Orange Circle Studio Review (& Giveaway US/CAN – 3 Winners Ends 8/19)

ABOUT:

Orange Circle Studio has only been around since 2009 but they are a publishing company that puts thought, passion and amazing designs into every product it creates.  Their product line includes:  Wall Calendars, Planners, Organizing Calendars, Mom’s Calendars, and Desk Calendars.

As a company, Orange Circle Studio is also environmentally responsible.  All of their printing is done using soy-based ink, the wall calendars are printed on FSC certified paper, all the calendars are recyclable, and the Daily Desk calendar uses no plastic!

MY THOUGHTS:

I am picky when it comes to planners and calendars because I like functional first and design second.  Orange Circle offer both on their products without sacrificing anything. I got the chance to review three of their products:

Bold Blossoms Planner

The perfect planner for women who do it all! Small enough to be portable but with plenty of room to plan, this planner has tear-off lists, stickers, a pocket, and an elastic-band closure.

• A full 17 months! Week-per-spread view.
• 288 stickers
• 60 tear-off lists
• Handy storage pocket
• Elastic-band closure
• Suggested Retail:  $14.99

Okay so this is a perfect planner to carry around or just keep open on a desk.  I first love that it can lay flat when opened.  This planner starts off with a Birthdays, Anniverseries, and Special Days section, then has all the holidays listed with mini calendars for each month to see at a glance through January 2012.  The planner starts in August and ends January 1st, 2012.  It features a week at a glance with plenty of horizontal room to jot down notes for yourself or members of your family.  At the top of each page is a quote and room for a quick note.  The back of the planner has the following sections:  Contacts, Services, Emergency Medical Contacts, Notes, and then my favorite a perforated page with 3 strips you can tear out for a Shopping List/To Do List.  The elastic-band closure on the front holds the planner closed and there is  a pocket on the front to hold a few small notes.  Very functional, cute and reasonably priced!

Bold Blossoms Calendar

For fabulous ladies who do it all, the Bold Blossoms Do It All Calendar is the perfect calendar to get organized! You’re a girl on the go—appointments, dates, travel, work, parties—and you’ve got to keep it all together. Organizing everything in one spot helps keep life simple and fun! Starts in August so you can jump-start your new year! Unique features include a magnetic hanger with pen holder and pen, as well as two pockets. Includes 225 stickers.

• Two pockets, one to hold large items in back and another to hold small items up front.
• Extra-large grid
• Built-in penholder with pen
• Magnetic hanger
• 225 stickers

This is your basic 17 month calendar from August 2010 to December 2011.  What I like is the penholder so there is always one when you need it (as long as it gets put back!)  The calendar opens up and rather than having a picture on the top and calendar on the bottom, the boxes are just bigger so you can fit more in them!  The paper is also thicker so you don’t feel like you are going to tear it when you write or erase it.  The stickers are nice too as they are small enough that they don’t take up much room but cute so at a glance you can see them.   I like the pocket in the front and back to store invitations or coupons I want to use that month – they don’t hold much but they are at least there! You can hang this calendar with the included hanger or magnetically attach it to your fridge or filing cabinet.  Very basic but great if you are looking for more room to write in the day boxes than a typical calendar.

The Mom’s 24/7 Calendar

2 in 1! The monthly grid you love PLUS a large weekly pad that helps you plan for extra busy weeks, family members, times of day, or tasks. Starts in August because Mom’s new year begins with the first day of school! Includes magnetic hanger with penholder and pen, and 50 undated weekly sheets with tear-off Shopping/To-Do lists.

• You can see both the monthly grid and weekly pad at the same time! Busy moms can plan ahead using the monthly grid and plan during those busy weeks with the weekly pad.
• It comes with a magnet so it can hang on the fridge.
• The weekly pad is perforated so it can be used to write shopping/to-do lists.
• Lastly, it comes with a pen and penholder.
• Suggested Retail:  $14.99

This is honestly a calendar that does it all for you!  It features not only a basic monthly calendar on the top, but the bottom includes a large weekly pad that you can jot down activities for yourself/family members and then tear off.  There is even a perforated strip at the end for you to make a list and then take with you!  It features a penholder on the top as well as a hanger for you to hang it or a magnet for you to attach to a refrigerator or filing cabinet.  The best part about the Weekly pad section is that it is 52 undated sheets so for those extra busy weeks you can jot down what you need to or just don’t even use it for a week.  It is great for events, trips, appointments, chores, or even meal planning!  I really like this calendar if you have a busy family schedule or for me, I can jot down family stuff on the top and use the weekly pad for stuff I need to tackle for my blog.  I can definitely see it being great though for meal planning and chore lists.  The daily boxes are not as big as the Bold Blossoms Calendar above, but they are average sized, they are both the same price too so you have to decide which one would work better for your family!

Overall, after checking out just three of the Orange Circle Studio products, I am impressed with first off their prices as planners at least can be pretty costly.  The next thing I of course love is the designs available as they are all fun, fresh, and basic – not cluttered or more focused on the pictures than the functionality of the calenders.  I would definitely recommend Orange Circle Studio for any calendar and planner needs, especially with the upcoming school year approaching and schedules starting/changing!

BUY IT: Check out the Orange Circle Studio website to see their product line!  Use coupon code “SUMMER” to save 25% off.  All there is Free Shipping on all purchases over $30.

GIVEAWAY: (3) winners – One winner will receive the Bold Blossoms Calendar, One winner will receive the Mom’s 24/7 Calendar, and One winner will receive the Bold Blossom Planner (I will try to accommodate winners with their choice but it will go in order of who was chosen first)

WIN IT:  Leave a comment on which calendar from above you like best and WHY!

Extra Entries (Only valid after you answer Main Entry above and Please leave a comment for each):
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#GIVEAWAY:  Win an Orange Circle 17 month Calendar/Planner – 3 Winners! US/CAN@mamasmoney @orange_circle (Ends 8/19) http://bit.ly/d4b6vK
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Please leave me a comment for EACH entry and your email address if it is not in your profile for each entry that you complete above so I can accurately pick a winner. This contest ends August 19, 2010. Thanks everyone and good luck! Also, if you just put a generic comment like “I want to Win” then I will have to disqualify you. This contest is only open to US and Canadian residents and once per household please.

Mama’s Money Savers Disclosure:  I  was sent samples to review.  Please see my Disclosure Policy.

Thank you so much Feld Entertainment for being my BlogHer’10 Sponsor!