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FREE Printable Pack: 12 Months of Pre-Planned Dates, Version 2.0

12 Months of Pre-Planned Dates Mini-Book | Such a creative and meaningful gift idea for the loved ones in your life. The FREE Printable Pack also comes with everything you need to create mini-books for Parent-Kid Dates, Friend Dates, and wedding gifts! So many gifts in one!

Some gifts are so much fun to give…they deserve to be given again.  And again.  To all of your loved ones.  And all of your loved ones’ loved ones.

That’s how I feel about the 12 Months of Pre-Planned Dates Mini-Book.

It started as a Christmas gift for Mark last year….

…and then grew to become my most popular freebie by a landslide with over 10,000 downloads (gulp!).

Here are just a few of your creative renditions that you’ve shared with me:

12 Months of Pre-Planned Date Nights featured in The Thinking Closet's Winter 2014 Reader Showcase
1. Emme M.  2. Jennifer  3.  Katie

And as this mini-gift grew in scope, it got my gears turning.  And I tried to put myself in your shoes, dear reader…wondering all the different ways you might want to adapt this simple yet meaningful gift idea for the loved ones in your life.

I thought,

What if the mini-book could work for friend dates?

Or parent-kid dates?

Birthdays?

Mother’s Day or Father’s Day?

Wedding gifts?

The creative brainstorming session was a doozy!  And back I went to the drawing board, pouring caffeinated hours upon hours into creating the new and improved 12 Months of Pre-Planned Dates Printable.  Version 2.0, if you will.

In fact, instead of just one mini-book, you now have 5+ types of mini-books for 8+ occasions in 1 fabulous printable pack that is 14 pages long.  And I’m going to share it with you all today.  (And don’t worry, it’s still FREE.)

Here’s what’s new and improved:

1.  COVER TEXT

I tweaked the cover page, so instead of it saying, “12 Months of Pre-Planned Date Nights,” it says “12 Months of Pre-Planned Dates.”  About half of my own dates were in the daytime and the technicality irked me.  (Though guess what?  If you liked the ring of the original cover text, it’s still available in the printable pack.)

12 Months of Pre-Planned Dates Mini-Book | Such a creative and meaningful gift idea for the loved ones in your life. The FREE Printable Pack also comes with everything you need to create mini-books for Parent-Kid Dates, Friend Dates, and wedding gifts! So many gifts in one!

2.  NEW COLOR SCHEMES

You’ve still got the original red color scheme for the classic look, but I added two other options for variety’s sake – – blue and purple.  (They print a bit more muted than they appear on the screen.)  And if you’re feeling extra wild, you could integrate all the color schemes together into one rainbow-colored mini-book.

3 Different Color Schemes available in the 12 Months of Dates Printable Pack - - Red, Purple, Blue!

3.  BLANK MINI-PAGE

If you’re like me, you might want to include a personalized note or favorite quote with yours, so I created a blank mini-page in each color scheme!  I also added a mini-page with spots to signify the “FOR” and “FROM” if you prefer a simpler approach to the “with love from me to you” dedication page.

Fun new "extras" in the FREE 12 Months of Dates Printable Pack: a blank mini-page and FOR and FROM page. Gotta personalize!

4.  FRIEND & PARENT-KID DATE COVERS

I also wanted this gift to be adaptable for friend dates…

12 Months of Pre-Planned Friend Dates: FREE Printable Pack. Such a creative and meaningful gift idea. You can't beat the gift of quality time! Love that this printable comes with everything you need to adapt this for significant others, parent-kid dates, wedding gifts and beyond!

…as well as parent-kid dates.

12 Months of Pre-Planned Parent-Kid Dates: FREE Printable Pack. Such a creative and meaningful gift idea. You can't beat the gift of quality time! Love that this printable comes with everything you need to adapt this for significant others, friend dates, wedding gifts and beyond!

So, I created unique covers for each of those gifts.  Along with a few others…like Family Dates!  (Have I got your gears turning now with all of the potential this here printable pack holds?)

5.  WEDDING GIFT OPTION

I also wanted this gift to adapt well as a wedding, engagement, or anniversary gift for another couple.  So, I created a page with some brief instructions and inspiration, so the couple knows exactly what to do with a blank book!

