Cat's Corner

So 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!

My 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…

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

Well 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:

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:

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…

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