• HOME
  • Planning
    • Planner Newbie
      • New to planning? Start here
    • Planning Tips & Inspiration
    • 52 Planning Systems in 52 Weeks
      • My weekly spreads
    • Planner Reviews
      • Horizontal Weekly
      • Horizontal 1 Page Weekly + Notes
      • Vertical Weekly
      • Hourly Planners
      • Categories Weekly
      • Daily Planners
      • Discbound Planners
      • Teacher Planners
      • Planner Roundups
      • Happy Planner (MAMBI)
      • Budget Planners
      • Undated Daily Planners
      • Undated Weekly
    • Planner Index
    • Planner Comparisons
    • Bullet Journal
      • Bullet Journal Reviews
      • Bullet Journal Spreads
      • Bullet Journal Tips
    • Planner pens
    • Highlighters
    • Planner Stickers
    • Digital Planning
    • Household Binder
    • Stationery Shopping
    • Rachael’s Favorites
    • Blogging & Online Business
  • Graphic Design
    • Photoshop Tutorials
    • Affinity Publisher
    • Microsoft Word
    • Microsoft Excel
    • Canva
    • Silhouette Studio
    • PicMonkey
  • SHOP
    • Shop at Etsy
    • Online Store
    • Graphic Design Resources
    • ECOURSES
    • Ebooks
      • 54 Mistakes Etsy Sellers Make (And How to Fix Them)
      • 1200 Blog Post Ideas
        • 1200 Blog Post Ideas (Exclusive Download Content)
      • 200 Blog Post Title Prompts (For Any Type of Blog)
        • 200 Blog Post Title Prompts (Exclusive Download Content)
    • Feedback & Testimonials
    • Planner Supplies (my sister’s shop!)
    • Shop my favorite planner supplies on Amazon
  • Learn
    • ECOURSES
      • Free Graphic Design Video Tutorials Library
      • Printables in Affinity Publisher
      • How to Make Planner Stickers
      • How to Make Printables in Photoshop
      • Printables in Microsoft Word
      • Printables in Microsoft Excel
      • Digital planners and notebooks in Microsoft PowerPoint
      • How to Make Labels in Photoshop
      • Make Patterns in Photoshop
      • Party Printables
      • How to Write Product Descriptions
    • Ebooks
      • 54 Mistakes Etsy Sellers Make (And How to Fix Them)
      • 200 Blog Post Title Prompts (For Any Type of Blog)
      • 1200 Blog Post Ideas
  • FREE
    • FREE Printables
    • Free Printables Library – Subscribers Login
  • Travel
    • Travel Planning
    • Europe
    • Australia & New Zealand
  • About
    • Browse All Posts
    • FAQ
      • What is a Printable? What happens when I purchase a printable from you?
      • Printing Tips
      • Printable Planner Stickers
      • Downloading Files
      • How to Open Zipped File Folders
      • What does EDITABLE mean?
      • Monogram Etiquette

All About Planners

Printable planners to organize your home, business and life!

December 10, 2018

Whistle and Birch Weekly Planner Review (Pros, Cons & Video Walkthrough)

After numerous reader requests for a review of the Whistle and Birch planner I now understand what all the fuss is about!

Disclaimer: I was sent a copy of the planner in exchange for this review. I was going to purchase the planner anyway. As always, all opinions are my own!

Quick facts

  • Size: 7.75″ wide x 9″ high (inside pages are approx 7″ wide x 9″ high)
  • Coil binding
  • Glossy cardstock cover (personalisation optional) with clear frosted cover
  • This belongs to page in case your planner is lost
  • Dates at a glance
  • Neutral & colorful inside pages
  • 2 page monthly planning spread
  • 2 Page monthly calendar (starts on Monday)
  • 2 page weekly spread (starts on Monday) – various layouts to choose from
  • Lined notes page for each month
  • Double sided cardstock pocket folder
  • 2 clear storage sleeves
  • Lined notes / list pages
  • Monthly dividers & tabs
  • Australian made
  • 12 Month duration

Let’s take a closer look!

