My Faux-Filofax Daytimer

 

My Filofax Video 

Hey Everyone. I've been really crazy obsessed with watching Filofax Videos on YouTube recently and after doing a quick Google search I found out that there is a whole lotta love for agendas and Filofax's. I can't tell you how many agenda's I've gone through over the past 9 years. I really started to utilize them when I turned 18 and I had to keep track of working almost full time and going to college. I started using Franklin Covey in college and I ended up really liking it and that worked for me for a while. Fast forward to two years ago and Vera Bradley came out with an Agenda and if you know me you know I have an almost psychotic addiction to Vera Bradley products (I have an addictive personality what can I say?) so I HAD to have that binder. I didn't care that it was just cardboard with a pretty pattern on it. I didn't care that it wasn't as customizable as I'd have liked and it only had two pockets for storage. It was $25 dollars how could I go wrong? Well. It was a short affair. I use my agenda on a day to day basis and it travels with me to and from work and pretty much lives in my purse, so I lug this thing around everywhere, after all, if made right they are built to last. I'd only had it for a month before the sides of the binder started to fray, and shortly after that the ring mechanisms started to gap. It was a horrible break up. I put my tail between my legs and returned to my leather bound agenda. Then I thought well, maybe Vera Bradley's student agenda's would suit my needs because it was plastic and a spiral bound planner. That lasted a little bit longer than the other one, but still wasn't quite what I wanted and I hated that I couldn't add or remove pages. So I started browsing the internet to find a binder that I liked enough to commit to a long term relationship with. I looked at Filofax USA's website and I do love Filofax, they have the quality and the durability that I was looking for but none of the A5 sized binders spoke to me. The one I did find myself liking well enough to almost consider is sold out online until further notice, but even so I don't TOTALLY love it. I just really like it. I figure if I am going to spend over $100 on a planner binder I want to ADORE it. So I looked at Office Depot and Office Max. Sadly Buffalo does not have a Staples, which happens to be my favorite office supply store. I ended up finding a wonderful binder that I love. I wish it was Pink, like the Filofax I wanted but red will do, it's still feminine but what I really love about this binder is the pockets, this thing has SO much storage and that is exactly what I was looking for in an agenda. So thus my love affair with my Day Timer Snap Tab. So I'm going to go into further detail about how I organize my agenda and there is no shortage of pictures to go along with it. I am in the process of uploading a video to YouTube, but there is still 143 minutes of upload time left and I wanted to get this post up tonight. I've been promising it for weeks. So without further Adieu here is my planner in Photos!!

This is a Teavana catalog I take keep in the long front pocket of my agenda. It was given to me when I purchased tea there last week and I have notes in it on which tea's I want next and I have a product marked that I'd like to buy so I keep it for reference.

This is my pouch that I carry along with my agenda and the box of magnetic paper clips. These go with me in my bag to work. I usually don't carry them in my purse. This keeps all of my pens and post it notes and things I use in my planner.

This is everything that is inside the pouch. Pens, Post It Notes, my weekly stickers...etc.

This is a close up view of the pens I use. I use Sharpie Felt Tip Pens, these are my new favorite pens, they write so well and do not bleed through the paper. You can buy them at Target or any office supply store. I LOVE these pens.

These are the stickers that I use for weekly reminders. I do like the Martha Stewart Tear Drop stickers that I've seen on SOOO many Filofax blogs, but I don't live by a Staples. The closest one to me is in the next city over which is almost 70 miles away from Buffalo. I'd order them online, but with the frequency that I'd be using them it's just easier for me to use these and they are readily available for purchase. I like them and they come in pretty colors. They work for me. The Foil stars I use kind of like the stickers, but they symbolize date nights with my husband.

These are magnetic paperclips and extra pencil lead for my mechanical pencil I got both of these at Target.

This pouch is an extension of my planner, this houses my project notebook, which has things like Monthly and Weekly Projects I'd like to work on, goals, my budget, my wishlist and misc project I'd like to work on.

This is my planner set up, and my iPhone, which I use in conjunction with my planner. **Edit** The photo on my phone is a NOH8 campaign photo with Nate Ruess of Fun. It's not just some random dude with a duct tapped mouth I promise, I'm not THAT strange.

