My Christmas Planner

I know Christmas is over, but it is never to late to plan for next year :)
I received this beautiful DayTimer planner from my daughters last year as a Christmas gift.
I knew exactly what I was going to do with it too.
A Christmas Planner!!!
I didn't need the date inserts, but I did want to use the monthly dividers.
But before we get into the details....lets talk about how I plan for the holidays.

I love notebooks and have many.
But noticed to get ready for the holiday's I had to get these and other books together.
I had a journal for my gift lists.
I had a book for keep a record or Christmas cards I send and received.
I had my recipes in my recipe books.
I had lists and revised lists and revised lists of the revised lists...well, you get the idea.
I really needed to fine stream my organizing method and the Christmas planner was the answer and oh so pretty.

Remember I mentioned that I kept the 12 monthly dividers?
I covered them with my hoarded pretty Christmas papers and made some new divider tabs.
Here is how I labeled each tab and what it consists of.
1. Schedule: My Todo's for the days in December.
2. Winter Wonderland: Outside Decorating
3. Deck the Halls: Inside Decorating
4. Holiday Traditions: What we do every December to enjoy the season more.
5. Card Addresses: Page above with my Addresses and who I send Christmas cards to.
6. Movies: Christmas movies we have and enjoy watching.
7. Feast: Prepping for a Turkey meal. What I need and how I do it. I also use this section for anytime we have a turkey meal.
8. Novels: Every December I read a sappy Christmas novel...it's just one of my traditions :) So I list the books I have to read and check them off when I do.
9. New Years: We host a New Years party (drop in). So what my plans are for that day.
10. Clean Up: Lists of what is packed where.
11. Gift List: My gift lists and stocking stuffers
12. So far 12 is blank.

I then added notes for each section.
I like that is it a ring binder, because then I can add pages as I need them.

This section is for addresses for my  Christmas cards and who I sent to and who I received from.
I used the lists from the book I had, but redrew the lines and used my lable maker for the titles.
I am sure anyone can do this with any knowledge of the computer...me, I find it easier to just draw it and use the photo copier to make multiple copies.

I found this cute gift list HERE.
I just played with it so I could have the lists on both sides of the paper and room for the binder holes.

This planner has pockets and zippers and places for notepads.
Now all of my bit and pieces fit into this Christmas planner :)
I love how it turned out and it really helped with my planning this past Christmas!!

You know I just had to go into more detail than a blog post could fit, so I made a video so you can see it in more detail :)
If you would like to watch the video on my Youtube channel, just click on the link "Tracy's Treasures24"

I hope you enjoyed taking a peek into my Christmas Planner :)
I have been working in my other planners, yes I have more...I think I may have a bit of an addiction to them, lol.

Have a very Creative Day :)

Tracy 💗

Dashboard for my Recollections Spiral Planner.

I went to a class at Michaels.
I never usually take classes but my new Art Journal buddy Stephanie was teaching and I wanted to support her.
We made a dashboard for our planners :)
The class was free and we were to bring our own supplies.
There were 5 in the class and we all had different planners, so each dashboard was a different size and because we brought our own papers and such, they all looked different as well.
I really enjoyed it, thank you Stephanie :)

I am trying the Recollections spiral planner this year (I will share more on my planner in another post).
I usually use my DayTimer, but thought this looked like a fun one to try :)
So lets continue with the dashboard shall we?
I used a grey cardstock for the base (looks black in the picture) and then adhered some Heidi Swapp paper on top of it.
I didn't want to adhere the backs of the post its on the paper because if I wanted to change out the post its, it would rip the pretty paper, as I am using my ATG to adhere them.
So I used a clear sheet of sticky Avery paper on the Heidi Swapp paper.

I was thinking of using velum, but I didn't like that it muted the pink paper.
The quote on the top left corner is printed on velum, see how the paper is muted behind it...ya, thats what I didn't want ;)

Now for the back of the page.
I completed my dashboard at home.
If I remember correctly, there was suppose to be a pocket on the back of the dashboard.
So I mounted the pink paper on the grey cardstock and then adhered the 3 sides leaving the top side open.
I just added some washi in the pocket.
I didn't put the sticky paper on this side, as I'm not planning on adding the post its on this side.

