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How to add Google Product Category in Shopify for Facebook Sync January 19, 2022 16:30

Have you logged into your Shopify account and had the following error on your home screen before? 

Shopify - 2 products didn't publish to Facebook - Google Product Category

And when you view the product issues it says that it is because the product doesn't have a "Google Product Category"?

You then look on the product's page to see where to input that information, and you can't find it?

Well, here is how you fix the issue. 

I thought originally that the "Product Type" in the listing was what I needed to update, but once I updated that, it didn't fix my issue. 

Shopify - Product Type - Gift Tags

I finally searched just the right thing and found this article in the Shopify Help Center.

Essentially it tells us that in order for products to sync to your Facebook store and in turn to sell on Instagram all products must have a Google Product Category (GPC). When you first sync this is auto-filled for your products to help you get started. But when creating new products, this isn't always the case.

To edit this, you have to go into your Facebook sales channel. 

Shopify - Facebook Sales Channel

Click on 'View all products' on the top left.

Shopify - Facebook Channel - View all Products

This will take you to the Bulk editor where you'll see a list of all your products. For each product you can see any errors, you can check if you want it available on Facebook (and Instagram), you can choose the Google Product Category, and you can note its condition. 

Shopify - Facebook - Google Product Category

You can either use the drop down menu to select a category or it will let you type in the search field to find one.

Once you've found the appropriate category and hit save (which takes a bit of time), you should be all set. When I fixed this issue for our gift tags, I was able to find them on Instagram to tag in a post within 5 minutes, so it syncs pretty fast. 


Sample The 2022 UPstudio Weekly Planner October 19, 2021 14:28

UPstudio started unexpectedly many years ago, over a conversation where Becky and I were showing off our planners for the upcoming year to each other. We were excited to share all the features of our new planners, but we also ended up talking about the various aspects that we didn't think would work well for us. Our conversation had a lot of "I wish it had" or "this would be better if" phrases. We both struggled every year to find one that encompassed everything we wanted, and we hated that we always had to sacrifice something.

If you're feeling uncertain in your planner shopping - we've been in your shoes, and we want to help you make this decision. To help you understand and experience the UPstudio planner before you commit to purchasing, we offer the ability to flip through a sample, as well as the opportunity to download a free sample layout for you to take a test run. (Please note that the downloadable layout has been scaled to fit on an 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper for your convenience, which makes it slightly smaller than actual size.)

If you really want to take a planner for a test run, 2021 Planner prices have been drastically reduced to just $5 each. Pick one up today and end your year strong! If you have any questions regarding the UPstudio Planner, you can always reach out to us directly by responding to this email. We look forward to hearing from you!

Flip Through a Sample of the 2022 UPstudio Weekly Planner


Major Facepalm Moment January 13, 2021 09:00

Just one full week into 2021 and we're here to let you know about a *Major Facepalm* moment. A printing error was brought to our attention in the 2021 Weekly Planners: in the weekly layout, included in the week of March 22-28, March 24 is listed on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Yikes! 

We sincerely apologize to purchasers for this error. We are a 2-woman show, and we make every effort to read, proofread, and proofread again before going to print, but this error managed to slip by us. We hope that you will accept our apologies for this glitch in the planner matrix. We especially apologize to all March 23 birthdays, anniversaries, etc. We see you, March 23!

If you already purchased a 2021 UPstudio Weekly Planner, check your e-mail from us with a coupon code you can use on your next UPstudio purchase!

Major Facepalm


New Year, New Hope December 31, 2020 11:00

EW 2020 Schitt's Creek Ornament

(Ornament purchased from CraftsByChelleUS's Etsy Shop)

2021, we've been waiting for you. You've given us a hope in some tough months of a better future, where we won't take things for granted like we may have before. You're bringing with you a vaccine for the public, and awareness of ways that we can improve as individuals and as a country. 

You're also bringing what is honestly the best run of UPstudio Planners that we have ever seen. We're the first to admit when something is an issue with a planner, and we've had a lot of lessons learned from both design and print issues. We've taken all of those lessons and now are reaping the benefits in our favorite planners of all times (and you guys, our standards are Very High).

If you haven't grabbed one yet, planners are still available for purchase!

We sincerely wish you a safe, happy and healthy New Year.

Happy 2021, and Happy Planning!


Merry End of the Year! December 29, 2020 07:00

We hope that your holiday season has been filled with joy and peace. This year has been stressful, and we all deserve a break! We also all deserve a well made, carefully thought out planner to help us get in to the swing of what 2021 will bring. If you didn't receive an UPstudio Planner this year, it's not too late to get one. Weekly* and Monthly Planners are still available and make the perfect New Year gift (that's a thing, right?) for yourself or someone else.

As for us, we're hunkering down in our respective homes, with plenty of warm blankets and bubbly drinks, ready to ring in the new year with friends and family virtually. We wish you a safe and happy New Year!

And as always - Happy Planning!

Stacked 2021 UPstudio Planners

*As a heads up... the satchel colored weekly planners are going quickly, so if you had your eye on one of those, get it now before it's gone!


UPstudio final sale of 2020! November 30, 2020 07:00

Today (Monday, 11.30) is the LAST day of the final UPstudio sale of 2020, where all orders in the UPstudio shop will be 20% off when you use code "2020". From stocking stuffers to presents to holiday cards to treating yourself, you can find gifts for everyone on your list (these are also great for teachers, and coworkers!). Take advantage of the sale and feel good about crossing a few things off your list too - and if you need sticky pads for making lists and checking them twice... well you know we've got those too!

Happy Shopping and Happy Planning!


UPstudio 2020 SALE! November 26, 2020 06:00

It's the Small Business super bowl weekend! Between Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, there are sales galore. This Wednesday 11.26 - Monday 11.30, all orders in the UPstudio shop will be 20% off when you use code "2020". This will be our ONLY sale of the year, so plan to stock up and knock out your holiday shopping!

By the way, we're thankful for you, for supporting us. 2020 has been trash for a lot of reasons, but planner season always perks us up and gives new hope for the future. We hope that you and your loved ones are safe, happy and healthy this holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving, and Happy Planning!


Planning a Planner v2021 November 17, 2020 08:00

It's been said that a planner was one of the worst purchases that could have been made for 2020. Who are we to disagree - no one could have predicted what this year had in store! All we know is that we personally thrive on organization, and if there is something small that we could control this year, that gave us some comfort. Planners help us do that.

In addition to just surviving, we did focus efforts of making some updates to the 2021 Weekly and Monthly planners. If you know anything about UPstudio, you should know that we are a company that listens, that will respond to every (yes, every) comment, suggestion, and question about the products that we make (we also LOVE getting mail from you guys!) While we didn't receive much feedback with suggestions for updates or changes this year, we still took a step back to look at what might need to be revised.

You may remember that for the 2020 planners, we included a number of additional holidays to celebrate different cultures and backgrounds. We reviewed these again this year and realized that a few key holidays were still missing. As a reminder, some are difficult to put in print, because they are defined by lunar patterns and are not determinable until later in the calendar year.  These were not included, but we are happy to announce that Juneteenth and Indigenous Peoples' Day are now included holidays in Weekly and Monthly planners. 

These 2021 Planners though? They're dreamy - this is the best run of planners our printer has been able to provide us in years and we are so so excited to share them with you. We hope you are as happy with them as we are, and that they might help make 2021 just a little easier to manage.


Is It 2021 Yet? November 12, 2020 13:12

It's been quite a year. I know some of you are ready to throw out your 2020 planners and start fresh with 2021 (we totally don't blame you!) Pre-orders for 2021 planners are live, so head to the shop now to pick up your UPstudio Weekly and Monthly planners (link to Weekly Planner, link to Monthly Planner). These will begin shipping November 16, 2020.

We sincerely hope that 2021 finds you happy, healthy, and ready to take on new challenges - after this year, we can handle anything. Let's get planning!

2021 UPstudio Planners Available

 


Planning a Planner v2020 October 12, 2019 10:49

We've said it before and we'll keep on saying it - we care about what UPstudio Planner users think.  We're always happy to receive feedback on the planners - good or bad.  In the end we want to create the best planner we can, and to do that sometimes we need a fresh outlook.  This is where you come in.  This past year, we received 2 similar comments from multiple users that informed updates that you will see in the 2020 Weekly and Monthly Planners.

