The Circa Starter Kit from Levenger: Inexpensive, Innovative Notetaking

The Circa notetaking system is one of the most innovative notebook/planner systems currently on the market. At the heart of the system is its innovative disc binding, which allows the user to easily "zip" pre-punched pages in and out of the notebook without the noise, hassle, or bulk that's usually associated with three-ring notebooks and other binding systems.

The Circa Starter Kit (which costs $12 for the Junior size, $14 for the Letter size) is marketed as a relatively inexpensive way to get a nice sampling of Circa products, experiment with the notebook system, and see how Circa might work for you. After some thought on my how Circa might benefit my own notetaking system, I decided to order the kit and see how it went.

The first thing that impressed me about the Circa notebook system was the care and class in which was packaged. Sounds a little silly, but the nice little instruction box it comes in, and the envelope describing more about the Levenger company are finishing touches that made unpacking and assembling my purchase easier and more fun.

Wait, "Assemble the package?," I hear you ask, "But it's a notebook." True, but Circa is made for customization, so putting it together is half the fun! Included in the starter kit are 2 translucent covers, 8 3/4-inch discs, 10 ruled pages (white), 10 multicolored ruled pages (blue, green, gray, ivory and canary), 5 grid pages, 2 pages each of Things to Do, Project Planner, and Addresses, 5 perforated 3 x 5 cards, 5 tabbed dividers. As you can see, the possibilities for mixing and matching are pretty much endless. Don't like how you arranged your notebook? No problem: with the Circa system, you can rearrange as necessary.

I really like the included translucent covers for the the Circa, because I can put anything I'd like behind it (pictures, contact info, plain colored paper) in order to create a custom cover. I'm also loving the way that the Circa cover can fold back on itself like a spiral notebook, making notetaking while standing up or in cramped quarters a whole lot easier.

I've already found some pretty good uses for the pre-preprinted templates that come included with the Circa Starter Kit. Right now my Circa is organized with the included tabs into "Daily Tasks", "Projects", "Notes - Work", and "Notes - Other". I'm looking forward to exploring everything else Levenger has to offer for my system.

The great thing about this product is that it can literally become anything you need it to be--calendar, task list, recipe book, geocache log, whatever! I'm very excited about all the ways I'll be able to use my Circa to be more productive and better organized. If you're looking for a flexible, versatile, and attractive notebook, than he Circa system from Levenger is for you--and the Circa Starter Kit is an economical, fun way to get started.