Hello everyone! It is Erin Floto from @erinflotodesigns here. One of my favorite planners to use is my pocket-sized A6 planner. It is so small and so cute and yet a completely functional planner for me. I am an environmental scientist so using small notebooks is a given for me because I love using them for field notes. But for someone new to small planners, you may be wondering - what on earth can I use this for? Fear not! I have 10 ideas that you can use for an A6 planner.

But first, here are the items you will need:

• A6 Archer and Olive Notebook - There are a ton on the website so just search for the A6 size! My personal favorite is the Latte Love notebook!
• Any Pen - I love using a variety of gel pens, small tip calliographs, acrylographs and more!
• Creativity and Decoration - I have printables for backgrounds sized 3.5 x 5.5 inches designed for the A6 planner included in this blog so definitely check those out! You can also use washi, planner stickers, colored dot grid paper and more. 

One of my favorite things to do in an A6 is design cute little backgrounds based on the weather, what is going on in the day, or what event we are going to. I have used a Mets logo when we go to Mets games, a winter cabin when there is snow in the forecast, and even designed a golf bag on a bright sunny day for when my partner and I went to the driving range. I’ve included 10 different backgrounds that you can download to use in your own A6 planner below!

Daily Planner

My favorite way to use an A6 is just as a normal planner. Each page gets its own daily section where I typically mark in my priorities for the day or a task list for the day, any special occasions, my workout information, and typically a little space for journaling. I love using planner stickers and icons in my A6 notebook to make it a little more decorative and special than my A5 everyday journal. Part of this is to use the stickers that I have compiled forever and use the items I have, and part of it is because the notebook is too cute and small not to.

Journaling

Whether it is journaling over a frustrating situation or journaling one of my favorite things about the day - I love the A6 for journaling pages. It is small enough where I don’t feel an incredible amount of pressure to write a lot and fill up the space. For me it is a wonderful size for a quick place to jot down what is going on in my life. Sometimes I need the entire page and sometimes I can just include it in my daily sections.

Swatch Page

I did a stream recently on my Instagram where I swatched the new Archer and Olive summer acrolyograph collection and I used my A6 planner to create cute swatches for all of the new colors. I personally love using icons for my swatches so I decided to use a sticker of the Archer and Olive ampersand for this one!

Gardening

I already mentioned my love of the environment and using field notes in a small journal so it is probably no surprise that I use my A6 planner for gardening. It is absolutely a perfect size and I can jot down notes such as when the vegetable or fruits started flowering or growing, tips from my favorite GardenTok TikTokers and seasonal information for all of my plants. 

Workout and Meal Logs

One of my tried and true entries in an A6 is a workout and meal log. I am a very health-focused person so I love to track how long I workout, what kind of workout I did, and what my Apple Watch statistics are for each workout. I am also very forgetful so tracking what food I ate in the day or recipes that I ended up loving is such a perfect way to use my A6 planner. You could also use an A6 as a pre-planner, for coming up with a workout plan and a meal plan for the week.

Lettering Practice

For those new to lettering or brush pens like a Calliograph, I love the idea of using your A6 as a lettering practice planner. You could letter a quote each day or letter your daily affirmations. Not only is that good practice but great for your mental health and starting the day off on a positive foot!

Goal Setting

For those who only use goal setting once a month, quarter or annually, this A6 is a small inconspicuous notebook that will not take up a lot of room but will help keep you on track for writing down and following through with your goals. I included a progress bar where each segment is worth 25% towards completion of each of the 4 goals. I also included a motivational quote for when you are having a rough time getting things done. 

Memory Keeping

I love using an A6 planner to print out photos and write down my memories. Last year on Mets opening day, my partner and I went to a tailgate, we got to go to the Nike Clearance Store next to the stadium, and had a lovely day watching the team win! So I included a photo of us smiling inside the stadium. I also got to jot down that someone hit my car while it was parked and we were tailgating on the other side of the parking lot but that is a story for a different day. I also use my A6 planner from the Charming Picnic subscription box to memory keep our Alphabet Date nights where each day is themed around a letter. For example - A could be Axe throwing and going to Applebees. That A6 planner is one of my most cherished!

Trip Planner

Trips can be stressful to plan but using an A6 as your trip planner is perfect for carrying it with you on a vacation. In this example, I put logistical information such as when you are leaving and coming home from vacation, as well as the events that are happening each day of the vacation. This would also be great to pair with memory keeping because after each trip planning page, you can include photos and journals from the trip!

If you are more visual and auditory learner I’ve included a video explaining each of these A6 spread ideas. I hope this video is helpful for picking out the perfect idea to institute in your A6 planner!

I hope this blog, video and printable gives you the inspiration you need to make use of your A6 planners!! Thank you so much for joining and please tag @erinflotodesigns and @archerandolive and #aoshare on Instagram with any A6 spreads you create!