To say that Filipinos love planners is an understatement. Just enter the nearest café chains as early as October to see Pinoys collecting stickers to get that free coffee shop planner. Every fourth quarter of the year, crowds flock to bookstores to pick a planner that suits their style. There are dozens of brands and designs to choose from, but leading the planner game in the Philippine market is Belle De Jour (BDJ).
I’ve been a loyal user for years. I’ve watched as they’ve grown from the cult classic Belle De Jour Power Planner to an extensive collection of diaries, journals, notebooks, and crafting materials. After attending the launch of BDJ’s 2019 collection, I found the best planners for 8 different personalities.
1. For the Empowered Woman:
Belle De Jour Power Planner
It has everything for the modern Pinay—monthly dividers with helpful articles on fashion, beauty, career, and lifestyle; monthly calendar; weekly layout; special pages dedicated to women’s needs, like a menstrual tracker, goals list, and fun worksheets; free stickers to help you design the weekly pages; and of course, the coveted coupon booklet with discount, shopping, and freebie coupons from lifestyle brands.
The new BDJ Power Planner has five cover designs to choose from: classic, discbound, leather, petit, and limited-edition.
2. For the Traveler: Navi Planner
This is my personal planner of choice! The Navi design—from the world map embossed on the cover to the global destinations featured in the pages—will ignite your wanderlust. They also have pages to help you organize your trips. Most of all, I’m glad they still use the horizontal weekly format. There’s also a coupon booklet for freebies, vouchers, and discount shopping!
3. For the Minimalist: Focus Journal
Not a fan of cluttered pages? Focus Journal’s monthly calendars, weekly pages, and activity pages are minimalist in design. Each monthly divider features a power word to help you focus on your goals.
4. For the Bullet Journalist: Essentials Planner
Whether you’re doing bullet journaling for the first-time or have been effectively using this method for years, the Essentials Planner is perfect for you. Each page has lightly dotted spaces, making it flexible for any jotting and doodling style.
5. For the Non-Committal: Gameplan
If you’re the type that never uses up an entire 12-month planner, try this undated planner that lets you go for three months at a time. They come in four covers with inspirational quotes—Conquer, Fearless, Go, and Sparkle. Choose a word that ignites your spirit.
6. For the Goal-Getter: Everything Is Possible
Are you looking for that push to help you realize your goals and dreams for the coming year? This planner may just be the tool. The pages are filled with inspirational quotes and checklists to help you stay on top of your game.
7. For the Scrapbooker: Folio
Some people are into detailed planners, while others prefer scrapbooking their daily, weekly, or monthly achievements and mementos to look back on when the year ends. If that sounds more like your jam, then this Folio is for you.
8. For the Traveling Artist: Quest Journal
Did you ever daydream of traveling alone in a train en route to an exciting destination while jotting down your thoughts, daily travel itineraries, and sketches on a vintage-looking notebook a la Ernest Hemmingway? The Quest Journal will help you fulfill that fantasy. They just released new colors for 2019!
Which planner suits your personality? While you’re at it, visit ilovebdj.com to shop for stickers, notebooks, and other crafting products to help you personalize your planner pages.
And if you’ve been following KateWasHere.com for years, you’ll know it’s that time of the year when I give out a box of prizes for one lucky reader. Yes, it includes a planner from this collection. Subscribe to my Facebook page to get dibs!
BDJ Planners are available at all leading bookstores in the Philippines and online at ilovebdj.com.
Photos courtesy of BDJ