Every year, I buy this awesome planner.  It is the Belle de Jour Power Planner.  I really like how it helps me feel encouraged, inspired and powerful (in a womanish kind of way). I took some photos and posted them here. I’m not going to talk about everything that is in the planner. I’m sure many other bloggers wrote about how great it is and all the inside pages. It is true. It is really great!

 

Smythsewn vs Spiral Planner Versions

This year, I tried the Smythsewn version of the planner. I always have used the spiral because I like how you can easily add ribbon markers by attaching the ribbons to the spring, and that the spring works as a penholder (see the 2014 planner picture below).  I hate digging for pens in my bag and sometimes I forget to bring any, so an attached pen to the planner is a must for me. I have been suggesting a penholder feature for years but there’s still no penholder until now.  The spring in the spiral version of the planner works perfect for me. However, this year, since the personalized planners come only in Smythsewn version, I don’t know where to put my pen.

I compared the smythsewn and spiral version planners in the picture below. I like how the spiral planner pages lay flat.  The smythsewn planner pages flip on its own. I have to hold it down to keep it flat. Personally, the self-flipping pages bother me.

I like that the 2015 Planner is slimmer and lighter than the previous planners. The coupons are in a separate booklet this year that made the planner lighter than before.

 

Personalized With My Name

The personalized planner caught my interest big time. Who doesn’t want anything personalized? I think it is cute. See the picture above. I wish next year the personalized planner would come in spiral versions (because of the reasons I stated previously).  There is a limit of only 8 characters, and there are 9 characters in my name C-H-R-I-S-T-I-N-E.  So I just used my second name, Everth, which I equally love. One thing BDJ could improve on next year is the entire order process.  I seriously did not find anything in the description when I bought the planner online that it will take 15 business days (Saturdays and Sundays are not included I guess).  I knew it would take a bit longer than the usual order processing time (2 days for the regular planners), but the entire order process for the personalized planner took a month.  There was a slight misunderstanding with their customer service but the service turnaround went great.  They responded right on time everytime.  Also, when I received my planner after a month, it didn’t include a BDJ Lifestyle Card and the stickers. But they sent it quickly right after I reported to them that it was missing. The BDJ Team is really very helpful and friendly. They took care of my concerns very well.

There is really nothing much difference with the personalized version of the planner except that it has a name on the front cover.  I realized, when I received the planner, that I didn’t need the unique name in front as much. It was a sort of spur and unthought of purchase for me. The insides are exactly the same. I am the only one using it in my home office (work-at-home rocks), so no one would have the exact same planner in my workplace. I chose the planner without the girl. I like it more. It looks more formal but still girly, or lady-ish.

Font Face and Size

I don’t know if anybody noticed it, but I think the 2015 planner is a centimeter smaller than last year’s.

The font looks so girly. I love it. The font size looks a tad smaller than the previous year’s planner.  My poor eyesight is having a wee hard time looking at the words. I can still see them. It’s just that I am getting older and I think I need a bigger planner with bigger words and letters.  I can’t read the small month calendar on every page just beside the month name (right of the picture below). I love the hashtags, but the font is a bit small for my eyes. I really don’t mind having them a bit bigger. Maybe it is just the age.  I work at home and I don’t need to carry a planner everywhere.  Most of the time, it will just sit on my desk.  So maybe next year, BDJ would release a bigger planner version.  It would seem better if it would come with a big wall planner too (or a separate product, I don’t mind). I like looking at the wall with my monthly goals.

Quotes and Positive Inspirational Lines

One of my favorites in the BDJ Planner is the encouraging quotes, #affirmations, and page-spread inspiring articles.  They are all over the planner and I just can’t help but feel encouraged. I also like the perforations on the bottom corner of each page. It helps me mark the days passed and the used pages. That’s just so genius!

I like charms (not included in the planner) and I attached a couple on the ribbon markers of my planner.  I bought these charms in the local bookstore. It helps keep the ribbon markers in place.

Favorite Sections

My favorite sections are the Menstrual Tracker (no picture), the Bills Tracker and the Cash Flow Tracker.  I like the Menstrual Tracker for obvious reasons. I love counting and math, and I love counting money, so I just enjoy computing and tracking my bills, spending and savings.  I also like that it is very colorful. I love colors – it makes my life very positive and bright.

 

I love the back pocket! It keeps me organized with my “kalat”. All the receipts and important foldable documents go there.  The cute sticky note pad and tabs (I bought separately) go there too for organized safe-keeping.

I also love the short articles and tips.

BDJ Lifestyle Card

I don’t really use the membership card that comes with every single planner every year.  I’m just not the spending type of person (very ironic for an online shopper – my business). But I love having it. It is sort-of like a status symbol for chic girls. It just feels incomplete if you don’t have it but you have the planner.  Who knows, maybe I will use it next year. Below are pictures of 2014 and 2015 cards.

When I received my planner, they might have missed inserting the Lifestyle Card (and stickers).  I emailed BDJ and they sent my card and stickers within the day.  Awesome customer service and follow-through!

#PerksofaBella Coupons

The coupons are the main attraction of the planner. I, honestly, don’t use most of them.  I give them away or use a few – less than 5 coupons in a year.  I think they are cute though for all bellas who love buying stuff and getting big discounts.

This year, the coupons come in a separate booklet. I think this idea is so smart. It is easier to find the coupons when you need them.  Oh yes, the coupon booklet is, kind of, a way to remind you that you even if you splurge and spend, you get to save too. (Good promotions for those who love spending).

Remind me to buy my next favorite Goody hair products from Robinsons Department Store.  In the previous year’s planner, I definitely have zero idea where “Goody stores” are because I just see Goody items in grocery sections and department stores, so I wasn’t sure then if the BDJ Goody coupons can be used.

I did notice something odd. On page 10 of the booklet, it says here it is ok to reward yourself daily. That sounds encouraging.

And yet at the back pages of the booklet, it tells you to SAVE!  No more money to save then because you spent it all. Very ironic. Ooops, I forgot… this IS a marketing-strategy and promotions planner, full of endorsements, ads and sponsorships. Looking at the bright side, at least it still reminds you to save despite all your splurging instincts.

I don’t know what this weekend planner section is for. (picture below). More spending, perhaps. I just don’t understand why there is only a single page of this feature. How many weekends are there in 2015? I think this should go to the monthly page to plan the whole 4 (or 5) weekends of the month.

Oh and also one more thing about the coupon booklet. Don’t personalized planners have serial numbers? I can’t find any on mine. I don’t have the regular planner. Maybe the regular ones have serial numbers on them.  It says here in the coupon contest that one of the requirements is the serial number.

Other things I love in the 2015 BDJ Power Planner.

Sections I miss having from the 2014 BDJ Power Planner.

(I wish the planner still had these sections.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2015 Planner Sections I don’t really need.

Maybe other bellas find these useful. But I find the information in these sections very informative.

• My Travel Shoot List
• Beauty Essentials Checklist
• BDJ Box 7-Day Challenge (though I might try this this year).

Verdict

So to my dear focused gal planners, despite the cons I included here in my blogpost, I still highly recommend the BDJ Power Planner for that ultimate girl power and success. There’s nothing else like this here in the Philippines.

They just posted the new Planner Sleeves in their website. I wish they released this product at the same time when I bought the planner.  I want one!

 

Up next! I will blog about how I teach planning to my 8-year-old daughter.

 

*Disclaimer: This post is unsolicited and is not paid for in any way.