13 Fun Ways to Use Undated Planners & Review of JM Planning Essentials Products
Now that the holidays are over, I am getting to “play” with some of the new planning products I received. And, since several of the companies from which I purchased are small, female-owned businesses, I thought it might be nice to write a little about the products I’ve purchased from them.
So, as I purchase from different companies this year, I will write a short post about the company, their products, and how I’m using them. I not affiliated with these companies, and if I do become an affiliate, I will disclose that in the article. But, no matter what, my reviews and opinions are honest and entirely my own.
This first business I’m featuring this year is one that I discovered in 2019. Undated planners and planning accessories are so versatile, and it’s one of the reasons I love purchasing from JM Planning Essentials.
Started by a member of the planning community, the founder of JM Planning Essentials had a vision for planners and notebooks that were functional, beautiful, high quality, and great value. That is what I have found with each purchase I’ve made.
Table of Contents
JM Planning Essentials Planners
I used to take a narrow view of planner products before my journey into the planner community. However, I have learned that planning can take many forms, and planners can be used for more than just planning.
One of the reasons why JM Planning Essentials planners are so versatile for planning and journaling is that they are undated, which makes them something of a blank slate. This is especially so when the pages of the planner have different spaces for planning but have not been labeled for particular purposes by the company.
I now own both types of planners from this company- daily planners and weekly planners. And, I can tell you that they are really great quality. Here are the specs:
Daily Planners
Binding and cover. These compact planners have a white, double-o ring spiral binding and thick cardstock covers that have a smooth coating. They come in two colors, Navy Diamond and Lavender Diamond Deco. The front of each simply states, “Daily Planner,” and the back has the same art deco design with a small JM Planning Essentials logo on the bottom. Simply decorated but very tasteful. The covers and paper also have rounded corners.
Paper. This is what makes these planners such an incredible value. Priced at $19 a piece, they have 100-pound, pure-white Mohawk paper (if you know me, you know I love this paper- it even smells wonderful!). This is the same paper used by planner companies that charge significantly more for their planners. Because it is so thick, I have been able to use fountain pen and watercolor on these, with no problems. The ink in the planners is a dark grey, and it does not smear when wet and erases well with pencil and Frixion pens. The paper is smooth, but not glossy, so it makes it easy to write in them.
In fact, I just got a glass dip pen that works well on this paper! So much fun to write on something that can handle watery inks, and a glass dip pen can hold a lot of ink and write for a really long time. Here is the dip pen set I just got: (#AD)
Size. Closed, with the coil, the daily planners are about 6 1/4 inches wide and 8.3 inches long. The paper itself is 8.3 X 5.8 inches, so it’s an A5-sized book. The planners measure less than a half-inch thick. So, these are very compact, portable planners.
90 pages. This means there are 90 single-day daily planning spreads, so you can plan for an entire quarter of the year. Since the planner is undated, it can last for much longer than just 90 days if you don’t plan to use it daily. It also means, you get a full page for each weekend day.
Layout. Each page has a space for the “Date” at the top and a series of letters for each day of the week, so you can date your planner and circle the weekday you’re using that page for. Below that is a row of three boxes that can be used for whatever you like- top 3 to dos, main appointments, reminders, encouraging words, etc. Below that are two lined columns. The one to the left has a checkboxes next to each of the 13 lines. The one to the right has no markings near it. Below the two columns is a wide grid space. That takes up about a third of the page.
Ideas for Using Daily Planners
Daily planners may seem to have a rigid layout, but they are really quite versatile, particularly when undated. Here are some ways to use them:
Daily Planning. Use them as a traditional daily planner, with time scheduling on one column and a to do list on the other. I would recommend using the side with the check boxes for the to do list. The grid below is great for taking notes, habit tracking, decoration, or even bullet journaling.
To Do Planner. Since the columns do not have times associated with them, you can use both as a long to-do list and assign a different type of planning to each column: home, school, work, family, fitness, faith, etc.
Weekend Planning. Since most weekly and daily planners have Saturday and Sunday share a page or section, giving you half the room for that day, this daily planner would make a great weekend planner where you can schedule events, include reminders, and have a long to do list. Just use one page for each weekend day or a single page for the whole weekend.
Recipe Book. This is how I’m using my daily planners from this line (it’s why I have two). I have used correction tape to cover the date and weekday initials from the top of the page and write my recipe title in that space. In the three-columned row, I write out the type of dish, main ingredient, and number of servings. The lined column with checkboxes is where I write ingredients, and the other column is where I write out the method. The grid area is my favorite. I choose a color that I think represents the dish and paint it with watercolor. I then draw out illustrations of the key ingredients on cardstock and past them into the book. I got this idea from the company founder herself, and it is genius. I am making two books- one for each of my kids. For images of the recipes and artwork I’m using in this planner, check out my Instagram account- @planonthesunrise.
