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. Each planner features new layouts that are "inspired by positive psychology, bullet journaling, and self-help books." For an annual plan, the cost is $15.75/month. There are also quarterly and monthly plans available.
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 December 2024
December is here, and I am in a much better place than I was at the start of November! Remember when I mentioned my son was sick and I was struggling with my anxiety? Turns out he had Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which turned into pneumonia and a high fever that lasted 10 days. After three doctors visits, he was finally diagnosed correctly and was administered the correct antibiotics. Talk about worry on a mother's heart! If that's not enough, that lovely illness took out our entire family over the span of three weeks. Blah!!! Anyways, now I am feeling much less stressed, and ready to take on another month with the help of the Silk + Sonder planner! Because December includes an uptick in basketball practice, volleyball, and all things Christmas, our schedule is crazy, so seriously - this journal has become a necessity in my everyday routine.
While Silk + Sonder is a journal, it is also a planner, stress reliever, focus improver, mood booster, and productivity increaser! Centering around a new theme each month, this book has it all, and aligns with my needs perfectly. With 60 pages of amazingness, I look forward to opening this journal each day, and have found it to help keep my anxiety under control.
Optimism: hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something.
I enjoy the fact that Silk + Sonder chooses themes for each month, and love the fact that Meha is so very thoughtful when choosing each and every one. "Optimism" was chosen for December, and I find it extremely fitting. After finally overcoming our November of illness, I am optimistic that we will make it through December feeling much healthier. Because it is also the Christmas season, I am also on the look out for the many blessings we receive each day. Giving my anxiety to God, I am ready to take on this month and fully enjoy each and every second of it. Now let's dive into this month's journal!
One of my favorite aspects of Silk + Sonder is receiving a new planner each month. Starting "fresh" has been really helpful, as yearly planners make me feel overwhelmed. While this does feature an entire year calendar, it is too small to start filling, but big enough to reference for the future. To start my month, I fill in my calendar with dates I already know, and watch the month fly by! This month is so busy that all of our events don't even fit in the squares - yikes! Staying organized is a huge help in managing my anxiety, and being able to quickly reference this calendar at the front of this planner is exactly what I need to manage life without having a panic attack.
On page 6, we open up to a "Future Log." This includes two small calendars for the upcoming months. With just enough space to write small notes, I typically don't fill this calendar up too much, and really haven't even began thinking about it as I am so overwhelmed with December - I am taking it day by day over here! On the opposite side, we received a page of blank graph paper. This paper can be utilized for whatever you see fit, and I appreciate all the space they give for extra notes, phone numbers, and long division and fractions examples!
Page 8 offers a space to reflect on the previous month. With an area to write down your wins, challenges, and favorite moments, this is a great way to learn what works and what doesn't. This page is one of my favorites, as it shows all of the month's accomplishments. It also features an area to write things down that you want to start, stop, and continue. November was stressful to say the least, but it did have some good moments, too. By the end, we were healthy enough to go on a little family vacation, the weather was beautiful, and I got myself a new window cleaning robot. Challenges this month included being ill, Hank breaking his pinky, and being just plain worn down. Here's to an illness-free, fun, and exciting December! Hip Hip Hooray!
I love the inclusion of the monthly intentions page. Here, you set intentions for yourself, and re-read them throughout the month. With six categories and six boxes to complete, there is plenty of room to jot things down. This isn't necessarily a to-do list, but a place to get yourself off to a good start and remind you of things that you would like to work on. My December intentions are pretty much the same as November, except for taking more time to relax. That's going to be a little bit difficult with such a busy schedule, but I'm definitely going to try!
As I have mentioned above, this is more than just a planner, and these trackers are proof of that. Page 10 and 11 offer a mood tracker and habit tracker. We are given space to fill in what our typical moods are, and fill it out throughout the month. This is great for tracking patterns, especially for me and my anxiety. I love the fact that these are customizable to track exactly how you want in such a pretty way! Silk + Sonder typically ships a week and a half before the next month starts, but since we were on vacation when this journal arrived, I was able to track two days of December so far. My mood has been great and my habit tracking has been better than it has in a while. I have some goals to hit before the New Year, and this fresh new start has been key to my motivation! May the month continue in a good way!
Page 12 offers another tracker, this one being for sleep. I have no trouble in this department, so I usually skip it. The opposing page, however, is another one of my favorites. Page 13 offers a Gratitude Log with space for every day of December to fill with things I am grateful for. So far I have been able to fill out two days worth of things - clean sheets, and my son Hank, as he turns 12 years old today! It's amazing how much a mindset can change for the better when you start your day off journaling what you are grateful for. I highly recommend it, even if you don't have this particular planner!
