31 August 2015

A date for your diary - 6 September 2015

We are going to run another conference round-table voice chat using Skype. And the 'morning' session returns so our friends in the Far East and Asia can join in again.

I'm sure we are gradually getting to know each other's voices, but I will make a point of going 'around the table' to get everyone to introduce themselves this time.

So...When, Where, What, Who and How?

When? - Sunday 6 September from  London 10am, Paris 11am, Brisbane 7pm time.

Additionally I will be on line at San Francisco 10am Chicago, 12noon Toronto 1pm, New York 1pm, London 6pm Paris 7pm etc.  See the World Clock to make sure you have the right time.

The timing of these two sessions have been chosen to hopefully allow as many people to join in compared to previous round-tables. The timing of future ones will be varied to suit everyone if need be.

Where? - an on-line chat using Skype. with voice and video (if you wish)

What do I need? - just a micro-phone and some head phones(in ear phones work fine) and a free Skype account. Using headphones or earphone reduces 'echo' on the call.

Who - All of you... connect up with Philofaxy and we will attempt to get as many of us linked in to the audio conference as possible. Come and listen if you don't want to chat.  What do we talk about? Filofax stuff... but anything else as well. It's like long lost friends meeting up for coffee and a catch up.. but don't worry if you have never joined in before... you are an old friend too!

If you have any questions you want to ask then please let us know in the group or before we start.

How -
  1. Connect to Philofaxy by firstly searching for Philofaxy in Skype, I will then add you as a contact.
  2. Then  'Send Contact Request',  I will then add you in to the chat room. 
  3. Then if you request it, I can add you to the audio conference as well. But if you just want to chat via keyboard that's fine. That way it's slightly less hectic for me! 
Come and join in the fun, even if you only pop in to say hello... but don't be afraid to join in the discussion.

As with previous round-tables there will also be a parallel text chat room going at the same time as the voice conference, so you can listen to the voice chat and type if you wish.

If you need any assistance setting up Skype, please pop a comment in this post and I will try and help you get one line. Skype is free for computer to computer calls....

Here is my post on how to improve your Skype audio with headphones or a headset.

Hope to be chatting with you on Sunday 6 September 2015.

My wandering, wayward heart (my version of planner peace) by Anita

After reading Helen’s excellent post about defining planner peace, it reminded me that I’ve been considering writing about this subject for some time. The great thing is that everyone’s version of peace will look quite different, and that’s one of the things that I love reading about here or on other blogs. The flexibility of a ringed binder draws me back every time as it’s so easy to open the rings, remove the contents and start over.

I’ve had a little look back at my previous posts here on Philofaxy and there seems to be a recurring theme along the lines of ‘I’m so content with this one, I couldn’t imagine changing and thank you very much, I won’t be buying any more’. However, after a varying amount of time I do change and I’ve recently realised just what this means for my binder use and peace of mind.

Quite some time ago, I had a Facebook conversation with the lovely Ro about buying Filofaxes and something she said really struck me as very true that I have a ‘wandering, wayward heart when it comes to these things’ and about my tendency to like variety now and then.

So, this is what my planner peace looks like:
  • First and foremost, I do not mess with my set up. This is my cardinal rule, I guess. Whilst some changes can be beneficial, I don’t want to tinker about with my system for the sake of it as this can just be another form of procrastination for me
  • I am allowed to change my binder when I fancy some variety, as I am able to recoup my costs as I’m careful about what I spend. I love Filofaxes, but I don’t want a large collection and I dislike owning ones that aren't in use, so I sell my original one to fund the incoming newbie
  • My main binder is either personal or one that takes A6 paper as I find them the best compromise between page size and portability 
  • I am allowed to own more than one! For some time, I struggled with this with my minimalistic tendencies but I am finding that an additional A5 is very helpful for planning projects and taking notes
  • I've learnt over time that my version of planner peace will change and I'm OK with that 
  • Something new (for me) that I'm considering is the idea that I can keep one additional one that isn't being used. It may be just one that I love and don't want to part with, or maybe in a different size for my changing needs
  • I keep my stationery supplies at a minimum. On purpose I have a limited amount of storage for this and I don't decorate, so it means I don't need much more than spare paper, my hole punch and a couple of pens. 
I've actually found it quite useful writing this post as I've been figuring this out as I go along and putting it into words has been very helpful. I've never had 'a unicorn' and I feel very fortunate as I usually find any new replacement quite easily thanks to this wonderful online community.

30 August 2015

Reader Under The Spotlight - Grace

A big thank you to Grace for agreeing to go under our spotlight. 

My name is Grace, I’m 25 and I’m from a seaside town in Kent (UK). I live both there and in Nottingham where I attend University. I’m a “mature” student (on paper only!) and graduated from the University of Nottingham this July; I am about to start my Masters at the same place. My studies centre on early medieval (c. 500 – 1100AD) history, language, and literature, but I like history and books from all time periods. I also work part-time. Outside of my planner and stationery obsession I devote the majority of my time to my studies, but I also dabble in crafts, mostly card making, and a little bit of cooking and baking; oh, and I have an unhealthy obsession with the works of JRR Tolkien. I am an animal lover, particularly of my black, fluffy cat called Conan, and I fully intend to one day be a crazy cat lady.

Q1 – When did you buy your first organise and what was it?

My first organiser was a kids’ fun-fax style planner when I was very young. I filled it with very important things such an inventory of my toys and plans of Saturday – plait My Little Pony’s mane, Sunday – rearrange Barbie house furniture – clearly planning has always been part of me. The first Filofax I purchased myself was a Personal Lavender Metropol in 2011 when I was studying to get into University.

Q2 – What other brands have you used or considered using?

I like the gold rings in Kikki K planners and I think the Kate Spade are beautiful. The majority of the ones I like are discontinued models though.

Q3 – Out of the organisers you own which is your current favourite (style and size)?

It’s a tough question as I love my Kingfisher Blue Metropol – I love the colour and because it’s discontinued I ended up in a furious bidding war on eBay for it. But for functionality I’d have to say my compact Pennybridge. It has all the features of a wallet, which I needed, but the added rings so I can use it as a planner too. The outside pocket also fits my iPhone 6 in perfectly so if I’m just popping out to the shop or for a coffee all I need to take is that.

Q4 – How many Filofax or other brands of organisers do you own?

I have five different Metropols – two personals, in Kingfisher Blue and in Lavender, an A5 in Red, a Mini in Chocolate Brown, and a zipped A4 in Red – technically the A4 is a Folio but it has full sized rings in it – it’s just the name ‘Folio’ seems to half the price! I also have a Compact Pennybridge (the wallet) in Purple, an A5 Domino Patent in Turquoise, and a Clipbook in Petrol Blue.

Q5 – What is the oldest organiser in your collection?

Unless I ever find that kids’ fun fax (it may possibly be in my parents’ attic collecting dust) then that would be the Lavender Metropol, the poor thing is pretty battered so it’s officially retired to shelf life now.

Q6 – What do you use your organisers for?

Absolutely everything! From the obvious day to day planning to things like tracking my food, health, books read, finances, assignments… etc.

