Erin Condren Planner Review: How to Get Organized and Keep Your Sanity

I’ve always loved planners, so when I discovered the Erin Condren planner, I was a little too excited about it. I used to walk around with a notebook or planner and completely forget to use it. At one point I realized I was just carrying it around to make myself feel like I had it together. It’s not that I thought I could remember everything, it’s more that I wasn’t in a habit of using one. Last year I was determined to get my ish together and really make sure I had my job and my blog to-do’s in order. I had heard all about the Erin Condren Life Planner and decided it was the one for me!

I’m going to primarily be reviewing Erin Condren’s LifePlanner, but before I do, you should know how many options there are available! In addition to the regular LifePlanner, there is a Hardcover LifePlanner. There is an Academic Planner for students which includes labels for projects and exams, in addition to the traditional monthly and weekly views, notes, and quotes pages. For teachers, there is a Teacher Lesson Planner that holds many resources for the classroom including a communication log, yearly goals, checklists, and plenty of notes pages! The Deluxe Monthly Planner includes 12 two page monthly spreads in addition to the standard monthly planner options. There are also Petite Planners to take with you everywhere. The last planner option is the Wedding Planner which includes lists, dates, timelines, and so many customizable options for you and your s/o. In addition to planners, there are also a variety of notebooks, office supplies, and stationary. For the home, she even sells throw blankets and photo canvas prints, and for the upcoming holidays, apparel and gifts such as hats and tote bags.

Shop Erin Condren Planners and Accessories

Erin Condren Planner Review

As the most popular product, and my personal favorite of Erin Condren’s, today I am talking about the LifePlanner. I started using the LifePlanner in the 2018 new year. I had heard how great they were and wanted to try for myself! I was also able to pick out my exact specifications and ended up with the perfect planner for me. It even has my name on it!

Erin Condren Planner Review: Customization Options

The customization options with Erin Condren LifePlanner are endless! Aside from the extensive inventory list, there are also many options for customization when choosing your products. First, you’ll choose your binding: coils or hardbound. I prefer coils because they are easier to use. Once you choose your type of planner you are sent to a page with a litany of different options starting with the cover. Stars, flowers, watercolor, geo-print, you name it and they have it. If not, you can create your own design, and even use your own photos! Next, you’ll choose your layout starting with days of the week. The weekly page can be hourly, horizontal, and vertical. I had horizontal weekly spread with the lined pages in my first planner, but I currently use the vertical layout and absolutely love it! I’m surprised, but I think I actually like it better!

Your next option is your color theme. My first instinct is always to choose neutral, which was in my first planner, but I am really liking the color theme in my newer planner! The notes pages are about the same in both styles. Included are lined pages, dot grid pages, and coloring book pages.

Customization & Personalization

The next step in creating your perfect customized planner is your coil color. Color options are gold, silver, black, or rose gold. I’m sure it’s no surprise that I chose rose gold for my first planner and gold for my current planner. Finally, you can choose to add your name, business, monogram, or anything else on your planner to add an even more personal touch.

Accessories

There are so many fun accessories to go with your Erin Condren LifePlanner! Some of my favorites are these pens and the interchangeable planner covers. I swap my two covers in and out all the time! Some other great accessories are elastic bands. These are possibly the most useful product out of all Erin Condren accessories. They fit all of the planners and help keep your planner closed. I always ruin my planners when I throw them in bags (then throw other things on top of them) as they sprawl open. You can get a perpetual calendar which is great for noting holidays, birthdays, and other important dates that don’t change. I have one and am filling out my family and friend’s birthdays, important people’s contact information, and it even has a place for passwords! A snap-in dashboard holds your notes that are more permanent or can be done at any time.

There are also adorable compliment cards are a fun way to show a friend, colleague, or anyone that you care and improve their day! As the holiday season nears, you’ll probably be thinking more about gift labels. Don’t worry, Erin Condren has you covered. Coil clips can help save invitations or notes in your planner exactly where you need them and keep them in place. How many times have I stuffed a sticky note or piece of paper in my planner and have it fall out? Too many to count. I need to utilize these asap!

Erin Condren Planner Ideas & Tips: Getting the Most Out of Your Planner

The Erin Condren LifePlanner can really help you organize your life and reach your goals, but you have to use it. Using it to the fullest extent can really help your productivity in the long run. I think by now most of use have heard that writing down your goals is important. However, did you know that according to a study conducted by Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor at the Dominican University in California, you are 42% more likely to reach your goals if you write them down on a regular basis. 

Decide when you want to start using the planner. If you only need 2019, or if you’d prefer the rest of 2018. I love that they only send the months left and don’t waste the paper on the past months!

I learned about bullet journaling right before I got my second planner, and while I wouldn’t exactly call what I do bullet journaling, it is a lot more fun to have little sketches, color, and stickers in my daily notes and plans rather than just my boring to do’s. If you are someone who struggles to use your planners but has them anyways, I highly recommend adding some fun and creativity into your daily planning to make it more exciting! 

If you’re a blogger you can use rewardStyle affiliate links on Erin Condren planner and website! It’s always a good day when one of your favorite retailers becomes linkable! Many people think that bloggers only have to take photos and post them on Instagram but there are actually a ton of deadlines, phone calls, planning, meetings, and so much more that go into the back end of being a blogger that the outside world doesn’t see. I would lose my mind, forget all of my deadlines and ideas, and ultimately be a hot mess if I didn’t use a planner and stick with it. 

Erin Condren Planner vs. Happy Planner

I know a lot of people compare these two planners and are wondering which one to get. I’m going to start this section by telling you that I’ve never used a Happy Planner. I love my Erin Condren and frankly, when I find a good thing, I don’t like to mess with it. However, I do love the Happy Planner sticker books, but on the flip-side, I’ve never tried Erin Condren’s sticker book. The Happy Planner Sticker books are readily available at target, JoAnn Fabric, Michael’s and many other retail locations which made it easier to grab and start using.

Overall, I love Erin Condren and absolutely encourage you to try any and all of her products if you are in the market. You can shop the items I’ve mentioned in this post below!