Silk + Sonder is a monthly planner subscription that makes planning, reflecting, and achieving easy and fun by delivering a new pen-to-paper experience every month. Every month features new layouts that are "inspired by positive psychology, bullet journaling, and self-help books."
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
Silk + Sonder September 2023
When I discovered the Silk + Sonder planner I was thrilled. Not only did the concept and layout align with my needs, but it's absolutely beautiful too! Centered around a different theme each month, this month's theme is "Flourish", and it encourages us to carve out time, space, and energy to flourish successfully. With 60 pages of writing prompts, trackers, calendars, fun activities, and more, I find myself looking forward to opening this daily journal each day!
Ready or not, September is here in full force! Featuring the theme "Flourish", I have spent the last week wrapping my head around the definition.
Flourish: verb - grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as the result of a particularly favorable environment.
Because I am heading back into the classroom, this was quite uplifting, and I couldn't wait to dig deeper throughout the month.
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I love lists. Pre- Silk + Sonder, you would find random slips of paper with items vigorously crossed off. These scraps of paper would get lost, and chaos would ensue. I have tried multiple types of planners, only to get shoved in a drawer never to be looked at again. I have utilized my phone, but what happens when the battery is at 10%, or you misplace that? Ekkk!! To save the day, Silk + Sonder has created a monthly planner that is portable, easy to use, has prompts to engage your emotional and mental health, and is beautiful. To keep all of my lists, events, menu planning, and scratch paper in one place, I absolutely love this monthly version. On pages 4 and 5 we receive a yearly calendar and a monthly calendar. Only receiving a month at a time keeps me grounded, in the moment, and less stressed.... even after filling it up!
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After the calendar, we are greeted with a "Future Log" and extra note paper. The future log shows small calendars for the two following months which was great for jotting down future plans. Because I am back to school, I do have a few events to keep in the back of my head so I listed them, but otherwise it stays pretty open. Also included is a blank sheet of paper where you can write anything you darn well please. I felt moved to write down a Bible verse with some doodles, but it is completely up to you how you want to fill it. You can NOT screw this up!
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Cruising right along, I started out September by filling out the "August Reflections" page. This page offers you space to review the previous month and write down wins, challenges, and favorite moments. It also includes an area to reflect on what you would like to start, stop, and continue doing. Because this page is so intentional, it helps one realize just how much good there is in the world, even though the media shows a lot of bad. Writing down these moments really aids in creating a growth mindset, and I have found that flipping through older journals helps one realize just how many wins there are in a lifetime!
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September is a tough month for me, filled with changing routines and schedules, so I really appreciated the space to write down my intentions. This is not a to-do list, but rather a place to ask something of yourself, and then give yourself the strength to do it. Each month I am quite ambitious, but put some "low-hanging fruit" as well, to keep it real. Just putting pen to paper is one step in the right direction, and completing this prompt has really helped keep me on track.
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I'll be honest, I started out strong in September by getting this planner filled out at the beginning, but have failed on the follow through when it comes to the Mood Tracker and Habit Tracker. I actually have misplaced the colored pencils I used to fill in the mood tracker, and have actually stayed on top of the three habits I wanted to continue this month, but haven't filled in the boxes. Is it bad that I haven't filled these pages in completely? No! Use this planner to work with your life! Fill in what you want, and leave what you don't like or want to do. Some months you may find these pages helpful, while others are too chaotic. They're there if you need them, but please don't feel like you HAVE to complete everything. This exercise is to help you in life, not leave you feeling more anxious.
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As I have mentioned in the past, I typically go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time each day, so I don't utilize the sleep tracker. If you do, that's awesome! If you don't, that's awesome too! I do, however, use the gratitude jar, and love it! Adding everything that is good and that I am thankful for, keeps me in check and reminds me of just how blessed I am. As we've discussed before, with so much bad going on in the world, it starts to creep in on the good, and this jar helps keep those good things in the forefront.
Before continuing on, I have to share one of the things I am grateful for, and that is our Buxton puppy! While he is a little stinker sometimes, he is also so sweet and snuggly. I just can't believe how fast he's growing! Ekk!!
