Surprise!!

Hello everyone, long time no see! This year has been a rollercoaster for me, and not a fun one at that. But now I am back with some positive news and I'm so excited... I'm 5 months pregnant! :) I found out a few weeks ago (but feels like I've known forever) but I had no idea how far along I was as I haven't really had periods for a number of years now. I had my first scan on May 27th where I thought I was around 12 weeks, and it turned out I was 18 weeks! BIG shock, but it made it even more real and exciting. I'm now currently 20 weeks 2 days.

I was so shocked because since I found out I was pregnant to the scan, I have actually lost about 10lbs. My stomach had started to become rounder and harder the week leading up to the first scan and I had started to feel movement quite regularly too. So when I found out I was 18 weeks, my mom decided to pay for a private gender scan the next day (you have to pay for gender scans now, and the one we got cost £79 including 2d and 4d prints). I'll be honest, I really wanted to have a girl and I was unsure how I would've felt it being a boy. I've never wanted children anyway but always wanted a girl if I did, which is silly because you can't choose the sex either way >.< But after looking online and speaking to people, feeling disappointed on having the opposite gender you hoped for is very common and nothing to feel ashamed about. I soon got over it and cannot wait to hold my little boy :)

Since I found out I was pregnant, my main symptoms have been feeling sick, no appetite, awful heartburn and gagging all the time. I rarely have been sick so far because I'm not eating much food, although I am trying to eat more since I found out I am in the second trimester. I was so surprised he was so healthy and a healthy size, I felt so relieved and wanted to try my best to make sure he continues to grow healthy. The heartburn is awful, it's said the more heartburn you have the more 'hairier' your baby will be... Seeing as the father was born with so much hair (more than I currently have!) it's a big possibility. Another symptom I've started getting which is right for the time now, is sore and swollen feet, and backache. I usually get them after each work shift and if I go out walking for more than an hour.

My huge belly at 18 weeks 5 days

I've started to experience Braxton Hicks which aren't painful but make my lower stomach extremely tight for a minute or less. I've had regular movement especially after I eat, and I usually fall asleep feeling him move with a smile on my face :) I can't wait for my little peanut to arrive, the due date is October 26th but I have a feeling he will arrive a little earlier. Let's hope everything continues to go well because it's all downhill from here!

Love Abby and baby xx

 

Comparing Filofax Inserts (Filofax, Paperchase, Kikki-K, and Piaric)

Hello everybody! It's been such a long time since I made a Filofax related blog post, and I feel very guilty for neglecting the blog overall. I have little inspiration for blog posts, but recently someone got in touch about Filofax inserts (specifically in the UK) and I thought it might help a few people to hear my opinions on the Filofax inserts I have tried in the past. I haven't got photos of me using each inserts so please bare that in mind, and I hope this helps you in choosing future inserts :)

Click to view on the Filofax website

Filofax Week On Two Pages (horizontal)

When you order a Filofax it will usually come with the week on two page inserts. These are the horizontal inserts that came with both my first Filofax's. They are okay if you're not looking to decorate much or use pens that are going to bleed through, because the paper quality isn't good at all. It's very thin and you can generally see the writing on the previous pages through the paper. Some people feel there isn't enough space to write on each day but others may find it's perfect. I personally didn't like these inserts and I was on the hunt for 'prettier' inserts with better paper quality. I would rate these inserts 4/10.

Click to view on the Filofax website

Filofax Week On Two Pages (vertical)

These are the vertical week on two pages inserts from Filofax, and as I said in the paragraph above, these are the same paper quality as the horizontal inserts. I cannot remember if I bought these inserts or if they came with another Filofax, but I definitely wasn't a fan of them at all. I ended up using mine as a food diary for a while but it just wasn't doing it for me and I had to get new inserts. These would be better suited to someone who has appointments/meetings throughout the day at specific times as they have the hours throughout the day on them. These definitely aren't good if you're looking to decorate or journal as there is limited space. I would rate these inserts 4/10 (6/10 for business purposes).

