New Year, New Hope December 31, 2020 11:00

(Ornament purchased from CraftsByChelleUS's Etsy Shop)

2021, we've been waiting for you. You've given us a hope in some tough months of a better future, where we won't take things for granted like we may have before. You're bringing with you a vaccine for the public, and awareness of ways that we can improve as individuals and as a country. 

You're also bringing what is honestly the best run of UPstudio Planners that we have ever seen. We're the first to admit when something is an issue with a planner, and we've had a lot of lessons learned from both design and print issues. We've taken all of those lessons and now are reaping the benefits in our favorite planners of all times (and you guys, our standards are Very High).

If you haven't grabbed one yet, planners are still available for purchase!

We sincerely wish you a safe, happy and healthy New Year.

Happy 2021, and Happy Planning!

Merry End of the Year! December 29, 2020 07:00

We hope that your holiday season has been filled with joy and peace. This year has been stressful, and we all deserve a break! We also all deserve a well made, carefully thought out planner to help us get in to the swing of what 2021 will bring. If you didn't receive an UPstudio Planner this year, it's not too late to get one. Weekly* and Monthly Planners are still available and make the perfect New Year gift (that's a thing, right?) for yourself or someone else.

As for us, we're hunkering down in our respective homes, with plenty of warm blankets and bubbly drinks, ready to ring in the new year with friends and family virtually. We wish you a safe and happy New Year!

And as always - Happy Planning!

*As a heads up... the satchel colored weekly planners are going quickly, so if you had your eye on one of those, get it now before it's gone!

UPstudio final sale of 2020! November 30, 2020 07:00

Today (Monday, 11.30) is the LAST day of the final UPstudio sale of 2020, where all orders in the UPstudio shop will be 20% off when you use code "2020". From stocking stuffers to presents to holiday cards to treating yourself, you can find gifts for everyone on your list (these are also great for teachers, and coworkers!). Take advantage of the sale and feel good about crossing a few things off your list too - and if you need sticky pads for making lists and checking them twice... well you know we've got those too!

Happy Shopping and Happy Planning!

Planning a Planner v2021 November 17, 2020 08:00

It's been said that a planner was one of the worst purchases that could have been made for 2020. Who are we to disagree - no one could have predicted what this year had in store! All we know is that we personally thrive on organization, and if there is something small that we could control this year, that gave us some comfort. Planners help us do that.

In addition to just surviving, we did focus efforts of making some updates to the 2021 Weekly and Monthly planners. If you know anything about UPstudio, you should know that we are a company that listens, that will respond to every (yes, every) comment, suggestion, and question about the products that we make (we also LOVE getting mail from you guys!) While we didn't receive much feedback with suggestions for updates or changes this year, we still took a step back to look at what might need to be revised.

You may remember that for the 2020 planners, we included a number of additional holidays to celebrate different cultures and backgrounds. We reviewed these again this year and realized that a few key holidays were still missing. As a reminder, some are difficult to put in print, because they are defined by lunar patterns and are not determinable until later in the calendar year.  These were not included, but we are happy to announce that Juneteenth and Indigenous Peoples' Day are now included holidays in Weekly and Monthly planners. 

These 2021 Planners though? They're dreamy - this is the best run of planners our printer has been able to provide us in years and we are so so excited to share them with you. We hope you are as happy with them as we are, and that they might help make 2021 just a little easier to manage.

Is It 2021 Yet? November 12, 2020 13:12

It's been quite a year. I know some of you are ready to throw out your 2020 planners and start fresh with 2021 (we totally don't blame you!) Pre-orders for 2021 planners are live, so head to the shop now to pick up your UPstudio Weekly and Monthly planners (link to Weekly Planner, link to Monthly Planner). These will begin shipping November 16, 2020.

We sincerely hope that 2021 finds you happy, healthy, and ready to take on new challenges - after this year, we can handle anything. Let's get planning!

Planning a Planner v2020 October 12, 2019 10:49

We've said it before and we'll keep on saying it - we care about what UPstudio Planner users think.  We're always happy to receive feedback on the planners - good or bad.  In the end we want to create the best planner we can, and to do that sometimes we need a fresh outlook.  This is where you come in.  This past year, we received 2 similar comments from multiple users that informed updates that you will see in the 2020 Weekly and Monthly Planners.

The first update is a full year outlook - the same future planning pages that are included in the back of the planner for the upcoming year are now also included at the front of the planner for the current year.  This can be used for any number of things - tracking birthdays and anniversaries, planning reading or daily goals, etc.  We would love to hear how you plan to use this! 

The second update for the Weekly and Monthly Planners is the inclusion of more holidays.  We received an email from a user that indicated that the planner was a Christian planner, and this user wished that they had known that prior to purchase. They were not a Christian, but had felt an offense at the fact that no holidays other than Christian holidays were included in the planners, and that there was a Bible verse included in the front greeting page.  We responded to the email with explanation - that at the time we were creating the original planner, we looked at many other planners and included holidays that were also included in those.  As for the Bible verse, well, we are Christian women, and this was our personal introduction and thank you for purchasing the planner.  We felt this was an appropriate location to include something personal to us.  We are Christians, but the planner is not a specific Christian planner. We sent this response back, but we knew this wasn't a final resolution.

While we personally only celebrate some holidays, we have friends and colleagues who celebrate others.  We respect other ethnicities and religions and want to learn from others that celebrate different holidays. This also aligns with our desire for the planners to be versatile. We took another long hard look at holidays to be included.  Some are difficult to put in print, because they are defined by lunar patterns and are not determinable until later in the calendar year.  These were not included, but we are pleased to include a number of holidays celebrating many beliefs and cultures. 

We are excited to get the 2020 Planners in your hands and look forward to hearing your thoughts about these changes. Pre-order your Weekly or Monthly Planner today to get yours right when they come in, and save 15% while you're at it - just use code 'FINALLY' at checkout.

Hey guys, we're still here! October 8, 2019 14:47

Hi again everyone,

We've always preached honesty in our brand, so today we're here again being honest with you. First, the question that everyone has been asking us: yes, we are still here, and yes, we will still have 2020 planners (*collective sigh of relief!*)

For the majority of this past year, we've been hanging on by a thread. The truth is, we're incredibly busy. We have shared before that we are both married, we each have 2 kids, and we each work full time jobs. UPstudio is a passion project, with its main attention given during our free time. But lately, neither of us have had much free time. Turns out that having young kids, jobs that we care about doing well, and maintaining any kind of a life is hard. So hard, that we've had conversations about where UPstudio is and how we can feasibly maintain it.

We've entertained the idea of simplifying our lives by having one less job, but when we boil it all down, we still really care. We care about customers asking when the next planners will be out, those sending comments or suggestions for improvement (we're still listening!), and we also want to keep up with this company we built from the ground up that's steadily growing each year. We didn't work this hard to give it all up. We're not going anywhere.

So, please forgive us for the late release of planners this year - they are coming! In an effort to get planners into users' hands as quickly as possible, we are offering pre-order sales for 2020 Weekly and Monthly Planners, and to sweeten the deal, we're offering 15% off of all pre-orders with the code 'FINALLY'. They are available now in the shop. 

Look out for the next blog post sharing updates of changes included in the 2020 Monthly and Weekly Planners (if you didn't believe they could get any better.. you'd be wrong!)  In the meantime, don't give up on us - we're still here and working hard to make the best and most flexible, simple, adaptable planner you can find.

Reduced Shipping Cost for Planners October 18, 2018 08:46

Each year we attempt to take a step back and put ourselves in your shoes and ask questions like: would we buy this product for the list price? would we spend that much on shipping?

Last year, the cost of shipping that was charged when a customer purchased an UPstudio planner was the exact cost of flat rate shipping from USPS.  We looked in to all options for shipping to get the best rates, with the required insurance for all purchases to make it to customers quickly and efficiently.  We have this same conversation with USPS every year in order to make sure we understand any changes that may have been made.  Like we said, last year we charged shipping at the exact rate that USPS charged, which was $6.85.  This year, prices for the same shipping were raised to $7.15.

We feel comfortable with the price of each planner based on the quality of the design and construction ($40 for the Weekly and $32 for the Monthly) but honestly we would be a little hesitant to spend $7.15 on shipping. So we decided this year to cover some of the shipping cost for you so that the cost of shipping doesn't deter you from purchasing one of our products. The updated shipping costs are reflected at check out. To put it simply: we decided that a single planner shouldn't cost more than $5 to ship, and we'll pick up the bill for the rest. 

When we shop online, a lot of the final decision lies with the total cost, and shipping can make or break that decision.  If you feel the same way that we do, we hope that this helps you to take the leap when purchasing a planner!

note that $5 shipping is limited to US customers only, for any UPstudio Planner

Planning a Planner v2019 Part II August 30, 2018 05:00

This is the second and final installment of the Planning a Planner series.  To get caught up on all the changes that have been made to the 2019 UPstudio Weekly Planner and why, check out last week's blog post.   

