“Baby Paper Fiend,” aka my son Westley, has his 9 month check up coming soon. I call him the “Baby Paper Fiend” because he’s in a phase where he wants to tear up every piece of paper he can get his hands on—except my planners. Smart kid. 

One would think someone so young wouldn’t need an arsenal of organization tools, but he does. Fortunately, back when I was pregnant with him I came across some awesome tools on BabyCenter to help me. They have awesome printables, checklists and worksheets to keep a first time momma like me in order. It may seem obvious to some but having a checklist for everything from knowing how to buy a crib to what’s needed in the baby bag was invaluable to me. So of course with his 9 month appointment coming up, BabyCenter has a 9-month checklist waiting for me to download.  

The only issue is I am a tad particular and I like to have everything organized neatly and in one place. (See my previous post on needing to keep my Etsy Plan pages in my Limelife Planner.) BabyCenter’s PDFs are designed for a standard 8.5x11 inch letter size print out. Well I live in a 7x9 inch world. I have two 7x9 planners, my Limelife Planner obviously being one of them, as well as my mini gold Russell+Hazel 3-ring binder, which fits those dimensions as well. I like to keep them all together on my desk to experience planner bliss!

Now I do have a binder that accommodates 8.5x11 inch paper, but if I used it then that means schlepping my planner, a huge binder, baby bag and purse to the doctor, oh and Westley. So what’s a persnickety momma to do, carry a suitcase for all of that? Girl, bye! I’m going to do what I do best—customize. I’m all about making my planners work for me. I'm fine to take a few extra steps to live in organized bliss.

Here’s what I do to adjust any PDF: If you have Adobe Illustrator or some other comparable software, you can download the PDFs and adjust their size to print to the dimensions for your planner. If the file is unlocked and layered you can customize the colors and add extra images to personalize it. You may need to add some extra white space to the document for the margins so you can clip it into your planner or binder without sacrificing the content. From there, print it, punch it, snap it in and sweet Lord your inner control freak is pleased. What do you do when you hit a challenge to planner bliss?

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This blog post was written by Amber Boyd for the Limelife Planners Media & Creative Team.  Please share and repost this blog entry with your friends! All we ask is that you give credit to Limelife Planners and the post author.

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With the 4th fast approaching, and many in the USA leaving for vacations, planning cookouts, parties and getting ready for a much needed long weekend, the words family and celebrations come to mind. We all come together to celebrate this fine day in July where on the 4th in 1776 we declared our independence from Great Britain. We think of fireworks, sparklers, burgers, brats, pool parties, and honoring those who fought for our freedom. This country is ultimately the “Home of the free, because of the brave!” This federal holiday is celebrated in so many ways and like all holidays I love capturing every moment with family and friends. It’s time to get together and, of course, take a million pictures!

Being the photographer in the family, everyone is always asking “Do you have your camera,” and “Can you take a few pictures please?” Of course, I set up a small shoot and snap away with a few planned poses in mind! My kids know all to well that if it’s any type of holiday, they are going to be dressed in holiday shirts or matching outfits and will be asked to take a few candids before we run out the door to conquer our plans for the day. 

I always try to snap a few quick photos of each of the kids alone and then together before they stain their shirts, and get sweaty and have no interest when we get to our destination. I usually grab them each a festive shirt for each holiday. I try not to go crazy when it comes to spending tons of money on these shirts, so I go to places like Target, Crazy 8, Carters, Old Navy or Walmart. This year's pick was from Crazy 8 for $6.99 each.  With the shirts all set to go it’s now time for the printable.

Each holiday I try to create a different printable for a photoshoot so I remember the day and year for keepsake. Since I usually print pictures and just place them in a bin for scrapbooking later, this works perfect for me. Now when I see pictures from the past year with the kids holding the printable I know what they were wearing and can put them all together.

 Download Free 4th of July Printable

When picking a spot for the picture, weather pending, I pick a blank wall in a well lit room. Natural lighting is best. I also love taking pictures in front of our house. We won’t be here forever so having memories in the front of our first home is nice touch. If you don’t want to try the front of the house, consider taking photos in front of a tree. Even just sitting in the grass is a great touch. Make it your own!

