Moments Inked Memory Planner System

Good morning, Papertrey Ink friends! It's Day 10 of the 8th Anniversary Countdown and today comes with a big announcement. Today we get to introduce the Moments Inked Memory Planner System! Not only is there a fabulous new planner on the horizon, but it also comes with a brand new team of all-stars. It doesn't get much better than that, folks! You'll definitely want to head over to Nichole's blog to see the line-up.

I could definitely use some help getting organized, so I am super excited about the Moments Inked Panner! I've tried using different planners and calendars before, but none of them felt very special and I eventually lost interest. This planner combines the function of a daily organizer with journaling, memory keeping, and overall wellness for an essential all-in-one that I am truly delighted to use. It's even color coordinated with all of my Papertrey inks and papers to make creating accessories a breeze!

This is just a fraction of the regular notebook rotation.

So here's my trouble: everything is everywhere. I'm not great at keeping all my tiny bits in the same place. I have small scraps of paper with notes about who to call. Envelopes with dollar amounts that I deposited at the bank (because even my bank went paperless and now you can't even go online to look up where the money came from because there's no deposit slip anymore...obviously I'm not over that yet). Card sketches on post-it notes. Lists on whatever I can find. The mess goes on.

I'm also not great at keeping our schedule straight. My fella and I use Google Calendar to make note of upcoming events, but we're such busy people that anything past noon usually gets bumped to that "+X more" category. That means I don't see those things unless I click on the link which I regularly forget to do. That's how I was surprised when my husband said to me last Monday, "Don't forget. I have that hockey game with Dad tonight." Uh, what?

And if you saw the two of us trying to figure out dinners most nights of the week you would giggle yourself into hysteria. We'll get good about meal planning for a week or two and then fall off the wagon and it's all Oregon Trail up in here. I'll trade you an ox for three sacks of cornmeal.

At this point I realize that I sound like a hot mess and you're all probably ready to abandon me and my broken wagon axle. Heh.

Then a few weeks ago Nichole sent out an email that had me giddy. No joke - I even made Sean sit through a virtual presentation. She told us about this beautiful planning system that she had devised that not only gave you space to organize tasks and make note of special events, but also offered a special area for meal planning, favorite quotes, gratitude journaling, and more. Not only that, but she had also designed a line of stamps and dies to help you personalize your planner and tailor it to suit your lifestyle. Yes, please! I could not wait to get this hot little dandy in my poor, disorganized hands.

So now, friends, we get to take this journey together (I think that might be the last Oregon Trail reference)! I've put together a little video showing you my very first flip through the planner, in case you're interested in some stream of consciousness first impressions.



I also wanted to show you what I thought of the individual features now that I've had a little more time with it. But first, how about a customization project to get us started, eh?

I like having a place to write down notes and tasks so I don't absentmindedly forget to run an errand or make a call at some point during the day. I also love the idea of having something reusable. The Moments Inked: Posted stamp set (designed to work with sticky notes, but totally useful for other applications, too), Basic Page dies, and my laminator made that a snap!

I stamped the Posted list on a piece of Fresh Snow Linen cardstock (matchy, matchy, matchy - yay!) using Ripe Avocado, Smokey Shadow, and Winter Wisteria inks. Then, I laminated the cardstock panel and die cut it using one of the Basic Page dies.

The holes were a little tricky for the die (what with two layers of plastic and one layer of cardstock to contend with), so I needed to help them along with scissors in a few spots, but I think the end result was definitely worth the extra time. I ran the final piece through the laminator one more time just to make sure the edges were secure before popping it into my planner. Now, all I need is a wet erase marker to take notes and a damp cloth to start over.

Remember how earlier I mentioned that I have a tendency to write random notes on little pieces of paper that I then lose? Here's what I came up with to combat that problem. I laminated and die cut a few pieces of patterned paper, in addition to my mini to-do list. I did several colors that would perfectly coordinate with multiple months. The spiral edge on these dies makes it simple to insert or remove the pages so they can be used over and over again. These are perfect for notes or doodles or anything that I would have otherwise written on the back of an envelope.

