It’s become sort of a tradition to share a review of my new Erin Condren LifePlanner every year and this year is no exception. I look forward to the new LifePlanner launch every spring and I’m always excited to purchase a new one and all the latest accessories. In fact, I always place my order on launch day and eagerly anticipate its arrival.
But why?
Well, my friends, I’m a self-proclaimed planner nerd. I’m actually obsessed with all paper goods. Planners, notebooks, notepads, sticky notes, you name it… I hoard it.
In this digital world, there’s still something so satisfying about putting pen to paper and planning out my day. And yes, I’m also someone who loves to use stickers in her planner. I love having a physical planner I can hold and carry with me. Plus, it obviously helps that the Erin Condren LifePlanner is stunningly gorgeous, right?
The reason I choose the LifePlanner year after year (this is my fourth one) is because of the quality and the options available. Instead of going to the store and picking up any old planner on the shelf, I can customize the LifePlanner to my liking so it fits my style and personality. The layout of the planner including how the weeks are set up, the inclusion of a folder, and the zip pouch are essential as well. I also love that the paper is high-quality (it’s thicker this year!), so I never have to worry about pens bleeding through. Overall, I just love it. And I’d really recommend grabbing one if you’re in the market for a new planner.
But let’s not waste anymore time! I want to jump right into my Erin Condren LifePlanner review for 2017 so you all can see just how gorgeous this thing is. Get your credit card ready because I know you’ll want to grab one of your own after this! And good news, you can save $10 on your first order too!
Erin Condren Life Planner Review 2017
Before we dive into the photos, I want to give you a quick rundown of the options I chose for my LifePlanner this year. Previously, I was using one of the Luxe covers which were first released in 2017. I decided I wanted a change this year, so I made the switch back to the interchangeable ones. However, I would like to say the Luxe cover held up very well and I absolutely loved it. I just needed a new look for 2017-2018! Here’s my details for this year:
- Cover Design: Watercolor Splash in Teal (I customized my cover with my first name in all lower-case letters.)
- Coil: Rose Gold (This is my personal favorite and I’ve been getting it since it launched in 2015. It has certainly improved in quality over the years.)
- Layout: Horizontal (I actually have large handwriting and I prefer having lines to write on, which is why I’ve been using the horizontal layout since its introduction in 2015.
- Color Theme: Colorful (Neutral was my choice last year, however this year’s neutral option felt too bare for me.)
- Calendar Option: July 2017 – June 2018 (Finally, Erin Condren has done what I always hoped they would. Previously, you would have the option to get a 12-month year or you could get the remaining months of the year you were in, plus the entire next year. This means many planner nerds were ditching their old LifePlanner and using the new one once it became available, thus wasting an entire half a year.)
There she is, friends! My Erin Condren LifePlanner for 2017-2018. This is the gorgeous Watercolor Splash design in Teal. It looks perfect with the rose gold coil. As I mentioned above, I feel the rose gold coil has certainly approved in quality since it was first made available in 2015. Back then, I noticed flaking with the coil and discolored spots, but that issue is now a thing of the past. It looks much better and very luxe, in my opinion.
On the inside of both the front and back covers, you will find these handy spaces for writing. The Erin Condren Wet Erase Markers work perfectly on these without smudging or transferring to the next page. Because I had a Luxe cover last year, I didn’t have this writing space before, so I’m excited to use it this year. And of course, the vibrant cover page is just stunning.
If you choose the Colorful theme, these are the tabs you will see. They’re beautiful colors that range from: navy, yellow, purple, orange, blue, green, pink, and more. It’s perfect for anyone who loves a little color in their life!
In true Erin Condren fashion, you can expect to find motivational quotes throughout the planner. You’ll find them here in the front of the planner, plus on the cover page to every month. I always think these are a nice touch. Sometimes we all need a little pick-me-up and these are perfect little reminders.
Next, you’ll find a monthly view of the year ahead. My planner runs from July 2107 to June 2018, but this page goes all the way to the end of 2018. This certainly comes in handy when you need to refer to future dates.
This page has seen some changes over the last few years in terms of design. With 12 blank boxes at your disposal, this spread is perfect for planning monthly goals to keep you on track throughout the year.
The monthly cover spread has definitely had some major changes for this year’s Erin Condren LifePlanner. And you know what? I love it! Previously, the page on the left-hand side was just a lined page. This time around, they’ve added fun borders on the page, as well as four circles at the top. It’s a great place for planning out your month and saving any important notes. I think those circles would be nice for recording goals as well.
