PurpleTrail Planner Review: Add-Ons From Heaven

Just when I thought there weren’t any more planners out there, I met PurpleTrail. Like a dodgeball to the head, PurpleTrail planners took me by complete surprise.

Unlike a dodgeball to the head, they don’t piss me off. They actually make me incredibly happy. Buckle your seatbelt and keep your hands inside the ride because the review rollercoaster is off.

Customization

Of all the customizable planners out there, this one is by far the most customizable. As PurpleTrail’s website says of most available planners, “You can easily modify the background color and add as many photos, text boxes and embellishments as you like. Creating your own one-of-a-kind design has never been so easy and affordable!” Count me in.

There are also more than 200 cover options for you to choose from. I went with the “cascading handpainted floral pattern,” because it’s reminiscent of delicate little tea cups, and for some reason I was in the mood for delicate tea cups. The level of customization depends on the cover you choose, but for the most part, you have control over the size of the planner, the color scheme of the design, any added labels, and even the layout of the cover.

There are also several options for you to choose from so you can make it the perfect planner for you. These include:

• A soft or hard cover
• The start month
• The schedule layout
• The planner size

If those aren’t enough for you, you can also select add-ons to give your planner even more tools for you to organize your life. There are 13 add-on sections for you to choose from, although you can only add on four. There’s also a sticker pack for you to add to your planner for labeling tasks and events.

Materials

The first thing I noticed when unboxing my PurpleTrail planner was how sturdy it is. I chose the hard cover for this planner. It’s surprisingly lightweight for a hard cover, but it still seems strong enough to last a year of flipping open and closed. Since I chose to do the maximum four add-ons, the planner is pretty thick—and the size of the wire binding is a shock at first. Since I added four extra sections, the wire binding is really large. But the amazing thing is that it still isn’t excessively heavy.

Everyone knows that paper quality is a big deal in planners. Use the wrong type of paper and the whole planner is ruined. Too thin and ink bleeds. Too silky and ink smears. Too thick and it’s just burdensome. The paper in the PurpleTrail planner, however, is just right. It’s slightly see-through, but ink still doesn’t bleed to the other side. It’s got a little bit of a rough texture, so there’s no issue with smeared ink.

When you have a planner as thick and full of different sections as this one, you need good tabs. Well, PurpleTrail did you one even better by making the tabs full-blown dividers. These dividers are thin, stiff cardboard, and the tab attached to is actually big enough to flip through quickly. The divider and tab are actually one cohesive piece, so you don’t have to worry about the tab becoming torn off. Each divider is a different color and comes with a fun design too. They’re all colorful and fun, and the designs on them are simple— dots, stripes, fun doodles, etc.

At the back of the planner, there’s also a double-sided folder for any loose pieces of paper that need to carried around. Coupons, receipts, shopping lists, business cards, and anything else important to you can be stored here and kept secure. The folder is tightly made, so things won’t just fall out willy nilly. It’s made of the same cardboard as the dividers and comes in a fun color and design.

It’s All in the Guts

Upon first inspection, the color scheme of the planner stands out before anything else. It’s a very colorful planner. The colors are slightly muted though, so it doesn’t offend your retinas. Each month has its own color, which is helpful and aesthetically pleasing. It keeps the large planner from becoming overwhelming.

Before you get to the weekly section, there are four helpful reference sections. There’s a yearly calendar section for 2016 and 2017, important dates section (birthdays, holidays, etc.), a nice chunk of empty note pages, and a contact section. Then the planner launches into the monthly/weekly schedule.

Each month tab opens up the monthly overview. This is where you can write down the birthdays, big events, and things to remember for the month. You can even use the “Things to Remember” section as a goal-setting space. The great thing about this page is the room you have to write. There’s enough white space to write down 15 birthdays if you need to and to fully write out anything on the list section.

The actual monthly calendar is simple and straight-to-the-point. The daily boxes are spacious enough for you to jot down anything, and the to-do list actually takes up almost the entire page length. You can write down every single task you have that month. Score.

Where the Real Magic Happens

The weekly pages are the most important part of this planner. This is where you write down your schedule, tasks, and important information every day. For this specific planner, the weekly pages are the vertical weekly layout. Each day has a column with lines. There are no times or checkboxes; It’s just open space for you to use however you need to. You can write your schedule at the top and your to-do list at the bottom—or you can write just a to-do list and your dinner plans, or whatever else you want to write down, like workouts, kids’ schedules, or TV shows. These columns can become whatever you need them to be.

Each month also ends with a notes page. This is a nice little bonus because things come up and you need somewhere to jot down the random things, ideas, and reminders you’ll need later.

Add-Ons From Heaven

With PurpleTrail, you can add on a maximum of four extra sections. There are a ton to choose from, but this planner has the Fitness, Nutrition, Checklist, and To-Do List add-ons. Each one comes separated by a colorful, sturdy tab.

The Fitness Add-On

If you’re into exercise and keeping track of it, then you’ll love having this add-on right in your everyday planner. There are two pages for every month for a total of 24 pages in the section. The first page is where you write down the month, your goals for that month, motivation, and starting and ending weight and measurements. The next page is where you break it down by week. Here, you write down your weight each week and track your progress with certain exercises.

As a whole, the fitness add on is a great tool. It’s helpful in seeing your weekly progress so you can continue to become stronger, faster, fitter, and healthier as the weeks go by.

The Nutrition Add-On

You can’t really have the fitness add-on without the nutrition one as well. Diet and exercise go hand-in-hand after all. In the nutrition add-on, each day has a row where you can write down your meals and snacks, water intake, and fruit and vegetable servings. There’s also a spot for you to write down your exercise for that day, which is a good way to make sure that what you’re eating supports your exertion needs without overriding your weight loss progress.

Each page has six rows, so it doesn’t quite a span a whole week, but there’s really nothing wrong with that. Overall, each row has enough space for you to write what you ate and what the calories were, and the spaces for water, fruits, and veggies serves as a great reminder of what you should be consuming the most. Nutrition trackers are hard to find, but this one satisfies everything you need to stay on top of your diet.

The Checklist Add-On

At first glance, it’s not clear what the checklist add-on is for, but that’s the point. You can use this add-on for whatever you need. It’s great for tracking projects, loan payments, kids’ chores, and any other health goals that you have. It’s a flexible space, so it can meet whatever needs you have.

The To-Do List Add-On

Even though there’s plenty of room to write tasks down in the weekly and monthly calendars, the to-do list add-on is useful for lumping the tasks that all relate to one large goal or project. If you’re remodeling your house, then you can write down all the things you need to do in one column and then manually jot those down on the pages you’re going to complete them. The to-do list also works for anything relating to your family, like birthday party planning or vacation planning. It provides an organized space for you to write these things down in an cohesive and related manner, which simply helps you keep things running smoothly in your life.

As a whole, the PurpleTrail planner is an excellent weekly planner for just about everyone. There are so many ways you can make it work for you and your life that’s it’s easily one the most customizable planners on the market. If you like organization, flexibility, and a fun design, then PurpleTrail planners are your best bet.

For 15% off your own PurpleTrail planner, enter the discount code EVE2017 at checkout!

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