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keeping it all together

Why we designed the hello time planner & how it’s layout will help you

It’s the year of keeping it all together, even Cath Kidson has bought out a tote with the same message. That’s my plan for 2019 and I hope we can help you do the same.

It’s funny the number of people who relate to and nod their heads when I talk about the days when I used to have 3 different notebooks, a separate diary and several pieces of paper with ideas, notes and sketches on. It’s no wonder that time goes so fast and feels chaotic when the back-up and support systems we set up to manage our lives are all over the place.

As you grow older you realise just how fast time goes and how much of a luxury it is in life. I must admit I was having a daily battle with it.

The speed at which time goes, a day, week and even a year freaks me out.

But is time going faster or are we just cramming more things in?

We can’t change the speed of the clock only the things we do and don’t do in the time that we have and give ourselves.

This is exactly why I created the Hello Time Planner. My relationship with time and how I was managing it, be it not very well!

I have always loved stationery, a brand designer for more than 23 years and a devotee of paper and pen. I love writing notes, sketching ideas compiling lists and the joy of ticking tasks off. But what really inspired me when it came to HELLO TIME was that I wanted to fix a problem that no other product, from my research and experience, was able to do.

Before I designed the Hello Time Planner, I was putting my appointments, meetings, and to-do lists in a week-to-view diary, using a crazy made-up system that pushed me to my limits and overwhelmed me every day. I wasn’t prioritising tasks, I was being unrealistic with my time, I wasn’t planning my day the night before and I was always playing catch-up.

Using separate books each day only added to the overwhelm. I knew there had to be a better way I just needed to figure it out. I needed to change, up my game and manage my time better.

After a difficult 2015 I knew I had to start looking after ME more, my work life, my schedule, my to-do lists and allow myself some a little time off. I went on the look-out for a diary/planner that had everything I needed in one, so I could keep everything together, in one place, to achieve the balance and order I needed to create.

Sadly, I could only find bulky wiro planners with systems, lots of structure, extra prompts and information to fill in that would only add more admin to my day!

I just didn’t have the time or the headspace for all of this, nor did I want stickers, as much as I love stationery, I grew out of these some time ago. I wanted a case-bound book that I knew would last all year round, something stylish to take to meetings, something grown up, but above all, I want to keep everything together. From this point on I knew if I wanted to help myself and others manage their time better and create somewhere to declutter the mind and find some clarity, I had to start from scratch and design it.

I founded the business Illustries.com in 2011 and in 2016 when I recognised I needed a new system I designed and co-developed a planner which took 2 years of research, design, development and production. We called it the HELLO TIME Planner. The limited first edition off the production line was a little heavier, with weightier paper, had a cloth cover which attracted marks so when I took the decision to leave the business in 2018 to pursue other design opportunities, I knew that the planner had to come with me so I could develop the brand and make the improvements the product.

The trademark and production of HELLO TIME now comes under the umbrella of my design business, Alilia Studio and we are very proud that it is printed and bound in the UK.

Since that first edition I haven’t looked back and have been using it as my diary, notepad, sketchbook and to-do list ever since. It’s my daily bible, my day to day best friend and my 24hr personal assistant. It’s helped me get more organised, it provided some calm, order and balance day to day.

Nowadays, my to-do list for each day is more realistic and doesn’t encroach on my diary space I keep that for appointments, scheduling projects and a day specific reminders such as family and friends’ birthdays. It helps me prioritise because you can do anything but not everything, my time is more organised, and my notes are all in one place. I have greater satisfaction at the end of each day, a better balance. Basically, I’m much better at keeping it together quite literally!

Ok, I can still be a little late from time-to-time, but we are all work in progress, right?

So why did we come up with the name ‘Hello Time’? We wanted each day to be a fresh start for usrs to be consciously aware of ‘their time’, how they are spending it, to appreciate it. The ‘HELLO TIME brand name acts as a natural break from the daily chaos and invites you to take a deep breath and say “HELLO” to the most precious thing we have. Our cover design evokes our key point of difference. Say Hello to your appointments, ideas, schedules, brainstorms, notes, to-do’s, doodles etc they are all inside.

The way Hello Time allows us to organise life’s most valuable asset is to give us the most beautifully designed, simple-to-use, easy-to-follow layout on the market. No extra prompts, pre-determined areas. A simple, and timeless layout that gives you clean white space to plan your time, however you want and un-dated so you can start whenever you are ready.

