This week was an exciting planner week for me.  I discovered some awesome planner stickers from the etsy shop The Gifted Pepper.  I REALLY enjoyed using these stickers this week!  They're instant download printable and you just use a 3/4 circle punch to punch them out.  I purchased SEVERAL from her shop as they are around only .95!  I'm an instant gratification girl... I prefer instant download stickers.  Plus, the bonus with those is, you only pay once and you can print as many as you want to your hearts desire! ahah

I also used some great Heidi Swapp stamp sets I found at Michael's for less than $2 a set!  Great deal!  I used Versa Magic Chalk Ink in "Spring Pansy".

The tiny heart stickers are from a Valentine's sticker set from WalMart.  The die-cut I used is from the set pictured that I found at JoAnn for $1.  I also used a little bit of a sheet out of the Paper Pad that I found at JoAnn for $3 or $4.  I believe it was $3.  The page flag at the top of the picture is also from the JoAnn $1 paper craft section.  It comes in a set of 2 different patterns.

The sticky pad, the flag set, and the sticky flags are all from the Target One Spot.  The washi I used vary from Office Depot, JoAnn, and Walgreens.

I'm still struggling with all the space.  I'm doing better, but I really think this planner is just too big for me.  You might not see it for much longer.  I have a Limelife Planner on it's way to me, which I'm incredibly excited for.  Don't worry though, this wonderful Sugar Paper planner won't go to waste.  Jess' homework load this semester is much more demanding than previous semesters.  She was saying last night that she doesn't think her little Moleskine Planner [You can see hers in this post] is going to work much longer.  She needs more space.  I think she may take this lovely Sugar Paper planner and put it to use.

I used my Notes sticky from Target to list my FlyLady tasks for the week.  The clock stamp from Heidi Swapp notates my non-blog work schedule.  You can see more closely here the stickers I purchased from The Gifted Pepper.

Second half of the week looks pretty much like it usually does as far as my tasks and to-do's go.  Sunday Jess & I celebrated our 7 Year Anniversary!  So that definitely needed notated! ahah!  The Parenthood sticker, I made myself.

All in all I was pretty satisfied with this week's decoration.  My eye problems really screw up getting my washi in a straight line sometimes, so that annoys me.  But I can't do much about it ahah.  Stupid eye problems...

How was your week?  What were your favorite planning accessories this week?

a blog, a playlist [january 2015]

I haven't done one of these since October, so it's definitely due.  If you're new here, this is a "monthly" series where I share what I listened to most each month.  I do most of my music listening while blogging.  I spend a lot of time in front of my computer while home alone.  I don't like the quiet, so I take this alone time to rock out to [usually very loud] music.

This month I've mostly listened to high powered motivating female music.  I've been having a really hard time getting in the groove post Christmas.  It's a full on struggle to not go back to bed each morning after everyone has left for school/work.  To help combat this lack of motivation, I crank up this playlist and get moving.  We chose Google Play Music over Spotify because we enjoyed the UI more.  I paid for both Google Play Music && Spotify for a few months to see which one we liked/used more.  Google Play Music won.  

I've created a playlist for you if you'd like to enjoy it yourself!  Or you can look up the songs on whatever music service you use.  Here's my playlist for the month of January 2015.

||1} Posse [brass knuckles remix], Kimbra

||2} New In Town, Little Boots

||3} Get Some, Lykke Li

||4} Believer, Goldfrapp

||5} Can't Get You Out of my Head, Kylie Minogue

||6} Ooh La La, Goldfrapp

||7} Lights [bassnectar remix], Ellie Goulding

||8} Bulletproof [tiborg remix], La Roux

||9} Army of Me, Bjork

||10} Paper Planes, M.I.A.

||11} Dimestore Diamond, Gossip

||12} Primadonna, Marina and the Diamonds

If you decide to check out my playlist and enjoy it, share a picture on instagram!  I'd love to see it, so be sure to tag me in it, @emilee_speaks.  What music have you been enjoying this month?  Share your playlist with me on instagram or in the comments below.

kate spade inspired phone wallpapers

I was playing around in photoshop the other day and decided I wanted to make my own Wallpapers for my phone.  Since my ENTIRE desk is setup with Kate Spade office accessories [from Urban Girl Office Supply], I was inspired by her style.