Q7 – How many sections do you have in your organiser and what is each section used for?

I have four (!) planners on the go, plus a Clipbook.

The Personal Metropol is my day-to-day planner and has five sections: it has a WO2P diary, a general to-do list, a food log, reading lists, and a ‘misc’ section for notes/brain dump type things.

The Pennybridge is a wallet and finance tracker. So there’s a WO2P where I write down everything I spend, then also sections for shopping lists, online orders, and wishlists.

The A5 Metropol is my household planner; it has four sections and some sub-sections. The first section has things like tenancy info, cleaning schedule, passwords and logins (in code), and direct debits. The second has contacts and addresses with a pen-pal sub-section, the third is for crafts and stationery with inserts like cards I need to make and an inventory of my favourite/frequently used stationery and craft items and where they were purchased so I can replace them easily. Fourth is a health/wellbeing/fitness section, which, among other things, includes monthly pages so I can track some health issues and see on which days I may have had symptoms or problems.

The A5 Domino is my University planner. The first section has my timetables and a year to view so I can quickly see my deadline dates; the second has WO2P diary that I designed myself to plan out my studying schedule; the third section is again my own inserts that are for planning projects, essays, and other assignments; the fourth has information sheets about the modules I take, and the last section is for me to keep track of the books I take out of the library.

Lastly, I use my Clipbook for taking notes when I’m on campus.

Q8 – What was the feature about Filofax you like the most?

Adaptability and flexibility! And also the range of colours and styles to choose from. I love how I can have one planner full of mostly reference things with all sorts stuffed into the pockets and another, such as the Clipbook, that is dedicated to just note taking as its design is perfect for that.

Q9 – If you could design your own Filofax what would it feature?

I love my Compact Pennybridge as a wallet, as it has all you need for that – card slots, a generous zip pouch for coins, inner and outer pockets and a zip close to keep everything safe… the only problem is the teeny compact rings. So I’d take that planner and widen it to have full sized personal rings and combine my wallet planner with my day-to-day planner. I’d have it available in aqua (like the Lockwood) and black colours with a gold zip and purple with a silver zip – yes I have thought about this too much!

Q10 – How do you carry your Filofax?

The Pennybridge, Personal Metropol, and the Clipbook travel in my handbag – I have a large handbag that also carries an 11.6” laptop, pencil case, and a host of other things. The A5s stay at home on my desk.

Q11 – Which Filofax in the current range do you like the most? Are you going to buy it?

Well, the one I liked the most was the A5 Patent Domino in Turquoise… and I did buy it!

Q12 – What is the most you have ever spent on a Filofax or other brand of organiser? Which model?

I’m one for the cheaper models, so the most was about £40 for the A4 folio – which is the only one of my planners to have never been used, typical!

Q13 – What is your favourite Filofax tip or hack?

Philofaxy dated diary inserts! I have at least one type in every single one of my Filofaxes, for various purposes.

Q14 –Turning to Philofaxy, what do you like the most?

I love that there’s a community of planner and stationery nuts out there – so I particularly love reading the Readers Under the Spotlight, Experienced Users, and Web-Finds. I often get comments from friends, family, and even strangers such as “Hey! The 1980s called, they want their Filofax back!”, or “Why in the hell would you use a Filofax when you have an iPhone?!”, and I often point them in the direction of Philofaxy to say, well, at least I’m not the only one, there’s an army of us!

Q15 – and what do you not like about Philofaxy?

There’s nothing about Philofaxy itself, but when it comes to the online planner community the term ‘planner peace’ annoys me, but there was a guest post about that very recently that covered the term very nicely. I just think having a perfect system is great, but as for ‘planner peace’, then life changes constantly, and that’s the reason why Filofaxes are adaptable to change.

Q16 – What was the last music track you downloaded or bought?

Not a track but an album – One Man Army by Ensiferum (a Finnish Folk Metal band)

Q17 – Have you ever attended a Philofaxy meet up? If not do you intend to one day?

I have not – maybe one day, but I can be quite a shy little sausage when it comes to meeting new people.

Q18 – what was the last movie you watched?

I recently finished reading Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited, so I watched the 2008 movie adaptation as I wanted to see how someone else interpreted the novel.

Q19 – What was the last book you read?

As above – Brideshead Revisited. But I usually have two or three books (or more) on the go at any one time, some for work/study and some for pleasure. Currently I’m reading a book on Old English grammar (study!), the posthumously published work of Tolkien that just came out, The Story of Kullervo (pleasure), and Studs Terkel’s The Good War: An Oral History of WWII (bit of both?): this is why I need an entire section to track my reading!

Thank you Grace and all the best with your Masters.

As you know we are always looking for new people to appear in our 'Reader Under Spotlight feature, you don't have to be 'well known' or a long term user to be considered to appear in this 'spot'.

So please contact Steve philofaxy at gmail dot com today. Thank you.

29 August 2015

Web Finds - 29 August 2015

So I hope you have had a good week.

So now it is time to enjoy a great collection of blog posts and videos from around the internet, so grab a drink and make yourself for our weekly round-up.

Here are some Philofaxy posts you might have missed this week:
  1. Reader Under The Spotlight - Stacey
  2. Opening and Closing the rings on our organiser
  3. Free For All Tuesday No. 238
  4. Fixing Ring Gaps
  5. Experienced User - Sam
  6. Free For All Friday No. 354
So here are the latest Filofax and other brand blog posts from around the Internet:
  1. What’s Your Planner Type? | Planner Week + GIVEAWAY & Coupon Code - Brandie Sellers
  2. So You’re Ready to Get a Planner . . . - Homemakers Daily
  3. How to make your own ring bound planner from scratch – part 1 - House of Lotte
  4. My Gillio pocket Compagna is here! - Love All Planners
  5. Planner Fidelity - Stationery Starlet
  6. Why haven’t you finished that project? - Planning Your Life Out on Paper
  7. How to build your perfect planner system? Week 12: Start to thinking in projects! - From Chaos to Order
  8. Living In An App World, And I’m An Analogue Girl - The Weekend Wife
  9. How to make your own ring bound planner from scratch – Part 2 – Process flow - House of Lotte
  10. Can I Use a Planner That's Not Perfect For Me? - Giftie Etcetera
  11. Trip Tuesday - The Small Stuff - Stationery Starlet
  12. Are You Trying to Do Too Much? - Time Management Ninja
  13. My Italian lover – Gillio planner - I hearts simple living
  14. Wordless Wednesday - Anita Lim
  15. Time management Monday: what to do during your least productive hours - Quo Vadis Blog
  16. Planner Girl: August Update - Thoughts Along Life's Highway
  17. How to make your own ring bound planner – Part 3 – transferring the pattern - House of Lotte
  18. My new red Pocket Executive!! - It's Bluetiger
  19. 10 Types of To-Do Lists - Homemakers Daily
  20. How to Log Exercise in a Planner - Giftie Etcetera
  21. Using a planner correctly? - Stationery Starlet
  22. The real reason WHY you haven’t finished that project yet. - Planning Your Life Out on Paper
  23. Podcast #8 – Introducing GTD to a Friend - Getting Things Done
  24. Lifestyle: What’s in my Handbag (Intern Edition) - The Life & Loves of Ninegrandstudent
  25. Filofax A5 Pear Saffiano Review - Zoeplans
  26. Filofax A5 Domino Setup for University - Mary Plethora
  27. My Filofax Tabs - Claudine's Art Corner
  28. How to Use a Planner for Temporary Amnesia - Renew Your Space
  29. Which Planner Pages Are Worthy of Top Tabs - Giftie Etcetera
  30. Size matters - It's Bluetiger
  31. Fall Is In The Air!! [printable] - Planner Fun
  32. Stretch/Re-Purpose Planner Stationery - The Weekend Wife
  33. Planner Meet Up | Planner Week - Brandie Sellers
  • We monitor over 400 blogs and sites, your Filofax/Organiser blog posts could appear in this list, just contact philofaxy at gmail dot com to be added to our monitoring list. 
  • We can not guarantee people will read your posts, but we know there is a higher chance of people reading your posts and returning to read other posts if you make them interesting with pictures and good hints and tips. Do not forget to give your posts a title... 
  • Your Filofax/Organiser posts could appear in this list, just contact philofaxy at gmail dot com to be added to our monitoring list. 
  • For some general tips on Filofax Blogging, please see this post
We are on the look out for more people to take part in Reader Under the Spotlight. If you would like to appear in this feature then please contact Steve : philofaxy at gmail dot com  Thank you.

