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It’s been almost 2 weeks since Go Wild SoCal happened and while it was a BLAST, I can definitely say, I’m still recovering from it (probably because I’m an introvert). If you don’t know what Go Wild is, it’s a huge Planner Party (yes, you heard that right!) that gathers everyone that loves planners, stickers and stationery in general. Welcome to our crazy club! 

I’ve always wanted to attend one but never had anyone to go with me and they were all in other states. I also would think about how expensive that would be: tickets + flights + hotel and everything else. Tickets cost close to $500, which is a little pricey in my opinion, but between all the speakers, events and goodies it was worth it to purchase when it came to my neck of the woods. So I had no excuse and decided to jump right in. It was now or never, right?! Or so I thought….

The party was first scheduled for 2020 and as we all know, covid knocked it off course. After being rescheduled, we finally got to get our planner party on! I’ve gotta say, wow… it was THE PARTY!!! I will admit, it was a bit much for my introverted self, but there were so many highlights. I loved meeting so many customers and people from the planner community that I hadn’t been able to connect with in real life. I even got to meet THE Alicia Silverstone (Cher from the movie Clueless) ☺ my all time idol since I was a kid! 

This is where I give you all the ins and outs of this event, so grab a drink or snack and let’s talk about all things GO WILD! I’ll start with the beginning of the event weekend, the Shop Summit.

SHOP SUMMIT 

The Shop Summit is a full day of workshops about business, sales, marketing and a lot of inspirational talks that help to light that fire in you and your business! This year, we had Stephanie Fleming from Happy Planner with the best motivational, “you can do anything” talk! Followed by Lameka Alston from Capitol Chic Designs. She spoke about her journey, which included how she got started and how she got her line at Michaels. Her talk gave us some really great insights, especially in regards to the “behind the scenes” of the industry and included a lot of information that people don't typically freely give out. 

Then, we had Brooke from BBBrooke sharing her licensing story with Disney. For me, this was the most inspirational talk because I always thought that in order to license a big brand like Disney, you had to be a big company, and that wasn’t her case back then. It solidified that when you really want something and give it your all, you will always find a way to make it happen! As well as, there is opportunity for everyone, you just need to know where and how to find it. One of my biggest takeaways was the meaning of FAIL. “First Attempt In Learning”. That blew my mind! Sometimes we want to give up when something doesn’t go our way and we think we failed, but really that was just the first attempt. 

After lunch we had a networking session where we asked our table mates about their businesses, goals, and such. This was then followed by a not so sexy session about Small Business Law. That’s the part of business we never want to deal with but in the end we have to. It consisted of talking about why businesses need an LLC and other requirements.

To finish the day, we had a workshop with Lauryn Wang from the Go Wild team about digital marketing tools and, in my opinion, it was my favorite session of the day. Although I already knew most of the tools she presented for social media management, she gave us so much information in such an easy way to understand. It definitely was the session I took the most notes on. All in all, the Shop Summit left me with so much information. Now onto the GO WILD experience!

THE GO WILD EXPERIENCE 

The event started on Thursday with a welcome party sponsored by Krissyane Designs. My favorite part was the karaoke! My least favorite parts were the lines to get a drink and the fact that it was SO COLD (the party was held outside, likely due to COVID). But alas, we got through those drink lines and they helped warm us up and get our dance party on! They also had the cutest cupcakes!

The sessions started super early at 8am on Friday. I was so happy to be sponsoring a table at the event which meant I could get into the ballroom before the storm of guests and allowed me to find a fun table to sit at. I overheard that people were lining up at 2am in order to get in first and sit at a nice table. Once I got my sneak peak, I understood the excitement.  

THE FABULOUS PLANNER SPONSORED TABLE

Trust me when I say this, some of these tables were TO DIE FOR!!! I’d like to think my table was one of those lol I heard great comments from everyone that sat in my sponsored table. My theme for the table was Barbie and all things PINK! Very on brand, don’t you think? Part of my reasoning for this theme was it originally was going to align with the subscription box for that month, but due to COVID the box came out prior to the event being held. So, the million dollar question, what was in the box?! Let me tell you, SO MANY THINGS! It included nearly everything in pink that I stock, with highlights such as our 2022 planner, notepads, a Go Wild pouch, and STICKERS, STICKERS, STICKERS…did I mention there were some stickers? The list goes on and on but that is just some of the highlights of what I was able to offer for my table.

