Want to cut right to the chase and learn which planning system I’ve fallen in love with and used for the last year and a half? Scroll to the bottom or click here to find out right now!

---

It’s planner season, friends!! Summer is coming, and those of us who want a planner that tracks the academic year are in for a treat – many new releases are happening this week!

I’ve previously done a yearly planner review, but this is the first that is geared toward Academic Planners. And just to clarify, what I mean by “Academic Planner” is simply a planner that begins in the summer and follows the academic year. Perfect for moms whose lives revolve around the kids’ school calendar. And perfect for teachers or students alike! And in this post, I’ve got something for each of you!

I’ll be reviewing some of today’s most popular planners. I’ll share photos, my thorough reviews, and a quick reference guide at the end. My hope is that by the end of this post, you’ll be able to decide on the planner that fits your life & family best!

So, let’s get to it!

 

THE SIMPLIFIED PLANNER :: DAILY EDITION

Format:

• Daily, by the hour
• 4 sections per day: Schedule, To-Do’s, Dinner, & Notes

Cover: 4 gorgeous options – Happy Stripe, Gold Pineapple, Fuschia Dot, & Fancy Floral (pictured above)

Sections Included:

• Yearly overview
• Holidays
• Bucket list
• Monthly spread
• Daily spread

Extras:

• Tons of options in the shop for an additional purchase. Planner bands, pineapple paperclips, bookmarks, and more. Washi tape and gorgeous pens coming soon!

Price: $58

What You Need To Know:
The idea behind the Simplified Planner is just that – SIMPLIFY. It’s beautiful and simple and straightforward. There’s a lot of white space because Emily Ley, the creator of the SP, understands that as moms, we don’t need more things to do – we need a place to keep the important things important.

My Thoughts:
It’s no secret that I adore this planner. It’s what I’m using right now, and what I always come back to. I love that it helps me simplify and focus, and that I don’t spend a lot of time filling out pages I might never use again. This planner truly helps me structure my day, get things done, and enjoy my family. I love it.

Who Might LOVE This Planner: 

• Moms looking to simplify their lives.
• Women needing the structure of a routine.

PURCHASE THE DAILY SIMPLIFIED PLANNER HERE!
(Edited to add: The fall launch of these planners is live NOW! Plus a ton of gorgeous new planner accessories. Don’t miss out!!)

 

THE SIMPLIFIED PLANNER :: WEEKLY EDITION

Format:

• Weekly
• Divided into two columns for each day – one lined & one in list form
• Section for dinner plans on each day

Cover: 4 leatherette options – Navy, Pink, White, & Teal (pictured above)

Sections Included:

• Yearly overview
• Holidays
• Bucket list
• Monthly spread
• Weekly spread
• Notes pages

Extras:

• Ribbon bookmark
• Tons of options in the shop for an additional purchase. Planner bands, pineapple paperclips, bookmarks, and more. Washi tape and gorgeous pens coming soon!

Price: $58

What You Need To Know:
This is a totally new style for the SP! The binding lays completely flat, which is amazing. I want to write in this book all the time! The absence of coils just gives you so much more space. I love that they included a ribbon bookmark as well. Plus? The cover seems very easy to keep clean – just wipes right off! This is important in a home with small children.

My Thoughts:
I’m really digging this planner! I love the way the days are divided (see picture above), because when I used a weekly planner in the past, I spent a lot of time creating this layout with washi tape. Now? It’s already done for me! This planner is smaller than the Daily, making it super easy to slip in my purse. I’m in love.

Who Might LOVE This Planner:

• Moms on-the-go.
• Students who don’t need a daily layout.

PURCHASE THE WEEKLY SIMPLIFIED PLANNER HERE!
(Edited to add: The fall launch of these planners is live NOW! Plus a ton of gorgeous new planner accessories. Don’t miss out!!)

 

THE PURPOSEFUL PLANNER :: DAILY EDITION

Format:

• Daily, by the half hour
• 9 sections for each day: Top 3, Schedule, Health, Water, Prayer & Praise, 15 Minutes, Brain Dump, Retail Therapy, & Menu

Cover: 4 beautiful options – Coco Stripe, Watercolor (pictured above), Floral, & White Leatherette

Sections Included:

• Planning with purpose worksheet
• Bucket List
• Yearly overview
• Holidays
• Monthly spread
• Monthly budget
• Monthly menu
• Monthly task list (divided by room)
• Monthly dreams & goals
• Daily spread

Extras: Accessories like planner bands available for purchase in the shop!

