Nana's True North

Author: Margaret Gundelfinger

  • Welcome to Nana’s Corner

    Finding joy, sharing stories and navigating life with a little humor along the way.

    Please tell me I’m not the only one who can literally forget what I want to add to my list before I can get to my list.

    I can’t tell you how many times a great idea—or something I absolutely need to remember—pops into my head and whoosh! Before I can get to my planner, it’s gone.

    I used to blame it on senior moments combined with blonde moments (yes, I’m a natural blonde under the gray). Not a particularly helpful combination. These days, I think maybe it’s just life. There’s a lot going on in our heads.

    And that’s one of the reasons Nana’s Corner exists.

    This is a place for the stories, thoughts, lessons, laughs and occasional “Does this happen to anyone else?” moments that come along as we navigate the different seasons of our lives.

    A lot has changed since I first started writing this blog. What began as Sparkle & Sass has grown into Nana’s True North—a community built around something I’ve come to believe more and more strongly: we don’t have to have everything figured out, and we certainly don’t have to figure it out alone.

    Here in Nana’s Corner, I’ll share some of my own journey along with the things I’m learning, trying, creating and occasionally completely messing up. We’ll talk about planning and organizing, creativity, self-care, family, friendship, starting over, finding what matters now—and probably plenty of things I haven’t thought of yet.

    Some days there may be practical ideas you can use. Other days there may simply be a story that makes you laugh or reminds you that someone else understands.

    One of my favorite mentors, Rita Davenport, taught me that we learn best through humor and when we’re laughing. That has stayed with me all these years. Life gives us plenty of serious moments, so whenever we can learn something, encourage one another and laugh along the way, I think we should.

    Because sometimes a little encouragement, a little laughter and knowing we aren’t the only ones is exactly what we need.

    So pull up a chair and stay awhile. There’s always room for one more in Nana’s Corner.

    Sparkling blessings,
    Margi

  • Planner Peace: How to Find Your Perfect Planner (and keep it fun!)

    Let’s talk about my crazy passion for planners.

    Ever since I can remember, I’ve been a list maker. Sometimes I think it stems from books I read and Seventeen magazine’s timeline for prom in 197-something. Let’s not go there.

    I distinctly remember having a five-hour prep list to get ready for prom. It included basic hygiene, nail care, hair care, makeup, hair styling—which involved extremely HOT rollers—and finally stepping into the perfect dress.

    All of that preparation just to have a camera-shy boyfriend who only showed up in pictures from the back while getting into the back seat of his best friend’s car.

    Well, I digress.

    Back to my love of planners and planning.

    I’ve kept some kind of planner or calendar for more than 50 years. For me, planning isn’t just about keeping appointments. It’s about getting all those things swirling around in my head down on paper where I can actually see them—and hopefully remember them!

    Over the years I’ve learned that there really isn’t one “perfect planner.” The perfect planner is the one that works for your life right now.

    One of the planning systems I’ve enjoyed using is Tula XII (Now Tula XII Paper Co). Their customizable system lets you combine different inserts and accessories to create something that works for the things you actually want to plan, track or remember.

    And yes, I may take this enthusiasm a little farther than the average person. I currently have eighteen planner covers and dozens of inserts.

    “Stepford planner,” anyone?

    So how do you find a planner that works for you?

    Start by asking yourself what you actually need your planner to do. Do you simply need to keep track of appointments and your calendar? Or do you also want space for meal planning, finances, goals, projects, lists, journaling or other parts of your life?

    Then think about where and how you’ll use it. A beautiful planner that’s too large to carry with you—or too small to hold everything you need—is probably not going to bring you much planner peace.

    And finally, make it yours.

    Use stickers. Add color. Keep it simple. Decorate every inch. Write in pencil and erase things a hundred times. There are no planner police.

    Your planner should work for you, not the other way around.

    I’m affiliated with Tula XII Paper Co., which means I may earn income or other benefits from purchases made through my Tula XII links. It’s also a planning system I personally use and enjoy. If you’d like help figuring out what might work for you, I’m always happy to help you sort through the options.

    Because in the end, the goal isn’t to have the prettiest or most perfectly organized planner.

    It’s to find a little planner peace—a way to keep track of the life you’re living while still having some fun along the way.

    Sparkling blessings,
    Margi

Is this your new site? Log in to activate admin features and dismiss this message
Log In