Over the years I’ve tried so many different types of diary, planner, calendar and organiser to keep myself organised … but never really found the right fit. If I found the right sized book or organiser, it seemed that the diary layout was all wrong and vice-versa.

My favourite organiser turned out to be a desk-size Debden Dayplanner. It was large, but I could justify the size because it meant that there was room for everything – including my planner inserts, work notebook and a pen. On the downside, none of the diary inserts I tried with it seemed to work for me. There was either far too much room for each day, or not enough, and it was difficult to keep track of the family’s different schedules. Even the range of custom download & print pages available from sites such as D*I*Y Planner, Philofaxy and My Life All In One Place didn’t seem to match my needs.

So …. I “rolled my own”. Inspired by the layout of family organising calendars, I created an A4 sized week to a view page that included a space for each family member’s schedule (see Weekly Family Planner Printable Sheet). After a few weeks it was obvious the system was working – we’d found the right diary layout for us! You know there’s a “but” coming though – we’d found the right diary layout, but the A4 folder was impractical to cart around in a handbag.

Then I found the Inner-B Mum Organiser **. The bright planner colours caught my eye first, followed by the pleasant surprise of finding a diary layout very similar to what I’d created to fit our needs. After a week or so of um-ing and ah-ing over whether or not I should get one, and then um-ing and ah-ing over what colour I should pick, I ordered my very own, bluer than blue, organiser.

And I LOVE it!

I don’t think I’ve ever had a planner that has just fit my life so well. I’ve been using it non-stop since it arrived and have been raving about it to everyone I know. Stay tuned, I’ll post more about my experiences with it, how it differs from my old Debden planner and what I’ve done to customise it a little.

** Just a heads-up, this is an affiliate link.