Journaling. Because the checkboxes are on the left-hand side of each page, you can write straight across to the other column like a regular lined journal. The grid section can also work for journaling.
Faith Planner. The lined columns can be used for prayer lists and writing out scripture, and the grid can be used for taking notes or analysis of scripture or sermons. The boxes at the top are great for writing out key phrases or listing bible verses.
Wellness or Fitness Planner. I love that row of boxes at the top, which can be used as a mood tracker, a space to write encouraging words, or a few wellness wins for the day. The row of boxes at the top can also track weight, steps walked, hours slept, or calories consumed, while the lined sections can be used to track activities, foods eaten, and some journaling about fitness and wellness.
Weekly Planner
Binding and cover. Just like the daily planners, the weekly planners have a white, double-o ring spiral binding and thick cardstock covers with a smooth coating. They come in two colors, Lavender Mosaic and Navy Mosaic Deco. The front of each simply states, “Weekly Planner,” and the back has the same design with a small JM Planning Essentials logo on the bottom. This is another simple and tasteful design that is not so frilly you couldn’t use it for a professional work planner. The covers and paper also have rounded corners.
Paper. Just like the daily planners, these weekly planners have 100-pound, pure-white Mohawk paper. The ink in these planners is also a dark grey and will not smear when wet. It’s easy to to erase pencil and Frixion pens, and it’s tough enough to handle fountain pen.
Size. Closed, with the coil, the weekly planners, like the daily versions, are about 6 1/4 inches wide and 8.3 inches long. The paper is 8.3 X 5.8 inches, so it is also an A5-sized book. The planners measure less than a half-inch thick. These are also very compact, portable planners.
Pages. There are 12 two-page calendar layouts and 52, single-page weekly layouts, so you can plan for an entire year! This is an unbelievable value, considering the planners cost only $19! Since the planner is undated, it can last for much longer than a year if you don’t plan to use it weekly. As with the daily planners, this also means you get a full page for each weekend.
Monthly Layout. Each month has a simple two-page layout. At the top left of the left-hand page is an area to write in the “Month Of.” Below that, the calendar takes up nearly the entire page, which means the boxes are quite large for a small planner (1.25 x 1.4375 inches). To the left of the calendar is a lined side bar for notes. The calendar has a Sunday start and there are small boxes to the top left of each day to write in the day of the month. There are 5 rows of dates, so if you have a calendar that spans 6 weeks, you would need to divide the last few days on the 5th row.
Weekly Layout. The weekly layout is a single page and has a really unique setup. At the top of the layout on the first line is “Week Of” so you can fill in the week you are planning. Below that are equally-sized, lined boxes with the days of the week written on the top line to the left. Next to the column of weekdays are three vertical boxes that run down the right-hand side of the page. The top box has a header line and a large blank space beneath it. Directly below that unlined box is a lined box with small checkboxes to the left of each line. Both of these boxes measure a little over 1.5 inches wide by over 2.5 inches long, which means they’ll easily fit stickers from sticker kits that are meant to fit full boxes. The last box is lined with no checkmarks and is not as long as the prior ones (just a little over 2 inches long), which means it could fit half and quarter sized box stickers.
Ideas for Weekly Planners
There are so many ways to use undated weekly planners. Here are a few to try:
Weekly Planner. These are great planners and have a very functional layout, so they would be great for using as a traditional planner. Set out your appointments and scheduled obligations in the monthly layout and weekday spaces and use the unlined and lined spaces for to dos, shopping lists, and of course, adding decorative elements!
Menu or Meal Planner. Because the days of the week are so compactly laid out in one column, this would make a great place to plan out your meals for the week. The boxes to the right could include shopping lists, recipes, or brainstorming for meals the following week.
Fitness or Wellness Planner. This would be a great place to track your fitness and wellness routines. The weekly lined spaces are a perfect spot to write down foods eaten or activities for each day. The boxes to the right are perfect for habit tracking, including inspirational phrases, and even adding a weekly photo using a small photo printer to track physical changes.
My favorite photo printer is the Canon Ivy, which produces sticker photos that are just about the size as the larger boxes in this weekly spread. (# Ad)-
Goal Tracking Planner. Each daily space is just right for writing down goal progress each day. The boxes to the right would be a great place for habit tracking specific goals, setting out mantras and inspirational phrases, and journaling about goals with intention.
Travel Planner. This is how I plan to use this weekly planner. Each time we go on a trip, I find myself bringing a planner so we make sure to include special activities throughout the week. But, lugging my large, weekly planner is a chore. I think this planner is going to be just right. I can use the daily spaces to plan out where we plan to visit each day and the side boxes I plan to use for listing restaurants, the weather, and including a photo of the trip, to keep as a memory.
