Category Archives: Filofax

Filofax vs Smartphone and a Radley Organiser!

Posted on by Cathryn Cook
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Last month I mentioned that I’d picked up a Radley mini organiser in a charity shop and I was already using a Filofax Mini (Amazona – you can read about that here).  To make the switch required a bit of slimming down, so I finally made the decision to take out the diary section – yikes!  Drastic huh?!

I’ll explain… firstly, I like a challenge, and secondly, I could really do without the extra weight in my handbag!  So I thought I’d see how I would cope with using the diary on my phone and using a Filofax (or in this case, Radley organiser) for my notes, to-do and banking.

My smartphone is a Samsung Galaxy S3 (Android operating system) and it comes loaded with the app, ‘S Planner,’ which lets you log events and tasks and view your diary in different layouts – Year, Month, Week, Day, List and Task.  This is a great advantage over a paper diary, as you don’t have to replicate the information to see it in different views.  You can assign an icon to your events, which acts like a sticker would in a Filofax to highlight all your important goings on.  There are also a variety of widgets you can place on the homescreens to see your day, month or tasks at a glance.

     

I’m definitely a paper and pen girl, so I can’t believe I’ve actually been using it quite happily for a month, but I really have!  I’ve also discovered that if I keep a record of what’s in my bank account in the Samsung app ‘S Memo,’ I can actually leave my Filofax at home if I need to.  Most of the time I wouldn’t do this, but for things like a trip to the cinema, out to do the food shopping, etc, where I don’t need all my lists with me, I might do.

Back to the Radley… this organiser is super cute and fits Filofax Mini paper, so it’s easy to get refills.  I’ve also noticed that you can pick up Radley organisers on eBay at a good price, so that’s a good place to snap one up if you like the look of them.  Here’s mine compared in size to my Mini Amazona:

    

I decided that the insides needed to be super cute too, and since this is my personal (ie non-work) organiser, I went all out!  I found a lovely pack of thick American Crafts ‘Ready Set Go’ paper in TKMaxx and used regular Filofax Mini dividers as a template to create my new set of colourful dividers.  To finish them off, I punched using my trusty Rapesco hole punch and used a Hello Kitty sticker on the front, which was from a pack I found in a charity shop (score!).  I haven’t labelled them as I know what’s in each section and I wanted to be able to see the paper pattern showing through.

    

All of this has left me very confused… part of me is really happy to have a lighter handbag, and another part of me is hankering to go back to personal size again and stuff it until it’s nice and fat!  But I am wondering if I were to put the lists and info that I need with me daily into S Memo, I could perhaps use my Personal Malden for everything else, but keep it the house.  Best of both worlds?!  Does anyone else do this?

So what’s next in my Filofax journey?  Watch this space…

Cat :)

Find a bargain Mini Filofax on Amazon here

Filofax Mini Amazona – An Update!

Posted on by Cathryn Cook
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Filofax mini amazona with zebra penIt’s been almost three months since I moved into my Mini Amazona Filofax and I’m still enjoying it so I wanted to give you a quick update on my progress!  Firstly, I mentioned in my last post that I wasn’t happy with my pen, the nib was just too fine and it felt too short to hold comfortably.  My mum showed me her Zebra Expandz Ballpen and it fitted perfectly in my Filofax!

It’s not very expensive to buy (check it out on Amazon here) and it comes in a range of colours – mine is an orange/gold colour.  When expanded it feels like a regular pen and the nib is thicker than the Filofax Mini Barley one.  I’m not an expert on pens (more an enthusiast!), but I’d say it was about a medium nib, where as the Filofax one is more fine. I particularly like the Art Deco style lines on the clip, as I’m a fan of all things Deco:

My next issue was whether I could train it to lie flat.  I haven’t had it sitting under books or anything, but every time I open it up, I bend it back slightly on the spine, which means it will now lie open.  Not quite flat yet as you can see below, but I’m happier now that it doesn’t close on me:

I’ve found this Filo slightly harder to personalise, I think because of the smaller format. Finding existing cards, etc to punch and fit is hard and I haven’t got around to making any pages with my hole punch yet, but I did find this funky letter ‘C’ at my local Lorimers store, which fits perfectly in the front:

amazona filofax with zebra pen

One other thing I wanted to share with you is my nail polish swatches.  I’ve been into doing my nails since my early teens and I often go home from the shops with a new nail polish similar to one that I’ve already got.  In an effort to stop me buying so many new polishes, I decided to swatch them onto quick reference cards to keep in my Filofax.  I cut out some cards that fit neatly into a Pocket size clear envelope and were also small enough to fit into the back pocket of a Mini and painted a small circle of each colour.  I haven’t ‘needed’ to buy a new polish for weeks!:

Filofax nail polish swatches

And my final update for this week is a bit of a tease… I recently found a Radley organiser, which fits Filofax Mini sized inserts, in a charity shop and just had to snap it up!  It has very tiny rings, so it will be like a slimline Mini, but I can’t wait to try it out.  Has anyone else used a Radley organiser before?  I’d love to see pics!

One other thing I’d love to know, which I’m sure someone who reads my blog will know – does a Mini with really big rings exist?  I’m still loving the Mini size, but I wish it was a bit chunkier (how I’ll cope with the Radley I don’t know!)!

Happy filofaxing, Cat :)

Find a bargain Mini Filofax on Amazon here

Filofax Mini Amazona Review: Living with an even Smaller Format

Posted on by Cathryn Cook
11

Filofax-Mini-Amazona-RedYears back I owned the most beautiful Mini Filofax, a red Balmoral.  I’d wanted it for a long time but couldn’t afford to buy it, and then by chance I happened to buy a job lot on eBay (all sight unseen – I had an eBay shop at the time) and a red Balmoral was inside the bag – I couldn’t believe my luck!  It became my personal/social planner, which I used alongside my A5 Balmoral for many years until the rings broke away from the binder :( (you can see it’s sorry state on Flickr here).

I sent it to Filofax and they couldn’t fix it, suggesting I buy an Amazona to replace it.  I mentally put this on my wish list but moved onto other (cheaper) things.  I’ve missed using it very much and one day hoped I could find the Amazona at a good price.  I even bought a slimline Amazona, but that didn’t fulfil the yearning!  Then I found a pocket Balmoral, and that nearly did the trick, but not quite.

Don’t feel too sorry for me though, because after searching through a huge pile of Filofax boxes in TKMaxx before Christmas, I finally found my prize!  Here’s my gorgeous new Mini Amazona Filofax all set up:

Filofax-Mini-Amazona-Red-Inside

I’ve sectioned it out with tabs for diary, to buy, to do, notes and money.  The cute stickers are from Accessorize and the post-it is Cath Kidston.

Filofax-Mini-Amazona-Red-To-Do

I wish I could remember where I got these shopping list pages from ‘cos they’re great!

Filofax-To-Do-Post-It-Notes

I haven’t been able to find to-do inserts, but I picked up these fab to-do post-its in Muji.  I’ve been sticking them in the diary section so  I can track each week’s tasks.

Filofax-Mini-Amazona-Red-Review

In the back I’ve used a card insert to keep my stamps and a piccy of hubby and I on the reverse.

Filofax-Mini-Amazona-Red-Pen

I’m using a Filofax Mini Barley Pen which I’ve had for years – it’s got a finer nib than I’d like but it fits beautifully in the pen loop!

In terms of the size, it’s not as comfortable to write in as say a Personal, or even a Pocket, but in terms of weight and portability, it’s a dream!  The leather is lovely quality and I’m hoping it will soften enough to lie flat on its own (can anyone confirm this?).  It’s smooth leather inside, which is different to the Balmoral and it has two card slots instead of three in the front inside cover, but other than that it’s a very good replacement – love it!

Do you use a Mini Filofax?  How do you get on with it?

Find a bargain Mini Filofax on Amazon here

Filofax Update: Moving into Malden A5 and a New Cross Pen!

Posted on by Cathryn Cook
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Remember my A5 Balmoral Filofax?  It’s been with me all my working life and I love it – BUT every girl needs a change now and then!  In the run up to Christmas I was in TKMaxx and found a huge stack of those lovely black Filofax boxes we know and love :)

Filofax Malden A5 GreyHubby left me to it and I proceeded to open every box until I found what I was looking for – an A5 Malden!  This one is grey, which isn’t quite as exciting as my red Personal one, but very classy for sitting on my desk at work.  It was squirrelled away as a Christmas gift, but now it’s all set up and has gone straight into use.

