I finally got my Design Your Life Planner, just last Monday. Credits to boyfriend. 
You’re right, it’s not your habit to give me flowers, chocolates and gigantic teddy bears; instead, you bought me my planner, my nike bag, clothes and treat me to movies. Okay, enough said.
About my planner.
I already had a teaser entry of what my planner will be; although, it wasn’t really intended to be a teaser entry. Anyway, Design Your Life Planner was what I wanted all along (despite the other options I had before it). I was supposed to have it a week before the day I got it; sadly, all the National Bookstores I went to were all out of stock. On the other hand, I need not to look far all along, because the nearest NBS to my school, which was in Robinsons Ermita, has their own DYL stocks. I was even lucky to have a 10-peso discount, since the planner I got was their last stock. Whew.;)
What I like about my DYL planner…
- The design itself. There’s not a plain page in my planner. Every page is shouting with colors and art designs. Each page is unique from the other, depending on the month. I love that it has a theme each month; the colors and the designs are different, too.
- It’s the right size for me. It’s not too much of a baggage inside my bag, since it’s not really bulky and big. The square shape of my planner fits well along with my other stuff, and the space it consumes is not at all a problem for me. Having said that, I have no worries taking it with me all the time.
- Artsy-fartsy stuff. DYL planner is really perfect in bringing out the artist in me.haha It has free statement stickers, which I can use on particular dates or entries. Plus, it has an additional page intended for doodling, attaching of photos, and just writing whatever.
- Spacious date entries. The space for every date is actually big enough for me, since I have small handwritings, anyway. Well, even if I do have bigger handwriting, I think that I would still find its spaces enough for my entries.
- Cool extra pages. DYL planner, for every month, has a page with trivial and cool stuff in it. There’s one page where you can write your New Year’s resolution, a page with random facts, one page for planning your vacation, and a lot more. Whew.
Things I wish were different in my planner…
- Pages prone to tearing. The way it was bound can be the reason for the pages to be torn. That is, if you’re not careful when handling and turning its pages.
- Cover is not hard enough. Unlike the other planners I mentioned from my past entry, this one doesn’t have a tough cover. The edges of its cover can be easily ‘folded’. Water and moist can ruin it, too.
- Random pictures from people I don’t know. They used photos of some people to design few pages. I wish they could’ve just drew a stick figure or something to that effect, instead of personal photos, where they even tried to conceal their identity by covering the eyes.
In general, I think I can safely recommend my planner; especially, if you like to design stuff, too. Some people may just find it a little pricey , but I say it’s still worth it, just maximize all of its features and pages.
The designs of my planner is just one thing. The most important thing to consider here, though, is the content or the would-be content. I bought my planner so I can organize my stuff, my schedules and the things I need to do. And I do hope that I would be able to stick to them. 
For more details about Design Your Life Planner, you may visit www.cnsdesigns.multiply.com
Enjoy planning!
- DYL Cover
DYL has two designs. This is their guitar design; the other cover, which I originally wanted but they ran out of stock, has a swirly design. I love it, still.
- L-R (top): February, January; L-R (bottom): April, May
Some pages from different months with different themes. I love it!
ring-bind spine and weak cover
This is why I need to be careful in handling my planner.
the who?
These are the pages I was talking about. The ones they designed with photos of some people.
More cool stuff..:)
sticker page.doodle page.my travel page.trivia page
bday page.pocket page.note page.free bookmarks
…and the featured owner. No other than yours truly..;b
bedroom look?;b
Watch out for my 2010 Planner review! Of course, you are featured there. Haha. I’ll link to this “comprehensive” review. I’ll do a concise one kasi. Ye know, I have 10 planners to feature.
By: aLps on January 16, 2010
at 10:24 am
I know.:) I actually thought you’re gonna have that post first before I do. I was waiting for it, I was thinking of grabbing pictures eh.haha
Dali na, post na.:)
By: irishprecious on January 16, 2010
at 9:01 pm
I love your planner! It reminds me of the diary the teenager created for her mother in “My Sister’s Keeper.” She has pop-up pages… maybe a thought to add more coolness to your day?
Where can I get a planner like this for my teenaged daughter?
By: trishadunn on January 18, 2010
at 12:45 am
Hi, Trishadunn. Thanks for dropping by my page.
You can check out this site: http://cnsdesigns.multiply.com. They’re the manufacturer of this planner, and they also do online orders, just ask for the details. 
By: irishprecious on January 19, 2010
at 8:58 pm
[...] Featured owner: Rish Mangubat – The Good: Lots of writing space; the design–each month has a theme with different colors and looks; fun pages such as pages of trivia and fun facts. – The Bad: Pages are prone to tearing; there are pictures of unknown girls–they used these pictures to design some of the pages; it costs a lot (I took 500 pesos from my boyfriend’s wallet!). – The Lowdown: I recommend this planner for those who like to bring out the artist in them. It’s definitely the planner for those who, like me, want to design their lives! – – Check out Rish’s comprehensive review here. [...]
By: The Way We Plan 2010 | ALPSaguado.com on January 24, 2010
at 12:19 am
[...] already did my own review of my planner, Design Your Life. For the benefits, however, of those who might still want to have a look at the other planners [...]
By: DYL Featured User « confessions of a smitten soul on January 24, 2010
at 1:28 am
[...] been setting aside a lot of things lately. Not even the planner can inspire me. Good thing, someone else is there to do so. Oh, let me correct that. That person is [...]
By: Coz I need to « confessions of a smitten soul on January 26, 2010
at 5:59 am
[...] I remember the first time I bought a real planner, a Go NutsDonuts Planner, back when I was in second year college, I made it a point to maximize every page, every corner and every space. I got so fond of planning, plotting, organizing, doodling and nagging myself with that planner that I knew from then that I should always always have a planner every year. True enough, since that first planner, two more planners went through my hands (Tomato Planner and Design Your Life Planner). [...]
By: I’m Ready to Navigate My Life « Over a Piece of Cake on January 22, 2011
at 1:29 am