The monthly spread has seen some changes, but nothing major. You still have the full month’s view, as well as a lined section on the right-hand side. Previously, I used this space to record goals for the month, but the opportunities really are endless here. You can use it to jot down bills that need to be paid or whatever else you’d like!
The horizontal spread has had one change that you might have already forgotten about. The “Thankful Thought” box is gone. I know Erin Condren previously mentioned how she noticed people typically covered up that space with stickers, so it seems this year they finally decided to do away with it. It has disappeared from this layout and the vertical layout merely has a blank box instead.
I’ve always loved the shift in colors as the month changed over. And it’s nice to have a colorful design at the top of the page again, since I decided against this last year.
In the back of the Erin Condren LifePlanner, you’ll find a section of a variety of pages. This includes lined pages, graph pages, and coloring pages. The addition of the coloring pages is new and something they chose to add in place of the usual blank doodle pages. I, for one, am I excited about this because I enjoy coloring and I think it will come in handy when you’re waiting for appointments, etc.
There are three lined pages, four graph pages, and four coloring pages.
Next, you have a two-page spread which features a look at the coming year. You’ll see monthly views for all of 2019, plus bulleted lists under each month. There’s also a blank box at the bottom of each page for jotting down even more notes.
It wouldn’t be an Erin Condren LifePlanner without stickers, now would it? Well, these babies have gotten a major overhaul this year. In the past, you would get a couple sheets with labeled stickers that included things like: birthday, doctor’s appointment, hair appointment, mani/pedi, game day, vacation, etc. This year, they’re totally different, as you can see above. It’s going to be fun putting these to use!
And of course, one of the handy things about the planner is the inclusion of a two-sided folder. This design is absolutely stunning and I kind of wish I could plaster it everywhere because I love it so much.
On the left, you’ll see the flip-side of the folder, as well as the Perpetual Calendar that comes with every LifePlanner. You’ll also find the Plan for it Pouch, which comes with a loose CoilClip Connector. Just like last year, you’re able to attach the CoilClip to the pouch yourself and you can easily take it in and out of your planner and place it wherever you like. Behind the pouch, you’ll notice the writing space on the back of the inside cover.
Now, let’s move onto the accessories! In the top-left picture, you will see all of the goodies that came free with the planner. The sticker sheet was a gift for being signed up for the Planner Peeks promotion and for ordering early. Aside from that, there are gift labels, a post card, a sticker, and three compliment cards.
On the top-right, you’ll find the latest Wet Erase Markers, which are all in lovely sorbet colors. I have the gemtone colors as well and can attest these markers are very nice to use. They’re perfect for snap-in dashboards that Erin Condren creates. Next, you’ll notice a few new bookmark options. You’ll see the latest Mini Snap-In Bookmarks in Metallic Painted Petals. I also purchased the Mini Magnetic Page Marker set because they’re just too adorable. They’re labeled: today, to-do, and notes.
I also purchased the new Snap-In StylizedSticky Notes dashboard in the new Painted Petals design. I love having these in the front of my planner to quickly grab a decorated sticky note for use throughout the planner. I actually own two other versions of these, which includes the Watercolor design and another that is no longer available.
Although I primarily use stickers I purchase via Etsy for decorating my Erin Condren LifePlanner, I still like to purchase the latest sticker book they release. This is their Designer Sticker Book in the Classic Edition 3. Above, you can see a few snippets inside this sticker book so you can get an idea of what to expect. There are quote stickers, border stickers, and all other kinds of labels. They are designs that incorporate silver, gold, and rose gold. (I also have and use the Classic and the Classic Edition 2.)
My Overall Thoughts on the 2017 Erin Condren LifePlanner
To wrap up this post, I just want to say I’m really pleased with the changes that have been made in this addition to the Erin Condren LifePlanner. One thing that truly stands out to me is the quality of the paper this year. It’s quite thick and feels very sturdy. I often feel like I’m grabbing multiple pages, when I’m only turning one. It just feels very high-quality instead of being flimsy like some cheaper planners can be.
I’m also really liking the design changes that have been made to this edition. The monthly cover page is nicely done and I’m just obsessed with the watercolor design that is spread throughout. I’m excited to start using this planner and I know it’s going to be by my side for the next year.