Author: Eli

August 8, 2017 Journal Spreads, Planning, Video, Videos

New YouTube Channel and Weekly Spread!

I’m so excited that I finally get to share some exciting news with you!   I’ve been working on making space to film videos and am learning to film and edit.   This week, I recorded my weekly spread and have shared it on YouTube!   Please let me know any videos you would like to see and any feedback!   I’m trying to find my first 100 YouTube subscribers so I can do fancy things like have an easy to read channel name and address, so please subscribe!

Spread:

Video:

I’m calling this spread “Believe in Dreams” because of the quote included.    Please check it out!!

 

 

July 24, 2017 Journal Lists, Planning

The Giant List of 102 Bullet Journal Lists

Starting out with my bullet journal, I sometimes struggled for the right page to post.    I’d done monthly, weekly and sometimes daily spread pages that captured all of the typical planner-style entries.   What I hadn’t realized was that bullet journals are so much more than planners!   The real power in bullet journaling and journaling in general is that it is an open framework to capture ideas, thoughts, important ideas, and useful information about just about every aspect of life.

I thought it would be useful to capture a giant list of page ideas as a reference for the bullet journal community, so here we go!    In this posts, I’ll focus on lists to potentially keep in your bujo!

The Giant List of 102 Bullet Journal Lists

  1. Address List – be ready when it’s time to send out cards!
  2. Birthday List – track birthdays for friends and families.
  3. Call Me List – for distant friends that  you need to remember to keep in touch with.
  4. Pantry Inventory – what staples do you have?   Which do you need to get?
  5. Grocery List – A master list to shop from.
  6. Packing List – Typical packing list to help you get ready quickly.
  7. Morning Routine – what is your current morning must-dos?
  8. Evening Routine – how do you wind down?

  1. Bucket Lists – what do you want to do by a particular time.
  2. Memories – favorite memories from each day.
  3. Favorite Restaurants – to help pick where to go.
  4. Favorite Activities – find fun on a free afternoon.
  5. Rainy Day Activities – what do you want to do inside?
  6. Movies to See – current list of movies you want to see.
  7. Package List – what are you expecting in the mail?
  8. TV to Watch – what to clear off the DVR.
  9. NetFlix Watch List – what to watch before it goes away.
  10. Books to Read – books that you want to read.
  11. Favorite Authors – who are your go-tos?
  12. Shopping List – items you’re on the look-out for (with dimensions, sizes, etc. if needed).
  13. Size List – keep the list of sizes for your family for shopping help.
  14. Favorites List – keep a list of your family and friend’s favorite things to help with gift ideas.
  15. Favorite Recipes – for quick meal ideas.
  16. Meal Planner – map out meals for the week.

  1. Favorite Clothes – for quick outfit ideas.
  2. Gift List – list of gifts given.
  3. Gifts to Buy – list of gifts to give.
  4. Favorite Songs – a list of favorite music.
  5. Favorite Musicians – favorites to listen to on repeat.
  6. Favorite Workouts – a list of workouts to try (again).
  7. Past Events – a list of past events to reminisce on.
  8. Future Events – a list of upcoming events.
  9. Gratitude – a list of things you’re greatful for.
  10. To-Dos – a list of recurring to-dos.
  11. Places to Visit – where you would like to travel.
  12. Places You’ve Traveled – where have you been?

  1. Greatest Accomplishments – what are you proud of/grateful for?
  2. What Makes You You – what is unique about you?
  3. Self Affirmations – what do you like about yourself?
  4. Goals – What do you want to accomplish this month, year, decade?
  5. Skills – what would you like to learn?

  1. Hobbies – what do I like to do?
  2. Hobbies to Try – what new hobbies should I try?
  3. Favorite Quotes – inspiring or funny quotations.
  4. Favorite Memes – good to cheer you up.
  5. Favorite Jokes – ready for an instant laugh.
  6. Family Traditions – what makes your family unique?
  7. Vehicle Info – when do you need an oil change or new license tags?
  8. Home Maintenance – when do you need to change filters, etc.?
  9. Home Repair Contacts – who are your go-to contractors for repairs?
  10. Ways to Relax – what calms your down?
  11. Cleaning – schedule of chores.
  12. Healthy Snacks – quick healthy ideas.
  13. Family Quote Board – funny things the family says.
  14. Favorite Games – favorite board games for a rainy day.

  1. Favorite Video Games – what are your favorites?
  2. Favorite Web Sites – great for downtime.
  3. Fitness Goals – how will you get or stay fit?
  4. Financial Goals – how do you want to make your money work for you.
  5. Milestones – for kids or self.
  6. Wishlist – good for you or your loved ones.
  7. Medical Info – all in one place.
  8. Donation List – items to donate.
  9. Freezer inventory – so you (I) don’t buy the 5th bag of frozen vegetables…
  10. Borrowed Items – items you need to return.
  11. Lending List – items you have on loan.
  12. Renovation Ideas – how you would like to improve your home.
  13. Emergency Contacts – a great first page.
  14. Pet Medical Info – track vaccinations, medications, etc.
  15. Doctor Contacts – list of medical professionals and phone numbers.
  16. Upcoming Doctor/Dentist/Optometrist Appointments – when is your next appointment?
  17. Things that Make Me Happy – for a quick pick-me-up.
  18. Things to Avoid – what makes you less happy/healthy.
  19. Frequent Flyer Info – a snapshot for traveling.
  20. Party Ideas – themes for your next event.
  21. Bullet Journal List Ideas – ideas for more lists.
  22. Holidays – a list of things to celebrate.
  23. Pen Test Lists – a page showing ink colors, thickness, etc.
  24. Self-Care Activities – ideas to help you renew.