Don’t wake up each day feeling anxious, too stressed and lost in the daily myriad of stuff that needs to get done, never feeling that sense of achievement or satisfaction, there is a better way!

If you liked this blog, please share ... thank you!

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BUYING TIME - NEW BLOG POST! - Whah! This one’ BUYING TIME - NEW BLOG POST! - Whah! This one’s been some time in the making. I’ve had the idea for a while of writing a blog using my small business network (you’ll like this @hollytucker )to provide amazing time saving tips but it has been a mission and I must say blogs take me ages to write! That’s why I draw for a living! ✏️  I thought what better way to help each other than to share how we all save a bit of time each day in a bid to get everything done. It doesn’t matter where we are in our business or careers, how successful we are or how many followers we have, none of us has the power to slow down time, but we can make the most of the time we are given. ⏰  How we manage our time has a significant impact on our lives and our success. From our morning routine to running errands to getting dinner on the table, we all need some inspiration. 🤩  So head to our blog, LINK IN MY BIO for your tips and my mine, 52 to fact, of our best time-saving tips to help you save some time every single day. From the simplest of small daily habits to tackling a busy workday, employ these time saving tips and you’ll complete everyday tasks in a fraction of the time!  Thank you to those who shared your ideas & tips I loved reading them all, especially one from @emmathemindsetcoach which involved a toilet & a toothbrush! I’ve tagged as many of you as I can here. And @samanthapearceisaacs who could literally write a book on the subject!  As a thank you I’ve added your name & website link in the blog 🥰
AND THE SURVEY SAID… - Oh my goodness I am gobsm AND THE SURVEY SAID…-Oh my goodness I am gobsmacked at the positivity that’s come back from our recent planner survey from you guys, our customers. 🤩  The responses are in and we are in the process of going through everything with a fine tooth comb but I wanted to share with you some of the top line results.  When asked…  Would you purchase the HELLO TIME Planner again?  An incredible 97% of you said yes you would. How amazing is that!!! 🙌  Surely I’m on to something here? So I think this is a sure sign I must carry on!? 🤔  I am so pleased this is the reaction. It means I can help more of you make the most of your time, manage the overwhelm and organise your day. Whoop Whoop.  I just need to get the message out to more people (I’m desperately on it!) and develop more time-gifting stationery (doing that as we speak!).  Thank you again to everyone that took the time to help me  with my survey and I look forward to sharing more findings next week!  PS. bit later today but check out my stories for my weekly Instagram Monochrome Monday round up!
MAKING TIME PRESSURE WORK FOR YOU! 👍 - If we ge MAKING TIME PRESSURE WORK FOR YOU! 👍-If we get in the habit of feeling chronically short of time the price can be high.  A 2008 survey found that only 6% of respondents who identified ‘as busy’ cut back on time at work, while 57% cut back on hobbies and free time and 30% on family time.  Those irreplaceable things that restore us and make time feel full and rewarding. That time that gives us our energy, our ideas and our happiness. 😊  I’m not sure why I was surprised with these numbers given that I am totally guilty of giving up my own time in favour of working but working does make me happy so it’s not all bad, right?  I was talking in @southwoodsocialhub facebook group last night about this very subject. Finding that work/life balance and how I manage it. The point is I don’t, it’s just life for me, it’s fully integrated because I love what I do, it’s exciting. @hayleysouthwood called it ‘Flow’ which I love. 🖤  How do you find you manage the juggle? Have you found that illusive work/life balance yet?  As I get older, I find I do need to carve out more moments to relax. I make sure I get lots of sleep, I make sure I take regular breaks throughout the day and Sundays really are my day of rest! As long as you make time to restore yourself this will give you energy and focus.  Here’s some tips to help make time pressure work for you from the book ‘ENJOY TIME’ by @catherine_blyth_is_on_time  1. Plan your schedule when you are relaxed and you’ll make better choices  2. Track your time, how much time do you spend with friends, family, hobbies or ‘me time’ versus working. Can you re tip the balance a little bit? Tracking your time can be so enlightening to see where you can make better choices. Experiment with your time. What happens if you finish work an hour earlier for a week or spend an extra 20mins over a family breakfast, does it make you less effective or productive?  3. Be mindful of time pressures. Why is there a deadline and who’s convenience is it serving?
