This is the second planner I’ve been asked to review!  Do you think someone is trying to tell me something?  Maybe it’s time to get more organized and intentional about my days.  But wait… I wasn’t just given a planner for myself!  I also received The Ultimate Weekly Planner for Teens!  That is sure to be a big help to The Author, as she finishes up her high school work and prepares for college.

I’ll start with The Ultimate Homeschool Planner…

I’m not a huge planner person, but since the blog planner I reviewed earlier has really helped me stay on top of all things bloggy, I’m excited about the prospects of the Ultimate Homeschool Planner doing the same for all things homeschool-y!    (When we lived in a state that had more restrictions on home education, I was really good at writing it all down and keeping records.  Now that we’re in a state with far less requirements, I find I have gotten lazy with my record keeping!)  So this planner is sure to be a benefit to me in many practical ways.

The Ultimate Homeschool Planner is not just an ordinary planner, but a planning system right at your fingertips! What make this different? It is way more thoughtful than your average “to-do list” type planner.  Right from the start, your priorities are clear.  “Count your blessings, Encourage Independence, and Record your progress.”  While you certainly take time to set academic goals, you also consider character goals for each child and record progress and achievement each week.

The resource section at the back of the planner has all these great components to assist in your planning.

This is so much more than a planner…But that’s just the adult planner!

The Ultimate Weekly Planner for Teens will give your teenager a very resourceful tool for staying on task and reaching those oh-so-important deadlines.  It will help them develop the independence they will need moving ahead in life, be it college or career.

This has been perfect timing for us. The Author, who is nearing the end of high school, is suddenly faced with a lot more outside deadlines to keep track of.  She has an online AP course and subsequent exam, SAT test dates looming, college application deadlines, and some goal setting for finishing her first novel and learning about publishing.  She NEEDS this planner more than ever. The Ultimate Weekly Planner for Teens will keep The Author on track in the busy months ahead.

The Engineer will be starting high school in the fall, so it will be the perfect time to get him started with his own planner. (Just so you know, there is also a planner available for younger students.)

Just like the adult planners, with fully customizable monthly and weekly calendars, this planner ends with a great collection of resources. Truly everything they could need in one convenient location. There is also room for some notes and doodling, a pocket to keep important papers, and even stickers to use to mark important appoints and events.

There is so much we love about these planners, but I will narrow it down to the top three for you!

It’s Reflective & Intentional

We don’t always stop and reflect on what and why we do what we do, but that is built into The Ultimate Homeschool Planner.  Before you begin each week, start by thinking about your battle plan for what’s ahead; determine a “fighter verse”, take time to pray, consider opportunities for hospitality and/or outreach.  Now you’re ready to begin planning the academics of the week ahead.

At the end of the week, come back and jot down some memorable moments, achievements, and answers to prayer. The thoughtful/intentional nature of this planner will help me take a minute to remember what’s really important in this journey.

It’s Customizable

I love that the planners allow you to customize column and row headers and dates, giving you flexibility to start using the planner at any time during the year, without feeling like you’re wasting valuable pages.  Additionally, since The Author & The Engineer are both teens and are working more independently, I chose to customize the weekly pages a little differently.  I placed subject headings at the top of each column and noted work for the whole week in the box.  (Previously I would have used the column headings for the days of the week.)  I changed to this more general approach because at 14 and 17, they are capable of “getting it done” without a lot of micromanaging by me.  When the kids were younger, I always opted for M-F across the top and subjects down the side, but I think this general approach will work for keeping us on track.

The weekly planning pages in The Ultimate Weekly Planner for Teens allow your student to customize for each subject and keep track of the time spent for each course. That is especially important if you live in a state where the requirements dictate a greater degree of record keeping.

For us, it will help in keeping track of time spent on a couple of online programs we use for math and vocabulary. Especially since the math program doesn’t use specific lesson numbers like traditional math curriculum.

It’s Encouraging

Lastly, both planners are filled with great quotes to keep you motivated, encouraged, and entertained throughout the year.  In the Ultimate Homeschool Planner, it begins on the very first page..

“Order brings peace.”  ~ St. Augustine

And here’s an example from the teen planner:

“Desire that your life count for something great! Long for your life to have eternal significance. Want this! Don’t coast through life without a passion.” ~ John Piper

So after all that, the bottom line is this:

We love these planners! 🙂

These planners are all available through Apologia.  Apologia carries an excellent line of products for home educating families; from curriculum, books, and online classes, to these wonderful planners designed by Deborah Bell.  (Prices below reflect current price at the time of this review.)

The Ultimate Homeschool Planner: $28

The Ultimate Weekly Planner for Teens: $19

The Ultimate Daily Planner for Students: $19

(please check other Mosaic Reviews for opinions about the Student version.)

As for me, I’m heading over to buy and additional teen planner for The Engineer.  What about you?

There is so much more to this planner than I have even mentioned, so please be sure to check out some of the other reviews on the Mosaic Reviews website.

Disclaimer: Members of the Mosaic Reviews team were given this product in exchange for their honest reviews.  No other compensation of any kind has been received.