The first update is a full year outlook - the same future planning pages that are included in the back of the planner for the upcoming year are now also included at the front of the planner for the current year.  This can be used for any number of things - tracking birthdays and anniversaries, planning reading or daily goals, etc.  We would love to hear how you plan to use this! 

The second update for the Weekly and Monthly Planners is the inclusion of more holidays.  We received an email from a user that indicated that the planner was a Christian planner, and this user wished that they had known that prior to purchase. They were not a Christian, but had felt an offense at the fact that no holidays other than Christian holidays were included in the planners, and that there was a Bible verse included in the front greeting page.  We responded to the email with explanation - that at the time we were creating the original planner, we looked at many other planners and included holidays that were also included in those.  As for the Bible verse, well, we are Christian women, and this was our personal introduction and thank you for purchasing the planner.  We felt this was an appropriate location to include something personal to us.  We are Christians, but the planner is not a specific Christian planner. We sent this response back, but we knew this wasn't a final resolution.

While we personally only celebrate some holidays, we have friends and colleagues who celebrate others.  We respect other ethnicities and religions and want to learn from others that celebrate different holidays. This also aligns with our desire for the planners to be versatile. We took another long hard look at holidays to be included.  Some are difficult to put in print, because they are defined by lunar patterns and are not determinable until later in the calendar year.  These were not included, but we are pleased to include a number of holidays celebrating many beliefs and cultures. 

We are excited to get the 2020 Planners in your hands and look forward to hearing your thoughts about these changes. Pre-order your Weekly or Monthly Planner today to get yours right when they come in, and save 15% while you're at it - just use code 'FINALLY' at checkout.


Hey guys, we're still here! October 8, 2019 14:47

Hi again everyone,

We've always preached honesty in our brand, so today we're here again being honest with you. First, the question that everyone has been asking us: yes, we are still here, and yes, we will still have 2020 planners (*collective sigh of relief!*)

 

For the majority of this past year, we've been hanging on by a thread. The truth is, we're incredibly busy. We have shared before that we are both married, we each have 2 kids, and we each work full time jobs. UPstudio is a passion project, with its main attention given during our free time. But lately, neither of us have had much free time. Turns out that having young kids, jobs that we care about doing well, and maintaining any kind of a life is hard. So hard, that we've had conversations about where UPstudio is and how we can feasibly maintain it.

We've entertained the idea of simplifying our lives by having one less job, but when we boil it all down, we still really care. We care about customers asking when the next planners will be out, those sending comments or suggestions for improvement (we're still listening!), and we also want to keep up with this company we built from the ground up that's steadily growing each year. We didn't work this hard to give it all up. We're not going anywhere.

So, please forgive us for the late release of planners this year - they are coming! In an effort to get planners into users' hands as quickly as possible, we are offering pre-order sales for 2020 Weekly and Monthly Planners, and to sweeten the deal, we're offering 15% off of all pre-orders with the code 'FINALLY'. They are available now in the shop

Look out for the next blog post sharing updates of changes included in the 2020 Monthly and Weekly Planners (if you didn't believe they could get any better.. you'd be wrong!)  In the meantime, don't give up on us - we're still here and working hard to make the best and most flexible, simple, adaptable planner you can find.


Reduced Shipping Cost for Planners October 18, 2018 08:46

Each year we attempt to take a step back and put ourselves in your shoes and ask questions like: would we buy this product for the list price? would we spend that much on shipping?

Last year, the cost of shipping that was charged when a customer purchased an UPstudio planner was the exact cost of flat rate shipping from USPS.  We looked in to all options for shipping to get the best rates, with the required insurance for all purchases to make it to customers quickly and efficiently.  We have this same conversation with USPS every year in order to make sure we understand any changes that may have been made.  Like we said, last year we charged shipping at the exact rate that USPS charged, which was $6.85.  This year, prices for the same shipping were raised to $7.15.

We feel comfortable with the price of each planner based on the quality of the design and construction ($40 for the Weekly and $32 for the Monthly) but honestly we would be a little hesitant to spend $7.15 on shipping. So we decided this year to cover some of the shipping cost for you so that the cost of shipping doesn't deter you from purchasing one of our products. The updated shipping costs are reflected at check out. To put it simply: we decided that a single planner shouldn't cost more than $5 to ship, and we'll pick up the bill for the rest. 

When we shop online, a lot of the final decision lies with the total cost, and shipping can make or break that decision.  If you feel the same way that we do, we hope that this helps you to take the leap when purchasing a planner!

note that $5 shipping is limited to US customers only, for any UPstudio Planner


Oh hey, 2019 UPstudio Planners available for purchase! September 27, 2018 05:00

2019 UPstudio Planners Now Available

You can purchase a Weekly or Monthly UPstudio Planner for yourself today, just click here!

Each year we attempt to take a step back and put ourselves in your shoes and ask questions like: would we buy this product for the list price? would we spend that much on shipping?

We feel comfortable with the price of each product based on the quality of the design and construction ($40 for the Weekly and $32 for the Monthly) but honestly we would be a little hesitant to spend roughly $7 on shipping. So we decided this year to cover some of the shipping cost for you so that the cost of shipping doesn't deter you from purchasing one of our products. The updated shipping costs are reflected at check out. To put it simply: we decided that a single planner shouldn't cost more than $5 to ship and we'll pick up the bill for the rest. 

On our blog, you can read about the development process of our inaugural planner, as well as improvements and changes we've made to the 2018 version, and 2019 version.

The biggest announcement this year was that we are introducing a new Monthly Planner! You can read more details and flip through a sample here

If you'd like to take a test run of the weekly layout download it for free here. If you're wondering if the UPstudio Weekly planner is the best one for you, check out our blog series, "The Best Planner for... ".


Planning a Planner v2019 Part II August 30, 2018 05:00

This is the second and final installment of the Planning a Planner series.  To get caught up on all the changes that have been made to the 2019 UPstudio Weekly Planner and why, check out last week's blog post.   

And now.. the biggest change in UPstudio Planners for 2019... 

We are introducing a new Monthly Planner!  The Monthly Planner is a slightly larger format, approximately 8" x 10", with a flexible black leather cover. The planner is bound with smyth sewn binding, so it lays perfectly flat, and includes full spread month layouts, a look ahead for 2020, followed by 62 pages of grid paper, similar to the Weekly Planner.  Because it does not include weekly spreads, the overall thickness of the planner is much more slim than the Weekly Planner.  The Monthly Planner also includes the same upgraded ribbon as the Weekly Planner, as well as an elastic closure, and pocket in the back.

We are so excited to share this new product with you!

For 2019, the Monthly Planner will only be offered in black leather.  Weekly Planners will still be offered in the same colors as last year - gray and satchel (since satchel was such a hit and we had to re-order last year, we upped our initial order number, so there are plenty to go around!)


Planning a Planner v2019 Part I August 24, 2018 05:00

For the past several years, we've taken our readers on a transparent journey of how and why we've made decisions for updates and changes on products and specifically, the UPstudio Planner.  The first year we created the planner was obviously the most extensive amount of work we've done and information we've compiled.  You can read more about the entire process starting here, but in the meantime here's the cliffnotes version: we came up with ideas, put together a sample, solicited a focus group to use the sample, compiled feedback, made changes, and produced the *original* UPstudio planner.

  (here she is!)

Fast forward to the next year where we outlined our process in the Planning a Planner v2017 series.  The biggest change for the 2017 Planner was the binding type and cover.  2016 had a spiral binding type and a chipboard cover, but after using the planner for a year, we felt (and heard from you guys) that changing the binding to something less obtrusive and upgrading the cover to something more durable was critical.

  (lemme lemme upgrade!)

For the 2018 Planner, we revealed in the blog series a few upgrades, a big change in Monday starts to the weeks for the month layouts, and the most exciting change: a second cover color option.  

 (sisters!)

The UPstudio Planner is now developed enough that small tweaks are the biggest changes.  The 2019 Planner will look very similar to the 2018.  We reached out to you all for opinions on a few thoughts we had, and those ideas were pretty clearly vetoed through comments on the blog post and on social media.  Because our main goal is versatility for everyone, and we *do* listen to all feedback, we decided to not make any changes to the composition.  We did have a few other things that we knew would make the planner better, however, and we are revealing those in this series:

  • The first change has already been revealed - upgraded ribbon!  We've wanted to upgrade the ribbon in the past but because we're *ultra* picky, we decided not to settle on something we didn't love.  We're truly excited about the new texture, thickness and durability that this new ribbon will bring.  See ya later, unraveling ribbon!
          
