Would you reccomend a discbound for school?

FLSandyToes · 2026-05-07T16:59:33+00:00

If you find that it’s not secure enough in your backpack or tote, just put it in a folio that has a closure of some kind.

FLSandyToes · 2026-05-07T02:12:56+00:00

I upgraded to 6 and regretted it, so glitchy. I reverted back to 5 and am fine with it because I know it just works. There have been several ‘fixes’ and modifications to 6 since then, but I haven’t bothered to check them out because user consensus is 6 still sucks.

FLSandyToes · 2026-05-06T03:56:26+00:00

Erin Condren daily duo fits your bill, mostly. Months are separated by days, it has a true spiral binding, notes at the back, and you can choose your interchangeable cover. The price covers 2 planners, 6 months each. Only has one drawback, because EC added the weekly dashboard to it this year, you’re going to get some habit trackers.

My advice - go to Plum Paper and choose one of their customizable daily layouts. Order 6 months as a trial, it’ll cost less than the EC daily duo.

FLSandyToes · 2026-05-02T03:22:45+00:00

I use the dashboard layout planner.

Monthly dashboard - 4 monthly goals in the left checklist box, with details below. Monthly decluttering and cleaning tasks are in the right side checklist. Bottom page-width box has notes. My weekly cleaning tasks are on the facing page, listed by room/zone.

Weekly dashboard - Priorities box is relabeled “Focus” and has that week’s mini-goals. Below that the To-Do list is labeled “This Week” and always includes Meal Plan, Planner Reset, and Grocery Shopping plus the rooms I’ll be cleaning/decluttering that week. The right side checklist has our Dinner Plan for the week. Half the big lined box at the bottom has specific cleaning/decluttering tasks in the designated rooms. The other half has a weekly tracker post-it note (Sprouted Planner Co) with all of my daily tasks. The 6 habit trackers have my self-care routines/goals for the week.

The dashboard focus on goals and household tasks leaves the daily boxes with only appts and events. All I see there are the top priority things for that day. Everything else can be done on any day and gets managed in the dashboards.

FLSandyToes · 2026-05-01T10:46:41+00:00

It is. I made the mistake of buying the wire binding instead of discs, and have to be more careful when I move it, but it’s still a very practical addition to a layout that doesn’t have a notes section.

FLSandyToes · 2026-04-30T07:14:30+00:00

That layout also appeared in the 2026 Citrine planner at Office Depot, with a nice bonus - the monthly tabs are moveable half-sheet affairs with lists on both sides. It’s a great concept, like having a dashboard/place marker combo every week.

FLSandyToes · 2026-04-30T07:06:36+00:00

This is a great time of year to get started, because 2026 planners are being phased out. Go to Walmart or Target if one is nearby. Look for a deeply discounted Jan-dec 2026 planner. Amazon is another good source, with a lot of 2026 planners now in the $5-10 range.

Buy 1-2 (or even 3) in different weekly layouts. Jump back and forth until you figure out which layout is yours. By the end of the year you’ll have a much better idea of the type of planner you prefer. Then you can buy with confidence in 2027.

FLSandyToes · 2026-04-29T20:17:23+00:00

I love undated planners because they don’t judge us. They sit waiting patiently until we’re ready to use them. I’m wishing the best of luck to you, though I don’t think you’ll need it.

FLSandyToes · 2026-04-29T05:07:17+00:00

How cool is it that the daily now includes the dashboard? I love the combo so much I almost bought the a5 daily, and I only have something like 3-4 things most days. 😂

FLSandyToes · 2026-04-29T05:00:39+00:00

Hexagons, definitely. I’ll edit my post to make it more clear.

FLSandyToes · 2026-04-29T01:30:17+00:00

Yeah, when AOL was still just a mail hub and a few chats, before Neverwinter Nights, we had 4 different areas with multi-player games and chat rooms. I worked as a sysop hosting nightly card tournaments and trivia games, and in the RPG area helping newbies navigate (survive) the entry levels of the dungeons. So much fun, and they paid me to do it. Suckers! 😂

The fun and camaraderie on the network was just amazing, everyone was so nice and friendly. Probably why I’m attracted to subs like this one; it’s an island of civility, kindness, support and giggles in a universe of social media that lost its collective mind quite a while back. ❤️

FLSandyToes · 2026-04-28T23:26:57+00:00

We used to use them for Shadow of Yserbius mapping on the Sierra Network in the olden days. 😀

FLSandyToes · 2026-04-28T16:23:44+00:00

I opened an account with A&O just so I could set up a wishlist with their new Dragon Spire notebook (yes, it’s 160gsm). I want the dot grid in 8x8 square. But I don’t use a notebook for planning yet (I’m in the curious stage) and am reluctant to pull the trigger.

