The Happy Planner 2016-2017: Sugar & Type

Today I got some happy mail, and it's a really good one! This is the 2016-2017 18-month Happy Planner by Me & My Big Ideas. It starts from July 2016 all the way up to December 2017. I also ordered the Hello Magnetic Page Clips to go with it, and everything's too pretty for words.

Now, I already have a life planner for the year, as well as my trusty traveler's notebook. What do I need another planner for? Well, I'm planning to use this for something else later in the year (*hint hint*). I had to order it now because it starts in July 2016, and I will start using it in the last months of the year. I was worried that stocks would run out since it's already June. Plus, a new batch of 12-month planners that starts in January 2017 are always released later in the year, and the 18-month ones might disappear before then. I also ordered through a local seller, The Craft Essentials, and they usually have limited stock. There are very few local sellers too, and I didn't want to fuss with international shipping, so I just had to get this planner as soon as possible.

Anyway, it came like this. The Craft Essentials put a super cute "thank you" note on it, and even included some freebies - some adorable paper clips that match the planner plus a couple of gold clamps.

      

I went with the Happy Planner because as a planner girl, I wanted to try it out. I also didn't want to spend as much as I did with my other planners, and this has a friendlier price point than my existing ones. I could get it locally too, which is more convenient for me, because getting it shipped internationally would make it more expensive and more of a hassle. It took 2 days to get to me and that's so good for my low EQ, hah!

Okay so without further ado, here's a look inside this very pretty planner.

This is the first page that greets you when you open it up. There are actually several designs for the Happy Planners. I got the Sugar & Type Edition. 

2016 and 2017 calendars

 Each month begins with a spread. On the left are mini calendars (past month, present month, next month), a super cute Currently page, space to write down the month's birthdays, plus important dates and things to remember. On the right are random graphics or sayings with laminated tabs. Some months are printed with beautiful gold foil like this July one.

This is what September looks like. Look at that shiny shimmery splendid gold! The color of the pages changes every month. This one's green. 

October is blue and black with polka dots.

November is pink and black and has a saying on it.

April, my favorite month, is mostly pink and white.

Next December has blue, pink, and black accents. I only picked out some months, but the others look very different. You can check all the designs over at the Me & My Big Ideas (MAMBI) website.

The weekly pages look like this. There's a mini calendar again on the upper left corner, and underneath is space for notes. The weekends are shaded, and there are random graphics on the bottom of the pages.

Sometimes the weekly pages have sayings at the bottom of the pages, like this spread from December.

This week from September has a washi print on the pages.

The back of the planner is really simple, containing just a single notes page. This is because MAMBI sells a ton of Happy Planner accessories, and if you want to put in pocket folders and such, you can add those in. I didn't get any accessories aside from the magnetic page clips because I'll be using this for a specific purpose and I figured I'll just customize it later on in the year as I go along and see the need for it. Also, it's hard to find accessories locally. The re-sellers don't really have much stock at the moment.

What makes the Happy Planner unique is that it's held together by discs. 

The discs let you take pages, monthly tabs, and other things in and out instantly. You can even cut paper or whatever yourself and you'll be able to stick them onto the planner. This is really neat since it opens you up to so much customization. However, I think it also makes the planner a bit unstable. I feel like it can easily fall apart this way and I have to treat it with more care compared to my other planners. 

  

Here's how the magnetic page clips work. They can clip a few pages together, or simply serve as decoration. They're adorable!

That's it! I have to say, I am completely won over by how pretty this planner is. The paper is thicker but a bit rough, it doesn't come with a pocket folder or a zip pouch and other accessories (you have to buy them separately), and you can't customize the cover with your name or anything like that. Still, it's a very cool planner, especially at its price point. I'm really tempted to get a 12-month one at the end of the year and make it my life planner for next year. I want to customize it to the fullest extent and see how it works for me. I'll most probably do a review and comparison post with my other planner next time. 

Are you using a planner right now? What kind?