Price: $48

What You Need To Know:
This is seriously an all-in-one planner. It’s big (not really for carrying around!), but it’s got everything you need! If you’re looking for one book that does it all – this is for you. Each month has pages for budgeting, meal planning, goal setting, and more. It’s so comprehensive! ALSO, there’s a weekly version as well, which is equally fabulous. (Sorry I don’t have photos of that one yet – but the release is coming!!)

My Thoughts:
I love this planner! My make-all-the-lists personality just eats this up. I’ll sometimes go back and forth between using my Purposeful Planner & my Simplified Planner, depending on how busy I am. If I have a need to jot down more notes and keep track of more things, I go with the PP. It’s really awesome for busy, productive mommas!

Who Might LOVE This Planner:

• Busy moms trying to juggle a lot of things – fitness, shopping, house work, kids, and more!
• Women who love having everything all in one place.

PURCHASE THE PURPOSEFUL PLANNER HERE!
(It’s not on sale quite yet, but pre-orders should start next week!)

 

LIMELIFE WEEKLY PLANNER :: LAYOUT C

Format:

• All weekly, but with MANY different layout options!

Cover: Tons of choices, all customizable.

Sections Included:

• Special dates
• Yearly overview
• Logins & passwords
• Goal setting
• Perpetual calendar
• Contacts
• Monthly spread
• Weekly spread
• Monthly notes
• Notes section in the back

Extras:

• Limelife Planners are totally customizable, and they have a ton of options for add-ons. Pages for budgeting, checklists, projects, fitness, direct sales, photographer, social media, meal planning – all available for purchase as an add-on.
• Stickers, washi, stamps, & more in the shop!

Price: Starts at $55. (Add-ons are between $7-$20 each)

What You Need To Know:
This may be the most customizable planner on the market. I haven’t seen another with as many options! There are 15 different cover options, 5 different layouts, 13 different add-on possibilities, and 3 different ways you can order the planner – coiled, 3-hole punched, or in the A5 size. Pretty incredible! Also, their paper is to die for. Seriously.

My Thoughts:
I’ve been super impressed by this company. The options, the personalization, the custom build of each planner – it’s all pretty amazing. It takes a little longer to get your planner, because they are making it just for you, but that makes it completely worth it. I like this company a whole lot, and I’ll be using one of their other products this year FOR SURE. (Keep reading to see what it is!)

Who Might LOVE This Planner:

• Fans of Erin Condren who are looking for a little more customization with add-ons & layouts.
• Anyone. Really. This planner can be customized to whatever you want it to be.

PURCHASE THE LIMELIFE PLANNER HERE!

 

LIMELIFE PLANNER :: YOUNG ADULT EDITION

Format:

• Weekly, divided into sections for classes/subjects.

Cover: Easy to customize with name/quote/etc.

Sections Included:

• Special dates
• Planner Use 101
• Goal Setting 101
• Yearly overview
• Logins & passwords
• Monthly spread
• Weekly spread
• Monthly notes
• Notes section in the back

Extras:

• Limelife Planners are totally customizable, and they have a ton of options for add-ons. Pages for budgeting, checklists, projects, fitness, direct sales, photographer, social media, meal planning – all available for purchase as an add-on.
• Stickers, washi, stamps, & more in the shop!

Price: Starts at $55. (Add-ons are between $7-$20 each)

What You Need To Know:
All of the customizations available for the original daily planner are also available for this one. (Read above.) But overall, this is a little more simple, but also bright and fun!

My Thoughts:
This is an IDEAL student planner! I’m actually going to let Emily use it to keep track of schoolwork and books she is reading. It’s fun, bright, and perfect for any age (in my opinion) from elementary to college. I love it!

Who Might LOVE This Planner:

• Students of any age
• Homeschooling moms who want their kids to start using a planner

PURCHASE THE LIMELIFE YOUNG ADULT PLANNER HERE!

 

LIVE WELL PLANNER :: HORIZONTAL EDITION

Format:

• Weekly only
• 2 layouts: vertical and horizontal (pictured below)

Cover: 2 options for this version, Multicolor Triangle (pictured above) & Wood Chevron

Sections Included:

• Important dates
• Goals by category
• Goals by date
• Yearly overview
• Monthly spread
• Monthly mission board
• Monthly notes
• Weekly Spread
• Gift List
• Travel records
• Movie & book list
• Bill tracker
• Extra notes

Extras:

• Bookmark

Price: $54

What You Need To Know:
This planner is identical to their traditional year planner, it just starts in July. It’s got all the same features, and two of the cover options. Paper is gorgeous, cover holds up well! And there’s a built in stretchy band to hold it all together. I love that!