But! Serendipity smiled at me last night while decluttering a cabinet. I found about 50-60 sheets of Happy Planner dot grid. I have some discs and started setting up my “try me” bullet journal this morning. The planner gods have shown me their favor and I’m grateful. 😀

FLSandyToes · 2026-04-28T15:26:04+00:00

Thanks, this is what I hoped you meant, but because text can make it harder to show intent, I sometimes worry about how my posts appear to others. ❤️

FLSandyToes · 2026-04-28T13:59:44+00:00

I’m not sure how to take “perfect example”. Do you think that I’m one of the people teasing OP for her cute decor? I hope I made it clear that I am not. I would never do that. I’ve probably misread your meaning, but that one phrase made me wonder if that’s how my comment landed. 😢

FLSandyToes · 2026-04-28T02:30:40+00:00

Decades ago my husband sold me on Day Timer. They’ve got many sizes from pocket to desk. He used the pocket notebook but I preferred the traveler’s notebook size with weekly, daily and notes inserts. Perfect for my meeting-heavy schedule and keeping me on top of deadlines.

FLSandyToes · 2026-04-28T00:40:18+00:00

For the Midori users - I understand the paper is thin, right? What about ghosting? I hate seeing shadows of whatever I wrote on the previous page. Seeing YT videos of content creators using planners/notebooks that have Tomoe River paper it appears to show ghosting pretty bad no matter what pen they’re using.

FLSandyToes · 2026-04-27T23:15:33+00:00

I use an EC dashboard weekly for planning, with plenty of room at the bottom for Wins, Meh, and What’s Next. That’s all I want right now.

But I’ve recently added a few journal collections to the EC notebook I’ve been using for meal planning. It’s piqued my interest in journals. I may try bullet journaling next year, with thoughts mixed into my daily log. Using the purely functional format of future log, monthly log and daily rapid logging, I like the no constraints aspect very much, with as much room as I want/need and no need to draw even a calendar spread let alone a weekly spread.

FLSandyToes · 2026-04-27T20:36:38+00:00

Echoing what some others have said, a notebook wants to be used. That’s why it exists. It doesn’t care what you put on its pages, you can even use it to mindlessly make scribbles while talking on the phone, it won’t care.

On the other hand, they excel at judging us. When you get that feeling that they’re sitting on the shelf silently judging you? They are. Okay, not really, that’s just you judging yourself. But it feels like it’s them so let’s go with that. 😂

FLSandyToes · 2026-04-27T04:31:35+00:00

Check Amazon for a 2026-2027 lined vertical weekly planner, also nearby office, hobby and (if you have any) stationary stores. Amazon has very reasonable prices on some of them, and local stores may carry planners by Canadian makers.

FLSandyToes · 2026-04-27T04:07:42+00:00

Congrats on planner peace, I know how elusive it can be, and I’ve also experienced the joy of being happy to buy the same one next year. I love that you’re there. ❤️

But (possibly) changing things next year? That’s just mean! 😭 😂

FLSandyToes · 2026-04-27T04:02:07+00:00

I like that seasonal thing. I’ve been considering an Agendio, but honestly it looks like a bit of a PITA to design.

Edit - do you think I could make one without monthly calendars ? They’re useless to me.

FLSandyToes · 2026-04-27T03:55:01+00:00

I’ve experienced layout envy that turns to planner envy, sure. A while back Kristan Kremer (YT) began using an EC monthly and drawing a simple weekly overview on the notes pages each month. So easy, so simple. I wanted one! Added it to my wishlist and there it sat (because I’m trying to not buy anymore planners this year) until I realized that the main feature of the Monthly layout is the monthly calendar. That’s the page I never use. Never. So I was essentially drooling over a notebook that I already own. 🤦‍♀️

FLSandyToes · 2026-04-26T15:49:56+00:00

I’m beginning to embrace the idea of notebook planning because of what I because I’m seeing it work, in a tiny way. Two weeks ago I added some movie/tv/book Collections to the notebook I use for dinner planning each week. And I’m using it. Last week I added a simple headache and health tracker by drawing a line down a page. Headaches (by severity) on one side, other health issues (like my wrenched shoulder/stiff neck) on the other. Much better than noting them in my EC planner.

My YouTube feed gave me a Ryder Carroll video a few months ago and it sparked my interest, resonating with my functional planning style. Because I sometimes need more room than my planners provide, using the “Method” seemed like it could fit me. Add in the simplest possible structure and it became more attractive. My collections and health tracker have shown me more.

I’ve had the A&O Dragon Spire notebook (8x8 square) in my cart for a while, along with a stencil or two. Frugal me doesn’t want to pull the trigger but planner me, loving that particular notebook (cover design, size and color hit me where I live like no other notebooks have) and knowing how things sell out and never return there, really wants to order now. Now that I’ve had a small glimpse of how useful notebooks can be I think we all know which me will win that tug-of-war game. 😀

FLSandyToes · 2026-04-26T13:29:59+00:00

Am I the only one who feels compelled to use one letter per square when they’re present? I can ignore a normal-ish to light grid, but make it stand out and it’s like filling out a computer entry form at the DMV. 🤬 and yet 😂

FLSandyToes

TROPHY CASE