Honest Erin Condren Planner Review and How to Personalize SIMPLY!

Last year, I did an in-depth review of the Martha Stewart Planner. This year, I'm SUPER excited to do one for the Erin Condren Life Planner! I had been wanting this planner for 2 years and finally got it for 2015. It arrived at my doorstep in its gorgeous packaging. Along with the planner, you receive little freebies like postcards, stickers, tags and quotes.

There are so many pretty covers to choose from but I decided to get the Platinum Foil cover in Turquoise. The pens I use in this planner are Foray Stylemark from Office Depot. Highly recommend! 

Here's a look inside:

I have personalized the planner in a few ways. Will discuss them in this post!

I missed the pockets in my Martha Stewart Planner for holding business cards and my son's vaccination card. The Erin Condren Planner didn't have it, so I stuck in these pockets that I found from The Container Store. I also made sure to add my contact information in case I misplace the planner.

During this past year, Erin Condren's team came up with an amazing new product - the EC coil clips. If you order the planner MAKE SURE you order the add on item of clips. My only regret is just getting one pack instead of two because they only stick to one thing and are not repositionable. There's so much you can do with them! Here, I have added an old envelope I had and I use it for receipts I want to keep track of. Much better than scrunched up receipts lying around in the purse.

After the envelope, I have used another EC clip to snap in my 2015 goals list.

At the back of the goals sheet, I stuck a post it of an important reminder I keep tending to forget:

My baby is growing up and almost ready for school! Need a constant reminder :) 

I then made a dashboard for sticky notes and paper clips. I used transparent Project Life papers for the backing and used EC coil clips. There's a detailed how-to of the dashboards here.

The planner has a handy overview of the 2014 and 2015 year at a glance at the beginning: 

I find this helpful for planning vacations 

Now, on to the actual planner pages! There are inspirational quotes scattered across the planner. That's one thing that sets the Erin Condren Planner apart from most others. 

My cover was printed incorrectly when it was sent to me - I had asked for 2015 to be written underneath my name. To be completely honest, this is a recurring theme with this company: mistakes in planners and sometimes delays in delivery. However, the quality of the products are outstanding and customer service always sends store credit or an offer to replace where the mistake happened, so all is not lost. I was given $20 store credit to buy a new cover, so I took the opportunity to buy a few add ons along with a cheaper planner cover. The above is a Snap-in To Do List. It is laminated, so you can use dry erase markers to write on it. However, I find that to be messy so I just use post it notes on it and it has been working great!

A look at Month at a Glance:

On these two pages, I write down main tasks I have to do that day, or jot down any special occasion. Washi tape is used for events that last more than one day. To take a look at how I use the letter post its for brain dumping, you can check out my older post here.

Here's a closer look at the key that I use to color coordinate:

This was super simple to make. I stuck a sheet of decorated notepad paper with double-sided tape on to a spare paint chip sample from Lowe's. I then used an EC coil clip to snap it in and I can move it from month to month.

Next, we have Week at a Glance:

The days are divided by Morning, Day and Night. I wish we were able to personalize the categories on our own. I would have preferred Home, Work and To Do, or something along those lines. I know there are some planner enthusiasts who actually go one by one and change the categories using stickers or stamps, but I couldn't see myself doing that. Hopefully the website will have an option for this in the future! 

At the bottom of each day, there are some extra lines for you to use as you wish. Some people menu plan here, buy I chose to use the space as a section for highlights of my day. It's great to look back and read all the positive moments I've had. Really brings a smile :)

During busier weeks, my planner looks more like this. In this particular week, I had family staying over for 5 days, so I planned out all the meals in these two pages. I added post its and used paper clips to add in extra double sided notes. I also stuck in my grocery list for this week on the planner pages. 

On top you can see there's a Today sign sticking out. This is a Project Life card that I snapped in using an EC coil clip. I use post its to change the tasks and can move the card around from week to week. Having the Today sign peep over the top also helps to bookmark which week I am on so I can easily turn to the page.

An example of a not so busy week:

You can easily make your planner pretty by using washi or paper tape. I only use them for events that are longer than a day long, but be creative and use them how they suit you the best! I got these specific ones from a store called Paper Source.

