January 3, 2017

Pip Tip Tuesdays & January Planner Giveaways

You didn’t think the giveaways ended just because the holidays were over did you? I know I’ve said this a few times, but I’m bound and determined to get SUPER organized this year (if I keep saying it, it will happen, right?).

Now, just because my organization game could use a little love, don’t think that I’m not well prepared! I’ve had a small planner addiction for quite some time and am here to pass that addiction on to you this month (for those of you fellow addicts, consider me your personal enabler!).

We’re giving away some of my favorite planners all month long…

Welcome to January’s giveaways and the start of Pip Tip Tuesdays! Every Tuesday look for a post with some fun tips and the giveaway of an awesome planner. Follow along all month for a chance to win the January Grand Prize (keep your eyes on social media for the reveal later this month)!

Today’s #PipTipTuesday

I’m gonna start with a basic one here, but it’s one that I think is super important and if you actually DO IT, you’re half way there…and then the fun part comes.

 Make time to plan.

Whether you are planning your day-to-day, setting goals, trying to cut down on sugar, planning an event, or just doing your best to make good use of that super cute new planner you bought (lol), setting one time of the week to do it is important.

With everything that I’ve got going on, this totally won’t happen unless it’s ingrained in my schedule. So, just like my Saturday afternoon nap (which is set in stone and everyone who knows me KNOWS not to call between 2-4pm!), I set 30 minutes every Sunday night after the kids are down, and plan out my week.

A nice cup of tea, glass of wine, or sparkly beverage definitely helps too (maybe that’s it’s own tip, haha)!

Today’s Giveaway: ban.do Planner

I’m in love with this green planner from ban.do – much like all of the other bando planners! The swirly design with hints of pink, white, & silver make me swoon and feel really classy all at the same time.

It’s good, right? Well, today it can be yours!

How do you enter to win this ban.do planner?

Like our Instagram or Facebook #PipTipTuesday post (with a picture of this ban.do planner), tag your planner bestie on the post, and give us a tip in the comments on how you keep yourself focused!

Don’t have social media? Not a problem, share some tips in the comments below and I’ll make sure you’re entered to win!

Contest ends at 12pm PST on Friday, January 13th.

Winners will be announced Monday, January 16th and will be contacted via email or social media. Contest Terms & Conditions

Good luck! I can’t wait to hear from you!

xo Mo

p.s. ban.do Planner Review  and January’s VIP Raffle Prize

UPDATE: Congralations Jane Graikowski!! We drew your number, girl, and you’ve got a shiny new Bando planner in your future 🙂


128 thoughts on “Pip Tip Tuesdays & January Planner Giveaways”

    1. I like to take full box stickers – punch them with my circle punch and place them in the boxes of my Happy Planner – it’s a fun way to create dimension and a different look to each week’s layout!

  1. I put dates of appointments and important events in my phone, since I am always on the go. I also try to do the same when I get home, by putting them into my “physical” planner book.

  2. Take time out to myself every evening just to make plans on things that need to be done for that week or just following day.

  3. Use a bright cheery sticker to motivate you on days When you have a task you’re not looking forward too. Reward yourself with a cute sticker when you’ve had a rough day.

  4. I actually use my phone as my planner, but I am helping my boys start to “plan” (they are 7 and 11). They each received wall calendars for their rooms, and they cross each day off. They have also started writing important dates (birthdays, travel days, etc.) so they can count down to fun stuff. I’m hoping that this will help them organize in the long run.

  5. I use the stickers and create lists in my planner. Even though I don’t carry my planner with me, I’m able to remember based on just writing it in the day. Plus I sort all those coupons that you get from stores into each month and clip them on the main calendar page. It keeps me focused when I go to the store so I’m not buying five of something that I already bought but can save on what I need.

    1. I like to reward myself for sticking to my schedule by doing things I love in my breaks – I make tea or read.

      I have reminders everywhere to ensure I get on track and a chalkboard! The satisfaction of removing my to do list each day is amazing!

  6. I love to write everything down in my ECD planner.
    It helps me keep track of what needs to get done!
    Hi MO 🙂

  7. My planner tip is if your planner lives at home but you’re on the go, keep a smaller one (or a pretty notebook) in your purse to write things down as you’re out and about then transfer to your main planner at home. Now you get to play with two planners! 🙂

  8. I think your planner has to be aesthetically pleasing, so much so that it almost calls to you to use it, or see what it written in it. That means each planner will be unique, just like you.