12 Months of Pre-Planned Dates Mini Book: FREE Printable Pack. This makes for a fantastic wedding or engagement gift. Such create a blank book, use photos of the couple as dividers, and encourage them to plan out a year of dates TOGETHER.

This is also a great opportunity for printing off some photos of the happy couple, cutting them to match the page size, and using them as dividers in between each month!  (That’s what I did for an engagement gift for our friends Hannah and Ben.)

12 Months of Pre-Planned Dates Mini Book: FREE Printable Pack. This makes for a fantastic wedding or engagement gift. Such create a blank book, use photos of the couple as dividers, and encourage them to plan out a year of dates TOGETHER.

6.  MINI-CARDS FOR ALL OCCASIONS

Here’s a list of all of the occasion cards included in the printable pack:

  • Congrats!
  • Happy Valentine’s Day!
  • Merry Christmas!
  • Happy Hanukkah!
  • Happy Birthday!
  • Happy Mother’s Day!
  • Happy Father’s Day!
  • Just Because
Creative Valentine's Day Gift Idea...a mini-book with pre-planned date nights! FREE Printable via thinkingcloset.com
12 Months of Pre-Planned Dates: FREE Printable Pack. Such a creative and meaningful gift idea for all occasions...and it includes the different card options for Valentine's Day, Christmas, Mother's Day, and more.

And I threw in a “You are loved” mini-card in there for good measure.  It never hurts to be reminded of that, does it?

"You are loved." Just one of the many meaningful pages in the 12 Months of Dates mini-book. Download your FREE Printable Pack at thinkingcloset.com. Here's to the gift of quality time!

7.  LIST OF 25 DATE IDEAS

So, you may recall I came up with a list of 101 Creative Date Nights on a Dime this past Valentine’s Day…so I grabbed some of my favorites (25 of them to be exact) and included them in a single sheet at the end of the printable pack to help get your creative juices flowin’.

And when in doubt, feel free to check the original post to see all 101!  Many of them would apply not only to romantic dates, but friend and family dates, too!

 8.  ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS

Lastly, on the cover sheet of the printable, I wrote out some basic assembly instructions, which should help you make sense of all the goodies in the printable pack and what you need to complete your mini-book.  Although it’s really so simple:

  1. pick a color scheme
  2. print (highest photo quality)
  3. cut
  4. assemble
  5. add divider pagesInsert colorful paper in between your mini-cards for added whimsy!
  6. hole punch
  7. *bind
  8. pre-plan some dates!  {see our 12 for this year HERE…plus the list of 101 ideas HERE.}

…and prepare to enjoy a year together of love-soaked quality time!

12 Months of Pre-Planned Dates Mini-Book | Such a creative and meaningful gift idea for the loved ones in your life. The FREE Printable Pack also comes with everything you need to create mini-books for Parent-Kid Dates, Friend Dates, and wedding gifts! So many gifts in one!

Free Download

The Printable Pack is available for FREE as a gift to all email newsletter subscribers. So, if you’d like to subscribe to receive more creative ideas right in your inbox along with this fab freebie, fill out your email in the form below or HERE! Then check your email to access your download.

12 Months of Pre-Planned Parent-Kid Dates, Friend Dates, and more: FREE Printable Pack. Such a creative and meaningful gift idea. You can't beat the gift of quality time! Love that this printable comes with everything you need to adapt this for all of the important people in your life - - great for wedding gifts, too!

Now, go and make me proud, gifting quality time to those you love in mini-book form.  Life’s too short not to plan intentional time together…am I right?

Extra, extra!  I’ve got two exciting UPDATES for ya!

On a Mini-Book Kick?

If you’re like me and just can’t get enough of these mini-books, be sure to check out my latest one, a “What I Love About You From A to Z” Mini-Book Gift.  Your recipient will receive a barrage of love through 26 different affirmations, one for each letter of the alphabet!  Check it out HERE.

"What I Love About You from A to Z" Mini-Book | Creative gift idea that will lavish your recipient with love through 26 different affirmations, one for each letter of the alphabet! Gotta love it when gifts are inexpensive, yet oh so meaningful. This is a great one for birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine's Day, Christmas...or ordinary days!
Check it out HERE.