Now you might ask what table I sat at? I got to be at the table sponsored by Zebra Markers and Highlighters and OMG!!! I have never seen so many pens! I got the full set up and I’m so happy about it! I even ended up gifting some of it to a friend. I definitely feel like I hit the jackpot with my table choice. 

Here are some other sponsored tables that I saw! 

After all the excitement of the picks at the table, it was time for the party to start! We had so many good speakers on stage, while I hadn’t heard of everyone, by the end of the talks I had some new people to look up to! My favorite speaker from Friday’s session was Cindy Baldo. She spoke a lot about how to find joy in the little things in life and that spoke to me on so many levels. I absolutely hate doing house chores but she made me see that differently. She gave examples on how to find joy and reward yourself while doing the chores. It was great! The sessions went on until about 1:30pm and then we had the afternoon off. 

Friday night we had the Wild Crop, which I think it’s a new thing for Go Wild. The Fabulous Planner also had a sponsored table for this portion of the event. We had all sorts of freebies ranging from stickers, washi tapes, journals, pens and even notepads. The Wild Crop was actually WILD! It was a little chaotic, but I think anytime you have such a huge crowd (about 1600 people) it’s really hard to keep it organized. 

Then, on Saturday it was a half day of sessions again, closing with the keynote conversation with Alicia Silverstone. She spoke about her vegan life and how important it is to have good nutrition and a balanced life. While all the sessions on Saturday were amazing, I was just SO excited to see Alicia! When she got off the stage, I ran to her and asked for a picture. I also gave her one of our planners and a handwritten note. I was on cloud 9; it was a childhood dream coming true! Unfortunately, I had to leave right after that so I wasn’t able to go to Planjama but I heard it was a blast too!! 

IT’S A WRAP

My final remarks are that while it was a bit of an overwhelming event for me (re: due to being an introvert), it was such a great way of connecting with our great community! I do think that I would have preferred for the workshop to be one entire day, rather than be split into two half-day sessions. Or move the sessions to the afternoon because it was pretty brutal to be hanging out so late and then getting up at 7am the next day. That’s just my opinion and I will admit, I’m not much of a morning person. I do think the event needed a bit more structure because there were a few hiccups here and there, but overall, it was a super fun experience. 

The best part of Go Wild, is that no matter how shy or introverted you are, you will make tons of friends! Everyone is super friendly and in the best mood possible. It was a great event to network and make new friends, so make sure to bring tons of contact cards. They also had so many fun attractions like a photo booth and vendor booths.

From a business perspective, I’m really happy I paid for the licensing and sponsored a table. The exposure you get as a business is insane and I got to meet so many people that had no idea that The Fabulous Planner existed! Also, every time I released a Go Wild collection it sold out very quickly. Totally worth it! 

It was a great event overall, I really enjoyed meeting so many people that also enjoy all the things that I do! I’m almost positive I would go again (it would depend on the location). Let me know on Instagram (check out the Go Wild highlights on our page) or on the Facebook group if you’ve been to one of the Go Wild parties and what you thought about it?

Hi Gorgeous! This week we’re diving into the power of positive affirmations. We here at the Fabulous Planner believe in the power of planning, but some times you need a little something more. There comes a time where you have to provide yourself with a little self care. One way to take care of yourself is to practice reshaping your thoughts with positive affirmations. We live in a negative world and it’s easy to fall into that rut! Positive affirmations help take us out of the negativity that brings us down. 

Let’s start with how to create positive affirmations. First, access your negative self talk, what are the things that pop up in your mind thorough the day or week? For example, “UGH, I’m such a failure, I can never get everything done”. Once you’ve settled on the negatives you want to flip, you will word them in a positive, opposite manner. You’ll want to keep these statements short and simple. As well as, begin with “I” or “My”. Avoid saying “I want” or “I need”. You’re going to be repeating these statements throughout the day, so make sure they are written in the present tense in a similar manner to the example below.

Now that we have created our affirmations, how will we utilize them? The most common way, is to repeat them throughout your day. Think of this as a form of meditation or a few moments to check in with yourself. Start off with repeating your affirmations twice a day for a few minutes at a time. The key is to make sure you are being consistent, so make a plan and stick with it. Another way to utilize them is to put them around common places you visit, such as a vanity, in your car, in your phone etc. You want to be revisiting these words to give them the power to reshape your thoughts.