The pen loops fit a pen and pencil securely, or a second pen if it’s a slim one (I tried a standard Parker pen and it fitted just fine), so my trusty Montblanc pen is nice and safe! There’s also room for loose items, my calculator and lots of cards, plus a slot at the back for a notepad.  The rings are nice and wide so I can fit everything from my Balmoral, although I’ve taken advantage of the new set of tabs and simplified my setup to just one set.

I start with my diary in front of the tabs and then have sections for Planning, Training, Website, Suppliers, PR and Data.  I have a busy job as a Marketing Manager and these sections keep everything organised that I might need with me at my desk or in meetings.

Filofax Malden A5 and Tombow Egg Pen

I also have a couple of new pens – the one pictured here is a Tombow Egg Pen - an Amazon bargain which, in matte grey, suits the Malden perfectly!

Filofax Malden Tombow Egg Pen

Filofax Malden A5 Grey

A slighlty more extravagant purchase, I also have a shiny new (GORGEOUS!) Sauvage Stingray Fountain Pen by Cross!  Just before Christmas I won two awards at work and was gifted £75 Amazon vouchers – this beautiful fountain pen is almost half price at exactly £75, so how could I resist?  I’m using Cross brown cartridges and am loving the results:

Cross Sauvage Stingraw Fountain Pen and Tombow Egg Pen

Cross Sauvage Stingray Fountain Pen Review

It’s a hundred times better looking in real life than in my pics!  If it’s of interest I’ll give a full review of this pen, although for now I will say that Filofax paper is too thin to use this ink – I’m using it on my own punched paper in the notes sections and sticking to my Montblanc for the diary.

No stickers or custom inserts in this Filofax I’m afraid, I save that for my personal setups. On that note, keep an eye on the blog because I also found a mini Amazona which I’m using for my personal notes and diary!

Is anyone else using a Cross pen with their Filofax?  Did anyone get a Filofax or a new pen for Christmas?

I hope you all had wonderful holidays!

Cat x

Filofax Pocket: Hole Punching & Living with a Smaller Format!

Posted on by Cathryn Cook
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filofax hole punch pocket gorgussIt’s been a while since I updated you on my latest Filofax antics (sorry!) – so what’s been happening?  Well I got restless again, despite having claimed to have found the perfect Filofax (AGAIN!), so I moved into Pocket size!  This actually happened five months ago and it’s stuck!

I’ve had a long history with pocket Filofaxes, going back to my student days, and though I was worried I wouldn’t have enough space to make all my notes, I’ve made it work by using a mixture of lined post-it notes and to-do lists in addition to the diary.  It’s much more portable than the larger formats and sits nicely in the hand when writing.  This Balmoral model also lies flat, so no worries about holding it open when writing – bliss!

Here’s a glimpse at my set up, although it’s fairly simple, with sections for maps, diary, notes, to-do, expenses and birthdays:

Filofax pocket balmoral black Filofax pocket shopping Filofax pocket balmoral

(Click the images to see a bigger version)

The one thing I really missed from personal size was the ability to make my own paper and cover sheets… but then I noticed that the Rapesco hole punch I mentioned earlier in the year was reduced on Amazon.  Problem solved!  The punch is neat and small and cuts really nicely.  I made lots of pages from scrapbooking paper off-cuts, creating full pages, tabbed bookmarks and small memo sheets:

Rapesco hole punch rapesco holepunch filofax filofax homemade paper

The only negative thing about this punch is that the only guidance mark is in the centre, meaning you do need to look carefully at where you’re punching.  This could be easily fixed by making a couple of marks using tippex, a sharpie, etc.  You can also move the punches to use it with personal size, making it doubly useful!

So is the pocket going to stay?  You know me, I get itchy after a few months, so let’s wait and see.  I’m wondering if I could go as far as Mini, as I’ve still got that bargain Finsbury to try ;)

Have you tried pocket and mini?  Let me know how you like them in the comments!

Cat :)

PS I get messages from people all the time asking if I’ll sell my beloved Balmoral Filofaxes – I’m sorry but I love them too much!

