Free for All Friday No. 22

I've got some Thanksgiving and other holiday stuff to post, but in the spirit of keeping Fridays truly free for all, I'll let you readers take over.

Free for All Friday No. 21

Wow, was I late posting this week!

—Inky

20% Off at The Container Store

Courtesy of reader GG, here's an online 20% Off coupon from The Container Store. The store has some Filofax refills, as well as Miquelrius and other notebooks, files, filing boxes, and other organizing supplies.

http://tinyurl.com/6a3ad9

What / Where

As the year is drawing to a close, I've begun to think about what I'm going to do next year in my Filofax, and how well what I'm doing now is working for me. Today I took out the 2008 pages (I've been using Kate Spade, Personal size), except for November and December, and put in my 2009 diary (week per 2-pages, cotton cream - delicious!). It's scary how thin the rest of this year is, in terms of paper!

I'm reevaluating what I've been doing. This year, it's been a week-per-2-pages, followed by tabs marked To do, Projects, Ideas, Lists, and Tel.

To do - It's been ages since I wrote in or looked at this section. I guess I've been so busy that I only have time for must-dos, which get written on the weekly pages, like paying bills, renewing licenses, and so on. Things like getting a new cell phone or getting my car detailed are just sitting there on aging paper.

Projects - This once-active section, with one yellow lined page per project, has also become just bulky, unused paper. I've planned trips and special evenings in this section. Now it's just undone termite inspections and insurance reviews. Can I keep track of projects in a way that doesn't require as many leaves in my book?

Ideas - A couple of years ago, I had so many ideas I could spend hours writing them down. Now? I guess I've finished writing down that backlog of ideas and don't have any new ones. Maybe I'm also too busy to speculate about things. But will I ever see Elton John in Las Vegas? Will I ever get kayaks for my husband and I? Who knows -- but do I really need to carry these dreams everywhere I go?

Lists - The only page in this section that sees much action is my grocery shopping list. This section has various lists in alphabetical order (A5 paper sources, Bare Essentuals makeup I want to order, Beau Ties neckties to order for my father, books to read or to send to people, Christmas gift lists, etc.).

I've been thinking lately, what might work better is one-day-per-page plus A-Z pages, not all these other tabs. But one-day-per-page doesn't come in cotton cream, which I love! One thing's for sure, a lot of what I'm currently carrying can be pulled out and stored away.

When I reevaluate my system, I take some notebook pages and write "What" on the left side, and "Where" on the right side. This arrangement helps me figure out where I might put certain kinds of information. It helps clear my head. Then I build my Filofax system from the ground up.

The other night, I did this in my Miquelrius A5 notebook, using pencil and drawing lines between the different subjects, as shown in the picture. This is only one out of 3 page spreads.

I placed a Daily Planner order this weekend. They're having a sale, and I indulged in a personal Finchley with a chocolate cover and cotton cream filler inside!!! I also bought horizontal week-per-2-pages for my work and kitchen A5 Filos.

Prayers and wishes for wildfire victims

With apologies to reader Vidya (I couldn't contact you directly), I'm pulling this comment to the front because of the urgency and danger of the topic: the recent wildfires in California. A new fire started last night in the San Fernando Valley, which isn't a forested area...it's an area where millions of people live.

Whether where you live is prone to earthquakes, fires, tornadoes, or hurricanes, evacuation info is one of the most important things we can carry in our Filofaxes. That makes Vidya's comment more timely than ever:

Not to post off-topic, but the timing seems appropriate. I live in the Central Coast of California and yesterday many of my colleagues were either evacuated or preparing to evacuate because of the wildfires. People were trying to figure out what they should take in a very short time.

Earlier this year, I started a list in my Filofax of what I would want most in case I ever need to evacuate. My Filo is almost always with me, both at home and out, so I know it will be close at hand if/when the situation arises. I know that if I didn't have a list handy, I would stand in the middle of my house, in a panic, grabbing nonsensical items. It gave me a sense of peace knowing that I am prepared in one small way. In this part of the world, evacuation isn't a theory, it's an eventual likelihood.

So far, friends and colleagues are all safe, although my beloved Mt. Calvary Monastery/Retreat House was burned to the ground. The Montecito fire seems to be contained, but now there is another fire, to the east, in Los Angeles County and I am hoping it gets contained quickly.

