In today's episode, Sarah shares a listener tip, a store spotlight, and some great Q&A centered around morning routines and actually USING one's planner on a daily basis!Keep your questions coming - Sarah can be reached via email (sarah hart unger at gmail) or via 305-697-7189!PS: Sarah's book, Best Laid Plans: A Simple Planning System for Living A Life That You Love is out tomorrow! Visit theshubox.com/preorders for your last chance at preorder bonuses!! Episode Sponsors: Organize 365: Visit organize365.com/sunday-basket to check out the Sunday Basket® today Green Chef: Make this season your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Visit greenchef.com/50bestlaid and use code 50BESTLAID to get fifty percent off your first month, then twenty percent off for two months with free shipping. Mint Mobile: Ready to save on your wireless? Make the switch at mint mobile.com/BLP. PrepDish: Meal plans ready to go, in your inbox each week. You can try 2 weeks free at prepdish.com/plans! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today's episode, Sarah opens by reminding listeners of her upcoming book launch (T-8 days and counting - you can still get the preorder bonuses by visiting theshubox.com/preorders). And, she shares the happy news that Best Laid Plans was named by Amazon as one of 9 nonfiction editor's picks for December!(See the full list here: https://www.amazon.com/b?ref=r_ess_dp_epicks&node=17276799011)Then, Sarah interviews Ronna Belinky - productivity and time management expert, the creator and head of Workflows by Ronna! Learn about Ronna's innovative monthly planning techniques, the workbooks she created, and the key rituals and supports that help them work so well for people.Find more from Ronna at workflowsbyronna.com. Episode Sponsors: Organize 365: Visit organize365.com/sunday-basket to check out the Sunday Basket® today Green Chef: Make this season your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Visit greenchef.com/50bestlaid and use code 50BESTLAID to get fifty percent off your first month, then twenty percent off for two months with free shipping. Mint Mobile: Ready to save on your wireless? Make the switch at mint mobile.com/BLP. PrepDish: Meal plans ready to go, in your inbox each week. You can try 2 weeks free at prepdish.com/plans! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today's episode, Sarah goes through the physical tools she used in 2025 and shares her 2026 Planner Stack!This episode has a video component if you'd like to see the planners -- visit https://youtu.be/Bf5G8_pSr2s to get a visual! Products mentioned:- Hobonichi Cousin Avec- Hobonichi Weeks- Hobonichi Day Free- Ashley Shelley x Amanda's Favorites collab- Erin Condren 18 month Monthly Planner (Japanese-Style softcover)- Moleskine Cherry Blossom series- Hobonichi 5-year Journal- Sarah's own Planning by Season + BLP Live Planners Episode Sponsors: Organize 365: Visit organize365.com/sunday-basket to check out the Sunday Basket® today Green Chef: Make this season your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Visit greenchef.com/50bestlaid and use code 50BESTLAID to get fifty percent off your first month, then twenty percent off for two months with free shipping. Mint Mobile: Ready to save on your wireless? Make the switch at mint mobile.com/BLP. PrepDish: Meal plans ready to go, in your inbox each week. You can try 2 weeks free at prepdish.com/plans! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today's episode, Sarah empties her email inbox (and some other life inboxes) in real time! Find out how much time it took her to get from ~140 messages (half a week's worth of accumulation) in her primary gmail inbox to 0, what she did with all of those little pieces of information, and some takeaways for you if you struggle with task management or collecting all of your inputs. She then takes listeners through other digital inboxes, including WhatsApp and her texts.Then, she shares her review of Hemlock & Oak's new 70gsm daily / weekly / monthly planner offering!Link to the H&O planner she discusses is here: https://www.hemlockandoak.com/products/2026-weekly-daily-12-month-cloth-flex Episode Sponsors: Green Chef: Make this fall your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Visit greenchef.com/50bestlaid and use code 50BESTLAID to get fifty percent off your first month, then twenty percent off for two months with free shipping. Mint Mobile: Ready to save on your wireless? Make the switch at mintmobile.com/BLP. PrepDish: Meal plans ready to go, in your inbox each week. You can try 2 weeks free at prepdish.com/plans! Organize 365: Visit organize365.com/sunday-basket to check out the Sunday Basket® today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today's episode, Sarah shares some life updates coming off of a tough week! Then she delves into an overview of BLP Live and some of her own key planning takeaways from the event. Finally, she responds to a listener request for a "DIY Planning Primer", providing a list of 15 episodes that cover essential planning topics -- from building a system from scratch to daily planning, seasonal planning, monthly planning, and