At the end of the planner, there are many lined and blank pages that are empty, so it's up to you to decide how to use them. I have only used a few of the sheets so far:

I usually just meal plan in my mind rather than writing it down. However, when I have guests coming over I make sure to meal plan at least a week in advance. I plan to use this section for either that, or if I'm stuck for ideas and need to quickly check my go-to meals. I use repositionable stickers provided at no extra cost at the back of the planner, so I can easily move them back and forth from this Snap-In Meal Planner. The snap in was another purchase I made with the $20 store credit given for the mistake on the cover. 

At the back of the snap in, there's a section for writing your grocery list. Again, this is meant for using with a dry erase marker, but it would be messy. Instead, I used post it notes from the Dollar Spot at Target to write a list of items that are staple in my house. These are items I use on a regular basis. I plan to make grocery lists based on these two sheets of paper so that I can skim through and don't miss out on something important. It happens sometimes when you're doing groceries with a toddler!

On the next page, I made a section for new meals to learn in 2015. I hope to fill up this entire page with new meal ideas. Please comment below if there's an awesome dish you can provide a recipe for!

On the next page, I made a Wish List for 2015. These are some of the bigger items. 

Next to it I kept a quote provided by Erin Condren reminding me that if I don't get the things that I wish, it doesn't matter...it's the people who do. Just helps to keep things in perspective!

Then there are calendars provided for 2016 and 2017. Could be useful for vacations, wedding planning or planning your semesters at university.

These are the stickers provided for free towards the end of the planner. They are repositionable. If you pay extra you can get customized stickers in this section as well.

There's a pocket that helps to keep little pieces of paper together. I kept the freebies provided by Erin Condren in here.

Here's another item provided with the planner: A Perpetual Calendar and Contacts Booklet. It's useful for moving from year to year in different planners. 

Finally, there's a zippered pocket at the end of the planner. Inside, there are personalized tag stickers for gifts which is a nice touch.

Another thing provided was a matching band to go around the planner to keep it shut. Wish I had known about this earlier so that I didn't buy extras! You can also use the band to bookmark which page you are on in the planner. I also bought this pen holder, but it was not needed because you can just stick a clip on pen inside the coils of the planner. I added a large binder clip at the back of the cover in case there are some bigger pieced of paper like brochures that I want to keep in my planner.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I am definitely pleased with this planner. Yes, it is rather pricey, but if it is a thing that you use day in and day out for 365 of the year, I find it worth it, for at least a year in your life. I personally use a new planner every year just to see what's out there in the market, so trying the EC planner this year was a nice breath of fresh air. 

Another thing to note is that Erin Condren is a small company with not too many employees, and their sales just escalated very rapidly in recent years. They sell high quality products, but unfortunately making mistakes in orders is not unusual in this company. Just be mentally prepared for that and don't look glum because you always get great store credit if there are mistakes from which you can buy even more quality products! Suits me!

In conclusion, because of the price I would not buy this product year after year. But I am SO glad I bought it this time. It makes me happy to look at it every day :)

If you're interested in buying this planner or any other product from the Erin Condren line for the first time, you can use my referral link for $10 off your entire purchase. Also, just a note that this is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own and the company has no idea I'm writing this post :)

How do you personalize your planner? I would LOVE to read your comments! If you're on Instagram tag me @simplyincontrol to show me your awesome planners!

I hope this post was helpful to you! Don't forget to Like this Page on Facebook and Follow me on Pinterest for more updates! 

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The Importance of Toddler Activity Packs

When leaving the house, I think it's really essential to have activity packs for toddlers. Whether it's for car rides, events where they have to be quiet, airplane rides or anything else that takes time, packing a few toys and other activities can really help them stay occupied and help you to stay in control of the situation! I always see parents of toddlers at functions or lectures constantly telling their children to keep quiet when they get fidgety and start whining, but not having anything for them to do. Toddlers aren't adults, they have a lot more energy inside them than us! Having activities that you only take out when you are outside the house will keep them interested and busy.

I rotate the toys in my toddler's activity pack, but here is an example of some of the things I take:

This activity pack includes 3D glasses with stickers, a notebook, crayons, 2 mini books, a mini Etch a Sketch, a few toys, a teether and a lollipop for emergency situations. I make sure to only give him one toy or book at a time or else he'll get bored of everything all too soon!