Another thing I like to do, is when the affirmations don’t seem to be working, take some time to yourself and journal on it. Ask yourself the important questions. Why is this true? Why is this important to me? Does my affirmation need to be worded differently? You can be surprised by the insight you gain from a bit of journaling!

If you’d like a little extra inspiration, I highly suggest checking out Morgan Harper Nichols on Instagram. She’s an autistic artist and writer who creates wonderful, uplifting posts. We want to close this one out by saying, we believe in your power to create and plan for the life you want! 

XOXO,

The Fabulous Planner

Hello Gorgeous!

We're saying goodbye to January by taking another deep dive into the Fabulous Box subscription. This month's theme is "C'est la vie", it's all about the romance of traveling in Paris. Get ready to freshen up on your French, visit famous destinations such as Champs Elysee and fall in love with all this January's box has to offer!

We will be focusing on a few key products including the ones that are exclusively in the Luxury Box. The biggest difference between the Luxury and the Classic Boxes is that you get inserts and a laminated dashboard that are handmade. We encourage you to check out our exact offerings, but there are multiple sizes for both ring-bound and disc-bound planners. To begin, we have the laminated dashboard which depicts the glamor of a Paris coffee house!

*size shown is disc-bound Happy Planner*

Next up are the planner inserts. These really allow you to get down to the nitty gritty of planning and are a great way to incorporate some of the other products included in this month's box (such as the washi tape, stickers and pen). There are generous sections for each day of the week as well as sections dedicated to ideas and goals.

*size shown is disc-bound Happy Planner*

To capture the romance of Paris, we included a card to send to a loved one. This Valentine is perfect to send to your best gal pal, mother or partner. This card is an A2 size (4.25 inches by 5.5 inches) and printed on matte paper #120. It is blank inside to allow you to send it to anyone you choose. If you love this one, be sure to check out our new collection of greeting cards that just launched!

Last, but certainly not least is a face mask. This mask has Chaenomeles Sinensis Fruit Extract which is an antioxidant-rich ingredient that helps hydrates and soothe skin. As well as Lemon Fruit Extract which is an ingredient packed with Vitamin C to help promote a brighter complexion. Pop on this mask when you are in need of a little TLC and self care and it will surely brighten your day. We sure hope you love this because next month's theme is all about self care!

That's all we have for you for now, but don't forget to check out our social media to see even more of the products in action from the January Box!

XOXO,

The Fabulous Planner

Hey, Gorgeous! Can you believe we’re already more than halfway through January? Did you set your goals for this year already? If not, there’s still time! For those of you who have, do some of your goals already seem a bit far fetched? Well guess what! There’s still time to revise them. We’re going to dive right in and talk about how to set achievable goals for the coming year. 

Let’s start with why we need to set goals at all. Goals help us make concrete plans to curate our wildest hopes and dreams. Without goals, we end up not knowing where to focus our attention and direction. But why should we plan for them? Well, goals that are then written are 42% more likely to be achieved than those that are not. From personal experience, I spent many years saying I wanted to achieve certain things but not much ever changed. Instead of being discouraged by my failed attempts, I began putting my hopes and dreams to paper so they could help me take action! This was the missing piece I needed to make it happen. It’s been very empowering to plan for the life I want and I love to be able to look back on how much has changed, all because of setting goals.

We’re going to start our goal setting with dreaming big! Anything and everything is valid. Use an open section of your planner or journal to THINK BIG. Once you’ve got all those down, begin to sort though them and determine if they are SMART: 

SPECIFIC- impactful on your life.

MEASURABLE - important to you or your overall wellness. 

ATTAINABLE - can be achieved by making manageable changes. 

REALISTIC - achievable or rewarding. 

TIMELY - trackable and broken down in a manageable time period.

This theory came from George Doran, Arthur Miller, and James Cunningham in their 1981 article, “There's a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management goals and objectives”. Using this tool, we’re going to either filter out some of those dreams or fine tune them. For example, I want to commit to having better spending habits. Without a plan or goal in mind, I might find it difficult to take any action. Keeping SMART in mind, I might make a few goals such as:

• Use the cash budget/envelope technique.
• Minimize my online purchases.
• Set aside money for savings.

