Erin Condren 2017 Luxe LifePlanner: Ushering in a New Age

As a longtime lover of Erin Condren’s LifePlanners, I was ecstatic to get my hands on the 2017 Luxe LifePlanner in a neutral color scheme and weekly vertical layout. I’ve had a lot of LifePlanners in my hands before, and even though I try not to play favorites with my planners, this one just might be my favorite LifePlanner of all.

What most appeals to me about the cover design is the simplicity. With one solid color and the delicate silver foil “Create Motivate Inspire,” the cover manages to be subtle but still have personality. It also comes in teal with gold and purple with gold.

When they chose to name this version the “Luxe,” they certainly chose well. The permanent cover in taupe leather feels luxurious and formal in a way that the fun, interchangeable covers don’t. The neutral color scheme inside basically makes this the black tie version of planners. As a lover of all things monochromatic, I’m pretty pumped that Erin Condren finally did something different from their signature colorful design.

That Neutral Color Scheme Though

Erin Condren has always been known for the colorful pages inside the LifePlanner and pretty much every other item they sell. This year, they shook things up by offering a neutral option for the ladies who prefer to decorate and dress in three colors (white, black, and gray) like me. The pages still have the same Erin Condren designs you’re used to, but in grayscale and with a few splashes of muted color in the form of banners and watercolor backgrounds for quotes on the monthly tabbed pages. This color is kept in check, and there’s only one color used for each month so it never becomes overbearing.

Features Forever

The 2017 Luxe LifePlanner has all of the great features you expect from Erin Condren, but there are a few updates and additions. It has goal setting pages at the start of the planner, however this edition has horizontal boxes rather than vertical so you have more room to write your goals and the steps involved with achieving them. There are also the same notes, grid, and blank pages at the back that make this planner such a great tool for daily planning and brainstorming.

And then they’ve added a very neat section at the back. As every year marches by, you need somewhere to write down the things you know are coming up in the next year. Weddings, vacations, concerts, and pretty much every other important planned event is something you know about well in advance—so Erin Condren added in a planning spread for 2018.

Each month has a small monthly calendar with a four-item bulleted list below it. Here, you can write down the events you know will take place that month or even large tasks you know have to be done that month. At the very bottom of each page is a box for you to jot down things for the coming year. Since there’s already a monthly breakdown above this, you can essentially use it to jot larger events that you know of but don’t have definite dates yet.

Of course, there are stickers included. As usual, the color scheme has changed a little bit for 2017. The colors are a little bit more muted to mimic the colors on the inside of the planner. This year, though, there are both the traditional rectangle stickers (prelabeled and blank) and the newer horizontal ribbon stickers. The labeled versions of these are for birthdays though, and there are blank ones as well for other exciting events.

The two-sided folder at the back of the planner is also black and white. One side is tall for those taller items you need to carry, and the other side is shorter. This side is perfect for wider items so they won’t fall out. Inside the folder, Erin Condren has included the Perpetual Calendar booklet. This is for those recurring annual events you need to know every single year, and can be really helpful when you fill out the planning spread for 2018.

MIA

I was shocked to learn that the zippered pouch I’m used to finding at the back of every LifePlanner wasn’t included in the 2017 Luxe. That means no gift labels, postcards, or fun little EC mementos. These items aren’t necessary, of course, but they are fun. And the zippered pouch is extremely useful for holding items you simply can’t risk falling out of your planner. I can only assume that it wasn’t included because something about the shape of the zippered pouch didn’t work with the new Luxe covers. They aren’t as flexible as the laminated interchangeable covers.

The Verdict

As I said earlier, I love the neutral color scheme available for 2017. It’s great if you like to color code, or if you simply don’t like a lot of color. The covers are beautiful. If you work in a very professional setting, then these covers, especially the taupe, will appeal much more than the bright interchangeable covers. Ultimately, I think the 2017 Luxe LifePlanner and neutral color scheme are totally worth it.

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