Collections and Spreads

It’s been a while since I shared anything about my bullet journal.  I still use it daily.  I would be lost without it. I’ve had trouble uploading photos to my blog recently, but I’ve been doing some housekeeping and working on some other things so hopefully I will be able to upload some photos of a decent quality.

I like to stick with a theme for each new month.  Spring and cherry blossom season is my favorite time of year.  These pages are for note-taking.  I will write anything from prayer requests to sermon notes on these pages.  I have a separate journal that I use for my quiet time.

For my weekly spread, I have a space for each day of the week so that I can record appointments.  Sometimes I separate them with some type of line and sometimes I don’t.  It depends on what mood I am in and how much time I have.  I create my new weekly spreads a month at a time near the end of the month we are currently on.  I usually have a two page weekly spread, but recently I decided to try one page and that seems to be working out ok.  That is the beauty of a bullet journal.  You can always adjust to what your needs are.

My favorite collection is Snippets.  On this page, I record quotes that speak to me.  It might be something  I hear someone say, a Bible verse, or a sentence or two from a book.  I alternate ink color so that I can find  where the next quote begins.  Another reason for this is that I like using different color ink pens. 😊

Another collection that I have started recently is Books Read.  I also record them on my blog.  They are on a page in the ‘About’ section. I like looking back and seeing what I have read.  Sometimes, I reread a book and that is ok.  I record it again.  In my bullet journal, I will use an A for audio book and B for a paper book.  This is for my own reference.  I don’t like for all my reading to be with audio books.  I do enjoy audio books because I can listen as I work.  I started posting this list on the blog as a form of accountability.  I also know that  I enjoy looking at the book lists of others to get ideas.

I hope you enjoyed this short tour through my bullet journal. I have many more collections. I will share more at another time!  Until the next time…

The Power of the Index

One of my favorite features of the bullet journal is the index.  This is something I was doing long before I started bullet journaling.  Several years ago, I began indexing in books I was reading.  In the back of the book, there is always a blank page.  On this page, I write a page number and a brief description of a sentence or less of what I want to remember.  This makes a quick and easy reference guide.  

I then began indexing my devotional journals.  Sometimes I write something particular that the Lord taught me or a quote that I want to remember.  Maybe it is sermon notes from a sermon that meant a lot to me.  If I write the page number with a brief description, it helps me to find what I am looking for without scanning through lots of pages.  

When I stumbled on the bullet journal, indexing was not new me.  Ryder Carroll, the founder of the Bullet Journal, puts his index in the front of his bullet journal.  I did this for a year, but I prefer having mine in the back.  Most likely that is because that is how I have done it for so many years and it is hard to break old habits.  

How about you?  Have you created your own indexes in books or journals?  If not, why don’t you give this a try!

On another note, I’m not sure how things on the blog are looking to you, but it seems that the pictures are blurry.  On my computer, they are fine but when I check the preview they are not.  I’m not sure how they are looking to you or how I can correct this.  I’m sorry for the inconvenience.  I am working on it…

Stickers and Such

Since my return to Japan, I’ve spent some time working on my bullet journal.  As much as I love my bullet journal, I have a confession to make.  I am a planner addict.  I’m always wondering if there is something better out there.  While I was in the states, I thought about trying the Happy Planner.  The biggest appeal to me was the stickers.  I enjoyed looking at everyone else’s Happy Planners online.  I felt like I was missing out.  The more that I checked into them, the more I decided they weren’t for me.  All the reasons that made me start bullet journaling would have still existed. I don’t like being locked into a preprinted format.  Half of the planner usually goes to waste.  I like planning the way I want at my own pace and making it fit into my own lifestyle.  BUT I couldn’t get past all those beautiful stickers.

So I was able to take advantage of sales and coupons.  Hobby Lobby has my undying devotion.  HA!  I enjoyed exploring Etsy.  I enjoyed Tuesday Morning.  I didn’t pay full price for anything and I was able to bring back a lovely collection of stickers to enjoy in my bullet journal.

My handwriting is abominable.  I wish I could do all that fancy lettering, but it’s not necessary with stickers.

I found these lovelies on Etsy.  I was looking for teatime stickers. This Etsy shop has tons of stickers.  I had a hard time limiting myself, especially since they were on sale!

As you can see, you don’t have to be an artist to have a beautiful bullet journal.  And you don’t have to switch to a Happy Planner just because you love the stickers.

I am thinking about some posts for the near future to share some of the things I do with my bullet journal.  I have scaled it way down.  I hesitate to share too much because the beauty of having a bullet journal is making it personal, making it yours.  What works for me might not work for you.  I have received ideas from others and so maybe I can share some ideas with you.

until the next time…

 

 

 

A New Bullet Journal

I’ve mentioned before that I have been bitten by the bullet journal bug.  I really do love bullet journaling.  It is flexible and I can adapt it for whatever I need.  For example, my planning needs are different when I am on furlough vs. when I am in my own home in Japan.

In the past, I have used several different kinds of notebooks.  My first one was a Muji notebook with a printed calendar for one week on one side and a dotted page on the other side.  I have also used Moleskin and Leuchtturm.  I even bought an official Bullet Journal last year.  At the end of 2019 I was thinking about what notebook I would purchase for the coming year.  During this time, my thoughtful husband brought this notebook home for me after running his errands.  I decided that would be my bullet journal for 2020.