This is the front flap of the agenda. It has a clear ID pocket, but I don't use it as a wallet so I printed a picture I took at Disney World in February at Wishes. On the back of this is my name, address, phone number and E-mail in case something happens and I lose my planner, it can be returned to me.

This is just showing the ring size.

This is the first thing I see when I open my planner, it's a collage of inspirational quotes, and I like having it there so when I need a little bit of positivity I can open it right up and just read them. It also helps to motivate me to be a better person and if I'm having a rough day it gives me a little bit of a push in a better direction.

I had to sneak in my Dr. Who picture, it's my current favorite show. This is the current and 11th Doctor.

This is my goals/resolutions page and I have this right behind my inspiration page, this keeps me focused on what I'd like to achieve this year and what I'd like to continue working on personally. I like to keep this right in the front so I can refer to it often.

This is my color coding chart and each color represents a different aspect of my life that is noted on my calender. This is my reference so I remember what colors I use for what.

This is a monthly view of my calender and as you can see there are different colors marking different events or appointments. I like having the monthly view to help me make plans and have quick glance at my month.

This shows a little bit of the color coding better.

This is my daily view. I continue the color coding in the daily calender too. This is where I keep my to do list, track appointments, weekly tasks that need to get done. This day I didn't have too much going on, but I did have an example of how I used everything.

This calender is something I got from Disney Movie Rewards and it was the perfect size to go in my A5 sized planner, It is a yearly calender and I use this to outline Travel that is set in stone, this helps me to plan my year a little bit more efficiently so that I know when I will be away. It has all these cute Disney characters on it so it's fun.

This section is my business card holder, I keep various business cards in here, right now I have my Curves cards in there so I can get in touch with my Coach, and so I have the hours of my club handy, and since you all know I'm obsessed with Vera Bradley I have the CEO's card in there, he actually wrote me a hand written letter because I wrote to VB headquarters praising one of their telephone employees for helping me with a bad order. The last card, because I didn't have anywhere else to put it and I wanted to carry it is my Friends of Josh Groban Fan Club card. I paid for a membership so I'd have access to pre-sale concert tickets and other fun things. I adore his music.

The next is more business card holders but since I don't have a need for them right now. I've printed out photos that I've taken, minus the one wedding photo. The first photo is Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom. The second Photo is Guthrie Castle near Aberdeen, Scotland in 2010 at my Sister in Law's wedding. The third Photo is Manchester City hall in Manchester, England that I took on our trip there in May of 2012. The fourth photo is my wedding photo with my Bridesmaids and I and Where's Waldo. I got married on the weekend before Halloween and there was a party going on at the Winery where we took Photos and he asked to be in a picture and it turned out awesome!

This is the last page of my binder and I just have another Dr. Who Postcard and a Vera Bradley Catalog and my Teavana Catalog which I pulled out of the front pocket just to show size.

This is the pad of paper I keep in the back, just for quick notes and scrap paper.

These are my post it notes that I use, some I got at Office Max on clearance and the others I got at Disney World in February. I love Post It's and Disney so I HAD to buy them.

This is just what the planner looks like when it is closed. Pretty neat and Tidy.

So That's my agenda in a nutshell. I hope you guys like it. If you have a planner obsession let me know, post photos or links to your own blogs or videos. I'd love to check them out. Like I said, I'm a planner girl and I'm always looking for ways to customize or update my planner. It's a big part of my world so I like to make it my own.

I will have another planner video up within the next two weeks, I've found myself wanting a smaller more portable planner for my purse and I was able to buy a Kate Spade planner on Ebay and I am expecting in the mail within the next few days, so once I get moved into it and set up I plan on doing a video on that organization. I LOVE my A5 sized planner that I have now, but sometimes between carrying that and the pouch of extras sometimes it gets to be too much and I just don't like the iCal app so I'd rather have a smaller planner I can just carry with me. So we'll see how it works and I'll have a blog/video on that too. Then I will have a third blog post that goes into detail about my workout/Curves binder so you can see how I organize my meal plan and workouts.

Thanks so much for stopping by, see you real soon!!!

<3

Danielle

Just a really fast update!!

Hey Everyone!!!