I am able to pack all of that in a zippered binder pocket. Something else to do is download videos on your smartphone for your toddler and have apps installed that are suitable for their age. That alone keeps them busy for a long time! If we need to be quiet at the place we are going to, another option is keeping a magnetic drawing board. If we don't have to be quiet, I make sure to keep interactive toys. There is an abundance of these out in the market. Here are a couple of my favorite that I make sure to take with me when we go out. I rotate these when we go out:

Snacks are also a MUST have item which I keep every time we go out. It helps keep them busy for a while and less cranky!
I would love to hear what you do to keep your children busy when you go out! It can be a challenge at times :)

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Make your own Burrito Station using Dessert Bowls!

It's nice to sometimes change up your serving style and try something new. For a lunch meal, instead of making burritos myself for my guests, I made a burrito station. By simply adding some glassware items at the table, you can add an air of elegance to a fun meal! I ended up using two different kinds of dessert bowls and the height difference added some depth. The brand names are Circleware and Libbey Just Desserts [NOT just for desserts :)!].

Apart from the ingredients included in the picture, you can also include shredded cheese. I personally skip that and drizzle some Ranch in the end. Delicious!

I hope this post was helpful to you! Don't forget to Like this Page on Facebook and Follow me on Pinterest for more updates! 

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Erin Condren Planner DIY Dashboard!

Last year, I did an in-depth review of the Martha Stewart discbound planner, and I plan to do the same at the end of January for the planner I purchased this year: The Erin Condren Life Planner. However, I got a bit excited after customizing it and thought I'd show you a sneak peak of one section: the dashboard! 

In the first few pages, you land on these two pages: 

Cute, but could be more functional! Since it's the beginning of the planner, I decided to make it the background of my dashboards.

I used some transparent Project Life cardstock paper that I got 50% off at Michael's after using the coupon and some sticky notes of my choice. Just make sure not to add too many sticky notes or it will become too bulky. 

If you ever plan to purchase an Erin Condren planner, the add on coil clips are a MUST for personalizing your planner! My only regret is getting one pack instead of two. You  can pull out the coil clips and move them to different parts of your planner or use different inserts at different times. There are so many options and I can't wait to show them to you in the end of January! 

To attach the sticky notes to the cardstock, I used scrapbooking adhesive tape which is double sided. It was for $2.99 at Michael's. 

If you're interested in buying the Erin Condren Life Planner for yourself, feel free to use my referral link which gives you $10 off your purchase!  

I hope this post was helpful to you! Don't forget to Like this Page on Facebook and Follow me on Pinterest for more updates! 

How do you personalize your planner? I'd love to hear about it!

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What to Pack for Hajj: Part 1 {The Basics}

Hajj is a spiritual journey made by Muslims who travel to Saudi Arabia for 2-4 weeks. It is usually made once in a lifetime, and it's difficult to get an idea of what you might need to take because you've never done it before! During Hajj, you don't just stay in one place. Every couple of days, you keep moving. You move from 5-star hotels to old apartments to tents to sleeping under the stars out in the open. Then back to tents then apartments and finally a hotel, if your duration of stay is over 2 weeks. This, in a way, symbolizes that life is a journey. We're constantly moving, and our lives in this world are only temporary.

So, what are you supposed to pack for such a journey?

First, find a group that is recommended to you by others, and that you know is organized. This is everything during Hajj. An organized group saves you from stressing out about other things and focusing on the real goal when you get there, which is worship. This type of group could also give you information on what they will provide for you during Hajj, and it will save you from taking extra things that you don't need. 

Also, you will need a lot of knowledge beforehand. Don't go into Hajj thinking you will be guided every step of the way. There are around 120 people per group and only 2 leaders. Although they are there to help, having an idea of what you will be doing each day helps immensely. 

Now, on to the list of things to take.

My husband and I took one large suitcase with us. We were not going there for shopping, so we took the minimal amount of items. For gifts, we only got some prayer beads for direct family members and some dates. 

You will need a backpack for this journey. Make sure it is comfortable with thick, cushioned straps, and a medium size. As you get ready to board your flight to Saudi Arabia, keep your backpack with you rather than checking it in. The last thing you need is losing all your essentials! There is a chance of buses breaking down during journeys, resulting in walking a few miles with your bag, so make sure it is not too heavy or big in size. Some people brought rolling luggage but you'll need to remember that the streets aren't smooth and there are also a lot of stairs, so backpacks are the best option.

