The Organizeaholic

There are so many little things that I love about my planner – both things that improve it’s functionality and things that make it pretty. Here are just a few:

Front pocket + pocket knife + tape measure – In the planner’s front pocket, I always keep a small pocket knife with scissors, tweezers, and a few other necessities, and a small (flat) tape measure I found at Muji (http://www.muji.es). Since I always have my planner with me, I always have these two objects on hand – and you wouldn’t believe how often these things come in handy!

Leaf decoration – I keep a small charm on my planner with a handmade leather leaf. I bought it in a small town that I visited with my fiancé when I was just starting to get back into Filofaxes, and it’s a wonderful memory every time I look at it.

Fabric bracelet – This is a bracelet that the local girl’s football (soccer) team was selling last year to raise money. I really wanted to support the effort, because it’s sometimes hard for girls to have access to sports teams in this town, especially football. I don’t like wearing bracelets, plus the letters were starting to wear off, so I decided to tie it to the rings as a reminder.

Plastic pouch + notes from children + “€20” – In this pouch, I keep some nice notes and drawings from younger students to remind me of why I love teaching and especially for the days when I’m frustrated! I also have a photocopied €20 bill here. Why? Well, because someone once paid me with this very bill, and I didn’t realize it until I went to the bank to deposit money, and it was rejected. It’s not a very good copy at all, and I really should have noticed – it’s quite literally just a photocopy of a bank note that’s been cut out. I don’t know who paid me with it, or if I got it as change from a restaurant or as a shop, but I do know that I’m out €20 and having the bank note there is a good reminder to always check paper money carefully, and just generally be more aware.

Back pocket + notebook – I keep this small notebook in the back pocket for anytime I want to write anything more detailed, or for when it’s more comfortable to write in a notebook instead of a planner.

Black Bic – I struggled for so long to find a good pen for my planner, trying to find a good multi-color pen that would fit in the pen loop, finding other ways to attach it…and then one day, I realized that I almost always write with simple black Bic ballpoint pens. And that’s what I enjoy writing with most. They fit perfectly into the pen loop, and if one gets lost – well, it’s certainly not the end of the world.

These are just a few of the things that make me smile every time I open my Malden. What are yours?

Organizedly yours,

L.