Sorry I've been pretty scarce lately. I've been working through a couple of things in my personal life that have taken me away from being able to film and edit and update blog posts. I'm working through them and things are getting much better. I can't get into too much detail right now about it but when the time comes I may get into it. It's nothing to do with my husband or my family but it's something I am personally working through so please don't worry, everything is all right!

With that being said! I did film one video, and I have bits and pieces of a vlog style video started. I'm in the process right now as we speak of uploading my filofax video to the computer. I will be editing it and uploading it to YouTube tomorrow! I also have a corresponding blog post to go up once the video is uploaded so new content tomorrow!!! I will have an Open Box coming towards the end of the week/beginning of next week depending on when I get it. I have an Ipsy video or blog post coming next month. I have a lot planned for content and I very much hope I am able to deliver it.

I appreciate your continued support and patience with me. I do plan on making this a big priority in my world and I know great things will be coming along!!

<3
Danielle.

Hello!

So after some much needed time to think, I think I've finally been able to get my new layout up on the blog and my redesign is taking shape nicely. I've also been able to think of some really great topics not only for future blog posts but also for some new video's. First though I wanted to introduce you all to my new layout. My graphic designer (husband) has designed my new layout and logo. It shows a bit more of my personality rather than being just a boring standard layout. I am really pleased with the way the new site looks. It's simple but fun at the same time. I will be integrating the new logo across my social media outlets in the upcoming days for a more uniform look. I'm excited because I will be able to finally print my business cards! I hope you like the new layout!

Anyways onto the new things coming up in the next few weeks (because the last few haven't been all that exciting.) I am going to film a series on my new diet and fitness plan that I'm doing so I want to give you a look into how I keep track of my food, diet and training/exercise. Along those lines and also in the series I am going to do in in depth look at my Day-Timer and give you a glimpse into how I manage my time and my calender and thirdly I will be doing another video on my project/home management system. It will be my little organization series. So those videos are coming up. I am also going to be filming or blogging my March favorites and that will be up by the end of this week. Things I loved and used a lot in March. There will be some other things in the works too. The major decision that has been made in regards to my blog and my YouTube channel is that I think I finally have the courage to begin vlogging. It's something I want to do and it's something I enjoy doing being in front of a camera talking to people, but at the same time it's very nerve wracking as well. It will feature a glimpse into my day and for now I plan on doing two "vlog" style videos per week. That will begin in the later part of April. With my full time Job and my commitment to my Curves plan I think for now that's a schedule that I can be okay with. If I really get into it then I will see what I can do to add an extra day.

The type of photos I post on this blog too are going to hopefully change a little bit. I will be taking photos to go hand in hand with what I share in my video's and sometimes I will just blog. Regardless I want my photos of what I share to be a little bit better in quality so I will be utilizing my DSLR a little bit more. I HAD to have this camera in late 2011 and I think over the course of the last year or so I've only used it handful of times so I want to use it a little bit more. It's a camera worthy of use, not just sitting in it's bag in my closet.

So that's the word for right now. I'm back in action again after a much needed break to just really think about what I wanted to do and the direction I wanted to take and now that I've found that direction and gained my motivation things in the world of Just Danielle will be a lot more regular and a lot more fun. Thanks for sticking with me and helping me to grow into my own.

March Ipsy and Birchbox Openings

Hey Everyone, I'm slowly getting back into my video's and blogging after a crazy February. I will be doing a blog post in the next few days about how the rest of my Disney vacation went, but I just got my March Ipsy and Birchbox so I wanted to share those with you. I plan on migrating those to Video's in the upcoming months but just to get started I've decided to blog them this month instead. I've finally gotten a little corner of my house cleaned out and decorated enough to where I think I will be happy filming. The husband has also mentioned wanting to start actually vlogging on his channel so if we do start doing that I'll link his YouTube so you can watch them. If he puts up out vlogs on his channel I won't on mine that way it's only up there once.

Anyways onto the real point of this blog March 2013 Ipsy and Birchbox. Both of these were fairly good this month. Last month's birchbox was rather disappointing. So I'll go ahead and start with Ipsy.

