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30 November 2015

Readers Favourite Organiser


The 'Reader Under The Spotlight' and 'Experienced User' features on Philofaxy having been running for a while now, the former has been running for over 5 years, but it's getting harder and hard to find new people willing to volunteer. We will keep those two open for people to volunteer for in future.

Today I would like to announce a new series 'Readers Favourite Organiser' I've come up with five simple questions, so it shouldn't take you very long to go through them and answer them by hitting reply on the email. Then adding a couple of photos. You can even do it on your phone.. and do the photos too... How hard can it be?

It doesn't matter if your favourite organiser is a no-name organiser that you found in a thrift store.... or one costing a gazillion pounds/dollars/euros. It can be any brand.... Filofax, Van der Spek, Gillio, Kate Spade, etc etc etc. Or one you made yourself... 

We want to know which is your own personal favourite and why.... we won't ask you how much you paid for it... that is non-essential information... Or how many others you own... 

Steve... we said only one favourite!

Want to take part? I hope so.... email steve@philofaxy.com and put 'Favourite' in to the subject of your email. 

Date for your diary - 6 December 2015

We are going to run another conference round-table voice/video/text chat using Skype.

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

When? - Sunday 6 December from  London 10am, Paris 11am, Brisbane 8pm time.

Additionally we will be on line at Los Angeles 8am, Dallas 10:00am, New York 11:00am, London 4:00pm Paris 5:00pm 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.

Do not worry if you aren't available at the start of one of our sessions each one lasts 2-3 hours so pop up when you are available and say hello.

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. Video is optional, but a few of us will be on video as well.

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, just mute your microphone in Skype

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 December 2015 and as this is the last one before Christmas.... don't forget your Santa hat!

29 November 2015

Reader Under The Spotlight - Anarischia

Today I would like to introduce you to Anarischia.

Hi everyone,
I’m Anarischia. I am a 23 yo college student from Belgium and I’m new to the Filofax world or at least I still think that I am new.  I found my way into this community through youtube and it seemed like the best solution to my planner/ planning problems.

Due to health issues and a learning disorder I have a really irregular life so keeping track of things is very difficult for me. I am also very picky in sizes and looks and since you can do pretty much anything with the inserts in a Filofax it got my interest fairly easy.

My whole family (apart from my sister) uses an organiser for something. My grandparents and my uncle as an agenda and my mom as a contacts book. Nobody has a Filofax brand organiser except for me.

Recently I stared a youtube channel which is mostly about planners. You can find it if you search Anarischia on YouTube. That is also my username on Instagram.

So that was a little bit about me and how I got started with (Filofax) organizers. Now lets get to the questions.

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

I got my first true organiser last year in march if i’m correct. I was looking into planning and the planner community and decided that a filofax was something that i could try to help with my planning since it's not a bound planner. I was planning on buying a filofax in the lower price range just to try it out but I went to the shop with my mom and she insisted that if I’m going to buy one that I should buy one I liked and maybe also one from the higher price range. I ended up with a A5 filofax original in patent Fuchsia. I absolutely love my original.

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

I have a kikki-k and a dokibook and I also have a midori and some midori style planners. I have been looking at Van der Spek and Gillio. I am also always on the look out for great A5 organizers that are not that extremely expensive

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

I know that A5 is my size and I think that my filofax original wins here. I really love my kikki-k too but I love my filofax just that bit more.

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

I have 4 organizers:
  • my large kikki-k in black cherry
  • my A5 filofax original in patent fuchsia
  • my A5 mint dokibook
  • my pocket Filofax finsbury in brown
I also own some other planners
  • a brown and a special edition blue midori travelers notebook
  • a ZLYC flower embossed travellers notebook
  • a japanese spiralbound planner that I got second hand from my mom because she did not use it
5. What is the oldest organiser in your collection?

The oldest organiser that I have is my A5 filofax original in patent fuchsia

6. What do you use your organisers for?

I use my dokibook as my college planning. I have a calendar in there that i use exclusively for planning college.

My kikki-k is currently being used as a memory keeper. I have some basic week on two pages from philofaxy in there that I use to review my day every evening. I decorate it and just put in the memorable things. I also have some general information in that planner.

I’m not using my A5 Filofax at the moment because I wanted to give it a break after being carried around so much but I’m planning on making it into my hobby organiser.

My pocket Filofax holds some of my cards but is also getting a break from being my day today planner. I am thinking about starting to use it again.

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

I have 6 sections in my kikki-k
  • calendar (memory keeper)
  • Japan
  • contacts
  • hobby’s -> that section is going to my Filofax Original
  • miscellaneous
  • expenses 
I have 6 sections in my dikobook
  • planning
  • class: bachelorproef
  • class: Verkenning
  • class: Gezondheid en maatschappij
  • class: ethiek
  • important information for/from college
8. What was the feature about Filofax you like most?

A Filofax is very customisable. You can put in and take out the things you want and do not want. I can change my mind very often so having a filofax makes things easier. I hate that about bound planners. If you do something wrong with the pages then you are stuck with it. I am a lot more at ease with a Filofax and as a result I use it better.

