How I Use my Happy Planner for Blogging and a Giveaway!

I had been searching for the perfect blog (and life) planner for quite some time.  I tried countless planners and even tried making my own. However, I finally found the perfect planner in the MAMBI Happy Planner.  I love this planner because it's adorable and you can find fun little stickers to customize it pretty much everywhere.  So, let's delve into how I plan my blogging.

Happy Planner covers are adorable.  I opted for polka dots.  And they are interchangeable.  You can find tutorials on how to make your own or you can browse Etsy.

Each month has a general overview calendar.  I don't really use this too much for blogging, other than for big events.  This calendar more helps me organize my life out of blog land.  I purchased these awesome gold stickers that help to coordinate important appointments, vacations, meetings, etc. I also purchased some Heidi Swapp stickers as Michael's to just generally make the planner pretty.   Some fine point sharpies for actually writing in the planner and cute Kate Spade paper clips for keeping my place also come in handy.  Since photographing this, I have also added in some household budgeting and noting when bills are due with some little stickers from Etsy.

You can also add little note pages in your planner.  I use them to joy down post and outfit ideas.

    

 

 

And on to the real action: the weekly planning pages.  This is where the blogging takes over. Each day is divided up into three squares (morning, afternoon, and evening).  I have used some washi tape and Add a Little Shine stickers to customize them.  I use the top square to late out the day's post, appropriately labeled with a "Blog" sticker.  The middle square is where I keep track of my social media sharing of my post, thanks to this awesome printable from Strange and Charmed.  I just print them out on a giant label sheet and cut them out. The bottom square is my daily "To Do" list, which is labeled with the same Add a Little Shine stickers.  And I always make sure to decorate a little more with some other stickers.  

 

Since I don't post much on the weekends, those squares could go to waste.  However, I have created my own little printable sticker to keep track of my weekly blog tasks and my stats. My weekly to do list reminds me to interact with the blog community and stay active on social media,

 

I've also created a little printable to keep track of my monthly sponsors.  I just use pre-punched Happy Planner blank pages and stick this on with a little double-sided tape.

And of course I need a little folder to keep all those stickers!  Good thing MAMBI makes those

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And because I love mine so much, I want to give away one 2015 Happy Planner to one of my readers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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1. follow your hosts

Tara @ Penniless Socialite

Sharon @ The Tiny Heart

2. grab a button
Or link back to one of your hosts, and help us promote Look What I Got!

3. link up!
Link up your post on what you got (for cheap)!
(Please don't link up your entire blog or any posts that are not "Look What I Got"! )

We love having you link up and we will be reading all your posts! So, if you don't follow the rules and link back you'll be put in time out (i.e. we'll delete your link).

4. mix and mingle
Visit some other blogs and let them know you found them through the link up!

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Starting Fresh

Blog Planner, $20

I am going to be starting 2015 off fresh with this blog thanks to a newly purchased planner.  A blank planner always gives me such a sense of hope.  I think about all the things I can fill it with over the next year.  I know that an online planner or a digital one would probably be a little more "blogger-savy."  But, I don't get the same satisfaction when I type into a list as when I hand write a list....and then cross stuff out.
With starting a new job, buying a house, and planning a wedding in 2014, the blog took a back seat.  However, when I don't blog I get sad.  I actually enjoy this little corner of the internet I have created.  I know you see all the time how bloggers quit because they start to find it a burden.  I don't.  Blogging is my outlet...all the other stuff is a burden...haha.  Therefore, I have vowed to post 5 days per week and to get my butt organized.  Well, I won't actually be organizing my butt, but I will be better organized in terms of my posts.  Get ready blog world!  Penniless Socialite will be back with a bang in 2015!

The Only List of Blogging Apps You'll Ever Need

Until I sat down and really thought about it, I never realized how many apps I use to put this little blog together.  There are so many moving parts!  So, here's a list of my favorites that I use that go into the production of my little slice of the internet.

Social Media:

• Hoot Suite: You probably think I am glued to my computer all day, since I appear to be on Facebook and Twitter numerous times per day.  However, this is all an illusion created by Hoot Suite.  Hoot Suite allows me to schedule all of my posts on Twitter and Facebook all at once.  I usually schedule my posts in the morning.  And I often schedule my sponsor shout-out posts on Sundays to run throughout the week!  It just helps keep my social media presence organized.  I wish they would add Instagram.
• Bitly: Bitly is a link shortening website.  However, it's so much more!  You can track the stats of your shortened links.  And, what I like most, is that there is a mobile app.  So, I can share my shortened links to Twitter and Facebook from my phone, which is how I do most of my social media-ing.

Photography:

• Dropbox: Dropbox is basically an online folder that you can have linked to multiple computers and your phone.  I have my Dropbox on my home computer and on my phone, so I can share my blog photos between devices, making it easier for me to post to Instagram or other social media from my phone.
• Pic Frame: I use PicFrame to make collages for Instagram (@penniless_s), for my personal account as well as my shop account (@pennilesscloset).  I love that you can adjust the size of each photo compartment and adjust the orientation and size of each photo.  It's just super easy to use.  You can also make those nifty mirrored outfit photos that you see bloggers posting on Instagram.  Because one of me just isn't enough.
• A Beautiful Mess: It's just a photo editing program, but it's the most adorable of all of them.  It allows you to add text and cutesy little graphics!
• Pic Monkey: I edit all my blog photos in PicMonkey...because I can't afford PhotoShop.  The editting is good enough for my purposes and you can make collages.
• Magic Hour: When you're not a very good photographer, the lighting is that much more important.  Magic Hour lets you know when the light outside is best for photos.
• Flickr: I use Flickr to host all of my blog photos.  I switched from Photobucket when they wanted to charge me for extra space and crapped out about once a week turning all my blog photos into empty squares.  Flickr has tons of space and has just started offering photoeditting, which might make PicMonkey useless to me.  And, Flickr has a mobile app...just in case I have to draft on the go from Bloggers stupidly terrible mobile app that did not make this list.  It's for emergencies only.

Shopping:

• Posh Mark: I've started selling my clothes via Poshmark.  You can find my closet here.  I've had only limited success selling on there.  It's just too much work...sharing and parties and such.  If you're on there you know what I mean.  However, I LOVE shopping on there.  It's so easy and you can get some really great deals!  Later this month I will share some of my recent acquisitions thanks to Poshmark.
• reward Style:  Bloggers got to make money somehow! If you don't know, Reward Style allows you to insert product links that can earn you a commission. Although I think you get better commissions with Shop Style, Reward Style made this list because it's mobile app is awesome.  The Reward Style mobile app allows you to make you Instagram posts shoppable.  So, when people like your post, they can have the links to the products you are featuring emailed to them!  

So, there's my list.  What are your favorite apps for blogging?  Is there something out there that I don'tknow about that could change my (blogging) life?

Linking up with: Whims Wednesday, Because Shanna Said So, I Feel Pretty, Be.You.,tiful Link Party, Lovely Blog Hop, Style Elixir, Friday's Five, Glitz and Gold,, and Perfectly Coutured