It’s a beautiful notebook.  He purchased it at Walmart.  One thing that it didn’t have that I felt like I couldn’t live without was a pocket in the back.   I found a tutorial on YouTube and made my own.  I made it bigger than the one they made, but it was easy to follow the directions.  I bought thick colored paper from Hobby Lobby to make it with.  I wanted it to hold up for the whole year that I am using the notebook.

The page opposite had something preprinted on it that I didn’t need or want so I covered it up with another paper I bought at Hobby Lobby.  Can I just say that I love Hobby Lobby!?!?

I found lots of free downloads that I could put in my notebook.  This 2020 calendar is one.  I also decided to put all 12 months at the front of my notebook instead of waiting until a new month is coming to put it in.  This is working well for me with my planning for the future.  I still wait until the new month is coming to set up my weekly pages.

I’ve found lots of stickers at Hobby Lobby and Etsy that I used to help get started with my new year.  I have always loved using stickers…long before my bullet journal bug bite.  😉

I leave a couple of pages at the end of each month blank for note-taking.  Of course, I had to add a couple of stickers.  I enjoy using seasonal stickers when possible.  These are in honor of Valentine’s Day.

I hope to do more posts in the future about my bullet journal.  If you would like that, please let me know in the comments.  If bullet journaling is something that interests you, I would recommend watching this video before you read or watch other videos.  Ryder Carroll is the originator of bullet journaling.  His story of why he started it is very interesting.  His is very minimalistic.  If you google, you will find all kinds of artistic ones.  I do not have an artistic bone in my body.  I found it all very overwhelming.  Mine is sort of a cross between artistic and minimalistic.  I keep it simple and use stickers to decorate.

If you want even more information about bullet journaling, Ryder Carroll wrote a book that I found to be inspirational.  He also has a website with lots of information.  You do not need to buy any special tools to do this.  Any notebook, even spiral bound, and a pen will do!  Happy bullet journaling!!

Preparations

I have posted here a few times about my bullet journal.  I absolutely love bullet journaling.  As preparation for a new year and a new journal, I decided that I wanted to read the new book that has come out.  I downloaded the sample on kindle and didn’t want to stop reading.  I was going to buy the kindle version, but after reading the reviews, I decided that it would be best if I ordered a hard copy.  I was so excited to see that it was available from Amazon Japan!  I received it the day after ordering!!  So far, I am loving it and learning much!

Weekly Spread

I’ve been trying out a few new weekly spreads in my bullet journal.  I really like this one.  It’s clean, but has a little color.  Do you bullet journal?  I find it helps me satisfy some of my love of crafting and keeps me motivated to keep checking my lists.  I am actually getting more done and I love checking off tasks.  So rewarding!

A Clean Slate

I love new beginnings…a new week…a new month…a new season…a new year.  In the past I would be on the search for the perfect daily planner or one that appeals to my eyes.  Now that I have fallen in love with bullet journaling, there is no need to go on that search.  All I had to do was turn over a new page, put a tab on it for 2017 and set up my next month.  

I do love having a new wall calendar.  I don’t often write on it, but we like to have a calendar where we can see it in a hurry to check the date and make the occasional note on.  I was thrilled when I found a Thomas Kinkaide Streams of Living Water Calendar at Amazon Japan.  It is now hanging on my refrigerator.  

I’ve also been spending some time reorganizing some things to make my life a little easier and more efficient in this new year.  What are some things you have done to prepare for this new year?  Please share in the comments.

 

Bit by the Bug

I’ve been bit by the bullet journal bug.  Farther back than I care to remember, I promised a third post to a small series. Part of working on my one word for the year was getting organized…trying to get my act together.  In Daily Planning Got You Stumped?  I talked about a book that influenced me in the area of time management. In Planning, pt. 2 I discussed some apps that I love.  I still stand by those.  My next post in this series was to discuss how I sort of created my own thing that incorporated some elements of bullet journaling.  I read a post by another blogger that sort of summed it up.  I thought I saved the post, but I’m not able to locate it.  The author bought a preprinted calendar planner and used it as a modified bullet journal.  That’s what I was doing.  I actually did that for several months.  But in August, something happened… 

I wanted more flexibility.  I wanted more space for some things that the preprinted calendar didn’t allow.  I wanted space to be a little creative. I was bit by the bug.  I still use my google calendar and the apps that I mentioned before.  But I am thoroughly enjoying the flexibility and craftiness of my bullet journal.  I am addicted to washi  tape.  An advantage to life in Japan is that it is in abundance here and cheap!  

I’m not really artistic. I can’t draw at all, but clip art is a  wonderful thing!  My holiday pages are ready to be filled up with notes, menus and shopping lists.

Oh…and by the way, since this method makes me happy and it’s a little fun and my first one happens to be my favorite color, I find that I am actually using it and getting more done.  Checking things off my to-do list makes me so happy!! The more I do it, the more I want to do!!  Yes, I have been bit by the bug and I’m loving it!