  9. Color is everything to me – it helps me organize (color coding entries) as well as keeps my notebooks looking pretty… because that really does matter to me!

  10. When I have a busy week, I write down what I have done on a sticky note and then fill out my planner on the weekend. I am doing a memory planner so this works for me.

  11. I love/need lists! Lists help me plan and organize my crazy life. Both lists and life are more fun with cute stationary and cute stickers!

  12. I like to try new ways of setting my planner up every couple of months; what works, I keep, and what doesn’t, I purge.

  13. I use highlighters and color code items. Anything pertaining to my son has a blue box around it (his favorite color is blue). Green would be my dr/Accupuncture appointments, etc.

  14. I like to do my own thing and create stickers as I need them, specifically ones for my upcoming move and awards shows.

  15. Transparent sticky notes are the best!! You can see through them so no more re-positioning old post-its! I can also decorate them with washi tape if I don’t want you to see underneath – total customization and unique.

  16. I like to get my breakfast smoothie and coffee and focus on what I have to do for the day. I write down a rough list for each week throughout the previous week and then just plug it into my planner each morning.

  17. I’ve been using planners for a few years now. The best thing for me is simplicity. I’m envious of planner nerds who have beautiful designed and decorated planners but it’s just not for me. Functionality > appearance

  18. I have stickers made with my kids’ faces that way when there is something big happening with them, bam, there are their faces staring at me.

  19. I enjoy using multi-colored FineLine pens and unique lettering to get various things to stand out in my planner and daily task list.

  20. I have one spot that I prep my planner for the next week. Nowhere else. It sets the tone and mood. Plus, the kiddos know when I’m sitting at my desk everything can wait (unless their bleeding 😮)

  21. I keep my sections and calendar events categorized with stickers! Cute animals for due dates, (I’m a med student) flowers for appointments, etc.

  22. My tip is to experiment with different planners and styles until you find something that works for you…and then be opening to changing it up if your needs change. I need my planner to be fun as well as functional so I embrace it!

  23. I have a longwise folded sheet of paper as my bookmark todo list. It helps me keep all the little things in one place. And moves from day to day.
    I also found some sweet post it brand stick on divider tabs. I place it on the week I’m living in, and title it “Be Here Now”

  24. If I’ve learned anything over the last year, it’s that there is no one “right” way to plan. Everyone has different needs and lifestyles and some people do need multiple planners to manage the chaos…lol. Taking the time to find the right planner fit for you is a huge component of successful planning. From bullet journals to the ECLP to Traveler’s Notebooks, there’s a right fit for any style planning that assists you best.

  25. Different color pens and time to plan. Make sure to have a separate place to brain dump so your planner doesn’t turn in to a super-long to do list that is completely unmangageable! Thanks!

  26. I use washi tape to block out dates if there is something going on for a few days in a row. I try to stick to colour-coding stuff but if I’m honest I don’t always stick to it. I really like the idea of a Sunday night plan for the week after the kids have gone to bed. My main concern is that they will find my sticker stash!

  27. My favorite tip? Color coding! I am the “cruise director” for our family, and I have to keep everyone’s schedule straight… not just mine. I have three colors for myself (blue for work, purple for personal, and red for anything medical) and then a unique color for each member of the family. So I can write “music lesson” in pink and know whose it is. Even my pets have their own color! (Not that it gets used very often, but you never know!

  28. Just doing it–first thing in the morning! If I start the day off by doing a tiny thing, it helps set up momentum for the rest of the day.

  29. I created a habit tracker for hours spent doing deep, non-distracted work. I get one sticker for each hour which makes me happy 🙂

  30. I’m addicted to stickers, and I love putting them on my students’ papers. It means a lot to them (I teach adult men who are in jail- and something so simple as a sticker can make them happy)….I also use them in my planner and journal, as well as the art journaling class that I teach for my guys.

  31. Each family member is a different color, I use highlighters for meal planning, Make it exciting and pretty so that I want it left out on the counter so that it is close at hand when needed. (This is huge for me because I am very OCD and everything needs put away at all times…:-))

  32. Post-it’s are my planner besties. Especially if you have events that aren’t concrete, you can write it on a post-it and move it around as necessary (or maybe I just have flakier friends than others… haha). I’m so excited for the regular planner posts!

