Tuesday 24 May 2011

Dodo Pad review

Hi!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I've been very busy with essays and exams! One down, 2 to go!

So this is my review of the Dodo Pad. I tried a dodo pad for my first year at uni (2008) and it didn't work for me then. I didn't know what style of planner really worked for me at that stage, but I found out after a couple of weeks that it didn't work. I don't know what it was; I guess I just didn't know how to use it.

I'm afraid to report that the Dodo Pad still isn't working for me on the second attempt, at least at this stage. I really need a different format! In fact, since I received it and put it in my Domino Rufus, I don't think I used it. I might have looked at it a couple of times over the next few days, but I didn't write anything in it! I initially divided the days/columns into several sections: Uni work (essays etc I was going to focus on); Important things to do at uni (jobs, appointments on campus); Important things to do at home; Misc/other/extra; and Home (things that I needed to do at home; what I was going to do for dinner; general evening things). I filled this in for 1 day, the day after I received it!

Maybe it just doesn't work for ME. According to the reviews on the Dodo Pad website http://www.dodopad.com/pages/dodelighted.html LOTS of people love it! But I don't agree with their statement that once you go Dodo, you Dodon't go back (see what I did there!). It just doesn't suit my needs. The little boxes are good for some things; if you don't need to write a lot of information down, if you need to divide your day into a lot of sections, it's perfect! It would be brilliant for families as everyone can have their own box! Of course the designs are really cute and funny, definitely more interesting than my boring WHSmith day-to-a-page refill in my personal filo! But I can't use this format! I a) need to have a space big enough to write EVERYTHING down; b) need to have a structure where I can put my appointments in time order and see the gaps in between them; and c) prefer to see things in a vertical (reading down not across) format. I hope it works for other people! It just doesn't work for me! Maybe it will work better during the summer, when I don't have uni work to do, appointments etc; I'll just have my own little projects and to-dos to write down.

Sorry Lord Dodo and Miss Peabody!

Tuesday 10 May 2011

Filofax hack #1

Hi everyone! I'm back because I've finally finished my dissertation :D

It was my birthday yesterday and I'm expecting my main birthday present to arrive in a few days, a personal ochre Malden :D but it's from Pens and Leather in the US so is taking a while to come :(

But while I'm waiting I thought I would tell you a filofax hack I thought of. I've named it #1 because I imagine I'll think of a few more in the near future :)

If you want a notepad in your filofax but don't have the slot in it like in the Malden, here's a way for you to fix one into your filo!
What you need:
a filofax notepad (the right size for your filo)
a top-opening envelope
scissors

Take a pair of scissors- be brave, it doesn't hurt!! and  cut the side off the cardboard backing of your notepad, approx. 6mm. Cut the left side and you will cut through the holes, but you can still put the notepad on the rings using the holes of the paper itself.
Slip the cardboard backing into the top-opening envelope


And voila! You now can have a notepad in your filofax!!

And while I'm loading pictures off my phone, here's a picture of my cat :)