And now.. the biggest change in UPstudio Planners for 2019... 

We are introducing a new Monthly Planner!  The Monthly Planner is a slightly larger format, approximately 8" x 10", with a flexible black leather cover. The planner is bound with smyth sewn binding, so it lays perfectly flat, and includes full spread month layouts, a look ahead for 2020, followed by 62 pages of grid paper, similar to the Weekly Planner.  Because it does not include weekly spreads, the overall thickness of the planner is much more slim than the Weekly Planner.  The Monthly Planner also includes the same upgraded ribbon as the Weekly Planner, as well as an elastic closure, and pocket in the back.

We are so excited to share this new product with you!

For 2019, the Monthly Planner will only be offered in black leather.  Weekly Planners will still be offered in the same colors as last year - gray and satchel (since satchel was such a hit and we had to re-order last year, we upped our initial order number, so there are plenty to go around!)

Planning a Planner v2019 Part I August 24, 2018 05:00

For the past several years, we've taken our readers on a transparent journey of how and why we've made decisions for updates and changes on products and specifically, the UPstudio Planner.  The first year we created the planner was obviously the most extensive amount of work we've done and information we've compiled.  You can read more about the entire process starting here, but in the meantime here's the cliffnotes version: we came up with ideas, put together a sample, solicited a focus group to use the sample, compiled feedback, made changes, and produced the *original* UPstudio planner.

  (here she is!)

Fast forward to the next year where we outlined our process in the Planning a Planner v2017 series.  The biggest change for the 2017 Planner was the binding type and cover.  2016 had a spiral binding type and a chipboard cover, but after using the planner for a year, we felt (and heard from you guys) that changing the binding to something less obtrusive and upgrading the cover to something more durable was critical.

  (lemme lemme upgrade!)

For the 2018 Planner, we revealed in the blog series a few upgrades, a big change in Monday starts to the weeks for the month layouts, and the most exciting change: a second cover color option.  

 (sisters!)

The UPstudio Planner is now developed enough that small tweaks are the biggest changes.  The 2019 Planner will look very similar to the 2018.  We reached out to you all for opinions on a few thoughts we had, and those ideas were pretty clearly vetoed through comments on the blog post and on social media.  Because our main goal is versatility for everyone, and we *do* listen to all feedback, we decided to not make any changes to the composition.  We did have a few other things that we knew would make the planner better, however, and we are revealing those in this series:

• The first change has already been revealed - upgraded ribbon!  We've wanted to upgrade the ribbon in the past but because we're *ultra* picky, we decided not to settle on something we didn't love.  We're truly excited about the new texture, thickness and durability that this new ribbon will bring.  See ya later, unraveling ribbon!

• Another change that we knew we wanted to make was with the front pocket, and it's purely aesthetic. (see above: ultra picky).  The folder in the 2018 Planner is constructed so that you can see the backing above the top edge of the actual folder.  In 2019, this is greatly reduced (and oh so pretty!)

• We concentrated on quality A LOT.  We were disappointed in some aspects of the 2018 Planners, which were largely printing errors.  To be clear - we like our printer very much, but we also expect a lot.  We expect near-perfect crops and construction, and we had multiple instances where planners were constructed less than perfect, and we put a lot of planners into the scratch and dent pile due to less than stellar crops.  We expressed all our concerns with our printer, and they have worked extremely hard to live up to our standard this year.  The production photos that we've seen are truly great, and we are very excited about the 2019 Planner!
• Speaking of excitement... oh wait, I can't reveal this one quite yet.  Stay tuned for next week's big announcement and our biggest change for 2019! What a cliffhanger!

2019 UPstudio Weekly Planner August 17, 2018 05:00

2019 UPstudio Weekly Planners are currently in production, and we can't wait to get our hands on them.  If you've followed us for any length of time, you know that we are incredibly picky which really lends to a love / hate relationship with our printer.  We ask for the absolute best they can give us, and challenge them when we aren't 100% satisfied.  Well, we've received production photos of planners this year with a few upgrades, and we couldn't be happier!  The attention to detail for the 2019 Weekly Planner is beautiful.  We are proud mamas.

Make sure to read next week's blog post for a detailed look at changes made to the 2019 Weekly Planner.

uggh.. Unraveling Ribbon! August 9, 2018 05:00

Please raise your hand if you are tired of the unraveling ribbon on your UPstudio Planner? (Becky and I both raised two hands!)

We just wanted to reassure you all that we have had multiple conversations with our printer about the best way to resolve this. The solution we have settled on for the 2019 UPstudio Planner:

1. The ribbons will be fired on the end to hopefully prevent unraveling and fraying.
2. The ribbons will also be thicker which should help.The ribbon in the 2018 planner is 0.021mm thick. In 2019 they will be 0.033mm. They will also have a slightly different texture, which we feel will look a bit better.

Crossing our fingers we don't have this same frustration next year! 

We are working hard to improve the UPstudio Planner each year. The difference in a quality product is in the details.

Sidebar: I definitely googled how to spell "uggh." Anyone else remember from second grade that words like that are called an onomatopoeia? Cause I didn't!

UPstudio Planner - 2019 Composition May 3, 2018 05:00 4 Comments

If you work in the planner world, you almost never know what year it is.  That's because we're always working in the future getting ready for the next few years.  As we are in the midst of planner design for 2019, we're making critical decisions about possible changes.  If you've read this blog before or know anything about UPstudio, then you likely know that we solicit feedback frequently, because we genuinely want to create the best planner for a widespread audience.  We also recognize that change is sometimes hard and not well accepted.  We almost never make a major change without first getting feedback.

Our current evaluations deal with the overall composition of the planner.  In all previous versions, including the current 2018 UPstudio Planner, the individual month layouts come directly before each of the week layouts in that month.  Preceding the month layouts are monthly goals layouts.  There are a few things at play in our minds:

• We've had this layout because having the months directly before the weeks in that month seems to make sense.  It groups them together and is easy for people who may use them in conjunction with each other a little more easily.  The problem is that weeks don't always fall perfectly in line with the month before it or after it (actually, this hardly ever happens), which means that there are always a few days of a month that are grouped with the preceding or following month. There has been confusion from users about days that they initially think are missing, because they don't know to look in a different location for them.  This leads us to the meat of the first potential change:  grouping all month layouts together at the beginning, and all week layouts together directly following the group of months.

• The next thought relates to the monthly goals layout.  To be honest, this layout has always bothered us just a bit, because it has a title.  One of the biggest achievements of the UPstudio Planner is that there are almost no defined ways to use each space, but just by putting the word "goals", we're implying that you have to write goals here.  We want you to write whatever you want in whatever space you want - versatility!  So, we're thinking about nixing these sheets, with the idea that the graph pages found at the end of the planner (or the blank section on the month layout or graph on the week layout) can replace this space.

What do you think?  Will you be able to make goals for each month if there isn't a layout that says "goals"?  Will you go crazy looking at the beginning of the planner for the month of October when the week layouts are in the middle?  Would another ribbon help?  

Let us know what you think, I promise, we listen!

*update*  we received so many requests to leave the goals page, that it's still in there!  You guys can breathe easy now.  Thank you for your feedback!

What is a Scratch and Dent Planner? April 12, 2018 05:00

We are picky.  We definitely own that, and think it's a good quality in our business, because it means that we don't settle for second best in our products.  We research, study, reject, do over, and are willing to pay a little more for a quality detail.  Because we are level 1000 picky, we realize we are maybe not the norm, and that others may deem something slightly imperfect to be "good enough".  We're totally cool with this and are aware of it, but, we're not going to change our own standards, and won't do that for our customers.

All that being said, we will only charge full price for our 1000% good products.  If we deem something to be less than 1000%, then it's officially "scratch and dent".  We fully expect to get scratch and dent planners in our final deliveries. After we receive them, we go through a QC of every single planner over the course of several weeks in order to categorize each and every one.  Sometimes a planner will have a literal scratch or dent (due to shipping or packaging, or any number of things) but more often than that, a scratch and dent planner will have a slight printing imperfection, or a small glue spot, or something that majority of people may never notice. 

Scratch and dent is a tricky name.  When someone sees "scratch and dent", they likely expect to see a major visual mistake on the exterior of the planner, and inherently, they don't sell as well as those planners that are not labeled scratch and dent, even at a lower price point.  The truth is, these are more like "slightly imperfect" planners.  Here are a few examples of things that would make us categorize a planner as scratch and dent:

Yep, that's honestly it.  These planners are 100% functional, and a true steal as they are a fraction of the cost of the regular version.  If you're on the fence about the UPstudio Planner, try grabbing a Scratch and Dent for just $10!  Trust us, it's worth it, and bonus - both cover colors are still available!