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

Unrealistic:
  • Unlimited rings but it stays light no matter what you put into it. 
  • it changes color when you want it to
  • foldable so it fits in every pocket but you still have an A5 to write on
Realistic
  • big rings
  • available in nice colours
  • nice material, soft but scratch resistant 
  • not too expensive
  • pen loop that fits a wide variety of pens
10. How do you carry your Filofax?

My A5 Filofaxes stay home now but i did take my original to school every day in the beginning. I carried it in a cloth bag to protect it. Now I also carry my original in a cloth bag if I take it somewhere and it sits in a Reisenthel basket with my other A5 planner if I want to take all of them with me (sometimes also in a random large bag).

My pocket Filofax just gets dropped into my bag without protection and is just lugged around. My travelers notebook are also being carried around in a cloth bag

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

I am really in love with the electric blue A5 finsbury. I am thinking about buying it but I’m holding off with christmas being so near.

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

The original was the most expensive Filofax that I have but it was a gift from my mom so I did not actually pay for it. I did pay around €50 for my limited edition blue Midori travelers notebook.

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

I once saw a post on a Filofax swing pad from Ray Blake that seems very handy but I still have to try it out.

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

You have a lot of inserts that you can try out for free. It helps a lot when you don’t know what works for you and you want to try things out without spending (a lot of) money. I also like the fact that you can customise it for what you need. You can also find a lot of interesting facts about filofax and other organisers

15. And what do you not like about Philofaxy?

What i do not like has nothing to do with Philofaxy but with the facts that it is a blog. I have a problem getting through blogs and I feel that I am missing a lot of information because it's a blog. It's difficult to explain but do to my learning disorder it's very confusing to read through the blog.

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

Love Kaze from Nakajima Kento (He is a member of Sexy Zone - A japanese boy band that I like)

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

I have never attended a meet-up before. I don’t think that there were any meet-ups in Belgium or near to Belgium. I would love to attend one!

18. What was the last movie you watched?

Big Hero 6

19. What was the last book you read?

Bryte’s ascent by E. Rose Sabin Great book and great series (Arucadi series)

Thank you Anarischia.

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.

28 November 2015

Web Finds - 28 November 2015

So I hope you have had a good week.

So now it is time to enjoy a great collection of blog posts 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 - Jessica
  2. Philofaxy Meet Up - London - 21 November 2015
  3. Free For All Tuesday No. 251
  4. Web Finds - 24 November 2015
  5. Christmas gift ideas for the dedicated organiser user
  6. Pens?
  7. Free For All No. 367 by Anita
So here are the latest Filofax and other brand blog posts from around the Internet. Don't forget to leave a comment on the posts you enjoyed reading, all bloggers enjoy getting comments.
  1. Filofax Cross & filofax Classic personal organiser - The Filofax
  2. Happy 1st Birthday Undyed Van Der Spek Binder! - This Bug's Life
  3. A tool to help you focus on priorities - Lime Tree Fruits
  4. A tool or a task - Mo Tu We Thu
  5. I'm Dreaming of a Filo-Christmas - Kent from Oz
  6. Filofax: Printing your own trifold inserts. - A random English Life
  7. My Filofax combo - Looking through a frosty window
  8. Planner -v- Diary for 2016 - It's Blue Tiger
  9. Secret Santa Gift for Fountain Pen Geeks! - Lil Divette
  10. How I changed my to-do lists - Mo Tu We Thu
  11. Filofax Spotted in the Wild today - This Bug's Life
  12. I Only Need 3 Things to Plan My Day..... - Sparkle Frogs
  13.  2016 Planners are here!! - Lime Tree Fruits
  14. New planner stickers! - Polka Dot Paridiso
  15. Review: Websters Pages Planner - Planner Glamour
  16. TMN Tip: Go On a Productivity Rampage - Time Management Ninja
  17. Inside My Faith Filofax - Joanny White
  18. Christmas Note Paper [printable] - Planner Fun
  • 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. 
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.

The videos and 'My week' posts will appear in their own post on Tuesday.
Enjoy. 

27 November 2015

Free For All No. 367 by Anita

I rarely change my set up, but I admit that I am considering trying out something different for the new year (separate post to come). It's been on my mind for a while and it just feels right to give it a go in January once I have thought it through a bit more. I'm not experiencing planner fail or anything, but I suppose I just fancy a change! My system has pretty much been the same since 2009, so maybe it will be good to give it a bit of a shake up.

Do you have any planner changes that you are considering now, or will you wait until the new year until you implement them?

And as it's a Friday, please feel free to discuss anything ringbound organiser related, what ever the brand. Have a great weekend.  

26 November 2015

Pens?

I was sorting through my rather varied selection of pens the other day and started to want to change from the pens I have been using in my organiser to something else.

For the last few years I have been using Pilot Frixion pens, they use an erasable gel ink. I prefer to use the 0.7mm but in the 0.5mm barrel, as they fit most pen loops better. See this video for an explanation.