2013 Ipsy Glam Bag

 This month was a Nautical theme, the cosmetic bag that it came in is Navy Blue with stripes. It's a really cute bag. Inside it came with Juice Beauty Hydrating Spray, LA Fresh Travel Wipes, Glam RX single shadow holder, and two Yaby eye shadows. Upon first glance this is a really awesome bag, I love when they give the smaller facial hydrating sprays because I use them for Travel. The Shadow holder is pretty cool for some of my loose single shadow pots so that was pretty awesome and who doesn't need travel sized make up remover wipes. I always love when they include eye shadows in the boxes because if you don't already know, I love eyeshadow. However I'm not sure how fond I am of the Yaby shadows, they are very very light, not very pigmented, and normally I'd say that's okay for a daytime look but when I tried them on my eyes they barely show up. So if I had to rate this months box I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5. I love the cute bag and the spray, but the eyeshadow just didn't do it for me.

March 2013 Birchbox

So on to Birchbox. This month was pretty awesome. It came with a Madewell nail file, Macadamia Natural Oil healing oil treatment AND a Macadamia Natural Oil hair deep repair masque, Whish Shave Cream, Benefit Lip/Cheek Tint, and Supergoop Face and body lotion sunscreen. I am really excited to try the hair masque and the hair oil. I've been trying different Moroccan oils in my hair and it's been really helping so I'm excited to try these and see if they work better or the same. I tried the Benefit Lip tint a little bit earlier and it was okay, It felt kinda sticky then it dried and felt REALLY dry so I ended up having to put lip gloss over it. Other than that I haven't tried the products yet. I rate this months Birchbox a 4 out of 5. Very happy.

I will be trying out the products from both boxes over the next couple of weeks and I'll have my thoughts and reviews of the products and which ones I really enjoyed and the ones I didn't enjoy quite so much. That will probably be another blog post, but starting with April I will be moving them to Videos and of course I will link them.

If you get birchbox or ipsy let me know what you think of your boxes. I also might be adding RunnersBox to the mix as I am now getting very into running so if I do that then I will for sure be doing open box's on that too. You will all be the first to know! It depends on funds as I did just sign up for Curves Complete. My program actually starts tomorrow. I'm really excited because I feel like I needed a push to start my weight loss. I wasn't doing very well on my own, and I can't afford a personal trainer. This program is affordable and the motivation I need. I have a weekly session with a coach and 4 1/2 hour sessions a week doing a full body circuit. cardio, strength and core, so I'll be doing that, then on the other days I'll be doing my runs because I do plan on continuing and getting better at my 1/2 Marathons. I think this is the stepping stone I need, because I believe that core workouts are just as important as mileage and actual runs because the stronger my muscles and my core, the better I think I'll be able to run. I am considering buying a bike too for this summer. My goal is to be outside as much as possible and just live a more healthy and active lifestyle.

Now that I've gone off on a tangent I think it's time to end here. I will be back a couple times this week with a Disney update and a couple of other things!!! Have a wonderful Sunday Night!

2013 Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon Race Recap Part Duex! Video Style

***The song used in the Video is Josh Groban - Brave, I am in NO way shape or form affiliated with Josh Groban or his record company.***

Princess 1/2 Marathon Recap/Review

Hey Guys!!!! So here it is, the post you've all been waiting for (Well okay not really but help a girl out). This is my official 2013 Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon Race Recap. (The Rest of my Disney Trip Recap will be in another blog). This was my first Disney race as well as my first 1/2 marathon. It would have been up sooner but I just got back from Disney World yesterday very very very early, like 2 a.m. early.

We'll start with the expo which was Friday February 22, 2013 and Saturday February 23, 2013. This year the Fit for a Princess Expo was held at the Coronado Springs Resort, in prior years the expo has been held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports but due to the Atlanta Braves spring training schedule the event had to be moved. My running partner, my husband and I got to the event transportation bus corral around 8:30 on Friday morning, that was the first bus out. We got to the expo shortly before 9 and let me tell you it was an absolute zoo.