Click to view the Paperchase inserts

Paperchase week on two pages inserts

These inserts are by a UK brand called Paperchase (which also happens to be one of my favourite stores EVER). They are lined week on two page inserts and are one of my favourite inserts which I used for a good few months. The paper quality is much better than the Filofax inserts and they are overall nicer than the Filofax inserts in my opinion. They came with an 18 month diary (including yearly/monthly inserts), 6 dividers, and extra notepaper. All this for a very cheap £6! I didn't have much to write in as you can see so that left me extra room for little notes, stickers, sticky notes or washi tape. The only reason I stopped using these inserts was because I got a Kikki-K planner which came with it's own inserts and I started using those, but I would definitely use these again and would definitely recommend them :) I would rate these inserts 8/10.

Click to view the Kikki-K inserts

Kikki-K week on two pages inserts

These inserts are the week on two pages by Kikki-K. They came with my first Kikki-K planner (the mint and gold A5 time planner) which I bought from a fellow instagrammer in the UK. It's my favourite planner so far as well as being my favourite inserts to date. As you can see they are very plain and have a lot of space to write/doodle/decorate, and they have very faint lines which is perfect if you find it hard to write neat on plain paper. Some people don't like these because they are quite thin and do bleed through with certain pens, but I find they are better paper quality than the Filofax inserts. I absolutely loved these inserts and I wanted to buy them again for 2015 but because they're shipped from Australia it can be quite expensive, as well as extra customs charges that can happen! But as I have a few friends in Australia I'm sure I could ask them to send me them over to avoid custom charges (which I'd obviously send money or a thank you gesture in return). I would rate these inserts 9/10.

Click to view Piaric's weekly inserts

Piaric week on two pages inserts (Mon-Sun)

Piaric is a seller on Facebook and Instagram, and she now has her own website you can order from (click on the link above to view all her available inserts). She has designed all the inserts herself and she will print them off and hole punch them for you too. I found her a while ago while I was using the Paperchase inserts and I have been wanting to try her inserts out for a while now, and I finally decided I would for 2015 (even though I've only ordered them less than a month ago... oops!). The price for the inserts combined with shipping is quite a reasonable price considering she does make and print these herself. I was so happy when I received them because the paper quality is the best I've ever experienced. The paper is smooth but thick, I highly doubt that any pen will bleed through but I have yet to test that out. The pages are clean looking with a lot of space for writing/doodling/decorating which is great for all you creative people, or when you just get bored! The only downside is obviously having to get used to writing without any lines, although you could try to put a page of dark lined paper behind the page (again I have yet to test this). I am definitely a fan of these and they are really worth the money and wait. I would rate these 9/10.

Okay so that's all the inserts I have used so far in my Filofax journey. The opinions and rates are due to my experience with them and whether I'd use them again. My favourite inserts are the Kikki-K and Piaric; and my worst are the Filofax inserts. I would love to hear your feedback on any inserts I've included as well as any others you've tried. Hopefully this will help people who are looking to buy inserts that will last a long time and will fit their needs. Thanks guys and have a great day!

Love, Abby x 

My Experience In A Psychiatric Hospital

I've been through a long and stressful few months, and without getting into the gritty details, I ended up being sectioned under the Mental Health Act and put into a psychiatric hospital. The only free bed was 4 hours away from my house so I had to take an ambulance ride from 10:30pm to 2:30am in order to get there. So here is a run down of what happened the past 2 weeks.

Day 1 to 3 - This is my first time being admitted to a psychiatric hospital, and I'm currently on a NHS and Private ward which is quite nice and feels more like a small hotel than a hospital. The room has it's own bathroom and is decent, with an okay bed (but the worst pillow!). The staff are lovely, from the moment I arrive at 2:30am to the minute I leave, they're kind and considerate, and they don't seem to judge me at all. I am read my rights seeing as I'm under section, and I'm given the right to appeal against my section which I decline. I am weighed and measured, blood pressure and all that jazz. I am then seen by a not so kind doctor about 3:30am who asks me questions and all I can say is that I'm tired. He starts me on anti-psychotic medication which apparently is weight neutral (I was on Quetiapine last year which made me gain a lot of weight very quickly so I stopped it).

I am greeted every 15 minutes from the staff for observations, which means they come into my room and check I'm okay and then leave (but this usually always woke me up and was very annoying). I was woken up around 8:45am to take my daily medication of Venlafaxine (anti-depressant) and Amisulpride (anti-psychotic). I slept the first day right through until the evening where I decided to eat something, I had declined the breakfast and lunch they brought me because I just wanted to sleep and when I go away from home I lose my appetite. The staff are very nice and ask if I'm okay with most of the 15 minute checks, which I'm usually trying to sleep. My phone charger was taken away to be safety checked, so I have to charge my phone at night in the reception area -_- I get given my charger back a day or two later by a nice member of staff.

