Why Make The Switch? - Erin Condren To Happy Planner

With several planner options on the market, how do you choose between them on what you like and what works best for you? For a little over a year now, I have been using the Erin Condren Life Planner. It was approaching time to reorder my planner for the upcoming year. So I decided to spice it up a little and switch planners. I did a lot of research and decided on one that I thought would best suit what I want to do with it, the Create 365 Happy Planner by Me & My Big Ideas. Stick around, and I will talk about each planner and the reasons why I decided to try something new.

Lets start with a little description of each planner. The Erin Condren Life Planner is a 12 or 18 month calendar (at launch) that has a spiral binding. A new option she introduced this year is the option to go vertical or horizontal. Each one is set up with a month on two pages, week on two pages, and note pages. A nice perk to her planner is the interchangeable cover, as well as her pocket folder and zip pouch in the back for storage space. At roughly $50 plus shipping and handling, it is a sturdy option for the price.

The Happy Planner from Me & My Big Ideas, also know as the Mambi Planner, features a disc bound system allowing for removable covers as well as pages. With several options, each planner is slightly different appearance wise. Each planner includes a monthly dashboard, a month on two pages, and the week on two pages; however, it is only available in the vertical layout. Being more customizable, there are several add ons that you can purchase for the planner such as note pages, a home planner, and even notepads that snap right in. At $25 dollars and available at local craft stores, it is a more cost friendly option, not to mention most craft stores allow you to use their coupons on it as well.

After a little over a year in my Erin Condren, I started having to tear out pages due to bulk after decorating each week; however, with a bigger coil, this may not be as much of a problem this year. I found myself asking if I would like something more "removable" in a sense. Something that I could take pages out and put them back in with ease. After many hours spent researching and watching videos, I decided to give the Mambi a shot.

It wasn't just customization that swayed me to give it a shot. One perk that I had seen via YouTube was that people were able to watercolor in the planner as well as stamping. The ability to use different mediums outside of stickers, washi tape, and pens was alluring to me as a crafter. So I made the leap. After getting it home I started doing ink tests, stamping tests, and even watercolor tests. I was able to use all of these without in shadowing or bleed through and only minimum warping. I was one happy crafter. Now I want to share with you my layout per planning for this week:

I was able to achieve this with watercolor, letter stickers, and washi tape. I used just a cheap set of watercolor from Hobby Lobby and a Koi watercolor brush. I am so excited to see what all I can do and create as my supplies increase and I find my way in the new planner as well. I do plan to do a full review and look into the Mambi planner once I have used it more since this is only my second week in it.

If you would like to look at either one in detail you can find them here:
Erin Condren Life Planner
Create 365 Happy Planner

What planner are you currently using? Do you like to decorate and embellish your spreads? I would love to know what supplies are essential to you and where you get them. Craft shopping is one of my favorite things to do, online and in store. Do you have favorite stores that you use? I would love to know down below. I hope you enjoyed this look into why I switched and I look forward to seeing you again soon! Take Care!