While we do go through each and every planner before it is sent out, sometimes one may slip through the cracks and be less than perfect.  If you experience any quality issues with your UPstudio Planner, please notify us immediately.  We do our best to provide the best customer service we possibly can.

Where in the World is the UPstudio Planner (2018 edition) April 5, 2018 05:00

Since the 2017 infographic post of Where in the World is the UPstudio Planner was so fun, we wanted to explore and compare how the reach for planners has grown in just a year.  Enjoy!

The 2018 UPstudio Planner is only sold in stores in North Carolina (for now anyway!) but this little gem called the internet makes it possible to get one from literally anywhere in the world. It's pretty amazing.  We took a look at the reach of the 2018 Planner, and thought it would be fun to share with you guys.  Who doesn't love a good map and graph? 

These maps show the states and countries where UPstudio planners now call home.  The first map is of the United States, and the second map shows our lone international traveler - all the way in Estonia!  (Shipping prices get a little steep outside of the continental US, but we're willing to ship anywhere!  Send us a message if you want more details.)

If you're wondering, that's 37 of the 50 states (up from 29 in 2017!) - and yep, you're reading that right, there's an UPstudio Planner in Hawaii (aloha!)

The official language of Estonia is Estonian, however English is one of the most popular foreign languages to learn in the country, so the UPstudio Planner is still right at home overseas.

These next graphs show the distribution of quantities sold throughout the different states and countries. No surprise, the most planners have sold in North Carolina, but we were interested to see that the next most popular state placing orders is Texas (same as 2017!) with California following close behind.

Did your state make the map?  We would love to see all 50 states and even more countries represented for the 2019 Planner!

(It's not too late to order your 2018 Planner or scratch and dent Planner!)

**US Map created with United States of America with States - Outline by FreeVectorMaps.com

2018 Planner Price Drop! March 22, 2018 05:00

If you were waiting to pick up your 2018 planner, you're in luck.  2018 UPstudio Planners are now $30 (available in grey), and 2018 Scratch and Dent Planners are only $10!  These slightly imperfect planners are still 100% usable (we are just ultra picky) and now a STEAL!  Get yours today!

2018 UPstudio Planner Price Drop February 1, 2018 05:00

Even though a planner is used all year, it is considered a seasonal item due to the need to only purchase it once a year.  That means that come February, it's officially the off-season for planners, and prices drop.  If you've been holding out on buying one, now is the time to get yours for a reduced price!  

2018 Planners are now just $36, and 2018 Scratch and Dent Planners (slightly imperfect but 100% usable) are now $20.  Gray is available in both options, and satchel in scratch and dent only.  Grab one while you can and start planning the next 11 months!

New Year, Same Me January 4, 2018 05:00

Happy 2018 everyone!  Before the start of every new year, I love to sit down with my planner and write in birthdays, upcoming events, and generally just get prepared for the year to come.  I'll record my resolutions and goals for January, in an attempt to be accountable to myself.  I'm definitely one of those people who always has good intentions but doesn't always follow through with resolutions.  For example, I mentioned last year in the blog post on the Best Planner for Keeping Resolutions, that my resolution for 2017 was to make a chicken pot pie from scratch.  Spoiler alert: I didn't do it.  But I did discover that Costco makes a really delicious and affordable chicken pot pie that you can pass off as homemade.  That's a win in my book.

In the same vein, I've had friends tell me they feel guilty because they don't use their planner consistently all through the year.  I think that's a pretty natural thing, and something that we considered a lot in the development of the UPstudio Planner.  Sometimes I use my own planner more days or weeks or months than others... it all just depends on what's going on currently in life.  The best thing about the UPstudio Planner is that it's so versatile, you can use it as little or as much as you need to, and it's perfectly suited for any option.  Most planners are very scripted, leaving the user no space to define what is needed for them, but with the UPstudio Planner, you can change its use from week to week by creating your own headings specific to your needs. 

I'll likely never be 100% consistent in how I use my planner or what categories are set up from week to week - and that's exactly why this is the best planner for me (and probably for you too, you should try it out!)

Tutorial: How to Change the Weekly Start to Monday in Google Calendar and Outlook 2016 December 28, 2017 05:00

One of the upgrades to the 2018 UPstudio Planner we revealed during the Planning a Planner v2018 Blog Series was that all calendars in the 2018 UPstudio Planner start on Monday. The lack of consistency in the Sunday - Monday organization on the month layout vs the Monday - Sunday organization on the weekly layout started to really get to us with the 2017 Planner. We debated this change SO MUCH. You can read more about our thought process in Part IV of the blog series.

We understand that this change will take some adjustment. We will be adjusting along side you. 

One thing we found useful was to adjust our electronic calendars to align with our planner so that all formats we use for planning our lives are consistent. (Yes, we own a planner business but still use electronic calendars for certain things, we have day jobs and are modern ladies.) We use Google Calendar in our personal lives and Outlook 2016 at work. Below we share simple tutorials to change the weekly start to Monday in both of those platforms. 

Tutorial: Monday Start to Week in Google Calendar

Step 1: Access your calendar and in the upper right hand corner click on the gear symbol and access the 'Settings' dialogue.

Step 2: Click on 'View options' from the list on the left hand side. Then in the right hand list select from the drop down for the week to start on 'Monday'. 

Step 3: Your settings will automatically save, so simply close out of settings and view your calendar to confirm the change has been activated.

Tutorial: Monday Start to Week in Outlook 2016

Step 1: Click on 'File' in the upper left hand corner and selection 'Options' from the list on the left hand side.

Step 2: Select 'Calendar' from the list on the far left and then under the 'Work time' heading there is a option to select the 'First day of week:'. Change the day to 'Monday' from the drop down and select 'OK' at the bottom of the dialogue box.

Step 3: View your calendar to confirm the changes were activated.

Pretty easy to modify in both platforms. This simple change has really helped us adjust over the past month, hopefully it will aid in your transition as well. 

We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and we wish you a happy New Year!

The Best Planner for Men December 7, 2017 05:00

This blog post is a part of the series "The Best Planner for..." which provides suggestions for ways in which you can use the UPstudio Planner.  Each post in this series will focus on a different way to utilize the planner layout. The UPstudio Planner is designed for versatility, and is suited for many uses and not limited to the featured suggestions.  Show us how you use your planner by sending us an email at hello@upstudionc.com, or tagging us on social media (all handles can be found on our website).

Before we started designing the UPstudio Planner, we did research to know who we were designing for.  Ultimately, we were doing this for ourselves, because we weren't satisfied with planners that we were using, or ones that were on the market.  We wanted to create one that worked better for us, with our varying schedules and multiple roles to fill on a daily basis.  We narrowed down our main demographic based off of research (basically 18-50 year old women) and then created a focus group to really hone in on the specifics of the design.  This focus group included a majority of participants that fell into the above noted demographic, but we wanted to make sure it was looked at by a wider range than that too.  Two men participated in this group of 19, and gave us great feedback.  Ultimately, we were working to design a neutral, clean, versatile planner that would work for both men and women alike.

Fast forward to today - we are selling UPstudio Planners in just about equal numbers to men and women, and we are THRILLED!  Why is this planner so popular with men?  Let's break it down:

• It's neutral - the grey and satchel colors and minimal design on the cover are neutral and inviting.  The UPstudio Planner steers clear of flowers, patterns, quotes, and "fluff".
• It's leather - the cover of the Planner is a synthetic leather (the grey has a smooth finish while the satchel is more textured) and men are more drawn to this material than say a glossy finished covered chipboard. And also, what man doesn't relate to Anchorman: "I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells like rich mahogany."  We can help you achieve this status.
• It's compact - with the calendar in the front and graph pages in the back, the UPstudio Planner serves as a notebook and calendar in one.  Perfect for taking to meetings and not having to carry multiple notebooks.
• It's appropriate for the office or classroom - the UPstudio Planner looks professional in any setting.
• It's versatile - schedules that change frequently require flexibility in a planner, and the UPstudio Planner is perfect for that.  Weeks can highlight different areas of focus completely defined by the user, and can change from week to week or even day to day.

Don't just take it from us: we reached out to a few male UPstudio customers who gave their feedback.

“I love the blank pages for brainstorming, jotting down quotes, exercise or DIY ideas, references to websites, etc. The small folders inside the front & back covers are great for holding coupons, event tickets, lists. I often toss printouts of news, sports or automotive websites inside the front cover for future reference or end of the week reading. And when I run errands on the weekend I always take my planner with me. That’s usually when inspiration hits!” - Stephen from Vermont

"Becky and Mary Beth have managed to meticulously design an awesome planner that is incredibly flexible -- for anyone! They asked how I thought it would be the best planner for men, and I can't really answer that -- since in my mind it's a planner for *anyone* who wants to DO things with their lives. Women or men, doesn't matter... If *anyone* wants an intuitive, balanced, powerful, well-built, thoughtfully-designed, super-flexible tool that can be used for just about any aspect of life/time/project management, then buy this world-class planner. They've managed to conjure up an amazingly balanced product that can help with anything from planning boring daily tasks to planning exciting massive projects, and from organizing a busy family to helping with a busy business enterprise. They've come up with a design that is structured yet flexible, never forcing their concepts on you, but rather giving you the space and room to adapt it to your workflow, in one hard-bound volume. Just buy the dang thing and get on with your life." - James from Maryland

Thanks Stephen and James, we couldn't have said it better.  Get an UPstudio Planner for yourself or for the man in your life today.

