2016 Living Well Planner Review

I feel like I speak for a lot of us when I say we are constantly on the hunt for ways to make better use of our time. Kids, jobs and errands add up to busy, busy days. Even if you’re retired, you may find you’re looking for a way to provide more structure and meaning to your time.

That’s where planners come in. While some people seem to live and breathe planners, I must admit I haven’t given them much thought. That’s especially since some of today’s planners seem to revolve around adding stickers and clips and other accessories to your book. That seems just a little too close to scrapbooking for my non-crafty mind to handle.

Instead, I’ve kept my schedule in my trusty Google calendar. I love how convenient it is, and no matter where I am, it’s just a fingertip away. The idea of lugging a physical planner all over doesn’t particularly appeal to me.

However, I’ve gotten to the point where my Google Calendar looks something like this:

Google Calendar Overload

Google Calendar is good for when I’m adding appointments. On the other hand, if I want to do some big picture planning for my life, this doesn’t really help me at all. I don’t know what all those little boxes represent unless I (tediously) open each one. And I never put down the really important things on my Google Calendar either – things like a monthly dinner with a friend or a weekly playdate with the kids.

Plus, I’ve discovered that ever since I started time-blocking my days I’ve been transferring everything from my Google Calendar to a paper anyway. So all that adds up to me being ready to finally try a paper planner.

2016 Living Well Planner Graphic

2016 Living Well Planner Review

Once I decided I wanted a planner, I quickly became overwhelmed by all the choices. Who knew there were so many planners out there!?

Then, just before my birthday, a Facebook ad popped up about the Living Well Planner. It was a little bit of a splurge, but you know how some things just talk to you? This planner just talked to me. It was bright and cheery and looked like it would fit my needs perfectly. I went ahead and bought it as part of a bundle that included a few books on decluttering. (Oh the irony of buying stuff to help you declutter stuff!)

It arrived a few days ago, and I am super excited to try it out. Rather than try to type up all the features, I decided it might be easier for you to see what it was like if I made a video.

So I did. And my camera shut off midway through (see if you can figure out where) and I obviously won’t be winning the Oscar for cinematography. It’s also the first time I’ve ever uploaded a video to YouTube, and if you have trouble getting it to play, let me know.

Without further ado, here’s my review of the 2016 Living Well Planner.

If you’re looking for the Today’s Plan sheet from I Heart Organizing, you can find it in the time management bundle on this page.

Otherwise, let me know if you have a favorite planner. I am thinking about getting a second one specifically for blog/work planning. If you have a planner you love, let me know!

Note: Amazon link is an affiliate link.

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4 Comments

    1. Shari

      December 5, 2016

      I took the plunge and ordered two of the Living Well Planners; one for a gift and one for me. It really is not worth the enormous price that is charged. I spent a lot of money for something I could have printed off of the internet for free. I’m not a rich person and I really splurged to purchase these planners…I’m extremely disappointed. I’d advise…don’t waste your money. Get a cheap binder, print off pages that will work for you and insert into binder. The planners are a final sale…

      1. Maryalene LaPonsie

        December 5, 2016

        Thanks for sharing your feedback Shari. I’ve seen a lot of great ideas for DIY planners that can be made with free printables and binders, and those may definitely be the better option for some people. Part of the value for me in buying a planner is someone else going to all the trouble of putting it together. I’m at a place in my life where time is scarce, and I don’t quite have the patience to do all the printing and organizing myself. However, I realize everyone is different. I didn’t realize sales are final. Thanks for pointing that out!

        Maryalene

    1. Lisa

      December 6, 2016

      I have been looking at this one and trying to decide between it and the Day Designer (almost to the point I will buy them both and see which I like better). I work from home, teach my daughter on-line school, and am an organizing fool around the house. You said in the review (video) that you were planning to start using this over Labor Day weekend; I am curious as to how you like it. Are the pages of a good thickness? What are your favorite things/least favorite as you have used it (if you have). Thank you in advance!

      1. Maryalene LaPonsie

        December 6, 2016

        So far I’m liking it a lot! The pages are a good thickness for me. Definitely nowhere near cardstock level of thickness, but a little more substantial than the copy paper I use. I’ve been using pen which has worked fine. I think if you were to use marker, though, it might bleed through. I really wish it had a checklist for chores, but that’s my only real disappointment. Otherwise, I am finding it very useful. I still use my phone calendar for appointments and activities but then transfer everything to the planner once a week. I love the monthly goals and the month-at-a-glance pages. I feel like those have helped me find a tiny bit more balance in my life.

        Your comment reminded me that I never wrote the follow-up I meant to do. I went ahead and did that today so you can see more of my impressions here:

        https://mightywidow.com/living-well-planner-pros-and-cons/

        Hope this helps!

        Maryalene

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