What is a MAMBI Planner and Why You Need One!
I love planning and trying out new planners. One of my favorite planners is the Happy Planner from Me & My Big Ideas, also known as MAMBI planners (short for Me & My Big Ideas).
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These versatile planners are based on the disc bound system.
In addition to that, there are TONS of fun accessories for these planners!
You’ll be able to customize covers, pages, layouts, add ons, and more. I’ll cover all of that in this ultimate Happy Planner guide.
I’ve also added lots of links and videos so you can see how the MAMBI Happy Planner works, check prices, and select the right one to fit your life.
You can use a Happy Planner to record memories, upcoming events, to-do lists, and much more!
Let’s talk more about the disc bound planners and why you need one!
What Is a Disc Bound Planner?
Disc bound is one of the new kids’ on the planner scene and I love this system. This type of planner is kind of a hybrid of the spiral bound and ring bound planners - providing the best of both systems.
Let me explain why by first comparing other systems.
First there’s the ring bound system (such as Filofax). The binder rings pop open just like those notebooks you had in school.
Pages maybe easily added, removed, or moved to a different location. However, the rings in the middle can be cumbersome and difficult to write around (especially for a lefty, like me!). Also, you are limited to the size of the rings. You can only add a small amount of paper if the rings are small.
Let’s take a look at a spiral binder such as Erin Condren. These planners lay flat, can be flipped back so the whole planner is in one stack. They usually don’t have heavy covers, so they are portable as well.
The downside with a spiral planner is that you can’t add or move pages. Sure, you can tear pages out, but as a planner, that’s not very convenient.
My favorite disc bound systems is the Happy Planner by Me & My Big Ideas (aka. Mambi Planner). These planners are bound on loose discs so that you can easily add, remove, or move pages.
Here’s a short video showing how easy it is to remove pages from the Happy Planner.
Do you want a small planner you can take with you, use smaller discs. Do you want a desktop planner that holds the entire year of planner pages, plus workout pages, meal planning, etc..switch to large expander discs!
This video shows you how to switch disc sizes from the standard to the expander discs.
Choose the Right Size Mambi Planner
Happy Planners come in three sizes, I’m sure there is one (or more) to suit your needs.
Big Planners
If you are at a desk all day and love to have plenty of room for planning, the Big Planner may be right for you. The planner itself is 9" x 11.25" and fits 8.5” x 11” paper.
The largest of all the Happy Planners, this is a great size if you want to be able to customize some of your own pages and not have to deal with cutting them to size.
You can print pages on your home computer and use the page punch to make planner friendly sheets that fit right in. In addition, there are lots of add ons available from Happy Planner that come ready-to-go.
Standard Planners
The most popular Happy Planner is this standard size. It measures 7” x 9.25”. It’s big enough to track a lot of important information but small enough to take with you to and from work.
This size also has the most accessory options available such as sticker sheets, dashboards, folders, menu planners, and more. I’ll get into the accessories below.
Mini Planners
If you are a gal on the go who like to have a small lightweight planner in your purse, the Happy Planner Mini Mambi may just be the size for you. I’m completely obsessed with this Drama Llama planner they just came out with for 2019! It’s a portable planner sized 5.125" x 7.5". It fits pages 4.5" x 7” so you can print two pages on one sheet of printer paper. There are also mini sized expansion sets, decorative covers, inserts and stickers available from Happy Planner.
Now that you have a good overview of the Mambi Happy Planner, let’s take a look at all the fun ways to customize it!
Extension Packs for Happy Planner
Live your best life no matter what you are going through! Whether it’s planning a wedding, losing weight, Happy Planner has an extension pack to help you organize your life and goals.
Note: All of the extension packs below are meant for the Standard size, but there are accessories available for the Mini and Big planners as well.
Wedding Extension Pack
Why hire an expensive wedding planner when you can organize the entire event on your own? Happy Planner has a Wedding Extension Pack so you can organize the big day!
This 42 page pack is loaded with lots of tips and tricks to guide you through as well as tabs to keep the important information organized. Sections include: vendors, inspiration, budget, checklists, wedding party, guests, wedding events, wedding day, honeymoon. You can add the wedding pack to your current Happy Planner or buy another set of discs and have a planner just for the wedding.
Fitness Extension Pack
Whether you are looking to eating healthier, exercise more, or lose weight the Fitness Extension Pack has you covered!
It comes with 4 months of undated calendars as well as weekly food and exercise logs. The 24 page pack comes with 4 dividers to help you organize a plan that best suits your needs.
In addition, you’ll receive lots of stickers to log weight, record workouts & meals, and motivate you throughout your journey.
Recipe Planner Extension
Record family recipes or create your own. You can add them to your Happy Planner or make a separate recipe book with this Recipe Planner Extension pack.
The 20 page pack includes recipe formatted pages, entertaining & cooking tips, 4 dividers, and stickers to highlight your favorite recipes.
I’m a complete ADDICT of Happy Planner stickers! So, if you are anything like me and the ones included in the pack just aren’t enough, there’s also this Good Food sticker pack.