Now that I’ve given you some great reasons to take your own photographs on holidays, go print this free 4th of July printable and take your family's pictures. They will for sure be a great memory to keep! Have a happy and safe 4th of July!

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This blog post was written by Jamie Lee for the Limelife Planners Media & Creative Team. For more information about Jamie visit her website at Reveal Photography. Please share and repost this blog entry with your friends! All we ask is that you give credit to Limelife Planners and the post author.

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The majority of my planning is done at home, but I always pack a planning bag with me for on the go. I’m a bit of a frugal planner myself. I like to think outside the box when it comes to decorating and accessories for my planner. I thought long and hard about what would work best to carry my planner and my necessities. I wish I could take full credit for this idea, but I found this idea on a planner group. I’m totally grateful to the person that mentioned it!

I use a Bible cover! I purchased it at a local book store, but I know you can find them all over. It holds my planner, zips fully around it so my tabs don’t get bent, and has room for extra goodies. I don’t open my planner up and fit the cover into the sleeves because I prefer to pull my planner out anyway. I work outside the home 28 hours a week in the IT department for a large corporation. My job has me on the phone 100% of the time. This frees up my hands to work on my blog duties, edit video, edit photos, etc. while at work. I need my planner with me to look at what I have to work on and keep track of tasks. This is the reason I need an on the go planner setup.

On the left side of my bible cover I have a pen loop, a pocket, and a half sleeve. In my pocket I usually keep extra paper clips for marking places in paperwork, and usually my Staedtler pens. The half sleeve is super handy for notepads, and I keep a zipper pouch in there too that holds other randoms.

In my little clear zipper pouch I keep washi tape that matches my current week and month for things I want to mark in my planner. I also keep my Limelife Planners stickers and sheets of Avery labels that I’ve pre-stamped with my most used stamps in it. This is really convenient for when ideas arise like photos I need to take or video I want to film. Since I have these accessories with me, I can mark them in my planner and still have it match my current theme.

I tend to use a planner band to hold my planner secure since I also tuck loose papers and notes into my planner. Things that I eventually want to transfer into my planner. I find that using a planner band perfectly secures my planner tight so that nothing falls out. The one pictured here is from Office Depot and was only a couple dollars. It’s rubbery elastic so it stays exactly where I put it.

This setup works great for me! How do you plan on the go? What necessities do you need at all times?

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This blog post was written by Emilee Adams for the Limelife Planners Media & Creative Team. For more information about Emilee visit her blog at www.emileespeaks.com. Please share and repost this blog entry with your friends! All we ask is that you give credit to Limelife Planners and the post author.

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Being a planner newbie is extremely overwhelming! Between the million planner sticker Etsy shops, Michaels, Joann’s and sticker sheets made by planner companies themselves, it can be hard to know where to start and before you know it, you’ve spent a small fortune on stickers alone!

But I am here to help! In my opinion, the most important stickers for any planner to have in your collection are functional stickers, and I’ve compiled a list of my top ten functional stickers and where to find them.

1. Money: Using a planner can help keep you on budget and make sure your bills are paid on time. I keep track of these things with just two simple stickers: payday and bill due.

 2. Urgent: All stickers indicate important things in my planner, but for those things that are extra urgent and needed tending to yesterday, I like to use an exclamation point or alarm clock. 

3. Doctor’s Appointments: Whether it’s the dentist, ophthalmologist, or just a yearly checkup, those appointments are important and absolutely warrant some sticker space in your planner.

Peacefulmind Design

4. Work Schedule/School Assignments: If your schedule changes each week, marking it down in your planner can be really helpful to be aware of all your shifts. And I can’t tell you how many times an assignment sticker has saved me for school! 

5. Birthdays: Birthdays are important…and also very hard to remember sometimes. But you can use a cake, candle, present, or balloon to mark off the birthdays of the important people in your life.

Peacefulmind Design

6. Paw Prints: Paw prints are a great way to signal vet appointments, flea treatments, and trips to the groomers.

Oh, Hello Stationery Co.

