3 Things to Look for in a Planner

Can you believe we’re already halfway through the year? Props to anyone who has stayed on top of their New Years goals and a special congratulations to those who are still using the same planner they started with! 

Now that it’s nearing the end of the year, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with what you may have not yet accomplished and sometimes you just need a fresh start to inspire you for the remainder of this year. 

While some people love their tried and true planners, this blog post is for those of you who are looking for a change or perhaps interested in trying a new planner!

What to Look for in a Planner: Size

The size of your planner can be determined through several factors:

• Your Bag. Are you going to be carrying this planner with you to work, school, etc.? Having a comfortable fit in your bag will make it easier to take with you and keep up with. You won’t want a planner that takes up too much room because eventually you might opt out of bringing it with you. Unless you are find with carrying a planner, you may want to find one that suits your everyday bag.

• Handwriting/Visual. Do you write small or is your handwriting a bit bigger? Normally, a bigger planner will allow for more writing space but if you are comfortable adjusting your writing size, then any planner size can work for you. Another thing to note is how big you need the font of your planner. It is easier to read dates and headers if your planner has the room to make these things bigger.

• Preference. What size is comfortable for you? Do you like the feel of a big planner or does a medium to smaller one fit you better? Sometimes a big planner can be overwhelming while a smaller one can feel like not enough room. 

What to Look for in a Planner: Layout

There are several different types of planners to fit your preferred layout:

• Daily. These planners will typically dedicate a page for each day, allowing you to plan more in-depth than a weekly or monthly planner. This is a good layout if you need to block out specific time slots for school, work, hang-outs, etc. If your average day is very busy or you just need to see your day broken down, this is a good layout to have.

• Weekly. This lets you have a weekly view of your agenda. It’s the perfect layout if you’re someone who needs to plan long-term and have a week-by-week view of your tasks.

• Monthly. Like a weekly layout, this will let you plan further ahead and see all of your to-do’s at once. Monthly spreads are great for tracking bills, pay-days, birthdays, holidays, and other recurring events. 

• Combo. A planner that has some combination of daily, weekly or monthly. Sometimes all 3! 

Keep in mind that many planners will also have a mix of these layouts, so don’t worry if more than one layout seems to fit your needs. Some will dedicate a majority of the planner to a weekly layout but will have a monthly section, too. Some can be described as a daily planner and also have a weekly section. Many planners will also have a page or two for a yearly spread and several pages included for notes. 

What to Look for in a Planner: Binding

The type of binding can affect the way your planner lays and looks. 

• Spiral. This type of binding holds your planner together with a plastic wire looped through the pages. Spiral-bound planners are able to lay flat on a table or fold over in your lap, due to the flexible binding of the spiral wire.

• Perfect-Bound. Unlike spiral bound, this binding gives more of a paperback look as the pages are held together with a layer of adhesive glue. You won’t get your planner as flat as a spiral bound one but the pages are still flexible enough to maneuver.

• Saddle-Stitch. Similar to the perfect-bound binding, a saddle-stitch planner has a subtler bind than the spiral one. The pages of these planners are gathered with a staple, driven vertically through the fold, like magazines or booklets. These will lay flatter than the perfect-bound planners but not as flat as the spiral-bound. 

It is also a visual preference! If you like the look of a perfect-bound over the look of a spiral-bound then look into perfect-bound planners. The look of your planner can also motivate you to keep up with it so find one that fits your tastes!

Some Extra Tips and Tricks

• Undated Planners. Our favorite type of planner is undated! You can start/stop as you please and undated planners typically are pretty minimal, allowing you to customize each spread and add your own creative touch! If you don’t have much going on or you forget to use it, you won’t have to skip a bunch of dated weeks or be reminded by the gap.

• Sticky Notes. Can’t commit to a specific day? Write what you need to do on a sticky note so that you can move your plans around. With sticky notes, there are so many different sizes, colors, and shapes, giving you a variety of options to decorate your planner with.

• Notes Section. Like we previously mentioned, some planners come with a notes section. Use this area for school subjects, business meetings, personal journaling, party planning, or just doodling! It’s a great way to keep all of your separate notes near your plans and a better way to have everything in one book! 

Not every plan can be fun but it can be fun to plan! Organizing your life is better when you have a planner that fits you. We hope this information can help you find the right planner or even motivate you to continue the one(s) you have now!

