I've tried using various digital planning apps and software over the years, but I always find myself missing the feeling of physically crossing something off my to-do list. There's just something so satisfying about putting pen to paper and seeing your progress in real-time. At the same time, I can't deny the convenience of being able to access my planner from anywhere with an internet connection. It's especially useful for keeping track of appointments and deadlines since digital planners can often send reminders and notifications. I will add, though, Digital planning tools like tablets and annotation apps can provide a similar experience to paper planning since you can write down tasks and cross them out when completed.

Are you always on the lookout for new ways to spruce up your planner?  I give you Freebie Friday! This week, we're offering a set of black and white stickers that feature days of the week, and January through December monthly stickers in a calligraphy font.  The images are transparent, so you can easily overlay them onto your planner pages without annoying backgrounds.

The black-and-white color scheme is versatile and can be paired with any other colors or patterns you have in your planner. The calligraphy font will add a touch of elegance to our page without overwhelming it.

To use the stickers, simply download the file and import them into your digital planner.  You can resize them as needed and place them wherever you like.  They're perfect for marking important dates, appointments, and deadlines.

We're excited to announce that Freebie Friday is here to stay.  Every week, we'll be offering new and fun freebies for you to download and enjoy.  From digital planner stickers to printables and more, we'll have something for everyone.  To make sure you don't miss out on any of our freebies, be sure to check back every Friday.  You never know what we'll have in store!  Mark your calendars and get ready to score some amazing freebies.  We can't wait to share them with you!

One thing I especially love about digital planning is how easy it is to customize your planner. As a designer, I love creating planners and inserts, but I also love the planning process as well. I like to try new things and switch things up often. To make it easier to change inserts without tearing up my entire planner, I use a landing page.

As a retired homeschool teacher, I'm not as busy as I used to be. With fewer plans, I often simplify my planner and streamline it to better fit my needs. The landing page I am sharing with you is what I've come up with so far.

The purple "Today" button takes me to an undated daily page that I have customized to fit my needs. Below that, I have three hyperlink buttons that lead to pages I use daily. 1. a financial page where I work out the week's budget. 2. a menu page where I plan out our meals. 3. a notes section that I use to jot down ideas to process later. Here's what that page looks like:
Side note: The image cuts off a part of my daily page because it is a ccustomsize. It fits my Samsung Galaxy screen with no gaps and gives a wall-to-wall feel, so to speak.

Along the left side of my landing page, you'll find my custom pages and notebooks. These are like dividers in a paper planner where you would find the information you need the most. Some of those pages include a brain dump, year at a glance and a contacts page. I have a section, or notebook, called Plant Based Diet where I keep lots of meal plans and recipes, and tips. There are many categories for a plant based diet. Because of this, I created a linked notebook with plenty of sections to customize. All the links within that notebook work, and I can use the home button to return to the notebook's index page.

Here's how I insert the notebook in my planner. I click the custom notebook link on my landing page that leads to my Plant Based Diet section. From there I inserted the template, placing it behind the Plant Based Diet section. To access the notebook, I click on the custom notebook link and swipe to the left on the Plant Based Diet Section. Return to the main planner's linking system by doing the reverse. Navigate through the notebook's homepage to the notebook index page. Swipe right to the section page to again access the planner's linking system.

An example of one of the linked notebooks I use inside my planner

An annotation app is the first thing you will need on your tablet to use your digital planner. This type of app will allow you to add text, photos, and other customizations. The first app I tried, NoteShelf, is the app I stayed with. It is easy to use and has many great features.