Plan Your Life before it Plans You!!

Hi there planner girls! 

Today, I want to talk more about YOU! Your dreams and your goals for what you want in life! Remember that planning is more than soccer games, meetings and what’s on the menu this week. Don’t forget to plan in your dreams, that means plotting out time to work towards what is in your heart and what you want your future to hold, so don’t forget to schedule that in. Make it a priority. If you don't do it now, you'll just get stuck in the cycle of days and won't move forward.

What do you want from LIFE?

What are your BIG dreams?
Do you even know what your dreams are?

My new class, Plan Your Dreams, starts on Monday (edited to add: Class is OPEN!! come join us!) and I'd love for you to join me! First, I'm going to help you figure out what's in your heart of hearts. What do you REALLY want from life. Not what your mom wants for you, or what your kids need from you or what you think you should want, but what you actually WANT! We'll take your talents and interests into play and come up with a wonderful lists of Dreams, big and small! Then, I'll help you make those come true :D

Here I’ve used the planner perfect method to set my intentions for these days, highlighting what I really want these days to include. Jenny Penton from Planner Perfect is a big believer in going after your dreams and she leads women in doing just that!

I was pleasantly surprised to see the ‘oh what fun’ die cut in my Hip Kit Club kit this month! It seems so Christmas-y to me and my next project is a 'Plan Your Christmas' class. This week, I’ll be cranking the Christmas carols and working hard on it, so I added the die cut right below where I wrote about setting the mood to work on this class. 

So, what do you need to get ready for class on Monday?

Not much, just a planner or even just a pretty notebook for now. But, it must be pretty, it needs to make you smile and inspire you to dream. If you do think of any dreams between now and Monday, jot them down.

You will also need a Big Picture Classes membership. If you are not a member, you can sign up here and you get a free 2 week trial membership. Feel free to check out my other classses there in the meantime.  See you Monday and...

 

Happy Dreaming!

All projects done with my July Hip Kit Club kits in either my Commit30 planner or Planner Perfect plan books

Stop Wasting Money on Planner Clips when you can Make Your Own from your Stash!

Hello, my name is Cara and I am addicted to making planner clips!

I don’t know how I got this way, but here I am and I think I have a problem! Now, mind you it’s a cute and very fun problem to have, so I’m not complaining at all!

I can really and truly make a clip out of just about anything. When I go through my supplies or get a new Hip Kit package, I go through it, and the first thing I ask myself is, ‘what can I make a clip with?’ :D

The best thing about clips is that they add personality to your planner, not only when it is open flat on your desk, but also when it’s closed up. So you can always see the clip and it will always make you smile! I absolutely love catching a glimpse of my planner in my purse and seeing a sassy little clip sticking out. I admit that I may be showing off just a little when I whip out my wallet (that doubles as a planner) in all it’s spunky glory.

People probably don’t often get to see the inside of your planner, so having clips that you can see from the outside can reflect your personality and maybe start up a conversation :D Who knows you may persuade someone to start decorating their planner!

For lots of tips and tutorials on how to make planner clips check out my latest class at Big Picture Classes.  There are 6 lessons jam packed with dozens of planner clips for you to try!

PLANNER CLIPS at Big Picture Classes

have a fantastic day
Cara
thehootingpirate.com

PS. Coming August First! My newest class at Big Picture Classes ‘Plan your Dreams’ takes you through how to dream big and then make those dreams come true! I help you dig deep and find out what your true dreams really are, you may be surprised with yourself :D Stay tuned!!

 

Are you letting Summer pass right on by?

I live in Luxembourg and as my children’s school year winds down this week, I know that most of you around the world have been out of school for a least a little bit by now. I want to talk a little about planning your summer days, especially if the light at the end of Summer’s tunnel is starting to appear.

Those of you that are going into winter now, you can still take these tips and apply them to your day, just take out the words summer ;)

I’m not talking about the big trips and activities, but, I want to focus on the everyday, summer days. The ones that seem to go by all too quickly and before you know it you are scrambling around buying school supplies last minute, thinking 'Where did the summer go?' and regretting all the things you wanted to do but never got done.

So, plan it out! 