2018 UPstudio Planner Release Party Invite November 30, 2017 08:00

Join us tomorrow, December 1, from 6-9 at DECO Raleigh (19 W Hargett Street, Raleigh) for First Friday and the 2018 UPstudio Planner Release Party! There will be snacks from Manhattan Cafe, wine provided by Deco, and of course - planners! Come start (or finish) your holiday shopping, eat delicious food, and hang out with us.

Ghosting and Bleed in Writing Instruments - and the UPstudio Planner November 9, 2017 05:00

Even if the terms 'ghosting' or 'bleed' don't mean anything to you, it's extremely likely that you've experienced both of these. We're not talking about Halloween or a convenient out from someone you're dating, we're talking about paper! Whether you're a paper lover like us (hi!) or new around here, this post is relevant to anyone who ever puts pen (or pencil or marker or crayon) on paper.

Let's start with some explanations:

Ghosting: the lesser offensive experience; ghosting is when writing shows up faintly on the back of the piece of paper where the writing occurred- you can tell that something has been written on the other side, but it does not interfere with anything and often times is not immediately noticeable.

Bleed: this can ruin your day; bleed occurs when ink has penetrated the paper and deters visibility on the opposite side of a paper where writing occurred- notes written on both sides of the paper can become very difficult to read.

The amount of ghosting or bleed that occurs depends on both the paper and the writing instrument. Some may argue that one or the other is the more important factor in the outcome of ghosting or bleed, but from our perspective, pens can be changed easier than paper can. It was extremely important to us when creating the UPstudio Planner to have both a balance of a quality paper weight (one that would allow minimal ghosting or bleed) yet not a lot of bulk or physical weight (small and light enough to carry around everywhere!) We met with our printers and tested all different paper types and weights with different pens and markers. In the end, we chose a 70# text paper which was the best of all worlds- and a much higher quality paper than many other planners on the market.

When the UPstudio Planner gets to you, you are in control of what you use to write. To help you avoid any ghosting or bleed issues, we tested 16 different writing instruments to see how they would fare on the Planner.

Here is our lineup (see below for written list):

And here are are the results:

The takeaways from this test are that any pencil should work without issue (and as my schedule is constantly changing, this is my personal preference of writing instrument), as well as ballpoint pens. Felt tip pens may show some ghosting, but minimal at worst, and the type of fountain pen used will determine its overall quality (with fountain pens, my experience has shown that it's worth paying a bit more money for a much better product)! And finally, Sharpie's will bleed or have significant ghosting on almost all types of paper- there's a reason they are the best known permanent marker!

Have you used a different pen or marker and experienced ghosting, or bleed on your Planner? Or did we do an A+ job on choosing paper and you've had no issues? We'd love to hear your comments or see your results! 

Tested writing instruments:

• UPstudio Pencil (we got the best ones, trust us)
• FURST 2.0 (pencil)
• Ballpoint Pen
• LAMY Fountain Pen
• Pilot Fountain Pen
• Paper Mate Flair (felt tip pen) 
• Pilot Razor Point (felt tip pen)
• Le Pen (felt tip pen)
• Micron 08 (felt tip pen)
• STABILO point 88 - red (felt tip pen)
• STABILO point 88 - grey (felt tip pen)
• STABILO Pen 68 (felt tip pen)
• STAEDTLER triplus fineliner (felt tip pen)
• STAEDTLER Lumocolor (felt tip marker)
• SHARPIE Fine
• SHARPIE Ultra Fine

DECO is turning 5! November 2, 2017 05:00

We are fortunate to be part of an amazing maker community in Raleigh. Just as important are the people and businesses that support local Raleigh makers. 

A huge supporter is DECO Raleigh. They not only support the local maker community but contribute to the community at large. If you haven't heard of DECO before, it is a brick and mortar located in downtown Raleigh, 19 W. Hargett Street. How they describe themselves on their website:

We love Raleigh and carry the work of more than 75 local artisans and makers. Our customers are our neighbors, friends, and the very BEST sources of product ideas for the store. We hope that DECO Raleigh is an adventure every time you visit, and we love nothing more than to hear laughter as our customers explore the store.

We believe in contributing to our community in a meaningful way. That's why we built Raleigh's first parklet, commissioned Raleigh's first sidewalk mural, founded the Flight Fund to support public art and organized a holiday pop-up store in 2015. We love supporting local charities, local start-ups and local do-gooders. Check out some of our projects. 

This week DECO is turning 5!!! November 1 - 5 they're celebrating each day with a local food goodie for customers and supporters, including treats from Videri, lucettegrace, Bittersweet, and Sweetwater Ices to name a few! UPstudio swung by yesterday (they had macaroons). 

For all of those living in the Triangle area we encourage you to come check out DECO. You can follow along on DECO's Instagram to learn more about all of the festivities this week. The Holidays are creeping up on us fast and this is a great place to get a head start on shopping.

While you're there feel free to snag a 2018 UPstudio Planner (in either gray or satchel)!

DECO recently announced that they have some exciting changes coming in the future, learn more and follow along on their blog, DECO Turns a Corner.

We Need Your Help! October 26, 2017 05:00

We're going to be candid here, because we genuinely need your help!  As the year is coming to a close, we are focusing our efforts toward online advertisement for the UPstudio Planner, and want to ensure we're choosing the best locations to advertise.  We've done market research and have plans laid out, but want to hear your opinions on the best ways to reach customers before finalizing our year-end marketing plans.

One of the most versatile points about the UPstudio Planner is that it is gender neutral, and we're finding that it appeals to men and women in almost equal quantities.  We love that our reach is growing and that the planner is popular with everyone, but we want to be able to advertise to everyone too (and honestly, we are struggling with the best way to reach men!)

Here's where you come in:  we would love your advice. We'd appreciate help specifically when it comes to understanding where men tend to browse the web and where the planner fits in a man's life.  We'd also love to know how well our current advertisements are working beyond basic analytics - simply put: how did you discover the UPstudio Planner?  Was it an ad somewhere, word of mouth, or through a simple web search?  Please comment on this post or email us (hello@upstudionc.com) with suggestions to the following questions:

• How did you discover the UPstudio Planner?
• If you're searching for a planner online, how do you go about your search? Where do you look? What search words do you use? What specific features do you search for?
• Are there specific websites you go to first for the majority of your shopping?
• Do you have any ideas of places that might be a good fit for UPstudio advertisement? 
• Do you subscribe to anything online? Maybe a blog or a news site where you receive regular e-mails?
• Did you know that UPstudio Planners are available on Amazon.com?  We'd love for you to leave a review for it!
• Did you know that UPstudio Planners are available on Etsy.com?  We'd love for you to leave a review for it if you purchased through this site!
• Which is better - red or purple Skittles?

We truly appreciate your help!  We say it all the time, and it's because it's true - your feedback is valued and always taken into consideration.  Thank you in advance for taking the time to respond!

UPstudio Reviews by Earn Spend Live October 12, 2017 05:00

We're big fans of Earn Spend Live, and their ever growing community of women supporting women.  Their website and blog posts have an endless supply of helpful tips for navigating life and being an adult, which we definitely all need a little help with sometimes!  Plus, they love planners, and we love planners, so we're destined to be internet friends. 

ESL recently shared a couple of videos highlighting the UPstudio Planner, which we couldn't wait to share with you! (a quick note: if you are reading this post via email subscription, you may not be able to see the videos below, but can see them here and here!)  

The first is a quick feature highlight of the 2018 Planner: 

We've got our eyes on this new cover color <3 #plannercommunity #plannerlover @upstudionc https://t.co/cfYPFD4bgr pic.twitter.com/Hr806dASWf

— Earn Spend Live (@EarnSpendLive) October 10, 2017

The next video is a review of their top 6 planners for tracking habits and goals:

This is how you use a planner to track your habits and progress. @inkwellpress @DayDesigner @startplanner @upstudionc pic.twitter.com/bN40gMSPjj

— Earn Spend Live (@EarnSpendLive) October 7, 2017

For additional reviews of planners and more, check out their website, or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest.

Where you can find the 2018 UPstudio Planner... October 5, 2017 05:00

We are excited to announce that the Satchel 2018 UPstudio Planners are back in stock on our website! Snag one for yourself here.

