We love making lists. To do lists, wish lists, shopping lists… you name it, we make it. Today, we’re sharing the lists we put in our Clever Cactus planners (page 4 to 7). If you’re itching to make a list of your very own but don’t know where to start, here are seven we think everyone should keep.
#1 Gift ideas for friends and family
It’s happened to everyone no doubt. You’re browsing online, reading an article, or out shopping for something you need when there it is! The perfect gift for your parent/friend/sibling/child.
Thing is, you don’t have a reason to buy it right then and there. Perhaps it’s too expensive, so you want to wait for it to go one sale. Or maybe you don’t have anywhere to put it during the long months until the holidays or their birthday.
This is where the gift list comes in handy.
Write down what it is and who you’d like to buy it for. Maybe add where you saw it, too.Then, when a gift-giving event comes along, you’ll already have the perfect gift picked out!
#2 Wish list of all the things you might want
Have you ever had that moment, where you see something and think “this is amazing!” But you can’t think of a valid reason to buy it? Maybe it’s not particularly useful. Or you might not have enough space right then.
These things should go on your wish list.
Similar to the gift ideas list, this is all about jotting down things you’ve seen, when you see them. If you do this throughout the year, you’ll be surprised at how long your list can get! Then, come gift-giving season, when people ask you what you want, you have an answer locked and loaded.
#3 Movies to watch in theatres or online
We’re not sure about you guys, but we find that, almost immediately after we see an interesting movie trailer, we forget that we wanted to see it when it premiered! It doesn’t help that movie trailers come out so many months before the actual movie itself.
That’s why we’ve started writing down the movie title and release date in a list we’ve aptly called “Movies”. At the beginning of each year, we add the movie release dates to our “Year” section (page 14 – 18), and check that at the beginning of each month so we never miss a movie!
Okay, never is a strong word. Let’s go with rarely missing a movie.
If we do miss seeing something in theatres, we add a note beside the title to look for it on the streaming platforms.
Making a list of all the new movies we’ll get to see in the coming months adds a bit of excitement to our lives!
#4 Shows to binge on classic TV or online
Here’s the thing. We’ve gotten so used to streaming services that it’s very easy to forget to watch a weekly, episodic show. There’s some great content released every year that we really want to watch, without the internet spoiling it for us.
(We’re looking at you WandaVision easter egg video creators.)
When we make our shows list, we jot down the title, the network and the day of the week when new episodes air (or will be available on our devices). Then, we add the date to our weekly calendar.
This list means we never miss an episode (or have the plot spoiled by overzealous fans).
#5 Shopping lists of non-essential household items
This is NOT the wishlist! It’s also not a grocery list. At least, not the way we define it.
Wish lists are things you want for yourself. Grocery lists (and other essential shopping lists) are for things you and your family NEED, like food, toilet paper,
On the other hand, shopping lists of non-essential household items (we may need to rethink the very long title) is for things you want for your home, car, or family. Non-essential household items could be:
- new picture frames,
- new throw pillows,
- a newer model of your ancient game system,
- more potted plants,
- a new air mattress,
- Replacements for things you’ve had for a really long time.
This is a list for things your family doesn’t need, but that you would like to have on that elusive “someday”.
#6 Basic packing list for weekend trips or week-long trips
When you go on a trip, do you ever over or under pack? If you pack perfectly each time, this list won’t be useful to you (or maybe it will!)
Our basic packing list includes everything we’ll need for a weekend trip (3 days, 2-night). We’ve got everything on there from toiletries and undergarments, to device chargers and reading material (if needed).
When we take longer trips, we use this list as our guide so that we don’t forget anything AND don’t over pack.
Even though the likelihood that we’ll be travelling anywhere within the next fews months is pretty slim, making this list was a fun thing to do. We got to pretend we were going to travel somewhere warm and snow-less.
#7 Reading list for all the books you’ve read (or want to read)
Are there any bookworms in the house?!
*crickets chirp* (The bookworms are too busy reading to answer us.)
Reading lists are excellent for anyone who wants to read more, or who is constantly coming across new titles they’d like to buy. There are two ways you can build a reading list.
1. Write down the book titles when you’re done reading them.
This is great for people who want to track how many books they’ve read in a year. It’s also a nice way to recall the book title, if ever you want to suggest it to a friend.
2. Write books you want to read (but haven’t yet).
This is excellent for anyone who is challenging themselves to read specific books (like the Rory Gilmore reading list, or the 2021 Canada Reads shortlist.) Or anyone who’s trying NOT to buy every book they see, but still want to read that title someday.
There you have it! Seven list ideas you can use in your Clever Cactus planner (or really, anywhere that lists are made).
We’ve just realized that this article is, in fact, a list about lists. So we’ll end on that mildly amusing note.
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