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It’s official, the new 2019 Erin Condren Life Planner is now available to purchase! As I’ve mentioned before, this planner has literally helped me organize my life in more ways than one. Today I wanted to introduce, review, and share my thoughts with you about the 2019 Erin Condren Life Planner as well as give you a detailed tour if you’re thinking of purchasing one.
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2019 Erin Condren Life Planner Review.
I’ve been using an Erin Condren Life Planner since March of 2017 and have been totally loving every step of the way. Today I’m going to talk about how the 2019 planner compares to the 2018 planner. What’s new, what I like, dislike, everything!
The Good.
As soon as I opened the planner for the first time I saw some new features that I knew I was going to love. Small new things like this are what makes the Life Planner get better every year!
A Contact Page.
There is a new page in the back of the planner that is for keeping record of your contacts. This wasn’t included in the 2017 or 2018 planner so I’m super excited to have this new addition.
New Stickers.
Last year, Erin Condren released 4 pages of stickers in the back of the planner instead of their normal two. With this addition, they added some functional banners and fun icons. This year they’ve gone the extra mile and changed up some of the sticker designs. They’ve kept the additions from the previous year, but switched up the blank banner stickers and also added some fun lifestyle deco stickers.
Notes Page Before Each Month.
I’m loving the fact that they added this page back into the planner! In 2018, they changed the notes page before each month to be more of a goal section area and the layout was quite different. I have yet to use this page so I’m excited that the 2019 planner just has a normal lined page again.
The Bad.
There really wasn’t anything bad that I could find about the 2019 Life Planner.
Thinner Vellum.
At the front of each Erin Condren Life Planner there is a piece of vellum paper that covers the ‘title’ page. Compared to last year, this is definitely thinner. Because of this, it’s lacking the sturdiness it’s had in the past. I’m hoping they’ll bring back the thicker vellum in future planners!
Recap.
There were some great updates made to the Life Planner this year. I love that they kept the thicker paper from the previous year – you can use marker pens – and I love the new contacts page. I think there’s always room for improvement and I can’t wait to see what the 2020 Life Planner has in store for us!!
2019 Erin Condren Life Planner Layout.
Because Erin Condren releases their planners in May they offer three different date range options.
- 18-month, July 2018 – December 2019
- 12-month, July 2018 – June 2019
- 12-month, January 2019 – December 2019
I’ve always preferred my planners to start in January. That being said, I’m pretty impatient and buy the January planner 8 months in advance! Who’s with me?!
Customizing Your Planner.
There are four different types of customizations you can choose from when you order your Life Planner. There’s the inside color scheme, your coil color, your cover, and then the weekly layout.
Color Options.
Erin Condren offers two different color options for their planners, Colorful and Neutral. If you love a pop of color, then I recommend the Colorful option. But, if you’re more like me and enjoy more of a clean and minimalist look, then I’d go for the Neutral option.
Custom Coil Color.
There are also four coil color options, Platinum, Gold, Rose Gold, and Black. The Platinum coil is included in the price of your planner. If you’d like a different colored coil, then it’s an extra $10. Back when I ordered my first EC Life Planner I decided to go with the Platinum coil and because I like things to match, I’ve just stuck with that ever since!
Custom Covers – Interchangeable & Luxe.
When you purchase a coiled Life Planner you have two main options, an interchange cover or one of their leather-like Luxe covers.
If you choose an interchangeable one, you’ll have the luxury of getting to change the cover whenever you’d like! I enjoy this because you can change the cover based on the season, recent holiday, or even your mood. They also offer options to customize your cover with your name or your favorite saying. There are also options to customize the color of the print or design!
Erin Condren offers an abundance of interchangeable covers to choose from. This year they’ve also partnered with Oh Joy! to release some exclusive cover designs.
Another bonus is that these covers can be written on. On the inside, there are dashboards where you can use wet erase markers to make lists or keep track of anything you’d like!
The Luxe covers are great because they’re permanently attached to your planner, making it just that more durable. They’re made of a leather-like material that makes your planner look and feel very posh and elegant. This year they’ve released two Luxe covers with the yearly print, Woven Wonder.
Weekly Layout.