I am given an ECG on my stay to check if my heart is okay with the new medication, and I had to do a pee sample too. I decided to take a bath but am sorely disappointed that it takes 10 minutes to fill up less than a quarter of the tub, and the water is barely warm so I have to take a fast bath and wash my hair with my head upside down. I realized before I forgot shampoo and conditioner so they had to provide both for me (I was given 10-15 minutes to pack before leaving my home so I'm surprised I didn't forget more essentials). My lunch and dinner's are made fresh from the kitchen below me, which is such a relief and tastes really delicious. I get to choose my meals from two choices and I'm allowed to make myself toast and hot/cold drinks between meals. They also make you an "emergency supper sandwich" for after dinner if you get hungry. I saw the doctor as well as my assigned doctor 2-3 more times throughout my short stay, asking if I could be moved back closer to home soon which they agreed. I met a few other patients who were all lovely, some were more reserved and stayed in their rooms like myself. I was so relieved to learn all the patients doors were locked and could only be opened by you from the inside (the staff had keys to get in for checks).

Day 4 to 11 - I was woken up on the 4th morning around 10:30am to be told they have a bed at home where I can be moved to hopefully today! I was so happy, I started packing later in the day, had lunch at 12pm, and about 3:30pm we were heading back on a 4 hour journey home. The paramedics kindly offered me food and drink when we stopped half way which I gladly accepted with a KFC milky bar krushem, a few fries, and some Wine Gums ^_^ I had a lovely chat with them about becoming a paramedic myself as well as some other topics, and had a laugh too. Both ambulance journeys the paramedics were so lovely to me and non-judgmental, I adored them and thanked them throughout both journeys.

I arrived back in my hometown around 7:45-8pm bursting for a pee. I had to wait a good 10-15 minutes until someone saw me as it was the staff handover. I was asked the same old questions "why am I there?" "what happened?" blah blah, and then I was shown my room. The ward was definitely more like a hospital, and the bed wasn't as comfy as my other one but the pillow was an improvement. I saw the doctor on call about 40 minutes later who asked the same questions and did general obs, had blood taken and my temperature which showed I had a fever for no reason. I had to take pee samples again, and my tests showed that I had high levels of white blood cells but it was nothing to worry about. They gave me paracetamol for the fever and I was left to have a sandwich and drink, and go to bed.

There was more of a routine in the second hospital, with the first wake up call at 7am for tea and coffee; then the second was just before breakfast at 8am (I went to breakfast the first morning but didn't any of the other mornings). They then regularly checked on me through the door window seeing as I didn't leave my bedroom often, only to get a drink or use the toilet as there wasn't one in my room. Despite all the slight negatives, I was happy to be home so my boyfriend, mom and my care co-coordinator could come and visit me (and I could get some shampoo and conditioner!!). I decided lunch a few days when I didn't want to wake up or go out of my room. Throughout the days I gathered enough courage to go in the craft room to draw/colour in, or in the TV room with the other patients. I met most of the other patients, one who seemed the most similar to me in situation (although I never asked) and age, everyone else was older than me. There was about 8-9 females and we had a female only ward, but the males would occasionally wander down which used to scare me. Some males would get aggressive and start shouting and throwing things (I see now why all the cutlery was plastic), and these times I was glad I could lock myself in my room. That was the only major negativity.

I was given some leave after a week or so of being there, where I could go out for 4 hours with my mom or boyfriend, and 2 hours on my own (6 hours leave altogether which I gladly took). The first leave was with my mom on a Saturday where I went home for 4 hours, went shopping and brought back my pillow, some crossword books, my penpal letters to reply to, and I cleaned my clothes whilst I was there to bring back too. I wish I could've taken my fan though because it was so hot in the rooms! I went out a few times with my boyfriend to town for 6 hours to stretch my legs and feel 'normal' again, and I actually saw a guy from the ward in town and it got me thinking how many ill people were around us and we didn't know it. Anyway, I asked to be discharged because I felt I was in there for no reason, and I had to wait to see the consultant on the Wednesday who ended up agreeing and taking me off section. Being honest I lied, I still am not well but I needed to be home so I said what they wanted to here. I discharged myself the same day and it felt so good to be home and in my own bed! 