I know that many of us in the planner community are incredibly obsessed with the style of Kate Spade accessories.  How can you not be?  All the gold, black, and white.  Cute "spades" and ampersands... Speaking of ampersands, they are really popular right now.  It's kind of amusing how popular the ampersand has become.  You see ampersands all over the place!

Anyway, I decided to share what I created with you!  They're free to download.  Just right click, and download the picture.  If you're doing it from a cell phone [I can only speak for Android users] press and hold on the picture.  That should bring up the option to save the image.

There's 2 different styles here.  One has the image in a glitter style, and the other is a shiny gold.  I'm personally fond of the shiny gold ones, but I know people would rather have the glitter bling!

Thanks for checking them out && enjoy!!!

write it down: keeping a health journal

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias and its Advertiser. All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone and should not be construed as medical advice. #24HourEsterC #CollectiveBias

2015 is here! Each new year brings new beginnings and new goals. For 2015 I'm going to be keeping a pretty extensive health journal. There's several things I want to keep track of. Keeping a health journal is a great way to know what is going on with your body and why.

The key things I want to keep track of are my water intake, food, how my tummy "feels", and vitamins.  I know I don't drink enough water.  I just don't.  I drink way too much coffee.  I also want to get back to keeping an extensive diary of my food & how it makes my tummy feel.  I also want to track my vitamins and make sure I'm taking them every single night.  I take Vitamin B12 per my doctor's orders and I like to take a Vitamin C pill to support my immune system.

I've really been enjoying Ester-C24 Hour Immune Support. I've started taking Ester-C24 Hour Immune Support to make sure that my immune system is supported. I feel comfortable knowing that this product is supporting my immune system around the clock.  I can take 1 pill and I'm good for the day!

Ester-C 24 Hour Immune Support is chemically solvent-free. Contains NO preservatives, sugar, soy, yeast, gmo, gluten, wheat, milk, lactose, artificial flavor, color sweetener, fish, or sodium. Whew! That was a mouth full, but I LOVE long lists of “NO”s. I recognize the ingredients that I'm putting into my body.  

Ester-C24 Hour Immune Support is conveniently located near the Wal-Mart pharmacy in the Health & Beauty section.  I was able to walk right in and pick out exactly what I wanted!

I keep my vitamins and my health journal on my bedside table.  This makes it easy for me to use every single day.  I always take a fresh glass of water to bed with me each night.  After I snuggle up into bed, I take my Ester-C24 Hour Immune Support 1000mg vitamin and record my day into my health journal.  I do this at night for 2 reasons.  One: I prefer to take my vitamins before bed, I always have.  My body just prefers it.  Two: I can sit down once and go over my entire day.  It helps me exercise my memory by going back over the day remembering what I ate and how much water I drank.  This system is what works best for me.  You may prefer to do this in the morning.  Or update your journal throughout the day.  Just find what works best for you.

||Tracking Ideas||

Food/Beverages

Quantities

Food Types

Symptoms

Hours of Sleep

Water Intake

Physical Activity

Energy Level

Vitamins

Illness

Pain

Hormones [monthly cycle info]

Skin Changes

Do you keep a Health Journal? What do you track in yours?

5 Fandom Friday: Songs That Changed My Life

Music lovers: grab a cup of coffee, this is going to be a long read!

I haven't participated in 5 Fandom Friday in awhile.  I feel like since my last one where I said I wanted to post 5 days a week, life has been nuts and hasn't let me...  Between deaths of friends & family this month, being sick, and getting in the post holiday routine, I've been a mess.  Anyway, I'm posting a 5 Fandom Friday today && it's a great one!

Music.  Music is everything.  One of my favorite quotes is from the movie "Across the Universe".  JoJo says "Music's the only thing that makes sense anymore.  Play it loud enough and it keeps the demons at bay".  I think that sums up music pretty perfectly.

Now I can sit here and drive myself absolutely bonkers analyzing && stressing to come up with the perfect list of 5 songs that changed my life.  I can't do that.  I just can't.  There are SO MANY songs that have changed my life from Buddy Holly, to The Beatles, to Pink Floyd, to Tori Amos, to Incubus, to even MCR...

