If you ask me who the busiest person I know is, I’m probably going to say a mom. Personally, I am a huge plan of, well, planners and have been using them for ages for just about anything and everything for as long as I can remember.
This means I’ve been through a a whole slew of different planners over the years, but still come back to a few favorites.
The thing is, planners are personal. What works for me may not work for you, which is why I want to help you figure out the best mom planner for you.
Your Next Mom Planner
Like I said, picking a planner is a personal decision, especially when it comes to planners for busy moms.
That’s why before I even tell you about any planners, we’re going to get you in the right mindset, and thinking about what you want in a planner.
How do I choose a planner?
When it comes time to choose your planner, there are a couple of key things to think about.
First is the TYPE of planner: daily, weekly, and monthly. You may want all of these in one planner, just one of these things, or any combination. Start by thinking about that.
For me, the MUST HAVES in a mom planner are weekly and monthly views. Daily views may be nice, depending on how you want to use your planner.
For weekly planners specifically, there are two types of layouts, vertical and horizontal. Think about which one suits you best.
Can I make my own planner?
You bet you can! Making your own planner is a lot like bullet journaling, which I’m also a fan of. Creating a bullet journal is one way to completely personalize your planner experience.
We have everything you need to get started bullet journaling, from picking the best bullet journal notebook, to the best bullet journal ideas.
How do I make my own daily planner?
The simplest way to make your own daily planner, is to get a notebook and use a page a day. There are also tons of free printable planners out there.
The great thing about making your own daily planner is the trial and error process of creating the perfect planner. Once you have your perfect layout down, consider making yourself templates out of card stock.
You can also pre-print pages, and put them in a binder.
What size planner is best?
This is a really personal question and it depends on how you’re going to use your planner.
Are you putting it in a purse? How big is your purse, and how much heavier are you going to make it with this planner? Are you leaving it on your desk?
This also ties back to what you plan on writing in your planner, because that will determine how much space you need.
Rest assured, that the best mom planners come in literally any size you can possibly imagine.
How to organize your planner when you’re a busy mom
Start by brainstorming a list of what you plan on putting in your planner. It is sort of well, planning your planner.
Some things busy moms usually put in planners are:
- Appointments for parents and kids
- Birthdays and anniversaries
- Family events
- Sports practices and games
- School events
- Schedules for all family members, especially recording things out of the ordinary
- Work schedules
- School schedules
- cleaning schedules
- Due dates of bills
- Grocery list
- menu plan
The list goes on and on and on!
After you think about what you are going to record, start thinking about how you will record it. This ties back to the daily, weekly, and monthly views and their layouts.
This also ties into how much space you need! Busy schedules may simply just need a bigger planner.
The Best Planners for Moms
Now, let’s talk about some awesome planners out there for mom. Be sure to scroll through this whole list, because I guarantee you’ll find a planner you never knew about before now!
2021 Amy Knapp’s Family Organizer
The Family Organizer is one of the go to mom planners out there.
It features weekly and monthly grids, but NOT a daily layout. Monthly layouts are pretty similar no matter what planner you are using, so here is the weekly layout for you to see.
It has a big focus on menus and grocery lists, because let’s face it, those can benefit from some planning.
This is an all around great planner.
Size wise, it is 6″ x 8″.
momAgenda Desktop Spiral Day Planner (July 2020 – December 2021)
The momAgenda is another planner focused on moms. The nice part about the momAgenda is that it comes in a couple of different forms, like spiral shown here as well as bound.
Personally, I really like the vertical weekly layout. It has plenty of space to get your schedule right, and ample room for notes.
Here’s this planner in its bound form. Bound vs spiral can be a big point of contention for some. Personally, I can go either way.
momAgendas come in a few difference sizes, like 7″ x 9″ and 5″ x 7″.
bloom daily planners 2021 Calendar Year
One of the great things about the bloom daily planner is all of the extras it comes with. We’re talking lots of stickers to get you started on your planner journey.
