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October 18, 2018 · 42 Comments

Unboxing My New Clever Fox Planner

Lifestyle

This post contains affiliate links.  I receive commission from purchases you make through these links, at no added cost to you.  I only recommend products I use and truly believe in.  You can read more here.

Today I’m unboxing my new planner, The Clever Fox Planner.  You may have read my post, Choosing the Perfect Planner so you know the kinds of planners I usually gravitate to.  Well this planner is a definite departure from my regular ones.

First let me explain why I decided to get a new planner right now.  As much as I hate to admit it, my current planner was not working for me.  I was using a large Happy Planner since January and found myself feeling very overwhelmed every time I opened it lately.  The layout is pretty typical and shows a full month spread over two pages with the weekly layout running vertically with each week spread over two pages.

my new clever fox planner

But that’s where the problem was.  I’d open the planner and stare at the long blank spaces and become paralyzed.  For some reason I could not get into the habit of using the planner to plan or anything else.  I knew I had to do something different if I wanted to be more productive.  That’s when I decided to research planners for people who needed to focus on productivity.

As a person who suffers from anxiety, I sometimes have a hard time focusing on certain tasks.  I can become easily distracted or feel overwhelmed with things that should be relatively easy.  Add to that the fact that I can be a perfectionist at times and I tend to over analyze nearly every decision I make.  All of this led me to the Clever Fox Planner.  Let’s take a look at it.

What is the Clever Fox Planner?

This planner was designed to help boost happiness and productivity and encourage gratitude with short-term goal setting.  I ordered mine from Amazon.

clever fox planner

It arrives packaged in a nice box which is wrapped in cellophane.  I had already ripped mine off before I took this picture.

clever fox planner

When you open your box you’ll find a Thank You which gives you 15% off your next purchase and a note asking if you are happy with the product.  If you decide you like the planner they ask you to leave a review on Amazon.  If for some reason you are dissatisfied with your purchase they ask you to reach out to them.  Their goal is to make sure you’re 100% satisfied with your purchase.

clever fox planner

clever fox planner

clever fox planner

Next you’ll find a paper that explains how to use the planner.  Each section of the planner is explained with a visual which is helpful.  Okay, at first I was like, “Why do I need directions for a planner?” but once I looked through it I realized I wasn’t sure what to do with the Mind Map page.  The paper showed an example which gave me some ideas.  It really doesn’t hurt to read over the whole thing even though I kind of shrugged it off at first.  It’s pretty helpful.

clever fox planner

There are three 10% off cards to give to friends or family who may be interested in the planner.

clever fox planner

For those of you who love stickers, there are three pages of basic stickers included.  I haven’t decided if I’m going to use them or not.  I’ll probably try to but I already have so many other ones that are much cuter.

clever fox planner

At the front of the planner there is a page for your contact information.  I noticed right away that the paper has a nice weight to it.  It’s bright and crisp and feels smooth.

clever fox planner

On the next two pages there are areas for Gratitude and Self Awareness and another section for Daily Rituals.  This includes a spot for Affirmations.  This is not necessarily something I need in a planner but what can it hurt to have all of this written down.  Besides, I am trying to change myself for the better so why not?

clever fox planner

I don’t know how I feel about vision boards.  I love the idea and have made them in the past but I never know if I should put short-term or long-term goals on them.  Overall I’d say they are a positive thing and maybe it’s me.  Maybe I’m afraid to put the goal out in the open for fear of not making it.  I’m going to work on this section and share it with you in the future.

clever fox planner

What I like about the Goals section is that each goal is broken into three sections.  You can choose to list three separate goals or short, mid and long-term goals.

clever fox planner

This section is where the ‘How To Use This Planner’ paper came in handy.  I decided against gluing confetti all over the Mind Map page even though sometimes I feel like my mind is scattered in a million directions, lol.

clever fox planner

Now we’re into the meat and potatoes of the planner.  I love the fact that it’s undated!  This means that you can start the planner anytime you want.  Each month is spread over two pages and the weeks start on Sunday.  Next to the calendar are a couple of boxes for upcoming plans and below it you are given an area to list that particular month’s goals.  There is a section on the other page for that month’s wins and another for ideas on how to improve the following month.

Something that’s different from every other planner I’ve used is how the calendar portion is laid out.  I’m used to opening to a certain month then turning the page to see the first week, then after that the second week and so on until you hit the next month.  What’s different here is that all twelve months are grouped together.  Don’t let it scare you!  I was a little hesitant at first but the planner has three ribbons attached and you keep one at the current month to find it easily.  Totally works fine.  After you go past the twelve months the weekly pages start.  They are all grouped together, undated also and easily located by a second ribbon.

clever fox planner

This is what the weekly layout looks like.  If you look closely you can see the ribbons at the very bottom of the pages in the middle.  I swore I would never want a horizontal layout but it works great for me.  There is no longer a big vertical abyss staring at me waiting to be filled up.  Instead there are only a few lines for each day which is quite enough for me and it’s not overwhelming at all.  The only negative thing about the layout is that each week starts with a Monday and ends on Sunday but I can make it work.