I used to joke that I'd rather go blind than deaf because I can't imagine a world without music.  Now that I have eye problems and I AM going blind, that's not so funny anymore, but you get the point.  Music has been there for me since I was a little girl obsessed with Buddy Holly.  Seriously.  All my friends were listening to New Kids On The Block, and I was jamming out to a 1950s rock rebel from Lubbock, Texas.  I watched "The Buddy Holly Story" starring Gary Busey every single day of my childhood.  Before I could even read.  One day I told my mom that I was going to see Buddy when I was old enough to go to concerts.  She was speechless.  See... what I didn't know is that at the end of the movie, Buddy died in an airplane crash.  They don't show that in the movie.  They only tell you in text on the screen.  I couldn't read, and I didn't know.  It never occurred to mom that I missed that.  So she sadly explained to me the ending of the movie.  The ending to his life.  I was devastated.  I bawled for my first music love.  I cried for his pregnant wife, who unfortunately miscarried not long after the crash.  Mind you... this all happened about 23 years before I was born.  This is just a little example of how deep my passion for music runs.

So as you can see, to analyze and pick only 5 songs that changed my life would be impossible.  I'd feel like I was cheating on anyone that didn't make the top 5.  I'd make myself crazy...

Instead I picked 5 Songs that I listened to obsessively during pivotal moments in my life.  Songs that not necessarily changed my life, but helped me through events that changed my life.

||1} Tori Amos, God: Tori Amos was a HUGE part of my teenage years.  This red head siren was literally the first woman I ever loved [in a non-family way lol].  Her haunting voice, and the intimacy she has with her piano captivated me.  I was a pianist myself and she was my Goddess.  When my mother died I was in a dark place.  I was 17 when she died from a sudden illness [it only took 6 days].  Naturally I turned to Tori and this song in particular was what I listened to.  With lyrics like, "God sometimes you just don't come through..." it pretty much summed up how I was feeling.

||2} APC, Judith: I am and always will be in love with Maynard James Keenan.  That voice of his... hypnotizes me.  The song Judith is about Maynard's mother.  He had a hard time accepting her death [as I did with my mother].  I won't go into his story here, but I relate.  It's been almost 15 years since my mom died, so I'm obviously in a healthier state of grief.  I miss her every single day, but it doesn't consume me like it did.  However, every April 22nd, the anniversary of her death, I tend to hole up by myself and blast some Judith.

||3} Evans Blue, Over: We've all had that one breakup in our life that seriously [excuse my language] fucked us up.  You know what I'm talking about.  The breakup that turns you into this shell of a person.  The breakup that when you look back on, you say "why?" when you reflect on how much it effected you.  Because NOW you know that it obviously wasn't worth it, and your life is SO much better without that person in it.  I almost laugh when I look back on that relationship & breakup.  It's funny how love can make you blind to someone who's truly a sociopath and incredibly unhealthy for you to be around.  Well going through THAT breakup was hard on me at the time.  I think honestly the main reason it was so hard for me, was it was the first time I had been dumped.  I was always the "dumper".  Anyway, the ENTIRE Evans Blue album "The Melody and the Energetic Nature of Volume" got me through that breakup.  I chose "Over" because it was one of my favorites.  I still love this album and I recommend it to ANYONE going through a breakup.  Both the studio original release and the later released acoustic version of the album.  I've included both versions of the song for you because I couldn't pick between the two.

||4} Jem, Falling For You: Ahhh onto a HAPPIER time.  With every breakup comes the excitement of the next relationship.  However, fear always peeks in at this time as well.  Right after the above mentioned breakup, came the greatest love I've ever known.  I listened to this song A LOT at the start of this relationship.  We were friends that didn't live in the same city && it gradually turned into something REAL.  This song captured all the emotion of being scared to give someone your heart again.

||5} Sarah McLachlan, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy: This song embodies what immediately came from the previous song && feelings.  That moment when you decide you can't deny yourself possible true love out of fear.  You have to risk it all.  You can't "fear love".  To me not only is that what this is about, it's also about not stifling ANY emotion.  The relationship I spoke of in the last song, I'm happy to say is still going strong 7 years later.  This person has all of me.  Mind, body, and soul.  Everything is on the table.  It's a true love with no fear or reservation.  We are 100% ourselves with each other, and we're the best of ourselves together.  Best friends & lovers.

week 3 2015 [planner decoration]

I was really feeling Hello Kitty this week!  I sat down to pick out what I wanted to use, and remembered I had a Hello Kitty sticker book that I purchased from Old Navy on Black Friday.  A lot of the stickers are very large, so I haven't used them much.  Since I'm still trying to figure out how to use all the space available in this Sugar Paper planner, I decided to pull out the sticker book.

