How To Set-Up Your First Filofax

Hello everyone! Now, you've probably clicked onto this post because you've just received your first ever Filofax, you're super excited to get started, but wait... How do you set it up for YOU?

All Filofaxes should come with a few pages of information, including time zones, weights and measurements, personal information, and contact pages. You can always take these out or keep them in, most people prefer to keep them in just in case they need them in the future. 

This is the registration page. To get your registration number you simply click here

These are the Address inserts which came with this A5 pink Finsbury, you can use these for phone numbers/addresses, or even your favourite blogs.

You may receive these address sheets, which personally I dislike as they're very small and quite 'messy' for my liking. The other ones are a lot more clean and simple to use and easy on the eye. You can also create your own address inserts on Microsoft Word, or with a piece of paper, or you can print off some downloadable files from Philofaxy

 I usually put the calendar at the front just after information, because my main purpose of my Filofax is to keep my week and schedule organized, to help me remember certain things and specific dates, of course you can put your calendar/s wherever you like. You'll want to decide which calendars you're going to need and use well. There are different types of calendars: yearly (horizontal and vertical), monthly, weekly (week on two pages, week on one page, these can be horizontal and vertical, lines or no lines) and daily (day per page, day on two pages).

This is the start of my calendar section, and I have the year at a glance up front just to remind me how far we're through that year. I put a round sticker from the masker sticker set to mark off each month which has gone. This also has the previous year and the upcoming year on the back (shown on the next page).

This is another year at a glance, but this is a pull out horizontal insert. I got this to mark off the days when I went to the gym, but at the end of May I had stomach surgery and haven't been able to go since so had to cancel my membership. Now I am going to use it to mark my attendance for college so I can keep track of how much I'm going. Some people like to use this for marking birthdays, appointments, school terms and so on. This usually doesn't come when you buy a Filofax, you have to buy this separately

This is the month on two pages insert and again this usually doesn't come with a new Filofax, I had to buy this separately. I use this for marking birthdays, anniversaries, appointments, when I work and the hours I've worked, paydays, holidays and so on. I've recently started to use a colour coding system that works for me, I tried using coloured pens but it looked messy and also bled through onto the next pages. So I ended up using these coloured heart stickers from Asda (300 stickers in a pack for 50p!). I will do another post on colour coding :) With the spare days, I have tried various ways of 'cutting' them out, such as putting stickers, colouring them, putting washi tape etc. I've settled with colouring the days so it doesn't look too messy and adds some colour to the pages

So these are my weekly pages. A new Filofax should come with diary inserts, but they won't come with these, these are the Paperchase inserts I bought and they come with a full 2014. I love these because you can't get A5 diary pages which are horizontal and lined, and they were more than half the price of the Filofax diary inserts. I use the week on two pages for writing down everything from events, days I work and the hours, weigh ins, reminders, birthdays, paydays etc.

These pages I made and printed out myself, they were meant to be the same as the Filofax ones but at the time I wasn't aware they sold their own in the A5 size. But when I found them in a store, I was so surprised at the actual quality, I didn't like their own ones, I preferred mine! It's basically got the date, what you bought, whether you bought it with card/cash, how much and the total left. I highlight every payday so I can see what I'm spending it on. I write on the bills there too. If you would like my own designs of this for you to print out for yourself, just email me at abbysterry@hotmail.com and I'll send them to you :) Also, I don't think a Filofax comes with these inserts, you have to buy them yourself. They come in either horizontal or vertical.

I keep a section in my Filofax all to do with my health. It has a weight chart, measurements chart, some notes like above (this is about clean eating, which means to eat foods in their most natural state; for example eating an apple is better than eating an apple flavored yogurt or juice). I'm playing around with this section at the moment, I want to make it fun and motivating. This obviously isn't necessary to have in your Filofax, but it's a good help if you're watching your weight. I used to keep a food diary just after the health section by using the vertical week on two pages diary inserts as a diary food diary but it just wasn't working for me, now I've switched to an A5 spiral bound notebook for it and it works great!