  33. I do my best to keep up with planners, but still haven’t found planner peace yet. Right now I’m trying bullet journalling.

  34. Different colored highlighters and post-its are a must for me. It helps me keep track of different family and/or school functions visually.

  35. I always, always, always use different colored pens for different events, especially now that I am in graduate school and need to keep track of different classes as well as a part-time work schedule that constantly changes! On occasion I’ll add an adorable kitty-shaped sticky notes if I need to add more info into a section~

  36. I set aside time on Sunday evening to meal plan and write everything for the week in my planner. That’s when I get out my stickers and decorate too! I have to add things as the week goes on, but that way I have the critical stuff in place ahead of time.

  37. I use stickers to motivate me to exercise! I keep a calendar next to the stationary bike, and each day I use it, I get to put a sticker on the calendar.

  38. I consider the things I do EVERY WEEK (bath days for my little one, planning time, library runs, groceries) and make sure to keep stocked up on those specific planner stickers, that way I can Sticker slap my way through my basic weekly layout.

  39. My tip is to use sticky notes lol. Also the notes feature on your iPhone comes in handy to type out your shopping list.

  40. Washi tape tabs on pages you want to find quickly are both useful and pretty. You can also put washi tape on the edge of the pages to identify groups of items such as drs appointments.

  41. Lists are everything for me. And I try to always write in pencil because life changes and so I need to adjust sometimes!

  42. I personally prefer to plan every day… everyday in the morning. After breakfast I take my coffee and look over daily schedule and plan little things. Takes me only a few minutes, but keeps me calm about things 🙂

  43. As a social worker, my planner is a lifeline. I always color code different types of appointments & use flags and post-it notes to highlight pending items or items for follow up. I also always use clips to keep my place designated and hold important documents with my planner.

  44. I need help with organization. That is why I need to win! I do use post its for reminders.

  45. I use post-it notes and flags. I also make most of my own pages. I keep things simple and to the point.
    Nothing like having to spend hours filling in a planner, when those hours could be used to rock your business!

  46. My tip is tonoull out all your supplies for other crafts and create a planner that is unique to you. Stamp in it, use due cuts, stickers and washi. Mix it up and have fun!

  47. I like decorating mine and making it super cute. That way, it doesn’t feel like a chore and I always get my work done on time. But that also leads to me wasting a bit on making my planners looking cute..

  48. Funny enough I’ve been contemplating going from digital to a physical planner. Something about it being tangible.

  49. I use a physical planner to keep track of when all of my schoolwork is due. Actually writing it down helps to solidify it in my memory, and then using different colored gel pens and stickers to highlight things really helps me to keep track of what’s due and when!

  50. I use a mixture of planner ideas and have several different planners. Every evening before bed I go through my day and check off if I kept what I had planned. Since things always change, sometimes it is repeated for the next day or crossed out altogether. Then in the middle I have monthly calendars for special things like birthdays, anniversaries, etc. In the back is where I get fancy and use washi, stickers, and colored pens and pencils. I follow the BuJo way of numbering those pages and write an index with page numbers so things are easy to find. After years of using different ways, this is what I have found works best for me. So that is my biggest first tip – try different ways until you find what works out best for you! Part of that is making it fun and not having it feel like a chore. I keep an all holiday planner to keep each month’s holidays and plans such as what I must read for my monthly reading challenge, if I am in a swap, mark that, too. I really go overboard with the colors and stickers and washi for this one. I even add recipes, gift lists, etc. So hubby doesn’t feel left out, I say this planner is by us both, but I’m the one who keeps up with it. My third planner is a tracker/address book thing. Whenever I get a letter or card, I’ll mark it under the person’s in red and an R for receive and when I respond, I use green with a S for send!! It’s a fun way to keep track. Also in there I do the same with Christmas cards or other kinds such as birthday.

  51. My biggest tip? Use washi and *stickers!!* to make your planner personalized and creatively activated so you *want* to check it out and fill it out. Start each week by planning the following week, putting your personal creative stamp on it, and that will bring it to life so you are excited to stay with it week after week. Have fun!

  52. I take my Carpe Diem planner literally everywhere I go! I have a small notebook inside and I create a brain dump every time I need to, which happens to be a lot. My brain is constantly thinking of every little thing, so I find this helps me remember what my thoughts wandered to periodically throughout the days. Plus it helps me “shut up” my thoughts long enough to actually get work done. Then on Sunday evenings I record all of the items on my brain dump pages in the appropriate place in the planner itself. I find this all to be my most helpful tip for remembering almost everything.