Yeah, planner stickers are totally a thing, and they are one of those things you may or may not like.
The bloom daily planner is a great way to dip your toe into the world of planners with some accessories included.
My only personal dislike of the bloom daily planner is that the weeks are in a horizontal view, which just doesn’t work for me. If you like horizontal, go for it!
Travelers Notebook
Now here’s a suggestion you won’t see on those other mom planner review blogs, and that’s a travelers notebook.
A travelers notebook is a next level planner. You get yourself a beautiful fancy cover, and keep switching out smaller inner notebooks. The best part? They literally come in every size and color you can imagine.
This one in particular is popular because of its compact size, but you can find more amazing traveler notebooks on Etsy. You’re guaranteed to find exactly what you want with the build it yourself.
You can put several smaller notebooks in there to really segment things, one for work, one for school, one for budgeting, one for family, etc.
These are also undated for maximum flexibility.
Classic Vertical Happy Planner
Where can I start with the Happy Planner? It literally comes in every, shape, size, and form you can possibly want.
Personally, I’m a classic happy planner fan. I’ve had happy planners with other layouts, and I didn’t really like them so much.
This layout really lends itself to personalization with things like free printable happy planner stickers, and washi tape.
If you aren’t the DIY type, you can also buy pre-made happy planner stickers.
There are many, many options for the happy planner when it comes to size and layout.
Happy Planner is also known for themes like wellness, budgeting, and fitness.
You’ll find super skinny and slim planners that fit great in a smaller purse, and full size desk planners. Best of all? It also comes in an undated form.
The classic happy planner is 7” x 9¼”. If you carry a large purse, it will fit, but it is thick.
Be sure to check out the full collection here:
Create your own mom planner (bullet journal)
If you’re doing the create your own planner thing, a good notebook is an essential tool.
The good news is there are a ton of great notebooks out there in all shapes and sizes.
Here are some of my favorites:
The Leuchtturm 1917 is A5 sized or “5.8 x 8.3”
Another one of my favorites is the Stalogy page a day notebook. If you’re looking for a daily planner, this one could be for you! Be sure to check out all the sizes here.
Next is the Moleskine notebook, which is one of the classics.
The B6 size or 4.9 x 6.9 can be a great purse companion.
Here’s some more great bullet journal notebook reviews:
Hobonichi Planners
Another very unusual recommendation for a mom planner is a Hobonichi planner. Hobonichi planners come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.
Hobonichi Techo: Available in English and Japanese, Daily and Monthly View, A6 size or 4.1″ x 5.8″. This is as free form as it gets, and it is nice and compact.
It even comes in an undated form called the day-free.
Hobonichi Cousin: Available in Japanese, but has enough English to be usable. Daily/Weekly/Monthly View, A5 or 5.8″ x 8.3″ size.
This also comes in a day free form.
When it comes to the Hobonichi Cousin and Hobonichi Techo, they are both sold as books, which you then need a cover for. You can buy the Hobonichi covers, or covers many different places since they are a common size.
There are many many options on Etsy.
Hobonichi Weeks: Available in Japanese, but has enough English to be usable. Horizontal weekly view, wallet size, or 3.75”× 7.4” The “Mega” version shown here has an additional 74 pages for notes after the 52 weekly sprads.
You don’t necessarily need a cover for the Hobonichi Weeks, but some people like to get wallet covers, or covers with extra pockets for the Hobonichi Weeks.
What are the best planners for moms?
I don’t think there is a single best planner for moms out there, it really depends on what your preferences are! If you are new to planning, you may want something more structured like the Family Organizer, bloom planner, or momAgenda.
If you are looking for more options, then consider the Happy Planner, since the combinations are virtually endless.
If you want the ultimate free form planning experience, try a bullet journal or Hobonichi planner.
Do you have a different planner you love? Be sure to let me know in the comments!