To enlarge the screen of the video, click the square icon in the bottom right hand corner of the video (it will say ‘full screen’ when you hover your mouse over the icon).

Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more planner videos!

See my updated review of the Whistle and Birch planner in this post.

The planner arrived gift wrapped 🙂

whistle and birch planner review australian made

The Cover

The cover feels like thin glossy cardstock. There are various cover designs to choose from.

I chose the flamingo’s! <3

Cover personalisation is free 🙂

whistle and birch planner review australian made vertical horizontal hourly flamingo cover personalised monthly planning colorful tabs similar to erin condren

There’s also a frosted cover to protect it from damage.

whistle and birch planner review custom personalised flamingo cute cheaper alternative to erin condren plum paper purple trail australian

Approx 1.7cm thick. The cover extends beyond the tabs to protect them from wear and tear.

whistle and birch planner review

Annual Overview

The week start day (Monday) is kept consistent between the annual overview, monthly calendar and weekly spread.

There are no holidays pre-printed on the monthly or weekly calendar so you can live anywhere in the world and use this planner.

whistle and birch annual overview holidays list project planning future log australian made video review pros and cons

Monthly Planning

Each month has a lined notes page and monthly overview with space for birthdays, projects, habits etc. i..e you get 3 pages for planning each month.

I do find it a bit odd that 1 monthly planning page is in color but the other is in grey.

whistle and birch monthly planner dashboard birthdays events goals habit tracker similar to erin condren plum paper australian

whistle and birch monthly planner dashboard birthdays events goals habit tracker similar to erin condren plum paper australian colorful

The colors are really nice… the pink & blue are my fav <3

whistle and birch planner review monthly dashboard calendar weekly spread family teacher student horizontal vertical colorful pros and cons

Monthly Calendar

The monthly calendar starts on a Monday which is consistent with all of the weekly layout options.

The date numbering restarts on the top row and does not split boxes into 2 🙂

whistle and birch monthly calendar monday start minimalist similar to erin condren plum paper purple trail colorful functional

whistle and birch monthly calendar review custom personalised australian made monday start

The Weekly Layouts

Stephanie from Whistle and Birch put together a custom planner for me with all the various layouts to show you guys (and since I couldn’t pick one!)

Vertical

3 boxes for each day, plus a daily checklist and huge lined sidebar.

  • Ideal if you like to ‘cluster’ things when you plan
  • If you’re keeping track of work & personal
  • School / work / personal
  • Projects / personal / work
  • Personal / husband / home / kids
  • Etc.!

whistle and birch vertical weekly planner cheaper alternative to erin condren australian colorful personalised aussie made monthly planning calendars cute colorful

whistle and birch vertical weekly planner cheaper alternative to erin condren australian colorful personalised aussie made monthly planning calendars cute colorful 3 sections per day

Teacher Planner (Vertical)

While this is labelled as a teacher planner you could still use it if you aren’t a teacher.

There’s also the option to customise the number of boxes per day (if you need more than 3).

whistle and birch teacher planner layout weekly review pros and cons monday start minimalist australian made similar cheaper alternative to erin condren

whistle and birch teacher planner layout weekly review pros and cons monday start minimalist australian made similar cheaper alternative to erin condren class student

whistle and birch teacher planner layout weekly review pros and cons monday start minimalist australian made similar cheaper alternative to erin condren ausssie

Vertical Hourly

whistle and birch hourly planner review scheduling pros and cons 7am to 7pm vertical cheaper alternative to erin condren custom personalised cover

Schedule from 7am to 7pm. There are 2 lines for each hour so you could also plan half-hourly if you prefer.

whistle and birch weekly planner review vertical hourly layout pros and cons video 7am to 7pm half hourly australian made

Vertical Family

If you need more structure than the other vertical layout on offer, this one is very structured. A mix of lined writing space, checklist, health, meal planning, expenses and water intake if you’re tired of writing the same things out each week (or using tons of stickers) this may be the layout for you.

