Erin Condren Teacher's Planner for Homeschool

Erin Condren Teacher's Planner

This post will how I adapted an Erin Condren teacher's planner to work as a homeschool lesson planner.   I have always made my own planner for homeschool and this year most of the printables I used were no longer available.  When erincondren.com had a sale on the teacher's planner it gave me the chance to try it out this year.

I made stickers to reorganize some of the pages to be more user friendly for homeschool use.

For this page I am going to add the web site for our umbrella school, my teaching verification number along with the website and password for where we file grades.  I got to thinking if for whatever reason I was unable to file our paperwork for the school year my husband would have no idea where to go. 

This was the Happy Birthday page, since I have one child I am homeschooling this was not a page I would use.  I decided to turn into a list of fun days such as donut day, star wars day etc.  Kiddo loves all those fun National day of ....  

 For the absent pages I decided to turn them into a log of field trips, books he reads and extra curricular activities. 

I can't wait to fill up the reading log. 

For the graph paper I am going to use it as a list of the curriculum we are using this next year and the color curriculum key I always make for the year. 

For the Year Plan section I turned into a supply list for labs he will be doing this year in General Science.  This way I can make sure I have all the supplies on hand at the beginning of each month. 

While I could have just written the Subjects at the top of the page this was prettier and more efficient.  

The checklist pages I turned into grades for tests and attendance. 

I did add a notepad to the back of the planner, this is one area of the teacher's planner I really did not like there is hardly any note pages.  Since I take notes on any curriculum I want to research or ideas for fun experiments, next years curriculum, website to check out etc.  Note paper is essential for me. 

I did want to show adding all the stickers did add a little bulk at the top but not much.  The cover closes fine and does not pop off.  I had planned on uncoiling it and adding more note paper but I am not sure now with the added bulk I might still but for now I am going with the notepad. 

If you are interested in a Erin Condren teacher's planner here is my referral link with it you can get $10.00 of your first order.    Erin Condren

Erin Condren 2015/2016 Life Planner with coil issue

 I have been waiting to post pictures and information about my new Erin Condren life planner until I received a resolution to the issues with the planner I received.  My planner shipped on time and arrived in a timely manner even though Ready to Ship did not mean ready to ship.  I received one of the many planners with a coil issue.  It seems the coils were cut to short to bend properly so the planner would lay flat.   Also the cover of my planner had 3 large air pockets and the was torn at the bottom from the bad coil, the bottom portion of the cover would not stay on at all.   Several of the month tabs also had air bubbles in short this planner was mess.  I was very disappointed after the disaster of a launch last year and promises they had made improvements to correct these problems I was hoping for a perfect planner.

I contacted Erin Condren with many pictures of all the issues, they were very nice helpful and shipped out an replacement planner with overnight shipping.  I had the replacement within 5 days.  Would you believe the coil on this planner was worse than the first one!  I am not even sure how that was even possible otherwise the planner was fine, that is progress I suppose.   I have placed many many orders with Erin Condren I love the notebooks for project books.  I have given planners as gifts and encouraged others to buy from Erin Condren,  I thought about contacting them again about the problems with the second planner but I just couldn't I am so frustrated and tired of dealing with a company that obviously has a supplier issues and are making no effort to correct these problems.  From my personal experience the last 2 years it seems they would prefer to have to send replacement planners after replacement planner vs correcting the issues they have.  I have neither the time nor the patience for that any more. Next year I will be trying a different company or possibly designing my own.  I designed my own homeschool planner while a life planner would be a huge undertaking I might give it a try.

SOLUTIONS

Here are the solutions I used for the 2 unusable planners

1.  While I had not planned on uncoiling this planner I decided to go ahead and uncoil it, trim and put it in my Filofax at least this way I can use it.  I love my Filofax and I love having my life planner in it, I just had plans for the new planner that did not involve going in a Filofax.   Since the tabs have air bubbles I am going to cut them off and make some to put at the top of the planner.  I don't use the covers in my Filofax they are just too bulky so the damaged one is not a problem.  This planner has turned into a project planner good thing I love crafting.

2.  For the second planner, I handed it my husband and said "Fix it" :)  Being an engineer he went on for a bit about how they could so incorrectly measure the coil and how did it get past quality control at the supplier when being produced much less Erin Condren's quality control before shipping.  After looking at it for awhile and trying to turn it enough to get the ends of coil in the best place he got the coil bent enough it will almost lay flat there is a small hump at the bottom but it is totally usable.  I gifted this planner to one of my sisters who really could use it and is thrilled to get it.


While I am disappointed with the quality of the planner this year, the problems and the thinner paper, I love the design.  The notepaper in front of the months,  the blank spaces on the weekly pages, the goal pages are just some of my favorite new features.

My order, a life planner, a simple notebook, and a launch set. 

The launch set, the pens are nice and do not bleed through the paper,  I prefer my Staedtler Pens 

I love the sticker book 

Look at that foil

They do have a very strong smell if that bothers you.  I am really happy with the sticker book. 

As you can see the envelope is small and in no way will hold even the simple notebook. It will be perfect for supplies such as stickers, washi samples, a few pens.. 

