Organized Freak: Using a Blog Planner! [Free Printables]

One of the traits that I love about myself is that I'm organized. Yup, I'm tooting my own horn and fully admitting that I'm an organized freak... and it's a pretty fabulous trait to have. I sometimes become freaked out when I notice how disorganized people are. I give them credit for knowing where everything is and for always having their hands on whatever they need, despite everything being allllllll over the place. It boggles my mind with how they have that control. I try to teach my students organization skills and for the most part, they all grasp it. It's probably because of the routines and procedures that I constantly use - these routines demand organization. Yes, their lockers are an absolute mess, but their books and materials are, for the most part, always in order. I think it's a necessary life skill for all students to learn and have before heading to high school.

When I started this blogging journey in January, I kept a running list of blog topics and other organizational stuff on my iPhone. This was because I predominately blogged on my phone using the Blogger App. That worked for a little while, until I felt like I was limited with making things fun, organized, and fancy. 

Since switching over to the computer, I've found that I really needed a Blog Planner to keep track of my days and weeks of blogging. We participate in many link parties and it became really hard to decide when I would write about particular stuff. I also felt that it would help with writer's block - as we blog every night, and sometimes it's hard to find a great topic to blog about. I was craving more organization - a place to keep ideas, map out days and weeks, look at a calendar to anticipate holidays, etc. I also wanted a place to store information about the blog: monthly statistics, monthly blog goals, advertising, reviews, giveaways, etc. (Some of these things are lined up for the summer!)

I researched many blog planners through my favorite blogs and landed on a few that really fit me. There are so many amazing planners out there that fabulous bloggers have made. Planners are a "hard fit" for me though. It has to be just right. Sometimes I don't like a lot of clutter on one page- I like having space to jot ideas down. I also like calendars that are big enough for me to write stuff inside, instead of cramming it into a small space. As I searched, I found many pieces of planners that I really liked. And so, that's what I ended up doing! I decided to take pieces of planners and make my own... one that really fit me. 

I decided to use planner pages from the blog AndCute. Find the printable here! I really liked the fun layout and design of this weekly sheet. It allows me to take notes and also plan out my week.

I really liked the Monthly Statistics page from 733 Blog. You can find the free printable here! 

Most of my pages came from the Everyday Enchanting blog. I really fell in love with the fun confetti dots, spacing, and design of the overall planner. Click here for this amazing free printable!

I've been a follower of Emily Ley's for months now and I'm super obsessed with her Simplified Planner. Her planner has sold out many times this year and she just released a September 2014 date for her 2015 planner. I can't wait to get my hands on it! I'll blog more about this later!

Do you use a blog planner? Fill me in on what works best for you! 

We are linking up with ShowLicious Craft & Recipe Party and Sunday Soiree Link Party. Click on over for more awesome stuff!