Filofax Update: Back in the Slimline Finsbury

Posted on by Cathryn Cook
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I know, I know, just two months ago I said the Malden Personal was the perfect filofax… but surely a girl has a right to have options? 

I found a fab new purse in TKMaxx so I was *forced* to switch out all my cards and coins and I needed to offset the weight in my bag.  So out came the black Finsbury Slimline Filofax :)

It won’t last forever, but for now, the setup is the same as I had in the Malden (see here) but with less diary pages:

Filofax slimline finsbury setup

I’m also keeping a food diary at the moment and I wanted to keep this separate from my Filofax, so I’m using an extra small Moleskine in the back and it’s working well.

Filofax slimline finsbury and moleskine

I’ll keep you updated on my next move!  I’m thinking of maybe trying pocket size next, but that would mean recreating all my diary entries, hmm!  Then there’s the mini Finsbury I picked up last year and haven’t used yet… choices, choices!

Find a Filofax bargain on Amazon UK here.

Filofax Hole Punch – How to Make Your Own Paper!

Posted on by Cathryn Cook
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Filofax hole punch homemade paperA while back I invested in a hole punch for my work A5 Filofax and I use it constantly to punch new sheets of plain white paper for meeting notes, etc.  More recently I’ve set up my ‘real life’ organisation in a personal size Filofax (see here) and I’ve been wondering what I could do with a personal sized hole punch!  A very generous donor obliged and gave me a fantastic metal punch so that I could experiment – you know who you are – thank you!

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own Filofax pages:

Using the used sheet of paper as a template, cut your paper to size (adding little tabs if you want to), punch and voila – you have your very own home made Filofax paper :)

You can also use old notebooks, maps, etc – whatever you fancy!  Here’s a sample of my pages:

Filofax homemade paper papermania

Filofax homemade paper maps          Filofax homemade paper to do          Filofax hole punch homemade paper

Is this the Perfect Filofax? Malden Personal Review!

Posted on by Cathryn Cook
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Malden Personal Crimson FilofaxSo I finally succumbed to the infamous Malden Filofax!  If you’re reading this because you like Filofaxes, this is no revelation I’m sure, but I think it may actually be the perfect binder!!

I wrote in November about my new setup and hole punch in personal size (here), which really opened my eyes to how useful a binder for social/home use can be.  I was also looking to use it as a purse, so the obvious choice was the Malden.  Fortunately just before Christmas it went on sale on Filofax UK and I snapped it up at half price!

Malden Personal Crimson Filofax InsertsMy setup was fairly well worked up and had been serving me well to keep a track of my social life, birthdays, to-do lists, etc so I haven’t changed it too much.  I really feel like for the first time that my personal life is organised and having my purse in the same place helps me to keep on track of my budget too.  I even planned out our hectic Christmas – presents, hosting, cooking, ordering food, etc, and it worked a charm!

How am I using it?

Take a peek inside…

Malden Filofax as a purse

I’m still using my Paperchase postcard as a cover and the little owl tabs too – I thought I was being so original and then saw both on other blogs within days of getting mine, doh!  I recently found a matching pen with the owl design so I snapped it up – it even fits in the pen loop!

                             

First I have two sheets of card inserts, then a plastic wallet for my shopping vouchers and stickers before we move into section 1, maps.  Section 2 has my week on one page diary, which I’ve tabbed month by month using sticky flags (from Muji) and inserted my to-do list next to it using pastel paper.  I’m also using diary stickers from hubby’s Moleskine because he didn’t want them and they’re so much easier to lift off the backing than the Filofax ones!

Section 3 holds my other to-do lists (I have a lot of those!) and then section 4 has my blog notes and plans.  Section 5 has my personal finance and work expenses sheets as well as a plastic wallet for my expense receipts.  That just leaves section 6 for my birthdays pages (WHSmith ones) and addresses, which I’ve recently rewritten using a Frixion pen, so that I can rub out and make updates when people move.

2012 planning = sorted!

Why do I love the Malden?

  • You can feel the quality, but it feels workable, not precious (in a good way)
  • It lies flat from day 1 – whoop!
  • It has a zip coin pocket on the front and four card slots
  • The rings are a decent size to fit LOADS of pages in!
  • Space for a pad in the back (or a moleskine notebook, as I’m planning to try)
  • The colour – although I hear there will soon be a PURPLE version (my fave colour!)