The UPstudio Planner can be found in other locations as well. We thought we'd share the complete list today with you all. Note that both cover color options are available at all locations. If you're ever curious and want an up to date list on where any UPstudio products are available, you can always check our Featured page.

Online

• The UPstudio Shop
• Amazon
• Etsy (Scratch and Dents also available)

Local Raleigh, North Carolina, Shops:

• Deco Raleigh (19 W. Hargett Street, Raleigh, NC)
• Quail Ridge Books (North Hills - 4209-100 Lassiter Mill Road, Raleigh, NC)
• So & So Books (703 N. Person Street, Raleigh, NC)

Weekly Planning Notepad September 21, 2017 05:00

We are excited to announce a new product in the shop this week, the Weekly Planning Notepad!

This is a product that has been in the works for a while but was put on the back-burner due to the release of the 2018 UPstudio Planner.

Our goal with this product is to add one more layer of flexibility to your planning. The layout is very open and versatile.

You can breakdown and plan additional items during your week and store the planning sheet safely inside your UPstudio planner (it will fit in the folders at the front and back too). I personally use the notepad to plan out my family's week and post it on the fridge so that we are all on the same page:

The uses are endless. Grab one for yourself today!

2018 UPstudio Planner Event at Quail Ridge Books September 14, 2017 05:00

We're so excited to be partnering with Quail Ridge Books for an event in their store this coming weekend.  Before we get in to all the details, there are a few things that need to be addressed:

• WOW!  Release of the 2018 UPstudio Planner was a hit - and the satchel leather planners sold out on the website much faster than we thought they would!  We ordered a limited quantity of this leather color, but there are a few ways that you can still get one of your own:
• An additional order of satchel planners is in production and will be ready for purchase on the website in early October.  If you want to be notified via e-mail when they are restocked and available for purchase click here.
• If you're local to Raleigh, head over to Quail Ridge Books, Deco Raleigh, or So & So Books to pick up a planner - each location has both leather colors available.
• Scratch and Dent planners are officially released!  As with any bulk print, there are bound to be a few things that don't come out perfectly - if you're in to paying less for slightly imperfect products, then this is the planner for you!  Both leather colors are available. All of these flaws are aesthetic and do not render the planner unusable in any way.

If you live in or around Raleigh, you've almost certainly heard of Quail Ridge Books.  The mid-sized independent book store relocated in Spring of 2016 to its new home at North Hills, having been previously located in the Ridgewood Shopping Center.  Quail Ridge is a Raleigh staple, and is well loved for good reason, with it's large selection of books, friendly staff, and inviting atmosphere.  We at UPstudio couldn't be more thrilled or proud to be a part of the family of products that they carry.  Quail Ridge is dedicated to serving the local community, and we have seen the absolute truth in that in working with their staff the past year.

Quail Ridge Books has a full event calendar, and we are excited to announce that UPstudio will host an event in-store on Sunday, September 17th from 2-4pm.  2018 Planners will be available for purchase and we will be there to present examples of different ways that the planner can be used in order to suit your lifestyle.  Did we mention that we'll also have wine and snacks?  Whether you're browsing for books or want to start 2018 off more organized than ever, we hope to see you there!

Planning a Planner v2018, Part V August 24, 2017 05:00

This week is the last installment of the Planning a Planner v2018 blog series. We saved our favorite reveal for last. But first, a quick recap on the last four weeks:

Planning a Planner v2018, Part I: We shared that we are adding 6 more graph pages and that we are shifting the page numbers closer to the edge of the page so that it makes the bottom four lines easier to utilize.

Planning a Planner v2018, Part II: We revealed the new future planning tool we've added at the end of the year preceding the graph pages to keep track of your dentist appointment 6 months into 2019. A sample of the layout was included in the post.

Planning a Planner v2018, Part III: In 2018 the folders will be slightly upgraded: fabric sides for a higher quality feel, and the front folder was adjusted slightly to make it easier to access and more versatile.

Planning a Planner v2018, Part IV: The monthly layouts in 2018 will have a Monday-Sunday layout to be consistent with the weekly layouts. This is the change we contemplated and vetted the most. We hope you welcome the change and are excited to give it a try.

What did we save for last? 

There will be two cover color options in 2018! There will be a limited quantity of satchel colored planners available. You might recall that we did a poll on the blog a while back regarding color options. Based on those that voted on the blog, satchel won by a long shot, however we had many that reached out to us specifically about red. Originally we were very torn. In the end we felt that the satchel held more true to the foundation of our brand: versatility. 

In the coming years we hope to add more variations. Maybe more colors, or an academic version, maybe different sizes, we'll let you all lead us. We are excited to see what the future holds. 

We are super excited about the satchel addition and hope you are too!

Here are some behind the scenes photos taken by our printer while planners were in production:

Planning a Planner v2018, Part IV August 17, 2017 05:00 2 Comments

In the Planning a Planner v2018 series thusfar, we've filled you in on some of the smaller (but still important!) changes that we made to the 2018 UPstudio Planner, like the graph page updates, future planning improvements, and sturdier pockets with nicer finishing (I personally am so excited about the changes to the front pocket!)  Each week we get a little more in depth, and there are only 2 weeks to go of reveals.  Today, we are sharing a big deal change.. and we hope you love it.  

When we first created the 2016 UPstudio Planner, we knew that we wanted to include both week layouts and month layouts for use.  We also knew that having small month calendars as reference on the week layouts would be helpful - and those small month calendars ended up going everywhere.  We didn't think twice about including a traditional calendar initially, because that was what we were used to - and why change that?  When looking at the week layout however, it was clear that a Monday - Sunday layout was preferable in order to group the week in a more practical way, with weekend days lumped together.  Even before the launch of the 2016 Planner, we instilled the help of a focus group with a smaller test-planner in order to get opinions from different users.  All focus group users agreed that this was a good layout despite the unconventional Monday start.

The lack of consistency in the Sunday - Monday organization on the month layout vs the Monday - Sunday organization on the weekly layout started to really get to us with the 2017 Planner.  And, we weren't alone.  We've had multiple people with strong opinions request that the month layouts change to a Monday start.  You guys.  We debated this SO. MUCH.  But, we took some polls, did some research, asked some questions, and are officially taking the leap.  All calendars in the 2018 Planner will start on Monday!  Nice, fresh, 100% consistent calendars.  

I can almost hear some of the squeals of delight now, but also some groans of disappointment.  If you're in the latter half, hear us out on why we think this is the right decision, and a really good change.  First of all, we would never make a change that we think would not be welcome by users.  Remember that versatility is one of our top priorities with all products, and this is no exception.  We also listen to each and every comment and suggestion made by users.  The request for a Monday start was initiated by many planner purchasers.  When we asked for feedback about this, only a few weren't jumping for joy at the thought of the change, but most were still open to trying the revised layout.  

Additionally, consistency within the planner was important.  When going from the month view to the week view, the weeks would not line up, which could cause confusion.  We don't want confusion.  The counter-argument here is that most other calendars still start on Sunday.  This is true, and for printed calendars, it's something we cannot change.  But, we felt that the consistency within one product was more important than the consistency in what users might be referencing outside of the UPstudio Planner.  Here's some good news:  we researched, tested and confirmed that the most popular digital calendars can have settings adjusted to start on Monday (Google, iCalendar, Outlook). 

Finally, as we mentioned above, the weekly layout practically begged for a Monday start just due to the practicality of how most people think of their week - lumped together as a work / school week Monday - Friday, and the weekend Friday - Sunday.  It only makes sense to want to be able to look at the month in the same way, with weekends together.

We've said it before (in this post even!) and we'll say it again now: we welcome your feedback.  So tell us what you think!  Do you love a Monday start for both weeks and months?  Hate it?  Excited to try it?  Won't ever buy a planner that starts on Monday for the months?  We want to hear it!

Planning a Planner v2018, Part III August 10, 2017 05:00

Becky and I kicked-off our planning for the 2018 UPstudio Planner by first sitting down to review all of our own personal feedback from using the 2017 UPstudio Planner. We generated a list of goals from that meeting. The next step was going back through all of the feedback we had received over the past year. We read all blog post comments, social media comments, texts, e-mails, etc. We took time to consider each comment. We then added all of these items to our initial list of improvement ideas. We reviewed our list and prioritized which items we wanted to tackle in 2018 and which ones we felt were a bit riskier or a financial stretch that we would aim for in 2019. 

Planning a Planner v2018, Part I: We shared improvements on our list regarding the graph pages.

Planning a Planner v2018, Part II: We revealed the new 4 page layout dedicated to future planning for the upcoming year.

Today, we're going to share some upgrades to the folders in the 2018 UPstudio Planner.  

The two items that came from our master list were:

1. The front folder needed to be a bit more versatile and easier to access.
2. We wanted to upgrade the folders to look more finished and polished.

Regarding item 1, we decided to have the front folder be more similar to the back folder, the difference being that we still wanted to access it from the top.

