Hey everyone! Maggie Massey here with a peek inside my Memory Planner!
In years past, I've documented my family's daily life in a number of ways. I've created layout after layout, I've kept Project Life Albums and I've used a planner to keep track of what happens day after day. And I gotta tell ya…I've never finished an entire year. I know…it's horrible. But really, I just don't have the motivation to make sure I have a ton of well-lit photos documented with pages of journaling…especially when most days are completely run-of-the-mill. It's just too much pressure.
So this year, I'm trying something a little different. This year I'm letting myself off the hook a bit. This year I'm keeping a smaller, personal-sized Memory Planner with smaller journaling spaces and less room for photos…and this year I'm going to be less overwhelmed by my memory-keeping.
This is the planner I'm using for our day-to-day…
…the brand new Heidi Swapp 2017 Personal-Size Black & White Stripe Memory Planner.
One thing that makes this year's planner a little different is that I've Frankenstein'd together 2 separate planners (the other one is new from Heidi Swapp, too) to create the perfect spot for my documenting. I removed the pages I didn't want from one and added those from the other that I did want. I put in the dividers that appealed to me most, and I'm keeping only 6 months at a time in my planner so that it's not too big for me to work in. It's taken a long time…and a lot of different versions…but I think I may have just created the perfect planner for me.
Wanna see a quick look inside?
Before the start of each month I've added a Photo Sleeve. This is where I can keep motivational words and special photos from the month – larger photos that may have more meaning.
I've also added a couple of Heidi's new inserts from the collection to give me room for more in-depth journaling and spaces for goals & to-do lists.
My month-at-a-glance pages are where I keep track of major events throughout each month…
…and the weekly pages are where I'll tell our story.
When we take a closer look you can see that I'm still adding photos to these pages…I'm just not adding them for everyday (because, quite frankly, most days aren't all that photo-worthy)…and I'm keeping them smaller – about 1 1/2” wide.
And I'm documenting each day with a mix of bullet-journaling & short phrases.
All in all, I think I'm finding a planning/story-telling style that fits where I am and where we (my kids and husband) are right now. Don't get me wrong…I'm still creating layouts and doing Project Life spreads – after all, some stories are just too big and too important to be told in just a few succinct words. But for daily life…for just getting things written down…this planner is just perfect for me.
Don't be afraid to do what works for you! Just because a certain planner is the ideal way for some people to document doesn't mean it has to be for you, too!
Remember, memory-keeping is about your memories…your taste and style…and your ideas. If something doesn't work for you, change it. There are no hard and fast rules…just get the job done in a way that makes you happy.
To see more of my work and to keep up with my scrapbooking & planning, check out my blog: Midwestern Girl DIY, follow me on Instagram @maggiemassey and Like my FB page.
Thanks so much for taking a look!
Love it! Practice creative and useful on a daily basis! It doesn’t get better than that
Thank you for sharing….this is just the inspiration I was needing:-)
I plan to utilize a few of these ideas in my own planner soon! Thanks for the tips!
Thanks so much for admitting this planner craze isn’t for everyone. I started off way too ambitious last year with color coding and stamps and photos and more and it just didn’t work. Plus it was too heavy to carry around on a daily basis! I went back to my small planner that slides into my purse. Works for me and in the end, that’s all any of us wants. Thanks for the inspiration and simplification.
Thanks for sharing how you are working on your planner! I enjoy all the tips and inspiration I get from seeing how other people go through the process of documenting :)
Which two planners did you merge?
I am using the Happy Planner but I buy what i like to go into it. I do a lot of journalling in it and add pictures and weekly motivation stickers and to do lists and and….so a smaller planner was too small. I don’t carry it around with me, but right now I’m home so things could change for the daily planning stuff and appointments log.