Planning with #SundayStationery

If there was ever an idea which got me happy it was Jocelyn at The Reading Residence introducing #SundayStationery. Ok, so after reading a few posts my husband and bank balance may not feel the same way, but stationery, now there’s something to write about.

I thought, as my first post, I’d start with how I plan, I’m already saving my piece d’resistance for next week (because planners themselves deserve a post, if not an entire chapter), but this is how my weeks, and days work:

In my world (I’m a programme manager, it goes with the territory), planning is just something you do, sometimes it’s exciting, even fun; sometimes it’s monotonous, some things have to happen whether you want them to or not; and sometimes it really is at the bottom of the previous to-do list. But, with good stationery, it does get a little better.

Whilst my planner (next week already) takes care of the general overview, where I need to be, where the family need to be, there is far more that can be planned, and whilst I am sure one app, or one planner, might take care of it all, using stationery makes me happy, and therefore I am happy to plan. And now, I have a little stock of things to keep me happy so the world is good.

This was my first to-do list, as part of The Green Gables Happy Paper Club, is now keeping my personal life on track. Reminding me of fees I haven’t paid, forms I haven’t filled in or insurances which are due:

I found this one in TK Maxx, and I do love it- probably because unlike The Green Gables version I like the freedom of not being numbered (numbers create pressure) and where work is concerned I do have a trend of the same things appearing on my to-do list day after day as my prioritisation skills are amazing, or lacking, depending on who you are- but anyway, I love the colour, design, and how many I get in a pad!

The next one, I think is for humour, things we need from the supermarket or that need doing around the house. And I know I’m about to get contentious. My husband is a stay-at-home dad. And I probably learned on about day 2 of this status not to do this, but I still think it needs to be done. I think for him a to-do list is a list of things not to be done, regardless of all odds. Because he is great. But it’s almost like committing them to paper means they should be avoided at all costs, but do everything else (which isn’t so much a priority). So the boiler is leaking (and on the to-do list) but the back garden is overgrown- it’s not worth saying what got sorted… But this list is magnetic, it’s not ‘to-do’ but more a list, and it’s from Lollipop Designs, and I like it a lot.

My final contribution is a newer addition, received gratefully from Sian as part of Capture By Lucy’s Summer Time Surprise project, this is being used for meal/ food planning. Feeding perfectly (or not!) into hubby’s list, but definitely focusing the mind as the children’s after school clubs, his squash coaching and my nights away,  are brought into consideration.
And so here’s the first piece of my jigsaw, why, even with my electronic diary, there’s so much reason for stationery to keep our life on track.