Blogmas: The Best 2021 Planners, Journals & Stationary
A planner may quite possibly have been the least used thing for a lot of people this year, with plans, holidays and occasions being cancelled everywhere you look. I actually continued to use mine, as I’m a big list writer and even when restrictions eased in the summer I still had quite a lot of plans. They may have been repetitive plans with different walks each day but I still found a planner useful for adding in zoom calls, online deliveries arriving, restaurant bookings, birthdays and most of all my blog. You don’t need me to tell you the benefits of a planner, but I think you’re either a planner person or you’re not, so if you are here’s my favourite 2021 planners for next year.
Carrie & Co. – Perfectly Planned 2021 Planners
If you run a blog or own a business these 2021 planners are your dream, all wrapped up in gorgeous pink, grey or navy packaging. After years of trying so many different planners especially since starting my blog, the planners I used just never cut it, they were more like diaries and I ended up with different notebooks for different things. This one is PERFECT, as it has a blog or business focus in mind, so it has so many sections as well as just the daily diary pages.
It has every view you could want, a yearly overview, quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily, so you can get perspective both short and long term. There are pages specifically for your business goals and tasks to do, and at the end of each month it has a review page for you to measure your progress and either tick tasks off or reprioritise them. It very much keeps you focused on your goals and what you want to achieve, with constant reminders so you don’t forget anything.
This has really helped me get my shit together, and it’s kept me using the planner through the whole year. Previously I would start the year off well but then gradually neglect it and not bother from about March onwards. Not with this one.
It may have a blog or business in mind overall, but these sections could be applied to any aspect of your life where you want to achieve something. It could be wellbeing, weight control, a project, a wedding, a resolution or lifestyle change, financial – all of the sections within the planner can be applied to whatever your focus is, so don’t be put off if you haven’t got a blog or a business.
Some little extras include daily motivational quotes at the bottom of each page, and it may sound cheesy but they are surprisingly addictive and do keep you feeling inspired as you turn the page to the next one. They also come with a ribbon marker, easy tabbed month header pages so you aren’t flipping through, and a structured rose or gold wire binding, corners and foiled cover.
It is just as beautiful as it is useful, a total game changer. Drawbacks are probably the size and weight of it, as it is chunky and heavy, not the sort of planner you’d carry around in your handbag, it’s very much a desk planner. This doesn’t bother me though as I use my phone on the go all the time, and then update and use the planner at home each morning and night.
Writing things down on paper and being able to see an overview of the full month with all the details is something you can’t get on an iPhone, which has different apps for notes, calendars, alarms, etc, so a combination of the two I’ve found works really well.
It doesn’t come cheap, at £59 per planner, but for what it’s brought me through the whole year I personally think it’s really worth it. I was probably spending more a year on notebooks and list pads anyway. If you’re serious about your blog or business and staying on track it is absolutely an investment. You also get access to the ‘Perfectly Planned’ online course for this too, which I haven’t actually joined yet but I might take a look between Christmas and New Year for some extra motivation.
See more and shop the Carrie & Co. 2021 Planner here.
Papier 2021 Planners & Journals
I haven’t personally got a Papier planner, but it’s one of the first that spring to mind for something smaller and easier to carry around than the Carrie & Co. planner. They have some beautiful designs in the planner section, and all look to have both daily and weekly views.
These aren’t for me but they also have a section of Wellness Journals, where the pages focus on things like meal planning, self care, thoughts and feelings, and gratitude. Take a look at the full range here.
You can also find some general notebooks on site, both lined and dotted which could be used for bullet journals. I’ve actually been giving bullet journaling a go the last couple of months so I have a full blog coming soon on what it is and how to do it. If it’s something you’d be interested in or currently do then take a look at the Papier notebooks here – I think the dotted ones are best for bullet journaling.
Princess Planning
If you want specific 2021 planners, wall charts or organisers then take a look at Princess Planning, as they have a big range. There is a lot going on with them, in terms of design, bright bold colours, charts and stickers. They also have planning pads which I used quite a lot on my desk at work and found it useful – although I ruined it with too much doodling.
Their food diaries and weight loss diaries seem pretty popular though, so take a look at the PrincessPlanning range here.
Soft Cover Moleskin notebooks
If you are into bullet journaling or considering taking it up I use a very plain soft cover moleskin notebook, as these seem to be recommended by every bullet journaller, and it has been great for it. Go for A5 as it’s small enough to carry around, and the soft cover makes it light that you barely notice it in your bag.
They come in a whole range of colours, I got mine in store at John Lewis as they have a very good stationary section, but you can also order on Amazon here .
I also bought a set of coloured fine liners to use, as all the beautiful designs I saw on Pinterest made me want to get creative with my own, but I quickly found I prefer to keep it simple and use just black. The minimalist bullet journal is definitely for me, but if you want to get creative these are the fine liners I have and they’re great. And please get a ruler, the thought of wobbly lines makes me feel nervous!
CGD London
I was on the verge of buying one of these last year before I discovered the Carrie & Co. planner, as they sell them in Fenwicks and were out of stock online, so they are also very good for blog planning or a general daily diary. What I found though is there wasn’t one that had everything I needed, so spend a bit of time looking through them. They are very good though, and include planners, diaries, stress less journals, meal planners and goals diaries.
If you need these specific things then there’s a planner for you, but my struggle to decide which came from wanting something with everything combined.
Their designs are very cute though and they come highly recommended. Shop CGD London planners here.
Laura Jayne Designs Stationary Bundles
She’s been running her stall in Fenwicks over the weekend, but North East based Laura Jayne Designs, and my good friend has some gorgeous little stationary bundles, including notebooks and a ticky box list pad. The list pads are great if you like to physically tick things off, and they both come in three different designs. I’ve got the heart one as it’s so cute.
Laura isn’t accepting any more online orders until after Christmas, but she is available for click and collect if you’re based in the North East. Take a look at her stationary bundles, local cards and print designs on LauraJayneDesigns.co.uk
Katie Loxton
And finally I really like the Katie Loxton range, she has some good A4 notebooks if you want something slightly bigger, and the covers are always very pretty.
She does have A5 available too, matching pens and a range of other products.
Shop Katie Loxton stationary here.
Let’s hope that our 2021 planners actually get some use next year!
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