The next page has areas to list weekly goals, priorities, notes, personal to-dos, a habit tracker and a place for weekly wins and improvements.  Totally doable!

clever fox planner

I keep my third ribbon at the back where you’ll find more than enough note pages.  Unlike other planners I’ve used, I don’t think I’ll run out of paper.

clever fox planner

At the very back of the planner you’ll find a nice paper envelope you can use to store items like stickers, paperclips, post it notes, etc.

Here are my thoughts on the Clever Fox Planner.

  • I never thought I’d like a planner without a coil binder.  I considered that element non negotiable.  But… when I read this planner’s description and weighed the other positive parts of it I figured it was worth a try.  Honestly I actually have an easier time writing in this planner without the coil binder.  If you think you can’t live without a spiral binder I’d urge you to not let that be a deciding factor on your planner choice.  It’s a total non issue for me now.

clever fox planner

  • Like I stated earlier in the post, the layout of the Clever Fox Planner is different from a lot of the other mainstream planners out there.  At first I wasn’t sure how I’d like it but once again I’ve had no issues with it.
  • The Clever Fox Planner is made of a nice quality leatherette material.  It feels nice and soft but the covers are not bendable.  The planner is 5.5 x 8.5 inches.  I chose bright pink but it also comes in other colors.  There is an elastic band and pen holder attached to it.  Both of those add a nice touch.
  • As noted before, the paper feels nice and smooth, has a nice weight to it and is bright.  The only time I experienced any sort of bleed through was with a Ultra-Fine Sharpie.  I had no issues with my Paper Mate Flairs or Pentel EnerGel Pens

clever fox planner

  • The size of this planner is perfect.  It’s easy to hold, easy to throw in a purse or tote and isn’t so thick that it weighs a ton.  It’s perfectly portable.
  • I’ve been using it for a little less than a month and so far it’s been great.  For me, seeing my week along with my goals and to-dos works.  Having my week on one page versus two makes me feel less stressed.

How do you feel about trying a completely different kind of planner?  Would you be open to it?

Related posts:

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Choosing the Perfect Planner
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jocelyn says

    October 18, 2018 at 5:24 pm

    I hadn’t heard of this planner before, but it looks really great! Thanks for sharing your unboxing! I’m going to look into this planner for the new year.

    Reply
    • Clarissa says

      October 18, 2018 at 10:03 pm

      I had never heard of it before last month but I’m so glad I found it.

      Reply
  2. Dennis says

    October 18, 2018 at 5:35 pm

    What a great tool! This looks like i could really make a difference!

    Reply
    • Clarissa says

      October 18, 2018 at 10:05 pm

      So far it’s been great.

      Reply
  3. Kirsten says

    October 18, 2018 at 6:47 pm

    I am obsessed with planners! I’ll have to try this one!

    Reply
    • Clarissa says

      October 18, 2018 at 10:07 pm

      I’m obsessed too, at least I was but this has been a game changer for me.

      Reply
  4. Junell DuBois says

    October 18, 2018 at 7:17 pm

    What a great planner! I’ll have to check it out.

    Reply
    • Clarissa says

      October 18, 2018 at 10:09 pm

      It really is great! I’m already seeing productive results which is what I want.

      Reply
  5. Holly Bird says

    October 18, 2018 at 7:20 pm

    WOW THANKS FOR THE REVIEW!! Love this!

    Reply
    • Clarissa says

      October 18, 2018 at 10:10 pm

      Sure, glad you found it useful. I recorded a video of the unboxing but never had the courage to post it, lol.

      Reply
  6. Pam says

    October 18, 2018 at 9:17 pm

    This looks like a fantastic planner! I love planners in general.

    Reply
    • Clarissa says

      October 18, 2018 at 10:13 pm

      I’ve been a big planner lover but never was able to find one that actually felt “helpful”. This one is great.

      Reply
  7. Karie says

    October 19, 2018 at 12:52 am

    I love planners. This looks like a great one. I think I found out something about myself. I could easily be a planner hourder.lol

    Reply
    • Clarissa says

      October 19, 2018 at 9:33 am

      Haha, I think planner hoarding is a thing! This really is a great one, though.

      Reply
  8. Michele says

    October 19, 2018 at 1:11 pm

    Wow! This planner is intense! Where’s the kitchen sink?