If some of the headings don’t suit you (e.g. I don’t track expenses by day) you can always use correction tape and use the sections for something else.

whistle and birch weekly planner review family layout monday start pros and cons vertical health exercise fitness hydrate checklist similar alternative to erin condren australia

whistle and birch weekly planner review family layout monday start pros and cons vertical health exercise fitness hydrate checklist similar alternative to erin condren australia minimalist

Student (Horizontal Days + Notes & Lists)

This is my favorite layout! Lined writing space for each day and a huge lined notes + checklist space on the other page

whistle and birch study planner layout student college horizontal lined notes and days checklist 2 page weekly spread list maker cheaper alternative to erin condren similar to plum paper

I typically need more space for Saturday and Sunday so I’m intending to convert some of the notes space on the second page into Saturday and Sunday.

whistle and birch list weekly spread notes dot grid lined 2 page weekly video review pros and cons australian made cheaper alternative to erin condren similar to plum paper

Horizontal lined

Saturday and Sunday each have the same amount of planning space as a weekday.

whistle and birch weekly planner review horizontal monday start lined checklist weekly notes pros and cons similar to erin condren video quality custom personalised

whistle and birch weekly planner review horizontal monday start lined checklist weekly notes pros and cons similar to erin condren video quality custom personalised student

Monthly Dividers

Each month has a divider in a different color with a different quote as well as giant, sturdy tabs with the month printed on the front and back of the tab.

whistle and birch planner review dividers colorful sturdy quality video flipthrough pros and cons similar to erin condren watercolor

Notes Pages

The lined notes have 2 columns so you can use for lists. The columns are close together that you could also still use like normal notes pages too.

whistle and birch planner review notes pages lined checklist pen test paper quality australian made

Pocket Folder

The pocket folder feels a bit flimsy – cardstock paper. However it’s protected by the cover and other pages in the planner so should hold up ok.

whistle and birch pocket folder planner review

2 clear plastic sleeves

Perfect for storing bills, planner stickers etc.!

whistle and birch planner review plastic sleeve for storing planner stickers

Pen Testing

I tried various ballpoint, gel, fine tip and marker tip pens. There was some ghosting on the back side of the page – especially the marker pens.

Highlighters and the MAMBI stamps also had heavy ghosting.

The paper is bright white and feels smooth to write on.

whistle and birch planner pen testing paper quality ghosting bleed through highlighters gel stamps

whistle and birch planner pen testing paper quality ghosting bleed through highlighters gel stamps video review

Pros of the Planner

  • Frosted cover to protect front and back
  • Multiple cover designs to choose from
  • Free cover personalisation
  • Functional weekly layouts
  • Plenty of weekly layouts to choose from
  • Monthly calendar and weekly spreads start on Monday (consistent)
  • The monthly calendars restart numbering on the top row
  • 3 monthly planning pages
  • Sturdy tabs (and printed double sided)
  • Pocket folder
  • 2 clear plastic pockets
  • Coil has room if you like to add stickers to your weekly spreads
  • Bright white paper

Cons of the Planner

  • Color printing is only on the divider pages (so half the monthly planning is in color and the other page is in grey)
  • The pocket folder feels like thin cardstock
  • Pens had ghosting on the back side of the page

Would I use this planner?

Yes. I really like this planner. Simple and functional weekly spreads that maximise the page, a pop of colour, big sturdy tabs (printed double sided), 3 planning pages for each month and plenty of list / notes pages.

If you like the Whistle and Birch planner it’s available on Etsy.

See how I used the planner here:

  • Whistle and Birch Rainbow Weekly Spread using the Zebra Mildliners
  • Whistle and Birch weekly planner spread using the study layout
  • Whistle and Birch horizontal weekly spead (pastel theme)

free printable monthly habit tracker download template diy resize page size custom insert refill happy planner routine recurring

More planner reviews:

  • Ultimate Comparison: Erin Condren Life Planner versus Plum Paper Planners – Which planner is better? 
  • Life Organized Weekly Planner by Paper House (similar to the Erin Condren Life Planner)
  • Erin Condren Horizontal Life Planner versus Horizontal Happy Planner: which planner is better? 