Budget Extension Bill Organizer
Want to know where your money goes? Now you can keep track of all expenses right in your planner.
The Budget Extension Bill Organizer is a 30 page planner pack including 7 dividers, budget and expense pages, and stickers to keep you organized and motivated.
Sticker Packs
Stickers are a big part of the Happy Planner. Sure, you could go minimalist and keep the planner as is. Fill it in and have nice simple pages..well organized with clean lines. That’s what my sister likes in a planner.
Me, I like my planner loaded with stuff. I like it so packed the pages crinkle when I turn them. My planner has to have lots of color, fun memories, and something exciting to look at on every page. That’s why I love Happy Planner stickers.
I know I’m not alone in this passion because there are so many sticker books available for these planners. There’s a pencil pouch (don’t let the name fool you) designed to perfectly fit about 7 sticker books.
Hell, there’s even a sticker book for your sticker books!
PRO TIP: It’s sounds kind of crazy, but once you get more than a sticker book or two, you need to come up with a system to organize your sticker books a bit better or you’ll be flipping through them for days just to find one sticker.
Must-Have Accessories
Hole Punch
If you want to customize your Mambi Planner with your pages, then a Happy Planner Punch is going to be your go-to tool. No matter what size planner you have (mini, standard, or big) you’ll need this planner accessory. Since the Happy Planner uses the disc system, traditional hole punch will not work in this planner.
Elastic Bands
If you plan on taking your Happy Planner anywhere, I highly recommend Elastic Bands. You’ll receive a set of three perfectly colored elastics to secure your planner so that the pages stay together while out and about.
Paper Clips with Ribbon
Mark your pages in style! The top of your planner will look so cute while keeping important pages marked and ready. These paper clips with ribbon are available in a sophisticated black and white theme. They’re easy to put in place and move as needed.
Snap-In Pencil Case
Why didn’t I think of that? This so-smart pen and pencil case snaps right onto the top of your Happy Planner. It fits the disc system enabling you to easily attach it or remove it from your planner as needed. It’s sized to hold pens, pencils, washi tape, stickers, pencil sharpener and other favorite planning tools.
Binder Clips
If you have more than a few pages, a paper clip won’t hold. Time to consider Binder Clips. These cute an motivational clips from Happy Planner are perfect for using in the planner or on important documents.
Half Sheets
Another stroke of genius to the Happy Planner system are the half sheets! These partial pages are easy to add and remove. They are perfect for tasks, quick plans and more.
Here’s a set of their most popular Half Sheets. It’s a total of 60 sheets each of 4 double sided pages for planning focus, meals, budgets, and daily schedule.
Focus sheets include a top 5, checklists, and goals. On the back is a dot grid for additional tasks or notes.
Meal Planning sheets features a weekly meal planner. Turn it over to the back to find a handy grocery checklist.
Budget sheets have an expense tracker on the front and bill pay checklist on the back.
Daily Schedule allows you to organize and go with a schedule layout on the front and a to-do or reminder checklist on the back.
Magnetic Book Marks
You can also mark pages with colorful and motivational book marks. These are magnetic so they can hold several pages together with ease. Check out these fun and functional Neon markers, Black & Gold markers, and Bright markers.
Adhesive Pockets
Need an extra hand? How about a pocket! Now you have the perfect place to store stickers sheets, notes, to-do lists, receipts and more. The adhesive pockets fit perfectly on the covers or dividers of your Happy Planner.
Sticky Notes
As much as you plan, the unexpected will still come up. That’s when it’s time for sticky notes! Record last minute contact info, to-do lists, meeting notes, appointments, or a quick grocery list.
Rolling Stamp
Need a bit of encouragement or a pat on the back? Give it to yourself with this cheery rolling stamp. Twelve different stamps on this rubber stamp will help organize and motivate your day. Stamps include: note to selfie, big plans, top priority, do this, good vibes, rock this day, oh happy day, get it done and hustle. Non-text stamps include banner flags, arrows, and stars.
Washi Tape
The only thing that rivals my stack of planners is my enormous collection of washi tape…and I’m always on the lookout for more! What I love about the Create 365 Washi Tape is that they are beautifully coordinated. I love opening my planner and seeing color a color coordinated page spread. These washi tapes do just that - make you look good without a lot of effort. They are easy to reposition of you make a mistake and each set comes in easy-to-store tubes.
Related Questions
Are Happy Planners Refillable?
Yes! Happy Planners are not only refillable, but there are so many options available for expanding your planner. There are fresh calendars, plain notes, meal and menu planners, workout and wedding planning expansion packs. MAMBI planners are a made to use and reuse for years, not just once and done.
Where Can I Buy Happy Planners Near Me?
In addition to all of the links I provided on Amazon, Happy Planners are available in lots of stores throughout the United States. Check out your closest Michaels, Hobby Lobby, or Staples for MAMBI products.
I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of telling you about MAMBI Planners. If you decide to give them a try, I’d love to hear your feedback and which tools you tried that you can’t live without.
Let me know in the comments below!