  • Another change that we knew we wanted to make was with the front pocket, and it's purely aesthetic. (see above: ultra picky).  The folder in the 2018 Planner is constructed so that you can see the backing above the top edge of the actual folder.  In 2019, this is greatly reduced (and oh so pretty!)
          2018 vs 2019  
  • We concentrated on quality A LOT.  We were disappointed in some aspects of the 2018 Planners, which were largely printing errors.  To be clear - we like our printer very much, but we also expect a lot.  We expect near-perfect crops and construction, and we had multiple instances where planners were constructed less than perfect, and we put a lot of planners into the scratch and dent pile due to less than stellar crops.  We expressed all our concerns with our printer, and they have worked extremely hard to live up to our standard this year.  The production photos that we've seen are truly great, and we are very excited about the 2019 Planner!
  • Speaking of excitement... oh wait, I can't reveal this one quite yet.  Stay tuned for next week's big announcement and our biggest change for 2019! What a cliffhanger!

2019 UPstudio Weekly Planner August 17, 2018 05:00

2019 UPstudio Weekly Planners are currently in production, and we can't wait to get our hands on them.  If you've followed us for any length of time, you know that we are incredibly picky which really lends to a love / hate relationship with our printer.  We ask for the absolute best they can give us, and challenge them when we aren't 100% satisfied.  Well, we've received production photos of planners this year with a few upgrades, and we couldn't be happier!  The attention to detail for the 2019 Weekly Planner is beautiful.  We are proud mamas.

Make sure to read next week's blog post for a detailed look at changes made to the 2019 Weekly Planner.


uggh.. Unraveling Ribbon! August 9, 2018 05:00

Please raise your hand if you are tired of the unraveling ribbon on your UPstudio Planner? (Becky and I both raised two hands!)

We just wanted to reassure you all that we have had multiple conversations with our printer about the best way to resolve this. The solution we have settled on for the 2019 UPstudio Planner:

  1. The ribbons will be fired on the end to hopefully prevent unraveling and fraying.
  2. The ribbons will also be thicker which should help.The ribbon in the 2018 planner is 0.021mm thick. In 2019 they will be 0.033mm. They will also have a slightly different texture, which we feel will look a bit better.

Crossing our fingers we don't have this same frustration next year! 

We are working hard to improve the UPstudio Planner each year. The difference in a quality product is in the details.

UPstudio - uggh... Unraveling Ribbon!

Sidebar: I definitely googled how to spell "uggh." Anyone else remember from second grade that words like that are called an onomatopoeia? Cause I didn't!


DECO Raleigh Grand Opening Celebration August 2, 2018 05:00

We are fortunate to be part of an amazing maker community in Raleigh. Just as important are the people and businesses that support local Raleigh makers. 

A huge supporter is DECO Raleigh. They not only support the local maker community but contribute to the community at large. If you haven't heard of DECO before, it is a brick and mortar located in downtown Raleigh. They have the most amazing gifts, cards, home decor items, local finds, and so much more.

DECO just moved around the corner from their previous location, 19 W. Hargett Street, to their new location, 207 S. Salisbury Street. 

In honor of One Big New DECO opening at 207 S. Salisbury Street, DECO is throwing a Grand Opening Celebration tomorrow, Friday, August 3.  The festivities begin at 1:00 pm with special guest, City Councilor Nicole Stewart, joining for a ribbon cutting and will continue into First Friday with beer from Trophy Brewing Co. and yummy cakes from Union Special Bread! They have invited all to come and celebrate and enjoy treats and special give-aways all day, they'll be open until 9:00 pm!

DECO Raleigh Grand Opening Celebration

They will also be opening EARLY for Union Special Bread on Sunday, August 5. All are welcome from 9:00 am until noon  (or whenever they run out) for some early morning shopping, sweet goodies and Slingshot Coffee Co.

They recently shared a sneak peek of the fresh paint job at their new digs on Instagram. We can't wait to check out the finished product!

DECO Raleigh Sneak Peek


We See You, Minnesota June 28, 2018 05:00

Is there anything better than getting unexpected fun mail?  We don't think so either, which is why this Minnesota postcard in our mailbox made our day.  Thanks, mystery sender!

If you want to send us mail, we'll be happy to get it!  

UPstudio
324 S. Wilmington Street, Suite 226
Raleigh, NC 27601

Apple and Pear White Sangria June 7, 2018 05:00

I've been to a few local Raleigh, NC, restaurants lately that have offered a light white wine sangria. I love the twist on the classic red sangria. I have been experimenting at home with a few recipes and thought I'd share the two that I've had the best luck with. Both were found via Google, so first shout out goes to them!

The first one I tried was from a blog called Love Grows Wild:

Apple and Pear White Wine Sangria - Love Grows Wild

Ingredients:

1 bottle Moscato wine
1/2 cup lemon liqueur (I used Caravella)
Zest of 2 lemons
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from two lemons)
1 Granny Smith apple, cored, halved, and thinly sliced
1 Bartlett pear, cored, halved, and thinly sliced

1 can (12 ounces) seltzer

Instructions:

In a large pitcher, combine wine, lemon liqueur, lemon zest, and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add lemon juice, apple slices, and pear slices and mix well. Place pitcher in refrigerator for 4 hours to chill and allow flavors to blend. Just before serving, top sangria off with seltzer. You can also strain sangria after chilling to remove lemon zest, if desired.

My second attempt was from Celebrate Magazine:

Apple and Pear Sangria - Celebrate Magazine

Ingredients:

2 (750-ml) bottles Pinot Grigio
1 cup pear-flavored vodka (I used Absolut)
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1 granny Smith apple, cored and sliced
1 green pear, cored and thinly sliced

1 (1-liter) bottle carbonated lemon-lime-flavored soda, chilled

Instructions:

In a large pitcher, stir together all ingredients with the exception of the soda. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours. Stir in lemon-lime soda just before serving.

My final thoughts: They were both delicious and refreshing, I would recommend both. The first was a little bit sweeter with the sugar and the Moscato. I did like the added lemon a lot. I liked the added mint in the second recipe though. The second was also a little easier to prep. I think if I had to make the hard decision on which one I would make again I think I would go with the second one from Celebrate Magazine.

This fall I'm definitely going to try this concoction, apple cider and champagne, interesting and intriguing! 

    2018 UPstudio Planner Price Drop! May 17, 2018 05:00

    If you've been waiting for a ridiculously low price on planners, your wait is over.  2018 UPstudio Planners are now just $15, with the Scratch and Dent version only $5!  If you've been wanting to try one out, now is the time to get one for a steal.


    UPstudio's Weekly Planning Notepad May 10, 2018 05:00

    We really appreciate all of the feedback we received regarding the composition of the 2019 UPstudio Planner. If you didn't catch last week's blog post, check out some of the ideas we are thinking through. We'd love to hear your thoughts, you can use our contact form or simply e-mail us at hello@upstudionc.com.

    On to this week's blog post..

    We released the Weekly Planning Notepad last September. Our goal with this product is to add one more layer of flexibility to your planning. The layout is very open and versatile. You can use the pad as a standalone planning tool or you can use it to compliment your planner.

    I regularly post one on my fridge so that my family can be on the same page about what we have going on that week:

    UPstudio - Weekly Planning Notepad - Family Planning

    On the weeks I have time to meal plan, this notepad is a great tool, I can even make a complete grocery list in the area not delegated to specific days on the bottom:

    UPstudio - Weekly Planning Notepad - Meal Planning

    One of our friends uses the Weekly Planning Notepad to help organize her daily tasks:

    UPstudio - Weekly Planning Notepad - Example

    The opportunities are endless!

    These pads are always available on our website, snag one for yourself here. For fellow Raleigh, North Carolina residents you can also purchase them at DECO Raleigh downtown.


    UPstudio Planner - 2019 Composition May 3, 2018 05:00 4 Comments

    If you work in the planner world, you almost never know what year it is.  That's because we're always working in the future getting ready for the next few years.  As we are in the midst of planner design for 2019, we're making critical decisions about possible changes.  If you've read this blog before or know anything about UPstudio, then you likely know that we solicit feedback frequently, because we genuinely want to create the best planner for a widespread audience.  We also recognize that change is sometimes hard and not well accepted.  We almost never make a major change without first getting feedback.