An Erin Condren Life planner comes with three different weekly layout options:
- Vertical
- Horizontal
- Hourly
The vertical layout is truly what makes the Life Planner unique. In the past, I’ve used many different planners, all of which had a horizontal type layout. I was happily surprised with the Vertical layout when I first started using a Life Planner and is one of the reasons I’ve fallen in love with them.
Inside Your Planner.
Now that you know how to customize your planner to make it fit you and your personality, let’s look inside a Life Planner so you know exactly what to expect!
Title Page + Inspirational Quote.
The first few pages of your Life Planner set the stage for everything to come. There is a sheet of vellum paper that covers the title page (this is where you can put some ownership to your planner and write your name). After the cover page you’ll find an inspirational quote to keep you motivated throughout the year.
Yearly Overview.
The first tabbed section in your Life Planner is an 18-month overview. This a perfect area to keep track of paydays, vacations, sick days, holidays, you name it! I love to use the designer dots or the colorful circles sticker pack for keeping track of dates like these.
Goal Setting Area.
The next page includes 12 empty boxes. I think this is a great area to track monthly goals, vacations, or any other big projects/events that you want to remember. I use mine to keep track of my yearly goals. Plus, I love using the motivation and celebrations sticker pack trio on both of these pages.
Monthly Pages.
Now you’ll start getting into the real part of your planner! Each month has a tabbed page allowing you to flip to your desired month easily.
Each month starts with a note page. You could use this page to track your expenses, create your budget, plan for a trip, or create a meal plan. Then, there is an inspirational quote to keep you motivated all month long.
Once you flip the page, you’ll see your monthly calendar. I really enjoy using this area to keep track of important events or appointments. This is where I note my paydays, when bills are due, and my friend’s and family’s birthdays. There’s also a lined column on the right-hand page where you can leave notes, make lists, and keep reminders. New to the planner this year is the mini ‘look-ahead’ calendar for the next month. The functional flags sticker pack is perfect to use in the monthly spreads.
Weekly Pages.
Both the Vertical and Hourly layouts have a small note box and a lined column to keep notes, track habits, and set weekly goals on the left-hand side. The Horizontal layout has a large ‘notes’ section at the bottom of the right-hand page. There are so many different stickers that you could use for this area of your planner – I highly recommend you check out the Erin Condren Stickers section on their website.
Notes Section.
After all of the monthly and weekly pages, you’ll find a Notes section in your planner. This section includes 4 lined pages, 4 dot-grid pages, and 3 coloring pages. These pages are great just to jot down your thoughts or to mindlessly color if you’re a bit stressed.
Contacts Page.
As someone who frequently uses their planner for both business & home, it’s nice to have a place to put contact details if I’m on the go or in a business meeting. As a new addition to the Life Planner this year, the contacts page falls after the notes section. Two columns to help you keep track of 18 contacts.
Next Year Overview.
Similar to the yearly overview in the beginning of the planner, there is also a 12-month overview for the next year (2020!!). This a great place to keep track of anything big that will be happening in the future! Vacations, Weddings, and Holidays are just a few. The layout is slightly different than the 18-month overview as there are 4 bullet points & lines under each month. Allowing you to plan out what’s to come.
Sticker Pages.
Next up, you’ll be happy to find some stickers already in your planner! The 2019 Life Planner includes 4 pages of stickers – 1 of icons and banners, 1 of flags and checklists, 1 of deco stickers, and 1 of the normal page flags/labels. This was the first year that they included deco stickers, so this was also a pleasant surprise!
Pockets & Perpetual Calendar.
The very last thing in your planner is your pocket page! This is such a handy feature as you’re able to store any loose papers, party invitations, and your Perpetual Calendar. Each Life Planner comes with a Perpetual Calendar, this is a 12-month mini planner that allows you to keep track of yearly events – birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays!
Erin Condren Planner Accessories.
There are a TON of new accessories that Erin Condren released and they really make your planning experience unique. I’ll be doing a whole post reviewing all of the Erin Condren accessories that I’ve used thus far – look for that in the coming future!
As I’ve mentioned in other planner posts, the Erin Condren Life Planner would be perfect for both Students and Full-Time Workers.
Related Post: How To Organize Your Student Planner
