Hey guys! This week I wanted to discuss how I organize my vertical Happy Planner as well as my favorite planning accessories. This thing has been SO helpful in keeping my life organized, helping me remember bills, upcoming events, etc. I seriously use it for scheduling everything from events to my daily to-do list as well as meal planning. Let’s take a more in-depth look at all of the ways I organize my planner and the accessories that I find to be essential.
Getting Started With Your Planner:
The first step is obviously finding a planner that meets your needs. I really like the Happy Planner series because they have a ton of different styles and themes. They also come in a bunch of different sizes and layouts. Today, we’ll be talking about the classic sized vertical Happy Planner. My planner is this vertical style Mickey Mouse themed one.
I really like the vertical style because I feel like I’m able to better section off different types of information. In a horizontal one, everything is kinda squished together in the same box. I feel like I’m able to better track multiple kinds of information with my vertical layout.
Favorite Vertical Layout Themes:
Favorite Horizontal and Dashboard Layout Themes:
How I Organize Information In My Planner:
I use my planner to help keep me organized. Everyone’s organization system is a little bit different, but I hope that you can still gain some insight as to new tips and tricks to use!
Color Coding:
First and foremost, I color code everything that I write down. This helps give me a very quick visual as to what information I’m looking at. So for example, if I’m trying to find someone’s birthday, I know I write birthdays in turquoise, so I can flip to pages where I’ve used turquoise and find those dates easier. Same for appointments. I write appointments in red, so I can easily spot days where I’ve got an appointment by looking for the color red.
Here’s my color coding key so that you can see all of the different types of info I include in my planner:
What Goes Where?
Next, after color coding, I have specific spots in my planner that I include this information! This is also very valuable for me. Doing this helps me to know which section of the page I should be looking at to find out when an appointment is, or what we’re having for dinner that night, etc.
Here is how I categorize the information I write in my planner:
Here you can see that I break down each vertical section into three categories: Events, Productivity, and Meals. Under events, I write things like bills that will come out that day, music class times, appointments, birthdays, etc. Under productivity, I write my to-do list for the day. This is typically chores, things I need to do for the blog, activities to do with my son, etc. And lastly, in the meals section, I write down the meal plan for the week. This is where I feel that having a vertical planner is more beneficial to me. I have three sections that I can easily categorize and look at vs trying to search for the information in one box.
Notes Section:
In the notes section, this is where I write my reading goal for the week. I’ll also typically write new blog ideas, new recipe ideas, or more info about appointments, etc. in this spot. So for example, in the events section, I’ll say that I have an eye exam, but under notes I might write the address of the office and who I’m seeing.
How Do You Keep Track Of What You’ve Already Done?
In addition to color coding my writing, I also use different colored highlighters for each section to cross off tasks that have already been completed. It’s absolutely optional to use different colors. You could totally use one color highlighter, but I find that using different colors is a bit easier on my eyes. Here’s what my planner looks like after I’ve completed each task.
Hopefully this section helps give ideas for how you might want to break down and organize information in your vertical planner. That being said, I also use quite a few planning accessories that help me accomplish this organization.
My Favorite Planner Accessories:
The Basics:
For any planner to be effective, I think the basic supplies you’ll need are good quality pens and highlighters as well as a place to store these supplies. Here are my favorites!
My Favorite Pens, Highlighters, and Pouches:
- My top choice for pens: iBayam Journal Pens – These fine-point felt pens are an amazing deal. I find that they write just as well as Stadtler or Stabilo but are significantly cheaper. I also find that these don’t bleed through the paper which is a must.
- My runner up for pens: Paper Mate Ink Joy Gel Pens – If you prefer gel over felt pens, these pens are my absolute favorite. They write so smooth and don’t bleed through the thick planner paper like other brands.
- My top choice for highlighters: Sharpie Clear View Highlighter Sticks – I love these highlighters. These are my absolute favorite because I love the skinny line AND that you can see exactly what you’re highlighting. That being said, I am currently using just plain jane sharpie highlighters right now.
- My runner up for highlighters: Sharpie Chisel Tip Highlighters – I love Sharpie highlighters. I find the colors are brighter and less muted than other brands. These ones are just the classic fat chisel tip.
- My top choice for a pencil pouch: Mickey and Minnie Snap In Pen Case – I love this zip up canvas pencil pouch. It snaps onto the rings of your Happy Planner so you can’t misplace it. It also matches my Mickey Mouse theme!
- My second choice for a pencil pouch: Black and White Snap In Pen Case – This floral canvas pencil pouch is similar to the Mickey Mouse one but more neutral for whichever theme you pick!
Planner Extras That Are Nice To Have:
These accessories aren’t 100% necessary, but are really nice to have handy. I find them useful, but I could probably get by without them.
Planner Stickers
I really like being able to decorate my planner so that there aren’t a ton of blank spaces and so that it looks aesthetically pleasing. I like both decorative and functional stickers. Decorative are just that; they make your planner look cute. Functional serve a purpose whether to remind you about bills, appointments, etc. These are the ones I like the most:
- Happy Planner Decorative Disney Stickers:
- Floral Aesthetic Decorative Stickers
- Bloom Productivity Stickers
- Meal Planning Stickers by Itsawhoot on Etsy
- Mickey Mouse To-Do List Stickers by Theplanitvenus on Etsy
- Bill Due Stickers by PlushPlanning on Etsy
Okay, so that’s a lot of stickers, but I seriously do use almost all of them!
Planner Bookmark
I like having a bookmark because it makes it way easier to find my spot instead of flipping through each page in the month. This Cinderella castle one is the one that I have. I love that it clips right onto the rings of the planner so you can’t lose it or your spot. A good runner up would be these super cute snap on magnetic bookmarks that snap together over the top of the page.
Planner Inserts
Happy Planner makes some awesome planner inserts that further help with organization. They range from budgeting to fitness, to even just scratch paper. Here are some of the ones I have on my wishlist:
- Mickey Mouse 6 Month Extension – This undated, vertical extension pack comes with sheets to continue using your current planner for an additional 6 months.
- Neutral Themed 6 Month Extension – Similar to the Mickey Mouse extension, this neutral themed extension allows you to continue using your current planner for an additional 6 months.
- Four Pack Half Sheets – These classic sized half sheet inserts come with a meal planning guide, expense tracker, daily schedule, and weekly dashboard. You get four packs for the price of about two.
- Home Extension Pack – This classic sized full sheet set comes with a budgeting guide, household chores checklists, and meal planning inserts. It comes with enough sheets for about 6 months worth.
- Fitness Extension Pack – This extension comes with 4 months of exercise and food logs, progress pages, and dividers.
That’s basically all there is! I hope that this guide was able to help you find some awesome accessories as well as show you one of the many ways you could choose to organize your vertical planner. I personally love mine and use it almost every single day. It’s such a valuable tool for me!
If you liked what you read today, please check out my other family and fun posts here. Also, feel free to subscribe if you want to see my recipes posted weekly and other family fun posts posted twice per month. Leave a comment down below if you have a favorite planner accessory that you want to share or if you have any questions! Thanks!