But it's now been nearly 4 days since I've come home and I'm not sure whether I made the right decision to come home. I still feel very blank and lost, with bad thoughts. I don't know whether being in hospital longer like they suggested would've been a better idea, but I felt so home sick I would've done anything to get home. I do enjoy being home but I have no structure and no desire for a routine. I'm going back to work this Thursday night which I'm slightly dreading, it was a reason I discharged myself early too. I've been off for 2 weeks now and I'm always scared I'll be dismissed for being ill which I know isn't right and wouldn't normally happen, especially as I followed procedure and gave a sick note. It's my paranoia of being fired that makes me so determined to get better and be normal again. But I'm still struggling as I write this at 2:30am, and whether I will go back in hospital or not is to be seen. I am being seen at 10:30am by the Crisis team to see if they can help me now in any way.

I hope you enjoyed my story. I wrote it because the hours after I was sectioned before I left home, I was frantically looking up experiences on psychiatric hospitals and what to expect. Let me tell you it's nothing like Girl Interrupted or One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. I'd love to hear your experiences or answer any questions. I hope I included everything I could remember.

Love, Abby x

Meet: Minnie the Pug!

Hello everyone! If you follow me on Instagram you will know that I recently got a cute pug called Minnie. She is 2 years old and snores for England, and she gets on well with the cats. We got her only 4 days ago so she is still finding her feet and settling in. Here are some more photos of her, enjoy :)

And seeing as it's Christmas tomorrow, here are some festive photos:

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year!
Love from Abby, Minnie and the cats

Life Updated (Turning 20 + 2015)

Wow, I have really missed blogging. I've been neglecting this blog for so long and there are various reasons for this but I just want to apologize and let you know how much I've missed you all!! I cannot believe I'm 20 years old in 2 days, that's just insane and to tell you the truth I'm absolutely terrified of being classed as an adult not a teenager anymore *cringes* But it's not the end of the world.

Basically in a nutshell this year has been completely awful for me. I don't want to go into detail (a lot of it I can't remember anyway, which is probably a good thing) but it involved me becoming mentally ill with depression and psychosis, a break up, finishing college, starting nights, volunteering at two places, trying to pass my theory test (failed the first time), and just a lot of stress. It might not sound as bad, but being mentally ill for roughly 6 months and still recovering made it extremely hard to cope. I am so glad it's nearly the end of the year, ready to start fresh so I can say all of the crap happened last year and I can move on. The breakup was short lived and we're back together, but still struggling with the years events.

You may of noticed (especially if you follow me on Instagram) that I've rarely posted about my planners or anything to do with planning. It was something else I neglected most of this year and lost interest in (depression does that). I missed it but I just didn't have the energy to do it, which sounds kind of silly as it's just a planner, but it made me feel so out of control with life and I was forgetting appointments, birthdays, not keeping my finances up to date etc. But I haven't given up completely with planning, I've bought a personal size Kikki-K planner ready for 2015. I've never used a personal size planner before and in all honesty I really dislike most things by Filofax these days, so I knew I wanted a Kikki K planner as well as their simple yet adorable inserts (which are so much easier to write on than Filofax). So I will be setting it up for the new year soon, I'm quite nervous to see whether it works out or not, but A5 is just too big for me now and I'm rarely using it.

On a positive note, I now have internet at home!! Before I was having to go to my boyfriends house or use my phone internet to do anything on the web, so blogging was definitely put on hold for that reason too. So I hope in the new year to start blogging more often. I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who still follows me on bloglovin, I still get emails telling me that so-and-so has started following me and it always surprises me ^_^ But thank you :D
 
Lets hope 2015 is a better and brighter year for me as well as everyone else. If anyone else has had a similar experience to me, or just a crap year in general too, I want to give you a huge hug because we can get through this and things will get better :)

Love, Abby

 

Washi Tape Tag!

