With Father’s Day fast approaching on Sunday, June 21st, the thought of Father’s Day gifts is fresh in most of our heads.  For me dads are so much harder to shop for so I’ve done a lot of research and found some great gifts for the number one guy in your life, Dad!

1. Personalized Jewelry (Necklaces, Key Chains, Wallet Clips)
SHINElife

SHINElife is my go to for gifts now-a-days. Hilary, the owner, has a brand that all will love. My personal favorite for the daddies out there is the Silver Daddy Name Necklace/Bar Necklace. You can personalize this necklace for dad. It’s the perfect gift for the dads that love jewelry. And while you’re ordering she has an adorable personalized “Call Me Daddy” shirt that’s perfect for the finishing touch on Dad’s gift. 

2. Watches, Ties, Cologne and so much more
Nordstrom

Nordstrom is my life saver! First off, let’s just say gifts from Nordstrom are great for the dad that likes to be stylish or is a “business” dad. From colognes, watches, wallets, ties, coffee mugs, polos, and shoes (oh and so much more) with prices ranging from under $50. You’re definitely going to find a great gift for the dads in your life! You could just grab a few miscellaneous items like ties, a watch and a grooming kit. For any dad you are going to find a great gift. 

3. Etsy.com gifts! T-shirts, wallets, coffee mugs, oh my! Here is a list of some great shops to shop at for Father’s Day gifts.

SwankyBadgerDesign - Personalized Men’s Leather Wallet $34.99 (LOVE!) Perfect for every dad and the gift means more when personalized.

LiveLoveTees - Dad t-shirts for $14.95 and Up! So cute and simple and something every dad can rock!

zoeysattic - I love this idea. Dad isn’t the only one getting a cool gift! The kids get to rock their matching shirts with dad! (I don’t know about you but I love matching my kids and now I get to match my husband too!!) I thought Zoey's Attic had some adorable and affordable matching daddy tees. 

rosebudchocolates - I don’t know about you but my dad loves chocolates!  (Bonus- I always get offered some too.) Rosebud has amazing mouth watering chocolates with a twist, an Oreo twist that is. They have so many options for what you can put on the chocolates for decorating to personalize it a little bit more!

LoveInTheCityShop - Coffee mugs for the dads and papas that drink coffee or tea. I love mugs! I love funny mugs, and I love meaningful mugs. You can’t have enough mugs! I like Love in the City because they are COLORFUL and CUTE! Every dad is a superhero too!

4. Photo Gifts
Photobarn

Oh how I adore the gift of a photo for any occasion. I don’t think that anyone can have enough canvases or frames. Photos are memories that we can cherish forever.  Photobarn has great products that fit every dad’s style.  My personal favorite is the $5 photocubes & photoblocks.

These cubes/blocks are just the right size to keep in Dad’s office or work space, or to take along if Dad travels or even to leave on the coffee table or shelves for great decor. My second favorite would be the photoboards. I love the style. The texture of the photos look great and can go anywhere you want to hang them, they spice up any wall. This is a must have gift for dads or grandpas too!

5. Omaha Steaks

Can we say mouth watering?! For the grill master this is the gift! Omaha Steaks offers such a variety of packages and some include full meals! From filets to desserts Omaha has it and at the price you want. Dad will be drooling over this gift. 

6. DIY Father’s Day Gift Basket

I love this DIY idea! Any basket can be customized to your dad’s style! One idea I saw was from A Girl in Paradise blog.  

