A paper agenda/weekly planner for the terrifically picky...
September 7, 2013 6:45 PM Subscribe
I've decided to switch from Google Calendar, which I'm terrible at keeping updated, to a bound paper agenda/planner. I'm not really finding anything that looks great though, so I'm hoping that someone here can recommend a great one.
I really like the look of the New Yorker Desk Diary, but it's like 40 bucks and I'm unsure what the inside is like. It's also kind of large to be toted around daily.
It seems like a lot of the agendas are marketed at middle-aged suburban women, which I am not. I don't need fun stickers or whimsical prints or inspirational quotations. I want something aesthetically pleasing, minimalist, with a calendar for each month and plenty of room for writing daily tasks. I like the two-page week layout. I've looked at the Moleskine planner but am looking for other options in case there's something better out there. It would be good if the planner is big enough to be functional - I hate the "pocket planner" size - but small enough to fit unobtrusively into my bag.
I work in a laboratory and would like to be able to keep track of the start and end dates of experiments, weekly meetings, and daily "maintenance" type tasks.
Thank you!
I really like the look of the New Yorker Desk Diary, but it's like 40 bucks and I'm unsure what the inside is like. It's also kind of large to be toted around daily.
It seems like a lot of the agendas are marketed at middle-aged suburban women, which I am not. I don't need fun stickers or whimsical prints or inspirational quotations. I want something aesthetically pleasing, minimalist, with a calendar for each month and plenty of room for writing daily tasks. I like the two-page week layout. I've looked at the Moleskine planner but am looking for other options in case there's something better out there. It would be good if the planner is big enough to be functional - I hate the "pocket planner" size - but small enough to fit unobtrusively into my bag.
I work in a laboratory and would like to be able to keep track of the start and end dates of experiments, weekly meetings, and daily "maintenance" type tasks.
Thank you!
This is what I am currently using for work - At-A-Glance QuickNotes Weekly/Monthly Appointment Book # 76-02 (the link has some sample pages); size I use is 4 7/8" x 8". I'm super picky and this one works for me, and I've been using this particular one for a few years now (I have converted several of my co-workers to this same one).
Because I'm super picky myself, I would completely understand if you don't like my trusty appointment book the way I do, but check out other options in the At-A-Glance line on that website because most people in my office are using something from this company currently.
posted by gudrun at 8:17 PM on September 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
Because I'm super picky myself, I would completely understand if you don't like my trusty appointment book the way I do, but check out other options in the At-A-Glance line on that website because most people in my office are using something from this company currently.
posted by gudrun at 8:17 PM on September 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'm a big fan of the Blueline Timanager. I have the full-sized version for appointment bookings, but they come in other sizes. Mine is a two-page week layout as you describe, and is pretty much Zero Fun, which suits me fine.
posted by Ouisch at 8:19 PM on September 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Ouisch at 8:19 PM on September 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
I use and like this diary. The ability to have a monthly to-do list and a forward planner, as well as the week on two pages, is valuable to me. I am not sure it's cheaper than the NYer one though.
There are some nice free ones floating around online too. My husband prints out a bunch of these and these and binds them up and uses them. This one was on metafilter recently.
posted by jamesonandwater at 8:27 PM on September 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
There are some nice free ones floating around online too. My husband prints out a bunch of these and these and binds them up and uses them. This one was on metafilter recently.
posted by jamesonandwater at 8:27 PM on September 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
This moleskine is my favorite paper calendar. I don't care about the moleskine part and if I could find a cheaper calendar that's set up this way, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. The left hand page is divided into 6 days of the week (Saturday & Sunday share a line) and the right hand page is ruled for notes. I keep a to-do list on the right and appointments on the left. It's got a pocket in the back and it's small and flexible. I <3 it.
posted by crush-onastick at 8:45 PM on September 7, 2013 [5 favorites]
posted by crush-onastick at 8:45 PM on September 7, 2013 [5 favorites]
I could have written your post. I've also tried Moleskine, but prefer the calendar from Gallery Leather. It has 2 page weeks and also has a full year of pages with one month per page. They're very minimalist. No cutesy illustrations, quotes, or other decorative stuff. The paper is a nice thickness and it's sturdy.
posted by quince at 9:52 PM on September 7, 2013
posted by quince at 9:52 PM on September 7, 2013
Delfonics, Leuchtturm and Brepols are brands that might appeal.
posted by girlgenius at 9:53 PM on September 7, 2013
posted by girlgenius at 9:53 PM on September 7, 2013
Came in to say the weekly moleskine is my favourite when I carry/carried a paper planner.
posted by saradarlin at 10:33 PM on September 7, 2013
posted by saradarlin at 10:33 PM on September 7, 2013
I make my own and house them in plain a5 two ring binder. Well, it was plain, until I designed the cover, which allows slip in paper. There's a number of great templates on line, when I'm next on my laptop I can send you some if you pm me.
posted by b33j at 10:42 PM on September 7, 2013
posted by b33j at 10:42 PM on September 7, 2013
The Moleskine planners are nice, and come in a pretty good variety. Those are definitely a good option if there's a layout you like.
Another brand to take a look at is Quo Vadis. Their planners have a cover and a refill, so you can buy as nice a cover as you want (inexpensive synthetic to premium leather), and only have to replace the guts yearly. The paper is nice quality, and there's a wide variety of weekly layouts.
A lot of the QuickNotes sub-brand of At-A-Glance planners have very functional layouts. This one, with lots of space for free-form text worked really well for me when I was in school. It's great if you want to write notes on a day rather than meeting times.