I have recently been expanding my use of fountain pens and roller ball pens for general writing and journal writing.

Although my hand writing isn't the neatest on the planet I find a certain satisfaction writing with a reasonable quality fountain pen. I'm not talking expensive ones, more the lower end of the price range. I'm not sure if I would notice the difference myself.

Using a wet ink pen with your organiser can be a bit of a challenge. The combination of the ink and paper can be a bit of a compromise. Finding an ink you like in your pen, and paper that doesn't bleed through or if the paper is coated, finding paper that allows the ink to dry and not then be prone to smudging.

Despite these issues I think it will be a worth while change for me and one I will be trying out different options in the next few weeks.

So what pens do you enjoy using most in your organiser?

25 November 2015

Christmas gift ideas for the dedicated organiser user.

If you have checked the date today you might have realised that 'the seasonal day of celebration' is a month away. Groan! Bah Humbug!

OK here are a few gift ideas you can suggested to your nearest and dearest if you have run out of ideas, or just treat yourself... why not!

Each is linked to Amazon via an affiliate link, if you purchase via this link then we will earn a very small commission from these purchases. This commission goes to our annual donation to Chimwemwe the children's charity.

Paper - The 'food' of any organiser here in A5, A4 (USA) and A4 (UK)



Paper Punch - The Rapesco is a great punch for Mini, Pocket, A6, Personal size and with some care you can use it for A5 too. We have also found a great A5 punch too, this also does all the smaller sizes too.



Hole Reinforcing Tool - I've found these little gadgets great to reinforce my pages in my organiser and they are very easy to apply and get the rings centralised perfectly every time.



Pens - Without pens your paper will remain blank!



Index tabs - these are great if you are creating your own dividers and you want the tabs to look neat.



Label Makers - Useful for labelling archives and dividers and numerous other things around the house.



Happy shopping.

24 November 2015

Web Finds - 24 November 2015

So I hope you have had a good weekend. We have restarted web finds on Tuesdays, this week just for videos and My Week posts, but if the number of blog posts increases they will appear in here too.

So now it is time to enjoy a great collection of blog posts and videos from around the internet.

So here are a selection of the latest Filofax videos for your enjoyment.
  1. My Filofax Malden Personal Setup - Nicole Smith
  2. My Current Filofax Setup - Brandy Michelle Narrates
  3. Filofax Malden Personal | Unboxing & Erster Eindruck | German | - Aileen Klappert
  4. Bullet journal in a filofax - Danielle Ellison
  5. Filofax Setup November 2015 (Personal Black Malden) - Missfilofax
  6. What's in my FiloFax?? - Lina Jonell
  7. New Carpe Diem Platinum A5 Planner/filofax Simple Stories - Miss Gemalems
  8. Filofax malden ochre personal Setup - TheDancingQueen96
  9. Filofax Original fluro Pink & fluro Orange ! ♥ - Wildrose1975
  10. Filofax Ochre Malden Set Up November 2015 - Katie Anne
  11. FILOFAX PENNYBRIDGE COMPACT SET UP - Angela Smile
  12. Setup Kikki K Filofax - LaTanni
  13. Filofax A5 Burnt Orange Original Setup Process for Fall 2015 -DoodleDeeDesigns
  14. Unboxing Mia Cara Gillio Medium Personal Planner Purple - Miss Gemalems
  15. Initial Setup of Pink Pocket Gillio Mia Cara Bicolour - Miss Gemalems
  16. My Gillio a5 Compagna epoca dark brown - Nati Zou
  17. Gillio A6 Setup feat. DIYFish Inserts v2.2 & v5s3 - Paperandpink
  18. Gillio AMICA Overview! - Dani Planorama 
  19. Postcard Dividers for A6 Planners/Binders - Katebtps
  • 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 #187 - Paper Lovestory
  2. Mrs Brimbles photo challenge - week four - She's Eclectic
  3. Weekly Post #140 - Miss Mae's Adventures
  4. My week 46/52 - Twenty5seven
  5. WEEK FORTY-SIX IN MY MTN - Letters in November 
  6. Weekly Post #141 - Miss Mae's Adventures
  7. My Week #47 - Polkadotpkaridiso
  8. My Week #46 (2015) - Joanny White
  9. Pimp My Planner: You Say It’s Your Birthday - Dianne Sylvan
  10. Weekly Post #142 - Miss Mae's Adventures
  11. My week #188 - Paper Lovestory
  12. My week #45 - She's Eclectic
  13. My week 47/52 - Twenty5seven
  14. My Week #48 - Polkadotpkaridiso
  15. My Week #47 (2015) - Joanny White
  16. WEEK FORTY-SEVEN IN MY MTN - Letters in November
Enjoy

23 November 2015

Philofaxy Meet Up - London - 21 November 2015

As I mentioned on Friday, the meet up in London yesterday was five years almost to the day of the very first one we had in London in 2010

After a fraught journey to London on Friday evening, which I will spare you the details of, just to say I arrived at my destination 4 hours latter than planned, but safe and sound, so I can't complain.

