Taking the Control Back

Happy November everyone!

From Brett's game on Saturday. This scene just looked so quintessential autumn that I needed to snap a pic!
Bonus: they won their game. :)

Last month I picked out  a fun desktop wallpaper for my work computer to help me get into the Halloween spirit and I loved looking at a festive wallpaper every time I minimized my windows, so I thought I'd pick a new one for November! Like the Halloween wallpaper, I got this adorable pie wallpaper from Sarah Hearts. This was her November 2016 wallpaper freebie and I couldn't resist. I am so pumped for Thanksgiving this year - more pumped than usual - and this image just makes me so happy and excited! :D

Download from Sarah Hearts

I've been talking a lot about how my mental health has not been the best as of late, and it really took a toll on me last month. It's getting to the point where I am just SO TIRED of feeling the way I'm feeling and if something didn't change very soon, I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to pull myself out of it. So, at the end of October, I sat down with my bullet journal and wrote out a specific plan of action to take back control of my mental and physical well being. I'm not going to share with you what I wrote as I would like to keep that close to my heart, but I will let you know that I've taken up fitness planning and getting back into my #plannergirl groove!

I'm using my Kate Spade Wellesley as my fitness planner and in there I'm keeping a food log and exercise log. I've had the Kate Spade Wellesley for literal years and have never used it, mainly because I'm not the biggest fan of the personal size ringed planners. I've always needed more space! But I thought that this would be the perfect size to take to the gym with me without it being too cumbersome. I'm so glad I'm finally using this beautiful planner more regularly! I've already been learning so much about my habits and identifying what I need to change, especially when it comes to my diet. #sugarfiend

I've also been shamelessly decorating my bullet journal and my KS with stickers, cute clips, and washi, just like I did once I first got interested in glam planning. It makes me so happy to look at my planners which is fantastic because that's half the battle of staying on top of your lists - actually looking at them! Honestly I'm feeling so motivated to plan and work toward my goals right now and it's been a long time since I could honestly say that. :)

Autumn has been really putting on a show for us in these early days of November. I took Poppy out for a walk on Sunday afternoon and just couldn't stop taking photos. I complain about the weather getting colder non-stop, but I really can't argue that New England really is so gorgeous in the fall! It's too bad that we really only get these gloriously gold and red trees for a week or two before all the leaves fall, but they're amazing while they last!

My physical TBR for #BorrowAThon Round 5

We're in the swing of #BorrowAThon Round 5 at the moment and, as always, it is so much fun. I say it every round, and I may be biased, but the community around BorrowAThon is honestly the best. Everyone is so sweet and encouraging and funny - I'm always so happy whenever BorrowAThon rolls around! I can't wait for the BorrowAThon Live Show this upcoming Friday. It'll be at 6PM EST on my channel - feel free to join us, even if you're not participating! :)

Lupita fell asleep on my hand on the couch yesterday morning. Was seriously considering calling out of work as to not to disturb the cuteness. XD

I voted yesterday in the midterms. If you're an eligible voter, I hope you did too! I was really excited to vote, but I was REALLY excited about the fact that my polling place had stickers. Since becoming a resident of Massachusetts 3.5 years ago, none of my polling places I voted at have had them for any election. Of course, I wore it loud and proud all day yesterday! ;) All jokes aside, I'm so happy I live in a country where I get to participate in how it's being run. That's not something everyone in the world gets to say! If you missed this election for one reason or another, I strongly encourage you to make every effort to vote in the next. Our right to vote is not something we should take for granted!

This weekend is Richmond Marathon weekend! I'm flying down Friday morning and running on Saturday and I'M SO NERVOUS!!! I think it will be fine, but I'm honestly going into this race with no clue as to how it could potentially go. I'm sure I'm going to reach the finish line, but I just hope that the journey there isn't too excruciating! ^_^" Either way, it will be good to see my pal Erin and to test my body to cover 26.2 miles once again. I'll be updating you all next Wednesday via a race review and I am planning on vlogging so hopefully that comes together for you all as well. Wish me luck!!! <3