 

Here are some of our favorite planners in store now:

The Completist: Weekly Undated Planner

• undated weekly + monthly spreads

• numbered section for lists

• dot grid section for doodles + other notes

• comes with a bookmark!

 

Poketo: Daily Weekly Monthly Planner

• spiral

• undated daily + weekly + monthly spreads

• lined pages for notes

• colorful cover

 

Mish Mash: Undated Monthly Green Planner

• slim + flat

• minimal undated monthly spreads only

• great for decorating + adding your own touch

 

Shorthand: Undated Planner

• spiral

• undated monthly + weekly spreads

• square shape + enough space for customizing and planning

• many different cover colors to pick from!

We spent a whirlwind few days in New York last week for not one but two trade shows! It's been over 2 years since I was last in the city and it felt good to be back. And it was extra special being able to bring Meg and Anna along with me. 

Trade shows have changed a lot for so many reasons. The cost to exhibit is astronomical, the pandemic has caused small businesses to shift their priorities etc. But I personally still love it! It's a chance for me to see and visit current vendors we work with as well as discover new brands too. 

Things to do, explore and eat in New York

Here was our itinerary for our trip:

We took an early flight out on Monday morning and immediately headed to lunch for some much needed food - we had some of the best sushi. Then we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring and visiting some local shops - this quirky shop with the best/most clever signage, a cute and colorful stationery shop, and another because we love stationery (obviously), we stopped for a cold pre-dinner dessert, and as we were headed to dinner, stumbled upon yet another little stationery shop that is also a post office! We ate dinner at one of my favorite noodle spots in the city before capping off the night with, you guessed it, more dessert! 

All day Tuesday was dedicated to NYNOW and Shoppe Object - two bi-annual trade shows that showcase hundreds of businesses. We grabbed bagels and walked the highline towards the convention center and spent about 4 hours walking the floor. Then we headed to the second trade show but stopped in Chinatown for some really yummy food (get the fish congee - pronounced "con-jee", beef chow fun noodles and salt & pepper shrimp) p.s. It's customary for them to serve your table a pot of tea instead of water, the tea always served hot and is really good! 

Wednesday was Meg's and Anna's last day in the city so we wanted to have some more fun and squeezed in a few more stops. First we had breakfast (I made the mistake of getting a bowl that was super bleh but they loved their sandwiches!) Then we went to what I like to call the Italian foodie Disney land for some espresso and coffee. We walked past this spot and realized we were all huge fans aka nerds - another bonding moment haha! We decided to pop by one more stationery shop, it's teeny tiny but probably my new fave in the city! Then we stopped by my favorite matcha place on the way back to the hotel to grab their bags so they could head to the airport. 

The trip, while short, was so memorable and fun!  I cannot wait to show you all the wonderful things I found for the shop :) 

And if you do visit New York, be sure to add these spots to your list! 

 

 

Since opening our doors in 2015, our shop + studio has hosted hundreds of creative workshops and classes! The goal has always been to create a community here in town, serve those who are seeking more creativity in their lives as well as to showcase and support our instructors who are artists + small business owners too! 

We took a long pause on all our in-person classes starting March 2020 and resumed them in a new format in Oct 2021. We shifted our focus with intention - intimate and smaller class sizes so students can get more one-on-one instruction and an overall elevated experience inside our brand new workshop studio. Our new workshop studio space is a designated and separate room filled with natural light, it's a dream space to be able to work in! 

One of our biggest commitment is to only bring the very best workshops to our workshop calendar.  We take care to create exciting curriculums, source quality materials and on the very top of the list is to ensure all of our instructors provide an amazing experience for their students.

Here's a look at how our workshop space as changed over the years!

Then....

vs. now...

And now the best part! are a few of our "regulars" you'lll see rotating through our calendar! We asked them to provide some insight to our workshops so you'll get an insider peek to why we think our classes are the best!  

We hope to see you at an upcoming workshop soon :) 

Anna Muniz from WatercolorATX

Anna is the artist and owner of Watercoloratx, based in Austin, Texas. Her work is inspired by the architecture and character of her hometown, Austin.  She creates detailed and personalized watercolors based on Austin and specializes in custom and stationery watercolors. She has taught numerous Watercolor Architecture workshops and will be teaching this Summer's Foodie Watercolors, and the Watercolor Pet Portrait workshops. All of her workshops are great for beginners and a very relaxing time!

Audrey Jahanian + Zaid Gallo from 7th Street Candle Co.