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Because this month's theme is Flourishing, we received two prompts regarding the topic to help us find fulfillment in our lives and connect with others on a more meaningful level. This prompt was quite powerful and was a wonderful reminder of our "why". In my career, we have a lot of new staff and admin, so creating these new relationships and building those connections have been happening at a rapid pace, where this quiets down my mind and helps anchor me a bit. Just taking a few moments to be intentional and get these feelings off my chest really helps and I am glad it was included! Page 15 was a new prompt for me utilizing Ikigai, a Japanese concept that means "a reason for being". This was quite similar to a "why" project we completed at a Professional Development Summit, so though I didn't complete this task here, know the importance. The bottom includes space to write down ideas that apply to get closer to knowing your passion, mission, vocation, and profession, and it helps ground a person quite nicely!
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The next prompt we received was for one about seeing a Billboard with your name on it. I had a really hard time with this prompt and didn't complete it as directed. Honestly, I would never, ever want my name on a billboard, so I wrote that and left the second one blank. Is that how it is supposed to be done? Maybe not, but because this is completely customizable, it can be done however you see fit.
What a beautiful quote in regards to the definition of flourish and one that so many people should read and re-read. Life isn't about enduring it. There are so many beautiful things to see and experience, and we truly were born to live, not just exist. Ahhh! Love it!!
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Who doesn't love adult coloring? Though I rarely finish a picture, I find it extremely calming to use a gel pen for a few strokes just to de-escalate and breathe. Always a pleasure to see! On the opposing side, we have a "Noticing Nature Game". This game entails you thinking about moss. Bringing me back to my science class days, it had you write down your observations and be very intentional. What does it have to do with flourishing? Well, I believe that getting into nature can be impactful by the sounds, smells, and sights. Being outside always makes me feel better, and being intentional with each little thing (like this moss) helps us realize just how blessed we are!
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I swear, one of these months I'm going to create the included recipe. I actually did buy the ingredients for this month's "Pork Chops with Apple Cider Glaze", so stay tuned for how it turned out. Alongside the recipe, we received another coloring project. This one is actually a Mandala, which helps to track interaction in six areas of your life. This will ideally help you flourish and show your progress. I really need to find those colored pencils!
While I love all of the prompts and activities, I also love the blank sheets of paper. These are great for random lists, notes, and little tidbits that just don't fit anywhere else.
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Instead of a sudoku, this month we received a word wheel. Because I am a word person over a number person, I really enjoyed this activity. While I didn't spend a whole lot of time on it, I do flip through it daily to see if I can find any new words. Along with that is a riddle, which I'm always terrible at. Please someone give me the answer!!! On page 25, we also received a monthly expense tracker. This tracker is great, but because I already track things on a Google doc, don't utilize this version. Remember, this is YOUR planner - you use it how you see fit.
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The most helpful part is the weekly planner. This area shows a calendar, weekly to-dos, habit and activity trackers, goals, and meal plans. Adding notes to each day, this is where I spend most of my time. I love that it condenses some of the other pages into a summary here, and it really helps me stay organized.
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Tidying up with one last quote, the dictionary definition of "Sonder" and the back cover, that's all there is to it. What a mind-organizing and fun subscription!
I have come to find that a key part of my day is the morning in which I sit and fill out my planner with my cup of coffee. This quiet time happens before the kids are awake, and I can snuggle the puppy all to myself! While it has changed with school starting, I am trying to still carve the time as this journal has swiftly changed my mindset and helped me lead a more positive life.
The Verdict
Uffda. While I thought summer was busy, this first week of September has it beat. Because I am now back to work, my schedule and routine have done a 360, and I am still trying to figure it out. While I haven't been able to spend as much time in the morning with my Silk + Sonder planner, I have definitely found it helpful to keep my anxiety at bay with all of the new changes in my life. Helping me to clear my head, organize my thoughts, and be really intentional with how I want my mindset to start the day, I really appreciated this month's "Flourish" theme and was impressed by the beauty and thoughtfulness this month's design encompassed.
I tend to allocate about 15-20 minutes a day to this journal and flip from front to back reflecting, adding to, and processing what I have previously written. By the end of the month, my brain feels much more organized and stable. The beauty of this planner is remarkable, and the packable size means I can tote it around in my purse. Being extremely impressed with all aspects, I am really looking forward to discovering more about myself, all while staying organized and offering myself a little daily quiet time and important self-care. I'm already excited to see what they have in store for October!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Your subscription will start with October as your first month but there is an option to add on September for 50% off at $10.99. A note from Silk + Sonder on shipping:
You can expect your SILK + SONDER issue to arrive 2-5 days before the 1st of every month.
Check out our list of the best women's subscription boxes for 2023 to see which boxes were recommended by MSA readers like you!
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