Mindful Ramblings

It is a great thing to get organized BEFORE you start something! That’s why I was so excited that our first assignment for Mosaic Reviews was to choose and review a blog planner.

There were several to choose from; everything from the all-inclusive, oh-my-I’ll-never-fill-all-of-that-out type planner, to the basic, one page, simple planner to keep you focused. This free blog planner, by Homeschool Creations, fell somewhere in between. I thought it would be perfect for someone like me….I am not an everyday blogger, but the planner includes specially designed pages to keep track of reviews and their deadlines and that’s what first caught my attention.

The Homeschool Creations Yearly Blog Planner includes:

• Blank Monthly Calendar pages
• Two week at a glance pages
• Review/Giveaway tracking pages, and
• Additional Planning Helps

The Additional Planning Helps section  includes pages for keeping track of other bloggy type things like website analytics, usernames and passwords, affiliate programs, twitter hashtags, link-ups, and notes & ideas.

Honestly, it has taken me a few weeks to get back into the planner habit and I probably shouldn’t call it a “habit” quite yet! But with deadlines for reviews seemingly around every corner, I know I need to get more organized to prevent things from falling through the cracks.    

In the past, I have tried to use technology to manage my to-do list. This includes the simple calendar in Outlook and on the opposite extreme, an expensive on-line homeschool planner. But none has really worked for me at this point. Maybe it’s because I am a tactile person. I grew up with paper and pencils in hand and I think that works best for me!

After a few weeks working with the  Homeschool Creations Yearly Blog Planner, here are the parts I like best:

The Weekly Pages….when items are assigned for review I schedule all dates relating to final post. From setting up a draft on the blog, to adding images and links, adding specific product information, and finally adding my personal opinions. (I note the deadlines in red ink to make sure I don’t miss them!) For me, this page alone is probably sufficient 🙂

The Blank Calendar Pages…so I can customize and use the same planner next year, instead of needing to buy a new one every year. Each monthly template has a “Focus of the Month” section at the bottom. This is a great place for brainstorming upcoming post ideas.

The Flexibility of an unbound planner…being able to move pages around until I find a system that works best for me.

The Review/Giveaway pages are perfect if you like to record all the important product info on paper. As for me, I generally set up all that information in my draft post on the blog, so I didn’t end up using them.

In the Additional Planning Helps section, my favorite is probably the page for Website & Blog usernames and passwords. I am forever needing to request passwords for websites I haven’t visited in awhile, so this will be a great resource.

Bottom line… I really enjoy using this planner and will continue to use it in the upcoming months.

Ready to get your free copy?  You’re just a click away!  Just click the FREE Printable Blog Planner image to download yours. When you get to the website, there are tips for setting up and using this planner and links to some of the other planners available.

Be sure to visit other areas of the website for great resources for homeschooling families.

Other members of the Mosaic Reviews team have also reviewed this product.  Please feel free to visit their blogs by clicking the Mosaic Reviews button.

Disclaimer: This product was given to members of Mosaic Reviews team in exchange for their honest review.  No other compensation of any kind has been received.