It’s that time of the year again! We are once more looking forward to a new year and hopefully to a more productive one. Of course, that becomes easier to realize when you have a reliable planner that will remind you of important dates, appointments, and things to do. For the past two years, I’ve been using the Belle de Jour Power Planner, and because they have worked so well for me, I opted to do the same for 2018.
For the amazing (fingers crossed) year to come, BDJ celebrates the uniqueness of being you. It centers around the theme of individuality and has a few subtle but pleasant changes.
Let’s start with the basics. This is actually the first time that I had my planner personalized. You could do that by ordering through their website, ilovebdj.com. The personalization is free, and the planner costs Php580, plus the shipping fee, which varies from place to place. I chose the Smyth-sewn one just like my 2017 planner because it still is in great shape today after almost a year.
I have to say I was a little disappointed with the personalization because of the following reasons. First, because the name is not in the font and capitalization that I indicated. Second, I was expecting the name to be printed on the planner cover. It turned out to be thick reflective stickers. However, I didn’t mind so much. What I’m really after is the functionality, anyway.
The main pages are pretty much the same. You have monthly covers that include little activities for reflection, the monthly views, and the weekly spreads. However, when it comes to style, I think the 2018 planner is better than its predecessor. I like the watercolor gradients more than the solid colors.
It also retained the essential features such as the menstrual tracker (my personal favorite) and the bills and cash flow tracker. The added new features include a mood meter, which you can color, and a page dedicated to reflecting on the improvements you’ve made during the year.
BDJ also made a wise choice with their stickers by making them round. They used to have these poorly-cut square stickers, which weren’t that attractive.
As usual, the planner came with the BDJ card as well as the notebook full of coupons for discounts to selected stores nationwide. If you use at least forty of these coupons by September 30, 2018, your next planner is free. Use fifty, and you get two planners for free!
Overall, I’m loving my new planner, and I’m looking forward to filling it in with my to-dos (that I hopefully really accomplish). If you’re looking for a good and affordable agenda, you may want to check their site out. They also have other designs that may just be the one you’re looking for.
Embrace the weird, clumsy, imperfect you with the 2018 Belle de Jour Power Planner!
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