Free for All Friday No. 20

We've got a request for today's topic!

What do you write with in your Filofax? Pen? Fountain Pen? Pencil?

—Inky

P.S. Check out the comments on this post for some great pen/pencil carrying ideas. Why not cut your pen loop in half and carry 2 pens?

The sweetest reunion

Gretchen Rubin writes eloquently about the return of her lost Filofax. (No surprise, she's the author of a forthcoming book called The Happiness Project.)

Here's an excerpt:

I’m old-fashioned when it comes to keeping my calendar, and I carry around a worn, fat Filofax that contains every piece of information I need to live my life: my calendar, addresses and phone numbers, class lists for both girls, business cards for doctors, repairmen, etc., a list of important birthdays, a subway map of Manhattan, and a few precious mementos, like the Valentine heart the Big Girl made for me when she was in kindergarten.

But it's worth clicking for the illustration alone.

To Market to Market

Since the Container Store no longer carries A5 Filofaxes, I decided to try my local Stationer/Gift Shop, which used to have a really good selection, before resorting to placing an online order. Sadly, I found they've also cut down their selection. They have no A5 organizers, and just a few refills; notably, the A5 vertical week-per-2-pages (which I don't want), month-per-2-pages, addresses, and to-dos.

But I was able to get my Personal week-per-2-pages. I decided to get Cotton Cream for a change, since I also have some Cotton Cream to-dos. I think I'm going to like it! They also had Finchley organizers with complete Cotton Cream insides -- very luxurious! I think I'd like to go all-Cotton-Cream someday.

Other items of note:

- They still have the Kate Spade in both Personal and Pocket sizes for 2009. If you look back, you'll see I'm using Kate Spade for my 2008 diary, but I bought it during the year when it was marked down to $8. The full price for the Personal is $24 -- twice the price of even the Cotton Cream!

- This particular store has just as many Mini organizers and refills as Pocket! The Minis are usually hard to find.

- They have the small 6-ring Mead binders and filler paper. It's the same size as Personal Filofax, but thinner and cheaper. You can't get this size at the big chains like Staples anymore. Small shops like this one are more likely to have these specialty items, but they're more expensive. A Mead composition book is $4!

- New this year, the store now stocks Moleskine diaries. They've spread from Barnes and Noble to college bookstores, now to little gift shops in the 'burbs!

- Also new: Myndology notebooks and paper. These have the flat plastic rings like Levenger Circa. Another item I'm surprised to find in a plain old gift shop.

- I also saw a Cross journal (made by the Cross pen company) with a leather cover and built-in Cross mini pen. Pretty cool!

Gee, can you tell I love stationery stores?

Free for All Friday No. 19

Sorry I'm late posting this.

I've had a crazy week. What's new with y'all?

—Inky

Organizer Paper Sighting

In 1975, the late comedian George Carlin appeared on the Mike Douglas show. During his routine, he referred to notes that were placed on a low table in front of him, out of camera range. Notice how he's shot from mid-thigh up the whole time.

Eventually, however, Carlin revealed to the audience that he was using notes and made it part of the act. At the very end, he actually picks up the sheets and shuffles through them. Look what kind of paper it is! Looks to me like 6-hole punched pages that would be at home in an organizer book!

I always did like Carlin...

George Carlin on YouTube

Turn the clock back, 2008 edition

I've written about Daylight Saving Time (European Summer Time) in the past, usually with a photo of the notation on the Filofax diary page. Tonight, I wasn't able to get a clear photo, but my Filo for Sunday, November 2 says "Daylight Saving Time ends, Canada & USA*," with the parenthetical "*information correct at time of going to print."

The parenthetical is necessary because Canada and the USA are currently out of sync with European Summer Time, which ended on October 26. The U.S. Congress decided that extended Daylight Saving Time would save more energy. That is arguable. I've heard the argument that it doesn't save energy because more light in the evening keeps people outside and driving in cars, instead of heading home and going to bed early.

What do you think?

Another parenthetical: (I'm writing this while watching "Are You Being Served AGAIN," so for this reason alone I feel I can speak with some authority on European Summer Time :) ).