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In Business & Blogging, Planners / Organisers, School / Learning, Women's Interest

Passion Planner

Author Nicki CawoodPosted on

Passion planner, planner addict, organisation, time management

I’ve added Passion Planner to my planning setup!

As I’ve blogged about before I have a Personal Filofax with a weekly view that I use for advanced planning / reminders & graph paper Field Notes (in cherry wood) in the back that I use as a bullet journal for brain dumping tasks etc.

What was missing was a method of increasing productivity via better time management. That’s where the Passion Planner comes in. What I’ve done in the picture about is to use the free weekly downloads on their site and have stuck them into a notebook. This is a temporary measure whilst I trial this method however strongly suspect I’ll be buying the 2016 compact version (which has monthly pages etc too) soon.

I’ve been a fan of Passion Planner from the day I saw the first Kickstart video however as a standalone planner it didn’t meet my needs as I juggle a number of regular clients as well as ad hoc projects each week as well as everything home / family / school related.

One of the things that really attracted me to the Passion Planner was their social media accounts, specifically the CEO’s idea of using the Passion Planner to achieve bucket list items or achieve wild dreams. This was unlike anything I’ve seen on any other planner / organisation website and I love it. It doesn’t matter whether your goal is to lose 3 stone, buy a house or attend the American Academy Theatre Academy in London or New York and enjoy the limelight; the idea is that nothing is impossible if you prioritise, organise and focus.

Used alongside the Filofax (appointments, school information, club info, birthdays, important dates etc) and the Bullet Journal (running task lists of what I need to achieve work and home each day) it seems to have really come into its own. I’m using it to schedule my time and so far so good! Given that I’ve recently taken on (another) course to do from home making the most of my time is going to be essential.

Do you use a Passion Planner? What is your current planner system? Comment and let us all know.

In Frugal Living, Interior Design, Women's Interest

Doing Up Your Home On The Cheap 

Author Nicki CawoodPosted on 2 Comments

One of my favourite things to do on an evening is to curl up on the sofa and watch one of my interior design shows on television (while browsing and pinning to my many related Pinterest boards). There’s something so addictive about watching people realise their design dreams on shows such as Grand Designs or even 60 Minute Makeover. And though on these shows things can sometimes get a little out of hand (DIY SOS is a key example of where things can go wrong but may be soon righted with some good-old fashioned elbow grease), it’s still a great viewing experience and makes me more determined than ever to get our home looking just perfect.
One of the things that does annoy me a little about the shows is the fact that they all seem to focus on big-budget homes and makeovers. Sadly I do not have £500 for a light fitting or £200 for a single lamp however this seems to make me all the more motivated to add personal touches and improvements to our house on a budget.

At the moment we have two main jobs on our to-do list. One is to do something with our big box bay window in the lounge (original bottle-glass sash windows!) and the other is to do something about the lack of warmth when the seasons change. Our house is big, old and beautiful. It has fabulous original features such as this gorgeous bread oven and most of the rooms have fireplaces, including the bedrooms.

bread

What our rooms also have are really ugly boxy radiators! At the moment we are researching electric radiators which our energy provider says may help heat the house more efficiently and which will look considerably nicer than the monstrosities we have in place at the moment.

Home heating devices from Verismart’s include electric radiators for example look much nicer and work out cheaper in the long run too. They would also save us valuable wall space because the ones we have at the moment are incredibly (and unnecessarily) long.

Bay window-wise I’m currently searching the internet for the best way to get rid of the nets in the bay and keep the heat in and am torn between shutters and blinds. The quote we had for blinds was £380 which is more than we wanted to pay however being of a thrifty nature I’m wondering about whether there’s a more frugal way around this. If I work this out I’ll let you know as something definitely needs sorted as I hate our nets.
Soft furnishing wise I’ve decide to shop local in the interests of supporting local trade and cutting the cost of my fabric (we have a fab local shop called The Fabric Bird). Sadly I’m lacking any sewing skills however one of my sisters is a dab hand and I’m hope to bribe her into running up some cushion covers and the like for me with chocolate hob nobs and a decent cup of tea (see, thrifty labour).

As ever, I’m keen to hear what anybody out there feels is a fun way of making your (my!) home look chic in a cost-effective way. Feel free to post a link using CommentLuv  when you comment to any interior design (especially thrifty projects) you’ve seen or written about below. Indeed any hints and tips on how I’m going to get this boy-filled house into a soft, warm and lovely home on a budget would be much appreciated!

 

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