It's been too long since I've posted on here, it's been a crazy year with a lot of ups and downs but I've deeply missed making blog posts and seeing you all enjoy them and leaving me sweet comments. I reached 150 followers which may not seem a lot but is a big achievement! Everyone starts somewhere :)

So today I am doing the Washi Tape tag. I wasn't tagged by anyone, but it seemed super fun and a great way to show my small but growing washi collection for all you washi lovers! There are 7 questions in total, and I will go through each question and include photos *because who doesn't love drooling over other peoples washi collections*

So... HERE WE GO! ^o^

❤ Show us your washi tape collection! ❤

I'm including my deco tapes with my collection, and overall I have around 120 washi tapes and deco tapes. I've collected them mainly from eBay sellers such as Dragonchant and lycheebuy. It took over a year to collect them, but it's pretty small compared to a lot of other washi enthusiasts :) I bought some from Sainsbury's (a store in the UK), Paperchase, Wilkinsons and The Works. Paperchase is by far my favourite stationery store!

 ❤ What are your ultimate favorite washi(s) of all time? ❤

 These are pretty much my favourite washi tapes. I got the cat tape from Lychee Craft (lycheebuy on eBay), with love tape from Paperchase, pink and teal triangle tapes from etsy, floral tape from Sainsburys, pink polkadot tape from eBay, and multicoloured tape from Wilkinsons.

❤ What are your most recent favorite washi(s)? ❤

These are my most recent purchases which are also my recent favourite washi's too. The first two are from Tiger, and the last three are a pack of four from Paperchase. The ones from Tiger are deco tapes, and the black one says "Don't grow up, it's a trap".

❤ What are you least favorite washi(s)? ❤

I don't have any I really dislike otherwise I would give them to someone who I think would like them, but the one on the left is the first washi I ever had and was given to me buy a lovely lady from Facebook who was also my first RAK (Random Act of Kindness)! I don't use it often but I still love it for the pure kindness on receiving it. The last four came in a pack of 10 deco tapes from eBay for 99p.. They were mixed which put me off but I got a few cute ones so it wasn't too bad for the price. I'm still on the hunt for cute rilakkuma and hello kitty deco tapes.

❤ What are the most expensive washi you have or the most you ever paid for washi? ❤

I don't really spend much for washi tape, but this pack of 8 washi from Paperchase cost me around £8 and I bought it when I went to Sunderland a few months ago for the Color Run. I couldn't pass it up, I thought the two big washi's and the two white rolls would be perfect for decorating snail mail with!

❤ How do you store your washi tapes? ❤

This is how I store all my washi and deco tapes (of course in colour code order!). These are clear acrylic storage boxes from The Range for £3.99 each. I bought one and realized I soon needed a new one when I bought 10 washi tapes from Lychee Craft and Paperchase opened up where I live. It's nice to see them all neatly laid out, it makes it easy to pick which ones you want for decorating your Filofax pages or snail mail letters/envelopes.

❤ Show us your favorite project/craft/layout you've made using washi tape ❤

I only use washi tape for decorating my planner pages, penpal letters and envelopes, birthday cards etc. Here is a planner layout I did for a guest post blog tutorial :) Funnily enough it includes two of my favourite tapes!

So that's my washi tape collection and tag answers. I tag... ALL OF YOU! Feel free to leave me a comment below if you have done the washi tape tag and I will check it out!

Love, Abby x

The Liebster Award‏!

Firstly I must apologize for my absence in blogging; life has become incredibly busy with some ups and downs. But do not worry! I checked my email just over a week ago to find I have been nominated for the Liebster award by the lovely Joanny, so thank you! I've really enjoyed blogging over these past few months, and I do have future blog posts lined up! I've seen this award button on a few blogs I read regularly, and I wasn't quite sure what it was. But the word 'liebster' is German for 'beloved', and so the award is nominated to up-and-coming bloggers by other bloggers in recognition of their efforts. 

Rules of accepting the nomination: 

❤ Acknowledge the blogger who nominated you by linking back to them. You can also display the Liebster Award button on your blog if you want to. The button can be found in this post.
❤ Answer the eleven questions that have been given to you by the blogger.
❤ Nominate eleven blogs you think are deserving of the award (They need to have less than 200 followers)
❤ Give nominees eleven questions of your choice to answer.
❤ Let the bloggers know you have nominated them and leave a link to your nomination post.
❤ You cannot nominate the person who nominated you.