The 2018 UPstudio Planner sample we received confirmed that we liked this change. We think the folder will be much easier to use and will be more durable.

We spoke at length about how we wanted to tackle Item 2. We looked at other planners we've used in the past to determine the differences between our folders and theirs. Was it the type of paper that made the difference? Was it the paper finish? After lengthy conversations we felt that:

1. The front folder didn't feel finished because it was a single paper thickness and a rough edge. We wanted the edge to be similar to that of the back folder where it folds over. This way the edge wouldn't be as rugged and the edge would also be double the thickness. So the modification we made for versatility and durability killed two birds with one stone.
2. We also found that the bulk of other planners on the market have fabric sides to their folders. This simple difference we felt made the folders seem of higher quality. So we asked our printer if this was an option, and they said yes. Even better, it was a minimal increase in price!

 Join us next week for Planning a Planner v2018, Part IV!

Planning a Planner v2018, Part II August 3, 2017 05:00

Last week in our first installment of the Planning a Planner v2018 series, we discussed one of the updates you can expect to see in the 2018 UPstudio Planner - some improvements to the graph pages at the end of the planner.  Today, we're going to share another upgrade to the interior pages, and this one comes directly from comments from users.  We say it all the time, and it really is true: we want this to be the best planner for all users, and we give consideration to every single comment that we receive.  

The change we are revealing today deals with the planning months for 2019.  In the current 2017 planner, the month layout for January 2018 is included.  We initially thought this was sufficient, but have found through personal use and user suggestions that it could be improved on.  Instead of having the single month of January, we are including all 12 months of the following year in a functional layout to note upcoming appointments or events that need to be recorded.  (Dentist appointments scheduled 6 months in advance: we're looking at you.)

You guys would NOT believe how much thought we put in to this, but believe me when I say there were a ton of iterations and back and forth between MB and me to get this JUST right where we felt confident in it's usefulness, simplicity, and design.  We're still including the overview of 2019 with the mini months and holidays consolidated together, so there is nothing lost, and hopefully some valuable gain with this improvement.

Planning a Planner v2018, Part I July 27, 2017 05:00

Each year since the inaugural UPstudio Planner we've done a series on the blog entitled Planning a Planner where we share our design process and give a little more detail regarding improvements you should expect in the soon to be released UPstudio Planner. It is time to kick off Planning a Planner v2018! 

In our first series in 2015, Planning a Planner, we spoke to how UPstudio was founded and the hardships of creating something out of nothing, the 2016 UPstudio Planner. The bulk of the decisions we made were based on personal preferences, our experiences with previous planners, and a focus group we had try out a sample. 

In 2016, Planning a Planner v2017, we had a great inaugural product to start with that we just wanted to make better. We focused on making the planner more physically durable and making some tweaks to the layout to take usage to the next level.

We made a huge change last year by switching to a smyth sewn binding, and we feel it was a risk that paid off.  We have been very happy with the durability and appearance of the 2017 UPstudio Planner. So, for the 2018 UPstudio Planner we focused on minor layout tweaks to further improve the versatility and we made a few upgrades that we'll share about over the next few weeks. 

With tripling our sales this year, we also tripled our potential feedback. We are fortunate to have many passionate buyers that are willing to share their thoughts and ideas. We had candid conversations, received e-mails and blog post comments, and we appreciate them all. We carefully considered every recommendation. 

We just had a sample printed to test out all the tweaks and upgrades, so we are now prepared to share with you in confidence the improvements we decided to go with. 

This week we are starting with a bit of a tease, two small tweaks:

1. We added 6 more graph pages so that in 2018 we will have a total of 60. The 2017 UPstudio Planner was the first year where all of the graph pages were grouped at the back of the planner, which means we have all only used our planners a little over half the year, so it is hard to tell if we will need more graph paper or not. We thought we'd add a few and then poll you all again come the end of the year and see just how many you might want. 

2. When using the graph pages in the back we kept finding ourselves not using the bottom 4 lines, especially on the left-hand page because we would run into the page number. So for the 2018 layout we shifted the page numbers out slightly to eliminate the wasted space. Our sample confirmed that this shift doesn't make the page numbers at risk to be cropped off when the corners are rounded.

More behind the scenes on the 2018 UPstudio Planner next week on Planning a Planner v2018, Part II.

Selling Out (In a Good Way) June 22, 2017 05:00

One of the many decisions necessary to run a business is choosing the right quantity of a product to be made that can then be sold to the public.  Each product is different, even if it may fall in the same general category as another product.  For each one, we do our best to look at trends and do market research before settling on a hard number to go forward with.  Quantity is a bigger decision for a small company, because we inherently have less money to gamble with, so every decision has to be smart.  Sometimes, a product doesn't perform as well as we'd like it to, and we have to cut our losses, but our gain always comes in the lessons learned.  

Because we offer seasonal and time sensitive products, these come with an even greater risk.  Our main product (if you're new around here) is a year-long planner.  Planner season typically runs from November through February, although sales are also consistent in other months at smaller quantities.  Stores want to make planner purchases at the end of summer, so to stay in the game, we have to have our product ready to go to print by the beginning of summer at the latest.  

We learned some of this the hard way - for instance, we didn't have the 2016 Planners in hand until mid-November, and that was a HUGE disadvantage, because we had nothing to market with.  The printing process took for-ev-er and we ran into some unexpected set backs in production.  We ordered what we knew was a number that would likely be higher than we would be able to sell, even if we had gotten them earlier.  We were right, but we were also able to use some of those unsold planners to help market for the next year.  Enter the 2017 Planner.  We have grown leaps and bounds from 2016 to 2017 and that is evident in our sales.  Sales have more than tripled in just a year, and we're surprised to see that orders keep rolling in, even almost halfway through the year!

This is the part of the post where we get real with our feelings.  WE WANT TO SELL OUT OF THESE PLANNERS!  If you love your 2017 Planner, tell a friend, because the price is also super low.  We have 49 of these babies ready to be shipped out all over the country (or out of the country if you're willing to pay shipping!)  After that, they are gone, and just in time for the 2018 Planner which is well on it's way!

And while we're on the subject of the 2018 Planner... we're ordering even more of those, with the goal of selling out again.  We never could have learned and grown as we have without your support, and we can't thank you enough.  Now do us a solid and help us get these last planners out the door!

Tutorial: How to Add a Pen Holder to Your Planner in One Simple Step June 1, 2017 05:00

Do you love your 2017 UPstudio Planner, but wish there was a way to attach a pen or pencil to it easily?  I'm right there with you.  One of the hardest things for me personally to let go of from the 2016 Planner with a spiral binding (where you could clip a pen right on the spiral) to the hardcover book bound 2017 Planner was the lack of ease of attaching my pen.  All of that changes with this simple trick, and the best part is that it's built in to your planner already!  Use the elastic just a bit differently, and your pen can easily travel with you wherever you go:

A word of warning - after doing this a few times, the elastic will stretch out, so make sure you're cool with closing your planner this way for the rest of the year if you want to make the switch!

PLANNER FLASH SALE! May 25, 2017 03:00

This year has flown by! Can't believe Memorial Day is this weekend and June is right around the corner.

We hope you have a great holiday weekend as we all take the time to remember and appreciate all of the men and women who have sacrificed their lives and for those who bravely fight today for our country. 

To sweeten the holiday fun, starting today and continuing through Monday May 29th at midnight (EDT) you can purchase a 2017 UPstudio Planner for just $10! What a steal! For an even better deal you can purchase a planner with a minor imperfection here for only $5. No coupon code necessary.

More than half off with more than half of the year remaining! 

We don't have very many planners left, so purchase one while you still can!

2018 UPstudio Planner - Monthly Layout Feedback April 27, 2017 05:00 3 Comments

We really appreciate you all taking the time to share your thoughts and vote on your favorite potential UPstudio Planner cover color options.

We compiled the votes from the poll and all of our social media platforms:

• First Place: Gray
• Second Place: Red (only a few votes shy of first)
• A Close Third: Satchel
• A Far Last: Black

Our thoughts on the results:

1. They affirm that we made the right decision to go with gray for 2017!
2. We were hesitant to put black in our top four because we are fearful of a few things on that front, but we wanted it there to see how men specifically felt about black, the ultimate neutral color. We are happy to see it came in dead last.
3. We thought red would be a run away, but we are happy to see satchel could hang in the crowd.

We are still working through the cost implications of offering two colors for 2018 but we are very hopeful this is an area we can grow this year. We will keep you all posted on the progress. 

In regards to the layout of the 2018 UPstudio Planner we are currently only entertaining what we view as one large modification. We have had some users reach out to us specifically requesting the month layouts to start on Monday to be consistent with the week layouts.

This would affect the month layouts that proceed the week layouts and it would also affect all of the mini month layouts found on various pages including the goal sheet, month layout, and weekly layout. 