Now because it is a spiral planner, you can't add pages....or can you ;)
I used the packaging paper as a template on where to punch the holes, you could also use the front cover for this.
Then I cut slits from the edge of the paper to the punched holes.
This way the dashboard (or anything you want) can be added to the binding.
It can be removed from the binding, as well as turning the pages easily.

Here is what our dashboards were suppose to look like if we used the supplies that they called for.
This is Stephanie's, pretty isn't it.

I thought I would share with you why I don't normally take classes, just so you know I'm not snobbish on them, lol.
I like to look at a project and figure it out myself.
I also don't follow directions very well and go my own way, and would feel like I might me insulting the teacher if I don't follow her instructions.
And lastly, while I am figuring out how to put the project together, I come up with different ways, or different ideas.
See, I'm not snobbish, just stubborn ;)

I hope you all had a very Creative Day

Tracy :)

Loving my planner....again

Another week is almost done.

I know now why so many planner junkies love digital printables!!

I found these free digitalis from PomPlanner and love them.

These are the only planner stickers that fit my DayTimer. 

Mind you, I didn't have sticker paper, or a machine to cut these out. 

I had to cut them by hand and stick them on with my adhesive.

I love the look!!!!

I hope you all have a very creative day today :)

Tracy :) 

Planner Day

Today is Planner Day :)
Every Sunday is my day to figure out my week and fill in my days.
At the start of each month I decorate my planner days for the month with washi tape and fill in important dates…like Kristy's birthday :)
I like to do this monthly instead of weekly, it is just easier for me.

I then add in my Personal, Home and Creative time management for each day.
Lastly I write in my Home Cleaning or my Zone tasks in each day, as well as what I am going to do with my personal time and my Creative projects I want to work on.
That is the fun and easy part…its fulfilling those tasks that is the hard part :)
Do you plan your weeks?

Onto My Day:

I got in my work shed today to cut the wood for one of the centrepieces for Ashley.
I had to move things around…..I have to really organize my work shop this summer when it is warmer.
It was cold today, but I plowed through.
I couldn't get the power to work in there…I did everything and was so frustrated.
I kept coming in the house to tell Wayne, and he would suggest resetting the breaker…which I did repeatedly.
Finally he came outside to help me out.
Guess what he did…..he reset the breaker and it worked.
Even though I did it many times, it worked for him…..so he felt like the "man".
I was just happy that I got to use my miter saw, so much easier than using a hand saw, teehee.
I just cut enough for a one as I wanted a prototype to make sure Ashley likes them before working my butt off to make them all, lol.

I hope you all had a very Creative Walking Day Sunday :)

Tracy :)

Time Management in my Planner

Here are my March Planner pages/
I really enjoy decorating my pages with washi tape…can you tell ;)
At the beginning of each month I decorate my monthly planner pages and record important dates.

I also decorate my weekly pages at the beginning of the month, but I record and schedule my weekly pages on Sunday for the next week.

I have broke my days into 3 sections for each day.
Personal- this section is for me :)  My workouts, emails, computer time, reading.
Home-this section is for anything that has to do with the house. So cleaning, organizing, outdoor work, meal planning.
Creative- this section is for my creative time. Crafting, organizing my craft space, videos or blog ideas.

Not sure how close you can see these pages, but it looks like I have a lot of personal time, but I honestly don't get up as early as this schedule shows. I usually get up after 9:00.
My creative time is the least amount of time scheduled as I start supper at 4:30 or earlier.

Each day of the week I have a chore
Monday=Mail Day. I gather bills that need to be paid or papers that need to be filed.
Tuesday=Trash Day. Collect all of the garbage in the house and take it to the outdoor cans
Wednesday=Wash (laundry) & Garbage Day. Pretty self explanatory.
Thursday=Travel or Errand Day. This day is when I do errands outside of the home or clean and take care of our jeep.
Friday = Forget Task Day. This is the day I catch up or finish tasks I didn't get to, or put off because I didn't want to do them ;)
If you noticed, to make these days easier for me to remember (even though I have them written down) I matched the chores first letter to the day of the weeks letter.

