Review: Erin Condren Life Planner '14-'15

I recently purchased an Erin Condren Life Planner to help keep my busy schedule in order. Between my regular work (though that's currently on hiatus), two side jobs, planning Disney trips, and preparing for multiple big moves over the next few months, I've got a lot I'm trying to juggle. I'm a big fan of paper planners. I know it's "old fashioned," but there's just something I like about having it on a page in front of me. Plus I still get full functionality of my phone. 

I bit the bullet and bought an Erin Condren Life Planner. Or rather thinned out my wallet. These planners are expensive. Was it worth it? Read on to find out!

**Interested in ordering your own life planner? Use this link to get $10 off!**

*Typical obligatory disclaimer: I was not compensated for this review. I purchased the planner on my own accord and all thoughts are my own. :)

First off, the Erin Condren folks know that appearance is everything- check out how pretty the box is! (The pink sticky note is just covering my address.)

When you open it up, it comes packaged like a gift with tissue paper and fun little extras.

There are many cover options you can choose from. I chose one of the classic covers in the Fleur Feliz design. I also chose one that they already had, but you can customize it in any color scheme, font, etc. The covers are also removable, so if you order extras, you can swap them in and out during the year. Not to fear, the covers wont come off unless you're really trying to take it off.

The planner comes with a two-page monthly layout. These months have the tabs on the side so they're easy to access. I like that it's a two-page layout- a lot more space to jot things down.

My November has since filled up- Disney World for the Wine & Dine Half Marathon and then Disneyland for the Avengers 5k & Half! :)

After each of the month tabs comes the weekly layouts. The days start on Monday and go left to right. I know a lot of other planners go from top to bottom and from the left page to the right. This different layout allows for the morning/day/night spaces. 

It was a little hard to get used to at first, but I really enjoy it. I can easily see my days plans (be it errands to run during the day or dinner plans at night. Plus I'm not locked into a specific time, like other planners that have the hours of the day listed.

At the bottom of the weekly layout, there are 4 little lines that you can use for anything. I use this for my exercise/running. On one of the Sunday lines, I have a my weekly countdown for the marathon I'm training for in January. I use the other lines to record my weight, how many miles I'm supposed to run for my training plan, how many miles I actually ran, and a little bit about the run (my pace, if it was good, slow, hot, etc).

Each month has a different color scheme to fit the time of year, but it's not overpowering. October has a fall brown/orange theme, December has a deep green, February is pink, April is purple.

Note: There are two options for ordering- you can order a 12 month planner or an 18 month planner for $5 more. The 12 month planner goes from January-December of 2015, so if you don't want to wait until January to use it, get the 18 month. Kudos if you have the willpower to wait, I certainly didn't. ;)

After all the months/weeks, there are lined and blank pages for notes. I've used some of mine for my Disney planning/budgets.

Even the blank pages have pretty designs! If you like this particular design, they have a cover with it.

The planner also comes with stickers. Who doesn't like stickers?
A page of birthday stickers.

A second page of pre-printed things. Personally, I probably won't use many of these. I cut my hair maybe once or twice a year, don't go to concerts, and I do my own mani/pedis. 

Two sheets of blank ones are included. I've used mine for races, weddings, airplane flights, etc. They are also removable!

Behind the stickers is a double-sided pocket. It comes with a small booklet to keep contacts and birthdays/important dates. That way when you move to your next planner, you don't have to write it all down again.

Finally at the end, there is a clear plastic pouch to store things. It has a zipper closure, almost like a ziploc bag. I use it to keep post-its, business cards, etc. It came with a few cute gift labels.

These planners start at $50, more if you order accessories, etc.

So, was it worth it? YES!

After tax, shipping, and the extra $5 for the 18 month planner, it comes out to about $4/month.

That's well worth it, IMO, for a planner that can hold my bills, coupons, notes, etc and that's cute and colorful. It also inspires me to stay organized.

I've been using it a big retroactively to jot down things I've done or events that have happened. It also doubles as my fitness journal, so I can track my running progress. I've also seen people use theirs to plan out their blog posts/ideas.

If you like having a paper planner or you're considering trying one out, I give this one two thumbs up. :)