Now, I want to talk about the different features that I'm really looking forward to using on a daily basis. Let's start with a quick view at the weekly spread.

Here you can see that each day is split into three sections (morning, afternoon, and evening). Sometimes tasks and events don't have specific times. These broad categories allow you to put notes in a general area. If you do have a particular time to note, the "Banners" line of stamps makes adding that simple. Here I've used the Blog Banners mini to create sticker banners to keep blog posts straight. It's one stamp with a coordinating die, so these flags are just a couple of quick steps. That set is seriously going to come in handy. There is also a Family Banners mini that I can imagine being really useful if you have kids. Each kiddo could get their own color!

The daily page is my favorite thing about this planner though. Let's look at today, shall we?

Each daily page is packed with useful, visually beautiful information printed on luxe linen paper. Honestly, it's the details that Nichole has incorporated that make this planner so special. It just feels nice, people.

The Nourish section is one that I am absolutely sure we will use and find helpful. Now, I understand that today's looks a little thin, but that's only because it's a special day. Typically though, I'll be able to sit down once a week or so to plan out our meals. No more trading livestock for beans (last one, I promise)!

I also love the Hydrate icon. I am the Queen of Water Bottles and I have one with me almost constantly, but I sometimes lose track of how much water I've actually consumed. It could be four glasses, it could be eight. Other days, it's just not on my radar and I'll realize mid-afternoon how parched I am. Hopefully this little reminder will keep it from being forgotten.

I also really like that Nichole has included the Focus and Be Prepared sections. It's easy to write out a to-do list that's so intimidating you just plain feel buried. Encouraging yourself to isolate the three most important tasks ahead of you is a great way to feel a little more in control. Using the Be Prepared section to formulate a plan of action for the next day's tasks is another nice way to minimize surprises.

The Be Active is particularly important to me because it's one of those things I've let slide in recent months. When I get busy or feel I'm losing ground, the first thing I drop is exercise. Totally backwards! I'd been running three times a week and doing yoga and pilates consistently until we moved (and my routine was totally blown to smithereens). I'm looking forward to getting back into those activities with more regularity and I think having a reminder front and center will help with that.

I also love that Nichole incorporated some journaling and memory keeping elements into this planner. I'm not a scrapbooker mostly because it feels like a daunting task that I don't have the time to handle. The Be Grateful and Memorable Moment sections introduce bite-sized, doable memory keeping. Plus, now I have a place to write about the cat snoring on the couch so loudly he woke himself up. Who wouldn't want to go back and read that at the end of the year?

A couple of things I mentioned in the video that turned out not to bother me really: the thickness and the ring. The thickness I think will be an asset the more I work with the planner. I'm not likely to lose it or forget it somewhere because it's not the sort of shrinking violet that allows itself to be ignored. It's a little big for my regular handbag, but I still have a Hibiscus Burst tote bag from a CHA past that will work splendidly as a carrying case. The ring is actually not as troublesome as I originally thought. It's flexible so I can sort of push it to the side in order to write on the right-hand pages. No problem at all! And I actually like that it's generously sized to allow for the many add-ins I'm sure to put inside.

So that's my take on the Moments Inked Memory Planner. I can't wait to see how this beautiful planner impacts my organizational skills and I am so grateful for the opportunity to share it with you. Wait! I should put that in my planner! See you again soon.

Recipe:
Laminated Note Pages
Stamps: Moments Inked: Posted - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Fresh Snow Linen - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Ripe Avocado, Winter Wisteria, Smokey Shadow - Papertrey Ink
Other: Basic Pages Dies - Papertrey Ink

Blog Banner Flags
Stamps: Moments Inked: Blog Banners - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Adhesive Sheets - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Simply Chartreuse, True Black - Papertrey Ink
Other: Banners Die - Papertrey Ink