My Saturdays and Sundays are pretty blank, as both of those days are family days. Or movie marathon days in the winter and cottage days in the Summer…..oh summer how I miss thee.

I made a video explaining a bit more on how this works for me :)
If you would rather watch my video on my YouTube channel, just click on the link "Tracy's Treasures24"
I hope you all had a very Creative and organized day :)

Tracy :)

Mini Planner Pockets

These are my pages for this week.
I didn't get a chance to fill my week in as I was making these pockets for my journal.
Tonight was the Walking Dead, and I don't do anything when my show is on ;)

I was thinking the other night (as I was in bed, trying to go to sleep) of putting my chore list on my pages, but in a way where I can move them from week to week.
At first I thought I would laminate my lists in a dashboard form.
But then I had a genius idea….okay, maybe not genius, but I think it is pretty darn clever ;)

I remembered I had these name tag badge holder thingies.
I bought them a very long time ago, I think from the dollar store.
I thought they would work perfectly.

I printed up my chore charts.
I clean a room a week. I may not get them all completed in that week, but if I don't get them completed, I just start again on that week when the time comes around again.

I printed them on pattern paper, inked the edges and then did a bit of stamping.
I then used my hand punch (the same one I used when I was a papergirl as a kid, yup I still have the punch…..40 yrs later) to punch the plastic holders so they fit in the binder rings.

As you can see here, I added some pattern paper to the back of the chore charts, we like things pretty :)
I also like this as I can write with an erase pen, on the blank back for other things I  may need to do or remember and can then erase it later.

Ohhh but thats not all.
I also made a video on how I made them with more information :)
If you would rather watch the video on my YouTube channel, for the full screen, just click on my link "Tracy's Treasures24"
Can you believe I didn't post for 2 days in a row!!
I can't believe it either.

I hope you all had a very Creative Sunday :)

Tracy :)

Decorating up my planner :)

I am working on my planner tonight.

I haven't decorated it so much lately and when I look at my past pages that are decorated, I just love to look at them.

So I thought, get your butt in gear and start decorating them lady ;)

I brought my washi tape up to the cottage and worked on my Month on 2 pages for the rest of the year.

So tonight I thought I will put in the details…like everyone's birthdays.

I have shared this before, but what I do is stamp cupcakes out on Avery sticky labels, colour them in and then fussy cut or detail cut the cupcakes out to use as stickers.

So I will hopefully get the birthday's complete for the whole year :)

We had stir fry for supper tonight and we made way to much rice.
So what do you do when that happens?
Make rice pudding of course :)
I love when it is warm..yumm.

I spent quite a bit of the day in my jeep.
Heather and Kristy have been practicing driving to get their second part to their licence.
They are pretty good, but we have been at it for a while now…but at the beginning, I know why parents put their kids in driving school…lol.

I hope you all had a creative Monday :)

Tracy :)

Handmade Smash books a video and time to finally change the planner pages

Do you remember these smash-type books I made when I was on my Girls Getaway?

I love how they turned out…but I have yet to put them to use.

With my goal of having January my catch up month for last year and being in the present come February. I have been catching up on making my videos.
So here is a video talking about and sharing the inside of these two books.
I notice my videos are really big on my blog and get cut off, so if you want to go to my YouTube channel to watch it there, you can see the whole screen.

Thank you for the well wishes about Ashley's cat Sebastian.
He is doing well.
Ashley took the day off of work to care for him. She said he is doing well, but doesn't like the kitty litter he has to use because of his claws. And you know how this silly cat loves his litter, lol.
Isn't this a sweet photo of them.
I guess they both needed a nap today ;)

I thought I needed new month pages, but it turned out that the ones Wayne bought me for Christmas has them already.
I may still use the ones I purchased as they are 1 month on 2 pages. The one that came with the package is 1 month on 1 page.

There are a few differences in these planner pages than the ones I had last year.
Some good points and some not good points.
I will share those in a video later on :)

I hope you all had a creative Thursday.
Mine was spent making some videos and trying to figure out my iMovie program. The biggest problem was getting my Mac to read my video camera..but I think I got it figured out :)

Tracy :)