Hungry for More Meaningful Gift Ideas?

If this post has whet your appetite for more gifts that aren’t too expensive but come straight from the heart, guess what?  I wrote a book to help my comrades come up with meaningful and one-of-a-kind gift ideas quickly, some in as short as 5 minutes.

Prepare to Kickstart Your Creativity with Thinking Outside the Gift Box: 75 Simple & Meaningful Gift Ideas by Lauren Lanker | Now available in paperback!

The book includes:

  • 178 pages of gift-giving inspiration
  • 75 actionable gift ideas
  • 20 pages of printables

Oh, and most of the gift ideas will cost you $10 or less.  Truth.  So, what are you waiting for, friend? Nab your copy of Thinking Outside the Gift Box.

Join the revolution as we rediscover the joy of giving.

*Full Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase after clicking through, The Thinking Closet may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  Thanks for helping to support this site!

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46 Comments

  1. Hi. How long does it usually take to receive the email after subscription? Thanks for you help. I can’t wait to get to print it!

    1. Oh yay! It should be just a few minutes until it lands. Let me know if you had any issues, and I can re-send, Katty! Happy dating!

  2. Lauren,

    Would you please share with us what is the name of the font? The one used to spell out the months. Thank you 🙂

  3. Hi I subscribed probably 3 times in the last two days to receive your download of the date book and have not gotten any emails from you…

    1. Hmmm…I can see that my emails are being delivered to you, but not opened. Can you check to see if they are getting buried in your Promotions tab? Or accidentally going to spam?

  4. You saved me again Lauren, I have the your lovely Ebook and I just printed the pretty printed cards, thank for making my gift giving so manageable and time saving, and giving me such fantastic ideas. Happy Valentines Day to you and yours truly and the little angel you are keeping so nurtured! I thank God for you!

    Saved Again,
    Sandy

  5. Hello! I just subscribed and can’t wait to get the download so I can make this for my boyfriend before Saturday! I already have the dates figured out, and I’m so excited! I have one question– if I wanted to print pictures to use as dividers, what is the size I would print them?
    Thank so much!

    1. Hey Megan! So excited that YOU’RE excited. The dimensions of the cards are But they are 3″ x 1.87″ (so two mm. shy of 2″). I would recommend printing your photos slightly larger than that and trimming them down to match the cards once you’ve printed them. Best of luck! (And if you think to snap a pic or two, I’d LOVE to see the finished creation.) Enjoy!

  6. Hi Lauren,
    I love these date cards and the holiday cards. This is such a great idea. I can honestly say that after finding your blog, I am going to save up for a Silhouette machine. This looks really fun!

  7. I feel silly posting this but..I can’t seem to find the link to the actual printables… where could I find it? Love the idea and totally want to do it for my boyfriend! Thanks 🙂

  8. This is so fabulous! I was just sitting here realizing that our 11 year anniversary coming up this month will be our first date since…our 10 year anniversary! How sad…perhaps with this little prize (and a babysitter approximately 12 times) we can remedy this problem prior to the 12th anniversary. How I do enjoy your brilliant ideas!

  9. Love this idea! I’ve made something like this before but put each card in a separate envelope…love the idea of putting it on a ring. 🙂

  10. Oh my goodness! I love these so much! I’m so excited to make one for my husband for his stocking 🙂 Thanks for sharing! We always take forever trying to figure out what to do on date nights. This will make our lives easier and it will be fun to plan out! I found you through the Do Tell Tuesday link party. I’m excited to look through your site!

    1. Oh wow! Are you wanting to find a way to keep track of those birthdays? Or to celebrate them? I’m writing an eBook on the subject of gift-giving and it hits the virtual presses on Monday. I have a hunch you’ll be able to find tons of inspiration there!

  11. Love these! Printing now! Wonderful idea for so many occasions. Now that I’ve met Ben and Hannah, seeing the photo of them that you added to the engagement gift you made them brought a smile to my face!

  12. These came out fabulously!! Love all the variations you came up with. This could truly be a gift for any occasion. I love all the extra ideas you gave, too…adding photos and giving as a wedding or engagement gift is genius!

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