I loved her idea with the spices and the utensils and the burger stuffer. A few other ideas would be a “FORE The Worlds Best Dad" golf bucket - fill it with golf balls, a new glove, tees, Gatorade or Beer (depending on his preference), peanut mix, beef jerky, gum, and his favorite candy. A "Sweets Basket" full of his favorite sweets is another basket idea and maybe put a gift card in for the movie theater.  For a new dad I love the “New Daddy Toolbox,” with all the supplies you need in one handy basket/toolbox/bucket (your preference).  Some things you could put in it are Advil/Tylenol (for adults and kids), pacifiers, wipes (boogie wipe and regular), baby toy, a bib that has something about daddy on it or a onesie, diaper cream, hand sanitizer, and diapers. Then there is the funny stuff… goggles, thongs, and clothes pins (hahaha, I did a mask instead for my basket). The last basket I thought of is for the “Sports Loving Dad.” Find a bucket with the team on it or general sports bucket, get Slim Jims, sunflower seeds, his favorite team's hat and shirt, Gatorade or beer, a ball (if he loves baseball get a baseball, football a football, etc), a koozie, sunscreen, and to top it off his favorite chips.

This list should get you started for Father's Day shopping. I’m sure you will be able to pick out the best fit for your dad, grandpa, husband or dad to be. (Don’t forget about uncles and godfathers!) Happy Father’s Day to all the daddies and dads to be! Dads truly are superheroes!

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This blog post was written by Jamie Lee for the Limelife Planners Media & Creative Team. For more information about Jamie visit her website at Reveal Photography. Please share and repost this blog entry with your friends! All we ask is that you give credit to Limelife Planners and the post author.

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I realize the mere mention of menu planning can really put a damper in your day but it doesn't have to. I am probably the odd bird here but I love to menu plan and wait for it...wait for it...I love to grocery shop! Say what!? Yes I do love to grocery shop and I even menu plan and grocery shop for my grown daughter. Just one of the many mom services I offer at no charge.

I plan at least two weeks of meals at a time and sometimes I will even do a month. Of course I have the trusty arsenal of rotating meals but I do try to throw in a new recipe here and there. I have a Pinterest board full of recipes to inspire me. I am a "throw this in and throw that in" kind of gal and it just works. I think part of being a good cook is that I actually enjoy cooking (I told you I was an odd bird).

I feel with my planner at hand menu planning can be painless. With the Menu Planning Add-On Pages* it is even more organized. One of the ways to help with time is that when I am planning I organize my shopping list based on the flow of the grocery store I am going to. Since I shop at the same store every time this is pretty easy to do. If you don't organize by the flow of the grocery store just organize in categories such as "deli," "meat," etc. Utilize a cute paperclip or binder clip to attach your coupons for that shopping trip in your planner and then they will be readily available at checkout. At our store we utilize a lot of digital coupons which is nice so we can clip ahead of time and then if it is a really good deal on something I will buy it for stock items or future meals.

I also browse the online sale ads for my store during my planning phase and base my menu selection according to what is on sale. While I am at the store they sometimes are running specials on family packs of chicken etc so even if I do not need these items I will purchase if the price is right and then the next few weeks of menu planning is based around what I have bought ahead. This will also help to save money in the next weeks as you plan your upcoming menus. I use a food saver since it is just the two of us and buying in family packs saves alot and I can portion the way I would utilize the item.

I also used to write the meals we are having each day in my weekly views when i didn't have the nice "Menu" add on section so that you can always go back months when you need menu ideas and use them again. Having a monthly white board is a good idea so that you can transfer your meals onto the board from your planner so that your  family can see what is for dinner saving you from hearing "Whats for dinner tonight?"

How do you make menu planning easier?

*Menu Planning Add-On pictured is the previous version.

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This blog post was written by Debbie Crowder for the Limelife Planners Media & Creative Team. For more information about Debbie visit her blog at www.craftinchaos.com. Please share and repost this blog entry with your friends! All we ask is that you give credit to Limelife Planners and the post author.

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After months of stalking Woodland Cottage Farm’s Instagram (@woodlandcottagefarm), I finally convinced myself to purchase a cover for my planner. Of course, waiting for its arrival almost killed me, not only because I was so excited but also because I was so nervous about how it would turn out. You see if you do not choose from the covers listed in the shop, then you have the option of designing a cover yourself. To get in contact with Beth or Tara, you can send them a message on Etsy with your idea. They can respond letting you know what fabric they already have in their shop or they may recommend that you search for a fabric you love at www.fabric.com. Warning: Make sure you choose quilting weight cottons!