    Our current evaluations deal with the overall composition of the planner.  In all previous versions, including the current 2018 UPstudio Planner, the individual month layouts come directly before each of the week layouts in that month.  Preceding the month layouts are monthly goals layouts.  There are a few things at play in our minds:

    • We've had this layout because having the months directly before the weeks in that month seems to make sense.  It groups them together and is easy for people who may use them in conjunction with each other a little more easily.  The problem is that weeks don't always fall perfectly in line with the month before it or after it (actually, this hardly ever happens), which means that there are always a few days of a month that are grouped with the preceding or following month. There has been confusion from users about days that they initially think are missing, because they don't know to look in a different location for them.  This leads us to the meat of the first potential change:  grouping all month layouts together at the beginning, and all week layouts together directly following the group of months.

         

    • The next thought relates to the monthly goals layout.  To be honest, this layout has always bothered us just a bit, because it has a title.  One of the biggest achievements of the UPstudio Planner is that there are almost no defined ways to use each space, but just by putting the word "goals", we're implying that you have to write goals here.  We want you to write whatever you want in whatever space you want - versatility!  So, we're thinking about nixing these sheets, with the idea that the graph pages found at the end of the planner (or the blank section on the month layout or graph on the week layout) can replace this space.

         

      What do you think?  Will you be able to make goals for each month if there isn't a layout that says "goals"?  Will you go crazy looking at the beginning of the planner for the month of October when the week layouts are in the middle?  Would another ribbon help?  

      Let us know what you think, I promise, we listen!

       

      *update*  we received so many requests to leave the goals page, that it's still in there!  You guys can breathe easy now.  Thank you for your feedback!


      $5 Scratch and Dent Planners! April 19, 2018 05:00

      Last week on the blog we shared about how picky we are and what we consider to be a "scratch and dent" planner. Honestly, what we label as an imperfection is usually not recognizable by the majority of people. To entice you even more to try out the 2018 UPstudio Planner we are offering "scratch and dent" planners for only $5 for a limited time!

      2018 UPstudio Scratch and Dent Planners for $5


      What is a Scratch and Dent Planner? April 12, 2018 05:00

      We are picky.  We definitely own that, and think it's a good quality in our business, because it means that we don't settle for second best in our products.  We research, study, reject, do over, and are willing to pay a little more for a quality detail.  Because we are level 1000 picky, we realize we are maybe not the norm, and that others may deem something slightly imperfect to be "good enough".  We're totally cool with this and are aware of it, but, we're not going to change our own standards, and won't do that for our customers.

      All that being said, we will only charge full price for our 1000% good products.  If we deem something to be less than 1000%, then it's officially "scratch and dent".  We fully expect to get scratch and dent planners in our final deliveries. After we receive them, we go through a QC of every single planner over the course of several weeks in order to categorize each and every one.  Sometimes a planner will have a literal scratch or dent (due to shipping or packaging, or any number of things) but more often than that, a scratch and dent planner will have a slight printing imperfection, or a small glue spot, or something that majority of people may never notice. 

      Scratch and dent is a tricky name.  When someone sees "scratch and dent", they likely expect to see a major visual mistake on the exterior of the planner, and inherently, they don't sell as well as those planners that are not labeled scratch and dent, even at a lower price point.  The truth is, these are more like "slightly imperfect" planners.  Here are a few examples of things that would make us categorize a planner as scratch and dent:

      Yep, that's honestly it.  These planners are 100% functional, and a true steal as they are a fraction of the cost of the regular version.  If you're on the fence about the UPstudio Planner, try grabbing a Scratch and Dent for just $10!  Trust us, it's worth it, and bonus - both cover colors are still available!

      While we do go through each and every planner before it is sent out, sometimes one may slip through the cracks and be less than perfect.  If you experience any quality issues with your UPstudio Planner, please notify us immediately.  We do our best to provide the best customer service we possibly can.


      Where in the World is the UPstudio Planner (2018 edition) April 5, 2018 05:00

      Since the 2017 infographic post of Where in the World is the UPstudio Planner was so fun, we wanted to explore and compare how the reach for planners has grown in just a year.  Enjoy!

       

      The 2018 UPstudio Planner is only sold in stores in North Carolina (for now anyway!) but this little gem called the internet makes it possible to get one from literally anywhere in the world. It's pretty amazing.  We took a look at the reach of the 2018 Planner, and thought it would be fun to share with you guys.  Who doesn't love a good map and graph? 

      These maps show the states and countries where UPstudio planners now call home.  The first map is of the United States, and the second map shows our lone international traveler - all the way in Estonia!  (Shipping prices get a little steep outside of the continental US, but we're willing to ship anywhere!  Send us a message if you want more details.)

            

      If you're wondering, that's 37 of the 50 states (up from 29 in 2017!) - and yep, you're reading that right, there's an UPstudio Planner in Hawaii (aloha!)

      The official language of Estonia is Estonian, however English is one of the most popular foreign languages to learn in the country, so the UPstudio Planner is still right at home overseas.

       

      These next graphs show the distribution of quantities sold throughout the different states and countries. No surprise, the most planners have sold in North Carolina, but we were interested to see that the next most popular state placing orders is Texas (same as 2017!) with California following close behind.

       

      Did your state make the map?  We would love to see all 50 states and even more countries represented for the 2019 Planner!

      (It's not too late to order your 2018 Planner or scratch and dent Planner!)

       

      **US Map created with United States of America with States - Outline by FreeVectorMaps.com


      Newborn Realities for Second Time Parents March 29, 2018 05:00

      Brian and I recently welcomed our new nugget, Margaret (Maggie), into our family. She was officially one month earlier this week. The past month has flown by and yet feels like it has taken forever. There have been many highs and lows. I feel like when preparing for our first child we were so intentional and thorough. This was probably because we knew we were adventuring into the unknown. This time with both of us working full-time and having a energetic toddler running around we honestly didn't have nearly as much time or mental capacity to prepare. I think we both secretly hoped it was like riding a bike, that it would all come back once she was born. The truth is that was only halfway true. Brian and I regularly look at each other and exchange the glance that means, "oh yea, I vaguely remember that, but I can't seem to recall the specifics, mental note to ask pediatrician next time we go in." I also personally think that God has somehow engineered our minds to suppress the newborn phase, cause really, who would remember all the details and choose to have another? But then again, those sweet tiny precious little fingers!

      Newborn Realities for Second Time Parents

      I jotted a few of those newborn-isms down that we failed to remember:

      • Babies are typically born nocturnal and it takes a few days (in our case weeks) for them to readjust to a regular schedule.
      • The most in-depth conversations that you end up having with your spouse seem to all happen at around 4:30am when you are both for some reason really awake. The few moments you don't have a toddler melting down or a baby crying.
      • Babies cry. Our first hardly cried. Maggie seems to express all emotions, good and bad, by crying. Definitely an adjustment for us. 
      • The "let you baby cry it out" thing is a lot harder to do when you toddler is sleeping soundly.
      • Babies have growth spurts where they are hungry all the time. 3 days, 7-10 days, 3 weeks, so on and so forth.
      • We completely forgot about acid reflux and gas. Our new addition seems to want to be upright or decently angled all of the time in order to be comfortable. 
      • For those that breastfeed, it takes up so much of your day, completely forgot the time commitment. 
      • Also for those that breastfeed, you forget about having to live life in 2 hour stretches of time.
      • I regularly have to look at my phone to know the day of the week. 
      • How long does it take for a baby to sleep through the night? We hit it at 8 weeks with our first, I'll keep you posted regarding round two.
      • You're continually washing everything: bottles, poopy clothes, milk covered everything!
      • We hadn't fully processed how our son was going to react. There have been very high highs and very low lows on this front. 
      • Cabin fever is real!

      2018 Planner Price Drop! March 22, 2018 05:00

      If you were waiting to pick up your 2018 planner, you're in luck.  2018 UPstudio Planners are now $30 (available in grey), and 2018 Scratch and Dent Planners are only $10!  These slightly imperfect planners are still 100% usable (we are just ultra picky) and now a STEAL!  Get yours today!


