After what feels like forever of not being able to make plans, go out, and enjoy ourselves without thoughts of social-distancing and Covid-19, finally things are creeping back to normal again.
We’ve had months of staying in and not making plans, meaning now is the perfect opportunity to get organised and make the most of the rest of 2020!
Technology is brilliant for so many things, but I still love having a written diary to keep all my plans in order, and I’ll take it with me almost everywhere I go! (I like tiny ones that fit in my handbag). I also love the satisfying feeling of writing down to-do lists in my diary, and being able to tick things off as I go along.
If you’ve never really kept a diary before, then you might be thinking: new academic year, new you? There is nothing worse than forgetting plans, double booking yourself, or having a schedule or routine so busy that you haven’t actually factored in any time for yourself to relax.
Here are my top picks of my favourite 17 month planners and academic year diaries …
Tangible Stationary, Etsy Matilda MOO 2020-21 A6 Day a Page £8.45
One of the goals I set myself during lockdown was to support small and local retailers more, and I’ve found Etsy a fantastic place for me to do this. This diary can be personalized with your name or initials, and comes in three different colours, it also has the cutest name ever!
HandmadebyAlexJane, Etsy A6 2020-2021 Diary Planner, Rainbow Design £9.50
Another Etsy find, this hand-bag diary not only has diary pages, but also to-do lists and other useful pages. It’s hand-made and has a unique, stunning design.
DubuDumo, Etsy Monthly Planner £4.99
My final Etsy recommendation, if you prefer using a calendar to a written diary, then this is a lovely combination of the two. It comes in four stunning colours, and is a very practical, visual way to keep your plans in order!
WHSmith WHSmith Mid-Year Love What You Do A5 Academic Diary £4.99
I love a diary that has positive words on the front, and these words are so true. Love what you do!
Typo Personalised A5 Undated Weekly Buffalo Diary £6
This diary is one of the lowest cost personalised products I could find! It’s simple yet smart, handbag sized, and the rose gold colour is stunning.
Paperchase A5 golden bee academic diary £10.00
Of course being a Mancunian girl, I’m biased to anything with bees on it! But what’s more relevant than a bee on your diary to symbolize your busy and exciting lifestyle? (The reason Manchester’s symbol is a bee, is to represent Mancunians work ethic during the Industrial Revolution, and also that the city of Manchester is a hive of activity).
Urban Outfitters Central 23 Lola Floral Daily Planner £14
The benefits of having plants on your desk, in your office or in your study area is that they can make you more productive, positive and reduce stress. So maybe this natural and cute planner could do a bit of that too?
What’s great about this planner, is that you write your own dates in it, so you can start it from any point in the year you want! I think mid-year is actually the perfect time to create new goals, you don’t have to wait until January to do it!
Moleskine 18-Month Weekly Notebook Planner £16.99
This Moleskine 18-month diary comes in a range of colours. Of course I’d choose pink but they also have sapphire blue, black, scarlet red, orange and myrtle green. These diaries are great if you’re more minimalist about designs, and want something practical and functional, yet high quality and not going to fall apart after 2 months!
Papier Dachshunds, Mid-Year Diary £21.99
Papier has a huge selection of diaries, journals and personalized stationary, and has become an extremely popular brand on the market! Their mid-year diaries go from 1st July 2020-5th July 2021, and inside them have weekly, monthly and yearly overviews, with plenty of space for all your goals, important deadlines and to-dos.
Also, who doesn’t love having their stationary personalized with their names or initials!
Papier Demi Orange, Mid-Year Diary £21.99
If you want a simple yet sophisticated diary, Papier also has you covered.
Smythson 2020/21 Mid-Year Panama Diary with Pocket £75
This diary is my most expensive pick, however Smythson diaries go up to £275 in price, so this is definitely one of the cheaper diaries in there range. They’re more expensive that other diaries on the market, but the design and overall quality is excellent, Smythson have been making them since 1887!