  53. Oh yeah, and thank you for the giveaway and for allowing us who do not use social media to have an alternative way to enter. I love that. I find out that I miss out on a lot of giveaways because I choose not to use social media, but I still want to be involved in my favorite brands’ giveaways & promotions. #PIPTIPTUESDAY

  54. In order to stay focused, I need peace and quiet. A checklist of some sort also helps a lot. I also use Post-Its to write down my most urgent priorities, and that helps me stay on top of them day-in and day-out.

  55. I make my own planner/notebook sets in the Midori Traveler style, but I can’t always find plastic pockets in the right size for the notebooks. To keep stickers, washi tape samplers, and other small items in each one, I stick envelopes or pockets inside the front cover of each separate notebook, so I am never without my deco items!

  56. I love making a “legend” or a key with colors and symbols. It helps you fit a lot more stuff and easy to find things!!

  57. I take 10 minutes at the end of every work day to review the coming days schedule and set some goals. Currently I use a notebook, but this planner would be amazing!

  58. I use different colored pens depending on the event (blue for school events, green for fun events, red for birthdays, etc.).

  59. I love to use cute little magnetic page markers to mark pages I constantly have to get back to. And I use a different color pen for each of my 3 kids and myself…hubby’s on his own 😉

  60. This year I drew on my own my calendar pages, so it’s perfect for my needs. The time, that I spend by drawing the design of my calendar,is good to rethink my things: what I want, what are my plans, what has been realized yet. And I love the stickers! they can make everything cheerful 😀

  61. Take a look through your planner in the evening, add anything that’s needed, then put it aside and sleep well, knowing that it’s all there and you can take care of it in the morning. (Helps fight insomnia!)

  62. Color coding! Use different colors for different people in your family or different types of activities you have (school, work, hobbies, etc.)

  63. I colorcode my activities. This way I can easily tell , even by just a wuick glance, when something is an exam or if it is just an assignment.

  64. I use washi-tape, stickers and everything that looks nice, until my planner looks so beautiful, that I love to work in it.

  65. To keep my planner working for me, I make sure to open it every morning when I get to work. I color code my events/plans/to-do list and write down my goals for each week and how it fits into my schedule.

  66. I love to use my elastic bands to keep me in place!! I also use stickers as reminders for things like pay day and appointments!! I love my Pipsticks Stickers❤

  67. Certified planner junkie here!
    My fav things to keep organized are using kawaii stickers and washi tape without them it wouldn’t be half as fun.

  68. I just started a bujo and I love using a rolling parallel ruler to make straight lines and a stick eraser to clean up the page. I can’t wait to decorate with my Pipstick stickers. <3

  69. I am trying to keep myself organized so this is new to me. I am trying to color code so it makes it clear for me.

  70. I use color coding and paper clips to help keep me organizer. I love using stickers, washi tape, and colored pans and markers to make planning and organizing fun!

  71. I have a small group of two other planners that I plan with. A buddy always helps keep you accountable and its great to discuss some of the challenges you might be facing that week or month with a small group to get some perspective or advice on overcoming them. We also share stickers and pens and washi tape with each other so it helps with the expense of decorating your planner.

  72. Teeny tiny binder clips and transparent postits are what really work for me. Though my cat shaped postits always make me laugh!

  73. If I don’t plan out our meals for the week, my week just gets so chaotic! And of course stickers make any planning more fun!

  74. Lots of stickers, lots of post-it, colored pens… I use 2 planners, 1 little I keep with me all te time, 1 big I use as a diary… I ´m thinking of buying another one for my weight loss tracking.

  75. I have learned that color is a must! The more colorful, the more attention I pay to what I’m supposed to be doing that day. I use color with pens, post-its (I’m addicted to those too!), and stickers! I have multiple calendars at work, home and on the go, and I find that by writing things down in multiple places…it’s easy to remember what’s going on!

  76. I use sticker flags to help me find the page I need as well as color-coded flags to help me pull cards (e.g. insurance or membership cards) out of my wallet – you know, instead of having to pull out EVERY one before I get the right one! 😉 I like to color code my calendar in terms of WHO has a particular appointment – Red for All Play, purple for me, green for my son, blue for my daughter, etc. Color can be a great visual shortcut!

