Can you get a really nice planner straight from the mall?
Let's be honest for one second: malls wouldn't really be our first choice when it comes to exceptional paper and pen products, would they? I personally would go scouring for choice products over the internet and get them from online stationery shops. However, I did notice a lot of major improvements of what is currently being sold in our malls. A swell improvement, honestly.
Planner buying is just around the corner, and may I just say from the get-go that The Day Book 365 Day Planner is one of the many better paper products I've seen around. The first time I laid my eyes on them cleanly shelved at SM City Cebu in December 2021, I knew I had to review one for all my two loyal readers. 😅
Let's begin. ♥︎
THE LAYOUT
The Day Book 365 Day Planner is an undated journal by SM Stationery, one of the Philippines's leading retailers of school and office supplies and giftables.
These are the features:
- slightly cushioned, hard PU leather cover
- 196 leaves / 392 pages of 70 GSM paper
- ribbon bookmark
- comes in black, blue, green, purple, pink, and beige
The journal facade reminds me of either photo albums we all grew up with or older schedulers my mom had from the '80s-'90s. But overall (and in comparison to the other local planners we have), this falls on the sleek side of the rainbow.
QUICK NOTES
Where to buy: All SM department stores
SAMPLE PAGES
First impression: Not the biggest fan, but there's nothing art materials, stickers, and washi tapes can't do to spice up a journal like this. Though I have to admit, I appreciate how plain-looking it is because I think that's really the point they're trying to make. So good job, SM Stationery.
THE PEN-TO-PAPER TEST
If you're new here, the pen-to-paper test is where we test how inks fair against the paper of any writable product. We test it on ghosting, bleeding, and general performance. Let's see how good these sheets are, shall we.
Findings
- Ghosting is visible. The paper shows general ghosting. You can see that even the Uni Jetstream (last swatch), which is a ballpoint, still ghosted on the back page. Perhaps the least ghosting were the lighter pens like the Zebra Sarasa Relaxation pens.
- Possibility of bleeding. Slight bleeding with my lavender DS highlighter. That's probably because I very slightly paused during the swatch. So if you don't have a clue on how thin a 70GSM paper is, then this should give you that.
- Paper smoothness. I would say that the paper isn't that smooth to write on. There definitely are tugs in each stroke⏤not something I like to be honest.
THE YELLOW LEGAL PAD TEST
pros
- Dotted all the way. The pages besides the monthly calendar are all dotted!
- Super customizable. You can customize the page per month. The only thing that divides the sections are the calendar layouts, and the rest of the pages are up to you to spice up.
- Beginner-friendly. Perhaps the most taxing part of building your bullet journal is really the monthly calendar layout. How big is a big-enough square? Because that's already taken care of, all you really have to worry about is how to design it and the rest of the pages. You can easily find simple inspirations online or feel free to scan through the old ones I did! 😉
cons
- It's bulky. I think that this is quite chunky. I wouldn't want to be bringing it with me when I go to work or leave the house, but that's definitely a personal take on it.
- Not the best dots for me. The dots on the pages are a bit too big and too dark for my liking. Especially when you work with thinner writing materials, I think that a lighter and/or smaller dots would be ideal so that your eyes don't get too distracted by how busy the page is.
VERDICT
RECOMMENDATION
In all fairness, for something that costs PHP250, you really do get a lot in this journal. I would say it's a good option for those starting their journaling / planning journey.
Not only am I recommending this planner, I'm also giving it away so one of my Cebuano analog planners get to enjoy it! I would especially love it if a student wins, but a more adult winner won't hurt my heart too. 😇 So please check out my Instagram for all the giveaway details soon! ♥︎
jls ⁕
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