How to Create a Digital Planner

by vbmomblog | Nov 26, 2019 | Digital Planner, Planners, Planning

How to Create a Digital Planner

Are you interested in learning how to create a digital planner? I know I was the second I came across them! I had just gotten a new iPad and Apple Pencil and I wanted to see what all I could do with my new toy (besides just work on my blog). That’s when I discovered digital planners!

I loved this idea! It took away all the things I didn’t care for with a physical planner and gave me all the things I didn’t know I was missing with a digital one! Check out my post here that goes more into detail on that but for now, let’s talk about creating your very own digital planner!

Programs to Use to Create a Digital Planner

There are a bunch of different programs you can use to create a digital planner. It is all based on preference. All you really need is a program that can create a PDF. Now if you want your planner to have tabs that link to certain parts in your planner, then you would need a program that can save hyperlinks in the PDF.

I have a Mac so I have become best friends with Keynote, which is Apple’s version of PowerPoint. Keynote allows you to use hyperlinks in your PDF. Hyperlinks in your PDF is how you are able to link from the front of your planner to a certain section or month in your planner. It is also how you can link to webpages from your planner as well.

If you are using an iPad to use your digital planner then it is very easy to just use the Keynote app to create your digital planner. You just create it, save it, then upload it into the note-taking app of your choice to actually use the planner!

If you aren’t using an Apple product then no worries, there are still other ways you can create and use your PDF for your digital planner.

Some of the main programs that allow you to add hyperlinks in a PDF are:

Microsoft Word
PowerPoint
Keynote
Google Docs

Like I said there are many more but most people either use Google, Microsoft, or Apple. All of those allow you to create PDFs with a hyperlink. At least all of those programs just allowed me to when I tested them out to make sure.

So if you are using one of those and it doesn’t you may need to update it because I know that I couldn’t before on PowerPoint but now I can.

Pages to Include in Your Digital Planner

Now that you have picked a program to use you need to decide how your planner is going to look and what pages you are going to include. This is all personal preference too and the best way to decide is to do a little research.

When creating mine, I Googled digital planners and I looked through all the different ones and decided which styles I liked or didn’t like.

I decided how some of them made sense to navigate through and some didn’t. Again, just go through and get some different ideas. As long as you aren’t going to try and resell your planner it is okay to have yours similar to someone else’s.

You do not, however, want to copy someone else’s and then try and sell your planner. That’s a big no-no so don’t do that.

Important Pages

Here are some examples of pages you can include in your digital planner.

Index Page
Habit Tracker
Monthly Calendars
Daily Schedule
Weekly Spreads
Cleaning/Chores
Lists
Tasks
Stickers Page
Meal Planning
Budgeting
Medicine Chart
Important Dates
Address
Blank pages
Dotted Grid Pages (like a bullet journal)
Etc!

This is where creating your planner gets fun! You get to customize each page to what is best for you!

Add charts, graphs, and fun layouts!

Programs to Use Your Digital Planner

After you have finished creating your digital planner and saved it as a PDF you can now upload it into your favorite note-taking app.

I use GoodNotes and it is amazing, I really do love it. It is only available on Apple devices and it does cost about $8 bucks. But really $8 is pretty cheap and it’s worth it in my opinion.

You can also use Notability or OneNote. Any app that will allow you to upload a PDF and edit it. Once again, it is all about preference. You just need to be able to edit the PDF for you to be able to actually use your digital planner like a normal planner.

Once you have picked the app and uploaded your digital planner PDF, you are now free to fill it all in and get your life completely organized at your fingertips!

Need some more help?

This post is just a quick guide to explain how digital planners are created but if you are looking for a more detailed explanation and someone to help guide you through every step of the process, then check out my Digital Planner Creation Mini-Course. (Which is on an early bird sale right now until December 15, 2019!)

In my mini-course, I will help guide you through creating your own digital planner. Here is what is all included in my course:

A Walkthrough on How to Create Your Digital Planner
Which Programs to Use to Create a Digital Planner
The Different Styles and Types of Digital Planners
How to Design Your Digital Planner
The Best Apps to Use with Your Digital Planner

Join my Mini-Course today to get started!

Join Now

Here is More Information on the iPad and Accessories That I Got.

iPad Pro

This is the exact iPad that I bought. I did go with the lower storage because I need to get a hard drive anyway so this way I can just get one of those and save money on buying the extra storage.

We looked into purchasing the iPad through our phone carrier to add data to it but that costs more also. Plus we found out that our T.V. provider has hotspots I can use when I am away from home. Just some things to think about!

I wanted the bigger screen so that was my main priority. I wasn’t as worried about storage because I have a bigger icloud storage plan and then again I plan to get an external hard drive to save all pictures and important documents on it.

Now I don’t pretend to be all tech-savvy, I know just enough to get by. I know that I am a busy mom and this all makes my life easier and more portable. I do want to say that it comes with a completely new charger.

Supposedly it is to be able to connect to your computer better or other techy stuff I don’t understand but my point is no more USB on one end and no more of the other normal end that all Apple products have.

The cord has the same end on each end. So either way, it connects to your converter to plug into the wall and then into the iPad to charge. Just a heads up.

Keyboard

Then since I got the bigger screen I had to get this keyboard that fits it. They are both 12.9 inches so that gives plenty of room for using your screen and typing on a good-sized keyboard, not a tiny one.

The iPad connects magnetically to the keyboard and there are three dots on the back of the iPad that connects it to the keyboard.