And here are a selection of the latest Filofax videos for your enjoyment.
  1. Van der Spek 'Janet Leather' Planner - Sevanseights
  2. Love my Van der Spek - Karen Robertson
  3. What's in my filofax personal ?! - Judi Baliga
  4. A5 Holborn Spiritual Filofax & More - Monique Smith
  5. Setup filofax penny bridge compact - Francesca Brini
  6. Filofax Ochre Malden Set Up | College Set Up 2015 - Hollydaly
  7. DIY planner with free printables and DIY filofax cover - BACK TO SCHOOL - Patty Sway
  8. Filofax Setup - Diyar Akar
  9. My new Filofax Malden in Ochre. - Sam Kelly
  10. Pocket Filofax Malden Ochre | Setup - The Planning Witch
  11. Art Heals Us: My First Filofax A5 DIY Setup with dashboard and inserts - Art Heals Us!
  12. Filofax or Midori?!? - Horizon1322
  13. My Mini Filofax Wallet Setup - Seaweed Kisses
  14. {Filofax & Art Journal} Fluoro Pink Original as Summer Fun Kit - DarkLittlePeople
  15. Planner-love: Filofax the Original Patent Nude A5 - Unboxing - Miasockergryn
  16. 10 FILOFAX HACKS & DIY's | Kalender, Schulplaner - ViktoriaSarina
  17. Filofax planner layout 2016 - Laqwanna Franklin
  18. Filofax Saffiano Pocket Planner Unboxing - Shay Sharing
  19. DIY Cute Dashboard For Kikki-k/Filofax - Pimp my Planner 
  20. Filofax Malden Unboxing from Pens and Leather - Mady Lopez
  21. Filofax Fall 2015 New Items - Pen Boutique - Maryland - Roger Kent
  • For tips on how to improve your videos, please see this post.  Also this video too Webfinds 
  • Your Filofax/Organiser Videos could appear in this list, just contact philofaxy at gmail dot com to be added to our monitoring list. 
My Week Posts
  1. My week #175 - Paper Lovestory
  2. Weekly Post #118 - Miss Mai's Adventures
  3. My Week #34 (2015) - Joanny White
  4. My Week 34/52 - Twenty5seven
  5. Weekly Post #119 - Miss Mai's Adventures
  6. Weekly Post #120 - Miss Mai's Adventures
Enjoy

28 August 2015

Free For All Friday No. 354

How are you at setting your own goals? Setting realistic deadlines for what you might achieve in a week?

During most routine weeks I manage my time and achieve most things fairly well. Alison and I tend to work as a team from the point of view of doing things around the house, having been married for coming up to 30 years, it is a fairly 'well oiled machine' !!

However, since we moved to France, we obviously are together a lot more and that took a little bit of getting used to. We have adjusted our tasks I suppose. We often do our own trips though and if I'm at home on my own I used to find it quite a struggle adapting to having to do everything, so I would often run out of time or not achieve as much as I thought I would in the week or so.

This week Alison is at a local literature festival in the south of our region, so I'm at home and so far the planning and tasks are going well.

Why? My organiser... yes of course... I wrote out a list in my usual way and then I've allocated each task to a day with the aim of doing it on that day and hopefully getting through the tasks by the time Alison returns on Saturday!!

One thing that helped me though was starting my plan early before Alison had left, she is very good at prompting me for things I need to do! I also looked at the weather forecast (very English!!) to see when to do things outside as well. As it happens it's been fairly accurate this week for here (for that read it has rained quite a bit!)

So all in all I'm feeling quite pleased with myself!!

Do you have weeks when it all goes to plan... because of the way you used your organiser?

And as it is a Friday you are of course free to discuss anything ring bound planner related.

27 August 2015

Experienced User - Sam

Thank you to Sam for his contribution to this feature. 



Hey There, I'm Sam, 39 male from Cairo, Egypt who's obsessed with anything related to Papers, Pens, Stickers, Colors, Post It Notes, new planners, cats, dogs and Coffee :-)

Working in a Travel Agency on which I do have several tasks with time limits and due dates that must take place, thus usage of a Planner is a Mandatory Item for me to keep track of what's taking place.

Have tried digital for sometime, however they never worked for me. Quoting Jennifer Mcquire-- whom i almost memorize her YouTube Vids " I need to have that paper in front of me " which is 100% true !

1. When did you start using an organiser?

Well, that goes back to Prep school on which an Original Black Filofax was given to me by my mother- who was a teach but never used one herself. At this time I was mainly using it to store contact numbers,  emails and addresses (cell phones were not in function yet, we're talking the 80's ) as well as a brief Journal section.

2. How has your use of an organiser changed over the years?

At first, it was mainly used for storing contact numbers and email addresses. Later on, I started " Actually" using the Calendar pages, writing my " To Do's " and stuff. Later on , more sections were added like " Expenses, Quotes, Bucket lists, etc". Now it's more of a daily used planner for personal and Business use.

3. Which diary format works best for you and why?

Hmmm, I use a system of combining Month, Weekly and daily inserts . Pay days, bills , vacations and long term planning is listed in the Monthly calendar with reference on weekly and daily pages as well. Weekly pages are mainly used to highlight important events during the full week and Daily for to do lists and events.


4. What other information do you keep and maintain in your organiser.

Finances, Lists, Books to read, Music to download, and work related lists and issues.

6. What routines and structures do you use?

Once I report to office, I open my Planner and see how would my day go. Once I finalize a task, I write it off with a highlighter or a marker, keeping only unfinished tasks. In case a task was not cleared within the required day, I move it to next day's task list (Day page). On weekly basis during weekend, I re-check all pendings tasks to see if they are still required and in function, or I should remove them for good.