      Behind the Scenes: Small Businessisms March 15, 2018 05:00

      UPstudio has been around for a few years now, but we're continuing to grow in our knowledge as small business owners.  There are of course, lots of responsibilities that come with a small business that are no brainers, like taxes, hard work, and endless hours.  But there are plenty of blog posts that go through the basics of starting a business - what we're talking about today is the opposite side of the spectrum, the sometimes fun, mostly quirky, maybe helpful things that have we have learned as UPstudio grows.

       

      • We're friends with our local post office workers.  With a time sensitive product like a planner, we make every effort to ship out orders ASAP, which means that we're making daily (sometimes multiple!) trips to the post office.  Inherently, we see the same people every day and get to know them.  We even gave Christmas gifts and share baby photos with our local PO workers, because they're so great!  (Thanks Jackie and Allen!)
      • We know way too much about shipping rates.  Another reason to spend time at the post office was to get as much knowledge as possible about shipping rates.  After researching USPS vs UPS, the overall rate for our products was better with USPS, so we ship through them exclusively.  Shipping is the fastest way to lose money as a small business, as it can get very pricey depending on the option.  We offer both priority and priority express as shipping options.  On occasions where free shipping has been offered as a coupon incentive, we've had to eat the cost of the substantially more expensive priority express shipping.  We also frequently price shipping rates to areas outside of the US for specific customer questions.  
      • We barter with other local businesses.  Don't get us wrong, we are big fans of supporting other businesses (see next bullet point) but sometimes there are opportunities that present themselves, and it doesn't hurt to take advantage of them.  For example, our day jobs are located just upstairs from the best sit down or grab and go lunch spot in downtown Raleigh - Manhattan Cafe.  Because we're in there so frequently (especially MB!), we've gotten to know the owners.  They've catered for our parties in exchange for a planner or two or design services.  Win win!
      • We aim to pay cash whenever we can to other small businesses.  Especially if you're at a show and not ordering online, cash when possible is the best way to ensure that the small business owner is seeing the most profit.  Credit cards are incredibly convenient and of course we use them, but we know how much a 3% charge can add up over each transaction, so try to help out others too!
      • We work the system to fulfill bank card requirements. As a small business, and especially one with a seasonal product, sometimes we struggle with enough getting the required number of transactions on our bank cards that are needed in a month.  For our bank, 10 are required, which seems totally doable until you realize how many things are automated within larger accounts.  For example, our website is hosted through Shopify.  Shopify offers a slightly discounted shipping rate for products, so we use them instead of paying for shipping individually from the PO each time (which would otherwise be on our bank cards).  So, instead of multiple transactions, we just have 1 through Shopify.  Whenever we are purchasing multiples of something, we try to do as many transactions as we can!  We're not the only ones that do this either, as cashiers have asked if it's for a business bank card.  If we still fall short, around the 28th of each month, we're buying a pack of gum or a drink to get a transaction, and reimbursing the company, just to make it work.
      • We research free apps to install on our website.  Unless you're initially really successful or going through a crowd funding site, you're probably putting in some of your own money to fund your small business.  Because of this, we try to save any money we can wherever we can.  We take the time to research free apps to make our website a little bit better than the standard, and research any coding that is required for things we can fix ourselves (read: MB does all this - she's an engineer and knows coding and is completely running the show on this stuff.  After she learns what to do she gives me the short version in terms I can understand, and we work together where we can.)  Here's an example of one genius thing she's fixed.
      • We are genuinely excited when people comment on blog posts.  This one has the most comments by far and we LOVE them!  One of the reasons we started a "lessons learned" series is for other small business owners who are out there struggling with the same issues that we are.  If we find a solution, or learned something the hard way, we're happy to share it. 

      UPstudio Reviews March 8, 2018 05:00

      People today are shopping online more and more frequently.  You can't beat the convenience of having something delivered straight to your door, but it's sometimes a risk since you don't have an opportunity to touch and feel a product to know if it's truly what you want.  In order to gain some assurance before ordering, many people first look at the reviews.  How many stars has the product received?  Do other people find it useful?  Is it really what the photos show?  User reviews are priceless, and help to verify a product, and in many cases, justify future purchases. 

      As a small business, we can't say enough about how critical these reviews are!  Because we have a small reach, we rely on our website to do a lot of heavy lifting for us in regards to marketing.  Our photographs need to be simple, clean and authentic to showcase our products in a true light, and reviews need to be as high as possible with positive information about both our products and our company.  We value good customer service and high quality products, and are proud to say that we have received many wonderful reviews. 

      If you haven't taken the time to review an UPstudio product on our website, on Etsy, or on Amazon, please take a minute and do so.  And don't forget to do the same for other small businesses, trust me, they appreciate it more than you know!

      Here are a few reviews that we have received - THANK YOU to those who have left any comments and ratings!

      (2018 Planner - 5 Stars on UPstudio Website)
      A SIMPLE YET POWERFUL WEEKLY PLANNING TOOL AND JOURNAL
      I always envied the planners of my friends who had a Day Designer or something similar, but they were way too over-the-top and bulky for my needs. After some research I found UPstudio and the perfect planner for me. I specifically wanted a planner with weekly pages and room within each date for a daily to-do list, and this has the perfect layout. It also has a nice monthly view as well. I feel very on top of my weeks now!

      Also, the graph pages at the end are perfect for taking notes on events, interviews, or for more intense lists and planning, all in the same portable package and without the need for a separate journal.

      Just bought my 2018 planner and excited for many more years
      (Customer Service - 5 Stars on UPstudio Website)
      GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE
      I want to commend UPstudio for their excellent customer service. When I experienced an issue with my 2018 planner, they promptly made it right. I will be using UPstudio planners for years to come because of the excellent way that they treated me, in addition to the fact that I find the UPstudio planners the best fit for me. Thank you very much! Keep up the great work! 
      (2018 Planner - 5 Stars on UPstudio Website)
      IMPROVEMENT ON PERFECTION
      If they ever stop making these planners I’ll cry. No suggestions or complaints here. This planner is perfect in form and function from cover to cover.
      (2018 Planner - 5 Stars on UPstudio Website)
      LOVE THIS PLANNER
      I love this planner! It is logically laid out for a large overview calendar at the beginning of the month, with weekly, more detailed scheduling between the months, and great grid pages on the back half for any projects. Bullet journaling is great with this. I personally do not like college and wide ruled pages, as most of my projects need more flexibility in planning out than what lined pages allows. The durability and quality of this book is amazing! The thick heavy cover is extremely well made and durable. The pages are thick and my pens do not bleed through. The pockets on the front and back make it easy to keep up with random little papers (great for receipts!). The elastic strap wears well and does not stretch out over time like many of my other notebooks have done. I'm cheap, and I spurge each year on one of these! It is well worth it!
      (Everyday Cards - 5 Stars on UPstudio Website)
      QUALITY & DESIGN
      I got the arrow everyday cards & am thrilled with them. They're surprisingly thick - I'm not sure I've held paper this thick before & they feel like they're super high quality. The design is on point & I've already used 2 for unexpected & very different reasons. I'm so glad I had these on hand because they're less formal than something like a Hallmark card that feels like you need to find the "right one" to match the event, yet they're so much more personal than just an email. I'm definitely going to get more!!
      (2018 Planner - 5 Stars on Etsy)

      Heidi on Jan 2, 2018


      A New Addition to the UPstudio Team! March 1, 2018 05:00

      Congratulations to Mary Beth and her husband on the birth of their beautiful baby girl, Margaret!  Maggie is the cutest little thing, even though she likes to stay up all night.  We're so excited to add another member to the UPstudio family!  Join me in congratulating MB on her precious and perfect addition to their family.

      PS - Mary Beth's dedication to UPstudio is REAL.  She wanted to write a blog post while she was in recovery after giving birth!  (We didn't let that happen).


      UPstudio Pencils February 15, 2018 05:00

      A free pencil is included with each UPstudio Planner order for a handful of reasons (like: we love pencils, we love free treats, we want to do a little self promotion, a pencil is our go to when writing in our planner, etc.). We shared previously how hard it is for us to decide on the featured pencils each year. 

      Did you know that we also sell pencil sets? We actually offer two, the Mantra Pencil Set (four pencils with phrases we identify with) and the Chick Flick Catchphrase Pencil Set (a set of five pencils featuring phrases from popular chick flicks).