I have spent far, far too much of my life thinking about planners. If you have specific requirements for layouts, I can probably point you in the right direction.
posted by duien at 11:01 PM on September 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
Another brand to take a look at is Quo Vadis. Their planners have a cover and a refill, so you can buy as nice a cover as you want (inexpensive synthetic to premium leather), and only have to replace the guts yearly. The paper is nice quality, and there's a wide variety of weekly layouts.
A lot of the QuickNotes sub-brand of At-A-Glance planners have very functional layouts. This one, with lots of space for free-form text worked really well for me when I was in school. It's great if you want to write notes on a day rather than meeting times.
I have spent far, far too much of my life thinking about planners. If you have specific requirements for layouts, I can probably point you in the right direction.
posted by duien at 11:01 PM on September 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
Back when I used to use a paper planner, I never could find one already bound that was laid out exactly like I wanted. I ended up at Office Depot, picked out a binder that I liked and bought the sections that I wanted. I personally liked the month-at-glance since I was traveling a lot then and could see several weeks of my schedule at one time. I also had my contact list and a section of blank, lined notepaper.
posted by JaneL at 11:35 PM on September 7, 2013
posted by JaneL at 11:35 PM on September 7, 2013
I like very much the Seize the Day dateless diary which strikes a nice balance between being minimalist in aesthetic, but not too bare so as to be boring and discouraging. I haven't yet gotten a close look at the calendar pages and such, though, so it may not be your thing. But it's pretty neat.
posted by undue influence at 11:45 PM on September 7, 2013
posted by undue influence at 11:45 PM on September 7, 2013
I go through a lot of notebooks and have been disappointed in the quality of Moleskines lately, so Leuchtturm has been a revelation for me. Their planners are definitely worth a look.
posted by nerdfish at 4:03 AM on September 8, 2013
posted by nerdfish at 4:03 AM on September 8, 2013
Along the lines of make-your-own, there are a lot of good templates over at the DIY Planner site.
posted by epanalepsis at 5:34 AM on September 8, 2013
posted by epanalepsis at 5:34 AM on September 8, 2013
I like the M by Staples line. Inexpensive, customizable, and comes in a variety of sizes.
posted by _Mona_ at 6:37 AM on September 8, 2013
posted by _Mona_ at 6:37 AM on September 8, 2013
Thirding or fourthing or fifthing or whatever the Moleskine. Very well-designed and touch-friendly. I like the 18-month version, various sizes available.
posted by fivesavagepalms at 7:07 AM on September 8, 2013
posted by fivesavagepalms at 7:07 AM on September 8, 2013
I've recently switched on an Uncalendar and absolutely love it. It works for me in ways that other digital calendars and paper calendars just haven't.
I have their Lifestyle Fullsize version (the spiral bound one). I started with the half size version, but it was just a bit too small for me.
I didn't quite "get" them until I started looking at how other people were using them. Here is a picture of mine - http://instagram.com/p/a6TYeBSiZI/, and here is a blog post I found that helped me get started using mine - http://kaitlinroweton.blogspot.com/2012/03/uncalendar.html.
I like the fact that they're structured enough to have some structure, but unstructured enough to not force me into having to use it in a specific way.
posted by ralan at 7:43 AM on September 8, 2013
I have their Lifestyle Fullsize version (the spiral bound one). I started with the half size version, but it was just a bit too small for me.
I didn't quite "get" them until I started looking at how other people were using them. Here is a picture of mine - http://instagram.com/p/a6TYeBSiZI/, and here is a blog post I found that helped me get started using mine - http://kaitlinroweton.blogspot.com/2012/03/uncalendar.html.
I like the fact that they're structured enough to have some structure, but unstructured enough to not force me into having to use it in a specific way.
posted by ralan at 7:43 AM on September 8, 2013
Best answer: Planner junkie here, too, who hasn't been able to embrace a digital calendar.
Staples has a Martha Stewart line of planners, notebooks and office items which is very nicely designed and not "foofy". They are "disk-bound" like Levenger planners, which is nice for removable pages.
Paper Source also has a nice selection of well-designed planners. Some of these also come as academic planners, which start in the fall of 2013, as opposed to January 2014.
posted by sarajane at 8:43 AM on September 8, 2013
Staples has a Martha Stewart line of planners, notebooks and office items which is very nicely designed and not "foofy". They are "disk-bound" like Levenger planners, which is nice for removable pages.
Paper Source also has a nice selection of well-designed planners. Some of these also come as academic planners, which start in the fall of 2013, as opposed to January 2014.
posted by sarajane at 8:43 AM on September 8, 2013
I've long since been digital myself, but The Economist offers a superb collection of planners and notebooks. Very premium quality, very professional, with prices to match.
posted by philipy at 9:14 AM on September 8, 2013
posted by philipy at 9:14 AM on September 8, 2013
The Economist planners mentioned above are made by Lett's of London. I've been using their planners for over a decade and I love them. I find them well-designed, minimalist, and include lots of useful information.
posted by praiseb at 2:50 PM on September 9, 2013
posted by praiseb at 2:50 PM on September 9, 2013
Response by poster: I ended up ordering a Levenger Circa smartPlanner planner, which isn't quite as minimalist looking as I wanted but is extremely customizable and an ideal size. No stickers, no inspiration, no floral motifs! Just waiting for 2014 to arrive so I can use it!
(In the meantime, I've been using a small Black n' Red notebook, Post-its, and a printed paper monthly calendar to keep my stuff organized.)
posted by easy, lucky, free at 12:01 AM on December 8, 2013
(In the meantime, I've been using a small Black n' Red notebook, Post-its, and a printed paper monthly calendar to keep my stuff organized.)
posted by easy, lucky, free at 12:01 AM on December 8, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by katypickle at 8:09 PM on September 7, 2013