My Choice of 2021 Planner

Confession: One of my sisters-in-law and I could talk planners all day long. We exchange WhatsApp messages comparing their perks and what we love. It’s sooo fun.

My choice this year is Sue Hooley’s Daily Planner, available from Christian Light Publications (who produced it), Christian Learning Resource (if you’re from my hometown), or Amazon. Here’s what I love about it.

1. Pretty cover, spiral binding

The cover is laminated and durable, besides just plain cute. I love the colors. The spiral binding is nice and big, easy to work with – pages don’t catch when you turn them.

2. Laminated tabs

We have Year, Month, Week, Tasks, Projects, Info, and Shopping. These sections offer spreads of each category, with space to plan and personalize. Plus those divider pages are full color, leading to a nice little pop in the middle of monochrome pages.

3. Muted background graphics throughout

All text is in plum color to match the cover. But most pages have background variations of the cover images – think more like stationery than plain pages.

4. Highly adaptable sections, with LOTS of space for brainstorming

This is usually missing from the planners I buy. Either there’s not enough space, or the space is too specific – like “plans for personal development at work” or “my garden layout down to the last seed” when what I really want to write about is the menu for a child’s birthday party, or the Bible verse I just came across, or my upcoming schedule for dog vaccines.

In this planner, inside the Tasks, Projects, and Info sections, there’s a ton of flex with how they’re used. Just pretty pages, varied designs, and whatever I want to do. Yay!

5. Perforated shopping lists

Lots and lots of them. And a pocket inside the back cover.

6. Weekly spread that covers thirteen months, starting December 2020

Which means I get to commence sooner. Insert big cheesy grin.

7. Perfect price

I’m not sure how you can beat $15.99 on Amazon – I think that’s pretty thrifty.


In short, it’s a nicely compact and efficient planner, but charming and spontaneous too. I’m excited to give it a try!

What’s your favorite planner?


This post contains affiliate links. That means if you like what I recommend and make a purchase, I get a small financial thanks from Amazon, at no additional cost to you.

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4 years ago

Iā€™ve been using and loving this one for years.

Janae
4 years ago

This is the only planner Iā€™ve ever used. Iā€™ve been using it for many many years.

Chastin Zook
4 years ago

Love you and all our planner talks, haha. You’re the best! Blessings

Linda
4 years ago

My favorite for several years!

Jeanie
4 years ago

This looks beautiful. This year I have been using a sketch book and drawing all my own lines and sections. Then I doodle & color while I think and organize. I’m liking it, because I haven’t been able to find a planner that has the exact categories I want.

Grace Lapp
4 years ago

The time keeper by Starla Kreider. ????

Jalisa
4 years ago

This planner has been a favorite of mine. Iā€™ve used it since I got married in 2011. I love the layout and I also love to see the new cover design each year.

Doris Martin
4 years ago

I like A Plan in Place by Susanna Glick. It’s a larger size which is great for desk top, not as compact for purse. But its also got shopping list, cleaning by room, gardening, etc. Plus the fact that it’s designed by a fellow adoptive mom includes appeal. I like the pockets front and back as well…

Shari
4 years ago
Reply to  Doris Martin

Where do you buy this one? I tried Googling it and am not coming up with anything. It sounds lovely.

4 years ago

You are much more thrifty than I am in the area of planners. šŸ™‚ I have been using Erin Condren’s planners for years. For sure 8 or more. Last year I tried buying a cheaper one but I really, really did NOT like it, so ended up returning it and going back to my old faithful. I am very much of a planner and have to write everything down (even if it is just to cross it off the list šŸ˜€ ) so need lots of space. Plus, I have been buying from her for so long, I always get discounts and coupons, so that helps.

4 years ago

I’ve been getting this planner every year either for Christmas or my birthday. It’s the only planner I use. I used to get Anne Geddes planners because of the cute babies but when I discovered Sue Hooley’s Planner I was hooked.