      UPstudio - Mantra Pencil Set

      UPstudio Chick Flick Catchphrase Pencil Set

      We just restocked the Chick Flick Catchphrase Pencil Set due to it's growing popularity on Etsy. Choosing the color of the pencils is typically easy, but the phrases take us FOREVER! We always end up having a shortage or surplus of ideas. And then trying to find 4-5 phrases that all go together for a set adds a whole new level of complexity.

      We wanted to work on a new set for this year and thought what better way to start than to get your suggestions! Is there a phrase that you identify with or a specific color of pencil you just couldn't resist? We'd love for you to share.

      Click here to submit your ideas.

      (We also offer custom orders if you ever want to have a set just for you. Contact us directly and we'll share options and pricing.)


      2018 UPstudio Planner Price Drop February 1, 2018 05:00

       

      Even though a planner is used all year, it is considered a seasonal item due to the need to only purchase it once a year.  That means that come February, it's officially the off-season for planners, and prices drop.  If you've been holding out on buying one, now is the time to get yours for a reduced price!  

      2018 Planners are now just $36, and 2018 Scratch and Dent Planners (slightly imperfect but 100% usable) are now $20.  Gray is available in both options, and satchel in scratch and dent only.  Grab one while you can and start planning the next 11 months!


      One Satchel 2018 UPstudio Planner Available! January 26, 2018 08:36

      The printer that we use for the 2018 UPstudio Planners is not local to Raleigh, North Carolina, and thus when the planners are complete they arrive in large boxes that each hold about 40 planners.

      This year we ordered a very limited quantity of Satchel planners in order to gauge interest for the future. We were blown away by your response. They have been sold out now for over a month.

      Yesterday while prepping some orders that included gray planners we reached the bottom of a box and to our surprise there were three satchel planners

      We offered them first to those who subscribe to our newsletter to say thank you. Two were snatched up quick, but we still have one available. Simply e-mail us (hello@upstudionc.com) your full name, e-mail address, billing address, and shipping address and it could be yours. The first response we receive, we will respond with a  custom invoice with a link for payment of your new satchel planner. The planner will still be $40 (along with tax if you are a fellow North Carolinian) but we'll cover the shipping!

      One Satchel 2018 UPstudio Planner Available


      The Benefits of Writing Things Down January 18, 2018 10:45

      It’s no secret that we love paper products, from planners to books to cards sent in the mail. But there are many reasons that we’ll choose a paper product over technology for most things. Have you ever thought about why there is such a passion among Planner users? Why receiving snail mail means more than an email? Why you can remember a grocery list that was written down but have to keep referencing your favorite app for your typed list?

      Here are just a few benefits of writing things down:

      • You’ve probably heard before that writing things down on paper will help with memory retention, and it’s true. Many studies have been done proving better retention after writing something down - a lot of these specifically look at the differences between writing on paper vs. typing (and the results are no surprise!) Another plus is that writing things down benefits not only your short term memory, but long term and aging memories. See a few studies here and here for more information and science-y stuff.
      • Writing things down allows for more natural creativity. Imagine a fresh sheet of paper, where you can easily branch off of ideas in different directions through graphs, doodles, lists, etc., compared to a standard notes app. There are of course, huge technological advances, and some programs that offer capabilities that closely emulate those achieved on paper - but there is really nothing like paper. The slowing down of having to physically create something instead of pulling from a stock makes you think more and ultimately make better decisions.
      • Taking the time to write things down is more thoughtful. Whether it’s reflecting on your day, working, or writing a letter, the act of writing makes your brain work in a different way. On the other side of that - if you receive a handwritten letter, it inherently has much more meaning than receiving an email, because of the effort made in composing.
      • Planning your day/ week/ month/ party/ etc on paper will help you with organization. For all the above mentioned reasons, your plans will run more smoothly with built in memory-retention and thoughtful decisions after writing them down. I’m not always at the top of my game, but I do stay closer to the top when I take the time to organize by writing.
      • Writing things down allows your brain to rest. We’ve all had that feeling - a great idea or something important to remember, that has to be recorded. Writing that thing down and allowing for expansion then lets your brain rest, knowing that it can be examined further at a later time.

      Writing something down on paper can lend significant advantages in many aspects, but of course we are modern women too, and use and appreciate technology. It varies from person to person, but using technology and physically writing on paper in tandem can possibly provide the best flexibility and practicality. Just like seeing a sunset in person is more fulfilling than seeing it on tv, physically writing and using more of your brain is more fulfilling and offers more benefits than typing. We’ll use technology, but we’ll also keep writing more and more.


      New Vintage Items Added to the UPstudio Shop January 11, 2018 05:00

      In March 2016 we launched the UPstudio Vintage Collection. The idea stemmed from how much interest we had in our vintage display items at shows and the vintage props we use in photos both on our website and social media. We decided as we came across amazing vintage pieces we'd curate a collection that compliments our UPstudio brand and make that collection available to you. 

      We just refreshed our online store with a handful of new items. You can shop the collection here.

      UPstudio Vintage Collection

      All items are authentic vintage which means there might be some imperfections that add to their character. We have described each item as accurately as possible. All images are of the actual item you will receive. Quality is a high priority to us. That beings said, rest assured, we will not post anything that we wouldn't personally purchase ourselves. 

      As always, if you have any additional questions as you are checking out a product, feel free to contact us.


      New Year, Same Me January 4, 2018 05:00

      Happy 2018 everyone!  Before the start of every new year, I love to sit down with my planner and write in birthdays, upcoming events, and generally just get prepared for the year to come.  I'll record my resolutions and goals for January, in an attempt to be accountable to myself.  I'm definitely one of those people who always has good intentions but doesn't always follow through with resolutions.  For example, I mentioned last year in the blog post on the Best Planner for Keeping Resolutions, that my resolution for 2017 was to make a chicken pot pie from scratch.  Spoiler alert: I didn't do it.  But I did discover that Costco makes a really delicious and affordable chicken pot pie that you can pass off as homemade.  That's a win in my book.

      In the same vein, I've had friends tell me they feel guilty because they don't use their planner consistently all through the year.  I think that's a pretty natural thing, and something that we considered a lot in the development of the UPstudio Planner.  Sometimes I use my own planner more days or weeks or months than others... it all just depends on what's going on currently in life.  The best thing about the UPstudio Planner is that it's so versatile, you can use it as little or as much as you need to, and it's perfectly suited for any option.  Most planners are very scripted, leaving the user no space to define what is needed for them, but with the UPstudio Planner, you can change its use from week to week by creating your own headings specific to your needs. 

      I'll likely never be 100% consistent in how I use my planner or what categories are set up from week to week - and that's exactly why this is the best planner for me (and probably for you too, you should try it out!)

       


      Tutorial: How to Change the Weekly Start to Monday in Google Calendar and Outlook 2016 December 28, 2017 05:00

      One of the upgrades to the 2018 UPstudio Planner we revealed during the Planning a Planner v2018 Blog Series was that all calendars in the 2018 UPstudio Planner start on Monday. The lack of consistency in the Sunday - Monday organization on the month layout vs the Monday - Sunday organization on the weekly layout started to really get to us with the 2017 Planner. We debated this change SO MUCH. You can read more about our thought process in Part IV of the blog series.

      We understand that this change will take some adjustment. We will be adjusting along side you. 

      One thing we found useful was to adjust our electronic calendars to align with our planner so that all formats we use for planning our lives are consistent. (Yes, we own a planner business but still use electronic calendars for certain things, we have day jobs and are modern ladies.) We use Google Calendar in our personal lives and Outlook 2016 at work. Below we share simple tutorials to change the weekly start to Monday in both of those platforms. 

      How to Change your Google Calendar and Outlook to a Monday start to the week

      Tutorial: Monday Start to Week in Google Calendar

      Step 1: Access your calendar and in the upper right hand corner click on the gear symbol and access the 'Settings' dialogue.

      Monday Start to Week in Google Calendar : Step 1

      Step 2: Click on 'View options' from the list on the left hand side. Then in the right hand list select from the drop down for the week to start on 'Monday'. 

      Monday Start to Week in Google Calendar : Step 2

      Step 3: Your settings will automatically save, so simply close out of settings and view your calendar to confirm the change has been activated.

       

      Tutorial: Monday Start to Week in Outlook 2016

      Step 1: Click on 'File' in the upper left hand corner and selection 'Options' from the list on the left hand side.