LINKS I LOVED THIS WEEK

Parent Trap Halloween Costumes from Carly the Prepster

A Unicorn Performing a Gymnastics Bar Routine from Geekologie

That made my day by @PopularPups on Twitter

A farm put together 31 days worth of puppy Halloween costumes from Twitter
An Inktober series completely dedicated to "Medium-Rare Vines" from Twitter

July 2017 Plan with Me! + June Flip Through

Today I'm sharing my July plan with me video over on the channel! Not a ton has changed inside my trusty bullet journal, but I am getting a *bit* more creative with my spreads as I have the time to do so in the summer. I'm still loving my bullet journal experience, and I'm fairly certain this is the longest I've stuck with a planner system in my entire planning life. Looking forward to many more months with my bujo! :D

My ENTIRE Organization System!

This week over on my channel, I'm sharing my ENTIRE organization system! I talk a lot about what I use my planner/bullet journal but I don't really chat about the other platforms I use to get organized in other aspects of my life. While this video doesn't delve too far in depth to how each platform works for me, you will get a bit of an overview of each thing and hopefully get a little glimpse into how I balance a busy work and personal life!
The platforms I discuss in this video are my bullet journal, my Google calendars, and Microsoft OneNote. If you have any specific questions about any of these platforms and how I use them, please feel free to leave them in the comments! I would love to answer any and all questions about my organization system and give you any details you're curious about!
I hope you all enjoy the video and happy organizing! :)

June 2017 Plan with Me! + May Flip Through

My first full month in my new bullet journal is complete! I'm having so much fun in this bullet journal and just letting myself be ~loosy goosy~ and do whatever feels good. I've been writing down thoughts and memories and doodling and pasting things in and jotting down quotes I like to fill space... it's just been an absolute blast which is exactly what I need in a planning system. I'm looking forward to seeing how my journal evolves through the month of June! Click play on the video to see what my bullet journal looked like through the month of May!

Full Bullet Journal Flip Through #1 {September 2016 - April 2017}

Although I do individual monthly flip throughs of my bullet journal, I thought it would be fun to do a full flip through of the first bullet journal I completed! It's really interesting to see how my planning style grew and evolved through these pages and revisiting old systems definitely gave me some inspiration for future planning! Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed spending time in my Moleskine over the past seven months and will continue to join in on my bullet journal planning!

May 2017 Plan With Me: Moving into a New Bullet Journal! + April Flip Through

With the academic year coming to a close and my Moleskine running out of pages, I have officially transitioned into a new bullet journal starting in the month of May! This time around I opted for a Leuchtturm 1917 dot grid notebook in the color lemon. I am so psyched to have a yellow bullet journal! Yellow is definitely one of my favorite colors. It brings be so much joy and that's exactly what this notebook does for me every time I look at it! Click play on the video above to see my flip though my final month in my Moleskine :'( and the way I've set up in my new organizational home! :D

April 2017 Bullet Journal Plan with Me! + March Flip Through

Here it is - my very last Plan with Me in my Moleskine gridded journal! I'm kind of sad I'll be finishing up this journal after April. It's stuck with me all through this crazy academic year and holds some serious memz. I am looking forward to starting fresh with a new journal as I enter into a slower time in my schedule, though, and who doesn't love a fresh new notebook?! My May Plan with Me will be a bit different so stay tuned for that, but for now I hope you enjoy this video! :)

Traveler's Notebook Set Up! | FoxyFix Wanderlust - March 2017

Happy Friday, everyone! Today I'm celebrating the weekend by showing off my traveler's notebook! I was itching for a book that had multiple purposes yet also felt like a no-pressure space to put everything in my brain down onto paper. I think I've accomplished that with this set up! I'm still using my bullet journal for my planner as it's a system that's really working for me at the moment, but I'm really excited to have an "etc" type of space that's just for me. Click play on the video to see what's inside, and keep reading to find out where I got all of my TN goodies!

