Top Planners for 2019

That's why every November I return again and again to the topic - "iinuu is looking for a planner for next year". I had bought my 2018 planner as long ago as summer in a Haarlem bookshop. It was the Letts of London planner bound in orange leather covers - slim yet spacious - that caught my eye, hand and later my travel bag.

I've been looking at what's available now - some planners are ready, grab them while you can; others are still in development (judging by posts in publishers' Facebook feeds). In my case the winners are the former, because they will be included in the planner Top I've prepared below, which I very much hope will also be useful to you.

1. Dream Light Planner

Unambiguously a planner for ladies, girls and goal-driven dreamers. Available in two incredibly vivid colours - mint and violet. The first features the inscription "I choose to be happy", the second "Dreams and goals have no limits". The planner has a page for defining and writing down the monthly goal, a to-do list and tasks, ideas and notes. Also an interesting feature is the "Wishes from loved ones" page, where you ask the people around you - housemates, girlfriends, colleagues, etc. - to write something positive for you. Let's learn to ask for and give feedback - brilliant!

Planner price: €19 + delivery. Discount for two planners: €35 + delivery.

Photo: @dreamlightplanner

The planner's creators are Lelde and Vlads Kovaļovs. The planner began as a side project and Lelde's idea as author, but it became so successful and in demand that Vlads joined the project and layout work - he is responsible for the technical implementation and layout, oversees delivery logistics and is the author of all advertising video campaigns. Lelde handles marketing activities, prepares the planner's content, communicates with clients and is the "face" of planner advertising. For both of them, Dream Light Planner has become a truly dear and important project. Lelde wants to inspire women and encourage them never to give up, in spite of difficulties and setbacks. Dream Light Planner's target customers are characterised by warmth, a positive attitude to life and love for their dreams.

2. DEAR DIARY Planner

For the coming year, four planners with different moods are offered - in black and in beige/bluish powder colour tones. The diary and planner creative team consists of three ladies - Baiba, Zane, Kat. Target market - UK, Europe and several countries worldwide (USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand). A successful interplay of black-and-white and pastel tones.

Planner prices: £24–29.50 GBP

Photo: @inspiredlifediary, also in the article header image

3. MYPRINT Planner

Black, ascetic but on-trend, with spiral binding and dual-coloured cover lettering - gold or black. But, as always, personalised with 12 lovely self-taken photographs - one for each calendar month. You can create and order it yourself on the MYPRINT website.

Planner price: €26

Photo: @MYPRINT.RIGA

4. ZIB* planner

The planner is in A5 format, in three colour tones - muted pink, violet and grey. A leopard sits dreamily on the planner cover, serving as a talisman for big and ambitious dreams - it will be a reminder of the patience and wisdom needed to achieve them. The planner is designed so everyone can add to the illustrations - pages with colouring images. There is a pocket on the inside back cover.

Planner price: €20

Photo: @ZIBstore

5. Planner - The Joyful Year

A newcomer to the Top. The planner's creator - Jolanta Aleksandrova. The planner is available in two colours - dark blue and dark grey. The cover has a soft-touch "velvety" coating. Illustrations - black and white photographs taken while capturing moments across Latvia. As the author herself acknowledges: "All inner pages and photos are intentionally black and white, so you can feel the texture and let your imagination run free, so that planning is creative and lets you look at everyday life 'outside the box'. The inner pages and dates are in maximally ascetic, clean lines to provide 'space' for the imagination." An unusual B6 format (dimensions 18.5 × 13.5 × 1.5 cm). Drawn stickers are handy for adding a colourful accent. A few pages of delicious recipes at the end.

Planner price: €12 + €3 delivery

Photo: @priekpilnaisgads

6. A Different Planner for My Best Year Yet

Also a newcomer to the iinuu planner Top. A planner with six different cover designs - Nora, Dēkla, Auseklis, Namejs, Rota and Bite (the last one is shown in the image below). Slightly reminiscent of a school exercise book or notepad, but full marks for daring!