      Outlook - Modify to Monday Start Date - Step 1: File - Options

      Step 2: Select 'Calendar' from the list on the far left and then under the 'Work time' heading there is a option to select the 'First day of week:'. Change the day to 'Monday' from the drop down and select 'OK' at the bottom of the dialogue box.

      Monday Start to Week in Outlook 2016 : Step 2

      Step 3: View your calendar to confirm the changes were activated.

      Pretty easy to modify in both platforms. This simple change has really helped us adjust over the past month, hopefully it will aid in your transition as well. 

      We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and we wish you a happy New Year!


      Merry Christmas! December 21, 2017 05:00

      "For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given..."
      Isaiah 9:6

      From our families to yours, we wish you a joyous holiday season and a very Merry Christmas.  We hope your holiday is filled with family, friends, laughter, and maybe an UPstudio gift or two!

      If you're like me and still have a few (or a lot!) of gifts to wrap, then you're in the right place.  Dress up any wrapping with a free printable Christmas tag, then make yourself some hot chocolate because wrapping is serious work.  We hope that you take the time to relax and enjoy the holiday, and celebrate with loved ones.  Merry Christmas!

         


      Flash Sale, Charity, and Holiday Shipping Deadlines December 14, 2017 03:30

      Some big ticket items today on the blog!

      FLASH SALE! Free shipping for everyone with code STJUDE.

      And not only do you get free shipping, but we will be donating 15% of your order to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. St. Jude is an amazing organization, with a mission to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Learn more on their website.

      UPstudio Supports St. Jude

      The flash sale and donation period ends at 12pm on December 15th, EST. Shop now!

      We are super excited that Christmas is right around the corner! If you're planning on an UPstudio gift beneath the tree there are some shipping deadlines quickly approaching. We ship everything USPS (United States Postal Service). We have added multiple shipping options to check out. In order to receive your package by December 24th you must place your order by:

      • USPS First Class Mail : December 18th
      • USPS Priority Mail : December 19th
      • USPS Priority Mail Express : December 21st

      Make sure to pay close attention to the option you choose at check-out to make sure your items will make it in time!


      The Best Planner for Men December 7, 2017 05:00

      This blog post is a part of the series "The Best Planner for..." which provides suggestions for ways in which you can use the UPstudio Planner.  Each post in this series will focus on a different way to utilize the planner layout. The UPstudio Planner is designed for versatility, and is suited for many uses and not limited to the featured suggestions.  Show us how you use your planner by sending us an email at hello@upstudionc.com, or tagging us on social media (all handles can be found on our website).

        

      Before we started designing the UPstudio Planner, we did research to know who we were designing for.  Ultimately, we were doing this for ourselves, because we weren't satisfied with planners that we were using, or ones that were on the market.  We wanted to create one that worked better for us, with our varying schedules and multiple roles to fill on a daily basis.  We narrowed down our main demographic based off of research (basically 18-50 year old women) and then created a focus group to really hone in on the specifics of the design.  This focus group included a majority of participants that fell into the above noted demographic, but we wanted to make sure it was looked at by a wider range than that too.  Two men participated in this group of 19, and gave us great feedback.  Ultimately, we were working to design a neutral, clean, versatile planner that would work for both men and women alike.

      Fast forward to today - we are selling UPstudio Planners in just about equal numbers to men and women, and we are THRILLED!  Why is this planner so popular with men?  Let's break it down:

      • It's neutral - the grey and satchel colors and minimal design on the cover are neutral and inviting.  The UPstudio Planner steers clear of flowers, patterns, quotes, and "fluff".
      • It's leather - the cover of the Planner is a synthetic leather (the grey has a smooth finish while the satchel is more textured) and men are more drawn to this material than say a glossy finished covered chipboard. And also, what man doesn't relate to Anchorman: "I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells like rich mahogany."  We can help you achieve this status.
      • It's compact - with the calendar in the front and graph pages in the back, the UPstudio Planner serves as a notebook and calendar in one.  Perfect for taking to meetings and not having to carry multiple notebooks.
      • It's appropriate for the office or classroom - the UPstudio Planner looks professional in any setting.
      • It's versatile - schedules that change frequently require flexibility in a planner, and the UPstudio Planner is perfect for that.  Weeks can highlight different areas of focus completely defined by the user, and can change from week to week or even day to day.

      Don't just take it from us: we reached out to a few male UPstudio customers who gave their feedback.

      “I love the blank pages for brainstorming, jotting down quotes, exercise or DIY ideas, references to websites, etc. The small folders inside the front & back covers are great for holding coupons, event tickets, lists. I often toss printouts of news, sports or automotive websites inside the front cover for future reference or end of the week reading. And when I run errands on the weekend I always take my planner with me. That’s usually when inspiration hits!” - Stephen from Vermont

      "Becky and Mary Beth have managed to meticulously design an awesome planner that is incredibly flexible -- for anyone! They asked how I thought it would be the best planner for men, and I can't really answer that -- since in my mind it's a planner for *anyone* who wants to DO things with their lives. Women or men, doesn't matter... If *anyone* wants an intuitive, balanced, powerful, well-built, thoughtfully-designed, super-flexible tool that can be used for just about any aspect of life/time/project management, then buy this world-class planner. They've managed to conjure up an amazingly balanced product that can help with anything from planning boring daily tasks to planning exciting massive projects, and from organizing a busy family to helping with a busy business enterprise. They've come up with a design that is structured yet flexible, never forcing their concepts on you, but rather giving you the space and room to adapt it to your workflow, in one hard-bound volume. Just buy the dang thing and get on with your life." - James from Maryland

      Thanks Stephen and James, we couldn't have said it better.  Get an UPstudio Planner for yourself or for the man in your life today.


      2018 UPstudio Planner Release Party Invite November 30, 2017 08:00

      Join us tomorrow, December 1, from 6-9 at DECO Raleigh (19 W Hargett Street, Raleigh) for First Friday and the 2018 UPstudio Planner Release Party! There will be snacks from Manhattan Cafe, wine provided by Deco, and of course - planners! Come start (or finish) your holiday shopping, eat delicious food, and hang out with us.

      2018 UPstudio Planner Release Party


      SALE! - Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday November 22, 2017 00:00

      We are truly thankful for so many things in our lives, but from a business perspective - it's all about you.  We wouldn't be where we are, or have grown so much without the support and business of our customers.  In order to say thank you, we are celebrating all weekend long -- and earlier -- with sales!  Enjoy 20% off your entire online purchase Wednesday - Monday with code SALE20.  

      Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday are our Super Bowl.  UPstudio is a small, local, online store, with a seasonal feature product.  These next 2 months will be our busiest, and it's all because of you.  We are excited to officially kick off the holiday shopping season and hope you are too!  THANK YOU for your continued support.

      Small print: Sale lasts from 12:00am Wednesday, November 22 - 11:59pm Monday, November 27.  20% discount applied to pre-tax and pre-shipping cost.


      Christmas Cards - UPstudio November 16, 2017 05:00

      I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week. This year, and especially the last two months have flown by!

      As of today, there are only 39 days till Christmas. Blows my mind! I need to start my Christmas shopping, and I need to get my Christmas cards ready to mail. I have yet to receive the first card, so there is still plenty of time. 

      Let UPstudio help you with your Christmas cards this year. We have two Christmas card designs available!

      UPstudio Christmas Cards

      Our first card, Trees, is printed similarly to our Everyday Cards (double sided offset printing on 160# cover paper). The design is featured on one side with the opposite side having a single tree and enough space for you to write a message. You can purchase them individually or in packs of six. If you'd like to order a larger quantity, contact us for pricing.

      UPstudio Christmas Trees Card

      (Add a little yuletide spirit to your organization with the Gold Christmas Tree Paper Clips featured above.)

      This beautiful Reindeer is featured on our second Christmas card!

      UPstudio Reindeer Christmas Card

      This is our first color card with a design of a pixelated reindeer on the front that opens to "Merry Christmas" on the interior. This card is also available for purchase individually or in packs of six.

      UPstudio Reindeer Christmas Card Styled

      There are four envelope colors available: red, real gray, kraft, and lockwood green. Both cards look great with all colors. If you'd like a variety of colors, contact us.

      UPstudio Envelope Color Options

      Christmas cards (or any of our cards) would also make great gifts and stocking stuffers!

      UPstudio Cards are a Perfect Christmas Gift

      We only printed limited quantities of Christmas cards, so get them while you can!