Saturday morning after breakfast I made my way across London with what seemed like half of the population to Oxford Circus to get to our usual venue, Vapiano in Great Portland Street.


It was cold but I sat outside and waited for most of the people to arrive. At just after mid day we headed in to the warm and took up our usual tables upstairs at the back of the restaurant.

It wasn't long before the organisers started to be disgorged from bags and backpacks as well as other goodies.

We were joined by a few late arrivals but everyone settled in very quickly and lots of people were chatting together. Eventually I think the pangs of hunger chimed in and people started to order some food and drinks and things calmed down for a while.

I am always surprised by the things people bring along to show others. I was a little limited by weight and bulk as to what I could bring. However I did manage to give away two of the new Rapseco paper punches, which was very pleasing for the new owners and lighted my bag a little!

Jené always has a few surprises in her bag and Saturday was no exception, she had found a new unused Filofax radio calculator, this dates from 1991 we think.



We continued our discussions after our food and a few people stayed on in the warm rather than venturing with us to Paperchase in Tottenham Court Road.










The Waverley

Jené and the Union Jack Originals




Thank you to everyone who came along it was a fun day.

22 November 2015

Reader Under The Spotlight - Jessica

Today I would like to introduce you to Jessica.

I am Jessica.

I live in Virginia, United States. I am married and we have a beautiful dog, Steven. I enjoy meeting other planners and stationery fanatics. Currently, I work with Teacher Assistant with Deaf students (I have a Bachelors in Sign Language Interpreting) and going back to college to gain a degree in Information Technology.

You can find me on Instagram @PacificPlanner74

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

I used school given assignment books since Middle School and then got a Coach wire-bound agenda for 6 years( Coach refills or Franklin Covey Compass refills)for 6 years. My first ring bound planner was purchased in the Summer of 2013 when I got my Filofax Compact Calipso in Bright Blue.

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

Franklin Covey, Coach, Filofax, Van Der Spek, DoxieDori

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

My current favorite is my newly received Van Der Spek Senior Custom Widened with dark green exterior and Navy interior with 25mm gold rings.

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

Too many. Maybe 20?

5. What is the oldest organiser in your collection?

The oldest one in my collection would probably be my Coach one. Hard to believe I used one pen and one planner for 6 years.

6. What do you use your organisers for?

I use my organizer as a second brain. Scheduling, meal planning,reference, & work..

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

Calendar ( Yearly, Monthly, Weekly and sometimes Daily), Work/School (, Home, & Notes

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

Back in the day, I appreciated the customer service and quality of binders. Now, I focus on other brands.

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

I would love to see Filofax offer A6 binders!

10. How do you carry your Filofax?

I carry my Custom Van Der Spek in my purse all day everyday.

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

They are not any new binders by Filofax that excite me. Back in the day, I loved their Osterley line.

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

The most I spent was a little less $100 for a Compact Plum/Wine Osterley. My most expensive binder overall would be my Custom Van Der Spek (worth every penny )

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

Don't over stuff! I love a full binder, but I make sure to clean out my organizer as needed so that the pages lay flat on the right.

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

I appreciate so many things about Philofaxy! I love web finds, FREE inserts, and that Philofaxy has accepted and wrote about other brands than just Filofax.

15. And what do you not like about Philofaxy?

I would love to see the website get a cosmetic facelift! Modernize the layout and website while keeping it classic.

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

Elvis Costello (Angels Wanna Wear) My Red Shoes & Adele's new 25 album.

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

I have! I have attended about 5 local planner meet-ups in the DC/MD/VA area and one of those was this past June with Steve!

18. What was the last movie you watched?

Eat Pray Love. This movie also inspires me to find inner peace.

19. What was the last book you read?

I am reading Dragonfly in Amber by Diane Gabaldon. It is part of the Outlander series ( must read)

Thank you Jessica.

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.

21 November 2015

Web Finds - 21 November 2015

So I hope you have had a good week.

So now it is time to enjoy a great collection of blog posts 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. When I started..... by Steve
  2. Vintage Filofax Colours
  3. Free For All Tuesday No. 250
  4. The story of Gillio and Philofaxy
  5. Birthdays
  6. Free For All Friday No. 366
So here are the latest Filofax and other brand blog posts from around the Internet. Don't forget to leave a comment on the posts you enjoyed reading, all bloggers enjoy getting comments.
  1. Vintage Filofax leather flyleaves and other inserts - This Bug's Life
  2. filofax Lyndhurst deluxe leather review - The filofax
  3. Planning Thanksgiving Dinner - Giftie Etcetera
  4. Planning on the cheap - Mo Tu We Thu
  5. Planner season: Getting ready for 2016! Rings or not? - The Fabulous Planner
  6. Custom stickers for my Pocket Filofax - It's Bluetiger
  7. Free Thanksgiving Meal Planner in 8.5 x 11 - The Velvet Filo
  8. Photo Friday #139: Weekend Planning - The Crazy Life of J
  9. Do you like your weekends shaken (apart) or stirred (together)? - Lil Divette 
  10. Guildford Extra Slim Mini for 2016 - It's Bluetiger
  11. Review: Carpe diem planner PLATINUM by simple stories - Lucy Wonderland
  12. A Planner’s Heart; A Notebook’s Soul - The Weekend Wife
  13. Pen Love: Zebra SL-F1 Mini Ballpoint Pen - A random English Life
  14. Thanksgiving is Next Thursday??? - Patty Gardner
  15. Holiday shopping in my planner - Mo Tu We Thu
  16. 5 Reasons You Should Always Work from Your Todo List - Time Management Ninja
  17. Franklin Covey Classic - Back to My Roots & Miscellaneous Updates! - Sparkle Frogs
  18. Websters Pages Planner In Deep Pink - Planner Glamour
  19. Filofax: DIY Monthly Fold out. - A random English life
  20. My custom mini diary pages for 2016 - It's Blue Tiger
  • 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.