Comfortable walking shoes are a must. We always heard that we have to walk a lot during Hajj but only realized how much after we got there. Tawaf and Sa'ee were easy for us Alhumdulillah. But just to give you an idea, to find a taxi from the Mina tents, you will need to walk around 1.5 hours. Our walk to Jamaraat was also 1.5 hours in the heat, and then we had to come back as well same distance (the group website said it will be 45 minutes, so be prepared to walk more than expected!). Practice walking for over an hour nonstop before leaving for Hajj. The walking shoes I purchased were Skechers Memory Foam, and I would recommend them. Make sure to buy them at least a month in advance and break into them before the journey.

Finally, I got a neck pillow for the bus journeys, tent, and sleeping in Muzdalifa out in the open. I kept it in a drawstring bag which I attached to the strap of my backpack so that I don't have to carry it around.

You will need two other bags apart from the backpack. One will be a small, crossbody messenger bag for the airport and during travel in general. You will need to take this during your visits to both the Masjid Ul Haramain as well. Crossbody is important so that it  cannot be easily snatched like a shoulder bag, and it is also more confortable. In here, keep some cash, phone, solar power charger, snacks for energy, notebook and pen in which you have noted down addresses of where you're staying and directions, prayer books and sunglasses. 

On the main day of Hajj, you will be away from your tents and your belongings for an entire 24 hours. You will spend the entire day in Arafat and entire night in Muzdalifa. For this you will need a medium sized bag, because there really isn't any space in both places for anything bigger. I didn't want to have to take a whole different bag just for this one day, so I found a foldable bag online that worked perfectly for this occasion. It unfolds to a backpack that is ideal for a day trip. Keep an extra pair of clothes in this bag apart from other necessities.

Men will need a money belt to wear under their ihrams so that it doesn't get stolen. Here is the one my husband used and he said it was comfortable:

We got the Khaki colored one since it's cheaper but basically the same thing!

A document folder is essential to keep all your paperwork together in one place and safe from getting dirty. There are number of things you'll need to keep in here:

Passport copiesAt least 3 passport sized photos

Flight details

Credit/Debit Card copies

Hajj notes printouts

Proof of having taken the proper vaccines

Marriage Certificate copies if traveling with spouse

A Will is highly recommended and should be given to family members before leaving.

Finally, communication. It is absolutely necessary to get phones for all members of the family going. First of all, men and women stay in separate places throughout the stay and phones are the best way to get in touch. In a lot of cases in our group, only the husbands had phones and not the wives. The husbands would be standing outside the women's area, knocking loudly on doors, yelling out names. It was very disturbing for other people trying to worship or rest. If you can spend close to $10k per person on this trip, don't try to save a few dollars by not buying a dual sim phone. We got an extremely basic phone and used it everyday:

I also took my smartphone. I had left my 2 year old son with my parents and just needed to see him on Skype and through pictures. It definitely made me feel at ease. There is wifi in very limited places there. In hotels they are reliable but outside that it's hit or miss. If by chance it got connected, I was able to receive my son's latest pictures on Whatsapp and it comforted me knowing he's having (way too much) fun!

One of my favorite products was this solar power charger:

This one is for Android phones, you will need to find another one for iPhones. This is basically a portable charger that you can charge up in advance and it doesn't need to be plugged to an outlet while you're charging your phone. I fully charged it before leaving for Hajj using my computer. I didn't need to recharge the charger at all during my 2 week trip because I rarely used my smartphone. This charger can charge phones up to 3 or 4 times completely. Even after Hajj I use it regularly when I go out or even at home if I don't want to use an outlet. A bonus is that it can use solar energy to charge, but that takes many hours. I didn't need to use it because I was mainly using the basic phone to communicate. Using a basic phone will save you from the tension of having to charge your phone all the time. I think I only had to charge it after using it for 1 whole week! 

These are some of the basic things you'll need for your Hajj trip, inshaAllah. I will make another post in the future on personal belongings needed as well, iA. 

I hope this post was helpful to you! Don't forget to Like this

Page on Facebook and Follow me on Pinterest for more

updates! 

Please leave comments down below if there are some other basic items that helped you out during your Hajj trip, or if you have any other tips!

Read Part 2 {Personal Belongings} here!

Read Part 3 {Healthcare and Religious Items} here!