11 Questions from Joanny

1. What is your favourite music genre? I probably listen to rock and occasional pop the most. I love Queen, Blondie, Pink, Paramore, Foxes, Foo Fighters etc
2. If you had to choose one food to eat everyday, for the rest of your life, what would it be? Pizza!
3. What is the one place you definitely would like to visit if you had the chance? Probably New York or Canada
4. What is your all time favourite movie/film? Matilda and Finding Nemo
5. Summer or Winter? Winter
6. Do you like flowers? Of course :)
7. Do you have a favourite quote? If so, what is it? A quote that my best friend told me: "A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor"
8. What was your motivation to start blogging? Reading some of my favourite bloggers such as filocuteness (who sadly no longer blogs), dimpletodimple (my best friend!), and paperlovestory.
9. What is your favourite snack/drink? I love fruit especially grapes and strawberries, and I love banana milkshake or a nice cup of tea
10. What's your favourite sport? Gymnastics, ice skating and horse riding
11. What would be your dream job? A paramedic (which I'm currently aiming to become!)

My nominations

♡ Shannon - dimpletodimple

♡ Harri - vanillacraftblog

♡ Chloe - alittlebirdyblog

♡ Love lee - xo-lovelee

♡ Kait - cafeetpapier

♡ Anna Sofia Rose - little-miss-anna

♡ Kelly - littleredmoose

♡ Alondra - sweetandcalm

♡ Doris - thestoragestudio

NOTE: I hope it's okay I nominated 9 blogs instead of 11. To my nominees you do not have to accept the nomination if you do not want to or have already been nominated. 

11 Questions for my nominees

1. Whats your biggest motivation to blog?
2. What is your current favourite piece of clothing? 
3. What was your last dream that you can remember about?
4. Do you have any hobbies?
5. Your favourite animal?
6. Are you a tidy or messy person?
7. Are you more of a morning or night person?
8. What is your favourite meal?
9. Name your favourite movie of all time?
10. Would you rather read the book or see the movie?
11. Where have you travelled to and what was your favourite place?

Have fun!

Love, Abby x

Guest Post: Little Panda Crafts // Just My Planner

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello! My name is MJ and I blog over at Little Panda Crafts. I'm a girl crafter who loves stationary, sewing plushies, paper planning, pandas, and all things kawaii. Thanks so much to Abby for letting me take over her lovely blog for this post! :)

Today I'm going to be showing you all a few tips or just what's my planner like. I don't own a Filofax, but there are many other things that you could use as one--other planners, or notebooks. I have my own planner, but it has day-on-one pages. I don't like the big space, as I find it hard to fill in a page just for one day. So although I may keep a few decorating supplies in my planner, I don't fancy it up like someone would do with their planner. I just pencil in what I find important in my schedule, and refer to it later.

However, I do have another planner..it's basically a notebook I use as one. (Both my day-on-one paged planner and this notebook are roughly the size of a compact Filofax). I sewed up a felt cover for the notebook's metal one. You should probably do this if you don't have a Filofax, yet you still want to customize your planner. Felt is available in many colors and designs, both online and in stores, such as craft stores and even Walmart. 

If you are interested in how I made my cover, know that I cut a sheet of felt large enough that when I folded it over, it was approximately the same size as the cover. Then I sewed the top and bottom with blanket stitches. Afterwards, I just pulled the felt cover onto the notebook's cover from the side. 

This is the planner where I do my week-on-two pages. Whether you make your own pages as I do, or you find printable inserts for your planner, you may want to use the week-on-two pages. I use these because I have spots for Sunday through Saturday, and I have an extra space for writing down notes of the week. 

You can tell by the photo of my planner pages below that they are lined. Since I make the spots for each day, I have to draw my own lines. I do so using an ink pen (it doesn't bleed through). However, I don't trace the lines already printed on the paper. The lines wouldn't turn out as straight. So, I tend to use a ruler right over the lines.

Sometimes when I want to flip right to a page, I use tabs, which I remove later. These tabs are available online, and you can find ones like these--or even other kinds of tabs--at stores like Target or Daiso. If you want to purchase these cheaply, you can get them from a trusted seller on Ebay.

But--if you don't have stores like those near you, and you don't like ordering online, you can print out these cuties. Just look up "kawaii sticky note memo" or any animal, and you can print, cut, and use them as your tabs.

I like gluing down sticky notes or even pretty paper to doodle or pencil in important events. You don't need any fancy kind of glue--a regular glue stick will do just fine. I use an Elmer's glue stick and it works well for me--none of the papers have been turning up at the edges or anything like that.