Due to my travel arrangements and schedule this week, the videos and 'My week' posts will appear in their own post on Tuesday. This might become the new slot for them and if the number of blog posts increases as well, we will be back to two posts a week for Web Finds.
Enjoy.

20 November 2015

Free For All Friday No. 366

On this day back in 2010 we held the very first Philofaxy Meet Up in London. Five years and numerous meet ups later, we are still doing them.

In fact later today I will be flying back to London for the weekend to attend one in London tomorrow. So this one will be special in some ways I suppose, but similar in lots of other ways. 

The format is similar to the very first one and similar to other ones we have held in different parts of the world. 

I've lost count of the total number of meet ups I've attended, most of them have been in London without a doubt. But so far only one in France. I'm sure that might change in this forthcoming year. 

Are you planning to attend a meet up in 2016? 

However, it is Friday so please feel free to discuss anything organiser related, what ever the brand.  

19 November 2015

Birthdays

Did you know that yesterday was the 86th birthday of the character Mikey Mouse the Walt Disney character.

Do you record birthdays or reminders of them electronically or on paper. For me I have them in my organiser in the diary insert it self. There are one or two that still require cards to be sent so there is a reminder of these about a week before as well.

I have used a single page with all the dates on as a list (Birthdays and Anniversary - .docx .pdf ), but I often found I wasn't looking at that page of my organiser, I much prefer dates and reminders to be in the diary rather than else where.

How about you?


18 November 2015

The story of Gillio and Philofaxy



First of all: thank you, the team at Philofaxy, to allow us to contribute to your wonderful blog at this time!

The year was 2013, and our little company was selling leather goods (amongst which handmade leather organisers, our best-selling product since the early 90s) in our two flagship stores in Belgium and at several dealershops across Europe. We’d almost given up on producing organisers, because with the smartphone-age, people had lost interest in ringbound planners - or so we thought!

Fast forward to 2015, and our handmade, Italian leather organisers are without a doubt our number one selling product, we sell our products globally and interact with people from over 50 countries.

Somewhere between those two paragraphs, we met Mella, an organiser-adept and Philofaxy-fan from Belgium, who introduced our brand to the Philofaxy-audience through a YouTube video. We were stunned: people DO still use planners, in fact, there’s a whole community of planner-afficionados out there! This was the beginning on the 'revival' of our company: through collaborations with Mella (who is now part of the Gillio team at our headquarters!) and with Steve Morton of Philofaxy, we didn’t just gain new clientèle, but we have discovered a great well of wisdom in the readers and contributors to Philofaxy, who have helped us expand, grow and improve - and we’ve made a lot of new friends along the way.

Through Gillio Meet-Ups both in Belgium and abroad, like the Gillio ThinkTank of 2014, we met some of the readers of Philofaxy and designed new models based on their input. We’ve expanded our product range to new sizes and models, such as the A6 Compagna and the Giramondo, with many more to come.

Participating in and contributing to the Philofaxy community has inspired us tremendously, by gaining insight into how organiser-owners in 2015 use their organiser, and what needs they have. Things have changed quite a lot from our earlier glory years in the 80s and 90s!

We’d like to thank Steve Morton for the wonderful reviews and much appreciated insights, and would also like to thank him, Kariné Tovmassian and Christina McGann, who manage and admin both the Gillio Facebook-groups! They are in constant contact with us to make sure we know what our customers are talking about, and what their needs are. Their input is of great value to us as a company!

In celebration on the 10th anniversary of Philofaxy, and to thank everyone that has helped spread the word about Gillio through blogs, YouTube and participation in the discussions on Facebook, we’d like to offer everyone a flash 10% discount for 48 hours: use code PHILOFAXY10 (in all caps!) for 10% off any purchase made between 06:00 CET Wednesday, November 18th until 06:00 CET Friday, November 20th 2015!

Thank you Team Gillio. 

Here are some posts we have done about Gillio in the last couple of years. This is just a selection.. you can find them all here

Looking back through these posts we really have done a lot in the last two years together, lots of fun times too. I've enjoyed springing the posts on people! 