Here is the simple notebook.  I like it it is perfect although I ordered the wrong one, I meant to order the one with the pocket and zip pouch.  This one is just the notepages I will use it though. 

THE PLANNER 

The 2015/2016 life planner I really like the RTS cover

As you can see the coil prevents it from laying flat at all. 

This is as far as the paper would go without tearing 

This is a picture of the second planner coil. 

It is hard to see but the cover is split in 3 places at the bottom of the cover from being forced over the bad coil I think. 

One of the 3 air pockets in the cover 

I love the new goal pages

The notepages at the beginning at each month is back, I love having this to keep up with large projects for the month or a list of has to be done that month. 

The prepetual calendar and pocket folder. The folder feels thicker and better made than last years 

Several goodies in the zipper pouch, do it dots, coil clip, cards and referral cards. 

I hope you have better luck with your planner than I did.  If you want to uncoil your planner to add it to a binder, Filofax, Kikki K etc it is easy to do and will take you less than an hour.  

Happy Planning! 

Washi Tape

Who doesn't love washi tape?  Micheal's had 50% off washi tape and stickers yesterday I had to go see what they had.  I bought just enough I need new storage for my ever growing washi collection.  They had neon, I was excited to see that I have a love of all things neon from my Filofax Original in Fluro Pink to nail polish.

Erin Condren 2015 - 2016 Life Planner, Launch Set, Notebook

My order came today!  I will be getting some detailed pictures done and up in a day or two.  If you would like to see anything specific let me know.

Fluorescent Pink Filofax with Erin Condren Life Planner

I have a new planner the Fluro Pink A5 by Filofax. I love it.  I have being using a Electric Blue Finsbury which I do like it is my favorite color of burple(blue and purple mix) it has great pockets and large rings.  It fell on the floor and the leather tore in 2 places this was not a huge drop it slide off the chair to the floor.  I was upset and disappointed that it would be damaged so easily to be a leather planner.  The Finsbury will now be a office only planner so it gets no further damage and I have switched to the Fluro Pink Original Filofax for everyday go everywhere with me use.  

I was a bit scared to use it for fear of damage and would it hold as much as the Finsbury.  The Finsbury has 30mm rings and the Original has 25mm, so far I am pleased.  The leather on the Original seems thicker than the Finsbury.  I am not as worried about it getting damaged.  I know the rings are smaller on the Original but it seems to hold more than what I had in the Finsbury.  Maybe because it has a longer strap on it and has more give.  

I have 6 months of an Erin Condren planner with the note pages plus 6 dividers with other files and papers I need on a daily/weekly basis.  I have 2 envelopes with stickers, post its etc items I use everyday.   I also have post it notes, cards, and 1 pen. There is the standard Filofax notepad in the back I am working on a way to add a larger one.  The only thing I do not care for with Original is the lack of pockets and card slots. 

Here are the picture because that is the best part.  I am working on getting better photos so any helpful suggestions are welcome.  

A5 Filofax Fluro Pink 

Flyleaf and 1st divider 

I have 6 months of the Erin Condren life planner.  The whole thing would fit, since I have so many other papers I do 6 months at a time.  

It took very little trimming to make the pages fit. I just trimmed the edges with the spirals on it then punched.  It took less than 1 hour to do. 

At the back of the planner I have a envelope with stickers and the notepad that came with the planner. 

 A side view as you can see the tabs with the months from Erin Condren do stick out a little bit.   I have seen others move the tabs to the top I may try that with the new planner, it does not bother me much so I have not altered mine yet. 

As you can see there is room for more. 

 If you are interested in a Erin Condren life planner here is my referral link if you sign up you will get a $10.00 coupon.  I do recommend the life planner I have used them for years they are well made, the paper is good quality, they are easy to use and customize to your life.  

Erin Condren Life Planner $10.00 Coupon

Stamps, Ink and Avery Labels

I have had so much fun making colorful stickers using ink pads, copic markers and plain white Avery labels.  It is easy, quick, and cost effective way to have coordinating colors for your planner/


I used   Avery 5418  and Avery 5408  labels.  They are about $5.00 for 1000 plus labels.



I then used my Tim Holtz Distress inks to color the labels.  I tried using colorbox chalk ink and they cover really well but take a bit to dry where the Tim Holtz ink dry almost immediately. Around here Joann's has the best selection of Tim Holtz Inks and with a 40% off coupon they are a good value.  Amazon.com also sells them if you do not have a Joann's near you. I love the mini ink pads they are perfect for planner stamping.

Tim Holtz Inks

Choose your ink color and then cover your labels with ink I did everything from a solid color to a mix of colors.  Don't worry about getting the ink all over the label.  The distress inks combine great to create a mix of colors. 

After the ink has dried instead of pulling off the labels pull off the excess paper it comes off in one sheet easily and you are left with a sheet of colorful stickers. 

How easy is that to create colorful stickers for your planner.  

While I was playing with ink I decided to try making glitter stickers using Stickles glitter glue. 

Stickles

They are 3d like stickers and will add some bulk to your planner page but look at the glitter.  These 

will take overnight to dry. 

Here is a close up of one of the stickers with a Studio L2E stamp

I have my Erin Condren planner in my electric blue Filofax Finsbury which I love.