We would love to hear your opinion. We've included a sample of our current month layout along side an altered layout below to help you visualize what we are considering.

Do you feel strongly one way or the other? Are you neutral on the topic? How much do you utilize the month layout? Would you like that the months now align with the weekly layout?

2018 Planner - Your Last Chance for Feedback April 20, 2017 05:00 1 Comment

We love hearing what you think about the UPstudio Planner.  The good, the bad, the ugly, we want to hear it all!  Your thoughts and opinions about how to make the planner better are one of the best ways that we can grow, so we welcome any and all feedback.  That being said, we're busily working on the 2018 version, and it will go to print shortly.  Here's your final warning to tell us everything!  Do you love it?  Do you hate it?  Do you wish it came in an academic calendar version?  

We honestly take every opinion into consideration before making final decisions, so don't miss out on your chance for your voice to be heard.  Don't forget to vote on another possible cover color option too!

2017 UPstudio Planner Feedback March 23, 2017 05:00

We are almost three months into 2017. Which means three months into our 2017 UPstudio Planner. How is it going so far for you? 

We feel like the 2017 version is leaps and bounds above the inaugural UPstudio Planner in 2016 however there is still and will always be room for improvement. Believe it or not, we are already working on the 2018 version, discussing between the two of us and soliciting input from others regarding where we should target our growth for 2018. Taking note of items that need to be tweaked, things that need to be completely reworked, and potential new options we want to explore.

We appreciate your reviews and e-mails regarding areas of improvement and directions you would like to see the UPstudio Planner take. Please keep them coming! We also encourage you to share your comments on this blog post as well by clicking here and scrolling to the bottom. 

Here is a recently published youtube review by Tara from Earn Spend Live to help get the gears turning:

If you are viewing this post via our e-mail subscription, click here to check out the video.

Some additional questions to help spur conversation:

• Do you like that the week layouts start on Monday, or would you prefer a Sunday start?
• Currently the monthly layout week runs Sunday through Saturday. Many have shared that they don't like the inconsistency between the month layout and the weekly Monday start. Do you agree? 
• Would you like an academic calendar option?
• Is the overall planner the right size for you, would you like different sizes?
• Would you like a thinner only monthly version with graph paper at the end?
• Do you think you'll have enough graph paper for the year? 
• Would you like a different color cover? If so, what color? Red? Satchel/Tan?
• Do you find that you use the subtly ticks we added for the times? If you don't, do you find they are distracting from how you use the top large section?
• Do you think three subdivided sections is the right amount? Do you want more or less?
• Do you like the quality and thickness of the paper? Do you have any bleed through issues?
• Do you like the folders? We personally feel like they need to be more durable, do you agree?
• Do you use the page markers? Is two the right amount?
• Do you think any of the spacing needs to be adjusted? Areas with too much or too little space?
• Did you find any errors? 

We look forward to hearing your thoughts however you feel comfortable sharing them with us!

2017 UPstudio Planners on Sale! February 23, 2017 05:00

Have you been holding off on getting your 2017 UPstudio Planner?  Well the wait is over, because all planners are on sale!  The already competitive prices have dropped 25% which means that the 2017 Planner is now just $30 and the 2017 Scratch and Dent Planner is only $15!  With 10+ months left in the year, these prices are a steal.  Head on over to the store and get one (or two or three!) today!

Don't just take our word for it, check out this great review of the 2017 UPstudio Planner (for more reviews, click here):

Where in the World is the UPstudio Planner February 9, 2017 05:00

The 2017 UPstudio Planner is only sold in stores in North Carolina (for now anyway!) but this little gem called the internet makes it possible to get one from literally anywhere in the world. It's pretty amazing.  We took a look at the reach of the 2017 Planner, and thought it would be fun to share with you guys.  Who doesn't love a good map and graph? 

These maps show the states and countries where UPstudio planners now call home.  The first map is of the United States, and the second map shows our lone international traveller - all the way in Estonia!  (Shipping prices get a little steep outside of the continental US, but we're willing to ship anywhere!  Send us a message if you want more details.)

If you're wondering, that's 29 of the 50 states - and yep, you're reading that right, there's an UPstudio Planner in Hawaii (aloha!)

The official language of Estonia is Estonian, however English is one of the most popular foreign languages to learn in the country, so the UPstudio Planner is still right at home overseas.

These next graphs show the distribution of quantities sold throughout the different states and countries. No surprise, the most planners have sold in North Carolina, but we were interested to see that the next most popular state placing orders is Texas.

Did your state make the map?  We would love to see all 50 states and even more countries represented for the 2018 Planner!

(It's not too late to order your 2017 Planner or scratch and dent Planner!)

**US Map created with United States of America with States - Outline by FreeVectorMaps.com

2017 UPstudio Planner : Scratch and Dent Sale February 2, 2017 05:00

Some of the 2017 UPstudio Planners arrived with some imperfections. All of these flaws are aesthetic and do not render the planner unusable in any way. Snag one of these imperfect planners for $20 while supplies last! Benefit from our printing/delivery/storage issues with this great deal! 

Examples include but are not limited to:

• Minor scratches on cover
• Slightly bent cover corner
• Binding adhesive remnants on cover
• Over or under zealous with the deboss stamp
• Corners of pages not cropped perfectly
• Small marks on edge of pages

Imperfections vary, we can not guarantee which you will receive.

(PS... if you've got a coupon code lying around, you can combine that with this amazing deal!)

The Best Planner for Making Lists January 26, 2017 05:00

This blog post is a part of the series "The Best Planner for..." which provides suggestions for ways in which you can use the UPstudio Planner.  Each post in this series will focus on a different way to utilize the planner layout. The UPstudio Planner is designed for versatility, and is suited for many uses and not limited to the featured suggestions.  Show us how you use your planner by sending us an email at hello@upstudionc.com, or tagging us on social media (all handles can be found on our website).

Lists: they make us feel organized, productive, and efficient. They can reduce anxiety when tasks get overwhelming or start to feel out of control, and can help to improve your focus to accomplish those tasks. Lists can help to organize thoughts, and are a helpful part of many people's daily lives. 

The UPstudio Planner is stocked from start to finish with a variety of areas to make lists of all different kinds. Lists can be made on the weekly layout in each daily section as well as in the graph area below, on the blank space of the monthly layout, on the blank space or graph space of the goals layout, or on the graph sheets in the back of the Planner.

If you're in to making lists, this is the planner for you.

To-do lists, birthday and anniversaries, books to read, movies to watch, restaurants to try - the possibilities are endless. Make a list and cross some things off, the progress will make you want to make another one! 

Out with the Old, In with the New! December 29, 2016 05:30

This week is the first week included in the 2017 UPstudio Planner. Ever since the new planners arrived I've been itching to start using one. With all of the new features, I just couldn't wait to dig in and get my year started off right. I've definitely felt the giddiness this week (I know, such a loser, but you get me... hopefully), but I've also felt a little sadness. It is bittersweet as I see my 2016 UPstudio Planner on my desk, it symbolizes so much growth for us at UPstudio. It is what started it all! 

But the giddiness is definitely winning! I've been finding every excuse I can to write something down!

We at UPstudio hope you had a very Merry Christmas filled with joy! 

If by chance your Christmas was also filled with Amazon or Etsy gift cards, and you've been contemplating a new 2017 UPstudio Planner, you're in luck. You can purchase one on both Amazon and Etsy!

Happy Planning Everyone! And Happy New Year!

(Use code 'MERRY' at checkout on our website to get 15% off your order today!)

The Best Planner for Surviving the Holiday Rush December 22, 2016 05:00

This blog post is a part of the series "The Best Planner for..." which provides suggestions for ways in which you can use the UPstudio Planner.  Each post in this series will focus on a different way to utilize the planner layout. The UPstudio Planner is designed for versatility, and is suited for many uses and not limited to the featured suggestions.  Show us how you use your planner by sending us an email at hello@upstudionc.com, or tagging us on social media (all handles can be found on our website).

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!  For many, it's also the busiest, and the most stressful.  Having the right planner to help you navigate through parties, family gatherings, time spent with friends, and coordinating gift exchanges can help you make it through the holiday season a bit easier.

The UPstudio Planner can serve as your dashboard to keep track of your own, your significant other's and your kids' schedules.  In this example, the month layout serves as the 5,000 foot level view of festivities.  Having a visual of what is coming over the course of the month makes me feel that much more organized, and that way nothing can sneak up on me.  (Don't forget to include December birthdays!  Too often these are lost in the hustle of the season.)

The week layout shows more detailed information about parties, what needs to be prepared for each one, when to give gifts (this is especially tricky with coworkers and kid's teachers as everyone is out on vacation at different times), etc.  It also includes a to-do list of things that make my own Christmas season feel more complete... there are those Christmas cookies that I just HAVE to bake, movies that HAVE to be watched, or else it just doesn't feel quite right.

