A co-worker of mine purchased one of the Erin Condren Lifeplanners and as I’ve said previously, I was tempted. Boy was I tempted. But I bought two basic notebooks instead, and a few accessories, and they arrived this week.
I think it took about 10 working days from order to delivery. Personalized items take more time but they do have a number of attractive options that are ready to ship.
The packaging is exceptional; very bright and cheerful.
On the left, some elastic bands for keeping the notebooks closed. On the right, Party Pops Markers. Really nice pens with extra-fine tips. And I’m a sucker for pens in their own case. Sigh. Like I need more markers!
These are the freebies that come with each order. On the left, a postcard, and on the right, a sticker for your notebook. And on the bottom, a package of gift tags.
Here you can see all of the gift tags. The website says this is for “gifting on the go.”
I included a couple of pen holders in the order.
This is one of the cover designs that is available for the planner as well as the notebook. This is the Alphabet – Keep It Simple design. You choose the letter and the colour of the large letter as shown here. The covers are laminated. And the bookmark is thick plastic; very sturdy feeling. Both notebooks measure 7″ x 9″ but they are available in 8.5″ x 11″ as well, for $5 extra.
And here’s the second design I chose, again available for the planner as well. It is called Favorite Things – Keep it Simple. I think this is my favourite of the two covers because it’s so much more personal than just a name or an initial – it’s literally everything I love! You can personalize this by typing in all of the words you want to see on the cover. You can also add photos, or change the font. Erin Condren really allows for a high level of customization.
The cover design is carried over to the inside. I love the designs on the take note! page – anybody remember Spirograph?? I had one as a child and loved it. It’s nice to know they are still available on Amazon.
More spirographs! I might colour them in for fun. And the notebook pages begin. The paper is very good. The weight is 70lb and you can certainly tell. A pen test is included further down.
There are 132 lined pages, each a different colour, followed by 21 blank pages.
Such an inspiring design. I am a lover of colour so the pages really appeal to me.
This is the last page of both notebooks. I laughed out loud when I saw this because this is one of my favourite quotes.
The back cover of this design carries on the favourite things theme.
The bookmark is included with each notebook. It is thick – thicker than a credit card – and snaps into the rings very easily. It’s a nice touch. You can also purchase dividers and undated calendar pages. So many options.
The pen loops are super sticky – just as good as the Leuchttum 1917 ones. And the loops themselves are stretchy – I didn’t try my Jinhao 159 but the Parker Urban had no problems. And of course the Party Pop Marker fits perfectly.
And here is the pen test. I didn’t like the feel of the rollerball and ballpoint pens on this paper, and I was very happy to note it took fountain pen ink like a dream.
Slight bleed through (those Sharpie markers) and some show through, but nothing to worry about. Fountain pen friendly!
Overall I am very impressed with the quality of these notebooks, and the customization options are numerous. There are more accessories and lots more cover styles available so check out the website. I was also emailed a $10 off coupon for my next order. I don’t know when that will be, as the exchange is brutal right now and shipping is a flat fee of $20 to Canada. Each of these notebooks cost $22 due to the personalization. Worth it, in my opinion, but still pricey. You get the quality you pay for.
After helping me with this review my assistant took a long overdue nap. 🙂