16 November 2015

Vintage Filofax Colours

Thank you to Gmax for this wonderful post.




We also have the chart in .pdf format for you to download and keep handy for when you are on Ebay looking for that cherished Vintage model.

Thank you Gmax.


15 November 2015

When I started..... by Steve

I was a little stuck for a post for today, so I thought I would replay my first post! It isn't a master piece, but I have fond memories of that first post from June 2009. 

Filofax on eBay, it pays to be patient 

Well it took me a few attempts to get the right bargain for a Filofax Finsbury on eBay, but it was worth the wait. Some were selling for more than you could buy them for on normal mail order from a variety of UK office suppliers. So I limited my maximum bid each time. Wise advice from my son... it's easy to get carried away close to the auction deadline.

So I have added a new Finsbury to my collection, I paid £26 for it, this compares to £44 on the Filofax UK site.

Another bargain I bagged on the way was a Filofax pocket metal punch and pocket storage binder for a total price of £5.19 for the two items. The storage binder on the Filofax site is £8.50, the punch £26, so I was very pleased with those two.

So I now have a nice new black Finsbury with 2009 fill. I will be moving some of my pages from my old Winchester personal across in to the Finsbury, but at the moment I'm just enjoying it's newness!! I don't want to snap the cellophane wrapper on the pages just yet... well not until I've taken some photographs of it tomorrow when my camera will be back from having a sensor and mirror box clean.

So take a look at eBay for Filofax binders and accessories, but don't get carried away.

What bargains have you managed to bag on line?

I later sold the Finsbury, but I still have the pocket punch, I mainly use it to punch my Philofaxy business cards! 

14 November 2015

Web Finds - 14 November 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 - Rosemary
  2. Updated Rapesco Adjustable Diary Punch 66-P
  3. Free For All Tuesday No. 249
  4. Looking Back
  5. Experienced User - Greg
  6. Free for All Friday No. 365
So here are the latest Filofax and other brand blog posts from around the Internet. Don't forget to leave a comment on the posts you enjoyed reading, all bloggers enjoy getting comments.
  1. GTD - Planner weekly review - Organise your Life and Mind
  2. Looking Ahead - 2016 Future Pages [printable] - Planner Fun
  3. Color Coding – Planner Friend or Foe? - Lil Divette
  4. 3 Things You Should Be Tracking in a Day Planner - Giftie Etcetera
  5. Mulberry Comparison - Random Pastimes of a Restless Mind
  6. Time management Monday: How much can you finish this year? - Quo Vadis Blog
  7. A list of lists - MoTuWeThu
  8. Not all Productivity Advice Is Built The Same - The Weekend Wife
  9. Weekly Favourites [08/11/2015] - Organise your Life and Mind
  10. Converting Unaccessible Inserts and a Habit Tracker [printable] - Planner Fun
  11. 2016 Planner Inserts - Tales From A Polk County Girl
  12. The Great Debate – Vertical versus Horizontal Layouts - Lil Divette
  13. Setting priorities - MoTuWeThu
  14. My favorite detail of the Filofax Malden binder is the back slip... - Olga Plans!
  15. DIY FISH - MINHAS DUAS VERSÕES...NÃO PERA - Filofax da Deprê
  16. Me and the Filofax - Looking through a frosty window
  17. Free 2015 Black Friday Shopping List Printable in 5 sizes The Velvet Filo
  18. How to build your perfect planner system? Week 22: Good luck! - From Chaos to Order
  19. Short Week Menu Planner [printable] - Planner Fun
  20. Simple dividers - MoTuWeThu
  21. Comparison: Kate Spade Wellesley Zip vs Guildford - Random Pastimes of a Restless Mind
  22. Unboxing And Review: A4 Zipped Pennibridge Filofax in Cobalt Blue - Joanny White
  23. Alternatives to Traditional Planning Systems - Homemakers Daily
  24. Five Ways a Planner Helps With My Well-Being - Dianne Sylvan
  25. My New Filofax - Angie Hales Creates
  26. A Real-Life Peek at a Written Daily Plan - Giftie Etcetera
  27. How to plan for larger projects with fixed deadlines - MoTuWeThu
  28. Kym Tsukamoto │ Planner Love with Blink - Little Lamm & Co
  29. My Unicorn Planner: Kate Spade Pink Wellesley - Filoally
  • 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. Filofax Saffiano Gold a5 initial setup ; DIY planner dividers - Jessy Plans
  2. Filofax Makeover – White Marble & Copper - Pure Power Panda
  3. November 2015 Filofax Planner Setup + Decorating! - Haley Cairo
  4. Personal Filofax Original Planner Setup (How I Stay Organised) - Alexa Golden
  5. Planner comparison: Kate Spade zip vs Guildford Filofax - Randompastimes
  6. Updated Filofax A5 Domino - Barefoot Izzy 
  7. How To: Putting a Happy Planner into an A5 Kikki K/Filofax - Minxy Manor
  8. Filofax Comparison: Malden vs Finsbury - Randompastimes
  9. Filofax Compact Saffiano and Pocket Saffiano Haul  - Paisley Rose
  10. Mega Geschenk : Filofax Union Jack ! Wow ! - Wildrose1975
  11. Gillio epoca pink medium compagna setup - Michelle L
  • 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. MASH UP - Letters in November
  2. My Week #45 (2015) - Joanny White
  3. My week #186 - Paper Lovestory
  4. My Week #46 - Polkadotparadiso
  5. Weekly Post #138 - Miss Mae's Adventures
  6. My week #44 - She's Eclectic
  7. Planner Friday - November - She's Eclectic
  8. 2015 Planner Layouts, Weeks #41-45 - Angie Hales Creates
  9. Weekly Post #139 - Miss Mae's Adventures
Enjoy