The insert I made [details below] has a list of my FlyLady Zone Missions for the week on the other side.

Here's the pages without my insert I made.  The sticky note has my FlyLady Zone to do's for the week.  If you're unfamiliar with FlyLady you should definitely check it out.  Then once again, I put the FlyLady zone of the week in the top left hand corner.  The TV show stickers I made myself.  Now that the holiday season is over and shows are back to their regular schedule, I need a reminder to watch them.

||What I Used||

Stamps: Recollections Stamps, Kate Spade rotating stamp, Studio G ink

Pens: Sharpie Pen/Black && Frixion Pen/Black

Washi rolls: Purchased at Walgreens, Office Max, JoAnn, & a swap [I realize I once again forgot a couple washi's in the details picture...ugh]

Stickies: Flag stickies are from JoAnn dollar section.  Black/White sticky note pad was from a swap

Hello Kitty paper clips: large was purchased at Walgreens & the little one was a Christmas present [I have a huge set of them]

I made my insert using a page out of the Teresa Collins Studio Gold paper pad, Hello Kitty sticker book from Old Navy, Post-It tabs, and a hole punch.  I used a 1/4" hole punch for the Sugar Paper planner.  All you do is mark a spot on the tab where each hole needs to be, punch it, cut a slit in each hole, then you can pop your insert into your planner.

I like to do this so I have extra room for long lists, reoccurring lists, and to add something pretty that I can reuse.  I never attach my lists permanently to the card stock.  This way I can reuse it.

How was your week?  What was your Planner deco theme?

how I setup my 43 folder system

The last 6 months have been a mess of paperwork and receipts all over the place.  Tucked into planners, folders, files, envelopes, etc etc.  I knew for 2015 I needed a better system.  So I turned to the 43 Folder System made famous by David Allen and his book "Getting Things Done".

My setup is technically 45 folders, but the idea is the same.  I added in an "inbox" and an "outbox".  I needed a designated generic inbox & outbox for when I don't know exactly when & where a specific item needs to go in the system.  For example: I have a paid post that I've worked on for a company that is in review.  I won't know when to file that paperwork until they give me green light.  So it's currently tucked away in the generic inbox/outbox section.

I really wanted to use my label maker for labeling the folders, but my label maker is on the fritz.  I had a pile of papers that I NEEDED to organize, so I couldn't wait for a label maker resolution ahah.  I sat down with my stack of folders I'd been collecting from the Target One Spot && UrbanGirl, grabbed a Sharpie pen, and went to town [while watching Doctor Who].

I'll admit there's no rhyme or reason to my folder colors.  I loved them all and didn't care that they weren't all the same.  The shades flow nicely enough for me, so I'm happy with them.  The "month" folders are by SemiColon from UrbanGirl.  The rest are all from the Target One Spot.

Here's a closer look.  I'm currently using what I believe is a plate organizer for your cabinet.  I have my eye on a specific file folder holder from Target, but I'm crossing my fingers that it'll eventually go on sale.

Now every morning when I sit down to start my day, I grab that day's tickler folder to see what I need to do.  Right now, this has mostly been used to organize my blog business paperwork.  That's the majority of the paperwork I accumulate.  

Do you use the 43 Folder System?  How does it work out for you?

week 2 2015 [planner love]

I'm starting to get the hang of having all this space in the Sugar Paper planner.  It was another weird week for me.  Not much to write down, lots of family time && funeral stuff.  I chose this color scheme to cheer me up on a very sad week.  

I made stickers on my computer of my favorite shows to tell me when they're coming back from Christmas break hiatus.  You'll see a couple of those this week.  I have Modern Family & Parenthood listed this week.