My Thoughts:
This is a super popular planner, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s high quality, and contains a ton of different sections! I’ve used it myself in the last (I prefer the vertical layout!), and I just struggle with ONLY a weekly layout – there’s not enough room for me to write out everything I need for my day. (Same for the sections, actually. I just need more space, myself!) But if you’re a weekly girl, this might be the one for you!

Who Might LOVE This Planner:

• Fans of the weekly layout & high quality paper
• Women who don’t have a lot to write down each day

PURCHASE THE LIVE WELL PLANNER HERE! (They just went on sale yesterday, so hurry! These often sell out.)

PANDA PLANNER :: DAILY & WEEKLY EDITION

Format:

• Daily AND Weekly
• Undated

Cover: Hardbound black leatherette with strap.

Sections Included:

• Monthly Review (6 monthly calendars)
• Weekly Review Spread
• Daily Review Spread

Extras:

• 2 ribbon bookmarks – one for holding your place in Weekly Review, one for holding your place in Daily Review

Price: $25.97

What You Need To Know:
The Panda Planner is new to me, and it’s a totally different kind of planner! It’s really geared toward productivity & self-reflection. It’s all undated, so you can start it anytime, and there are 3 sections – the monthly, weekly, & daily review. The monthly review is simply a monthly calendar. The weekly and daily reviews are where you get into the meat of the planner.

The weekly review asks key questions for you to consider as you’re reviewing the last week & planning the upcoming week. Then it gives space to outline your projects and goals for the week. In the daily review, you’ve got a 2-page spread covering a lot of topics – gratitude, focus, exercise, priorities, schedule, tasks, and more.

My Thoughts:
I love the creativity behind this planner, and how project oriented it is. I also love the fact that it’s undated, because you will never waste space. Forget to write out your plans one day? No skipping pages, just turn to the next page and keep going! It’s a bit like a journal, project guide, and planner, all in one! I think there are more sections on the daily and weekly review than I’d actually end up using, but it’s perfect for anyone who is very detail-oriented.

Who Might LOVE This Planner:

• Entrepreneurs & small business owners
• Students or singles on the go (It’s more of a personal planner than a family planner!)

PURCHASE THE PANDA PLANNER HERE!

 

MOMMA’S LITTLE HELPER DAY PLANNER

Format:

• Weekly

Cover: Gray floral design

Sections Included:

• Contacts
• Passwords
• Emergency Info
• Important Phone Numbers
• Household Phone Numbers (repair service, etc.)
• Family Medical Information
• Important Dates
• Meal Idea List
• Pet Safety
• Leftover Rules
• Packed Lunches
• Food to Chill
• Measuring Conversions
• Recipe Substitutions
• Monthly Spread
• Weekly Spread
• Notes in back

Extras:

• There’s also a faith-based version of this planner! Sold HERE.

Price: $15.95

What You Need To Know:
While the monthly and weekly spread are your basic planner layout, the beauty of this planner comes in the first few sections. It’s a little bit like a home management notebook and planner all rolled into one!

My Thoughts:
The name of this planner suits it well. The first few sections really give a mom a space to compile all important information, along with a list of tools that she can refer to at any time! I love how much information this tiny book contains. And along those lines – it’s small enough to fit into my purse. Win!

Who Might LOVE This Planner:

• A busy mom who enjoys a simpler planning style while accessing important household info at all times.
• Women with less to write down each day.

PURCHASE THE MOMMA’S LITTLE HELPER PLANNER HERE!

 

BONUS! LIMELIFE HOMESCHOOL TEACHER PLANNER

Format:

• Weekly layouts
• 4 different layout options

Cover: 5 gorgeous covers to choose from – all customizable!

Sections Included:

• Family Mission Statement
• Logins & Passwords
• Expense Tracker
• Field Trip Info
• Educational Resources
• Monthly Household Duties
• Monthly Spread
• Monthly Notes
• Weekly Spread
• Notes (a LOT!)
• Contacts
• Attendance Record
• Reading Log Pages

Extras:

• There are quite a few add-ons in the shop – you can add checklist pages, gradebook pages, IEP reference pages, & meal planning pages!