runDisney's Fit For A Princess Expo

YAY

And now a word from our sponsors

Expo Welcome

Event Transportation Sign at the hotel

The space was very big but I think it was under utilized, there was a TON of space at Bib pick up but where the official merchandise and the vendors were seemed kinda cramped. This expo probably brought in well over 40,000 people, if you think of the 26,000 1/2 runners, the thousands of 5K runners and all of their spouses or friends that went with them to the expo. After we got our bibs and our shirts we decided to check out the official merchandise area because it looked like it was getting busy. Boy were we under prepared. There was a huge line not only to get in, but once we were in, it was literally wall to wall people trying to get their hands on official runDisney and Princess merchandise. I was luckily able to grab everything I wanted. A Wine Glass, A 13.1 Magnet, a runDisney Vinylmation, Princess Ears, a couple of pins and my coveted tumbler, they appeared to be sold out of that but I was able to find one behind the counter that somebody didn't want because it didn't have a straw. That didn't matter to me as I keep straws in my house at all times, but one of the awesome Expo Workers found me a brand new matching straw. It was awesome. I was also able to pick up one of the coveted Disney Dooney and Bourke bags specifically made for this marathon. However and I am sad to admit by the end of Expo day one I was ready to hurt somebody because it was so busy and cramped. I'm not a fan of small tight spaces. We did get out unscathed and spent the rest of Friday downtown exploring.

Expo Shawag!

Expo day two was a little bit better. Since we didn't have to get our bibs or our shirts we were able to really just concentrate on checking out the vendors. This time I was able to pick up a Sparkle Athletic skirt from Team Sparkle and some KT tape which was amazing. We also got to meet Jeff Galloway! He is a running coach and has walk/run programs designed specifically for runDisney races. We also got to see Sean Astin from Afar!! That was exciting. He played in Lord of the Rings and Goonies and most notably he played Rudy. We checked out the merch section again just in case but by Saturday most of it had been picked over. So I didn't pick up anything new. I was able to get a close up look at the official runDisney New Balance shoes. They were very cool but I'd just purchased by Brooks Pure Cadence shoes so I didn't grab them but I was able to snap a couple pics of both the mens and the womens shoes. I also got to see all of the runDisney medals, they were on display. It was amazing to see them. We picked up a bunch of samples, yogurt, banana's, and apples. Yum! Day two at the expo was much better. We even got the royal treatment from Cinderella's Coachmen!

Womens New Balance Disney Shoes

I am a Princess Angel

Thats My #

Coachmen

The Banana lady

The Royal Treatment!

All the runDisney race medals! Perty aren't they!

It's THEE Jeff Galloway!

More Banana Lady

Welcome!

The Men's New Balance Disney Shoes

He is a one man Purse holder for two ladies!

Alright moving on! After the Expo on Saturday morning we spent the afternoon at Hollywood Studios with a friend who lives in Florida!! It was pretty fun, got to do Rockin Rollercoaster and Star Tours. We called it an early night though and left the park right around 5 to grab a quick dinner and hit the sheets. I was in bed by 7:30, I faked myself into thinking it was later because we had blackout curtains, set the alarm and wake up call for 2:00 a.m. and boy did it come early. I was bleary eyed trying to get ready. Once all ready we all met up and took the first bus to the Wonder Lot of EPCOT and got ready for the race. We took a few photos and drank in the atmosphere while I was still trying to wake up. There was dancing and pictures and food. I was pretty nervous as this was my first 1/2 marathon and I was just concerned about staying ahead of the balloon ladies. I was able to pose for a couple of photos and then we finally made our way to the corrals where the entertainment continued. I danced a little bit before finding a spot to sit and stretch. While 26,000 of us were waiting for that start there were some inspirational speeches and the DJ keep us awake and full of energy. We all started in corral E. That gave us a good 20 minutes up on the sweepers which made me feel a little bit better. It was now coming up on 5:35 and the race was to begin. Each corral was celebrated with a fairy godmother countdown and fireworks. It was very surreal and magical!

Photo Backdrop

Race Day Outfit

A rose and 2 sleepy princesses

We jumped right into our fairytale

Our Corral

I am a HAM!