 Just know that in the photo below, I actually glued the cupcake on the cap--the glue stick doesn't come like that! Ha ha, I like to make my supplies cute ;)

One last tip I have for you is more of a planner photographing tip. You will notice the kawaii bubble tea plushie I used in the photos. When photographing your planner for an Instagram or blog post, you may want to add in small things, such as plushies, to add in a burst of color. It also makes a very cute photo! :) Since I like to sew, I am always making plushies to share in my photos. 

Little things can make a big difference! 

So that was my guest post on a few planning tips ;) I hope you find these useful if you own a planner, and if you don't, here's to hoping that you found my planner interesting! ;)

Thanks so much to Abby again for having me over! She is such a great blogger and I love reading her posts. ^_^

For more inspiration, you can visit me at www.littlepandacrafts.blogspot.com.

love love love! MJ

   

Using Your Planner For College (+tips and advice)

Hello everyone! I hope you're all doing well, and that the heat isn't getting to you this summer ^-^ This post is inspired from someone's comment on a Facebook group for Filofaxes, they were wondering if anyone used their planners for college (keeping track of assignments, dates, schedules etc) and it gave me an idea to do a whole blog post about it seeing as I've just finished college altogether, and I've definitely learned a lot about organizing and planning whilst in education. So I thought I would share my experiences with you! These may not help you, or you may not agree on some parts, but remember this is what helped me and what I learned. If it helps you, that's awesome :)

I realized I needed a consistent and dedicated planning system about half way through the first year of my course in order to stay on top of assignments and meet deadlines. I thought about what to put in my planner, and wrote a list of things that I would need and what would be useful too:

• Timetable of all my classes (I will post a photo below of my template)
• Class information such as place and tutor (this will help especially when you're beginning the course)
• Unit name and assignments (my course had 10 units each year with either 4 or 6 pass assignments, so I made a list of them all and highlighted them as I completed them)
• College information such as address and phone number (you could also put in directions or a map if you think it would be helpful)
• Tutor information (names, email addresses and phone numbers)
• Class/assignment grades (I didn't do this but you could keep a note of what grades you get for your classes or assignments)
• Dates of all the terms 
• Colour coding for each class (I didn't do this but it is a great idea! I would've done it but I kept forgetting to change the pen colours)
• Attendance recording (you could print off your own record sheet, or you could just write a note of any days you had off for college and the reason in your monthly or weekly planner pages)
• Finances (this wasn't relevant to me but if you have to pay for your courses and want to keep a log of it for whatever reason, you could set up a sheet especially for your college finances so it is separate from your other finances)

Those are all the things I could think of which you could include in your own planner, all of them I included besides the ones I said otherwise. It took a while to find the right way of setting this up, whether to use normal lined Filofax paper or to print out my own sheets and templates. You will learn what system and layouts suit you and your courses, what works and what doesn't for you. 

This timetable template was designed because my classes were on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursday; and they were from 9am to 4pm. So I then filled in each time slot with the class I had (I put the times next to the classes because my times were odd, such as 10:15am to 11:15am)

This is a weekly timetable template which would suit someone who had classes from Monday to Friday. You can edit it online or print it out and fill it in, whichever you prefer. It's also very easy to create on Microsoft Word by going in Insert > Table. To make the edges of the table fit nearer to the edge of the page, go on Page Layout > Margins > Narrow.

I made this timetable template for more of a weekly planner for college as well as other commitments such as work times. You could use it to plan study days or times to suit you. If you would like any of the three templates I have just shown, please email me with the template you would like and I will send it to you at abbysterry@hotmail.com

I printed all of my unit assignments on A5 size paper, so each unit was on a separate page. You can do this however you want, as it will depend on your course (whether it's coursework, exams, or both). You could also add each assignments deadline if they are handed out, which only two of my units were, but a lot of them changed so it was easier and more reliable for me to write down in my daily planner pages what day an assignment was issued (for example June 11th) and when that assignment is due in (for example June 18th). If it's on another week where you may forget when it's due, you could always write it somewhere where you will remember to do it before then (especially if you typically leave everything to the last minute!!). You could also use to-do sheets for each unit/classes and your assignments, with the hand out and due in dates on them so it's all in one place - it all depends whether it helps you or not :)

Class information can be added onto the back of the timetable (written or printed out) as a quick reference. I didn't do this, but for when you're starting college this will be a big help! Another thing you could do is include a map of your college layout, especially if it is a big or confusing layout, so you know where each of your classes are.





