Best Calendars of 2013

January has a way of motivating and inspiring us to live each new day with purpose and direction. Beautiful calendars not only help to organize our lives, but they can also encourage us to live each day with intent. There are so many amazing calendars out there; it can be hard to decide which one to choose for your space. Luckily, I’ve been shopping around and picked out some truly fabulous calendars that are just a click away!

Here are my top calendar recommendations of 2013:

1. Wall Calendars:
You may call it a calendar, but I say it’s Purposeful Wall Art. I love the idea of using a calendar as home decor, especially one that has a little touch of positive thinking behind it. Using a large calendar as decor also provides a quick and inexpensive way to give a room a fresh face.

My favorite wall calendars are hand illustrated 13×19 prints by Emily McDowell. They can be displayed in a frame or tacked to a wall or board in your home and are $32. In each print, a quick reference guide to the days of 2013 is combined with a delightful quote or message. I am looking forward to having happy thoughts each day as I glance at mine!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/112287278/2013-calendar-motivational-quote-poster
http://www.etsy.com/listing/118953296/2013-calendar-declaration-of-intention
http://www.etsy.com/listing/118957888/2013-calendar-design-mom-collection-the

2. Desktop Calendars:
Desktop calendars are a must in my workspaces. I love having an artfully designed, small scale calendar available for quick reference when I am crafting up a paper project or playing around in the kitchen. The small size of these little cuties makes for simple, space saving display. Each comes with and easel or display unit so it is ready to showcase as soon as it arrives.

Josephine Kimberling’s Bold designs make this desktop calendar a great little accent piece. What a great way to brighten each day at work! For just $18, it comes packaged in an adorable chevron striped bag, so it makes a great gift for a friend or coworker! http://www.etsy.com/listing/113722073/2013-desk-calendar

Paper Source is one of my favorite boutique paper suppliers. At only $7.95, I am head-over-heels for this miniature accordion calendar. It can slip into any nook or cranny on a tightly packed desk. It also comes with a foldable stand that makes display a cinch. I plan to use this calendar to mark off each day as I complete one of my New Year’s Resolutions. A circle around each number will mean I met my goal for the day.
http://www.paper-source.com/cgi-bin/paper/item/2013-Paper-Source-Mini-Accordion-Calendar/3303_019/842612043385.html

This calendar by Idea Chic is $20 and has elements of letterpress combined with rich seasonal designs on clean white paper. It’s very clean and fresh with a pop of bright modern color. http://idea-chic.myshopify.com/collections/calendar

If you are a letterpress lover like me, you’ll surely fall for this mini letterpressed calendar by K is for Calligraphy. Each thick white cotton page is letterpressed with a black calendar. A few little touches and highlights in color add a pop to each card as well. This calendar comes packaged in a darling burlap bag so it’s ready for gift giving. The silver magnetic clip makes it a perfect calendar for a fridge or magnet board: http://www.etsy.com/listing/112627075/2013-calendar-mini-letterpress?ref=sr_gallery_26&ga_search_query=2013+letterpress+calendar&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_ref=auto3&ga_search_type=all

3. The Digital Photo Calendar
There are several things I look for in online photo production sites, but my top three criteria would be ease of use, creative content, and print quality. So, where do you go to get the best of all worlds? My recommendation for online photo project design is www.mixbook.com. Calendars range in price from $19.99 to $29.99 and Mixbook aways offers great specials! I haven’t found a site with better content that is so easy to use. Whether you’re crafting calendars or photo books, you have complete control of images, backgrounds, text, photos and more. It really is fun to sit down and design a project when you have hundreds of designs and images at your disposal. There pre-designed layouts are also a great option if you want to finish a project without any effort. All you need to do is upload your photos and drop them where you want them. If you are feeling a bit more ambitious, you can start with a blank canvas and build your own calendar from scratch.

Mixbook also has a great calendar feature that allows you to change your grid page as well as your photo page. You can add images for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries or any other dates you want to remember. It will also remember your dates from year to year so you don’t have to reenter them. I made two calendars this year and I couldn’t be more excited about the result.

4. The Great Big Note Pad Calendar
It never fails; you always need a piece of scratch paper when there isn’t one to be found. I love having a Great Big Calendar on my desk that doubles as a handy note pad. There is also plenty of space on these giant scratch pads to jot appointments and highlight activities. Or, it can be a fun doodle pad for extra-long days at work! The plain black and white versions are readily available at office stores, but if you want a little bit of excitement in your scratch pad, pick up my favorite giant calendar at paper source for $29.99. The kraft background and modern colors of this 17 month calendar make it a perfect piece for home or work. You can also hang this beauty on the wall if you want to keep appointments at eye level.

http://www.paper-source.com/cgi-bin/paper/item/2013-Paper-Source-Academic-Great-Big-Wall-Calendar/3205.001/842612043422.html

5. Classic 12×12 Calendar
We all have them, the classic 12×12 hanging calendar is a staple in any home. It has plenty of space for recording appointments or notes; it also brightens up a room with its fun designs. For 2013, Paper Source once again caught my eye with their 12 Month Classic Grid Calendar for $24.95. I love the vivid colors and retro prints they combined for 12 months of organizational eye candy!
http://www.paper-source.com/cgi-bin/paper/item/2013-Paper-Source-Art-Grid-Calendar/3303_019/842612043392.html

The trick with any Classic 12X12 Calendar seems to be in the display. Instead of the classic nail in wall routine, try a clamping pant hanger as a creative calendar holder. You can even decorate your hanger with ribbons, rub-ons, stickers, paint so that it matches your décor perfectly.

6. 3-D Zoo Calendars
These just had to be thrown in as an added bonus because they are so cute and unique. Each of these little zoo creatures has a monthly calendar printed on each side. How cute for the kiddos room or even as a teacher gift. These are available at Paper Source as well for $26.95.
http://www.paper-source.com/cgi-bin/paper/item/2013-Zoo-Calendar/3205.001/201385.html

7. Free Printable Calendars
When it comes down to needing a quick calendar for home or project use, or if you want to have multiple calendars for different functions; Free Digital Downloads are a great solution.

There are thousands of unique calendars available to print absolutely free online. Just type “free printable calendar” into your search engine and peruse for your favorites. With a little surfing, you are sure to find different sizes and formats that that will fit your needs perfectly.

Here are three of the fun designs I found in my searching:

Clean and simple with a pop of color.
http://www.thetomkatstudio.com/2013printablecalendar/

For those seeking a bit of sweet in the new year.
http://www.eatdrinkchic.com/post.cfm/free-printable-sweet-new-year-calendar-2013

From one owl lover to another.
http://www.myowlbarn.com/p/owl-lover-2013-calendar.html