 Again this isn't necessary to have in your Filofax, but if you are attending some type of educational place such as school, college, or university, I would highly recommend having something in your Filofax to keep you on track with course work or home work. I didn't have this section when I started college, but this is my 3rd year in college and my 2nd year in my current college course, so this year I am all prepared as I've printed out all the pieces of work and what unit they come under so I know when I've finished a unit (shown on the right). I'll also but a list of all the half terms and days off in there for a reminder too (on the left - those sheets came with the Paperchase insert). I want to keep on top of all my college work this year and not fall behind. I'll also be using the pull out horizontal year diary insert to write down everyday I attend college and if I have any days off.

I also have this timetable sheet with the days of the week and time on them so I can write down my college schedule for the week (this came with the Paperchase insert). I'm not sure whether I will use these, because I plan to create my own table and print it off so I can keep it at the front for quick reference, but I think I will use this for extra information (class teacher, room, anything to bring). I would again recommend some sort of timetable for your classes, these will come in handy if you've forgotten which class you're in or what you need to bring on a certain day.

So under the lists and projects section I keep things such as reading lists (writing down what I read and when I finish it, I didn't have a goal of reading so many books but this year I've read over 10 books which is great for me!). I also have printed out the 100 top books to read and 250 top films to watch just as a reference if I am in the mood to watch/read something new.

This is the top 100 books to read list which I just copied and pasted into this little chart I made on Microsoft Word. I highlighted the ones which I would like to read, and ticked the ones I've already read.

This is the top 250 films to watch list which I've done exactly the same as the reading list above. You can find either of the lists on Google by searching up "top 250 films" or "top 100 books".

These are my little wish lists I've created from the Paperchase notes insert and the Filofax coloured lined paper which usually comes with all new Filofaxes in pink, purple, blue, yellow, and orange. On the left is my things I want from H&M and Staples, and on the right is my wish list (both I need to go over and change myself).

 

Notes just simple includes some spare paper to write or doodle on, as well as some spare to-do notes. All of this should come in your new Filofax, but you can buy more from their website, Amazon, WHSmith, Ryman, and eBay.

 

I used a flyleaf to create a page marker for my week. I can stick various sticky notes and reminders on both sides, and once the week is up I can then either stick them onto the week, or put them onto the next week. I also have stuck a note tab on the top with 'today' on it.

I don't think new Filofaxes come with the top opening pocket but I may be wrong, you can buy them from any Filofax selling store or website including eBay or amazon for a really good price. I currently have three and use two in my Filofax, one at the front for things I cannot/don't want to hole punch, and one at the back for stickers and to also keep all the pages straight when I close it so they don't bend. These are a really good investment, and you can also get the zip envelope also for pens and pencils etc

This is another top opening pocket which is at the front and holds my gym time table. When I get my college timetable I will put that at the back of this one :)

At the front of my Filofax, I used the business card holder which came with this Filofax to keep all my sticky notes in (and there is a blood donation card reminder in there too). In the left, I have a zip pocket which I keep the rest of my stickers and flags in. It's very useful to have a zip pocket in the Filofax, that's why I love the Finsbury so much!

To section your Filofax, you can put dividers in there. Your new Filofax should come with some sort of dividers, it may be the A-Z, monthly dividers, numbered, or plain. But you can always take them out, customize them, or make your own. I used to use dividers but I was never happy with them, I need my own sections, so I've currently got a Facebook friend making me my own :) If you're interested in someone making you some personalized dividers, ask someone on the Facebook Washi tape group

I currently use these Avery note tabs to section my Filofax. I love them and they look super pretty being coloured and not one colour, but I am scared to change them in case I run out of them. I've recently bought some Martha Stewart note tabs finally from a Instagram friend, but she didn't have any of the small ones so anyone who is willing to send me the small ones please email me - abbysterry@hotmail.com

So that was how I set-up my Filofax, remember you can change things to suit you. We all lead different lives and have various needs, so think about what you're going to use it for and what is going to work for you. Don't be scared to try out things and experiment what works for you and what doesn't. Have a go with decoration if that's your thing too! There are plenty of inspirational photos, videos, and blogs to find on Youtube and Philofaxy.