Price: $59

What You Need To Know:
This planner is made for homeschoolers, but Limelife also offers a Teacher Planner for classroom teachers. These planners are HIGH quality, and if you’re a teacher, I say you should run and get one right this second. Also, I’ve seen quite a few complaints about the removable cover on a different popular teacher planner, and I’m HAPPY to share that this cover is not removable! It should withstand the whole year.

Also don’t get overzealous with your add-ons. Lol. I added on checklist pages (which are amazing), and the planner is just a little too thick now. BUT, I’m planning to remove some attendance pages that I don’t need, and that should work just fine!

My Thoughts:
I seriously love this planner. I’ve been in the process of making my own printable homeschool planner, and this was just such a wonderful surprise. The only thing I wish it had (at this point) was lines in each box in my layout. But I LOVE the layout I chose (Layout I) because it has room for a lot of subjects PLUS space for notes each week. I need that. I cannot wait to start using this in July!!

Who Might LOVE This Planner:

• All homeschooling moms. Everywhere. Seriously.
• Classroom teachers will equally love the teacher planner!

PURCHASE THE LIMELIFE HOMESCHOOL PLANNER HERE!

---

PHEW! You guys. That was a LOT of planners. Was it a little too much for you? Check out this quick and easy planner-at-a-glance chart I made for us!

PLANNERS AT A GLANCE

---

WHAT I’M USING THIS YEAR:

(Updated for 2017-2018) :: I’ve been using the same system for the last year and a half, and I don’t see myself ever using anything else. I’m in love!

See, for years, I’ve shared with you The Ultimate Planner Reviews, while answering questions and helping people choose their perfect planner.

And yet, I’d still been on the hunt for mine.

Don’t get me wrong, I had found planners & systems I really loved…for a time. But I never found a planner that worked for me in every season of my life.

I wanted everything in one place – one central reference guide to organize my chaotic life.

I wanted specific aspects of this dream planner, like monthly, weekly, AND daily views. Like meal planning worksheets and shopping lists that were already categorized. Like ways to track progress on my goals every single day. Like a ton of notes pages so I could keep my master lists right there in my planner. Every planner I found had one or two of these qualities, but never ALL of them. They always sacrificed something.

And I was tired of sacrificing functionality for a planner that was just pretty.

What I needed was a planner that could organize both my home life AND work life, and help me stay on top of both my daily responsibilities AND our long-term goals.

And so, The Organized Life Planner was born. And it has changed my life in the very best way. My hope is that it changes yours too, and becomes a tool that you can use to truly organize and simplify your life – getting everything down on paper so that you can actually clear your head, and make time for the things that matter most.

Ready to take a closer look? Check it out!

The Organized Life Planner Includes:

And the best part? It comes in two versions – a pre-printed version that comes shipped straight to your home, OR a print-at-home version that you can customize with our add-on planner packs!

Ready to find out if The Organized Life Planner is the planner you’ve been waiting for? CLICK HERE or below to get all the details on our 2018 editions!

---

RECOMMENDED PLANNER ACCESSORIES

1. Papermate Flair Pens – I love these in regular tip and fine point! They are my absolute favorite for planning – I use them in my daily planner, my meal planner, and anything else I have an excuse to write on.

2. Frixion Erasable Pens – I use these mainly in my Bible, but they are great for planning too. They erase beautifully, and I love how they don’t bleed. Win-win!

3. Staedler Fine Point Pens – I’m starting to love these as a close second to my fine point Flairs. These are pretty great pens!

4. Sharpie Fine Point – I always use these to write in cards. Somehow, my handwriting looks prettier in a Sharpie. I have no idea why this is, but I’m not complaining.

5. Velocity Ball Point Pens – My favorite everyday pens. I love them. They just feel good to write with!

6. Ticonderoga Pencils – It’s the teacher in me, but these are just the only pencils worth anything. I use them for homeschooling stuff, and have a pack for Emily. They have them in chunky size for little hands, or regular size for us normal-handed people.

7. Washi Tape – Washi helps make your planner your own. Create new sections, decorate for holidays, do whatever you want, because WASHI!!!

8. Planner Stickers – Awesome options for every planner. And often cheaper than what you’ll find on etsy. (Though those are fun too!)

 

If you found this review helpful, would you share it with a friend?
You can either use the buttons below to share on Facebook or simply pin this image!

**PLEASE NOTE: There are more planners on the market than just these. However, I wholeheartedly believe the planners above are outstanding & I highly recommend them!