Because this month's theme was "Optimism," we received two thoughtful prompts regarding this topic that asks us to dive a little deeper into times we've felt optimistic and times we have lost our sense of optimism. These were deep questions that had deep answers, and I was happy to reflect on how it has shaped me as a person. Page 15 offered more journal prompts, but in a different format. While I didn't fill this one out completely, it too was thought provoking, and I find these types of prompts help me reflect on my life and figure out exactly where I want to go from here. I love this going into the Christmas season!
The next activity was a "Converting Challenges Into Gifts" exercise in which we reflected on recent or past challenges or obstacles we've faced, while identifying a gift from that situation. This prompt is a little more deep than I have had time to go, but may sit down with my morning coffee tomorrow to complete it. I love the fact that this journal makes you think and reflect - I feel finding the good in challenges can definitely make you a better person in the end, and love facing problems with a positive mindset! Page 17 offers a beautiful poem titled "Optimism." This poem is written by Jane Hirshfield and encompasses a unique take on optimism. I'm impressed she was able to fit turtles, rivers, mitochondria, and figs into one sentence and have it make such an impact!
Page 18 and 19 offer two more fun activities: an adult coloring page, and a "Year End Scrapbook" page. I love the adult coloring page, but December's busyness leaves me no time for coloring. The "Year End Scrapbook" section was fun, and I enjoyed going through the photos on my phone from the last year to jot down a few of my faves, such as our 17th wedding anniversary, summer vacation, State basketball, and our various hunting trips. This activity helped me reach inside to a grateful, positive place and for that, I am thankful!
Every Silk + Sonder journal comes with a recipe, and though I typically don't try them, do appreciate the thought. This month's "Cranberry Orange Gin Fizz Mocktail" recipe looked tasty, and because my husband is two years sober, has me thinking about looking for this gin substitute they speak of! Beautiful in looks, does this taste good? Let me know if you've tried it!
On the opposing page, we received a "Affirmation Ornaments" page. Here you are to write yourself affirmations and read them when you are in need of a boost. I haven't filled this out completely, but have a few that will come in handy for December especially!
Blank sheets are always helpful and a great place to do some long division, write notes, and jot down addresses!
Each month we are given some sort of mind puzzle, and this month it was a crossword puzzle and riddle. While I enjoy both, I haven't had time to sit down and really focus on these types of games as the to-do list is a little too long at the moment. Is that okay? Yes! This journal is meant to relax, rejuvenate, and organize you, so if you don't have time or even feel like completing a task - don't! It's your planner, use it as you see fit! The opposite side features an expense tracker, and while lovely, because I utilize a Google doc, don't fill this out. Again- use this journal how it works for you!
Boy does this week look blank huh? Well, that's because we were in North Dakota on vacation!!! I had nothing to plan for, no food to prepare, and it was wonderful!!!! Unless we are on vacation (which only happens like once a year) I tend to put most of my time into these calendar pages. With sections for meal plans, to-dos, habits and activities, shopping lists, and specific day sections, I write everything here. It keeps me on schedule for each day and feeling accomplished, and there is NOTHING more satisfying than crossing out an item on my list. I also appreciate the extras these sheets have - while I sometimes don't fill out how I want to feel each week, this week I found it helpful to write it down and pray over it. This journal is just so darn helpful!!
Tidying up with one last quote, the dictionary definition of "Sonder," and the back cover, that's all there is to it. I have come to find that a key part of my day is when I sit and fill out my planner with my cup of coffee. This quiet time happens before the kids are awake, and kicks my day off to a good start before I start my school day. It is extremely important for me to keep a consistent schedule for managing my anxiety and creating much more positive life, and this journal definitely is a big help in that.
The Verdict
December has gotten off to a great start, but honestly I was a little overwhelmed. I usually have my Silk + Sonder planner started by the end of the previous month, but because of our vacation I am a little behind. After organizing our schedule on the calendar, I am feeling much better, and am ready to enjoy this beautiful month with a sense of optimism. Silk + Sonder has become a necessity and without this planner, I'd definitely be lost (as would my husband!) I continue to be impressed with this subscription, and can't wait to see what's in store for January.
I typically 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.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Your subscription will start with January as your first month but there is an option to add on December 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 2024 to see which boxes were recommended by MSA readers like you!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
Do you think you'll subscribe to the Silk + Sonder? What are your thoughts?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.