7. Health: I’m not always the greatest at this one, but I watch others use stickers for tracking workouts, or as a way to meal plan, or evaluate daily water intake. I’m working on getting into these stickers, but I think they are important and can change how you think about taking care of your body.

Limelife Planners

8. Hair Appointments: It’s an appointment that my bangs can’t afford to miss, and for that simple reason it’s worth it to me to have a sticker to remind me.

9. Car Maintenance: One simple car sticker can be used for oil changes, tire rotations, and those pesky appointments you have to make when your A/C stops working.

10. To-Do: Tons of people use their planners as running to-do lists and stickers can help with that. Lined full box stickers, heart checklists, or even just a simple sticker that says “to-do” can keep you on track with your tasks for the week.

One of my favorite places to find these functional stickers are the Create365 Happy Planner sticker books found at Michaels. This is one of the best and only functional sticker book options available in stores.  

Happy Planner

I also adore the Etsy shop Oh, Hello Stationary Co. Kayla makes some amazing functional sets in bright, beautiful colors that are high quality and wonderful starters. She plans diligently in her own planner and understands what people look for in planner stickers.

Oh, Hello Stationery Co.

The second is Peacefulmind Design. Although they are located in Australia, shipping was really quick. And even if it wasn’t, Nicky’s package sticker deals are so worth it – my favorite are the “create your own mini sheets” where you can choose your own colors and icons from a pretty extensive list.

Peacefulmind Design

Of course, Limelife Planners offers a variety of professional quality sitckers.

I would love some feedback from all my planner friends – are there stickers I’m not thinking of? Are there brilliant shops I’m missing out on? Let me know down below in the comments!

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This blog post was written by Kelly Cosgrove for the Limelife Planners Media & Creative Team. For more information about Kelly connect with her on Instagram: @kellysprettyplanner. Please share and repost this blog entry with your friends! All we ask is that you give credit to Limelife Planners and the post author.

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I know I'm way too excited about this, but every season I like to do a deep clean throughout the house and garage. On a daily basis I have a list of things I do so that when it comes down to it, seasonal cleaning isn't that horrible!

Some of those daily tasks include dishes, spot cleaning floors, wiping down sinks and quick dusting. I keep on hand Clorox Disinfecting Wipes for all surfaces, the new Clorox Dust Wipes, and the Swiffer Wet Jet and Vac for quick clean up.

For quarterly cleaning, I usually start out by getting rid of my piles, AKA clutter! I grab a big garbage bag and label it "Trash," then I grab another and label it "Donate."  I can usually fill both these bags (twice). I start in my kitchen and dining room (that's where I stack piles of papers, coupons, etc). Then after I throw out what I don't need, I organize and actually file and put away the rest. I found putting all my coupons in a cute makeup bag works great. When I go out shopping I just grab that and throw it in my purse.

After that I go through all the kids' closets and even mine and my husband's. I go through the shoe bins and coat closet as well. Anything not worn or moved since the previous cleaning goes. Anything ripped or with holes in it goes in the garbage bag! As for toys, I take everything out of our bins and toy boxes and wipe them down, put some toys that can be washed in the dishwasher and anything broken or with missing pieces goes to trash. Don't forget to vacuum or wipe down the floors of the closets, the doors and the walls. 

Some things that are commonly missed or skipped are dusting off fans, whiteboards, top of the TV and headboards, light fixtures, and window sills. Also, a deep carpet cleaning is always a good way to top off the seasonal cleaning process. I invested in a Bissell carpet cleaner and it has been a lifesaver and money saver as well.

Don't forget the laundry room. One of the things you can do to help your dryer perform better and reduce risk of fire and reduce allergens is hire a service to come out and clean inside of the vents (this is only needed once or twice year). Lastly with seasonal change don't forget to check the batteries in you fire detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. 

If this list is overwhelming don't worry! The Limelife Planners team created a free printable to add to your planner that gives you a check list of daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal duties. Now you can stay organized and make sure you don't miss the necessities. Happy Cleaning!