MONOCHROME MONDAY🖤 We launched ‘Monochrome M MONOCHROME MONDAY🖤  We launched ‘Monochrome Monday’ a couple of weeks ago (with a break on Easter Monday!) and today we are back with more Monochrome Inspiration from Instagram accounts across the land.
We love black and white (can you tell?) 🙄  Black and white is a classic colour scheme and one that has always remained at the forefront of fashion and interiors. It’s sophisticated, stylish and timeless!  Keep an eye out as at mid-day for our next Monochrome Monday Round-Up. A collection of the best monochrome finds on Instagram. Anything from interiors to soap, trainers to packaging, we’ll be sharing it all.  Grab your lunch, check out our stories, be inspired & let us know what you think 🤔
It was with sadness I heard the news that Prince P It was with sadness I heard the news that Prince Philip had passed away today.  I immediately started to reminiscence about the time I met the Prince.  I was in my early teens Her Majesty The Queen and Prince Philip were visiting Canterbury, where I grew up.  @archbishops.memes was one of the local secondary schools chosen to line the streets and welcome the royal couple.  My headmaster had bought several beautiful bouquets of flowers for pupils to present to the queen. I sadly, was not one of those lucky kids!  I decided to take matters into my own hands. I took my loose change & put it together with whatever my bestie Victoria and my boyfriend John had. I think it amounted to the grand total just over £1.20! So I went into the local green grocers and bought one small bunch of Narcissus.  Yes, they did look a little pitiful compared to those florist produced bouquets but I was obviously very proud of myself when the prince spotted me waving them around and came over.  I asked him if he could give the flowers to the Queen and he replied “Why don’t you give them to her yourself” 😲  I took one look at the metal barrier between us & thought that’s not going to happen but before I knew it he’d just lifted me over the barrier (obviously I was a lot lighter in those days!). 😳  I was ushered to the end of a long line of brownies, guides, head boys and girls and prefects to give my flowers to the Queen. She got to me and asked me how I was and what school I was from. “What lovely flowers” she said and with that she was off.  Well I was on cloud nine! I was stopped by the local press, at that age I felt like a celebrity.  What an amazing man to give me that opportunity - RIP  My thoughts are with @theroyalfamily at this sad time.
ARE YOU A WINNER?🥳🥳🥳 - The planner survey ARE YOU A WINNER?🥳🥳🥳-The planner survey results are in!  Congratulations to Ramona Harries who’s won our Planner Survey Competition! 🙌🤩😁  If anyone know Ramona please tag her as I can’t get hold of her through email 😳  Ramona have won...  - NEW 2021 HELLO TIME Planner- To-Do List & Notepad- Diary Sticker Pack- x4 Pencil Pack- Handmade Pen Pot- Washi Tape Duo- x5 Pack of greeting cards  Huge thanks to Ramona and everyone who took time out of their day to complete our recent planner survey.  We had an amazing response and this will provide some much needed consumer insight in developing our next planner.  I’m over the moon to say, that the results have been breathtakingly positive - Phew! 😅
I’m looking forward to sharing some of the results on here over the coming weeks!
CREATIVE SPIN - Wow-what a quote! 
Does this res CREATIVE SPIN-Wow-what a quote!
Does this resonate with you?  It has struck a chord with me just lately, especially after spending the last two years working at the rate of knots to get HELLO TIME up and running. Sound familiar to you small business owners? 😳
This year, however, is a year of product development and innovation, and I know I desperately need to slow down to engage my creative side of the brain. 
I earn a living through my creativity, and yet over the last year, it's become a roller coaster of speed. I got my greetings cards out to market, made my website more responsive, improved my customer journey, developed my packaging, packed customer orders and tackled that never-ending to-do list! All this whilst keeping my design clients happy and helping them build their brands @aliliastudio 
Austin writes, "It's impossible to pay proper attention to your life if you are hurtling along at lightning speed. When your job is to see things other people don't, you have to slow down enough that you can actually look."
So it's back to the drawing board this year to give my creativity a chance to do what it does best and give it a breather! Ideas come alive when you are not anxious or stressed or burnt out. 
So this year I'm going to schedule days where I research, look at stimulus and let my mind run free and perhaps it won't be the most productive of days, but it will be the most rewarding.
What do you do to engage your creativity?