My mission was to help create a cover that matched my Betsy planner perfectly.

Inside the shop Beth had the plain black and white horizontal striped fabric. Then, from fabric.com, I found The Riley Blake Sew Charming Designer Cloth Mint which she happened to already have as well, so it was perfect. 

Choosing your fabrics allows you to see your options which is nice but is also nerve-racking at the same time. What if your fabrics do not match? I took screenshots of both fabrics involved and viewed them side by side using the Pic Stitch App. Even with all that I grew more nervous by the day. It was the inside of the cover that worried me so much, because that is the only time you see the fabrics together.

Woodland Cottage Farm will provide you with a very detailed diagram so that you can let them know which fabrics you want where as far as for pockets and such. I think this brings both parties a feeling of assurance. I can’t tell you how many times I checked the notes section on my receipt to make sure I ordered horizontal lines!

Now that the much talked about cover has arrived, I must figure out how I’m going to use it besides using it to carry my planner! I thought about using it as a wallet and carrying my credit cards and license there, since I am always taking my planner to the grocery store with me anyway!

You can comfortably fit two cards in the top pocket. And sorry guys, I am a teacher and do not have enough bills to tell you how many “dollar” bills fit in the bottom one.

In the back, you can store store pens and even highlighters. In the actual pockets, there is plenty of room for stickers and thin rolls of washi! I think this will be the perfect home for my Limelife Planner. Where does your planner live?

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This blog post was written by Elliscia Axson-Hall for the Limelife Planners Media & Creative Team. For more information about Elliscia visit her on Instagram @elliscia_plans. Please share and repost this blog entry with your friends! All we ask is that you give credit to Limelife Planners and the post author.

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We love our planners.  We love that they keep us organized and on track.  We spend money buying products for our planners to personalize and decorate them.  I know I can’t be the only one that has a better week when my pages turn out beautiful!  Well what happens when the creative juices aren’t flowing or you have no inspiration for your pages?  I’m going to share with you my creative process.

I always start with one particular item that I KNOW I want to use., whether it’s a new washi roll, new stickers, or new page flags.  I start with that ONE item.  Then I draw inspiration from it.  For example, this week I found an adorable note pad & matching sticky notes from Target.  I knew I wanted to use it for my pages this week.  From there I knew my color theme would be kraft paper/gold and one other color.  I pulled out all my kraft paper colored washi, which included the teal with gold polka dot roll.  I decided then that my second color for my theme would be teal/turquoise, pulling that shade from the circles on my note pad & sticky notes.

Once you have your color theme picked out, start pulling out everything you see that matches.  Your embellishments, stickers, note pads, sticky notes, ink, page flags, etc.  This pulls your potential supplies for the week away from your entire stash.  This helps declutter your mind from all the colors in your collection.  I promise that will help you imagine what your pages will look like when you’re focusing on only a few things at one time.

When it comes to ink, I will either choose the exact color from my theme or a coordinating shade.  Ink can be a little difficult at times to match perfectly.  This week I had to choose between a turquoise or a light blue.  I have the Colorbox Paintbox ink as well, but the teal/turquoise in it is pretty close to my Versa Magic shade, so I didn’t pull it out.  I actually really liked the light blue ink with my pages, but the really light Versa Magic inks are a nightmare to film & photograph.  So the turquoise ink won.

Then once you have everything chosen, start your pages!  This week I tried something different with my pages.  I’m using my side column for weekly tracking.  My significant other and I have started going to the gym and trying to get healthy.  So I have more things to track and plan in my pages.  Moving those to the sidebar freed up some room on my day boxes.  Once I’m finished, I pick out the paper clips I want to use for the week & add them in.  Done! Do you follow a process when decorating your planner?