All of these are great actions to help me with the overall goal of having better spending habits. These are very close to fulfilling SMART guidelines. But need a bit more fine tuning. Let’s try it once more: 

• Determine the exact amount needed for specific activities (groceries, recreation, etc) that month and set aside cash. Plan out when and how many times I will be doing that certain category so I can divide the money per trip. 
• Make lists or bookmarks of the items I’d like to purchase and review them at the end of the month to see if I still want or need them.
• Set up an automatic transfer to a savings account the day after I get paid. 

I now have a clear direction for the year on how I will spend my money more wisely. Now this guideline isn’t the end all be all of goal setting. Some might prefer a different approach. We’re still going to DREAM BIG, just as we did in the previous method. Brainstorm all those ideas and break them down by category.

Once we have an idea of what these goals and dreams relate to, we can pick the ones we want to work on. Some of your goals might be so big they might take more time. See if you can break them down into smaller goals for the foreseeable future, such as only what’s attainable for 2022. Next, ask yourself, what are the most important ones for this year? I personally like to pick one goal from each category for the whole year. Highlight, underline or do whatever you may need to show yourself these are the most important for you to achieve. Now, you’re going to take those goals and break them down even further to create some actions. For this example, we’ll go with the health category. Let’s say I want to lose 25 pounds. What are some actions I can plan that will help me achieve that goal? I’m also going to consider what the timeframe is that I’d like to complete this by.

I’ve decided I want to lose 25 pounds in year. That means I would need to lose about half pound per week. Here’s how I plan to do that:

• Exercise 4 days a week, 30 minutes per workout.
• Track my workouts and create goals along the way to level up my exercises (such as running a mile under 10 minutes, or lifting a certain amount of weight). 
• Track my food intake and work on having a caloric deficit.

As you can see again, I’ve created clear, concise actions for how I will achieve my goal of losing weight. These of course are just a few guidelines to help you get your goals achieved. But if they’re still not for you, that’s ok! For those of you who have different methods, we’d love to hear from you about your favorite ways to set your goals. You can post in our Facebook group or share a story on your Instagram and tag us in it! With all that said, we here at the Fabulous Planner believe each and every one of you is a goal-getter! 

XOXO, 

The Fabulous Planner 

Hey there, Gorgeous! We here at the Fabulous Planner have exciting news...         🎉  WE’RE BACK BABY! 🎉  Back to blogging that is. As a part of our 2022 commitment to release new content, we are bringing you a more in depth look at all things planning.

We’re kicking it off with a reintroduction of the Fabulous Planner Boxes. Every month, we release a themed subscription box that includes products to help keep your planners organized and fabulous. There are two types of boxes available. The Classic Box includes 9-10 products that are functional for any type of planners. The Luxury Box includes all previously stated products as well as a dashboard and insert(s) that are customized to the size your planner. We’ll be reviewing the Classic Box but if you’d like to see what the Luxury Box has to offer, check out our Instagram!

This past months theme was, “This is My Year” and included so many goodies to help prepare for the year to come. First up, is a 4 pack of stickers which include 60 images to help guide you to the 2022 of your dreams. Next, a beautiful rose gold and tiffany blue pen with floral and gem accents. A must need to get all those goals down! Then, to help you accentuate any day, a roll of washi tape. This comes in a nude pink with a highly reflective print which has the days of the week. 🚨 NEW PRODUCT ALERT!🚨 This next one is a washi tape cutter. Simply clip the cutter around the washi tape and gently pull up. My perfectionism is giving this newbie heart eye! 😍

Up next, a pastel set of sticky flags/bookmarks. These are great to mark where you left off or a colorful way to keep a project organized. Keeping on with the pastel tones, we have a 5 pack of gel pens. These are fine tipped and write OH-so-smoothly! I’m absolutely in love with the tones offered. 🔥  HOT TIP 🔥  if you like to color code your planner or projects: pair the pastel flags with the gel pens to get organized in the cutest way possible.

Next up in the spot light, is this cutesy heart planner charm. This is offered in an assortment of colors. Fingers crossed that your fav color is featured! Staying on theme with all things adorable, we’ve got these lovely rose push pins. These are great to use for those vision boards. Last but certainly not least, we have a pack of die cut quotes. With over 30 options, these will give you all the sass and inspiration you need to get this year done right.

If you’re ready to receive a fun box full of surprises every month, now’s your chance! To subscribe, simply use the link below to order your box. Limited quantities available, so only while supplies last.

That’s all we’ve got for you this week but here’s a little sneak peak for next weeks blog:

Xoxo,

The Fabulous Planner