  77. My only tip: Never feel guilty about filling the pages up! My past planners were filled with a bunch of scribbles of plans and of little things I’d like to remember. Treating my planner as a journal too has made me value the wrinkled, stained pages even more! It’s like looking through a time capsule when I open previous years.

  78. One thing I need a lot of help with is keeping my morning routine streamlined and focused. I have found that when planning days ahead, it helps a lot to write out a list of things to pack and get ready the night before at the bottom of each day – like gym clothes, lunch, books to return, etc. Then I’m not scrambling to remember and find everything in the morning.

  79. My tips are to include the family in weekly planning sessions (they feel important and are more likely to help/contribute) and to schedule planning sessions like you would any other appointment, so it is treated as the priority it is! Thanks for the chance to enter, I LOVE the bando planner 🙂

  80. I write in appointments on a calendar on the side of our fridge so everyone in the family can see it and be notified of what’s going on that month.

  81. I make a list of the things I need and want to get done, then I prioritize my list and cross off the items as I do them. I’m horrible at getting them all done cuz I’m terrible at proscratination. Well, I’m actually good at procrastination, I’m terrible at getting things done! LOL!

  82. Sticky notes! Put on the date that it may happen then firm up with pen later, that way you can move it around easily in case it doesn’t happen! LOVE LOVE LOVE pipsticks!

  83. Im a multi planner girl 🙂 But making lists, sticky notes, and Stickers help me get organized! And Im getting better at color coding with planning! And loving my pip-sticks packages that I get in the mail!

  84. I am a “wanna-be” and all these tips are amazing! I especially like the journaling tip because I am a big note-taker. I use a lot to “dress up” my planner – stickers, multi-colored pens/pencils/markers, flags, pictures. I like to print a small pictures of my family members and friends, cut their faces out, run them through my Xyron sticker maker, and stick the faces on their birthdays.

  85. I love to use different color pens for different events or occasions. I also keep a wall calendar up to date in the house so the kids can know what is going on and coming up.

  86. I love using different ‘fonts’ and letter sizes to make my planner look interesting and of course lots of stickers!!!

  87. I always love getting a new planner every year. I love stickers, colored pens, cute paper clips, and I get my daughter to color me a picture to tapee in the front, so I look at it every time I open it. 🙂

  88. I use a bullet journal to keep everything on track! I love using the traditional point list for my to-do list, and I sometimes journal in it as well. It’s so much fun using different pens, washi tapes, and stickers to make it pretty, and it motivates me to get stuff done.

  89. One year, I asked the special children in my life to draw pictures in my planner to decorate it. Each child was given his or her birthday to draw on (which helped me remember birthdays), and then picked other dates to draw on. The tiny artwork made me smile the whole year through, and the planner became an extra-special keepsake/time-capsule of my little friends/relatives/students.

  90. I color code by family member using felt tip & gel pens; tape flags help me stay focused on time sensitive action items. There are some great tips here, thanks!

  91. Like most people, I’m a devotee to using the “to do list” in my planner. However, occasionally I’ll have a very busy, productive day where NOTHING on my list gets done. Often I’d get to the end of such a day and say, in despair, “I got nothing done today!” To counter this I’ve started keeping a “things I did” list alongside my “to do” list. It gives me a sense of achievement for a day of hard work even when the “to do” list has nothing crossed off. Give it a try!

  92. I list my to-dos on a post-it stuck to my current weekly planner spread. That way a realistically sized list of things I need to handle is always right in front of me, but I’m not pressuring myself to tie each and every task to a specific day.

  93. I’m a planner addict, scrapbooker, paper crafter, mixed media artist and wanna be Journaler so my Close to my Heart timewithtally.ctmh.com and mini Happy planners are a combination of all of those combined. I do planner goodie swaps on swap-bot.com and have a nice fun stash of stickers, Washi, pens, Die cuts, pocket journaling cards, post it papers, flags, and paper clips. I do all of my appointments on my phone and transfer to my planners. Its a fun memory keeping and kind of a bullet journal combined.

  94. Post it notes and stickers are everything for keeping organized. I live to plan ahead using multiple calendars for each person I the house.

  95. Love to add splashes of color on my planner squares, and a sticker of course. It brings focus to the week’s, day’s or month’s highlights, and is just plain fun!!

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