Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Week of September 26, 2016

My hope is to start showing you what each week what my planner looks like at various stages, including the beginning of the week before I starting "inking" it and after I start planning, mid-week so you can see how things are faring (it also helps me hold myself accountable), and at the end of the week when things are all said and done.  Maybe it will help give you ideas of whow using a planner can benefit you in your own life as well.  With that said, here's my layout for this week...

Before the ink:


Let the Planning Begin:
 

Stickers used in this week's layout:


What's your planner look like this week?  Post a link to your photo in the comments below.

Monday, September 26, 2016

ABC TV & Substitute Teaching Stickers

Yesterday I made the announcement that Hooking Housewives will now be offering free printables for your planners.  The first 4 sheets were released - you can find them on the Planner Printables tab at any time.  I also told you I'd show you how I use these stickers in my personal planner.

** Download links are found at the bottom of the page!**

First up is the Substitute Teaching Detail Blocks.  I created this a few weeks ago when school started.  I am a substitute teacher at 3 different schools.  I wanted an easy way to block off time on my weekly layouts that also help me keep track of where I'll be subbing, how long, and for who.

The first set of these stickers was made in pastel colors.  When I recreated them yesterday, I decided to go with bright colors instead.
 After making that sticker, it didn't take long to realize that I needed something to add to my monthly calendar to quickly see what days during the month I'm available for appointments, other sub jobs, etc.  That's where the Substitute Teaching Reminders come in - anytime I book a substitute teaching job, I add one of these to my monthly calendar.  There are 3 options on the single sheet of stickers - All Day, A.M. Only, and P.M. Only. In our county, those are the 3 options for sub jobs.
I have to admit that I am a TV junkie, at least when it comes to primetime dramas!  I use these stickers for the days in my weekly layout to remind me which shows are on each night.  Often times I don't watch them live, mostly because my husband doesn't always want to sit through them or I'm in the middle of something else.  I started with the ABC Dramas for Thursday and Sunday nights, specifically using the promotional posters being used for the shows this season.





Next up, I plan to make sticker sheets for the CBS dramas - NCIS (all 3 of them), Criminal Minds (both shows), and several of the NBC dramas.  If there are specific shows or anything else you'd like to see stickers for, email me your ideas - I'll try to make them happen!!






To purchase your own Erin Condren Life Planner, use this link and you can receive $10 off your first purchase!!  

How to use Printables:
  • I use this sticker paper.  It's a great price and the quality of the paper holds up well, even with sheets that are fully covered in designs when printed.  Because I don't have a Silhouette (at lesat not yet), I use a basic paper cutting (usually found in the scrapbooking section of most craft stores).  I currently use this one.  
  • I'm currently listing the printables in JPEG format - the sole reason for this is because through trial and error, I've found that printing from JPEG rather than PDF files gives better color output.  You can choose the option on your printer settings to save ink if you want to make your ink last longer.
  • All designs are my own or have been licensed for commerical use or modification.
  • Printables are currently being designed for the Erin Condren Vertical Life Planner, but many will also work with The Happy Planner or other standard planners on the market.
Download Links:
By downloading any patterns or printables, you are agreeing to the following conditions:
  • All printables are for personal use only.  You may NOT resell or redistribute the downloads!
  • You may NOT repost the downloads to any social media or blogging website.  You may repost the LINK to the post in which the download originated from.
  • You may not claim the downloads as your own.  If you are going to use them by posting an image of how you used them, please credit Hooking Housewives with a reference or link to this blog, our Facebook page, or our Instagram page.  
  • You may NOT post the links to the downloads.  Any links must be back to the pages listed above or the specific blog post in which the download originated.  
  • All crochet patterns and photos are the property of Hooking Housewives and are copyrighted. 

Sunday, September 25, 2016

New Planner Printables

Hooking Housewives has been going through some BIG changes, including getting A LOT more organized than ever before.  Now that we're both out of our adjoining apartments and settled into houses, we have more space to allow our business to take over... I mean thrive!  ;)

One way that I have been working to get more organized is by using an Erin Condren Life Planner.  I went back and forth for quite some time debating whether or not to spend such a large chunk of money on a planner.  At the end of the 2015-16 school year, I knew there was no longer anything to debate.  On top of being a SAHM (meaning I keep track of the rest of the family's activities) and running Hooking Housewives, I was becoming busier as a substitute teacher and moved up from Co-Leader to Troop Leader of my daughter's Girl Scouts troop.  Having one place to keep track of everything in my life was a MUST!!!

I very quickly learned how much fun stickers can be when using my ECLP.  In fact, I found so many amazing stickers - printable ones that were free and that I purchased, as well as pre-printed sets that I ordered and had shipped to me!!  The stickers truly are addictive, but they also are a fun way to keep me interested in using my planner.  In the past, I've used a planner for a few weeks then get bored with it or just can't be bothered.  I've been using my ECLP since July and have kept up with it routinely.  It's become a part of my day.

Occasionally I will want a certain type of sticker for something specific but can't find it online.  I've started playing around with making my own stickers and have decided to offer them to you as free printables.  Down the road I hope to create some sets to sell, but for now, I'll stick with the freebies!! There has been a new page tab added to our home page here.  And links for the first 4 sheets I've created are already there as well.  Tomorrow I'll be showing you how I use these stickers in my planner.  Who knows, maybe in the near future you'll start to see even more than just new stickers available from the Housewives.

We're working on some new patterns, trying to get some Ready to Ship items together, and have been learning other new crafts that we can share with you.  We really want to get back into the full swing of things, including posting here regularly and bringing you more than just crochet-related posts... STAY TUNED!!