    Reply
    • Clarissa says

      October 21, 2018 at 12:32 pm

      Haha, it may seem intense but it’s not. There are others that include the kitchen sink and then some, lol!

      Reply
  9. Rosanna says

    October 19, 2018 at 5:10 pm

    I love planners!. This one looks great! Thanks for sharing your find.

    Reply
    • Clarissa says

      October 22, 2018 at 7:14 pm

      Sure! This is a really nice one.

      Reply
  10. Nicki says

    October 19, 2018 at 9:42 pm

    I love a good planner! I keep mine on me all the time! I call it “my brain”.

    Reply
    • Clarissa says

      October 22, 2018 at 7:16 pm

      It’s nice to find one that’s easy to keep on you daily. This one’s the perfect size.

      Reply
  11. Nikki says

    October 19, 2018 at 9:46 pm

    I would die if I lost my planner. I’m not to picky about what it has but I like the little extras with this one – thanks for the idea

    Reply
    • Clarissa says

      October 22, 2018 at 7:17 pm

      This does have the little extras but isn’t too over the top.

      Reply
  12. Tonya @ the Writer Mom says

    October 20, 2018 at 8:57 am

    Cute planner.. I haven’t used one in years. I just use Google calendar, although I’ve been tempted to buy a physical planner lately!

    Reply
    • Clarissa says

      October 22, 2018 at 7:19 pm

      The creative part of me loves having a paper planner. I can’t put stickers on my phone. 😉

      Reply
  13. Kathryn at QuestFor47 says

    October 20, 2018 at 6:14 pm

    That’s awesome! I’ve never had a physical planner, but my sister loves hers. Definitely want to look into this one.

    Reply
    • Clarissa says

      October 22, 2018 at 7:20 pm

      I’m the type of person who has to write extra things down and it’s fun adding cute stickers to a physical planner.

      Reply
  14. Tricia Snow says

    October 20, 2018 at 8:29 pm

    I love using a planner! I will have to check this one out. Thank you for showing it to us!

    Reply
    • Clarissa says

      October 22, 2018 at 7:21 pm

      Yes, check it out! I love it!

      Reply
  15. Arianny Rodriguez says

    October 21, 2018 at 12:28 pm

    Oh wow, I’ve never heard of this planner. Sounds like it has everything I would want!

    Reply
    • Clarissa says

      October 22, 2018 at 7:22 pm

      It has what you need but doesn’t go overboard like some I’ve seen.

      Reply
  16. T.M. Brown says

    October 21, 2018 at 4:20 pm

    That’s a pretty in depth planner!! What a great place to collect all your thoughts, plans, dreams, goals and schedules!

    Reply
    • Clarissa says

      October 22, 2018 at 7:24 pm

      It does cover a lot of things but it doesn’t feel like it’s too over the top.

      Reply
  17. Christa says

    October 21, 2018 at 11:12 pm

    I’m currently using a Happy Planner but have been underwhelmed. I’m in the market for something new for the upcoming new year. I love this one!

    Reply
    • Clarissa says

      October 22, 2018 at 7:26 pm

      That’s what I was using but the weekly layout was not working for me. I’m really digging the horizontal setup with this one.

      Reply
  18. Monica says

    October 23, 2018 at 7:51 pm

    I’m a sticky note kind of gal but it makes things messy. I might need to get myself a planner.

    Reply
    • Clarissa says

      October 23, 2018 at 8:54 pm

      Sticky notes are cool but I either lose them or they get crinkled in my papers. I like how a planner keeps things centralized.

      Reply
  19. Dee says

    October 23, 2018 at 10:01 pm

    I love a good planner. Even though I’m very digital, nothing feels as good as writing something down. I never heard of this planner before. My best planner was from a stationary store in Japan but I have to check this one out.

    Reply
    • Clarissa says

      October 23, 2018 at 10:40 pm

      I know! I can’t make doodly notes in a digital planner and crossing to-dos off feels so good.

      Reply
  20. Jennifer says

    October 23, 2018 at 11:34 pm

    What an interesting planner! I love that this has bullet journal options as well as the brain map. Great ideas!

    Reply
    • Clarissa says

      October 24, 2018 at 4:04 pm

      My daughter picked up on the bullet journal part, too. It’s a neat planner.

      Reply
  21. Laura says

    October 25, 2018 at 10:30 pm

    What a great planner! I love all the different sections and ways to be organized in a fun fun way!

    Reply
    • Clarissa says

      October 27, 2018 at 2:48 pm

      It really is a great planner!

      Reply

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Hi! I'm Clarissa, a wife, mother of 2 and the gal behind The Crafty Middle Sister.
I love baking, gardening, being creative, chippy - rusty decor and shopping! You can read more about me an the blog here. Read More…

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