more. Full links to each episode can be found on the show notes posted at theshubox.com! Ep #6: Building a System from ScratchEp #28: Daily Planning Routines and Crowding Out Bad HabitsEp #36: Planning in Quarters and QuintilesEp #88: Tracking - The Good, The Bad, and The UglyEp #110: How Sarah Organizes Her LifeEp #145: Efficiency Tips for Healthcare ProvidersEp #168: Inputs, Interruptions & ReactivityEp #177: Annual Goal SettingEp #182: Nested Goals ExplainedEp #190: Your Ideal WeekEp #214: How to Build More Intentionality Into Your LifeEp #218: Your New Month GuideEp #233: January Energy + 3 Essential SystemsEp #245: The Gap Between Planning and DoingEp #269: 10 Things to Consider if You Are Feeling Scattered Episode Sponsors: Green Chef: Make this fall your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Visit greenchef.com/50bestlaid and use code 50BESTLAID to get fifty percent off your first month, then twenty percent off for two months with free shipping. Mint Mobile: Ready to save on your wireless? Make the switch at mintmobile.com/BLP. PrepDish: Meal plans ready to go, in your inbox each week. You can try 2 weeks free at prepdish.com/plans! Organize 365: Visit organize365.com/sunday-basket to check out the Sunday Basket® today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today's episode, Sarah interviews Jodi Wellman, author of You Only Die Once: How to Make it to the End with No Regrets. This is Jodi's second visit to the podcast, and this conversation is all about the planning rituals that Jodi herself uses to ensure the (finite) life she is living has all of the elements that make it feel truly well-lived. They get into the weeds about her monthly vision boards, planning brunch dates, and how one might actually PLAN IN some spontaneity (yes, such a thing is possible!). This episode will help you get excited and inspired to gear up to plan 2026.Jodi can be found at her website https://fourthousandmondays.com and on instagram at @fourthousandmondays -- her (free) newsletter comes out each Mondy and is a wonderful way to start the week.Sarah also mentions Best Laid Plans at Home: Planning 2026 in this episode; details can be found at theshubox.com/courses Sponsor Notes: IXL: Make an impact on your child’s learning, get IXL now. Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at https://www.ixl.com/plans Green Chef: Make this fall your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Visit greenchef.com/50bestlaid and use code 50BESTLAID to get fifty percent off your first month, then twenty percent off for two months with free shipping. Mint Mobile: Ready to save on your wireless? Make the switch at mintmobile.com/BLP. PrepDish: Meal plans ready to go, in your inbox each week. You can try 2 weeks free at prepdish.com/plans! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jen Ludwig loves holiday planning -specifically, she loves planning around her traditions of Christmas. However, this episode is for you no matter what you love to celebrate at the end of the year! In today's episode, Jen shares her tips for creating a celebratory season that is filled with fun and not overwhelm. She also has some fantastic gift tips + hacks!Find Jen's book, Embracing Advent: Rediscovering Christmas in the Chaos (A Daily Devotional) on amazon, and more from jen at @jenludwigwrites on IG or substack. Sponsor Notes: IXL: Make an impact on your child’s learning, get IXL now. Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at https://www.ixl.com/plans Green Chef: Make this fall your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Visit greenchef.com/50bestlaid and use code 50BESTLAID to get fifty percent off your first month, then twenty percent off for two months with free shipping. Mint Mobile: Ready to save on your wireless? Make the switch at mintmobile.com/BLP. PrepDish: Meal plans ready to go, in your inbox each week. You can try 2 weeks free at prepdish.com/plans! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today's episode, Sarah shares an update for the listener seeking high-contrast planner options, with products mentioned including the Marjolein Delhaas Planner from Wms&Co, Rad & Happy, and Passion Planner. Then, she shares a listener's story of ordering the Personal Planner from Sweden -- and being extremely surprised by fees (over 4x the value of the planner!). Following, Sarah gets into the concept of an Analog Fall (or an Analog 2026?) inspired by Julianna Salguero's Keepsake substack post: https://juliannasalguero.substack.com/p/how-to-have-an-analog-fall She adds to Julianna's ideas with several fun analog activities of her own, and also ponders: if we were adding tech back to our lives from scratch, what would we actually choose to partake in? Sponsor Notes: IXL: Make an impact on your child’s learning, get IXL now. Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at https://www.ixl.com/plans Green Chef: Make this fall your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Visit greenchef.com/50bestlaid and use code 50BESTLAID to get fifty percent off your first month, then twenty percent off for two months with free shipping. Mint Mobile: Ready to save on your wireless? Make the switch at mintmobile.com/BLP. PrepDish: Meal plans ready to go, in your inbox each week. You can try 2 weeks free at prepdish.com/plans! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today's episode (and inspired by her recent girls' trip!), Sarah shares 6 practices to help you think through your big picture goals and dreams as we gear up for Reflection Season and starting to think about annual planning for 2026! These include:- Inspiring reading (or audio)- 100 Dreams List- 10, 5, or 1-year Visioning Exercises- The gift of a notebook just for dreaming and scheming- Deep conversion with a partner or friend- Clean up! A few specific items mentioned: Laura's 100 Dreams List: https://lauravanderkam.com/2015/06/2015-list-100-dreams/Nuuna Notebook: https://nuuna.com/notebooks36 Questions: https://36questionsinlove.comCourse notes:Visit theshubox.com/courses to learn more about guided annual and seasonal planning experiences for 2026! Sponsor Notes: IXL: Make an impact on your child’s learning, get IXL now. Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at https://www.ixl.com/plans Green Chef: Make this fall your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Visit greenchef.com/50bestlaid and use code 50BESTLAID to get fifty percent off your first month, then twenty percent off for two months with free shipping. Mint Mobile: Ready to save on your wireless? Make the switch at mintmobile.com/BLP. PrepDish: Meal plans ready to go, in your inbox each week. You can try 2 weeks free at prepdish.com/plans! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today's episode is a very planner-centric Q&A episode (since it's that time of year!). First, Cynthia opens with her planner peace - a mashup of prior BLP mentions, from the Passionate Pennypincher Planner to Planner Pad and a Stalogy notebook! Then, Kristin shares a pro tip for melding her digital planning (via Google calendar) with a paper system that allows for daily notes jotted in pen and a physical representation of the weeks and months. Susie shares a common planning conundrum - she has a life with LOTS of moving parts, but no one system to contain them all. Finally, a listener wonders how to handle events being tentatively booked in advance, while another gives a shout-out to Midori's unique Double Scheduler options (https://www.jetpens.com/Midori-Double-Schedule-Diary-2026-B6-To-Do-Blue) Notes: Yes, you can text your questions to Sarah -- just text (305) 697-71892026 courses are open for registration at theshubox.com/courses. Planning By Season is almost full, so don't wait to register if you are interested! Sponsor Notes: IXL: Make an impact on your child’s learning, get IXL now. Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at https://www.ixl.com/plans Green Chef: Make this fall your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Visit greenchef.com/50bestlaid and use code 50BESTLAID to get fifty percent off your first month, then twenty percent off for two months with free shipping. Mint Mobile: Ready to save on your wireless? Make the switch at mintmobile.com/BLP. PrepDish: Meal plans ready to go, in your inbox each week. You can try 2 weeks free at prepdish.com/plans! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today's episode, Sarah interviews Skye Waterson, ADHD strategist, host of a podcast in the ADHD space, and an expert in building systems that help entrepreneurs and execs with ADHD (or suspected ADHD) scale their businesses. Skye shares the strategies that she's currently using herself, as well as some great tips for prioritizing when everything feels urgent. She also shares ideas for procrastination and offers advice for others trying to support friends or family with ADHD. Skye lives in New Zealand, and you can find her at unconventionalorganisation.com Note: Best Laid Plans Live: Planning 2026 and Planning By Season: 2026 Edition are both open for registration for a limited time!Visit theshubox.com/courses to learn more. Sponsor Notes: IXL: Make an impact on your child’s learning, get IXL now. Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at https://www.ixl.com/plans Green Chef: Make this fall your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Visit greenchef.com/50bestlaid and use code 50BESTLAID to get fifty percent off your first month, then twenty percent off for two months with free shipping. Mint Mobile: Ready to save on your wireless? Make the switch at mintmobile.com/BLP. PrepDish: Meal plans ready to go, in your inbox each week. You can try 2 weeks free at prepdish.com/plans! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today's episode, Sarah opens with news about upcoming courses - both Best Laid Plans at Home: Planning 2026 AND Planning By Season will be back for next calendar year! Get details about the courses at theshubox.com/courses and be sure to sign up for her newsletter for registration info (newsletter drops 10/1).Newsletter: theshubox.com/newsletterThen, she talks all about FUN - the case for ensuring we plan in fun, ways to figure out what kind of fun we need, and inspiration for planning in fun at every time horizon, from daily to yearly and beyond. Episode Sponsors: IXL: Make an impact on your child's learning this school year with IXL! Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/plans. Green Chef: Make this season your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Head to greenchef.com/50BESTLAID and use code 50BESTLAID to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. PrepDish: Healthy menu plans and prep instruction to take the mental load out of dinner! Visit PrepDish.com/plans for your first 2 weeks, FREE. Mint Mobile: Affordable unlimited wireless! Get your new customer offer and your 3-month unlimited wireless plan for $15 a month at mintmobile.com/BLP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Inspired by her own recent period of feeling a bit overwhelmed and all over the place, Sarah shares 10 tips for those feeling scattered.Please be sure to sign up for the newsletter if you'd like to receive October's edition:theshubox.com/newsletterEmail Sarah with questions or comments at sarah hart unger @ gmail or text (305) 697-7189 Episode Sponsors: IXL: Make an impact on your child's learning this school year with IXL! Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/plans. Green Chef: Make this season your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Head to greenchef.com/50BESTLAID and use code 50BESTLAID to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. PrepDish: Healthy menu plans and prep instruction to take the mental load out of dinner! Visit PrepDish.com/plans for your first 2 weeks, FREE. Mint Mobile: Affordable unlimited wireless! Get your new customer offer and your 3-month unlimited wireless plan for $15 a month at mintmobile.com/BLP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today's episode, Sarah shares a Planner Peace submission from R, a lover of paper planners with a vision issue that makes small print and light colors difficult to work with. Please send Sarah any ideas for bright and bold planner brands to share with our listener!Then, Sarah shares her notes on Wirecutter's picks for next year's planners!The article can be found here:https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/our-favorite-paper-planners/Send Sarah your own thoughts on the reviews, or submit your planning questions via email - sarah hart unger at gmail! Episode Sponsors: IXL: Make an impact on your child's learning this school year with IXL! Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/plans. Green Chef: Make this season your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Head to greenchef.com/50BESTLAID and use code 50BESTLAID to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. PrepDish: Healthy menu plans and prep instruction to take the mental load out of dinner! Visit PrepDish.com/plans for your first 2 weeks, FREE. Mint Mobile: Affordable unlimited wireless! Get your new customer offer and your 3-month unlimited wireless plan for $15 a month at mintmobile.com/BLP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today's episode, Sarah shares some recent planner news. She discusses price changes at Hobonichi (she compares her recent order to years prior), and then shares about the new Minimalist option available from Full Focus.Then, she goes through Q&A, tips & planner peace submissions for September! Topics include:- Feedback from a teacher about separating work + life into different planner systems- Tip from Sara about using ToDoist as a way to remind her future self about upcoming tasks- Planner Peace (mostly digital!) from SAHM Ashley- Suggestions for compact planners designed to be used for just one month at at a time?- Advice for rebuilding one's system after a life-changing medical eventTo submit your questions, email sarah hart unger at gmail or visit theshubox.com! Episode Sponsors: IXL: Make an impact on your child's learning this school year with IXL! Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/plans. Green Chef: Make this season your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Head to greenchef.com/50BESTLAID and use code 50BESTLAID to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. PrepDish: Healthy menu plans and prep instruction to take the mental load out of dinner! Visit PrepDish.com/plans for your first 2 weeks, FREE. Mint Mobile: Affordable unlimited wireless! Get your new customer offer and your 3-month unlimited wireless plan for $15 a month at mintmobile.com/BLP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today's episode, Sarah goes through a techo kaigi -- her own assessment of how her current tools are working for her, along with some musing about what's up ahead for 2026! Products mentioned:Hobonichi Cousin AvecErin Condren B6 18 Month SoftboundHobonichi 5-Year JournalErin Condren WhiteboardEssential Calendar (affiliate link: https://www.theessentialcalendar.com/BESTLAIDPLANS + use code BESTLAIDPLANS for 10% off)Digital: Apple Notes, YNAB, Google SheetsSticker printer: Canon Selphy X20 Episode Sponsors:IXL: Make an impact on your child's learning this school year with IXL! Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/plans.Green Chef: Make this season your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Head to greenchef.com/50BESTLAID and use code 50BESTLAID to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping.PrepDish: Healthy menu plans and prep instruction to take the mental load out of dinner! Visit PrepDish.com/plans for your first 2 weeks, FREE.Mint Mobile: Affordable unlimited wireless! Get your new customer offer and your 3-month unlimited wireless plan for $15 a month at mintmobile.com/BLP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today's episode, Sarah shares two things that made her (tough) week, and then answers 6 questions from the August Q&A collection!Topics include:- Can you use Apple Notes to include attachments + graphics- Big projects: fewer longer sessions, or consistent shorter ones?- Ideal week during the newborn phase: yay or nay, and suggestions for an alternative if not?- Are there circumstances where a 'work specific' planner can make sense?- Work & rest-of-life planning sessions: separate or together?- How long does it take to implement the routines of the nested planning sessions?Get your questions to Sarah and you may hear the answers on a future episode! Email at sarah hart unger @ gmail or leave a comment on the show notes at theshubox.com.Remember the newsletter comes out at the start of each month -- we're close to September, so sign up at theshubox.com/newsletter to receive it! Episode Sponsors IXL: Learning doesn't have to stop in the summer! Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/plans. Green Chef: Make this summer your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Head to greenchef.com/50BESTLAID and use code 50BESTLAID to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. PrepDish: Healthy menu plans and prep instruction to take the mental load out of dinner! Visit PrepDish.com/plans for your first 2 weeks, FREE. Mint Mobile: Affordable unlimited wireless! Get your new customer offer and your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for $15 a month at mintmobile.com/BLP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If you've ever been curious about how you can leverage your planning and organizing skills to help you save money, this episode is for you, especially if yo love to travel. Kathleen Paley is a litigator, mother of 2, and podcast host who loves saving and having fun with her family. She joins Sarah today to share her top 5 strategies for traveling on credit card points -- everything from which cards to start with, how to maximize point earnings, and how to spend most cost-effectively.Please note: neither Sarah nor Kathleen are affiliated with any of the companies mentioned on the episode, and these strategies should only be employed if you are paying credit card balances off in full every month -- otherwise they will cost you money rather than offer savings!Kathleen can be found at the Reframe Podcast and The Minimalish Mom on IG. Episode Sponsors IXL: Learning doesn't have to stop in the summer! Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/plans. Green Chef: Make this summer your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Head to greenchef.com/50BESTLAID and use code 50BESTLAID to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. PrepDish: Healthy menu plans and prep instruction to take the mental load out of dinner! Visit PrepDish.com/plans for your first 2 weeks, FREE. Mint Mobile: Affordable unlimited wireless! Get your new customer offer and your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for $15 a month at mintmobile.com/BLP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today's episode, Sarah shares her thoughts on 5 aspects of life to reflect on (other than planners!) as you head into the back-to-school season, whatever that means for you. She provides a detailed overview of routines to think through / audit / consider tweaking, and then discusses sleep, communication strategies, mood management, and fun. Share your favorite planners for kids/teens or best communication strategies with Sarah - email sarah.hart.unger@gmail.com or leave a comment at the show notes on theshubox.com! Episode Sponsors IXL: Learning doesn't have to stop in the summer! Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/plans. Green Chef: Make this summer your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Head to greenchef.com/50BESTLAID and use code 50BESTLAID to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. PrepDish: Healthy menu plans and prep instruction to take the mental load out of dinner! Visit PrepDish.com/plans for your first 2 weeks, FREE. Mint Mobile: Affordable unlimited wireless! Get your new customer offer and your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for $15 a month at mintmobile.com/BLP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sarah reviews two planners specifically designed to help those with different planning needs. First, she discusses the Order Out of Chaos Planner, designed by ADHD parent and ADDItude Magazine columnist Leslie Josel. This planner is designed for students and might be particularly helpful for those with ADHD, though it could definitely serve other students well, too! Link to the planners: https://ooocplanner.com/collections/academic-planners Second, she reviews the Fast Brain Friend Daily Productivity Planner, described as "an intentional design for the neurodivergent mind" by creator Alanah Purtell. These are Australian monthly planners with varying (and somewhat unusual!) daily layouts as well as monthly + weekly planning tools. Link to the planners: https://www.creatorsfriend.com.au/products/fast-brain-daily-productivity-planner-single For some visuals, visit the show notes at theshubox.com. Episode Sponsors IXL: Learning doesn't have to stop in the summer! Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/plans. Green Chef: Make this summer your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Head to greenchef.com/50BESTLAID and use code 50BESTLAID to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. PrepDish: Healthy menu plans and prep instruction to take the mental load out of dinner! Visit PrepDish.com/plans for your first 2 weeks, FREE. Mint Mobile: Affordable unlimited wireless! Get your new customer offer and your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for $15 a month at mintmobile.com/BLP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's not QUITE back to school season, but depending on where you live, it may be closer than you think! In today's episode, Sarah interviews Sarah McConnell, a professor of anatomy and histology for undergrads, graduate students and med students. Professor Sarah McConnell shares own current planner peace lineup and functional system, and then provides some fantastic tips for others in academic, from using templates to leaving helpful breadcrumbs so that each year builds on past experience without friction. Planner Sarah mentions: Proaction Planner https://www.alifemadesimple.com/proaction-planner/ BLP Review of Proaction Planner:https://theshubox.com/2022/01/blp-ep-79-qa-proaction-planner-review.html Newsletter: theshubox.com/newsletterCourses: theshubox.com/courses Episode Sponsors IXL: Learning doesn't have to stop in the summer! Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/plans. Green Chef: Make this summer your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Head to greenchef.com/50BESTLAID and use code 50BESTLAID to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. PrepDish: Healthy menu plans and prep instruction to take the mental load out of dinner! Visit PrepDish.com/plans for your first 2 weeks, FREE. Mint: Affordable unlimited wireless! Get your new customer offer and your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for $15 a month at mintmobile.com/BLP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today's episode, sociology professor Allison Daminger joins Sarah for a fascinating discussion about mental load, division of labor, and the role of planning! She answers three great questions from listeners, tackling challenging questions about a partner not interested in long-range planning, a partner with little predictability to his job, and a partner with ADHD. Find more from Allison and her book, The Mental Workload of Family Life, at her website: https://www.allisondaminger.com/book, and she can also be found on substack at https://allisondaminger.substack.com. Submit your questions for Allison on the show notes page at theshubox.com! Episode Sponsors IXL: Learning doesn't have to stop in the summer! Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/plans. Green Chef: Make this summer your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Head to greenchef.com/50BESTLAID and use code 50BESTLAID to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. PrepDish: Healthy menu plans and prep instruction to take the mental load out of dinner! Visit PrepDish.com/plans for your first 2 weeks, FREE. Mint: Affordable unlimited wireless! Get your new customer offer and your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for $15 a month at mintmobile.com/BLP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today's episode, Sarah shares some real behind-the-scenes podcast talk with listeners. She chats about how Best Laid Plans came to be, how she chooses guests, how she tracks podcast logistics, what she outsources, how she handles listener emails, and much more! Visit her website, theshubox.com, if you haven't been for links to all of her prior episodes. Newsletter: theshubox.com/newsletterCourses: theshubox.com/coursesBooks Read in 2025: theshubox.com/2025-books Episode Sponsors IXL: Learning doesn't have to stop in the summer! Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/plans. Green Chef: Make this summer your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Head to greenchef.com/50BESTLAID and use code 50BESTLAID to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. PrepDish: Healthy menu plans and prep instruction to take the mental load out of dinner! Visit PrepDish.com/plans for your first 2 weeks, FREE. Mint: Affordable unlimited wireless! Get your new customer offer and your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for $15 a month at mintmobile.com/BLP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today's episode, Sarah answers accumulated questions for July! Topics include: Laurel Denise + Full Focus is too much -- what do use instead? Task management (2 questions on various angles of this common challenge!) and how not to lose all of those great ideas that come to you that you want to see at the right time Discussion of the Alistair Method for the listener struggling to fit tasks into an unpredictable schedule (details on this method here: https://bulletjournal.com/blogs/bulletjournalist/projects-the-alastair-method Ways to structure/plan out a period of lighter work (sabbatical of sorts) As mentioned early in the episode, Sarah's Mid-Year Check In is available for viewing -- great for those looking for a mid-year boost! This 1-hour guided mid-year planning session is available for instant viewing for anyone who purchases access to Planning 2026 (Sarah's 4 hour annual planning course, held in December/January). Visit theshubox.com/courses for details! Episode Sponsors IXL: Learning doesn't have to stop in the summer! Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/plans. Green Chef: Make this summer your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Head to greenchef.com/50BESTLAID and use code 50BESTLAID to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. PrepDish: Healthy menu plans and prep instruction to take the mental load out of dinner! Visit PrepDish.com/plans for your first 2 weeks, FREE. Mint: Affordable unlimited wireless! Get your new customer offer and your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for $15 a month at mintmobile.com/BLP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today's episode, Sarah shares rationale and ideas for completing your own mid-year check in session, where you take stock of where things are, look at annual goals, and decide how you'd like to move forward. She provides ideas for the setting/scope of this session, and then shares her very own mid-year check in - processing her own progress on the air! If you are interested in a guided mid-year check in video that takes you through the process step by step, Sarah is offering this as part of BLP at Home: Planning 2026 this year! You can get access to this video by preordering BLP at Home for next year (4 hour guided planning experience divided into two sessions, taking place in Dec 2025/Jan 2026). All details will be shared via newsletter (July edition out 7/1), so visit theshubox.com/newsletter to sign up! Episode Sponsors IXL: Learning doesn't have to stop in the summer! Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/plans. Green Chef: Make this summer your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Head to greenchef.com/50BESTLAID and use code 50BESTLAID to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. PrepDish: Healthy menu plans and prep instruction to take the mental load out of dinner! Visit PrepDish.com/plans for your first 2 weeks, FREE. Mint: Affordable unlimited wireless! Get your new customer offer and your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for $15 a month at mintmobile.com/BLP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's a Q&A podcast! Topics include: - Ways to plan/manage tasks when your time is unpredictably chopped up (gig worker)?- How to move into a new planner midyear?- How to talk with a partner who feels your planning systems are over the top (and you feel like they are absolutely necessary for a functional family life)?- How to handle a close friend or relative who refuses to make firm plans?- Planner recs for a child with ADHD entering middle school Keep your questions coming! Email sarah.hart.unger at gmail, leave a message on the show notes (theshubox.com) or reply to the newsletter! Newsletter signups: theshubox.com/newsletter EPISODE SPONSORS IXL: Make an impact on your child’s learning, get IXL now. BLP listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/plans. Green Chef: Make this summer your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Visit greenchef.com/50BESTLAID and use code 50BESTLAID to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. Mint Mobile: Save this summer with a Mint Mobile Wireless plan! Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at mintmobile.com/BLP PrepDish: Delicious and healthy plans to take the mental load out of planning dinner! Visit prepdish.com/plans for two weeks free! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today's episode centers around strategies for travel planning, from super-long range (5-10+ years) to daily planning while on vacation! Sarah shares her favorite strategies at each time horizon to craft travel plans that reflect your values and highest priorities, while meeting your actual real-life needs (budget, kids' ages, etc!). Mentioned:Kelsey's "The Years Are Short" sheet:https://www.risingshining.com/2022/10/the-years-are-short-family-spreadsheet.html Cameras (idea from Sarah Jedd, prior guest who blogs at harrytimes.com):https://www.urbanoutfitters.com/shop/hybrid/camp-snap-screen-free-digital-camera EPISODE SPONSORS IXL: Make an impact on your child’s learning, get IXL now. BLP listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/plans. Green Chef: Make this summer your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Visit greenchef.com/50BESTLAID and use code 50BESTLAID to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. Mint Mobile: Save this summer with a Mint Mobile Wireless plan! Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at mintmobile.com/BLP PrepDish: Delicious and healthy plans to take the mental load out of planning dinner! Visit prepdish.com/plans for two weeks free! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Lizzie Post is the great-great-grandaughter of famed etiquette expert Emily Post and serves as co-president at the Emily Post Institute along with her cousin Daniel Post Senning. In today's episode Sarah interviews her on all things planning AND etiquette adjacent! First, Sarah inquires about Lizzie's current favorite planning tools and rituals, and then she asks questions that get at some of the stickier parts of planning: how to manage making plans in a group, how to handle planner fatigue, how to deal with managing forms of communication, and how to get past barriers to planning social things. Lizzie and Dan's new book is the the newly-updated Emily Post’s Business Etiquette - find out more at https://emilypost.com! She and Dan also cohost Awesome Etiquette, a podcast where they discuss all things modern day etiquette and answer listener questions. EPISODE SPONSORS IXL: Make an impact on your child’s learning, get IXL now. BLP listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/plans. Green Chef: Make this summer your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Visit greenchef.com/50BESTLAID and use code 50BESTLAID to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. Mint Mobile: Save this summer with a Mint Mobile Wireless plan! Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at mintmobile.com/BLP PrepDish: Delicious and healthy plans to take the mental load out of planning dinner! Visit prepdish.com/plans for two weeks free! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In today's episode, Sarah welcomes listeners into summer (and southern hemisphere listeners into winter!). Then, she shares 10 less common (possibly quirky!) planning habits that work for her, from her tracking methods to her use of "defaults" and strategic use of break times, and more. She also shares a listener follow up to the new mom wondering how to deal with tasks that come to mind when she isn't with her planner! EPISODE SPONSORS IXL: Make an impact on your child’s learning, get IXL now. BLP listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com/plans. Green Chef: Make this summer your healthiest yet with Green Chef. Visit greenchef.com/50BESTLAID and use code 50BESTLAID to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shipping. Mint Mobile: Save this summer with a Mint Mobile Wireless plan! Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at mintmobile.com/BLP PrepDish: Delicious and healthy plans to take the mental load out of planning dinner! Visit prepdish.com/plans for two weeks free! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today's episode is dedicated to monthly planning rhythms! Sarah discusses why the monthly planning level can be a challenging one, but then provides reasons to try giving it some attention! Elements Discussed: - Ways to add to the "fresh start" energy - screen backgrounds + monthly tracking- Monthly work plan (new element for Sarah!)- Monthly goal setting (middle piece of the Nested Goals method - great way to break up big seasonal projects), including a look back / forward / within, and a calendar landscape review- Monthly "extras" - might include budget, household supply maintenance, fitness ideas, library holds, adding in fun, and more! Prior episodes mentioning Monthly Planning:#17 - https://theshubox.com/2024/09/episode-218-your-new-month-guide.html#218 - https://theshubox.com/2020/11/blp-ep-17-monthly-review.html Completist Products Mentioned (no affiliation):Weekly Planning Pad: https://www.the-completist.com/collections/planner-pads/products/andalucia-weekly-planner-padDaily Planner: https://www.the-completist.com/collections/daily-plannersMonthly Planner: https://www.the-completist.com/collections/month-plannersNewsletter signup: theshubox.com/newsletterBLP Live in Nov (ONE slot as of posting this!): theshubox.com/blplive Episode Sponsors: PrepDish: Convenient meal plans, recipes, and shopping lists to reduce your weekly mental load! Visit prepdish.com/plans for your first 2 weeks, FREE Mint Mobile: Low-cost wireless phone service – a great way to save every single month! Learn more at mintmobile.com/BLP IXL: Tailored and effective online learning (my kids have used this for years as part of their school curriculum)! Best Laid Plans listeners can get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when they sign up today at IXL.com/PLANS. Green Chef: The best meal kit for eating well. Visit greenchef.com/bestlaidfree and use code bestlaidfree to get started with FREE salads for 2 months plus 50% off your first box. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