With colour coding, the way I would do it is I would pick a colour for each unit/class. I had 10 units so that would mean 10 colours (which is why I didn't use a colour coding scheme as it was too many colours to carry around and remember to use), so this would be easier if you have less units/classes (you can carry pens around in a pencil case or a clear zip pouch which can go inside your planner, or you can get a multi-coloured pen with the colours you want in them). Another way you could colour code for college is using a different colour for notes, assignments, term starting/ending dates, finances related to college, important information/reminders, class/assignment changes and so on.

My term dates were on the college website so I wrote them down (my college was split into four terms as well specific days off/college training dates etc). This was so I knew how many weeks were left until each half term and I knew how long I had left until I got a week or two break (which was pretty motivating to get work done sooner rather than later!). With dates, you could also add anything else which fits.

Any college information I kept on a blank lined page in my planner under the Info section. It included my college name, address, telephone number, absence number, email address, library times, and so on. I also kept a note of each of my tutors names, phone numbers, and email addresses. You could keep the term dates sheets in here too, but I kept mine in the calendar section at the front. I also had a list of my bus times to and from college on a separate page in case I needed to get a later/earlier bus. 

Attendance recording is easier than it sounds. What I did was write each day I had college, and either ticked when I attended or crossed when I didn't (I tried to put down the reason for not attending as much as possible, as I tend to get sick a lot). You could also highlight the days you don't attend so it stands out more, or keep a separate sheet and write down each day you don't attend so you can easily keep a check on how many days you've attended. 




Finances may or may not be relevant for you. It wasn't for me so I didn't keep this, but I know that a lot of people need to pay for their courses, books and other equipment, travel (petrol/bus/train etc) and so on. It's important to make sure you're all up to date with any expenses coming in and going out. I had some money coming in to help with college each term but that went into my regular finance sheets. But if you want to create your own finance sheets, here is what my own finance sheets look like (again, they are really simple to create using Microsoft Word):

DOs and DON'Ts!

• DO keep all of your college notes in folders so you can reference back later, even if you think it won't be relevant. Keep all notes until each assignment or class is completed and you won't need them again.
• DO write the dates on all of your college notes that you write them, as well as the class/unit which they are relevant for.
• DON'T rely on others if you miss a class. Talk to your tutor as soon as possible to ask what you missed and whether there are any notes/handouts and assignments you need to know about. That way you won't be missing anything important (I often thought maybe someone would let me know if an assignment had been given out, but I was let down a lot of times).
• DO keep a copy of all your class/unit assignment in two places. I kept mine on the college computer (where I did practically all of my assignments) and I also took them home and put them on my computer. College's or tutors will usually advise this in case something happens to the college computer systems, so it's important to back it up somewhere just for peace of mind.
• DON'T hide away if you are struggling. Your tutors are there to help and support you, so please confide in someone and let them know as soon as possible. Keeping it to yourself will only add to stress and make things worse (I've been through this and my tutors were amazing). Some colleges will have student support where you can talk about college work, personal problems and worries, health, financial troubles, housing issues, relationship issues, and so on. 
• DO use post it notes to write down things in your weekly planner pages. This is because things will change and you don't want to write something down, only to have to cross it out and change it (unless you use a pencil or an erasable pen). I keep a business card insert in the front of my planner with small to medium sized post its so I can easily grab one and make a note. Then when it comes to the day, if it happens I can write it down and throw the note away, or move the note onto another day or change the note.

So I hope this post has helped or inspired you in some way, especially if you're getting ready to start college. It will be a trial and error process, some things will work better than others, but it's good to give them all a go and see what works best for you. I really wanted to use a colour coding system for college, but when it came to it, it really didn't work for me as I would forget to use the specific colours, or bring them with me, or to even colour code at all (especially if you're in a hurry).

I would love to hear about what you do whilst in college or even university (as I plan to go in the next 1-2 years). Do you have anything which I've not mentioned in your planner? Has anything I've mentioned worked for you? Would you recommend anything else to others who are starting college? We all love some advice as I feel we all learn from each other, so I'm more than happy to hear feedback :)

Thanks for reading!
Abby x