The Bando Agenda

Alright, so I've been using my Bando Agenda for a little over 3 months now and I figured it's about time I post some photos as well as my thoughts on it.  I apologize in advance for the crappy photos.  I'd post better ones, but...lazy.

Okay, so first off, besides the gorgeous design (I mean, really, it is so frikken pretty), the cover is great.  It is made with hard, durable cardboard (like a hard-cover book) and has rounded edges so you don't have to worry about it bending out of shape too much.  It is spiral bound so some of you crafty people can create inserts or clip-ins if you're want a more customized feel.

Once you open it, there is a double sided pocket page that contains a cute little code key that you can use to write notes to your friends, or just write stuff that you don't really want others to see.  You can also use the pockets to hold papers, stickers, or whatever.  After the pocket page is the dashboard which says "This Agenda Is Mine" and a blank line to write your name.  Obviously, I kicked it up a notch and decorated the whole page with stickers.

Speaking of stickers, the agendas come with two sheets of them!  They're so cute and functional and I've already used a few, as you can see.

Next up is the yearly overview which shows 2017-2018.  Then, "Dates to Celebrate" where you can write in birthdays, anniversaries, etc. to keep track of them.  After that, there's a list of holidays (traditional and non-traditional) that you can look forward to celebrating all year long.

November's cover design

December's monthly spread (not completed)

Completed monthly spread

Each month has its own spread of artwork and cute sayings which makes going into a new month so much fun.  The monthly spread itself is simple and kinda plain, with just a half sidebar space for notes.  At first I was a little disappointed, but when I realized how much freedom I would have to decorate and customize it, my disappointment turned into creative bliss.

 Weekly spread (blank)

Completed weekly spread

The weekly spread is also plain with a few little notes and cute sayings every week.  I have to admit that I was I little (okay a lot) intimidated by all the blank space in this new planner because I was so used to the vertical layout in my old planner which I designed to mimic the ECLP.  I freaked out the first week I used it because I didn't know how I would fill up all the space.  But thanks to my sticker and washi tape addictions, I can decorate each week as much or as little as I want to.

There are also note pages after each monthly spread as well as several blank lined sheets at the back of the agenda for taking notes, doodling, etc. but I don't really use them.

Transitioning from my old planner to this one took a lot of getting used to but I love that I'm able to customize and decorate my pages however I want to.  It does take time to actually sit down and plan and cut stickers and decorate each page but it adds a little fun and creativity into my work day by taking a few minutes every few hours to add some stickers or break out my washi tape.

All in all, I really LOVE this planner.  I don't know if I could ever go back to the boxy vertical layout that I was using previously.  I also love how durable and sturdy the covers are because that was a big issue with my previous DIY ECLP copy-cat planner.  If durability is an issue for you too (you like to throw your planner in your purse, car, etc.) I think you'd enjoy the covers on this one.  Also, if you love having the freedom to design and decorate to your heart's content, this is definitely the one for you.

What kind of planner do you have?  What do you think of the Bando Agenda?  Are you a sticker/washi tape addict too?

*P.S. This is NOT a sponsored post.  I bought this shit on my own.  All images and opinions are my own, blah blah blah.

For the planning obsessed...

Hello fellow planner geeks!  It's been a while since I've posted about my planner obsession, and now that we're past the halfway mark of 2016, I figured now is as good a time as ever to show you how I've been using my planner since my initial post last year.

Okay, so the major update I've done with my planner since I first made it were the front cover and monthly dividers.  I found this cute digital paper set called Kate at the Resort by The Cheeky Darling and created a collage of the different papers as the cover and printed the individual papers to use as monthly dividers.

I also added a cute little portfolio to the front of my planner to hold stickers, notes, and other little things so I can easily access them.

March was my busiest month so far and I had so many things to plan.  I ordered a whole shitload of planner stickers from Etsy a few months back and stickers are pretty much my favorite part about planning!   My planner sticker addiction was starting to get out of hand so I did eventually end up printing a lot of my own stickers on sticker paper, but there's just something about stickers all cut out and ready to plan with that beats cutting your stickers by hand from a sheet of paper.  My favorite sticker shops:  Once More With Love, Keena Prints, Planner Mania, and Love Your Planners.

I designed my planner to mimic the ECLP vertical layout because I like being able plan my day accordingly.  I crack open my planner as soon as I get to work and I keep it on my desk right next to my monitor all day.  I list my work tasks, meetings, personal appointments, etc. My "morning" block is used to list anything that needs to be done before I go to lunch (8am-12pm) and the "day" block is for everything from 1pm-5pm, when I get off of work.  My "night" block is usually where I list my workout routine for that evening, any events or happenings that night, and chores I need to do when I get home.

I think I'm one of the few people who enjoy this type of layout over the horizontal one since I really prefer to do a quick list of tasks rather than a lengthy description.  I also like the extra space on the bottom where I track my eating habits, migraines, etc.  Plus, of course, the weekly goals section helps to keep me on track for the week.

I've been designing and putting together my own planners for the past two years now because I never felt comfortable dishing out loads of money one one.  BUT, I finally did it.  I bought this planner from Ban.do.  Actually purchased it with my own money.  Yup.  It wasn't as expensive as all those trendy, popular brands like EC, Plum Paper, etc. because you can't really customize it, but it's still cute as fuck!  I'll do a little review post on it later, maybe once I actually get to use it (the planner dates don't start until August) but feel free to check out the pictures of it on Ban.do in the meantime.

Also, if you follow me on Instagram, you'd have seen my monthly posts of my Planner Society Kits.  If you've been wanting more information on it, stay tuned because I'll be posting a review on it soon!