PlannerCRUSH - September
We are so excited to share our latest “#PlannerCRUSH” with you! In this series we share the planning style of someone in our community that we just can’t get enough of. We are talking about saving all the IG posts, scrolling the reels feed and binge watching all the PWMs. Each time, we will feature a clue along with a few planner pics to see if you can recognize our #plannercrush? Here goes:
CLUE: Neutral with a side of sparkles…
ANSWER: Melissa @caffeinatedplansxo
Melisssa found the planner community around 2014 through a new friend in her new hometown of Louisiana. Side note: That same friend went on to open Little Miss Paperie, IYKYK, for our OG planner friends. Having always been a Type A person, Melissa liked to write everything down, usually in a planner she purchased at Walmart. But when she discovered the planner community and all the pretty planners and stickers her mind was blown and the rest is history.
Her journey into decorative planning began with Happy Planner and Erin Condren. After using an Erin Condren LifePlanner (trying every layout) for some time, she made the leap into personal rings. Although these two are seemingly different types of planners, she always gravitates back to them eventually. Her layout of choice is horizontal.
Over the years, she has learned a lot about planners, planner systems and what works and what doesn’t work for her. There has been much trial and error and a bit of disappointment along the way. After realizing that she needed to use a system unique to her and not what is found on social media, Melissa sat down and wrote out what she needed to plan in order to be productive and really utilize her planner. While her planning styles may fluctuate with different seasons of life, she is happy with what she calls “the guts” of her system because it motivates her to want to look at it every day and actually utilize it. Bonus, it helps her be productive and it's pretty.
Currently, she has been obsessed with a new planner which has entered the chat, Day Designer Pocket! Although she tried to hold off from planner hopping, the influence is real. However, she is so glad that she decided to give it a try. It has been so much fun figuring out how to condense her planner system into a smaller system plus she has found some new inspiration and friends as well. Her favorite planner essentials are highlighters and stickers. Being a functional planner, she doesn’t need to use stickers but has accumulated so many over the years. She also likes to colorcode (all family members have a designated color) which makes it much easier to connect the who with which task/appointment.
The planner community continues to amaze her everyday. While she knows planning doesn’t need to be pretty or aesthetic, everyone should do whatever makes them happy and helps them be productive.
For more inspiration, follow Melissa on Instagram and YouTube.