Line a Day/Memory Journal. With the few lines included in each daily space, this would be a great place to jot down one memory per day for a year. The boxes on the right can include extra reflections on the week, gratitudes, and of course, the large unlined box is perfect for adding stickers or a photograph. It might even be nice to use these for your kids and have one for each child. Since the daily spaces aren’t too huge, it would not be overwhelming to write in these daily.
JM Planning Essentials Journals and Notebooks
JM Planning Essentials not only has planners, but a full line of notebooks with different types of paper styles. Here are the ones that I have and what the shop carries:
A5 Journals and Notebooks
Binding: This shop carries journals that are either bound like their planners with white, double-o wire binding or with staple binding. I have the staple-bound ones. The staple-bound books are $9 a piece while the wire-bound ones are $12 each. I find that the staple-bound ones are perfect to slide into an A5-sized traveler’s notebook cover as well as the Organizer this company sells (see below).
Size. Each journal has A5-sized paper with rounded edges. The staple-bound books have 32 pages (for a month of writing or journaling) while the wire-bound ones have 96 pages (for a quarter of writing or journaling).
Covers. All of the covers are a smooth-coated, sturdy cardstock. One thing to note is that you do not choose the paper to go with the cover. Each paper style (dot or graph grid) has its own cover, so be sure to check the paper style you want before ordering.
Paper Styles. The journals come in dot or square grid paper styles. Like the planners, they boast 100 pound white Mohawk paper. The notebooks are identical to the journals except that they have lined paper.
Traveler’s and Mini Notebooks
This shop’s traveler’s notebook inserts are what first got me interested in this planner company. I have a couple of traveler’s notebooks that I use- one for holiday planning, which I discussed in this prior post, and one that I use for creative journaling, as I noted here. Although I do not have any mini notebooks yet, you can find them here.
Binding: All of the traveler’s and mini notebooks have staple binding.
Sizes. The traveler’s notebooks are standard sized (8.3 X 4.25 inches) and have 32 interior pages. Each mini notebook is 5.5 × 3.5 × .25 inches and also contain 32 pages each. All of the notebooks are very slim and portable and will last you for at least a month of journaling or creative projects should you work in it daily.
Covers. All of the covers are a smooth-coated, sturdy cardstock. Traveler’s notebooks have seasonal themes like winter, spring/summer florals, and fall. The mini notebooks have cozy, plaid designs. Like the A5 journals and notebooks, you do not get to choose the paper to go with the cover. Each paper style (dot or graph grid) has its own cover, so be sure to check the paper style you want before ordering.
Paper Styles. The winter and fall traveler’s notebooks come in dot grid, square grid, lined and blank paper styles, while all of the floral covers have blank paper inside. Like all of the products in this shop, they have 100 pound, pure-white Mohawk paper. The mini notebooks are all blank and come in sets of 3 for $9.00, while each traveler’s notebook is sold separately at $7.00 each. Check the main shop page to see all the options.
Because of the versatility of these traveler’s notebooks, I have three that I am using for holiday budgeting, holiday creative journaling, and lists. They are great quality and I love that they stand up to all types of inks and creative media.
JM Planning Essentials Organizer
The Organizer Folio was one of my favorite purchases this year. Yes, I bought it for myself as a Christmas gift, and it was one of the best gifts I received!
Notebook Space. Each of the spiral and A5 planners will fit in this organizer, or folio, which is surprisingly roomy for its slim design. When opened, there is a place to slide in a spiral-bound planner or notebook to the left, and a large pocket on the right, which holds one of the A5 staple-bound notebooks or journals. You can even fit a spiral and staple-bound book one at the same time.
Material. The organizer is made of vegan leather. It is soft, smooth, and feels very durable. It is held together with a simple metal stud clasp, and it closes perfectly with the spiral and stable-bound notebook inside.
Pockets. In addition to the large pockets which are meant to hold the planners and notebooks in this collection, it also has 4 pockets designed to hold a phone (even an iPhone 11 fits), a slot for a pen, and two slots for business cards.
Colors. It comes in navy, which I purchased, and a blush pink, both of which coordinate beautifully with all of the A5 planners and notebooks in the shop. The folios are also a sleek design that look very professional.
Size. These folios are meant to be large enough to hold the notebooks in this collection and yet small enough to fit in a purse. When closed, they measure 9.25 X 7 inches and are barely an inch and a half thick when filled with a spiral-bound notebook, staple-bound A5 notebook, and a phone. Although this is the priciest item in the shop ($40 each), it is well worth the cost.
I highly recommend checking out this planner company. The quality of the products and the great price make them a tremendous value. I also love that the owner will include personalized notes and sometimes an added gift. She is incredibly thoughtful and kind.
Also be sure to follow this company on Instagram, as they are always featuring creating and fun ways to use their planners, journals and notebooks! They also post sales and specials on their IG account- @jm_planningessentials.
Are you a JM Planner Essentials fan? Do you have some creative ideas for using these products or other undated planners? Leave a comment below!
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