The goals sheet for December or graph pages at the back are a great place to keep track of gifts to give, and what has been purchased.  I like to keep a running list throughout the year of ideas for people - that way when it comes time to shop for Christmas presents, I'm not starting from scratch.  (Note: this sheet is not pictured because it's before Christmas and it will spoil gifts for family that reads these posts!  Hi, Mom!)

Right after Christmas, New Year's Eve parties are in full swing, and there is still plenty to prepare for, gatherings and side dishes and binge eating before your New Year's diet kicks in (tell me I'm wrong).  The UPstudio Planner can help you get and stay organized as we round out 2016 and get started in the New Year.  Make sure to order your 2017 Planner today!

Even though Christmas and the entire holiday season can be hectic, we do hope that you'll make the effort to slow down, enjoy time with family and friends, count your blessings, and remember the true meaning of the holiday.  We at UPstudio wish you a very Merry Christmas!

The Best Planner for Multitaskers December 8, 2016 05:00

This blog post is a part of the series "The Best Planner for..." which provides suggestions for ways in which you can use the UPstudio Planner.  Each post in this series will focus on a different way to utilize the planner layout. The UPstudio Planner is designed for versatility, and is suited for many uses and not limited to the featured suggestions.  Show us how you use your planner by sending us an email at hello@upstudionc.com, or tagging us on social media (all handles can be found on our website).

Who here can honestly say they aren't a multitasker?  I generally have about a thousand things going on at once between work, family, personal projects, friends, side job, community involvements, etc.  Without a way to keep things straight, I would probably lose my mind.  I know I'm not alone out there in needing a way to keep track of individual commitments and tasks. The UPstudio Planner works great for me, but today we're going to look at how another multitasker uses hers.

Lindsay is a 20 something year old professional engineer.  She works an 8 - 5 day job, has a boyfriend, is close with her family and sees them regularly, volunteers with ACE Mentoring on a weekly basis, is treasurer for SEA (a professional engineering organization), works out consistently, is the social chair for the Triangle Chapter of the Virginia Tech Alumni, and runs a flower arranging business on the side.  Yeah, I'd say she's a little busy.

She uses the UPstudio Planner to manage the different things she needs to handle on a daily basis.  She uses the top portion of the weekly layout to organize her meetings, appointments, or time sensitive tasks.  The bottom sections are divided up as "Friends and Family", "VT Alumni", and "ACE Mentor" because in this particular week, these were the 3 things she needed to focus on.  The graph paper at the bottom includes notes about what flowers need to be ordered for her company holiday party.

On other weeks, her categories were different.  This is one of the major perks of the UPstudio Planner: as your needs change, your planner can easily adapt.  When weddings that she was providing flowers for were coming up, one category would be devoted to flowers.  When she was studying for her PE, another category broke down specific sections of study (spoiler alert: she passed!)  

We love seeing how other people use their UPstudio Planners and what works for them.  Thanks, Lindsay, for sharing yours with us!  

Now for fun (and because they're beautiful), we'll share some images of her floral arrangements with you:

The Best Planner for Moms (and Dads!) November 24, 2016 05:00

This blog post is a part of the series "The Best Planner for..." which provides suggestions for ways in which you can use the UPstudio Planner.  Each post in this series will focus on a different way to utilize the planner layout. The UPstudio Planner is designed for versatility, and is suited for many uses and not limited to the featured suggestions.  Show us how you use your planner by sending us an email at hello@upstudionc.com, or tagging us on social media (all handles can be found on our website).

Mom brain is a real thing.  So is Dad brain.  If you have kids, then you know what I'm talking about.  My husband likes to describe his Dad brain as functioning at the same level as our kids - a 3 year old and a 7 month old.  Because we hold a lot of conversations with a baby and a preschooler, our own minds naturally tend to think in a way that they can understand things.  Also, there's that whole lack of sleep thing... it's just a fact of life that having kids = less sleep, no matter what age they are.  You have to keep going and functioning, sometimes on little to no sleep, and sometimes your brain just can't handle keeping up with the plethora of information it needs to after hearing "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy" a thousand times a day - hence, Mom or Dad brain.

Having the right planner can be a lifesaver when you're juggling a lot of things and need to keep them straight (aka not forget when picture day is and accidentally let your kids wear pajamas to school).  In my daily life I manage: the responsibilities and schedule of my day job, the responsibilities and schedule of my side job (UPstudio), my husband's schedule, my 2 daughters schedules, keeping a relatively put together house, and keeping us all fed - including our 2 dogs (working with my husband on all of these things).  That's a lot to keep track of.

The UPstudio Planner is perfect for me to manage my family and my jobs.  The flexibility is essential, because the items I need to highlight the most change from week to week.  With the UPstudio Planner, the weekly layout allows for me to use the top section as a schedule for my appointments and meetings (although it's just as easy to use this section as a daily to-do list, etc), and the middle sections can vary based on what's going on that week.  My 3-year-old has a theme at school every month, and each day she brings in something to school, or we talk about a particular item or idea that relates to that theme.  In the example below, I'm able to see what she has planned for each day so I can prepare it the night before.  My 7-month-old is branching out in what foods she is eating, and I can easily track what she has each day.  If she has any allergic reactions, I can look to see what might have been the cause.  I can also take notes on what foods she likes and what she didn't like.  The remaining row in the middle section of the layout was used in this example to plan meals for the week.  It's amazing what a difference it makes when I come home with a meal that is already planned instead of blankly staring into the fridge for 10 minutes before cooking a frozen pizza (for more on this, check out The Best Planner for Meal Planning).

The bottom section in this example is shown as a to-do list.  I also like to use this space to write down funny things that my 3-year-old says: "Would you like a brownie? They're really brown!"

The best part is that the next week I can change this up completely or leave it exactly the same.  It's truly the most versatile layout you can use, and if there's one thing I've learned as a parent, it's that things are constantly changing, so having a planner that can adapt to my needs is crucial.  I foresee this layout being extremely useful as more after-school activities are added to our schedules as my daughters grow up as well.

The graph pages of the UPstudio Planner can also double as a coloring book (at home, at the DMV, in the car, etc) - mom tested, kid approved (and no bleed through!)

The Best Planner for Tracking your Health November 10, 2016 05:00

This blog post is a part of the series "The Best Planner for..." which provides suggestions for ways in which you can use the UPstudio Planner.  Each post in this series will focus on a different way to utilize the planner layout. The UPstudio Planner is designed for versatility, and is suited for many uses and not limited to the featured suggestions.  Show us how you use your planner by sending us an email at hello@upstudionc.com, or tagging us on social media (all handles can be found on our website).

It's all downhill after Halloween - in regards to my eating habits at the end of the year that is.  Even before Halloween is here, that bowl of candy waiting for Trick-or-Treaters is too inviting to pass up, and then there's the leftover candy... Someone's gotta take care of it, right?  The weather is cooler, which means it's acceptable to start wearing bulkier clothes, and of course there's no explanation required for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  There is food everywhere, and we're not talking veggie trays.  With all of the tempting goodies, I need a way to plan and track my health, and hold myself accountable so I don't go too far off the deep end.  

We've already discussed the Best Planner for Meal Planning, and staying healthy through choosing wholesome meals.  In addition to that, the UPstudio planner is the perfect way to keep everything in check and track basic aspects of my health.  Some might believe that there are better ways to track health, in wearable devices or even through your phone, but I would argue that keeping track in a planner (perhaps in tandem with use of a fitness tracker) is the best way for a few reasons:

• You can actually make a plan, instead of just tracking, and then compare what you did to what your plan was.
• While a fitness tracker is great for some things, there is more to health than just how many steps you take in a day.  Writing everything down in a planner then allows you to visualize each aspect together - including exercise, water consumed, meals, sleep, etc.  Think of it as a dashboard for your whole health.
• Your health plan can be side by side with your daily schedule, therefore it's easier to schedule realistic goals and not feel discouraged by not completing a lofty task.
• Writing things down keeps you accountable to yourself.

The UPstudio Planner is suited to address all of these and more with its versatile layout.  The monthly goals sheet can address long term goals - losing weight, trying new recipes, even posting a photo or your beginning of the month stats to compare from month to month.

The monthly layout can be used in a variety of ways.  Suggested here is showing which days you exercised with a key - a great way to visualize how you did at the end of the month.

The weekly layout shown below is just one example of a way to both plan and track your health.  For this, I used the information logged on my iPhone and transferred it into my planner to see it at a glance, paired with my daily water intake, exercise goals and achievements, hours of sleep, and meals.  Because I could see everything in a 'dashboard' style, it was easy to see how things related:  I was working on 2 big deadlines last week and my meals suffered because of it.. when I ran errands, I walked a considerable amount more than just walking around the office.. and when you have kids you just really never get enough sleep.  A harsh reality. 

We challenge you to use the UPstudio Planner and test it our for yourself based on your own health needs!