Planner price: €17

Photo: @citadsplanotajs

7. Oh My Days planner

Three good things - a third newcomer to the Top. Brand new on the market, first year, first time, no built-up story around it yet. Author Laura & Co. Judging by the dark blue and unpretentious design, it seems suitable for both ladies and gentlemen (a shame the inner pages aren't visible anywhere yet).

Photo: @OhMyDaysplanner

8. Manager Trend Planner

Fairly subdued, slightly sombre but restrained in linen-grey tones - two planners from the Manager Trend collection. Cover print with a Latvian twill pattern and ferns, with a faux leather bookmark and metal corner pieces.

Planner price: €8.41

Photo: @BALTAeko

9. Cimpa Rimpa wooden cover planner

The planner is available in 30+ versions (wood engravings - Sun, Lielvārde belt, Year, Think Outside the Box, Auseklis, Follow Your Heart, Piggy Bank: Dreams Come True, Latvian Women, Latvian Woman), as well as personalised covers. You can choose the cover finish tone - walnut, mahogany, ebony, light wood - as well as the band colour from 20 colour tones.

Planner prices: €21–24

Photo: @cimparimpa

Updated - 16.12.2018.

Adding some belated but no less original and cool planners, to make the overview of what's available in Latvia more complete - and possibly make the choice even harder.

10. Letiņš

A planner with 12 illustrations on each weekly spread, designed so you can "clear your head" by colouring and adding to them. Includes information about the major Latvian events - festivals, sports events, concerts, etc.

Planner price depends on format: A5 (larger) - €18; A6 (smaller) - €15.

@smarzeklis.lv

11. Manilla planner

Four planners, four personalities, four moods - Summer Night, New Beginning, Milky Way and Deep Breath. There's no doubt about Manilla's quality and creative execution. Whether it's your planner is for you to judge, as the hashtag #DifferentWomen suggested the target audience is women.

Planner price: €19.50

@Manillalv

12. Mākoņoga planner

2019 dream catchers in both hardcover and faux leather ring-bound covers, available as both weekly and daily planners, as well as several models in English. Four different tones - powder sky (light blue), pearl pink (pearlescent pink), lilac blossom - violet-pink, blackbird (black). Covers usable from both sides - one cover reads CLOUDBERRY, the other CATCH CLOUDS AND DREAMS. Sticker set included.

Planner price depends on cover material: €28–35

@cloudberryplanner

13. MY TIME MANAGER

I might not have noticed it had the planner's creator not written to me and introduced it. In hard covers and three colours - pink, grey and black. And again aimed at ladies. However, it seems this planner is focused more on its content, as it contains plenty of valuable time management advice - for example, how to prioritise using the Eisenhower method, or how to allocate time for daily tasks using the Pomodoro method.

Planner price: €20

@mytimemanager

14. ISSP planner

One of the few planners that, in my view, is aimed at users of both genders. A weekly design planner for 2019 featuring photographs by ISSP 2018 participants. Ideal for handwriting, 53 photographs on weekly spreads, year calendars, world map, name days, international holidays, note pages. In English, a sufficiently compact A5 format. Print run: 800 copies, copies for sale: 300.

Planner price: €15

@issp.lv

15. Moleskine planner

And so, ladies and gentlemen, despite the wide range of local offerings, my choice has once again fallen on a classic - a foreign classic. The planner's main advantages: soft covers, a closure band, classic black and red cover colours, nothing superfluous, yet inside there is absolutely everything - from a weekly breakdown and ample space for notes alongside each week, to a sticker set and a pocket for business cards or small notes at the back. Everything so well thought out - even the paper promotional band over the cover transforms into a mini desk calendar. No gender bias whatsoever. Very businesslike, very slim and lightweight. Pleasing to hold and to slip into a lady's handbag.

Planner price at Valters un Rapa: ~€15 (depending on whether you choose hard or soft covers).

@moleskine