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YOU’LL FIND US HERE TOO...

BUYING TIME - NEW BLOG POST! - Whah! This one’ BUYING TIME - NEW BLOG POST! - Whah! This one’s been some time in the making. I’ve had the idea for a while of writing a blog using my small business network (you’ll like this @hollytucker )to provide amazing time saving tips but it has been a mission and I must say blogs take me ages to write! That’s why I draw for a living! ✏️  I thought what better way to help each other than to share how we all save a bit of time each day in a bid to get everything done. It doesn’t matter where we are in our business or careers, how successful we are or how many followers we have, none of us has the power to slow down time, but we can make the most of the time we are given. ⏰  How we manage our time has a significant impact on our lives and our success. From our morning routine to running errands to getting dinner on the table, we all need some inspiration. 🤩  So head to our blog, LINK IN MY BIO for your tips and my mine, 52 to fact, of our best time-saving tips to help you save some time every single day. From the simplest of small daily habits to tackling a busy workday, employ these time saving tips and you’ll complete everyday tasks in a fraction of the time!  Thank you to those who shared your ideas & tips I loved reading them all, especially one from @emmathemindsetcoach which involved a toilet & a toothbrush! I’ve tagged as many of you as I can here. And @samanthapearceisaacs who could literally write a book on the subject!  As a thank you I’ve added your name & website link in the blog 🥰
AND THE SURVEY SAID… - Oh my goodness I am gobsm AND THE SURVEY SAID…-Oh my goodness I am gobsmacked at the positivity that’s come back from our recent planner survey from you guys, our customers. 🤩  The responses are in and we are in the process of going through everything with a fine tooth comb but I wanted to share with you some of the top line results.  When asked…  Would you purchase the HELLO TIME Planner again?  An incredible 97% of you said yes you would. How amazing is that!!! 🙌  Surely I’m on to something here? So I think this is a sure sign I must carry on!? 🤔  I am so pleased this is the reaction. It means I can help more of you make the most of your time, manage the overwhelm and organise your day. Whoop Whoop.  I just need to get the message out to more people (I’m desperately on it!) and develop more time-gifting stationery (doing that as we speak!).  Thank you again to everyone that took the time to help me  with my survey and I look forward to sharing more findings next week!  PS. bit later today but check out my stories for my weekly Instagram Monochrome Monday round up!
MAKING TIME PRESSURE WORK FOR YOU! 👍 - If we ge MAKING TIME PRESSURE WORK FOR YOU! 👍-If we get in the habit of feeling chronically short of time the price can be high.  A 2008 survey found that only 6% of respondents who identified ‘as busy’ cut back on time at work, while 57% cut back on hobbies and free time and 30% on family time.  Those irreplaceable things that restore us and make time feel full and rewarding. That time that gives us our energy, our ideas and our happiness. 😊  I’m not sure why I was surprised with these numbers given that I am totally guilty of giving up my own time in favour of working but working does make me happy so it’s not all bad, right?  I was talking in @southwoodsocialhub facebook group last night about this very subject. Finding that work/life balance and how I manage it. The point is I don’t, it’s just life for me, it’s fully integrated because I love what I do, it’s exciting. @hayleysouthwood called it ‘Flow’ which I love. 🖤  How do you find you manage the juggle? Have you found that illusive work/life balance yet?  As I get older, I find I do need to carve out more moments to relax. I make sure I get lots of sleep, I make sure I take regular breaks throughout the day and Sundays really are my day of rest! As long as you make time to restore yourself this will give you energy and focus.  Here’s some tips to help make time pressure work for you from the book ‘ENJOY TIME’ by @catherine_blyth_is_on_time  1. Plan your schedule when you are relaxed and you’ll make better choices  2. Track your time, how much time do you spend with friends, family, hobbies or ‘me time’ versus working. Can you re tip the balance a little bit? Tracking your time can be so enlightening to see where you can make better choices. Experiment with your time. What happens if you finish work an hour earlier for a week or spend an extra 20mins over a family breakfast, does it make you less effective or productive?  3. Be mindful of time pressures. Why is there a deadline and who’s convenience is it serving?