Download Free Cleaning List Printable

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This blog post was written by Jamie Lee for the Limelife Planners Media & Creative Team. For more information about Jamie visit her website at Reveal Photography. Please share and repost this blog entry with your friends! All we ask is that you give credit to Limelife Planners and the post author.

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Do you have a penpal or someone you would just like to send a little pick me up to and maybe include some RAK (random act of kindness) goodies? Well, have you heard about this new rage called “Pocket Letters?" It's a really cool way to do some scrapping with minimal scrapbooking experience needed. It is a bit on the same line as Project Life but smaller scale and personalized more for your pal.

You use inexpensive ATC (artist trading cards) pocket protectors that you can find at Target, the dollar store etc. At Target they can be found in the back by toys and those little collector cards but you can also find them close to the check out “impulse” items. You can cut down Project Life cards for the pockets, print and design your own or there are a lot of freebie sites to find them on.

The concept is to include a mini letter about yourself and each pocket has a particular item you are including with the decorated pocket. I will include what is off the pocket letter site to show you what a basic setup is, but this is something you make your own. Most have a theme that I have seen so that everything coordinates and this theme can be a particular color or particular item such as coffee, baking, pink, shabby chic, etc.

You RAK your penpal with things such as cute paperclips, stickers, washi tape, wood veneers, die cuts etc. All things that a scrapbook or planner would utilize.

It is a way to correspond with people all over the place. The way it folds up you can place it in a #10 envelope and send off to a far away place or someone just states away.

I am loving the concept because if you are like me you love to craft but time is very limited right now and you can finish these pocket letters in no time. Here is a look at how the protectors come.

image from tracystreasures-tracy.blogspot.com

There are several really good Facebook groups just for Pocket Letters. My favorite is called “Pocket Letter Pals.” In most of the groups people will post when looking for someone to swap with and there are lists of ideas of what to include as goodies in each pocket.

I decided this is a great way to utilize your planner in keeping track of when you complete one and mail it. You can keep all your contacts in your planner with their address etc. and utilize the notes section to do a little bit of planning for them and keep track of who likes what. When you go to make one for your penpal it is all handy.

I did a little sketch in my notes section since there are plenty of note pages in my Limelife Planner. That is the great thing about Limelife. They have provided you with more than just a couple contact pages and notes. Everything is plentiful in the planner so I never feel like I can’t utilize them for fear of running out.

The hardest part for me since I am a newbie is knowing what theme or look I am going with and I think anything that is new you have to learn to jump in and test the waters and not be afraid to make mistakes or have it perfect the first time. There is plenty of time to improve. I sometimes tense up so much when starting something new (like planner decorating) because I am so afraid of it not being perfect or looking bad but that is part of the process and finding your groove.

It's all about the peace that comes from being creative and letting yourself go. I know with my personality that is the part I am working on. I just started drawing and I feel I am improving because I am more open to imperfection, which makes things more perfect over time. I have started to accept that I cannot be the best at everything no matter how hard I try and learn to not put so much pressure on myself by comparing myself to others. Be you…love you….accept yourself.

The planner and crafting world is so vast and with social media we are able to connect with so many people around the world. Pocket Letters allow you to share a bit of yourself and share some planner or crafting goodies that your penpal may not have access to because of the cost or availability. Show someone that you are thinking of them and brighten their day.

There is so much negativity in the world, so much hatred and cruelty and I for one want to see the positive in everything even though some days that is hard. This can be therapeutic for you and someone that may be going through a tough time and you might just make their day by sending one to them.

So give this a try, reach out to people you haven’t reached out to in a long while or someone new and show someone you are thinking of them. For more information on Pocket Letter Pals visit creator Janette Lane's blog: janettelane.blogspot.com.

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This blog post was written by Debbie Crowder for the Limelife Planners Media & Creative Team. For more information about Debbie visit her blog at www.craftinchaos.com. Please share and repost this blog entry with your friends! All we ask is that you give credit to Limelife Planners and the post author.

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Just when I thought my collection of planners was complete, Limelife comes out with Teacher Planners. Not only do they have teacher planners, but they also have three layouts to choose from. Come with me as I narrow down my choices to help fit my needs and the needs of my students.