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This blog post was written by Emilee Adams for the Limelife Planners Media & Creative Team. For more information about Emilee visit her blog at www.emileespeaks.com. Please share and repost this blog entry with your friends! All we ask is that you give credit to Limelife Planners and the post author.

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Everyone loves printables, especially if they’re free! In this post, I’ll share with you my favorite places to get free printables for planning, scrapbooking, and art journaling. 

creaturecomfortsblog.com

Creature Comforts is a blog-style site with many great project ideas. Head over to the “Projects + Inspiration” tab and then down to the “Downloads + Printables” section. You’ll see beautiful (and free!) things like this stationery set that you can print at home. 

Photo copyright creaturecomfortsblog.com

justsomethingimade.com

Just Something I Made has tons of free printables! I see something new every time I go on that site. If you love everything vintage, this one is for you! There’s a bunch of things under both the “Freebies” and “Projects” tabs at the top of the page. Check out the vintage buttons sticker sheet! She scanned them on to her computer and placed the images in a PDF file for everyone to enjoy. Genius!

Photo copyright JustSomethingIMade.com

sweetlyscrappedart.blogspot.com

Sweetly Scrapped has the cutest patterns and ideas for DIY projects. Check out the “DIY” tab. You can find a bunch of different projects, such as pillow boxes and these cute favor bags. 

Photo copyright sweetlyscrappedart.blogspot.com

misstiina.com

Miss Tiina has an amazing website for planner printables! She has everything from debt management to journaling cards to calendars and more! I love all of the bright colors. I plan to use a bunch of these when I start using my Limelife Planner A5 Inserts!

Photo copyright misstiina.com

Limelife Planners also offers a free 8.5 in x 11 in Hourly Paper Pad printable. What are some of your favorite places to find free printables?

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This blog post was written by Nicole Ferland for the Limelife Planners Media & Creative Team. For more information about Nicole visit her store at www.thealexstudio.com. Please share and repost this blog entry with your friends! All we ask is that you give credit to Limelife Planners and the post author.

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Writing sponsored posts for brands is always so much fun. I really enjoy trying new products and writing about it on my blog, though it gets overwhelming. I have a hard time keeping up with what has been completed for a blog post and what hasn't. My planner offers a perfect solution to this problem. 

I love that Limelime Planners has the optional Social Media Add-On pages. The sections included are Social Media Goals, Social Media Tracking, Instagram Plan, Facebook Plan, and Blog Post Plan.

My favorite right now is the blog post plan. I am able to write down what the post will be about and then ideas I want to incorporate into my blog post. There are also separate sections to keep track of what still needs to be completed. I write out the plan here, but keep the due date of the blog post in the calendar part of my planner. It is really working well. 

I also like to use the Social Media Tracking section. I can keep track of the number of social media followers each month to see how much my blog is growing over time. 

I can not wait to see where this planner takes me. I am hoping it will keep me more organized with blog posts I have due throughout the month. How do you keep track of your blog posts and other social media?

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This blog post was written by Sarah Halstead for the Limelife Planners Media & Creative Team. For more information about Sarah visit her blog at www.sarahhalstead.com. Please share and repost this blog entry with your friends! All we ask is that you give credit to Limelife Planners and the post author.

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Last time I posted I wrote about how I was looking forward to using my planner to manage my stationery business.  I am happy to say that I got my hustle on and launched PinkimonoPapers on Etsy. Little did I know, USING my planner would inspire me to design a product FOR my planner - my weekly Etsy Plan page. The Limelife Social Media add-on worked well in terms of planning promotions and posts, but I needed something that was tailored to managing specific plans. Below are the weekly steps I take to curate my shop using my Etsy Plan and my Limelife Social Media pages. 

Step 1: Use The Etsy Plan Page to Set Goals for the Week
I use the page to set weekly attainable goals, to know what products need to be worked on/uploaded and to keep track of any follow-ups/orders for the week.