13 November 2015

Free for All Friday No. 365 by Nan

Friday the 13th -- An unlucky day in many cultures. In some tall buildings, there's no 13th floor as the superstition about the number 13 is so strong.

Do you have any superstitions about your Filofax -- like keeping all the information pages that come at the front of the yearly diary even though you never use them?

Of course, since it's Friday, all discussion is welcome!

12 November 2015

Experienced User - Greg

Thank you Greg for sharing how he uses his organiser. 

My name is Greg Graham and I am a management consultant in my fifties who lives in Ottawa, Canada.

This is my third career. I started out as an engineer, then was a marketing executive in the tech industry for 15 years, and now write business plans for tech companies. My working life has bridged the paper world to the digital age, and although I’ve tried several other paper-based systems and shiny gadgets, I find that nothing helps me organize my life like a Filofax. I never minded spending money on new Filofax binders and supplies because it is a tool that truly helped me in my career as well as personal life.

1. When did you start using an organiser?

I started using a DayTimer in the 1980’s at one of my first jobs after I graduated from university. The lined pages were too narrow for my big sloppy handwriting, so I abandoned it after just a few months.

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

About five years after my failed attempt to use a DayTimer, my employer at the time sent our entire department on a time management training course at Priority Manager. The Priority Manager techniques and planning forms were excellent, but I found that the 8.5x11 inch (about the same size as A4 paper) ring binder, pads of planning refills, and a shelf full of storage binders were impractical.

Laptops were becoming popular then and the Priority Manager binder was like carrying around a second laptop! None-the-less, my department used it for a few years, and it was indeed effective for a small collaborative team to be able to share information, planning approaches, and supplies all in the same format.

After changing jobs I switched to Filofax, which I instantly liked because of the wide variety of well-designed forms with reasonable line spacing, thin but high-quality paper (so you can fit a lot in your binder), much more portable format, and posh appearance. Filofaxes work great and look good!

I have had several Filofaxes (always black) and replace them every couple of years because I’m hard on them. I carry my Filofax everywhere and it is always being crammed into pockets, squeezed into laptop cases, rained and snowed on, and once, dropped into a puddle!

We went to London on vacation the year that the A5 System Organizer came out, and I bought one at Harrods. The A5 is a good choice for people who want to record lots of detail. The size works well on a desk, but is a little big if you need to carry it around a lot. I went through three A5 binders. Some of the A5 pages gradually evolved into what were called the A5 Professional pages, but apparently these have all been discontinued. What a pity, they were excellent for planning meetings, taking notes, setting priorities, and planning projects. The Charted Institute of Marketing in the UK even gave a training course on using the A5 Professional system.

In the mid-1990s people were trying to find a way to have all their data with them all the time, and electronic gadgets started to become popular. I had experienced how much my productivity improved using Filofax, and tried several electronic organizers because I thought they might be even better. I really liked being able to carry around a small device that could do email (email was all ASCII text then, and small dial-up modems that operated on AA batteries were available). I think I was one of the few people in Canada to become a fan of Psion devices, and used a Psion 5MX, and later Psion Series 7, for perhaps five years. I used the Psions for information-intensive tasks -- directory information, calendar, reference files, alarm clock, dictionary, and email.

My A5 Filofax became more of a notebook and To Do list. Unfortunately, Psion ran its course and the products were discontinued in the early 2000’s. I flirted with Palm, Sony, and Hewlett-Packard PDAs, but always returned to my trusty Filofax. It never ran out of power, or lost any data, or wouldn’t synch with my PC, or had software limitations that rendered it obsolete.

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

Functionality is essential for me and so I prefer the Two Pages Per Day format. Appointments on the left page, to-dos on the right plus room for notes like mileage.  I check off the action items throughout the day as I complete them. If I don’t finish something I can easily transfer it to the next day without overlooking or forgetting anything.

I like the Vertical Year Planner for long-term planning and to answer questions such as “when’s that trade show?”.

For the last several years I have been using a personal size Slimline Richmond. Its portability is key -- it fits into any briefcase or overcoat pocket, and doesn’t weight much while holding a reasonable amount of information. I would like a little bigger ring size, and bought a Compact Finsbury, but that one doesn’t lie open flat on my desk. Maybe there is some way of softening the leather?