7. Do you use one binder or several, and if several, how do you use them?

I have several binders (One Personal Coverstory, One Personal Malden , One Compact Pennybridge, One Pocket Malden and a pocket Patent. I also have Three Moleskine's and One ECLP ). I keep on switching between binders according to my mode, however at all times i only use only one Binder, never use separate binders for different purposes.


Thank you Sam.

If you would like to take part in this series please email steve@philofaxy.com and mark your email 'Experienced Filofax User'

26 August 2015

Fixing Ring Gaps

A lot of people in our community encounter gaps in rings, although some companies would have you believe that the number of ring problems reported is a low percentage of their total output. I will let you make up your own mind on that.

Sometimes if the ring gap is only small they do not cause a major problem, as long as the pages are not catching on them then they will be ok.

So what should you look for?

What should good rings look like? 





So there are different fixes for different types of rings and different fixes for the different types of problems we often see.

First of all if you receive a new organiser and it has unacceptable ring gaps on one or more of the rings, you should contact the supplier and tell them you are not going to accept the item and arrange for it to be returned.

To help the retailer roll up some coloured paper and place that inside the rings like in the above photos to show the detail of the rings better. Photographing 'shiny' things is never easy!

1.  Damaged beyond repair.

If it arrives like this.....

With thanks to Samantha Brihante for this photograph.

It is a definite return to the supplier!

2. Removable rings.

If your rings are the removable type from say Gillio or Van der Spek or any other company that uses this type, then it is easy to remove the rings to replace them with a new set.  To do this follow this video.


3. Rings touching but not interlocking correctly. 

If the rings on your organiser look like this from above:



This is where the two halves of the rings are not lining up correctly internally. Sometimes you can correct this by opening the rings with the tabs, pressing firmly and then closing them again. Doing this 10-20 times can shuffle them back in line again.  When you press down on the tabs it pulls the out of alignment ring halves back in to alignment. You can try pushing them longitudinally to assist in the process.

Note how in my very exaggerated example the tab is also out of alignment. I pushed the rings in opposite directions to show this example. Normally they wouldn't be that far out!

4. Height difference between the two halves of the rings.

If when you look at the ends of the rings they are displaced like this:


Initially try opening and closing the rings a few times, if all of the rings are different heights then something isn't quite right internally and you might be able by pressing down on the rings on the high side to get them to click back in to alignment.

If it is only one or two rings then a little bit of applied force on those particular rings might get them back in to alignment again. But be careful you don't over do it!

5. Small gaps - most common problem. 

If the rings on your organiser meet perfectly when you squeeze them together if there are gaps with no steps vertically or laterally then this fix might work. If the rings are distorted in any way then it will not work.

If you have gaps on all rings, something has gone wrong internally, on non-riveted rings ease off the cover plate and visibly check the mechanism internally. Pay attention that the tabs are not holding the rings open. Try lifting the tabs at each end and watch the rings to see if the gap decreases.

If it isn't the tabs and the rings are the riveted type (Malden, Finsbury etc) there’s not a lot you can do apart from returning the organiser to Filofax for a replacement.

If the gap is just small on only 2 or 3 rings then these instructions will work in nearly all cases.

Caution: Please carry out these instructions carefully and precisely. If you squeeze too hard you will cure one problem but create another. So only squeeze gently at first. You are going to carry out this at your own risk… you have been warned!

If you have gaps like this but the others are ok. Firstly try opening and closing the rings a few times using only the tabs at the end to open them.

Still got a problem?

Then read on.

Find yourself some rulers or something similar. I picked rulers because most people have them and they will sit in between the rings without you having to hold them in place. And with several you can make them the right thickness by adding and subtracting them.

Open the rings and place the rulers in the gap of the good rings.


Now gently squeeze the ring with the largest gap, but gently.


Take out the rulers and try closing the rings. Is there still a gap? If there is repeat the process but squeeze a little harder this time.


Take out the rulers and try closing the rings.


Is there still a gap? No…fixed.

It is best to err on the side of lightly squeezing the rings, so a few attempts rather than fixing the gap in a single attempt.

This fix has been used by many people including myself and it is successful in most cases.

6. Replacement rings.

Where the rings are riveted to the organiser and the heads of the rivets are visible on the outside of the organiser for instance on the Original, Domino models then you can buy replacement rings for organisers from Amazon UK. These rings have a screw type fixing so once the old ones are removed they are very easy to fit.

Amazon links for replacement rings.
Top Tips.... how many did you know already?
  • Never ship an organiser with a full set of inserts on the rings... one big drop by a ham fisted Yodel/DHL (Day and Half Late)/Fedex/UPS (delete as applicable) man and your rings will be strained considerable, or even worse will be rattling around in the box. See how to pack an organiser.
  • When selling always take a photo of the rings with coloured paper before you ship it. 
  • When buying a pre-owned organiser, always request a picture of the rings with coloured paper inside them before agreeing a price. 
  • Never rush a repair, if in doubt contact Steve (philofaxy at gmail dot com) 
  • Do not be tempted to paint your rings with glitter or gold paint, it will not adhere and any roughness on the rings will damage the paper. 
  • Check your rings regularly, give them a wipe with a soft cloth. 
  • If the organiser has been stored in damp conditions the rings are prone to going rusty, clean with metal polish, if that doesn't shift it then go for a mild abrasive, then polish with a metal polish to finish off. 
  • The ring mechanism is a very simple mechanism and it is explained in more depth in this earlier post
  • Finally. make sure you only ever use the tabs to open the rings every time.
Got any ring questions, pop them in the comments below. 

24 August 2015

Opening and Closing the rings on our organiser

I'm sure some of us have been watching You Tube videos and seen people pull the rings open with their fingers!

To ensure that you don't damage the ring mechanism on your Filofax personal organiser, always use the tabs at the ends of the ring mechanism to open the rings. Place your organiser on a firm surface and press evenly on both tabs at the same time.

Do not under any circumstances pull the rings open using the rings themselves; this could result in the internal mechanism becoming damaged.

Opening the rings



To close the rings use your rings on either sides of both sets of rings with a light even pressure and the rings should snap shut. Be careful to not trap your fingers in the closing rings.

Closing the rings


The mechanism does not require any routine maintenance or oiling, just an occasional wipe with a soft dry cloth will keep the metal clean and rust free.

If you have problems with the rings of your Filofax organiser watch out for another post on the subject soon.

If you are studying for your 'Philofaxy Ring Masters' degree course, you might like to revise from an earlier lesson on how rings work and are put together here

23 August 2015

Reader Under The Spotlight - Stacey

Today I would like you to say hello to Stacey. 


Hi! I'm Stacey and I am an elementary school counselor living in Tennessee. 