In summary, I love, love, love the Malden – can you tell?!  :)

Grab a bargain Malden on Amazon UK here

Another month, another 80s Filofax, another setup!

Posted on by Cathryn Cook
5

Vintage 80s Filofax 2CLF SercoWell it’s been a while since I last updated you with my Filofax news, so here it is!  As you know, I’ve been using a slimline Amazona (you can read about it here) and I’ve been loving it, BUT although I’ve really tried to be frugal with my pages, it’s just really not quite big enough.  Pair that with the fact that my beloved Mulberry purse (which you can see on Imysworld here) is massively heavy and you have a dilemma.

My solution?  To use my Filofax as a wallet as well!  So I headed off to WHSmith on a lunch break and picked up a couple of card holder inserts to increase my 6 card slots to 12.  Then I popped into the charity shop next door and found another vintage English-made Filofax from the 80s!  Priced at 99p, I snapped it up and I’ve spent the past couple of weeks getting the setup just right!  Here’s the binder:

Vintage 80s Filofax 2CLF Serco Red

In the back cover it says ‘Filofax Made in England Real Calf 2CLF 7/8′ and in the front, company name ‘Serco’ is stamped so I guess they were made for a company time management initiative?  You can just about make out the logo in the bottom left of the picture below:

Vintage 80s Filofax 2CLF Serco

No slots for cards, so I’ve stuck them in the cover for now, they seem to be holding up ok!  Sadly the leather is old and stiff and the first time I put inserts in, it cracked the whole way down where the rings attach :(   I don’t think it will last very long, but I have a plan B (more on that later!).  Today I popped to Paperchase and spotted the gorgeous postcard you see here in the front, so I snapped it up and added it as a cover page!

How was I able to do that?  Thanks to a very generous friend and ex-colleague who spotted on the blog that I was after a personal sized hole punch!  He had one from the 80s, which is adaptable for use in a Time Manager system – not only did he give me this (thank you thank you thank you!), he also gave me his Time Manager binder and inserts!!  That deserves a whole post another time, but for now, back to the setup…

Filofax as a wallet       Vintage 80s Filofax Setup  

Filofax with Paperchase marker stickers       Vintage 80s Filofax 2CLF

As I mentioned, I bought two sets of credit card inserts, so these are at the front, followed by a plastic envelope, which holds my shopping vouchers!  Then I have my maps, diary and birthdays sections – then notes.  Notes are basically lists – to do, finances, xmas pressies, things to fix in the new house, things to buy for the new house, etc!  I’ve marked my three most used pages with some very cute owl marker stickers, also purchased in Paperchase today (see 3rd pic above – click the image to see it full size).  I’ve also hole-punched the first set of these, and put two more in the back pocket with my stamps (see last pic above). 

I’m using a freebie pen I got at a conference, because it’s the only one I could fit in the teeny pen loop – were pens smaller in the 80s?!  Anyway, I’m loving the setup like this and am looking forward to adding more to it, which I can do now that I have the space and also the hole punch – yay!

I mentioned that the spine is about to give way, but now I’ve got my setup right, I really want to keep using it and not go back to the slimline.  So the plan B I mentioned earlier?  Yeah, I finally gave in and ordered a MALDEN!  There, I said it, I blame you guys over at Philofaxy!  The personal in crimson is currently on sale on Filofax UK here - how could I resist?  It has a coin pocket and everything :)

I have to wait for Christmas for it though, but not long to wait!!  So what do you think, did I make the right choice?

Cat :)

Philofaxy All Stars Guest Posts

Posted on by Cathryn Cook
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As part of the Philofaxy All Stars project, I’ve posted on two other blogs:

balmoral filofax mont blanc penMulberry Alexa Hobo Handbag Trippy TigerWhat’s in my Bag?  A peek in my Mulberry Alexa Hobo (in Trippy Tiger raffia) – on Imysworld

What’s in my Filofax?  A peek in my A5 Balmoral Filofax – on Deligted

And you can read all the guest posts written for Cat’s Corner here.

Enjoy!  Cat :O)