So lets get to it than shall we! The good part! The actual race. By the time the race started I was feeling very calm but it was overshadowed by the fact that I had to use the ladies room really bad! It seemed like that first mile went on forever before I was able to use the portopotties. After I was able to do that my body started to feel better and I was able to gain some ground. There were TONS of opportunities to meet the princes and other characters along the way but I was so terrified of the sweepers my focus was really just on finishing so I didn't stop for any photo opps. Thats okay, I am going to work that into my training for next years race. It was very warm on race morning so I was making sure to drink both a water and a power aide at every station. I did end up walking most of the race as the course was VERY congested so I wasn't able to run as much as I'd have liked. At one point around mile 5 before the castle I was beginning to feel like I was fading so I turned on my playlist and listened to my go to song from Hercules. Go the Distance has been my training song for this race because I do want every mile to be worth my while! So that gave me the pick me up I needed to press on. I had high expectations for my time in Cinderella's castle but because it was SO congested the pace pretty much slowed to a crawl. There was no running through the castle. This was disappointing not because it didn't meet my expectations but because this was the turning point in the wrong direction for me. The slow pace of the castle gave the pain I was beginning to feel the chance to manifest and it really made the miles crawl by. Mile 5-8.5 were hard for me because I was in a huge amount of pain, but I pushed through. My mantra being I didn't make it this far to quit now. So I pressed on. At mile 8.5 they were handing out running gels and that was the pick me up I needed. I was now more than 1/2 way done with the race and the gel shot gave me the energy to keep going. The pain was still there but the race was thinning out and I was able to gain a little bit of ground. Don't excited yet. My slow pace from mile 5-8 caught up with me and before I knew it the balloon ladies were right behind me. I was terrified. I wasn't at mile 9 to get swept. I've heard stories about them, and I know they were trying to be motivating but the way they were yelling was coming across very harsh, and less than motivating. I'm sure it could have been just because at this point I was on pure adrenaline. I was exhausted and in pain. They just kept yelling to go. At this point I thought I was giving it my all, but my body surprised me. I started doing a run/walk combo and started to just sprint to get ahead of them. When I got tired I walked, and when they crept back up on me I sprinted again. I ran up two pretty hefty inclines and I finally made it to mile 11 where the sweepers deemed that it was a safe zone because it was off county roads and in a Disney Parking lot which they didn't have to worry about opening to the public. I was beyond exhausted, I was amazed that I was still standing. I continued my journey and finally made it into EPCOT and Spaceship Earth was on my radar. My entire body was shutting down, my pace slowed significantly and I was practically limping through EPCOT. I was starting to tear up, knowing I was so close to the finish and partly because of the intense pain my body was feeling. I was determined! I got so many uplifting messages from the volunteers and this group of wonderful women came up behind me and one grabbed my hand and we walked hand in hand from Spaceship Earth past the choir and to the finish line. It was exactly the encouragement that I needed. I was even able to pick up my pace a little bit knowing that I was not alone. These women were complete strangers but we had one common goal and that was to finish this race that we were so close to. Hand in Hand we crossed the finish line together and the beautiful finishers medal was placed around our necks. We said our goodbyes and parted ways. I took my finishers photo and then limped my way to the food tent where I met up with my running partner and my husband. It was an emotional reunion because at this point my body had completely shut down on me. I was in excruciating pain and I was excited that I finished the race. It was a surreal moment for sure but I did it. All 13.1 miles. My time was 4:05:20 and sure it was slow but I crossed that finish line with my head held high and a goal for next year.

The castle from Main Street

We are now entering the Magic Kingdom!

I DID IT!!!!! There is my shiny new bling!

Castle Bling!!!

Celebrating a Princess Victory with Cinderella

and Jasmine

and Rapunzel

Celebrating with the mouse himself Mickey Mouse!!!

Nighttime Victory Shot!

EPCOT Victory Shot

Celebrating with Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too! I was cold!

A MUCH needed Victory Drink after my shower and Nap!

Blinged out Light!

So that's it, my 2013 Princess 1/2 Marathon Recap. I hope you all enjoyed and I will have another blog post up either within the hour, or if I fall asleep tomorrow morning with a little extra Princess surprise. It was an amazing weekend with amazing friends and family! I was asked if I'd do it again and at first I wasn't sure, but now my answer is bring it on! Next year I will be better trained and conditioned and I will be back for more Princess fun! It was the hardest yet most exhilarating thing I've ever been able to accomplish in my life and I'm so proud that I was able to do this.