Audrey and Zaid are the founders and owners of 7th Street Candle Co. They specialize in small batch candles and use Texas grown aromatics and plants by partnering with local businesses and farms around the state. They teach candle pouring classes in order to share their own apothecary with students and help them craft their own custom blended candles.Audrey and Zaid are the founders and owners of 7th Street Candle Co. They specialize in small batch candles and use Texas grown aromatics and plants by partnering with local businesses and farms around the state. They teach candle pouring classes in order to share their own apothecary with students and help them craft their own custom blended candles.

 

Pei Sim from The Paper + Craft Pantry

Pei is the owner and founder of The Paper + Craft Pantry. Her workshops specialize in watercolor florals, embroidery, and more! Pei considers herself a curious creative who enjoys dabbling in a variety of mediums. She enjoys sharing her love of art through botanical subjects, flowers, plants and nature. She teaches Watercolor Loose Florals workshops, Intro to Embroidery workshops and other classes throughout the year.

Why do you like teaching?

Anna: I love getting to see people who've never used watercolors start to play with them and have fun! Everyone's work always turns out so cute and I love seeing students take photos of their work to share with their friends and family. 

Audrey & Zaid: We love teaching simply because our business started with Audrey teaching Zaid a new tactile craft. Getting to share that experience with students is one of the better reasons we love to instruct these workshops! Everyone gets to customize their own aromatherapy blends and the room always buzzes with new ideas and fresh fragrances.

Pei: Getting to share my love of creating in our studio is one of my favorite parts of having our shop and studio space. I feel like as adults, it can be hard to prioritize time for yourself and coming to our workshops gives you the time, space and support to do something for you!

How do you prepare for workshop day?

Anna: In the days before a workshop, I gather all of the supplies together and make sure everything is there. There are brushes, palettes, paints, paper, erasers, and more to organize! The final touch is putting together the booklet that goes along with the class and prepping any templates that might be needed. On workshop day, I set up the supplies for each student at their spot and review my plan for the class!

Audrey & Zaid: Workshop prep usually begins weeks before the day because we have to check that we have enough inventory and supplies to give the best experience to our students. The week leading up to it is all about getting those supplies divided out for each student attending, and catering to the theme of class. Workshop day is usually a blur of packing the car up and unloading, having the most fun telling all our bad aromatherapy jokes, and sharing all the tips and tricks to make one a successful candle maker. Then take-out. Because neither of us want to cook dinner after a full day like that! 

Pei: Workshop prep starts months in advance sometimes. From concepting a curriculum to creating samples, photographing pieces before ordering all the supplies before the workshop. Workshops tend to go by so fast! Students are often shocked that they've spent several hours creating and to me that's a good sign of a fantastic class!

What do you look forward to on workshop day? And what is one of your favorite workshop memory?

Anna: I most look forward to seeing the students excited to paint! I love when they start working on their composition and they get so focused on working.  

My favorite memory is when at the end of the first Foodie Watercolor workshop, the students all clapped for each other as they held up their finished postcards! Everyone was so supportive and excited about their watercolors of croissants, ice cream, pizza and more!

Audrey & Zaid: Saying hello and catching up with the amazing team at P+CP! We appreciate the kindness and care the team all put into workshop day (and every other day for that matter). And getting to share our craft and silly jokes with new students! 

One of our fave memories is when Audrey led the students through a meditation before an intention setting candle workshop. All of our workshops are memorable and one of our favorite recent traditions we've made is using everyone's leftover scented wax from class into one collective super scented mystery flavor candle.

Pei: I love seeing the transformation of a beginner student who may be a bit  hesitant at the beginning of class turn into someone who is confident by the end of the workshop! 

It's hard to just pick one favorite memory of workshops! It's been magical knowing so many students are repeat workshop attendees. We have current students who have been taking workshops with us since we first opened in 2015!

Hope you had fun going down memory lane with the photos of our old/first workshop studio space as well as getting to know our workshop instructors and process :) 
 

 

 

 

Pre-P (aka Pre-Penelope/Pre-Parenthood), I had cultivated a habit of setting not just yearly goals but monthly ones. 

These "mini" monthly goals felt way more digestible and less overwhelming. It helped me set the tone for each month and allowed me to focus on a few things. The notable difference in my monthly goals lately is that I moved my personal goals on top of the shop goals. While this may seem like a small thing to do, it visually and mentally reminds me that first and foremost, I need to prioritize myself and my personal life before work. 