Dental Routine and Equipment Organization

When I was a kid, I used to think that dental hygiene was important for preventing cavities and for freshening one's breath. That's it. Now as an adult, I realize that there is so much more to it than just that.

Oral hygiene can mirror the overall condition of your health. There are many different types of illnesses linked to poor oral health. One of the more well established researches claim that dental hygiene and cardiovascular diseases are actually linked, caused by bacteria in the mouth entering the bloodstream and causing blood clots. There is very detailed information that you can find on the internet, in books or if you ask your dentist. I have not specialized in dentistry, but know this much: getting proper tools for caring for our teeth is essential and worth it in the long run.

There is so much you can get out in the market, but the items can be bulky. Here's how I organized everything:

I purchased a tall, medium sized basket. This works great because everything is contained in one spot instead of all over the counter, it is not an eyesore because of the height, and if there are people coming over, you can unplug the equipment and place the entire basket inside the bathroom cabinet.

Here are the contents:

To be clear, I am not an expert and am just sharing what I use personally. Please make sure you ask your dentist what works best for you! I'll break down my current routine into morning and night: 

Morning: Goal - Freshen Breath!

1) I use a manual toothbrush in the morning. I'm sure this is too much information, but after brushing my teeth, I also make sure to clean my tongue, inner cheeks and roof of mouth to get rid of all of the bacteria. This guarantees fresh breath as well, rather than only brushing teeth. This process should take at least 2 minutes.

2) Mouthwash is used to complement brushing. It helps to reduce tartar, plaque and gingivitis. I use a whitening mouthwash.

3) Some people choose to floss in the morning too. This is because plaque forms on teeth at night as well, and floss cleans it out. I haven't gotten around to getting so detailed though :(

Night: Goal - Thoroughly Get Rid of Food Particles

1) Floss picks used for getting out bigger food particles and plaque.

2) Electric toothbrush. This is something new I am trying out based on the recommendation of my dental hygienist. Research shows that electric toothbrushes are better at removing plaque from teeth than manual ones. I am personally finding the process a little uncomfortable, but might just need some getting used to. The good thing about these brushes is that they beep after every 30 seconds, letting you know that you are done with one quadrant of your teeth. It makes sure you brush properly for 2 minutes.

3) My favorite part! The Hydro Floss Oral Irrigator. This is a device that removes debris and plaque after brushing by flushing it out. You just add lukewarm water into the machine and use the jet spray at a setting that's comfortable to you around your gumline. You'd be surprised at how much food still comes out even after brushing and flossing! The Hydro Floss reaches hard to reach areas. It can be noisy but the water spray is generally a soothing process. I end the process by rinsing my mouth once more.

It's also essential to visit the dentist every 6 months for a deep cleaning.

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Different Ways of Using Roll Up Canvas Pen Bags

I needed something for my planner pens for when I'm on the go and wanted to try out something new. I thought I would give roll up canvas bags a chance and see what they're about. I ordered from Amazon and for some reason thought I'd just get one but when I opened the package I was surprised to see four! It says in the title you get 4 so I don't know why I was expecting just one, probably just skimmed through it. Needless to say it was a pleasant surprise!

A look at the 4 roll up canvas bags. I liked the off white one the most because of the beautiful vintage key and it went well with my Martha Stewart Planner as well so that's the one I chose for my pens.

There's ample space in here for a set of 12 pens, and some more. I also added white out and a regular black ball point pen. These are my essential writing tools for my planner.

Rolled up, it was more bulky than I had expected, but it gets the job done. I think it's great for travel but I would prefer using pen cup holders on a daily basis.

Then I had to try and figure out what I could do with the remaining 3 canvas bags.

For the next canvas bag I took my toddler's crayons and added them inside. These worked out great and when rolled up, weren't bulky at all. This would be perfect for keeping in the diaper bag, car, or mom's purse. If you have older children, you could place paintbrushes here instead. 

Another option is using it for basic grooming tools on a weekend trip. You'll have to place the toothbrushes and comb in such a way that they don't touch each other after being rolled up. I wouldn't use this method for longer trips, but it would work for short getaways. 

Makeup brushes can also be inserted in this pouch. It keeps everything in place nicely and the different sized elastic bands are perfect for different sized brushes. 

I'm sure there are many other ways to use this roll up canvas bag that I haven't thought of! Can you think of something creative?

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