All-New Version of The Nice List Coming Soon
The Nice List is coming soon — with lots of changes and great updates!
Happy Fall! I hope wherever you are the season’s changes are welcome and rejuvenating. I am delighting in the fact that I am wearing an Owl and Ember sweatshirt as I write this. Did you know we have swag? We do! It’s cute, and cozy!
Owl and Ember gear is available in a wide range of colors and sizes — all sporting our cute little owl of inspiration!
You may be wondering, “What the heck is Owl and Ember?” Let me enlighten you! Owl and Ember is a joint venture with my dear friend, Holly Kennedy. Holly, @messymamaholly, is a graphic designer and creative thinker. We worked together for years when I lived in California, and about 9 months ago, we decided to make good on our long-held promise to “do something together someday.” Right now, Owl and Ember is a small sticker and stationery shop on Etsy, but we have big, big plans! We recently bought a Risograph printer -- a Japanese technology which is perhaps best described as a printing press that silkscreens paper. That’s completely inaccurate, but the end result is yummy, artsy printing on toothy paper and a handcrafted product.
The Owl and Ember owl combines the wisdom of planning with the spark of creativity.
Our first joint venture: the publication of my Christmas planner and journal: The Nice List. We have outsourced the printing of The Nice List for years, but the pandemic made that cost-prohibitive and unpredictable. For 2020, we only produced The Nice List as a digital edition, and we were filled with trepidation as we readied the files for 2021. In fact we were all ready to send them off last summer when it became clear that we needed an alternative.
So in that moment of frustration, we opted for a huge change both in design and in production. We redesigned The Nice List which is now two separate volumes:
The Nice List All Year: a gift-giving tracker to last for years to come
The Nice List Christmas Workbook: a planner for the entire Christmas season to keep you organized and help bring a little sanity to your holiday season
Both are available individually or together as a bundle.
The all-new editions of The Nice List Christmas Workbook and The Nice List All Year
We are so excited about this change, and we hope you are, too! The Nice List will now be available in three different formats: print, digital, and as a printable PDF.
The Nice List is, at its heart, still the same tool for reducing stress and increasing the joy of the holiday season. But if you have used The Nice List before, you’ll notice some key improvements:
Two Notebooks: we divided the functions of The Nice List into two separate volumes.
The Nice List All Year is exclusively gift tracking and is designed to be used for many years. AND you don’t have to celebrate Christmas to use The Nice List All Year -- it is designed for anyone who ever gives gifts!
The Nice List Christmas Workbook is an even better planner for the holiday season. It includes shopping lists and meal planners, gift tracking for one season, gift giving suggestions, a Christmas card list, thank you note tracker, and so much more! You’ll need a new Workbook each year, but they are undated, so they are simple to restock.
More Blank Space: while we loved working with artists to illustrate The Nice List, we learned that many people wanted more blank space. So for those of you who love to add stickers and washi tape, drawings and notes, there’s plenty of room for that. And for those who like a cleaner, clearer page: this is for you, too!
A Traveler’s Notebook Insert: some of you are probably devotees of the traveler’s notebook format already, but if you aren’t, this is one of my favorite new features of The Nice List. The new notebooks can fit into a traveler’s notebook-style cover. So, you can, for example, keep your copy of The Nice List All Year in a cover and then switch out The Nice List Christmas Workbook each year -- or even keep several workbooks together for reference if you want! There’s so much more flexibility now!
Eco-friendly: with our new printing capabilities, The Nice List is now printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks. They are also not being shipped from overseas, so we have dramatically reduced the carbon footprint of our product. Additionally, we are choosing shipping materials with the environment in mind, too. And with the longevity of The Nice List All Year, you’ll be consuming fewer resources as that piece can be used for many years to come. Plus, The Nice List Christmas Workbook is fully recyclable if you desire.
Less Expensive: one of the other advantages to taking our production in-house, is that we can reduce the price of The Nice List. Both The Christmas Workbook and The Nice List All Year will be $10 each with a $20 bundle for a set of two. Additionally, we will be able to offer discounts if you order 3, 5, or more sets of the bundles. That’s good for everyone!
In all, I am thrilled with the newest iteration of The Nice List, and I hope you will love it, too! It is a tool intended to help you find more peace and joy each holiday season while preserving memories and organizing your time as well.
The Nice List will be available to purchase on November 3, 2021 with pre-orders for people on my mailing list starting on October 30!