I got my pink A5 finsbury from Amazon

Let me know how you've set up your Filofax, and whether my post has helped you :)

My Week #34

This week wasn't all busy, I'm still off college and should be going back in a couple of weeks, but for now it's just been a few days of work and a few days relaxing. I ordered some final college stuff from Paperchase including their A4 dividers which are amazing! I ordered some for last year whilst I was halfway through the year, and they were so good. They're plastic, so they don't rip like the paper dividers we were given, and they also came with tabs to put on them so you didn't have to permanently write on them or make your own. So I bought another one of those for this year (when it all comes I'll do another little mini haul post). I also got a RAK which was absolutely lovely, when I got it I wasn't having a great day, but coming home to this made me feel wonderful :3 So thank you whoever sent it to me! :3

Things I used this week:

• Masking sticker set in pastel from eBay 
• Sticky notes - sent in a RAK, small yellow one from B&M, and the big yellow pastel one is from Asda 
• Pen - Warner Leisure hotel pen and mechanical pencil set (gift)
• Note - sent with the RAK :)

Using The Month On Two Pages

I got these inserts in June, neither of my Filofaxes came with these so I had to buy them myself from eBay. I knew it would be very helpful to see what my month is going to look like, whether I need to prepare for anything, when I'll get paid or have a day off etc. Since June I've been playing around with the style, decoration and colour coding of the pages. I thought I would share my experiences, what I've tried and what I currently do.

This is how I layout my monthly inserts:

1. I use two pieces of the washi masking sticker set in pastel on the top of the pages to make them look cuter and brighter. At the end of the month I look back, pick one or two good things that happened throughout that month and then write them over the washi tape as a quick reminder when I look back in a few months time.
2. I use the heart stickers from Asda which are very cheap (currently 50p for 300 stickers!) for colour coding. I did try using different coloured pens for colour coding on both the monthly and weekly inserts but like most people, it took too long and personally I felt it look messy. I also tried highlighting but it again looked messy and also would bleed through to the next pages. I have tried dot stickers from Asda which were too big and didn't have enough colours; and the Paperchase appointment stickers (the small ones at the bottom) which were perfect, but there weren't enough (you get two pages in a pack which is £2.25). I am interested in using the Mark-it dots from Amazon, but because they're from the U.S they are very expensive to get sent to the U.K (roughly between £15-£20 which is crazy for some stickers!).
   
   So from my experience, the best thing I prefer to use for colour coding is stickers. I want to get my hands on some mark it dots as they are the perfect size and plenty on each page to last a couple of months, whereas even though the paperchase small stickers are great, you don't get many in each pack. So right now I am using the heart stickers to mark everything monthly, these are what the colours mean:
   Red - Birthdays/Anniversary
   Orange - Events
   Yellow - Appointments/Reminders
   Green - Pay Day
   Blue - Work
   Purple - Exercise
3. With writing in the monthly inserts, I try to keep it simple at the start. I mainly put things that won't change or cancel, such as birthdays, anniversaries, work and paydays. Sometimes I will write in pencil or put a sticky note if something could be happening on a specific date but is not set it stone. If I go through the day with no big events, I'll put a little note of something happening that week (weigh ins, going to boyfriends, going to town, family meals etc). Once the day is over, I cross it off to know where I am in the month.
4. I don't use the left hand side much, sometimes I will use it if the main calendar is looking a little messy, but I just find there isn't enough space there. I might use it to note when I go to college and if I have to miss days etc to keep track of my attendance.
5. I use a simple black ruler which comes with the Filofax and can also be bought on their website, Amazon, eBay, and in local stores like Ryman, Staples, and WHSmith. It makes moving from the monthly and weekly inserts a lot easier than flicking through it. I also sometimes put sticky notes on it as reminders.
6. I've been decorating the spare spaces in different styles since I got the inserts in June by using the ones from January-May to see what I like the best. I've tried colouring, highlighting, putting stickers and washi tape, and just leaving them. I personally like colouring them and also highlighting around all the days in that month so it's a lot easier to see and more pleasing to the eye.

Ikea/Staples mini Haul (and experiences)

Today (Saturday) I went to Ikea and Staples in Bristol for the first time. I was so excited because I wanted to finally get my hands on some Martha Stewart post it notes and tabs at Staples. I knew they had been discontinued, but I had seen people in the US and UK find some at very cheap prices. We went to Ikea first and I bought myself a vanilla candle (70p) and a new duvet set (£15). It was huge, there were lots of people and way too much to see and drool over.