As a small business owner, it is both a blessing and a curse to love what I do so much that it's easy to put work and the business above what I personally need. 

The way I have been writing out my monthly goals resemble my daily to-do list. I only pick a few things, no more than 5, to focus on each month. If I accomplish these 5 things, I can always move on to do more as well as always have permission from myself to do absolutely nothing else. 

I love writing out my monthly goals on a piece of notepad paper and I usually washi tape it to my cork board in my office so I can look at it daily. I have also taped it to the inside of my notebook so you have the option and flexibility of moving it anywhere you want!  

Here's the notepad and pen I am currently using + loving - because a crisp and fresh sheet of paper + a good writing pen is really the best :) 

Do you set monthly goals? If you do, share them with me! 

While it feels 100% like Summer here in Austin, it's technically still Spring and we wanted to give y'all an insider peek at some of the a-MAY-zing stationery in our shop! 

I always love finding new stationery for y'all and it's extra exciting when our team is just as excited - that's how I know it'll fly out our doors :)  In case you are new around here, this blog post is perfect since you'll get to know a bit about our team while seeing what some of our current favorite goods are!

Pei

Favorite Color: Currently it’s lilac/lavender

Favorite Season: Winter (Christmas!)

Hobbies: Naps

Fun Fact: I was born in Singapore and am a citizen there! I also still have a crush on Justin Bieber

I love all pens but lately, this pen has been my favoite! A pro-tip is to swap out the ballpoint ink inside for the gel refill! I am also a big fan of this pen and pencil storage container; it’s actually in my bag right now!

Pei’s Favorites:

Card: Lucky Horse Mushroom 

Pen: Ballograf Ballpoint Pen

Notebook/Notepad: P+CP Plant Doodle Weekly

Office Supply/Desk Supply: Penco Pencil Case

Wild Card: Shop Small Sticker

Anna

Favorite Color: Sea Foam Green

Favorite Season: Fall

Hobbies: Watercoloring, drinking coffee, listening to music

Fun Fact: I have had chronic hiccups since high school.

I love adding pops of color to my desk! This swirl pad is inspiring and helps keep all of my notes in one place. I enjoy writing with the artline pens because of how smooth, sleek, and cute they are. It’s hard to choose just one color! These scissors are also useful for all sorts of small craft projects and they’re easy to store!

Anna’s Favorites:

Card: You Are the Reason I Believe in Love 

Pen:Leuchtturm Drehgriffel Ballpoint 

Notebook/Notepad: Moglea Swirl Pad 

Office Supply/Desk Supply: Acrylic Gold Scissors

Wild Card: Trinket Dish

Meg 

Favorite Color: Olive Green

Favorite Season: Fall

Hobbies: Going to the movies, embroidery, watercolor, lettering + illustrating on my iPad, and playing Stardew Valley

Fun fact: My husband and I drove to the top of Pikes Peak in Colorado. We had never done anything like it before and it was a really cool experience!

I love this task pad because it keeps all my daily to-do’s in one place! These pens are some of my favorites because of the minimal look, the fine tip, and fade-proof ink, and bonus: the curated color palettes are super fun! This washi tape is my go to for sealing my snail mail, hanging up art prints, and taping notes inside my notebook or planner.

Meg’s Favorites:

Card: You Deserve All The Nice Things

Pen: Emott Pen Set

Notebook/Notepad: Shorthand Task Pad

Office Supply/Desk supply: MT Washi Tape

Wild card: Postage Candle

Aislinn 

Favorite Color: Yellow

Favorite Season: Fall

Hobbies: reading, writing, embroidery, knitting, crocheting, random crafting, and eating anything seafood or pasta

Fun Fact: I wrote my first novel in high school and my first play in college.

 

I’m very picky with my planners but found that this undated one works so well for me! These pens are also great for everyday writing or color-coordinating tasks in my planner. The magnetic storage pouches have no limit of use; one of them holds my important adult papers and another one keeps all my stickers together!

Aislinn’s Favorites:

Card: You Did It 

Pen: Sarasa Vintage

Notebook/Notepad: The Completist Weekly Planner

Office Supply/Desk supply: Storage Pouch

Wild card: Plant Stamp Washi tape

Have you used any of these or already own some of this? Tell us what's your favorite and why in the comments! 

p.s. Having to choose just a few things was so hard! Now we understand the tough decisions you have to make when you come into our shop ;) 

What’s better than trust falls and awkward team building activities?