Planning Tips:

  • 10 Things people often forget to check before buying a planner
  • 7 Reasons why I decorate my planner 
  • Bored with your planner? 25 ways to mix it up

Browse all posts

Found this post helpful? Pin it!

whistle and birch weekly planner review horizontal vertical hourly student teacher australian made cheaper alternative to erin condren

You may also be interested in...

  • Whistle and Birch Horizontal Weekly Spread (Pastel Theme)Whistle and Birch Horizontal Weekly Spread (Pastel Theme)
  • Whistle and Birch Weekly Planner Review (All layouts + pen testing)Whistle and Birch Weekly Planner Review (All layouts + pen testing)
  • Whistle and Birch weekly planner spread using the study layoutWhistle and Birch weekly planner spread using the study layout
  • LH Agenda Planner Review (Career & Goals Weekly Planner)LH Agenda Planner Review (Career & Goals Weekly Planner)
  • Curation Weekly Planner Review (Pros, Cons & Video Walkthrough)Curation Weekly Planner Review (Pros, Cons & Video Walkthrough)
  • Using the Otto Goals Weekly Planner (blue & pink themed weekly spread)Using the Otto Goals Weekly Planner (blue & pink themed weekly spread)

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Posted In: Categories Weekly, Horizontal 1 Page Weekly + Notes, Horizontal Weekly, Hourly Planners, Planner Reviews, Vertical Weekly · Tagged: alternative to erin condren, alternative to plum paper, alternative to purple trail, aussie planner, australian made planner, australian planner, Australian planner review, cheaper alternative to erin condren, erin condren dupe, erin condren knock off, erin condren planner alternative, favorite australian planner, life planner review, look inside whistle and birch planner, planner similar to erin condren, planners similar to erin condren, whistle and birch cheap alternative erin condren, whistle and birch horizontal planner, whistle and birch life planner, whistle and birch planner flipthrough, whistle and birch review, whistle and birch teacher planner, whistle and birch vertical hourly planner, whistle and birch vertical planner, whistle and birch weekly planner, whistle and birch weekly planner review

Welcome

Welcome to All About Planners! I’m Rachael, a 20-something Aussie addicted to graphic design and all things planning. On the blog you’ll find more than 1,000 posts about all things planning including planner reviews, tips, favorite supplies and some of my past weekly spreads.

Subscribe and join 60,000+ others on the quest to find planner peace!

Follow Me

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Search

Subscribe

free printables library sign up all about planners blog image graphic subscribe

Shop At Etsy

The photos and content on this site are the property of All About Planners. They are not allowed to be used without permission from All About Planners.

Categories

Recent Posts

  • How I make my travel photobooks using Blurb (Detailed Tutorial and Review)
  • My 4th Plum Paper Planners Haul! (weekly and daily planners, financial planner, goals planner)
  • 10 Strategies for tackling your to do list
  • How I Planned a 6 week European Holiday (Plus download my detailed Itinerary)
  • Time and ToDo Planner Review (Unique weekly layout)

Disclaimer

All About Planners is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Popular Posts

  • 50 Tips for writing a better to do list that will make you more productive
  • 130+ functional ideas to use blank notes pages of your planner or an empty notebook
  • How I use Excel to organize all my travel plans (research, itinerary, hotel, tours, bookings, packing list etc.)
  • How I use Excel to Organize a Home Renovation (budget, spending, program, paint colors, contacts, quotes)
  • How I use Excel for organizing recipes, meal planning, food inventory and grocery lists

Printables

  • Learn How to Make Printables
  • How to Make Planner Stickers
  • Resources & Tools I Recommend

Follow Me

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
Privacy

Copyright © 2022 All About Planners · Theme by 17th Avenue