TRAVELERS NOTEBOOK DETAILS FoxyFix Wanderlust (2015 edition) Color: Espresso with Mint elastics and white stitching Size: No. 6 & Wide width
INSERTS Blue file folder - made by me Brain dump insert & Journal insert - Growing Up Goddess Fitness insert - Yellow Paper House on Etsy Sketchbook insert - made by me Craft paper insert - Yellow Paper House insert cover Sticker envelope - gifted from a friend, Paperchase @ Staples
CLIPS Jiggly Puff - Little Miss Daisy Rose on Etsy Luke's Diner Mug - Little Miss Daisy Rose on Etsy Purple ribbon - made by me Mike Wizowski - HelloPaperCat Pink Donut - gift from a friend Dog - Staples
STICKERS Ron Weasley - Lisa Lorene Plans on Etsy Dumbbell - Lemon Paper Co on Etsy Fox - Michaels Cake Dealer - Johnny Cupcakes Tart - Happie Scrappie Owl - Michaels Large Donut - gift Small Donut - Planner Mania on Etsy
POST ITS Pink dots - Target dollar spot Green gradient - Target dollar spot
CHARMS Pineapple - Happie Scrappie Lollipop - Happie Scrappie

March 2017 Bullet Journal Plan with Me! + February Flip Through

It's March! (WHAT.) You know the drill - it's time for me to show you what I did with my bullet journal in the month of February and to show you what I'm planning on doing with my bullet journal in the month of March! I've actually made a few changes to how I'm using my bullet journal this month which I'm really excited about, and am incorporating my traveler's notebook back into my lineup of journals and notebooks! I'll be showing off what I'm doing in my traveler's notebook later on this month so keep a look out for that, but for now I hope you enjoy this month's plan with me! :)

Plan with Me! Weekly Bullet Journal Planning Routine

Today I thought I would so something a little different and give you an in-depth look on how I plan out my week in my bullet journal! This is the typical way I approach my weekly planning. The only thing you do not see in this video is mapping out my daily to-dos which usually happens the morning of each day. I would love to do a video on that as well if that is something you would be interested in. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this video and let me know if you have any questions on my planning method!

February 2017 Bullet Journal Plan with Me! + January Flip Through

Back again with another plan with me for a new month! I'm really liking how I set things up for the month of February and while it isn't that different from my January set up, it really feels like I'm starting to hit a groove in my planning in my bullet journal. I've been loving every page that I have in my Moleskine and am happy I've really come into my own as a bullet-journaler. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this plan with me video and let me know if you have any questions about my set up in the comments! :)

January 2017 Plan With Me! + December Flip Through

It's my first Plan with Me for 2017! I'm not doing anything too fancy to kick off the new year when it comes to my planning. My bullet journal is still working really well for me so I'm sticking with my planning method that I've been using since September with a few different tweaks here and there. I've also included a LIVE sped-up planning session as I set up January, something I haven't done since I moved into the Moleskine! I forgot how much I liked showing you my process. :) Anyway, I hope you enjoy this video and that you're excited to get organized fr the new year!

December 2016 Plan With Me! + November Flip Through

It's DECEMBER! Can you believe it? Of course, I'm sharing my December Plan with Me today so you can see how I've set up the 'ol Bullet Journal to stay organized for the holidays. I've taken a step away from doing a monthly goals post this month because I just want to enjoy time with my family and friends and have a happy and relaxing holiday season. After this year, we can all use it, amirite? Anyway, I hope you enjoy the first of many videos I will be making this month and you have a great start to your month! :)

November 2016 Plan With Me! + October Flip Through

It's that time yet again! Here is my November 2016 Plan With Me and my October Flip Through of my Moleskine Bullet Journal. Not a whole lot has changed over the last month but I'm still really enjoying using my Moleskine and have found it to be perfect for my life at the moment. Everything is in one spot, it's a portable size, and it doesn't take up too much room on my desk at work and at home. Lov.ing.it.!

How are you all liking the format of me setting things up ahead of time and showing you after they are all done? Do you prefer me to show you my process? I haven't done a full process video in my Moleskine so maybe I'll plan to do that for next month. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! 

October 2016 Plan With Me + September Flip Through (Moleskine Bullet Journal!)

New month, new Plan With Me! 
At the beginning of September I realized that I really wasn't using my Filofax all that much. While I was setting up my planning pages faithfully each week, I never really took my Filofax out of my bag and looked at it to guide my planing and to-dos throughout the week. That, to me, was a sign that my planning system wasn't working for me in that place in time. Planners, while they can be pretty, are meant to be used and help you feel more organized which my Filofax wasn't doing for me at that point in time. 
I decided to strip everything down to the bare minimum, purchased myself a Moleskine gridded notebook, and have been bullet journaling to my hearts content for the last month. This style is working for me right now so I'm going to stick with it for the forseeable future. Let's see where we land in the next few months! ;) Watch the video below to see how my style has evolved over the last few weeks!