Pretty much anything else! I felt like we were long over for a team retreat since our team has grown so last month, I hosted our first annual team retreat! I thought it would be a fun opportunity to get to know each other outside of the shop, think grown up version of a sleepover and with crafty themed activities, oh and of course food and snacks!

It really doesn’t seem like that long ago that I was the lone employee and worked every day by myself before slowly adding one person, to now (as of the date of this blog post publication) a team of 4 (including me). Our team feels like so much more than just employees or retail associates, these women feel like a part of the shop beyond just work. They keep the shop running day-to-day as well as ensure every single person walking through our door gets the very best experience! I firmly believe in investing in the people who invest in you, or in this case your small business. This getaway was a small way to treat them to a mini vacation!

I found a cute rental house near the shop and took this as an opportunity for some team building exercises and a much needed “get-away” for relaxing and self-care. From single word activities to paragraph scenarios and even painting,  it was really great to discover similarities and cohesiveness within our individual personalities.  

Top 5 creative ways to connect as a team + small business:

Team Building Activity #1: Word Clouds 

A lot of larger corporations do this! Instead of voicing the words, we set a timer and wrote down all the words that personally resonated with us before going around the room to share what we wrote. We all shared words that we wanted to associate with our team, as well as the shop. Supportive, trusting, and comfortable were among the words we shared with each other while comforting, inspiring, and oasis were used for the shop. 

Take it up a notch: Instead of using a generator online, you can design it using handlettered fonts to create an art piece for all the participants!

Team Building Activity #2: Your Best Day Ever 

I’m a big fan of writing down a “vision” or your ideal day. In this case we focused on a day at the shop. Start out by writing a couple of sentences about how you want your work environment to feel, how you want to feel around your coworkers and, of course, write about how you want every guest to feel in the shop. 

Team Building Activity #3: Draw-Your-Team

Getting to know your team through doodling! With the help of markers, colored pencils, pens, and more, each of us took a piece of paper and drew a little picture of what the person to our left reminded us of. You rotate papers every turn until your’s comes back to you. At the end of it, we all got a little collage of doodles that represented us in each other’s eyes. Everyone had the opportunity to share and elaborate on why they drew the different doodles for each person.

Team Building Activity #4: Group Abstract Painting

Start with piece of watercolor/mix media or thick paper and an assortment of paints and brushes. Give everyone a minute to paint whatever they want on their paper with the intention that everyone is going to paint the same strokes and shapes on every piece. The goal is to create art together and at the end of the exercise, you will have multiple (almost identical) pieces of art. 

Team Building Activity #5: Clay Play!

Using ovenbaked polymer clay, everyone pieced one color to mold into a small shape or charm for each person on the team.  Once baked, the clay cures and each person will have a set of clay charms that represent every person on the team. 

Tip: Simple shapes are easy and fun - use toothpicks, skewers and any other every day tools. 

These exercises (besides having fun and getting crafty) was to show that we can have our own ideas and interests but also bring them together to make something just as great. We all produce things differently but that’s why each person has something to offer to the team and each other.  And of course, there was a lot of laughter and conversations that helped us all get to know each other better. 

A few other fun extras: 

I got everyone matching sweatpants as well as matching gel nail clings + face masks - naturally I forgot to snap a photo of all of us in our cozy sweats!

In addition to spending time at the rental for our team building activities, we also ventured around town together and ate some delicious food from a few locally owned spots in Austin:

Huckleberry Seafood Truck: A bit of everything did the trick for us because everything on the menu is delicious. From Shrimp Po’ Boys to a Seafood Platter, we were full and happy for the night.

Dolce Neve: Their S. 1st location is tucked inside a cute little bungalow and we all enjoyed some delicious gelato! Because there's always room for dessert! 

Josephine House: We checked out of our airbnb and ended the morning over brunch. This charming spot in the Clarksvile neighborhood has both indoor and outdoor seating plus a small menu. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast before wrapping up our retreat!

I’m so glad we got to take this little trip together and have a day where we were able to hang out and do things aside from work. Because we’re a small team, it’s so important to me that we are always functioning together and checking in with one another on how things are going. This trip was a great way to connect with each other personally while also sharing our goals for the shop. It was also a great way to show the girls some of my favorite food places as well as to our first ever shop location off of 6th street (a couple of the girls on our team joined after we had moved)! 

So, in case you are looking for some fun alternatives to team building or just want to check out a few new local spots, I hope you enjoyed this post!