1. When did you buy your first organiser and what was it?

I've been trying out various types of planners/organizers for as long as I can remember- even back to elementary school. I still remember my first Trapper Keeper, with scratch-n-sniff folders! My very first proper Filofax was purchased just last year- an a5 fluoro pink Original Filo that, when I first saw it on a YouTube video, created such an intense covetousness in me that I just couldn't shake it. I thought about that neon pink for weeks, trying to convince myself that I could never spend that much on a planner and that I didn't need a neon pink leather planner.  Obviously, my resolve didn't last long!  

2. What other brands have you used or considered using?

I've tried the At-A-Glance planners and other inexpensive bound planners found at office supply stores, and I own two stunning Van der Spek Managers (a5), both with the ridiculous and wonderful 35 mm rings.  I also have a secondhand Mulberry, a no-name planner, and almost a dozen various Filofaxes. I don't see myself going back to spiral-bound planners again, now that I can fully customize my binders with everything I need. 

3. Out of the organisers you own which is your current favourite (Style and Size)?

I am utterly in love with my Van der Spek custom-designed Manager (a5).  I went all-out to build my perfect planner and got the giant back wallet pocket, two pen loops, ring protectors, and fancypants gold-plated 35 mm rings, with a glossy black Croco print exterior and a smooth turquoise-blue interior.  Sometimes I just pick it up so I can inhale the incredible leather smell. I, uhm.  Ok, so sometimes I ask other people to sniff it too. *shamefaced*  Hey, if you own a VdS, you know what I'm talking about!  People are amazed by how unbelievably good their leather smells, and it's set a ridiculous bar for comparison with other leathers. 

4. How many Filofax or other brands of organisers do you own?

Fifteen... My goodness, I didn't realize it was that bad! 

5. What is the oldest organiser in your collection?

Although I don't know the exact production date, according to the FiloWiki it would either be my blue pocket Windsor or my black personal Balmoral, both of which I purchased secondhand from the original owners. 

6. What do you use your organisers for?

Currently, I am using a black Van der Spek Touch Me standard for a wallet and on-the-go planner, and my custom Van der Spek for my work binder. I also use a teal Filofax Clipbook for notes from meetings at work. 

7. How many sections do you have in your organiser and what is each section used for?

In my work binder, I have a foldout weekly overview that I designed, along with a 2-page-per-day insert I also designed. I also have a holepunched a5 Midori Color Paper notebook that matches the interior of my binder perfectly, and I use that for my "good things" journal.  I like to write down any good things from my workday that either happened to me or that I accomplished.  It's so easy to focus on the negatives and I really wanted to have something that was a concrete reminder of the kindness of others and my own successes, no matter how small.   

8. What was the feature about Filofax you like most?

I love all of the colors that Filofax has used in their organizers over recent years. So many companies will only make red, brown, and black planners and Filofax has boldly stepped out of that box. It's hard to feel motivated if a planner is boring!

9. If you could design your own Filofax what would it feature?

What a fun question! I want a pocket on the inside front cover that is specifically designed to dispense standard Post-It Notes, two pen loops that are part leather and part elastic, a full-length wallet pocket in the back, and a pocket on the inside that is large enough for my Samsung Galaxy Note 4. 

10. How do you carry your Filofax?
Like every teacher everywhere, I am a fan of tote bags! A teacher can never have too many tote bags. 

11. Which Filofax in the current range do you like the most? Are you going to buy it?

I think the Aqua Lockwood has a ton of potential. However, the a5 size only has 25 mm rings- I'm utterly spoiled by 35 mm rings in my a5 Van der Spek. 

12. What is the most you have ever spent on a Filofax or other brand of organiser? Which model?

Errrmmm... let's just say that my custom VdS was significantly more than my car payment. However, I spent a very long time putting together exactly what I wanted, knowing that this was meant to be my Ultimate Planner and I wasn't going to  compromise on any of my desired options. 

13. What's your favourite Filofax tip or hack?

I buy plastic/vinyl folders or portfolios from office supply stores and cut them down to make dividers, "today" page markers, pencil boards, and even folders for my planners. They're thinner than laminated cardstock, incredibly durable, and cost less than $2 each. 

14. Turning to Philofaxy, what do you like the most?

Philofaxy is my most-visited planner website. It is an absolute treasure trove of information. My two favorite things are the Web Finds and the templates/source files. I make all my own inserts and use those wonderful source files to save myself hours of Excel work. 

15. And what do you not like about Philofaxy?

I personally am not a huge fan of that left sidebar. It's cluttered and not easy to quickly find certain things, like reviews of planners. I trust Philofaxy as a resource for planner-related information and it's the first place I visit when I want to know more about a specific planner. 

16. What was the last music track you downloaded or bought?

I'm a Spotify user (Sorry, Taylor Swift!) so I stream music rather than purchasing specific albums. However, I recently added George Ezra to my playlist- he's got such a huge voice for such a young guy!

17. Have you ever attended a Philofaxy meet-up? if not do you intend to one day?

I have not, I haven't seen one in my neck of the woods. I think it would be fun to see everyone's unusual binders and talk about different inserts!

18. What was the last movie you watched?

I just saw "Inside Out", and was really struck by how beautiful and serious the core message of the movie was. I feel that adults are really the ones who would benefit most from seeing it, especially those who work with children. 

19. What was the last book you read?

I've been re-reading my Stephen King collection- I just finished "The Dead Zone" and am well into "IT"... I started reading Stephen King when I was 10 years old, and almost 3 decades later I still haven't gotten tired of his "voice" as a writer.

Thank you Stacey.

As you know we are always looking for new people to appear in our 'Reader Under Spotlight feature, you don't have to be 'well known' or a long term user to be considered to appear in this 'spot'.

So please contact Steve philofaxy at gmail dot com today. Thank you.

22 August 2015

Web Finds - 22 August 2015

So I hope you have had a good week.

So now it is time to enjoy a great collection of blog posts and videos from around the internet, so grab a drink and make yourself for our weekly round-up.