Then you can have it in different positions to adjust it to your liking while typing. Then when you aren’t using the keyboard you can fold it over to close and you will hear the iPad lock. Also, you can flip it around and under the iPad to quickly use the iPad only.

Apple Pencil

Then, of course, I got the Apple Pencil 2nd Generation that is compatible with the iPad Pro. It is very sleek and easy to use.

There are no buttons, it looks and feels just like a regular pencil. It doesn’t erase like one although I think it should. I keep wanting to flip it around and erase with the pencil eraser like you normally would.

But just a heads up it doesn’t work like that. Another fun feature of the Apple pencil is that it connects to the side of your iPad magnetically to charge.

This is great to keep track of the pencil and know that it is always charged up. No plugging it in or cords involved! Once you connect it to the iPad it will tell you what charge the pencil is at as well.

Accessories

Because I will be on the go I did get myself a case and as I said I also have the keyboard too. I have seen some creators have these cool pencil gripper sleeves.

I don’t know if I will do that or not because with the new pencil it senses when you double-tap to erase. Also, I don’t know how the gripper affects it charging magnetically or staying safely on the side of the iPad. I worry that it might come off and I would lose it.

Well, that’s all folks! Thanks for reading!

Vanessa

How to Create Pinterest Images in a Few Simple Steps

by vbmomblog | Feb 24, 2018 | Pinterest Tips

How to Create Pinterest Images in a Few Simple Steps

Creating Pinterest images use to sound so hard to me. When I first started blogging I remember thinking that I had no idea what I was doing and it was going to be so hard to learn. I had no idea that I would actually come to love it and it would be one of my favorite parts of blogging!

I did have some help from other bloggers but now that I have learned the basics I have been able to come up with a few tricks myself!

There are many different ways to create Pinterest images and I think that is half of the fun as well. You aren’t stuck with one program that you don’t like, you can choose which one works best for you. Or you can use them all like I do! It depends on what I want to make on which program I will use.

I use to be worried that my images wouldn’t be eye-catching or they would not look professional and now it is like second nature to get in there and design them just how I want!

FREE STOCK IMAGES

There are several different places you can get stock images from. Not all of them are free, in fact, most of them aren’t. The best place I have found is Pexels.com. They have free images where you can donate if you would like. It says on there that images can be used for personal or commercial use. There are so many different choices on there too for photos.

EDITING IMAGES

Once again there are many different programs you can use to edit images. The one that I use is PicMonkey. They do have a free trial but eventually, they want you to pay to use them. After using PicMonkey I can tell you it is worth the small amount to be able to edit pictures so quickly!

I like to take my images that I got from Pexels and edit them before I even start using them for my pins. The main way that I edit the pictures is that even though the background may be white when you add it to your Pinterest Template that has a white background you can see the difference in color. I will then go in and edit that to match.

You may be thinking, “Well, are you allowed to edit the pictures?” Because I know I was! And yes, you can edit the pictures don’t worry!

MAKING MULTIPLE IMAGES OUT OF ONE

To save myself from always going back to look for more pictures to use for my Pinterest images, I like to make several different images out of one. I will find one that I like. Go to PicMonkey and edit the picture, then I will move that picture around and make multiple different images out of that one.

The best way for me to explain it is to watch how I do it in my FREE Pinterest Image Course.

I walk through everything I am talking about in this post, in my course. By making the different images out of one, it saves me so much time and keeps my pins all having the same theme/look to them. Some say to change it up which I do but others say it is good to have a certain “style” you stick with. Elna with Twins Mommy is very good about her pins all having a certain look to them. When I am on Pinterest pinning I will come across one of her pins and I will know it is hers before even looking.

This helps do that for me. I have a certain style that I feel stands out but at the same time, I am able to play around with each pin and make it unique.

THREE PROGRAMS TO USE

There are three programs I use to make my Pinterest images. As you know one of them is PicMonkey, the other is Canva, and the last one is PowerPoint. I not only use PicMonkey to edit my pictures and create multiple images out of one, I also use it to add the words and turn a stock image into my own personal pin image.

Canva is a fun program that I use to not like so much but now I love it. It is free and it saves your past images on there for you so I like to look back at everything I have created. I also like how it is very quick to add the words and design to the pin. Canva has templates set up for you as well to be able to make much more than just Pinterest images!

PowerPoint is not one that most people would think of. I love PowerPoint and Microsoft Excel so when I came across a blogger that used PowerPoint for her images I had to learn what she did. She taught me a lot and I go over those things in the FREE Pinterest Image Course.

One of the best ways to use PowerPoint is to show off a freebie you may be offering to your readers. Like this for example:

I made the “pile of papers” in PowerPoint. I then took that image and made the actual pin in Canva. Or like this one:

This image I made in PowerPoint as well. Then all you have to do is put it on a long pin background and tada! You got yourself a pin for Pinterest!

The fun part is the creative part. When you take the image and move it around to just how you like it and envision how the words are going to look on the pin. Then adding the words, changing the font, changing the color of the words, maybe making them bigger or small, trying to catch the readers attention. I will change a pin around to make it pop and look appealing to the viewers on Pinterest. I want it to catch their attention for being easy on the eyes and they want to save it and hopefully click through.

I don’t want to catch their attention by it being ugly because they are not going to want to repin in…well I know I don’t when I am on Pinterest.

Think about your style and what you like and make what you think is good. That is the best way to start. Go on to Pinterest and see what pins you find attractive and find your “brand” and then start creating!

What are your tips and tricks for making Pinterest images?