Lynn
4 years ago

I have Sueā€˜s planner again this year. The Time Keeper is nice too. ā€œGuiding the Houseā€ by Dianna O. I think is ideal for someone with a larger family or a homemaker that ā€œhas alot going.ā€
Itā€™s fun to read what others write in their planners…cards I want to send a certain week can be written down for that week, things I want to discuss with hubby can also be written in (so I donā€™t forget), and points I want to discuss on a conference call (think ā€œstay at home springā€) to name a few! …

Jenn
4 years ago

Iā€™m an Erin Condren Life Planner fan. I used a Time Keeper for a number of years but needed something bigger, so I switched over and canā€™t seem to get away! ????

Jenn
4 years ago
Reply to  Jenn

And Iā€™m with you on the talking planners all day long. Itā€™s a favorite subject of mine. ???? Probably because I would be lost without mine!

4 years ago

Did you know that I am big fan of Sue Hooley’s planners as well!!??! I have been using hers for several years now and it really fits my needs. I love all the extra space for my random lists and massive brainstorming fits that fall under basically no category.

Shari
4 years ago
Reply to  Shaunda

Oh my word. I did not know that! I thought you were a Time Keeper girl. Maybe we’ve talked about this and I just forgot… For some reason it was in the back of my head that I wanted to check this one out sometime – might have been you! ā¤ļø

Laura
4 years ago
Reply to  Shari

This is my favorite too. Having more space for all my notes is what sells me. Sue has increased the number of extra pages over the years.

4 years ago

I love reading all the different planners you ladies use. The 2021 planner cover is beautiful!

Naomi Miller
4 years ago

https://store.joniandfriends.org/product/jonis-2021-planner/
Here’s one that would support a good cause. I’m not much of a planner. šŸ™ Something I need to work on. Naomi Miller

Shari
4 years ago
Reply to  Naomi Miller

Ooh! This one looks really fun. I like the clean blank spaces for the days, and the bright cover.

4 years ago

I’ve been looking at the Sacred Ordinary Days planners. They’re expensive, but I love the idea of a planner that incorporates the church calendar and readings. They have a a weekly version or a daily/weekly version.

Shari
4 years ago
Reply to  Bethany F

I like this! I’d never heard of it.

Hope
4 years ago

Iā€™ve discovered Gracelaced this year, read both books by Ruth Chou Simons, ā€œBeholding and Becomingā€ and ā€œGracelacedā€. Loved the encouragement, the beautiful design and artwork so much that I ordered the planner and also the ā€œPrepare Him Roomā€ advent cards!! I could go in and on about the books ā€” how much they have impacted my heart and how many I have given as gifts, but I wonā€™t. Just go check them out for yourself! Anyway Iā€™m excited to use the planner and living this life laced with grace!!! ????

Shari
4 years ago
Reply to  Hope

How beautiful!

Doris Martin
4 years ago

A Plan in Place can be purchased in Lanc Co at Kens Joys, Goods Store, Clay bookstore,etc. … It can also be purchased directly from Susanna… Email: [email protected]. Or call 413-289-6314

Shari
4 years ago
Reply to  Doris Martin

Thank you! I like shopping at Good’s online. I’ll check it out. šŸ™‚

Twila Smucker
4 years ago

I use this one all the time too. I am so used to it, I think I would have a hard time switching to another one.

Ruth Anna
4 years ago

Good choice! I started using Sue Hooley’s part way through 2018. Then I was gifted The Time Kreeper for Christmas and used that for 2019 n 2020. Now Im used to that one. The Time Keeper turns into a bit of a diary for me (I keep a separate journal). I think its neat that i can look back on Nov 22 1 yr ago and see what was significant about that day. šŸ™‚ I think the Time Keeper helps me to live life more intentionally. If i was managing a household of more than one, Id probably want something larger. But for one person, it works well. šŸ™‚

Sara
3 years ago

I love, love planners. The smell, the pages, the organization. I drool over them and even tried them once. But I canā€™t stick with them. ā˜¹ļø Too many pages get left blank for me to make them worthwhile. Iā€™m so sad because Iā€™d love to be one of those chic moms who pull a planner from their purse. But I canā€™t. Instead, I take notes in regular $1.99 mini-tablets and write appointments on my wall calendar. Canā€™t believe Iā€™m boring like that.

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