So here are the latest Filofax blog posts from around the Internet:
  1. Filofax Duplex DML F7/8 – 4 pages at once! - This Bug's Life
  2. Preparing for Back to School - Stationery Starlet
  3. Things I Never Do in My Planner - Giftie Etcetera
  4. Why I Use a Monthly Calendar AND Daily Pages - Homemakers Daily
  5. Paper Planners – the next biggest trend? - Bites and Brunches
  6. Filofax Duplex DHLF 1/2 - This Bug's Life
  7. How to build your perfect planner system? Week 11: Add some fun! - From Chaos to Order
  8. Tea Time with My Planner Muse Charlie from Sea Salt and Paper! - I'm British, so Filofax
  9. Unboxing my pocket Gillio Mia Cara - Love All Planners
  10. Filofax Personal Sized Brown Henley - This Bug's Life
  11. Trip Planning Tuesday -DLP - Stationery Starlet
  12. September Planner Theme and Layout - Bites and Brunches
  13. A Tour of the Tasks in My Planner - Giftie Etcetera
  14. Pimp My Planner, Aug 17 - Dianne Sylvan
  15. Time Management Monday: Using your planner while juggling multiple roles - Quo Vadis
  16. Pocket sized Oberthur binder from Nati - This Bug's Life
  17. Not Just A Filofax - Wish and Wear
  18. How a Daily Plan Increases My Productivity - Homemakers Daily
  19. Filofax Wishlist – Personal Finchley Antique Rose or Personal Chameleon Raspberry - Kel & Filofax
  20. Filofax OVC 7/8 binder with black rings - This Bug's Life
  21. A Kikki K trip - Twenty5seven
  22. Writing Wednesday: Categorized lists - Quo Vadis Blog
  23. Recap of My Productivity & Planning Master Class Webinar! - Strange and Charmed
  24. Where I Plan - Giftie Etcetera
  25. New GTD Guide for Android now available - Getting Things Done
  26. Another unusual Van Der Spek customisation - This Bug's Life
  27. The rise of the plannerd? - Stationery Starlet
  • We monitor over 400 blogs and sites, your Filofax/Organiser blog posts could appear in this list, just contact philofaxy at gmail dot com to be added to our monitoring list. 
  • We can not guarantee people will read your posts, but we know there is a higher chance of people reading your posts and returning to read other posts if you make them interesting with pictures and good hints and tips. Do not forget to give your posts a title... 
  • Your Filofax/Organiser posts could appear in this list, just contact philofaxy at gmail dot com to be added to our monitoring list. 
  • For some general tips on Filofax Blogging, please see this post
We are on the look out for more people to take part in Reader Under the Spotlight. If you would like to appear in this feature then please contact Steve : philofaxy at gmail dot com  Thank you.

And here are a selection of the latest Filofax videos for your enjoyment.
  1. Cleaning Gillio Leather - Organizedvicar
  2. Setup Gillio Giramondo Epoca Lotus *deutsch* - Yvonne Richau
  3. Gillio Compagna Planner Set Up - JenniferRBatista
  4. Set up Filofax a5 - Rita Panariello
  5. My solution for the ideal planner problem: Filofax Clipbook - From Chaos to Order
  6. Planner Wednesday: Moving my Erin Condren into my A5 Filofax - Natalie Gramling
  7. Filofax Vanilla Unboxing - Loretta Coles
  8. Come organizzo e decoro la mia agenda: Setup Filofax Personal - Makeupnails85
  9. August 2015 Filofax Planner Setup | SocialwithAlexa - Alexa Arabejo
  • For tips on how to improve your videos, please see this post.  Also this video too Webfinds 
  • Your Filofax/Organiser Videos could appear in this list, just contact philofaxy at gmail dot com to be added to our monitoring list. 
My Week Posts
  1. Weekly Post #116 - Miss Mae's Adventures
  2. Planner Friday - August - She's Eclectic
  3. My week #174 - Paper Lovestory
  4. Weekly Post #117 - Miss Mae's Adventures
  5. My week #33 - She's Eclectic
  6. Week 33/52 - Twenty5seven
Here are some Philofaxy posts you might have missed this week:
  1. Reader Under The Spotlight - Karen
  2. Losing weight
  3. Free For All Tuesday No. 237
  4. Guest post - Defining Planner Peace (Or how to stop tinkering and get on with other things) by Helen Fennell
  5. Experienced User - Josh
  6. Free for All Friday No. 353
Enjoy

21 August 2015

Free for All Friday No. 353

Do you plan for procrastination? I don't mean planning procrastination into your life; I mean procrastinating instead of doing. I'm guilty as charged. Today I spent an hour planning my upcoming month when I had important work to do right at hand. The very work I had planned to spend the morning doing.

I did the planning because I had a lot of odds and ends in my head, and I needed to get them into my planner so I could focus on my work. At least, that's what I told myself. And now I've run out of excuses.

20 August 2015

Experienced User - Josh

Hello everyone.  I have used a filofax (or similar ring-bound system) intensively since 2011.  I work at an academic law library where I manage the main desk, collection maintenance, and stacks maintenance and various related workflows.

I typically have approximately 20 student employees and am constantly hiring, training, coaching, assessing, and scheduling.  I also serve in a leadership capacity for several professional organizations.  I manage a couple of rental properties too.  I live with my partner, two dogs, and three cats in Connecticut.  I used to post videos about my planner experiments, setup, and processes at my YouTube channel

1. When did you start using an organiser?

I started using an organizer in 2011.  I had recently been assigned several new responsibilities at work and found myself in a panic trying to keep track of everything that needed to be done, followed-up on, or simply remembered.  Until that time my work had been highly routinized and my simple scheduling needs were managed easily with the calendar on our email program at work (Lotus Notes, the most miserable piece of office technology in existence!).

I initially tried using the task and notes functions in Notes but realized that it was not portable or flexible enough to serve my needs.  I read an article in the New York Times about people who use paper calendars and it mentioned Filofax.  I decided to give Filofax a try.

2. How has your use of an organiser changed over the years? 

My usage has been remarkably consistent over the years.  I try to just get everything down onto paper, and keep it altogether in one binder which I carry more-or-less everywhere with me.  I am regularly making small tweaks but rarely make bold changes anymore.

Setting up a new planner involves an enormous amount of overhead, with perhaps 200 pages or more needing to be transcribed.  For this reason, I have really dedicated myself to the personal size and try not to make drastic changes.  At this point, the system works effortlessly and naturally, and I feel little interest in tinkering.

3. Which diary format works best for you and why?  

I began with week-to-view for scheduling along with a to-do list and notes.  But quickly realized that if my tasks are not scheduled I never do them.  I have ADD, and opening my planner to a long, running, random to-do list sends me into total overwhelm and I don't do anything.

If I take that list and plot it out onto specific days, I just do what I assigned myself to do today.  It is not perfect, but it is much better.  I quickly transitioned to day-to-view and then went back and forth between the weekly and daily layouts.

Weekly is wonderful for perspective, being able to see the whole week at a glance and know what's coming up.  Days are great for the focus: you don't worry about what is happening tomorrow or later in the week, you just deal with today.

At many times of the year, I completely fill both pages of the day-to-view diary every day.  Lots of tasks, notes, phone messages, meetings, reminders.  I need the space!  I find that even when I don't need all that space, I appreciate the focus the daily views provide.

The eventual compromise I reached which seems to work very well is to have the current week in daily pages plus the coming several months in weekly for future planning and scheduling.  Beyond the weeklies, I keep monthlies and year pages for way-out-in-the-future planning.

In terms of brands, I've tried many things.  Filofax has a day-on-two-pages diary offering (which is no longer available from Filofax USA) but I am not too keen on it.  Basically it has a page for scheduling and a page for tasks, and very limited space for notes.

Franklin Covey makes a nice product in their "compact" size but it puts the schedule and tasks in two narrow columns which I find difficult to write in, plus the fonts and ink colors are just awful!  Daytimer offers the best compromise, with scheduling first, then tasks underneath, with a full open notes page facing.  It works really well for me. I wish they printed on better paper and the line ruling is very narrow, but they seem to be the best compromise in the Personal size for my needs.

Beyond that I use plain-old Filofax week-to-view, Monday start, with lines.  I don't mind that the weekend days are smaller as I typically have many fewer meetings on the weekends.