Here's what I used this week:

||Pens} Sharpie Pen/Black, Pilot Frixion Clicker 07/Black, Red, Purple, Light Blue, Dark Blue, Pencil from Target OneSpot

||Stamps} Flag & Washi set is by Recollections, Kate Spade Rotating Stamp from UrbanGirl, ink Versa Magic Chalk in Sea Breeze

||Paper Clips} Penguin Silver paper clip from UrbanGirl, Mint test tube paper clips from Target OneSpot

||Washi} Mint polka dot from Target OneSpot, Teal & White from JoAnn in the dollar paper crafts section

||Sticky Notes} Kate Spade Sticky Note Set from UrbanGirl, Cloud "Don't Forget" from TJ Maxx [I think...]

||Labels} Teresa Collins Studio Gold from JoAnn, Flag printed label from MsWenduhh

I kept with the FlyLady daily missions at the bottom of each day.  I don't like that though and have done something different for the current week we're in.  You'll see that next Wednesday.  I put my FlyLady zone at the top of the week again.  I do like this.  It helps me remember what I'm doing.  Like I said above, it was another weird week so there's not a ton of stuff written down.

I really LOVE the Kate Spade Sticky Note Set.  The gold foil embellishments are beautiful on them.  I did the staggering page flag stamps in the middle mainly because I had some blank room and I wanted to play with the stamp.  I'm very new to stamping, so I like to experiment when I can.

Let me know if you have any questions about what I used or how I used it!

New Year, New Hair!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MoreIsBeautiful #CollectiveBias

Thinning hair is something I've been struggling with for several years now.  Back in November I shared with you my nightly routine and how I started using Women's Rogaine.  Well today I'm going to update you on my progress!

Women's Rogaine has been amazing.  My hair is getting thicker and has so much more volume.  I've been using Rogaine every day for about 3 months now, and have experienced a noticeable improvement.  I am naturally curly haired, but had to straighten my hair for years now because my curls were lifeless and I looked bald due to thinning.

[Picture taken 5/31/14]

Straightening my hair helped hide a lot of my thinning, but if you looked just right, you could see my entire scalp through my hair.  I was really struggling. I LOVE big voluminous hair, and used to have it!  I wanted it back!  I was given the opportunity to work with Women's Rogaine in November, and it has saved my hair & my confidence!  I'm happy with my hair again!

As you can see my curls have life again!  They have more volume and you CAN'T see my entire scalp through them anymore!  I'm so excited to be starting off the New Year with a New Me and New Hair!

[All me... no sock bun donuts or extensions]

One of my favorite ways to wear my hair is in a top knot with a bow at the base.  It gives it a feminine touch to a very casual style.  I couldn't wear my hair up like this before Women's Rogaine because there wasn't enough hair and you could see my scalp through it all.

All I use on my hair now is my favorite leave in treatment by Neutrogena and Women's Rogaine!  Some days I'll use a little gel of whatever I have on hand to help with frizz if it's a humid day.

Wal-Mart has a great low price for Women's Rogaine.  This is where I pick mine up!  Women's Rogaine is offering a Mail-In Rebate of $10 now through 2/28/15.  Also, if you purchase from Wal-Mart online they're offering a $10 gift card!  Awesome ways to save to help you get started on the path to fuller hair.

Do you have thinning hair?  What is your current routine for fuller hair?

planner discovery [minted.com]

I am sooo excited to share this undiscovered planner to the planner world!  You guys are going to completely flip out when you see this!  Minted has added planners to their collection!  Everything is fully customizable and there's 402 cover designs to choose from.  FOUR HUNDRED AND TWO!!

Not only can you fully customize your planner, you can make a matching journal or address book to go along with it!  You can get a planner with monthly pages only [think: bill planning] or the weekly planner.  They have the plastic protective covers that we're used to seeing with planners like Sugar Paper.  Most designs have several color scheme options to choose from and you can change up the text to whatever you want.  A lot of the designs even have places to add a photo of your choice!  The possibilities are literally endless.  

Here's some of my favorite designs:

Awesome, huh?  You guys I seriously squealed when I saw this selection.  There's something for everyone here!

The customization doesn't end there.  On the inside you can choose what will be on the inside cover.  There's a pretty label where you can add text.  Or you can choose a photo with text!

The journal notebook has your choice of spiral binding or grommets like the one pictured above.  How's that for customization?!

They even come with stickers on the inside!  The planner also has a paper pocket folder for bills, receipts, letters, or whatever you need to tuck inside, AND extra lined paper for notes.  

I'm seriously loving these.  I played around on the website for HOURS trying to decide which one I want.  I THINK I have it picked out.  There's so many options and so much to choose from you will definitely get lost in pure planner bliss.  Hop on over to Minted and check these babies out!

||UPDATE||

These will work well for a little budget book, food log, etc.  I do not recommend these to replace your Limelife, Erin Condren, FiloFax, etc.