A review of the Happy Planner™ from Me and My Big Ideas®

Some time last year, I was on the phone with a friend who was doing her utmost to convince me that I NEEDED a planner in my life. I work full time, have a homeschooled child, and an entrepreneurial husband. For weeks, conversation after conversation, I managed to lovingly talk around her wholehearted efforts to convert me – a caker, scrapper, and all around crafty girl – into her sidekick as a planner addict. I must admit…her persistence paid off.  She had FINALLY persuaded me into what has now become my new addiction; PLANNING.

 

So now that I was convinced that I needed a planner in my life, I asked myself a few questions to understand what type of planner would work best for me, a newbie, and I decided on the Happy Planner™from Me and My Big Ideas® (MAMBI). I’ve been using it for a few months and I must admit – I absolutely love it!

 

Let’s discuss why…

Size

Okay, so we all know size really does matter. 😈 There are a couple of different paper sizes which I have found to be the most common in the planning community; they are A5 and A2, sometimes referred to as Personal size. The Happy Planner™, however, is sort of a size on its own because it’s a little bit larger than the A5 paper size. That being said, though, many crafters are cutting off the sides and hole punching the guts of the Happy Planner™ and placing it inside other A5 planner binders. So there’s an idea for you. Honestly, I love my Happy Planner™ the way it is. ❤️

Affordability

It is incredibly affordable at just $25, approximately $15-$16 if you get it from Michael’s or Hobby Lobby and use a 40% off coupon; and it allows me the ability to get extremely creative and customize the sections and page layouts to my liking.

Customizability

Outside

There are a few different types of Happy Planners available:

• Calendar/Agenda
• Recipe
• Fitness

 

There are also a number of different extension packs, dividers, inserts and stickers available for purchase to customize your planner.

 

You can purchase additional decorative covers from either MAMBI® or from the many Etsy shops and Shopify stores that have jumped on the “planning” ship, or you can make your own. For us crafty folk – this is a real draw!

Inside

The inserts included in the Happy Planner™ are a very nice quality, thick paper. The paper is smooth to the touch AND the pen, which stationary addicts and non-stationary addicts can appreciate. The monthly and weekly layouts are so adequately spaced that someone with large handwriting could not complain – and I write BIG! The weekly layouts are divided into morning, afternoon and evening. I don’t function that way, so the fact that I can customize the pages with washi tape and stickers make this a non-issue. Again, the boxes are so spacious that a day can be divided a multitude of ways. I divided my days into the following three categories:

 

• “Photography” where I keep track of tasks for my husband’s business, which I assist him with,
• “Dear Daughter” where I track her work and social schedule, and
• “Dear Son” where I track homeschool assignments.

 

If you get concerned about your Happy Planner™ getting too thick, don’t. MAMBI® sells larger discs so that you can easily, and affordably, expand your planner. They’ve been INCREDIBLE about keeping up with the planner community, and continue to expand their accessories and other items for your planner.

 

In conclusion, I am VERY happy with my choice of the MAMBI® Happy Planner™, and highly recommend it to anyone – first time planners, as well as long-time planner addicts.

 

I hope this helps you in your planner search! If you already have a Happy Planner™, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it – do you prefer it; would you recommend it; did you customize it or use it as is? Leave a comment – let me know!

 

Until next time lovelies…Be kind 👐. Be sweet 🍬. Be real 👊 but always DO YOU! 😘 💋