4. What other information do you keep and maintain in your organiser. 

I'd like to keep ALL OF THE THINGS in but that is not really feasible or practical. For a while I used a Franklin Quest binder with 1.5 inch rings (38mm) and had pretty much everything inside: account ledgers, addresses, staff rosters, voicemail instructions, birthday lists, work projects, vacation plans....  But it was SO BIG.

So now I have a more streamlined arrangement.  The ledgers and addresses stay home.  I have contact phone numbers (and account numbers, etc.) in a slimline address insert from Filofax, the kind with ruling right on the tabbed divider so you can write the info right on it.  Between these tabs, I file other documents alphabetically (birthdays behind the A B tab).  I have a lot of work plans and lists and some personal as well.

5. Do you use a 'system' of organisation, and how does it work in your Filofax?  

Not really.  I have read most of the books and have taken elements of the various systems, but I find more success and satisfaction with a more organic system tailored to my needs.  I found Getting Things Done and Julie Morgenstern's Time Management From the Inside Out to be very helpful.

6. What routines and structures do you use?  

Never put a file away without a tickler in the diary when to look at it again.  Jot down everything and do a proper sort-through on the weekend to review them.  Assign everything important a deadline.  I do a quick look over of the past day in the morning and move anything critical which is incomplete.

When I do the review over the weekend, I pencil in all scheduled events, then fit my tasks in around them, and then, if possible, block off time to complete the tasks on the scheduling part of the planner pages.  If something does not get done, and is not time sensitive, I just leave it to deal with the coming weekend when I do my review and planning rather than try to squeeze it into the next day.

I do leave empty time in my schedule every day, as my work involves a lot of interruptions and unplanned, urgent needs.  I try to delegate (down, laterally, or up) anything I know I will struggle to do efficiently; I see no point in laboring for hours on something if a colleague can bang it out in 45 minutes.

7. Do you use one binder or several, and if several, how do you use them?  

I really only use one.  I keep a second at home with reference information inside but only look at it a couple of times a month.  If I need something regularly I squeeze it into my main planner.  I have tried several times to bifurcate my work and personal lives into separate planners but always find the results totally baffling and useless!

I think, for me, that the biggest value of using a planner at all is seeing everything I need to do, know, and remember in one place.  It simplifies my life.

Thank you Josh a great insight. 

If you would like to take part in this series please email steve@philofaxy.com and mark your email 'Experienced Filofax User'

19 August 2015

Guest post - Defining Planner Peace (Or how to stop tinkering and get on with other things) by Helen Fennell

Thank you to Helen for this thought provoking post. 

Ah, that eternal quest for planner peace. I see it a lot on Facebook in the various groups I am in. Should I change size/binder/layout/stickers…? Will this give me planner peace? It really concerns me when I see such angst over a planner. It is just a planner, some bits of paper bound together in one way or another. It shouldn’t be causing stress; it should be making life run more smoothly so you can enjoy your time doing other things. If you are constantly adjusting, tinkering and worrying about the aesthetics of your planner, it will never work for you and all you will do is get frustrated as planner peace eludes you. 

In order to reach planner peace, you need to understand what a planner can do for you.  What do you expect from your planner? If you are expecting planner peace to bring you everlasting health, wealth and happiness, then you may well be disappointed.  It really doesn’t matter what a good planner looks like, as long as it works. It can be a collection of used envelops if that is what works for you. The key is that you need to use it and trust it. I’ll be upfront here; I am not a decorator of planners. 

I understand the need for a creative outlet, I have one in my blog, but I can’t have a lot of clutter in my planner, otherwise I can’t work out what is happening. That isn’t to say decorating is a bad thing, I admire some of the beautiful decoration and calligraphy I see, but I think it should be something that develops (if at all, and there is a strong argument for separating planning and crafts) after you have settled into a planning system which works. Remember, your planner is yours, so what it looks like isn’t important. 

You are judged by your actions, not by how well illustrated your to-do list is!* Nobody has ever said someone was a bad person because their planner was a scribbled mess. If you are worrying about what it looks like, then you are adding an extra layer of planner complexity, which won’t support planner peace in any shape or form. 

In order to reach a point where you are not tinkering with your system, you have to decide what it is that you want it to do. When I was setting up my system after I had a major life change and left my corporate job to run my own business, I thought this through, with the help of one Mr D. Popely. 

Here are the things I wanted to achieve, and therefore needed my planner to help me with:
  • Build my business by producing reliable and high quality work for my clients. Key to this is to be where I am supposed to be and to control time allocated to different client projects
  • Manage Blog editorial
  • Manage MS symptoms by keeping a closer eye on health data to understand which actions have a positive and negative impact
  • Develop meditation and other habits to support health and wellbeing
  • Reduce reliance on iPhone (I was spending too much time looking at it for reminders).
What I need to record:
  • Time Blocking – I need to understand what time I have allocated to projects (work and personal) so I don’t over book myself
  • Appointments – I need to know where I am supposed to be and at what time
  • Blogging – I need a record of scheduled blogs posts and ideas for future posts
  • Health – I need to record health data to help manage my MS
  • Good Habits – I need to record how consistent I am being with exercise, meditation and other health habits. Record for as long as the habit is forming, and then stop. Replace with next habit.
  • To-Do lists – Write time dependent to-do in planner (eg. When client invoices are due). Write repeating to-dos on a sticky flag and move them (eg. Put out rubbish). 
I set this up and then I used the system for 2 months, yes, 2 months. Day in, day out. Even when I felt unsure I kept going. I didn’t look at other people’s planners or set-ups. I kept with what I had devised. It takes up to 8 weeks to develop a habit, and I believe that planner peace takes just as long. 

After the 2 months I reviewed against the following criteria:
  • Did I manage my project time appropriately?
  • Did I attend all my appointments?
  • Did I blog and post regularly?
  • Am I recording health data and can I make sense of it in order to draw conclusions about what is a positive impact on my health?
  • Can I see how I did at developing my good habits? Can I make sense of the data to work out what throws me off track so I can avoid that pitfall in the future?
  • Did I complete all of my important To-Dos?
  • Did I feel in control and understand all of my commitments?
In my case if the answer to all of these was yes, then my planning system was working. And it was. No stress, work was done and delivered, my to-dos were done, and all the things I need to do to keep me well were happening too.  Interestingly, since implementing this system I have spent far less time worrying over my planner, which gives me more time to work on my health, spend time with my loved ones and do nice things! The pages are plain, simple, and work for me. Planner Peace. 

So, when thinking about planner peace, don’t worry about the binder, or the colours or anything else. Just ask “am I getting done what I need to get done?” If the answer is yes, then you have planner peace. Then you can let rip with the stickers. ☺ 

*Which is a good thing as I draw like a 4 year old. 

So do you consider you are at 'Planner Peace' yet? 

17 August 2015

Losing weight

As we approach the end of August, we start on to the last three months of the year and the usual seasonal festival of retail madness.... we won't mention the C word!

I would think a few of you will be starting to get appointments and events starting to crop up in 2016. Ray and I have done all the inserts for 2016 for you to download and print, I've not printed mine yet [Adds it to his to-do list!].

