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It’s been more than a year since I last held a planner in my hands. When I became a full-time employee two years ago, it seemed that planners became unnecessary. When I was a part-time lecturer in two schools and taking my master’s (while doing business projects and other extra curricular activities on the side), I filled my Starbucks planners to the brim. Well, I was also 20 pounds lighter…since I moved this way and that. Apparently, being a full-time employee entails a rather boring routine (though no less stressful), even if I am now taking my doctorate. I knew my daily schedule. My appointments were also part of the routine.

My last planner wasn’t Starbucks. It was this kikay little thing that had coupons and other nifty benefits. The Belle de Jour Power Planner has everything that a woman-on-the-go needs, right down to the menstrual tracker (which I failed to use properly, since I keep forgetting).

Oooh, and my colleague DK Crame was on the credits, too!

As the year 2009 wore on, however, I realized that I wasn’t using it much. Can you see the empty spaces? None of my previous planners had that many empty slots. By the middle of 2009, it was a permanent fixture on my shelf, gathering dust. That was why I didn’t get a new planner for 2010.

By the first -ember month of 2010, however, I finally decided to free myself of half my stress sources and went half-time.

Belle de Jour 2011

I thought going back to half-time (and finishing all my PhD course work) would make my schedule lighter but to my surprise, I suddenly had more activities than I could handle.

I began to miss deadlines, appointments, events. My schedule ran completely amok. Plus I was getting sick every other day. By the middle of November 2010, I knew that I had to get a planner ASAP.

I started collecting Starbucks stickers again.

Thing is, my BFF Cris spotted the Belle de Jour planner while shopping and immediately thought that the planner was soooo me. She bought it as soon as she laid eyes on it.

I like the new hardcover style this BDJ 2011 sports. It isn’t as unwieldy as the 2009 planner, which was spring bound. It also starts off with a nice anecdote from Darlyn, about how she thought she had already hit the pinnacle of her career only to realize how unhappy she was. Boy, could I relate to that. (To quote: “But if I am so privileged, why am I so miserable? Is this what happiness feels like?”)

I knew right there and then that this is the planner for me. With a few minor complaints…

The 2011 BDJ planner is a little bit more OC than the 2009 one. Hm. A liiiiiiittle bit TOO OC, methinks. Name it, the planner has it. It caters to every girl’s lifestyle…including any minor eccentricity you can think of.

While you have the menstrual tracker, dream board and vacation itineraries, there are also Bridezilla-like to-do and health check lists, cash flow and finance trackers, random thoughts, a beefed up essentials booklet…Goodness! While I know many girls will find these useful, sometimes I just wish for bigger writing spaces on my calendar instead of all that. Bigger writing spaces leave more room for my own personal brand of creativity and random thoughts — if I have any.

I also wish they’d have a December 2010 section, much like what Starbucks planners have. While I do own this planner already, I am only using the BDJ Essentials for important appointments/events I need to attend to this Christmas season. I also had to print out a December 2010 calendar and stapled that to one of my BDJ’s unused pages.

What tops the Starbucks planner, though, are the coupons. I tell ya, these are soooo worth it. Some of the brands that cater to BDJ users are: Bizu, Ace Water Spa, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (which I frequent), Heaven & Eggs, The White Hat, Cupcakes by Sonja, VNC, Celine, Bayo, Folded & Hung, Get Laud etc.

I’m happy to find more brands in here, especially ones that I’ve always been interested in like Shuji Kida, The Ramp and Healthway.

Navi 2011: Your Life Navigator

Cris got herself the Navi 2011, which is somewhat like the male counterpart of the BDJ. It looks unisex enough to be usable to Cris, though.

Now, I actually like this planner’s simplicity, both in cover design and content. Navi 2011 is so much like a man — uncomplicated.

Ok, not to poke fun at my own gender, but we somehow find ways to obsess about the littlest details and forget the bigger picture. Yeah, yeah, I know I should be tracking my menstrual cycles but I just can’t seem to remember. I mentally calculate my cycles, the way I calculate my finances. When I receive my statements of account, I find my mental computations are usually correct.

More writing spaces! That’s what I’m talking about!

The Navi 2011 is simple and clean. No fuss!

Like the BDJ Power Planner, Navi also has interesting coupons, mostly by the same brands.

These coupons look so nice, I’m almost afraid to tear them up and use them. Thank goodness, this Navi is owned by Cris. I think she won’t be as averse to tearing up these coupons as I am.

This is Cris enjoying her Navi 2011 planner. It has nice little anecdotes, too!

Are you interested in owning either a BDJ or a Navi planner? Well then, stay tuned, as I will be posting a planner giveaway tomorrow. (Yes, I have extras.)

I will also be posting the winner of our The Faceshop Lip Gloss contest tomorrow. (Plus a raffle re-draw for our Missha BB cream second round, if Nacho Bing does not contact me by the end of this day.)