At first, when I was basing next year on the last eight years of teaching middle school language arts, I was quite interested in Layout I, because it has plenty of space for extra requirements within a lesson plan such as standards and objectives.  I would personally like to place these requirements in the notes section for each day. Then, I would suggest placing accommodations for ELL, ESE, and gifted students in the sidebar. On the lines within the sidebar, I would have liked to include the strategies that I would be using during that current week.

Now that I know that next year is not following the same pattern as the rest of the years during my teaching career, I have taken a serious look at Layout J. 

Layout J appeals to my need for rotations. I plan on dividing my students into six groups and rotating them every two weeks. Then, I still have the last column for the requirements mentioned above.

My thoughts on Layout H have never changed; I still think it is the perfect layout for an elementary teacher. In fact I asked my sister, who happens to be an elementary teacher, to share her thoughts on the H layout. "The hourly schedule applies perfectly to a day in my life at school. I have so much to fit into one day being able to put it in time slots helps keep me on schedule and make sure my students stay in their routine," explains Jellisa Axson.

At my school, and I am sure at a lot of other schools, we keep a curriculum binder, so while I love the idea of having my planner in a coil with a fancy cover I must choose the 3-hole punch binding. Out of all the things I am looking forward to with this planner like the Parent Contact Information, 10 IEP sheets, Birthday & Special Dates pages, and Logins & Passwords page, I am looking forward to the 154 rectangle stickers the most!

I almost forgot to mention that you can also choose from four different covers. They include Blackboard, Study Hall, Spring Break, and Hall Pass. Limelife Planners is known for giving you options. They seriously think of everything! I for one am very thankful! With that said, I think I have made my final decision, and I am choosing Layout J. In essence, I truly believe that every teacher is by default a planner, and I am sure that any teacher, no matter what subject they may teach, can find the layout that meets the needs of their schedule and their plans for their students.  

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This blog post was written by Elliscia Axson-Hall for the Limelife Planners Media & Creative Team. For more information about Elliscia visit her on Instagram @elliscia_plans. Please share and repost this blog entry with your friends! All we ask is that you give credit to Limelife Planners and the post author.

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I am currently using the Limelife Planner in layout option C for my family/personal planner. This means that during the summer, the kids' categories are going to be pretty blank. I’ve decided to utilize this time and blank space with the activities that they will be doing throughout the summer, and also for the chores that they will be completing throughout the summer. 

For this week, I decided to use the sidebar for their chores list, because I haven’t yet decided how I’m going to space things out and write out their chores in the daily boxes. I am either going to make a special custom sticker for myself or use a checklist. I like using checklists for everything!

The flags in the middle of the page will be used as a little mini journal, to document what they did throughout the day. We have lots of plans to do small trips throughout the summer, so this will be a fun way of capturing those memories!

I may also use the spaces within their rows to journal exclusively throughout the summer and keep the chores bar off to the right. I love the idea of art journaling right inside a planner!

How does your planning process change for the summer?

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This blog post was written by Nicole Ferland for the Limelife Planners Media & Creative Team. For more information about Nicole visit her store at www.thealexstudio.com. Please share and repost this blog entry with your friends! All we ask is that you give credit to Limelife Planners and the post author.

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Fact: unless you are an accountant, financial planning and budgeting is the absolute worst. For years, my adorable husband tried to get me to participate in his monthly budgeting snooze-fest in the hopes that I would actually stick to it. Needless to say, month after month, hubby dearest was sorely disappointed. Then one day, we made the decision to do a “total money makeover” a la financial guru Dave Ramsey. One of Ramsey’s rules is to PLAN a monthly budget meeting and make a PLAN together with your significant other. Hold the phone! Did someone say the magic word?! Suddenly and without warning, the ideas started flowing. A financial planner! A monthly financial planner! I immediately ran to the computer and purchased myself a Limelife Monthly Planner! 

I know what you’re thinking, impulse buys are a huge no-no during a money makeover, and that is very true, but this is for the greater good of financial freedom, right? Right. I love my new monthly planner so much, that I just had to share the simple, yet brilliant system that keeps our finances organized, keeps our budget on track, and maybe most importantly, keeps my attention and involvement! I will take you through my monthly financial planner and how I use it section by section.