I was sorting through my 'man bag' this morning and it is rather dominated by my faithful and trustee Van der Spek 'Touch Me' Standard (personal) organiser, which I have been using continuously since April.



During the last 4-5 months it has led a hard life and as you can see it is rather stuffed! However, with 30mm rings it was rather asking to be stuffed! It has lots of additional notes and information in it from our big trip during June and July. It has various notes and things I was given stuffed in the pockets!

I need to sit down and sort through it and it is time to start archiving a few items to lighten the weight and to make room for some 2016 inserts....

What about you? When do you start thinking about the next year?

16 August 2015

Reader Under The Spotlight - Karen

Today I would like to introduce you to Karen. 

My name is Karen, I live in Saskatchewan, Canada. My family & I moved here from Hertfordshire, England almost 11 years ago. I am supposed to be a SAHM, but somehow I never quite manage to SAH! I have a small home based art studio business with a friend & together we teach art to students of all ages.

As a parent, I volunteer at my son's elementary school providing art lessons to students K-5 two days a week. I am also on a committee for a large annual art show that takes place at the summer Exhibition, I have responsibility for school art, and, I also just started a Facebook group called Get Mailed. I had been posting photos of envelopes from mail I'd sent out and friends were wanting to join in - so now I put people together so they can send each other mail and Get Mailed themselves!

Can you spot that I have ADHD?

1. When did you buy your first organiser and what was it?

I'm a bad Filofax owner - I don't remember my first! I am long time user though!

Around 1992 I discovered the City Organiser along Bow Lane (London) on a lunch break one day - and was a place of worship forever after. The oldest Filofax I have is a personal black nubuck Connaught which came with us when we moved across the Atlantic.

2. What other brands have you used or considered using?

I haven't! If I was considering a new purchase I go straight to Filofax online stores. I am a big fan of all stationery products!

3. Out of the organisers you own which is your current favourite (Style and Size)?

Until very recently I had used the same A5 Finsbury in purple (it might have been called a different colour in the brochure - but it's purple as far as I'm concerned!) for 5 years.

Ahead of our recent UK visit I had pre trip shopped an A5 Ochre Malden. It was waiting at Mum's the day we arrived. I half heartedly moved into it while I was there - but we were so busy I never really got to hang out with it until we arrived home. And I didn't like it. At all. I was avoiding it. I think it was just too floppy. It didn't feel sturdy like my old faithful Finsbury.

Then on one of the Filofax Facebook groups someone commented that they had put card in the cover pockets. Problem solved! Now I actually like the Malden! I'm not precious with any of my Filofaxes, so this one already has some scuffs and scratches in the leather - it's character building!

4. How many Filofax or other brands of organisers do you own?

I have 8 Filofaxes of varying sizes & styles. It's a collection that spans three decades and two continents! Most of them have been bought from Winners (TK /TJ Maxx) since moving to Canada. I think I bought them mostly as a "little bit of home" connecting with my English heritage - it's always so good to see something you know from home in a store here!

5. What is the oldest organiser in your collection?

The oldest would be the Cavendish. I used it and then I passed it on to my husband to keep track of the hours he worked - so the nubuck is quite worn!

6. What do you use your organisers for?

Out of the 8 Filofaxes, I only use one. I prefer to keep everything in just one place - then I can't lose or forget anything!

7. How many sections do you have in your organiser and what is each section used for?

I have the main calendar section. I have yearly, monthly and then daily pages.For daily pages I'm currently using just the right hand pages from my DIY Fish day on two pages. I'm playing around with layout so I can get the right fit. I kinda like the blank space!

The next section is dedicated to the main four or five areas that I have to keep track of. Mostly its the info that I might need at anytime or place - so it's always close at hand. I very rarely go out without my Filofax.

I have Brain Dump section - where I just throw everything down occasionally. I find it really does help to get me on task and stop procrastinating!

An address section - which could go somewhere else - but there have been times when I've needed an address on the run - so I just keep it all together.

A small section at the back where I keep a (coded) note of passwords for websites etc. a new sheet I recently added that I titled "Where I Put Stuff" - the amount of times I put things somewhere safe and then can't find that safe place again! I also added a list of keyboard shortcuts - I have referred to that quite often.

8. What was the feature about Filofax you like most?

The more I use it, the more flexible it becomes - as in what it will hold and how I can use it. With my first Filofaxes I always stayed with the same papers and dividers they came with - and they never worked for me. Now I make new dividers whenever I want a change, I use sticky page tabs to label up new sections as the need arises. Nothing has to be permanent!

9. If you could design your own Filofax what would it feature?

It would definitely have to have minimum 30mm rings. Lightweight - so the weight can be from contents not the cover. Lots of interesting pockets and tucking places inside the covers. Two pen loops and maybe a spot for clipping a third. It's a bit like shopping for a new handbag - you'll know the next perfect bag when you see it. It can't be a big empty void but should have room inside for everything as well as pockets for the little bits and pieces.

10. How do you carry your Filofax?

In my handbag/purse. These days I always consider if a new bag can accommodate my Filofax and if the carrying style of the bag will be easy on my shoulder with the Filofax in it!

11. Which Filofax in the current range do you like the most? Are you going to buy it?

Currently I'm more tempted by the colours in the ranges than the styles. The Original, Saffiano and the Domino have some great colours - but for various styling reasons I wouldn't purchase them! If the Finsbury was to have colour options like a yellow (again), emerald green or aqua I would be all over that!

12. What is the most you have ever spent on a Filofax or other brand of organiser? Which model?

I can't remember how much I paid for the Finsbury 5 years ago - but I'm pretty sure it was around the CAN$100 mark. The Amazona I didn't actually part with any cash for (& that's another interesting story and a testament to the great customer service from Filofax Canada - when they had an office I Canada). The Malden I just purchased was 65 GBP on the WH Smith website - which converts to a lot less than the Canadian price! A better question for me would be "what's the least you've spent"?

13. What's your favourite Filofax tip or hack?

Make the planner work for you; change it, add to it, do what you need to do to be successful. Right now I'm more into creating a system that really works for me and my ADHD - which means clean, clutter free pages, not even lined paper!

14. Turning to Philofaxy, what do you like the most?

I like the community. The long history of the Philofaxy blog also means any searches on the blog can answer pretty much any question I might have.

15. And what do you not like about Philofaxy?

It's a time suck! I spend too much time clicking on post after post!

16. What was the last music track you downloaded or bought?

I haven't downloaded any music for quite awhile. If I'm working on an art project I'll use my phone and ear buds to listen to classical music or if I want something I can sing along to I choose "Today's Happy Pop" on Songza.

17. Have you ever attended a Philofaxy meet-up? If not do you intend to one day?

I haven't attended one - do you think there will ever be a meet up in Saskatchewan?

18. What was the last movie you watched?!

Men, Women & Children, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel & The Age of Adaline on the flights to and from the UK!

19. What was the last book you read?

I'm reading The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory. I don't buy brand new books - I go to the second hand book sales that happen two or three times a year here and I stock up!