means it is time for planners! In the spirit of the planner season, I am giving you guys an overview of the 2017 Erin Condren Deluxe Monthly Planner.

I have used the EC Life Planner for the past couple of years, and while I love the quality of EC products, I don’t really use the weekly layout as much as I should. This year, I decided to go for the new Deluxe Monthly Planner. It’s cheaper than the Life Planner, but it has almost all of the same features. Let’s take a look, shall we?

The Cover & Intro Pages

This is the cover of the planner. I went with the larger 8.5 x 11 inch planner, since I wouldn’t have the weeks, and I chose the pattern Ikat. The cover is nice and is laminated, so it will last all year. As with the Life Planners, you can take off the cover and replace it, if you are interested in that.

When you first open up the planner, you get a white board that you can write on. You can put assignments, test dates or random notes here. You could also stick a notepad there, too.

On the first page of the planner, you have a page with information on the planner as well as a place to write your personal contact info.

Next, you have a couple of pages with quotes with a nice rainbow background. The cool thing about the Erin Condren planners is that they all have cute quotes to inspire you. The colors are also nice and make planning more fun.

Calendar Pages

The first calendar page is an overview of 2017 with some space to write down big picture goals or whatever you want. I will probably write some of my big year long goals in that space so that I don’t forget them. I don’t really use the year long calendar, but I’m sure there are tons of ways to use it.

This isn’t really a calendar page, but the next layout has twelve boxes where you can write down some goals you have for each month or maybe goals for different parts of your life. Again, customization is one of the best things about the Erin Condren brand.

Another not-really-a-calendar-page, before each month, you get a dot grid page. You can’t really see it in the picture, though. These pages could be used for monthly goals, notes, or budgeting. I will probably use these pages to track my income and expenses. I want to start off with a good budget since I will be working graduating in May.

Also before each month, is a different quote page, with a different background color for each month. I think this quote is pretty perfect for January. Note: if you get the neutral version, you will have all black and white pages throughout your planner.

Next up, we have the monthly layout. Since I got the larger planner, the boxes have a ton of room to write in, which is awesome. I will be using the monthly calendars to plan out my blogging editorial calendar as well as other important dates.

The right hand side of this page is also nice, because it has a lined section for goals and to dos for the month. This is a great way to remind yourself of your goals and items on your to do list. I will probably use this section for the more time sensitive/important things I need to do.

The next spread has one page with five boxes so that you can categorize things or break big projects into steps. I haven’t thought too much about how I would use this section. I might have a box for my blog, school, client/job work, personal and other. That might change.

The other page has some lines as well as lines with check boxes on the right. This is probably where I will do the most intense planning, since I can write out ideas and plan details for different projects.

This last planning page is for 2018. If I think of plans for the following year, I can write them down and then transfer them to a new planner later. I can write a few things for each month as well as yearly goals.

Other Pages

In the back of the planner, you have a bunch of blank lined note pages. The planner comes with forty pages, or you can add an extra forty (80 total) for five dollars.

I decided to add the extra pages, because I would be using them more since I would not have weekly pages. I will use these pages for things like big to do lists, random notes and possibly ideas for my blog and biz.

After the note pages, you have two full sheets of stickers. I’m guessing you probably would not get as many stickers with a 7 x 9 planner, because there would not enough space. You would still get some, though.

I will also be using stickers that I didn’t use in my previous planners, because, why not?

In the very back of the planner, you also get a nice big pocket to hold random things like stickers or loose sheets of paper. Since you can take the covers off, you can even move the folder to the front, if you like. You could also move the stickers with it.

The last thing in the planner is the back of the pocket, with a shallower folder, and a dry erase board on the back cover. Again, you can use the dry erase board for just about anything. I do think that I will not use this side of the pocket just because it is so short. I’m worried that things might fall out, but at least it’s there in case I do need it.

So…

That is a look inside my new Erin Condren Planner for 2017. I really love their products. The paper in the planners is just amazing, the covers are super sturdy and they’re really cute. That’s a total plus. If you would like to get a planner for yourself or as a late holiday gift, you can use my referral link for ten dollars off your purchase (I get ten dollars off, too!).

Have you bought your planner for this year? Are you excited to use it? Let me know in the comments! Also, be sure to read some of my other posts and follow me on Twitter (@HannahHaefele) so you don’t miss future updates!

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