Start with a wish or bucket list. Then apply your ‘reality’ filter, what can you truly get done this summer? What will you honestly have the time and energy for? Then, schedule those little activities that make the cut, into your planner!!

You might be thinking, ‘but, Cara! Summer is the time to get away from schedules and have-tos!’ And yes, one of the best parts of summer is the carefree, no-schedule bit, but at the same time you don’t want to waste the opportunity to do the activities that you don’t have time for during busier seasons of the year. Take some time at the beginning of the summer to relax and recuperate if you need to, but I find that my children (and myself) do better on a loose schedule during the summer weeks.

Maybe you want to go to the new pool or the cool movie theatre to see a summer blockbuster, when it’s too freakin hot to move! Maybe a date night with hubby or a picnic in the backyard? Summer crafts, teaching your child to garden, etc.  What do you want to do this summer? As summer’s end draws near, review what you’ve done and if you weren’t able to do everything you wanted, ask yourself why? What can you do next year to better plan the summer and if there’s still a bit of time, squeeze in some fun before those cool fall days creep in onto summer.

I planned this week using my June Hip Kit Club kits. I want to get the house ready for having the children home all the time and also have a baking day while I still have an empty house. So I chose ‘domestic’ as my word for the week. To help keep me on track for this last week of school, I chose soft, calm colours to remind myself to enjoy the stillness before the house is full of boys and noise. And I added ‘stay cool’ because one, I hate the heat (it literally makes me sick) and two, to remind myself to keep my cool as having children home all day can be tiring. You may be in a different season of life and/or year so pick words and images to add to your planner that remind you of the messages you want to tell yourself every time you open your planner.

Topping off my planner spread is a cute little button clip. I did a tutorial, live on periscope yesterday on how to make these, so please come watch the replay!! If you aren’t on periscope yet, come on over, it’s soooo much fun and there are tonnes of planner girls. Find me, I’m @CaraVincens and when that cute little whistle goes off telling you that I’m live you can comment and ask questions and put in your 2cents! I love hearing what you have to say and getting tips and ideas from you as much as I like teaching them!

I do a tutorial every Thursday (usually around 10am -ish EST) using fun goodies from my Hip Kit Club kits. Last week I made some inserts for my Traveller’s notebooks. I not only had tips on how to cover an existing notebook, but I taught you how to make one from scratch. If you missed it, you can catch the replay!  

Enjoy your summer and...

HAPPY PLANNING!!

 

Do you even remember the Resolutions you made in January?

Planner Girl Cara here today, reporting for duty to help keep you organised and motivated!

Is any one else asking themselves how the heck it’s July already?

We are half way through 2016?!??! What?

I usually take a look back at the end of every month to see what I’ve done towards the goals I’ve set for myself. The end of June marks the halfway point so it’s even more important that I check in with my progress.

Like most people I set resolutions in January, but unlike most people I have a plan attached to those resolutions. And at the end of each month I review my progress on my goals for the year. Who says you have to accomplish it all by January 15th! I give myself the whole year.

If you haven't even thought of your resolutions since that second when you laid your list down next to your mug of cocoa near the fire on January first, then, either dig that list back out or make a new one. Resolutions don't have to wait until January 1. The calendar holds no magic powers and by flipping over from December 31 to January 1 you will not become Super-Producto Girl possessing the oh-so-sought-after super power to get it all done! ;) You need to do the work, love, if you want to make those resoultions a reality. Start today by making a list and a commitment to yourself to plan the steps into your planner. Review often and adjust your plans as necessary. If you'd like more info on how to do this, stay tuned!! My newest class from Big Picture Classes is due out really soon and I teach you how to Plan Your Dreams!

I did a scope last week to review June and 2016 so far, so feel free to watch the replay.  If you aren't on periscope yet, hop on over and watch a few, there are so many planner girls!

Here is my monthly spread for June now that the month is just about over and the days are all filled in, reflecting what our lives were like in this season of our bustling family.  

My spread for this week makes me giddy just looking at it and this is before the pen! I took some of my favourite bits from the June Hip Kit club kits and made myself a ‘happy’!

I hope that the first half of your year has been wonderful! Let’s plan the second half to be AWESOME!!

Happy Planning!