Step 2: Use the Digital Downloads to Plan
Even though I had the Social Media add-on included in my planner, I found that printing the pages via the digital download worked better during my actual planning process. (Don’t worry, I found a great use for the pre-printed pages. I’ll tell you how I use them in a little bit.) Each Sunday evening I print off the Limelife pages I need for the week, create a plan that works with my Etsy goals, and clip them all together to a custom divider tab I created. Now I have my latest plans for the shop all in one place during the week.(Thanks to the Heidi Swapp Minc Foil Applicator I’m having a lot of making pretty dividers for my planner and stationery for my shop.)

Step 3: Work Hard Each Week
Anyone who’s had her or his own business while being a full time at home parent knows, you have to get your grind on to be successful. So each week that’s the plan - hustle baby!

Step 4: Review Accomplishments for the Month
At the end of the month my plan is to review my weekly Etsy, Social Media and Blog planning pages. I’ll use the pre-printed pages included in my planner to consolidate and record any modifications from the original plan, accomplishments and areas of improvement. This way I have everything archived neatly and accurately in one spot. It may seem like a bit much to write everything twice, but it’s a good business practice to review what worked and and what didn't on a regular basis. (It also helps when my “Chief Operating Officer” reviews my progress.)

That’s it. So far my planner is allowing me to keep everything in one place. I love that all I need to do is grab my planner and go. So what have you done to customize your planner to make it work even better for you professionally or personally?

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This blog post was written by Amber Boyd for the Limelife Planners Media & Creative Team.  Please share and repost this blog entry with your friends! All we ask is that you give credit to Limelife Planners and the post author.

 

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Sitting under a palm tree, soaking up the sun and having a little sippy sippy doesn’t mean I don’t want to play with my planning supplies. Traveling and vacationing to some means letting go of all the normal routine things you do so you can just relax. For me planning and sitting down to decorate my planner is relaxing to me. Its very therapeutic. 

Since I am retired I can be gone anywhere from one week to almost two months. I am going to share some packing solutions for when you travel and want to take planner supplies.

Short Trip Packing: Cosmetic Bag

For the shorter trips I purchased a cosmetic bag that my planner fits perfectly in the zipper area and it has plastic material to keep it clean. There are several compartments within the bag that are perfect for stickers, stamps, washi tape and more.

All of it folds up nicely and has a handle. I found mine at Target. I didn’t have a large selection of pretty fabrics to choose from but I looked everywhere in my area and it was hard to find. Some people have the Orla Kiely ones from Target that are similar size etc. but my Target rarely has them. Thirty one would also be a good place to shop for them and get some cute fabrics. 

Extended Trip Packing 

If I am going to be gone a long time (more than a few weeks) I like to pack a lot of planning supplies because I cannot commit to what I may want to use as my theme. I bought a great plastic storage container at Walmart that has a locking lid so it is perfect for traveling.

Its not too big to lug around from place to place or take outside when I am relaxing. I can fit loads of stickers, stamps, inks and even my planner in this container.

Sometimes I will even put my cosmetic bag that I mentioned above in there. FYI these fit perfectly in a Ikea expedit cube storage at home. 

A second option is a the Grab N Go Rack System tote.

I purchased mine at Joann fabric and I will link it below. Mine is the larger one so you could easily get by with the smaller one too.

 This is so nice, there is plenty of room for my planner and many other things in the top and 3 bottom drawers to house all my stickers, washi tape and loads more. 

Links to Products Mentioned:

Cosmetic bags

Walmart Storage Container (this link is for a set of 4) 

Options Grab N Go Rack System

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This blog post was written by Debbie Crowder for the Limelife Planners Media & Creative Team. For more information about Debbie visit her blog at www.craftinchaos.com. Please share and repost this blog entry with your friends! All we ask is that you give credit to Limelife Planners and the post author.

