Recap: September Half-Letter Planner Spreads
No, I can’t believe it’s already October.
September flew by and I truly mean that! SO many things kept me busy last month. From settling into our new apartment, hosting my engagement party, battling illness, attending a week-long work conference and a wedding, and trying to maintain my sanity, September kept me busy. No matter how hard I tried to instill a sense of normalcy in life, life kept handing me a new challenge every day or week.
What I love about planning is that our lives are reflected in our planner spreads. If life is busy and hectic, you’ll notice in your planner spreads (whether it’s multiple to-do lists or mentions of different meetings, appointments, and events). I love flipping through my planner spreads after each month to reflect on the stories told through the paper!
Let’s walk-through my September 2024 planner spreads in my half-letter planner!
September 2024, Season 1: The Illness
I titled this section of the post as the illness because you’ll notice how empty my planner was during the first week of September! Our engagement party was Sunday, September 1. Unfortunately, I took a nasty fall later that evening that resulted in serious injuries. I didn’t seek medical attention immediately, but regretted it once the swelling wouldn’t go down. Surprise! I had an infection and started antibiotics by that Thursday of this week.
To me, these inserts tell the story of letting go of perfectionism and the need to be productive to focus on healing! I still tried to use my planner on some days (planning sparks joy for me) but there was truly nothing to plan when the goal was to relax and heal. This week, I did try a new(ish) planner insert (see the photo with the grid insert)! If you’ve known me for a while now, you know that I struggled with using this planner insert. I’ve tried using it different ways! Here, I tried to track some weekly goals. When you’re ill though, all the goals go out the window.
If you like open-ended planning and like to make inserts your own, this grid insert might work well for you! Try planning workouts, meals, self-care habits, and more.
September 2024, Season 2: The Conference
Despite still not feeling well, I loved this week in my planner!
For this week’s spread, I incorporated hints of burgundy throughout my planner in an attempt to usher in all the fall vibes. I used new page flags from Cloth & Paper that evokes all of the deep red and fall vibes for me! I also used one of the retro colored Masmarcu pens to write down my schedule for the work conference I attended that week.
You can tell that I was feeling somewhat better this week because you also see more lists! I love using sticky notes to add more real estate to my planner without making it chunkier and less easy to use. Of course, transparent sticky notes are superior! The list near Wednesday was perfect for me because I was able to write a to-do list that didn’t require me to use up the actual list for Wednesday (not that I actually used it but that’s a different story).
Transparent sticky notes are probably in my top 3 stationery items I can’t live without. Read more about my love story with transparent stickies here!
September 2024, Season 3: The Attempt
Beautiful, isn’t it?
At this point, I was still not 100% well and dealing with some very serious and annoying aftermath of the fall and the medicine I took for the infection. But I still attempted to establish some normalcy in life - hence why this planner spread is so beautiful and involved! This weekly planner spread has a little bit of everything: fall colors, to-do lists, page flags, and sticky notes.
Instead of using my favorite transparent sticky notes, I used the best black sticky notes I’ve ever purchased. This stack is super sticky, so I never (and I really do mean never) have any issues with the sticky notes lying flat on the paper. Although it’s extra sticky, I’m can move the sticky notes around to different spots in my planner without ripping the paper underneath nor leaving any residue. Yes, bold statements about these sticky notes. But that’s how much I love them and I’m trying to convince everyone in the planner community to try them at least once because they are the best black sticky notes on the market for a great price.
September 2024, Season 4: The Healing
The last week of September is one of my favorites of the entire month. I titled this section The Healing because again, I wasn’t 100% but I was definitely feeling way better than I did in the beginning and middle of the month.
These planner inserts are beautiful on the surface (look at those transparent AND black sticky notes). But underneath the surface, I see healing! I used energy to be productive in the beginning of the week to complete various tasks and practice self-care. By Thursday and Friday, I was exhausted to say the least. Instead of forcing myself to be productive, I prioritized healing and relaxed!
Let’s Chat
What were some of your most-used planner items and supplies in September? What do your planner spreads tell about your month? Let’s chat in the comments below!