1. Front Section

In the front of my monthly planner is the optional coiled-in envelope. I use this to keep important receipts and paper statements/bills. Always a good idea!

I use the “Logins and Passwords” pages for online banking and credit card account info. Since I know that this planner will never leave my house, I know that my info is safe, but if you’ll be carrying your financial planner around with you, I highly suggest leaving any personal and confidential information out!

Next is the goals page. I use this page to write out our financial goals for the year. It is a running list because as some goals are reached, others tend to appear. I like that there is a space for me to write the date that we reach each goal so that we have something to look back on and be proud of. You can also use this space for the date by which you want a particular goal to be reached. My goals so far include paying off specific credit cards, saving $1000 in our emergency fund, and reaching $1000 in our family savings account. The next few pages are for monthly lists and reminders.

Here, I put events that I know we will need money for in a particular month. For example, in August, it is my husband’s and my 10th anniversary. We are taking a family vacation to the lake house for a week, and my cousin is getting married. Before we write our budget for August, we will check that section and plan for those events, accordingly. The last pages are for contacts. Here, I have the contact information of our banks, lenders, creditors, insurance providers, and utility companies.

2. Monthly Sections

In the front of each month’s section, there is a notes page. This is where we write out our entire budget every month for easy reference.

I like to use Frixion pens for our budget so that we can tweak it, as needed. I buy mine on Amazon, but I know that some people have been able to find them at Walmart.

In the monthly spread, I put when all of our bills are due and when we get paid. Since I am a total sticker addict, I naturally had to make a totally adorable icon sticker set for this purpose. In fact, I actually made the stickers before my planner even arrived!

I ended up loving the set so much that I decided to offer them in my sticker shop, Three Little Birds Studio (3lbstudio.etsy.com). The set is color-coded to make planning that much easier (and prettier, too!).

3. Finances Add-On Section

I chose to add a finances section at the end as a finishing touch to my monthly financial planner. It has a page for you to write out a master budget in the front, a debt worksheet (very useful if you are, or plan on doing, a debt snowball), two pages of check registers, and twelve monthly finance pages to keep your bill and finance records all in one neat and tidy place. This really comes in handy during monthly budget meetings when you may need to refer to previous months.

And that about sums it up! I hope you found this helpful and inspirational to your own financial planning! Happy planning, Limelifers!

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This guest blog post was written by Emily Taaffe of Three Little Birds Studio. For more information about Emily visit her store at 3lbstudio.etsy.com. Please share and repost this blog entry with your friends! All we ask is that you give credit to Limelife Planners and the post author.

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Summer is here! Wahoo! The kids are out of school and the summertime fun begins. As a planner, I naturally love planning out activities in advance and making lists.  Each season I create a list of things that I like to do by myself and with my family.  Now that the days are longer and my kids are free from school, I came up with a bucket list that I would love for us to complete.  

This year for my Limelife Planner I ordered the cutest stickers from Lillie Henry on Etsy. Erin’s stickers are one of a kind and so adorable. I couldn’t wait to get them in my planner to start the planning.  

I love them because I need to see things visually and they just make my planner so much prettier.

Now that I laid out all the days that we are doing special things, I also created a printable list to hang up so my kids get to see and check off the things we did and what else we can do.  

Download Bucket List Printable
 

Some things on the list include: finding a new park, going strawberry picking, camping in the backyard, painting on canvas, making s'mores, reading a good book, and so much more! After making my list, I made another list of supplies that I need to grab.  I put the supplies I need at the beginning of each week after I planned out the activities for the whole month. A planner has to plan doesn’t she?

I hope this list finds you as excited as I am about summer and fun activities. Will you be printing out your own summer bucket list? Let me know in the comments below!

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This blog post was written by Jamie Lee for the Limelife Planners Media & Creative Team. For more information about Jamie visit her website at Reveal Photography. Please share and repost this blog entry with your friends! All we ask is that you give credit to Limelife Planners and the post author.

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