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

Lots! Just as they did almost a century ago, Filofax still has a role to play in organizing the details of a busy life. Mine has blank paper for time and project planning, and note taking. A running shopping list, lists of favourite wines, gift ideas for my wife, books to read, movies to watch, etc. If traveling I put in a map since I have amassed a small collection of six-hole-punched maps. I also keep a Post-It Fax Note and some regular Post-It stickers and flags. I don’t send many faxes now but just in case I have to while travelling I can jot down the particulars and stick it to the document being faxed. And there are still lots of bits of paper that need somewhere to live : business cards, train tickets, Starbucks coffee card, claim stubs from the cleaners, movie tickets, a hole reinforcement strip, some emergency money, etc.

Golden Oldies: Shopping List, Travel Information, Hole Reinforcements. Many pages are now discontinued so if I come across a store that has been selling Filofax for years, I always ask about old stock.
5. Do you use a 'system' of organisation, and how does it work in your Filofax? 

Despite lots of experimentation, I haven’t found anything that makes more sense than the original Diary/Notes/Projects/Information/Financial/Addresses tabs, so I file things according to these categories.
  • The Vertical Year Planner/s and three weeks’ worth of Two Page Per Day pages go into the Diary section.
  • The Notes section has blank lined paper, To Do, and Travel Information leaves. The top page is used to jot down random thoughts or messages that get dealt with later when I’m back in the office.
  • The Projects section has a To Do page for each project that I’m working on, business and personal, plus lined pages with notes filed behind each To Do page (or pages). Some work projects are too complex to be managed with a short checklist, but a surprising number can be! I also use To Do pages to plan and make a customized packing list for every trip I go on.
  • I keep the Filofax Registration Page at the start of the Information section. However, a lot of the items previously in this section have moved to my Blackberry.  Computers are better than paper for keeping lots of detailed information, especially if you want to be able to update it.
  • I use the Financials section only for expense and mileage tracking with Expenses and Motor Running Record pages.
  • Ditto, the Addresses section is not used much, just a couple of Address pages to jot down telephone numbers when somebody doesn’t have a business card, or says “I know a great plumber”. I also keep a Post-It Fax Note; I don’t send many faxes now but just in case I have to while out and about you can jot down the particulars and stick it to the document being faxed. I also keep a few Post-Its and Post-It Flags on the back of the tab page as well.
  • There are still loads of little bits of paper that need somewhere to live, and the full-width pocket and card slits house business cards, train tickets, my Starbucks card, claim stubs from the cleaners, tickets for plays, a strip of hole reinforcements, etc. There’s also some emergency money tucked away.

Map of Chicago, Motor Running Record and Jot Pad. Many pages have been discontinued so if I come across a store that has been selling Filofax supplies for several years, I ask about old stock and buy it when available.

6. What routines and structures do you use?

Space is always a problem, so each week I groom my Filofax by taking out the previous week’s diary pages and filing them. Then I plan the week to come by referring to my Vertical Year Calendar, Monthly Priorities list, and project plans on the To Do pages. I update a running list of projects and their priority on a To Do page at the start of the Projects section.

At the start of each month I write out a list of my Monthly Priorities on a To Do page and file it under the Projects tab.

It sounds complicated, but only takes about 15 minutes weekly, and an extra 20 minutes once a month. I often refer to the last year’s Monthly Priorities for seasonal tasks like “Family summer BBQ”, “Fall clean-up” and “Winter tires for car”.

I once experienced everyone’s nightmare of losing my Filofax. Coming back from a business trip, clients had given me so many documents that my briefcase and suitcase were completely full, and I made the critical error of carrying my bulging A5 Filofax in my hand. I put it in the train’s overhead compartment with my luggage and forget to take it when debarking! The next few weeks weren’t so great. From then on, the Filofax always gets first priority when packing up, and when shopping for briefcases, I look for one with a secure Filofax-sized pocket.

And perhaps the most important rule of all -- put everything that is time-related and priority-related in your Filofax so you won’t lose track of it. If your significant other or a client asks about something or wants something done, write it down. As the old saying goes, “the faintest ink is more powerful than the brightest memory”.

A useful item that I keep in my wallet -- rather than in my Filofax -- is the Jot Pad. It solves the problem of what to do when you want to write something down and your Filofax isn’t handy. The Jot Pad is pre-punched so you can file its pages in your Filofax.

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

I use two binders at a time, my Slimline Filofax and a Filofax ring binder used to store the current year’s dairy pages, both past and upcoming, because the Two Pages Per Day format is far too thick to carry around an entire year. Unused A-Z tabs are perfect for this; they have 13 tabs so you can put the annual items like the Vertical Calendar behind the 13th tab. Completed Project pages as well as the Reference Information pages included with the diary go into the Storage binder, and it is kept handy in a desk drawer.

In January I like to archive everything in the storage binder in the plastic Filofax storage binders (it takes two per year), but they are getting hard to find and are now ridiculously expensive at $22 each!

Thank you Greg.

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