      (PS... Sign up for our newsletter and use code NEWSLETTER to get 10% off your order today!)


      Ghosting and Bleed in Writing Instruments - and the UPstudio Planner November 9, 2017 05:00

      Even if the terms 'ghosting' or 'bleed' don't mean anything to you, it's extremely likely that you've experienced both of these. We're not talking about Halloween or a convenient out from someone you're dating, we're talking about paper! Whether you're a paper lover like us (hi!) or new around here, this post is relevant to anyone who ever puts pen (or pencil or marker or crayon) on paper.

      Let's start with some explanations:

      Ghosting: the lesser offensive experience; ghosting is when writing shows up faintly on the back of the piece of paper where the writing occurred- you can tell that something has been written on the other side, but it does not interfere with anything and often times is not immediately noticeable.

      Bleed: this can ruin your day; bleed occurs when ink has penetrated the paper and deters visibility on the opposite side of a paper where writing occurred- notes written on both sides of the paper can become very difficult to read.

      The amount of ghosting or bleed that occurs depends on both the paper and the writing instrument. Some may argue that one or the other is the more important factor in the outcome of ghosting or bleed, but from our perspective, pens can be changed easier than paper can. It was extremely important to us when creating the UPstudio Planner to have both a balance of a quality paper weight (one that would allow minimal ghosting or bleed) yet not a lot of bulk or physical weight (small and light enough to carry around everywhere!) We met with our printers and tested all different paper types and weights with different pens and markers. In the end, we chose a 70# text paper which was the best of all worlds- and a much higher quality paper than many other planners on the market.

      When the UPstudio Planner gets to you, you are in control of what you use to write. To help you avoid any ghosting or bleed issues, we tested 16 different writing instruments to see how they would fare on the Planner.

      Here is our lineup (see below for written list):

       

      And here are are the results:

       

      The takeaways from this test are that any pencil should work without issue (and as my schedule is constantly changing, this is my personal preference of writing instrument), as well as ballpoint pens. Felt tip pens may show some ghosting, but minimal at worst, and the type of fountain pen used will determine its overall quality (with fountain pens, my experience has shown that it's worth paying a bit more money for a much better product)! And finally, Sharpie's will bleed or have significant ghosting on almost all types of paper- there's a reason they are the best known permanent marker!

      Have you used a different pen or marker and experienced ghosting, or bleed on your Planner? Or did we do an A+ job on choosing paper and you've had no issues? We'd love to hear your comments or see your results! 

      Tested writing instruments:

      • UPstudio Pencil (we got the best ones, trust us)
      • FURST 2.0 (pencil)
      • Ballpoint Pen
      • LAMY Fountain Pen
      • Pilot Fountain Pen
      • Paper Mate Flair (felt tip pen) 
      • Pilot Razor Point (felt tip pen)
      • Le Pen (felt tip pen)
      • Micron 08 (felt tip pen)
      • STABILO point 88 - red (felt tip pen)
      • STABILO point 88 - grey (felt tip pen)
      • STABILO Pen 68 (felt tip pen)
      • STAEDTLER triplus fineliner (felt tip pen)
      • STAEDTLER Lumocolor (felt tip marker)
      • SHARPIE Fine
      • SHARPIE Ultra Fine

      DECO is turning 5! November 2, 2017 05:00

      We are fortunate to be part of an amazing maker community in Raleigh. Just as important are the people and businesses that support local Raleigh makers. 

      DECO Raleigh

      A huge supporter is DECO Raleigh. They not only support the local maker community but contribute to the community at large. If you haven't heard of DECO before, it is a brick and mortar located in downtown Raleigh, 19 W. Hargett Street. How they describe themselves on their website:

      We love Raleigh and carry the work of more than 75 local artisans and makers. Our customers are our neighbors, friends, and the very BEST sources of product ideas for the store. We hope that DECO Raleigh is an adventure every time you visit, and we love nothing more than to hear laughter as our customers explore the store.

      We believe in contributing to our community in a meaningful way. That's why we built Raleigh's first parklet, commissioned Raleigh's first sidewalk mural, founded the Flight Fund to support public art and organized a holiday pop-up store in 2015. We love supporting local charities, local start-ups and local do-gooders. Check out some of our projects

      This week DECO is turning 5!!! November 1 - 5 they're celebrating each day with a local food goodie for customers and supporters, including treats from Videri, lucettegrace, Bittersweet, and Sweetwater Ices to name a few! UPstudio swung by yesterday (they had macaroons). 

      DECO is turning 5!

      For all of those living in the Triangle area we encourage you to come check out DECO. You can follow along on DECO's Instagram to learn more about all of the festivities this week. The Holidays are creeping up on us fast and this is a great place to get a head start on shopping.

      While you're there feel free to snag a 2018 UPstudio Planner (in either gray or satchel)!

      UPstudio at DECO Raleigh

      DECO recently announced that they have some exciting changes coming in the future, learn more and follow along on their blog, DECO Turns a Corner.


      We Need Your Help! October 26, 2017 05:00

      We're going to be candid here, because we genuinely need your help!  As the year is coming to a close, we are focusing our efforts toward online advertisement for the UPstudio Planner, and want to ensure we're choosing the best locations to advertise.  We've done market research and have plans laid out, but want to hear your opinions on the best ways to reach customers before finalizing our year-end marketing plans.

      One of the most versatile points about the UPstudio Planner is that it is gender neutral, and we're finding that it appeals to men and women in almost equal quantities.  We love that our reach is growing and that the planner is popular with everyone, but we want to be able to advertise to everyone too (and honestly, we are struggling with the best way to reach men!)

      Here's where you come in:  we would love your advice. We'd appreciate help specifically when it comes to understanding where men tend to browse the web and where the planner fits in a man's life.  We'd also love to know how well our current advertisements are working beyond basic analytics - simply put: how did you discover the UPstudio Planner?  Was it an ad somewhere, word of mouth, or through a simple web search?  Please comment on this post or email us (hello@upstudionc.com) with suggestions to the following questions:

      • How did you discover the UPstudio Planner?
      • If you're searching for a planner online, how do you go about your search? Where do you look? What search words do you use? What specific features do you search for?
      • Are there specific websites you go to first for the majority of your shopping?
      • Do you have any ideas of places that might be a good fit for UPstudio advertisement? 
      • Do you subscribe to anything online? Maybe a blog or a news site where you receive regular e-mails?
      • Did you know that UPstudio Planners are available on Amazon.com?  We'd love for you to leave a review for it!
      • Did you know that UPstudio Planners are available on Etsy.com?  We'd love for you to leave a review for it if you purchased through this site!
      • Which is better - red or purple Skittles?

      We truly appreciate your help!  We say it all the time, and it's because it's true - your feedback is valued and always taken into consideration.  Thank you in advance for taking the time to respond!


      2017 UPstudio Planner: December Month Layout October 19, 2017 05:00

      At the first of the year it was pointed out to us that there is an error in the 2017 UPstudio Planner. The 2-page December month layout is off by one day.  We promptly e-mailed all to-date purchasers making them aware of the error. We are closing in on December and wanted to remind you of the ways this simple error can be remedied. Again, please accept our sincere apologies. We pride ourselves on paying attention to detail, so this was and is a tough mistake for us to swallow.  In order to correct your calendar, we are offering a couple of options for a fix:

      1) A free downloadable December month layout is now available on the UPstudio website. Cut out this corrected calendar and insert it into your planner. Click here to download.

      Download a Free Template to Print out

      2) You can simply mark out the dates and holidays and shift them all so that December starts on the first Friday of the layout and ends on the last Sunday. 

      Simply Update Dates on your calendar

      3) We have developed stickers that can be placed over each page of the December month layout to create a corrected calendar for that month. If you would like for us to mail these pre-printed stickers to you free of charge, simply submit a contact request and provide us your name, quantity desired, and shipping address of where you want them sent.

      Simple Stickers to cover Layout

      Placement of the pre-printed stickers is quick and easy:

      2017 UPstudio Planner December Month Layout from UPstudio | Becky and Mary Beth on Vimeo.

      Rest assured that the remaining month layouts and week layouts are correct, as well as the mini calendars found at the margins of all layouts. We are confident that there is not a similar error in the 2018 UPstudio Planner. Again, we apologize for this mistake, and we appreciate your business and your support.

      If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.