My obsession with planning started in high school when they began to give out planner to every student. That was amazing. Being organzied is also a favorite of mine, so a planner seems like a requirement. Over the years I had several different types of planner. Some were just pretty bound notebooks that I’d make a monthly calendar in and then write out all the things I needed to plan. Birthday parties, get togethers, trips, etc. I used to call those my Planning Notebooks.

In 2017 my best friend got me a binder-type planner for the 2018 year. It was mint green – gorgeous – and from Recollections. I loved that planner! I had some great stickers and post it notes and all kinds of accessories to go with it. I really loved that planner. I used it faithfully all year.

As 2018 came to an end, I went looking for a new planner. I’d seen some things online about The Happy Planner and thought it was a cute system. I picked up this one at Walmart on a whim. I didn’t know a whole lot about them apart from the fact that they were adorable and had tons of stickers and accessories. I bought it before the end of the year and kind of let it sit.

In the past it had been my habit that on New Years Eve, I’d fill out my new planner with everyone’s birthdays and all the important dates that I could transfer year to year. I didn’t that year. I knew I wanted to use the planner, I just had no idea how to.

On New Years Day 2019, my world was turned upside down. A very dear friend and co worker passed away unexpectedly and I was absolutely shattered. Jeanne was so very important to me. I was given some time off from work to get myself together and in those few days I wanted to pull my hair out. I was in shock and I needed something to fill the silence and distract me. I grabbed my new Happy Planner and googled how to use a happy planner. I clicked on a link to Heather Kell’s Kellofaplan YouTube channel and the rest is history. I let myself completely be immersed in every video Heather posted. I’ve since met Heather Kell and we’re friends now and I’ve told her how she helped me through those days of heartbreak.

I started using the decorative Happy Planner and found this “planning” to be a hobby. It helped immensly with the sadness and anxiety I was feeling. It still does. But it’s changed since those early days of putting stickers onto a page and trying to come up with stuff to fill a daily planner.

Now it’s a lifestyle. I touch my planner daily. I have several of them. All Happy Planner’s. I created a YouTube channel that spotlights my Happy Planners from time to time. My Instagram feed is almost exclusively Happy Planner content (see?)

I’ve applied two years in a row to be on the Happy Planner Squad, but haven’t made it yet. I own more Happy Planner supplies than I care to admit. My daugther even loves it and has her own Instagram account showing off her Happy Planner!

I now have a catch all, daily planner, a social media planner, an on-the-go planner, a budget planner and a writing planner. I also have endless project lists, notebooks and ideas sections within my planner.

I live for being a part of the planner community on Instagram and YouTube! I’ve been to one planner event where I got to meet some other amazing planner friends and when Covid is over, I hope to go to more. I’ve taken online classes and courses to better my planning skills.

It’s been an amazing journey from this little thing I picked up by chance to this full-blown daily part of my life. I love my Happy Planner(s).