September 2016 Plan with Me + August Flip Through!

Today on the channel I'm sharing my September Plan with Me video! Can you believe it's almost September? I really can't. I am sad. Summer don't leave me. Anyways, this month I took the planning approach of "this is one of my busiest times of year so things are going to be REAL lackadaisical in my Filofax" - no frills, no trackers, no nothing. Just straight up calendar and to-do list planning. KICKING IT OLD SCHOOL. If I find that I want more to my planner this month I will add it in, but I didn't want to take the time to put in a component of my planner that I'm not going to have time to utilize! Anyway, I hope you enjoy today's video and I hope you have a fabulous weekend! :) 

August 2016 Plan With Me + July 2016 Flip Through

There's a bonus video on my YouTube Channel today! Because it's the first of August, I thought it would be appropriate to share my August plan with me today instead of waiting until Friday! I've been trying a few new things out in terms of weekly spreads which I have actually been really enjoying with my slower schedule at work. I've been finding that my dailies weren't exactly being used so instead of wasting paper on dailies, I've switched over to weekly spreads to save trees! A bit odd for me as I'm usually a bigger fan of dailies. I've also tried something new for my monthly spread and habit tracker. I'm interested to see how everything works!

Current Planner Favorites

It's been a bit since I've posted a planner blog post. Most of my planner updates have lived exclusively on my YouTube channel and I've honestly have kind of forgotten to dedicate a blog post to this hobby of mine! I thought I'd share a quick update of a few of my current planner favorites with you all and give you a quick peak into what my current planning set up is like!

Current Favorite...

...Planner (Filofax Original in Flouro Pink)

I bought myself the Flouro Pink Original for Christmas and I finally moved into it in March. I've been LOVING it ever since I moved it. I don't know - there's definitely something about the Original that is just so simple and perfect for what I need. There aren't too many pockets tempting me to overload it with decorations, the solid color and smooth cover has a kind of no-muss-no-fuss feel to it which is so needed in my crazy life, and it is made so well. I'm a big fan and I don't see me moving out any time soon.

...Planner Size (A5)

I'm still very much an A5 girl. I really wish I was partial to another size because A5s do get a bit cumbersome to carry around, but everything else feels so cramped. I have this beautiful black Kate Spade Wellesley that I'm dying to use but I don't want to make it into my everyday planner because I know it will just be too small. A5s give me a enough room to write, make spreads that are easy to glance down at while at my work desk, and to carry around documents (letters, bills, forms, etc) as needed. The personal size doesn't allow that. Perhaps someday I'll move back into a smaller size but for now I'm still loving the A5 size!

...Pen (Black Pilot G2 .5)

I've gotten a bit more simple with the pen I tend to reach for when I'm planning. While I'm still color coding with .7s, the Pilot G2 .5s in black are what I'm using to create layouts, make changes, and to take notes throughout my planner. I'm loving keeping things a bit more simple these days!

...Paper (Dot Grid)

Dot grid paper is HUGE in the Bullet Journal community and I'm a recent big fan of it. I have always loved grid paper, but the subtlety of the dots make line creation much easier and allows you to create a much more simple and clean look to your layouts! I've found this website which allows you to create your own dot grid paper (and other paper formats!) and print it for free. Definitely check it out if you're planning on a budget like me!

...Planning Style (Bullet Journaling/DIY)



I love the freedom that both a binder/ring bound planning system and the bullet journal system gives your planning style, so I decided to combine them! This style of planning has been fantastic for me because I can literally change EVERYTHING at any moment. Granted, you do have to be fairly confident with your artistic abilities and I wouldn't recommend this approach to anyone who might consider themselves an absolute perfectionist who can't look past mistakes because - trust me - you will make mistakes. However if you think this is something you'd be interested in trying out, see my planner update video above and check out my other plan with me videos on my YouTube channel to see my updates each month.
...Layout (Monthly)

While I can never *solely* use a monthly spread, monthlies are pages I just can't plan without. They're what allow me to future plan and look back and see what I have accomplished. I love planning bigger projects out on a monthly spread as it keeps me motivated throughout the entire month, and as the month comes to a close I can feel good about what items I've checked off the list. I don't think I could plan without a full month spread!