MONOCHROME MONDAY🖤 We launched ‘Monochrome M MONOCHROME MONDAY🖤  We launched ‘Monochrome Monday’ a couple of weeks ago (with a break on Easter Monday!) and today we are back with more Monochrome Inspiration from Instagram accounts across the land.
We love black and white (can you tell?) 🙄  Black and white is a classic colour scheme and one that has always remained at the forefront of fashion and interiors. It’s sophisticated, stylish and timeless!  Keep an eye out as at mid-day for our next Monochrome Monday Round-Up. A collection of the best monochrome finds on Instagram. Anything from interiors to soap, trainers to packaging, we’ll be sharing it all.  Grab your lunch, check out our stories, be inspired & let us know what you think 🤔
It was with sadness I heard the news that Prince P It was with sadness I heard the news that Prince Philip had passed away today.  I immediately started to reminiscence about the time I met the Prince.  I was in my early teens Her Majesty The Queen and Prince Philip were visiting Canterbury, where I grew up.  @archbishops.memes was one of the local secondary schools chosen to line the streets and welcome the royal couple.  My headmaster had bought several beautiful bouquets of flowers for pupils to present to the queen. I sadly, was not one of those lucky kids!  I decided to take matters into my own hands. I took my loose change & put it together with whatever my bestie Victoria and my boyfriend John had. I think it amounted to the grand total just over £1.20! So I went into the local green grocers and bought one small bunch of Narcissus.  Yes, they did look a little pitiful compared to those florist produced bouquets but I was obviously very proud of myself when the prince spotted me waving them around and came over.  I asked him if he could give the flowers to the Queen and he replied “Why don’t you give them to her yourself” 😲  I took one look at the metal barrier between us & thought that’s not going to happen but before I knew it he’d just lifted me over the barrier (obviously I was a lot lighter in those days!). 😳  I was ushered to the end of a long line of brownies, guides, head boys and girls and prefects to give my flowers to the Queen. She got to me and asked me how I was and what school I was from. “What lovely flowers” she said and with that she was off.  Well I was on cloud nine! I was stopped by the local press, at that age I felt like a celebrity.  What an amazing man to give me that opportunity - RIP  My thoughts are with @theroyalfamily at this sad time.
ARE YOU A WINNER?🥳🥳🥳 - The planner survey ARE YOU A WINNER?🥳🥳🥳-The planner survey results are in!  Congratulations to Ramona Harries who’s won our Planner Survey Competition! 🙌🤩😁  If anyone know Ramona please tag her as I can’t get hold of her through email 😳  Ramona have won...  - NEW 2021 HELLO TIME Planner- To-Do List & Notepad- Diary Sticker Pack- x4 Pencil Pack- Handmade Pen Pot- Washi Tape Duo- x5 Pack of greeting cards  Huge thanks to Ramona and everyone who took time out of their day to complete our recent planner survey.  We had an amazing response and this will provide some much needed consumer insight in developing our next planner.  I’m over the moon to say, that the results have been breathtakingly positive - Phew! 😅
I’m looking forward to sharing some of the results on here over the coming weeks!
CREATIVE SPIN - Wow-what a quote! 
Does this res CREATIVE SPIN-Wow-what a quote!
Does this resonate with you?  It has struck a chord with me just lately, especially after spending the last two years working at the rate of knots to get HELLO TIME up and running. Sound familiar to you small business owners? 😳
This year, however, is a year of product development and innovation, and I know I desperately need to slow down to engage my creative side of the brain. 
I earn a living through my creativity, and yet over the last year, it's become a roller coaster of speed. I got my greetings cards out to market, made my website more responsive, improved my customer journey, developed my packaging, packed customer orders and tackled that never-ending to-do list! All this whilst keeping my design clients happy and helping them build their brands @aliliastudio 
Austin writes, "It's impossible to pay proper attention to your life if you are hurtling along at lightning speed. When your job is to see things other people don't, you have to slow down enough that you can actually look."
So it's back to the drawing board this year to give my creativity a chance to do what it does best and give it a breather! Ideas come alive when you are not anxious or stressed or burnt out. 
So this year I'm going to schedule days where I research, look at stimulus and let my mind run free and perhaps it won't be the most productive of days, but it will be the most rewarding.
What do you do to engage your creativity?
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