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I've never been one to journal, not even as a little kid. I've tried repeatedly – cute notebooks, journaling prompts, crafty journaling – you name it and I've tried it. This wouldn't be such a problem except that in certain situations I want to journal. My most recent experience with really wanting to journal was last week on my trip to Canada. I knew I wanted to make a photobook when I got home and I also knew that I would not be able to remember all the things we did or all the places we went if my life depended on it. This is a picture of Capilano Provincial Park, one of the many places I wanted to document on my trip.

So this is where the magic happened-my planner! I keep track of all the things I need to do in there anyway–why not take the week and use it as a journaling tool?

My Limelife Planner allowed me to keep track of not only the places we went, but the small details, like the wedding we accidentally crashed in Lynn Valley or the names of our zip line adventure guides. I brought a few sheets of pre-cut washi stickers, some Canada themed stickers, and a few pens and it was everything I needed to create a complete journal of my week. 

Now that I’m home working on my photobook, I am patting myself on the back. Planner journaling was the perfect way to keep my thoughts organized and remember all the exact details I needed. I’m sure I’m not the first to think of journaling in my planner but it just worked so well! 

Do you use your planner to keep track of events and memories or just strictly appointment times and dates? I would love to hear some tips and tricks because I think planner journaling is here to stay for me!

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This blog post was written by Kelly Cosgrove for the Limelife Planners Media & Creative Team. For more information about Kelly connect with her on Instagram: @kellysprettyplanner. Please share and repost this blog entry with your friends! All we ask is that you give credit to Limelife Planners and the post author.

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Like many of you (well, probably all of you), I wear many hats.  If I had to chose one thing that I ‘do’, it would be stay-at-home-mom.  That’s the thing that uses most of my time and resources, and the thing that is most important to me.  I would (and do!) need a planner to keep me organized and moving if that was the ONLY hat I wore, but like everyone else in the world, I have more going on in my life than my sweet kiddos.

In addition to my role as Domestic Goddess Extraordinaire, I run a (super small!) photography business, I work as a consultant for a research group, and I volunteer my time with the teenage youth at our church.  These things keep me hopping, and I’ve found a pretty simple way to make sure I have everything organized.

The Notes section of my Limelife Planner* has been a lifesaver.  When I prep for my research work, I take a handful of notes that I refer to while I’m at the library.  I’ve found that by jotting them down in the Notes section of my planner, I always have them with me, and I can head to the library when I’m out and about if needed.  I always have my planner on me, so no need to worry about forgetting what I need.  When I submit my reports, I can just flip back to my notes, and I have all of the information I’ve collected.

As part of my responsibilities at church, I’m often in meetings where I want to take notes or write down inspiration.  I love that I always have those notes with me, so I can reflect upon them or share them with other leaders.  If I’m preparing a lesson or devotional, I can quickly refer to the notes I’ve taken over the past few weeks.

While I generally get a little crazy when my children get their dirty mitts on my planner, I do use the Notes section to keep them entertained from time to time.  My daughter is VERY into writing notes these days, so a little back-and-forth penmanship can keep her busy for quite awhile.  My 3-year-old son is pretty happy to draw me a framer if he gets bored when we’re waiting somewhere.  While I don’t love that these activities use a precious piece of paper, I do love that it keeps them smiling.  And they love that they get to play with mom’s golden book.

Limelife planners are all fully customizable, which makes it easy to bulk up the Notes section of your planner.  I love how easy it is to create a planner that really works for how I organize my life.  I’ve also used the Notes section to organize my kiddo’s birthday parties, take notes at a PTO meeting, or make a quick grocery list for my husband.  I just have to slip my planner in my bag, and I know that I have everything I need for whatever the day has in store.

* The planner pictured is the 2014/2015 Limelife Planner. 

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This blog post was written by Abbey Niebel for the Limelife Planners Media & Creative Team. For more information about Abbey connect with her on Instagram: @mrsniebel. Please share and repost this blog entry with your friends! All we ask is that you give credit to Limelife Planners and the post author.

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