Plus, we have a free gift for early orders while supplies last. More details on that to come!
So, get ready for the best holiday season yet! And watch for the pre-order information for The Nice List. You don’t want to miss it!
The Nice List 2020: Three Ways to Plan!
This year we have three ways to use The Nice List and get organized for Christmas — plus stickers!
three ways to plan your holiday season this year!
Plus stickers!
So many of you have bought The Nice List over the years, and for that I am so very thankful! I hope The Nice List has become part of your holiday season -- bringing a little order and sanity to a crazy time.
I have been sitting on so many fun secrets this fall, and it is finally time to reveal it all! With the COVID-19 pandemic and all of the challenges of 2020, there have been some changes to The Nice List, but I think these changes will make planning for the holidays even more fun, creative, and simple.
The biggest secret of the year: there are THREE ways to use The Nice List this year! And everything is for sale NOW!
Three Christmas Planners for 2020
Announcing The Nice List Digital Planner!
Holly Kennedy, my graphic design partner-in-crime (@messymamaholly), and I are so excited to announce The Nice List Digital Planner -- a whole new way to make a list and check it twice! The Nice List Digital Planner works on your tablet or computer and is designed to be used with GoodNotes or Noteshelf. Equipped with all of the goodness of the paper version of The Nice List, The Nice List Digital Planner includes pages which can be duplicated and rearranged making the planner customizable and very easy to use.
Available in two different color schemes, the design is clean and cheerful with plenty of room for digital stickers, notes, photographs, and anything else you may want to add. Oh, and we also have digital sticker sets -- read on!
The Nice List PDF: A Christmas Printable Planner
As we have in the past, we are also offering The Nice List 2020 in a printable PDF format. This option is great for those of you who already have a planner system you love or who prefer using a binder. Perhaps you need larger print? Or you really like to customize your planning? Well, this is the version for you!
Both the Digital and Printable PDF versions are updated with some pandemic-specific ideas and tools as well as room for individualizing and personalizing your planning which makes it all even more fun!
The Nice List: the Original Christmas Planner
Maybe you are a paper planner person and love the paper version. Fear not! Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were not able to source the paper versions of The Nice List this year, but we have a limited supply of 2018 and 2019 books which we are selling at a deep discount just for the paper enthusiasts. Adjust the dates on the calendar pages, and you’ll be ready to go. Choose from a red cover or green cover.
But wait! There’s more!
Christmas Planner Stickers
Announcing The Nice List Sticker Shop!
We can’t introduce a digital planner without digital stickers! So we are launching two amazing sets of digital stickers with artwork by Holly Kennedy and Jone Hallmark to make your digital planning all the more festive. If you haven’t used digital stickers before, they are super easy and fun as you plan in GoodNotes or Noteshelf. Using these stickers, you can decorate any page as you like and use the reminder stickers and planning stickers to make your pages even more functional as well as festive. Each sticker set includes three pages of stickers which can be used over and over again in any digital planner -- not just The Nice List.
Coming soon: printed planning stickers & vinyl stickers!
In just a few weeks we will have planner stickers and vinyl stickers available for purchase as well. Stickers for everyone! Stay tuned for that fun announcement, too!
So no matter how you decide to plan this holiday season, we have you covered!
Additionally, the 2020 Nice List Thoughtful Giving Guide will be coming soon with gift suggestions for everyone on your list -- and a whole list of pandemic-specific ideas for making your holidays even better during this strange time.
Questions? Just ask!
Until then, be safe, and wear a mask!
XO
Angela
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Non-Alcoholic Cocktails and More!
A new addition to the Giving Guide: a great list of ingredients for non-alcoholic cocktails. Stock your bar or give as gifts!
The stockings are hung. The tree is up. And this weekend we will celebrate Sankta Lucia day — the best combination of our Scandinavian and Italian heritage! The Christmas season is in full swing at our house! And I am nearly done with my Christmas shopping, too. Phew! I have lots to ship off across the country this year, so last minute shopping simply won’t work!
I have a few lists that may be helpful as we wind into these most festive weeks. No matter what you are celebrating this year, it’s always nice to have some guidance in the beverage department, and my dear friend, Aaron Sherman, is on hand to help! Aaron is a sommelier, and he has pulled together three fantastic guides with drink suggestions that will fit any dinner, party, or giving needs you may have this season. His wine list is delicious, and I toast the New Year with him annually, so I can tell you those champagne and sparkling wine choices are superb. New this year: a list of non-alcoholic options including fancy drink syrups and bitters which will impress even the fussiest of guests.
