my new planner + why i love ban.do

The best part of a new year? A new planner. Without one, my days are disorganized and all over the place. I am someone who relies on a planner to keep my brain focused and functioning. I have tried many different kinds over the years, but my favorite brand is ban.do. Unfortunately, there were a couple of years where I was unable to find products from the brand at my local Indigo...and I was unwilling to pay the extra money to ship a heavy planner to my home. I found other alternatives, and those worked well enough, but were not quite as good as the ban.do planners. So, it was downright thrilling to find a small stack of ban.do planners with different cover art at Indigo during the late summer months. (Maybe that is the secret...to shop for a planner in the summer instead of looking for one in the fall. Though this is a 17 month planner, I use it as a 12 month one. There were just no 12 month options available.) Ready to take a peek inside? Here is the 17 Month Planner from ban.do. 

As mentioned, there is an awful lot to love about the ban.do planners. This specific style is large and has a thick front and back cover. This particular cover design says: The Possibilities Are Endless. There were some other cover designs to choose from, but I liked how bright, colourful, and fun this one was. On the inside, the planner has all sorts of fabulous little extras. There are pockets to hold onto loose papers (I like to put a list of my monthly goals in there and refer back to it every few days), colouring pages, stickers, and little activities. This isn't your average everyday planner. It makes staying organized seem fun.

In addition to the stickers, there is incredible artwork throughout. I love that this planner has lots of personality. It is wonderful to see all of the colourful creations! There is also a birth chart section, a place to write down important dates by month, a way to keep track of all the books read throughout the year, a meal planner, note pages, positive affirmations, bookmarks, mood chart, yearly goals, and even a cleaning schedule. This is one fun way to stay organized and focus on goals throughout the year. 

As for the actual daily planner pages, these are fantastic. I love the thick paper, the fact that there is lots of room to write everything down, and that it includes positive messages and important dates. (Like Dolly Parton's birthday. Those are the kind of important dates that must be in my planner from this point on.) The ban.do planner effortlessly balances practicality and whimsy. It is functional but fun. Yes, there is a reason this particular brand is my favourite. I am so thrilled to be able to be able to use this planner all year long for my daily to-do list, overarching goals, and tracking. This planner is definitely a standout. 

Do you like to use a planner to stay organized? What brand is your favourite?