 So this was my little 'haul' from Staples besides the candle and bed sheets (from Ikea). This was my first time in Staples and I was so excited to get there, from everything I had heard people saying about Staples in the states, I thought it would be stationery heaven! I was so disappointed when I walked through the doors and it seemed bare, with no people inside apart from the guy working there. I looked around and was astonished by the prices! Some pens were nearly £10... The same ones I could get in Asda or Tesco for less than £2. Staples was a huge rip off, and everything I bought in the photo (7 items) cost me £10.30.. All of which I could've gotten closer to me for half the price. I live in the countryside, so I traveled 2 hours to get to Bristol especially for Ikea and Staples... I only bought these things because I'm going back to college soon and they were the best I found in the store at the cheapest prices. It might be different in the states, but in the UK I've found out today, Staples is definitely not a great place for stationery with limited supplies and high prices. And the worst part was.... THEY HAD NO MARTHA STEWART POST ITS AND TABS WHICH IS WHAT I AM DYING TO GET!!! :(

These study sticky notes were the only things I found in Staples which I hadn't seen anywhere else (the writing isn't actually on the post its)

My Week #33

My week has been well, a relaxing yet busy week. I had my wrist x-rayed on Monday as I had an injury years ago and might need surgery to fix it as I cannot move it properly. I received a cute RAK from Holli which was super exciting! The yellow and orange sticky notes she sent me along with the little white bear on the bottom right. I have a clear flyleaf I made in the middle of the week to post sticky notes and reminders, if I do them on the week I post them and if I don't I keep them on and move it to the next week.

Here is what I used this week:

• Washi Masking Sticker Set in pastel - eBay
• Red washi tape, bird sticker, orange and yellow sticky notes, and white bear - Holli
• Flower and red heart stickers - Asda
• Star stickers - Asda
• Orange pencil sticky note - Asda
• Orange sticky flag - Nga-Yee
• Black ballpoint pen - Warner Leisure Hotels
• Big pink sticky note - eBay  

My Week #32

This week has gone quite fast, I had work on Monday and Monday night to Friday afternoon I stayed at my Nan's to house/flower/cat sit with my boyfriend. I didn't do much apart from watch TV and water flowers, oh and I had a dominoes pizza :3 When I got home on the Friday I found a cute little package waiting for me from Nga-Yee, my first RAK! I was over the moon and so excited that someone picked me and sent me some goodies out of pure kindness :') 

She sent me some cute sticky notes and flags, and some washi tapes on a board which was super helpful as I am only starting out with washi tape and a bit apprehensive to start buying rolls online without seeing them first (I really want all my rolls of washi tape to be exactly the same sizes >.<), one of the ones she sent me is the spotty green and yellow one in the photo. She also send me some bird, fish and butterfly stickers which you can see in the photo. She also wrote a cute little note which I punched and added into my Filofax to remember, and her address so I hopefully can send something back for a thank you.

Each week I usually write something good that happened in the week which I want to remember on the washi tape at the top, but this week I completely forgot to do (and didn't have much time not being at home and with no internet access), but it is definitely my RAK from Nga-Yee so I'll add that later. 

I've been thinking more and more about making videos for YouTube about my Filofax set up etc, even though I still feel a beginner in the Filofax world, especially with accessories and decorations. I want to collect a few things such as washi tapes, stickers and post it notes. I am completely desperate for some Martha Stewart post it's and tabs, but I was too late to get them in the UK and they have been discontinued from everywhere it seems :'( Hopefully I can get my hands on some in the future.

How has your week been? 

My Week #31

My week has not been busy at all, with no college and little overtime going at work, I'm mostly at home bored out of my mind. But I got a nice surprise package from Ellenie (eclovespaper@instagram)! It completely made my day and I adore everything she sent me, I feel so bad because in the UK everything is harder to find and more expensive than all the wonderful things in the US, but she will get a little thank you back!! :D

Here are the things I used this week:

L-R: Masking sticker set from eBay, the page flags and hello kitty post its are from Ellenie, the orange page flag is from B&M and the pen is from Warner Leisure Hotels.