A lovely bottle of wine or bubbles makes a great host or hostess gift, and if you are entertaining make sure you have options on hand for friends who aren’t imbibing, too. Aaron has great suggestions for every scenario!
Another consideration: giving consumables like food and beverages — especially if they are in glass bottles that can be recycled — is a green gift option. There are several other greener options on the Thoughtful Giving Guide as well. If you are still shopping, be sure to check it out!
Budget-friendly gift suggestions for everyone on your list! Lists include:
My Favorite Gifts | Gifts Under $15 | Gifts for Mid Modern Lovers | Gifts for Children | Books to Give Gifts to Make | Wines to Give | Bubbles for the New Year
Wishing you all a great week ahead!
Cheers!
Angela
The Thoughtful Giving Guide is Here!
The list of the most thoughtful and useful Christmsa gifts for everyone on your list is now available!
I have been searching all year for unique, useful, and thoughtful gifts, and they are now collected together into one place. The 2019 Thoughtful Giving Guide is here! Enjoy!
Budget-friendly gift suggestions for everyone on your list! Lists include:
My Favorite Gifts | Gifts Under $15 | Gifts for Mid Modern Lovers | Gifts for Children | Books to Give Gifts to Make | Wines to Give | Bubbles for the New Year
Plan with Me: Christmas Lists
Learn how to use The Nice List giving lists for a happier, healthier Christmas season.
I created The Nice List to help you plan your entire Christmas season — from baking and entertaining, to finding the perfect gift for every person on your list.
In this Plan with Me session, I walk you through The Nice List’s budgeting tools and unique list-making strategy which will help keep your Christmas gift giving on budget.
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Plan with Me: Christmas Season Calendars
Learn how to use The Nice List calendars for a happier, healthier Christmas season.
Your time is valuable, and none of us seem to have enough — especially at Christmas. So start with your time. Begin with the essential questions: What sparks joy for you? Then use your answers to set your priorities for the holiday season. Plan time to bake, to make, to wrap, to celebrate — and decline the invitations that don’t spark joy!
In this Plan with Me session, I walk you through my calendaring process using The Nice List. I’ll show you how I set out my calendar and how to use the monthly and weekly calendar pages in The Nice List.
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ORC Week 4: Lighting -- and Problems
Happy Wednesday, Friends! Let me tell you… on Monday I wasn’t sure I’d be able to send you an ORC update of any kind this week. First of all, I spent much of last week getting The Nice List orders shipped out which was fun, but it absorbed a good deal of my week. And this week was to be all about how to light a room like the Workroom. But I am having all kinds of trouble — lights have arrived missing pieces, lampshades have proven to be a bigger challenge… it has just been all kinds of frustrations this week. So I am writing to you in the semi-dark.
More on all of that — and how to properly light a room like this here:
ORC Week 4
Lighting
I am shipping off orders for The Nice List each day, and it’s not too late to order your copy! Make your purchase in the shop!
Free Printable Pages!
I am also thrilled to announce the addition of this year’s Christmas printable pages which are free! You’ll find a Menu Planner, a Grocery List, and a planner for Seasonal Favorites — all adorned with Jone Hallmark’s gorgeous illustrations.
These and so many other items are available for your use in the Library. It’s a little bit like Christmas — and it’s not even Halloween, yet! Enjoy!
Have a great week! Please check out the One Room Challenge post! And for daily updates, watch Instagram. Lots more going on there!
Ciao!
Angela
Thoughtful Gifts
The story of my beautiful Mid Century basket, a flip-through of the 2019 edition of The Nice List, and more!
Today I have a new story — the story of this beautiful, Mid Century basket which was a gift from my dear friend Ruth last Christmas. It’s currently on my dining room table filled with gourds and pumpkins. I love it. Read all about where it came from here…
And here’s a video flip-through of the 2019 edition of The Nice List! If you have already ordered your copy, it is in the mail to you! This week I will be scheduling some Plan-with-Me events — times when we can meet up on Facebook live to talk, ask questions, and get started on using The Nice List. I’ll have tips and ideas for you, too. So watch for that event schedule coming soon!
Happy Monday, friends! Here’s to a great week! The next One Room Challenge update will be coming on Thursday. You’ll get it in your inbox on Wednesday if you are a subscriber!
Cheers!
Angela