...Thing to Track

I've actually been adopting the habit tracker (something typically found in the bullet journal community) lately! It's fun to sit down and see how much time I'm taking to do the things I actually WANT to do. If I'm not doing yoga or making art all that often (both things I want to make time for in my life!), it will show me on the habit tracker and I'll make an effort to make time for it. It's a really cool way to keep yourself accountable for not only the things you *have* to do, but also the things you *want* to do as well.

What are your current planner favorites?

Hand Lettering Play

I've been trying out new hand lettering techniques in my planner lately. I've been really inspired by bullet journal Instagram posts and YouTube videos and have been pushing myself to try new designs each time I sit down to make my pages for the week. Part of using a bullet journal system is having the freedom to be as creative as you'd like, and I've found that many of the bullet journals I'm drawn to are extremely artistic and aesthetically beautiful. I'm a big fan, and have been challenging myself to try out some of the techniques I admire! Here are a few videos of bullet journalers that have handwriting and illustration styles that I'm a big fan of:


Kara (aka Boho Berry) is really popular in the bullet journal world right now and rightfully so because her spreads are gorgeous! This is a video of her practicing banners and headers that she can potentially use in her bullet journal in the future. (Which is also a great point - practice, practice, practice! Skills like the ones I admire take time, patience, and practice and do not come over night. Keep working at your style!) Check out her YouTube and Instagram for more inspiration!

Fran (aka Frannerd) is a freelance illustrator and has been someone I've been LOVING over the last few months. Her illustration style is so whimsical and wonderful and her personality keeps me coming back to watch all of her videos. (I not-so-secretly want to be her best friend.) I love her handwriting and her style, and while I don't really try to emulate it myself, I still come away from all of her videos feeling super inspired and motivated to create, so I thought that this video showcasing her planning method deserved a spot on this post! If you're interested in seeing more of her artwork check out her Instagram, and for more behind the scenes stuff check out her YouTube! 

Anna (aka Pixel Pearls) is another artist who makes polymer charms and (surprise!) uses a bullet journal. Her style is very similar to Kara's, but I love this video because it shows you a different technique of creating headers and banners for her bullet journal. This video shows that it's okay to use tools to reach the look that you want to get to and, like Kara, it's important to take time to practice! Her YouTube shows more of her planner page development, and her adorable charms can be found on her Etsy shop!
I'm going to leave you with a few of my favorite hand lettered banners in my planner that I've made in the last couple of weeks. I'm always looking for more inspiration, so if you have any bullet journalers you think I should check out, please leave them in the comments!

Happy planning! <3

Freebie!: A5 Day on a Page Inserts Download

Hello planner people! Today I'm here to share with you all some free downloadable daily inserts! I created these inserts using Microsoft Word and used them in my own planner for a few months before I switched over to more of a bullet journal system and I LOVED them. I've been a day-on-a-page kind of gal since grad school and my schedule became the insane monster that it is today, and they are so handy when it comes to planning out my day down to the hour! Feel free to download them and cut them down to size for your own planner*!

Here's what the inserts looks like (without the watermark):

Featuring:

-a blank dates section

-an early morning section

-appointment slots from 8AM to 7PM

-a late night section

-a notes section

-a to-do section

-a top priorities section

-a personal section

-a hydrate section to get your 8 glasses a day!

And here's a few shots from my planner Instagram of them in action!

A photo posted by FivEleveNinety Designs (@51190designs) on Dec 14, 2015 at 11:35am PST

A video posted by FivEleveNinety Designs (@51190designs) on Dec 7, 2015 at 5:24am PST

A photo posted by FivEleveNinety Designs (@51190designs) on Feb 15, 2016 at 6:31am PST

Download Here!

*To print in A5 size, make sure you select "Actual Size" when the printing window pops up, then cut down to size (5.8 x 8.3 inches)! Here's what you should be looking for:

Happy planning! <3