  1. Ways to Be Healthier – ideas to help you grow stronger.
  2. Journal Prompts – to help with creative writing.
  3. Letters/Thank You Notes to Write – a nice way to be thoughtful.
  4. Favorite Apps – in case of catastrophe or new technology in your life.
  5. Projects – those in the works, or those that are complete.
  6. Organizing – what needs to be organized at home or work.
  7. Bills to Pay – and due dates!
  8. Appointments to Schedule – don’t forget your next dental exam.
  9. Gifts to Buy – keep a list ahead and find things on sale.
  10. Daily Affirmations – or mantras to keep you happy and focused.
  11. Favorite Bible Verses – for inspiration.
  12. Things to Fix – remember what needs to be done when you have spare time.
  13. Restaurants to Try – when you want to find a new favorite.
  14. Favorite 5 Minute Activities – bonus if they can be done while waiting in line.
  15. Prayer List – those to remember.
  16. Best Things About Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter – to cheer you any time of year.
  17. Favorite Flowers – for special occasions (also a great list for doodling).

  1. Favorite Planner Supplies – pens, notebook, washi, other essentials.
  2. Washi Catalogue – a snippet of each of your favorites.
  3. Header Ideas – for other areas of your bujo.
  4. Passwords List – only if your bullet journal is top-secret.
  5. Dreams – to record and remember silly or nice dreams.
  6. Acts of Kindess – ways to be kind to those around you.
July 24, 2017 Uncategorized

The Best Supplies for Bullet Journaling

Getting Started

To get started with bullet journaling, all you need is a notebook and pen.   The best thing to look for in a notebook is one with thick pages, so the ink does not bleed through.   There are four basic types of paper layouts to choose from – blank, lined, grid and dot grid.    While I started with a planner and grid-lined paper, I’ve since moved on to dot grid and love it.    The dots help keep me organized and lines straight, but are light enough that they are not overpowering or obtrusive.

 

Notebooks

My all-time favorite notebook is the A5 (Medium) Leuchtuurm Dot Grid Hardcover.   The hard cover design lets you plan on the go without a lap desk or table, and the size is just perfect for capturing weekly planner layouts and lists.   It’s small enough to be portable, but large enough to capture what’s needed.    As a bonus, it comes in SO MANY BEAUTIFUL COLORS!
A few runners up are Moleskine notebooks, Rhodia notebooks, and the ultra-cute Scribble that Matter series.  I would recommend trying them out, especially if you’re lucky enough to have a stationary or bookstore in your area that carry a variety of notebooks.  I’ve found the best deals on these at Amazon, but I hear they’re starting to pop up in retail locations of Barnes and Noble too.


Pens

Starting out, my first try with bullet journaling started with sharpie fine point pens.   I quickly learned that these can easily bleed through even very thick paper.   I found my very favorite pens in Staedtler Triplus Fineliners.   These come in lots of sizes and I would highly recommend starting out with one of the sets with an easel case.  They are great for portability.   I started out with the 24 pack and found it was perfect for doing layouts and doodles in my bujo.   I’ve since upgraded to the 36 pack to get more colors, but have had to also pick up a pencil case to store them (the cardboard box is not nearly as durable as the plastic case the smaller sets come in.   As a bonus, these do NOT dry out when left uncapped for brief periods of time and seem to have lots of ink.   I’ve burned through two pens over the past year of bullet journaling (purple and black), but it turns out both of these are available in a small set and the black can be found separately as well.   There are lots of other recommendations on pens that I’ll plan to cover in future posts!

 

Highlighters

As I’ve done more and more with my bullet journal, I’ve also explored other popular pens and markers.   If you’re looking for more color or softer colors than you’ll find with the fineliners, you may want to consider getting a set of the Zebra Midliner Highlighters.   There are three different color sets, each with five pens.  These are great because they have two tip sizes – a traditional chiseled highlighter point and a thinner marker point for drawing lines.   I found a pack with all three color sets on Amazon and have definitely not regretted picking these up.

Markers

While exploring other pens and ways to add color, I also picked up a pack of Staedtler Dual Tip Markers.   I’d originally hoped that these would be in the same colors as the 36 pack of Staedtler Triplus Fineliners (so I could outline with the fineliners and fill areas with the markers) but was disappointed to see that the colors did not quite match up.  They were, however, a gorgeous colorful addition to my bullet journaling repertoire.  They are great for adding color to pages and filling in larger areas.   The dual tips do match up, so you can outline with the thing tip and fill with the larger tip.

 

Brush Markers

If you’re looking for professional-grade markers for brush lettering, the community seems to agree that Tombow Dual Brush Pens are the way to go.  I’ve just picked up my first pack of these and I’ll post more updates as I play around with them.   For now, I can say they are gorgeous and fun to blend (blender included).   I started out with the bright set and found the best deal here.   These come in a variety of color sets and all look gorgeous.   Here are some of the options I’ve seen:

Bright

Primary

Secondary

Landscape

Portrait

Muted

Grayscale

 

Other Supplies

Once you are set up to write in your bullet journal, you’ll find lots of other accessories are fun additions.  I’ll cover these more in future posts, but here are a few that I have gotten questions about in Instagram posts.  🙂

 

Helix Circle and Angle Maker – This one is a new addition to my supply arsenal, but is now part of my daily carry.   The middle section spins so you can easily make circles with a variety of pens.

Eiffel Tower Scissors – These are not ultra-sharp, but are so cute and affordable, who could resist?!?

Metallic Washi – This adds a touch of glam to your pages and helps you get perfect straight borders.   Plus, this washi is opaque and can help cover mistakes!


Uniball Gold Metallic Pen – This writes like a smooth gel pen, but the ink is a gorgeous metallic gold color.   Great for writing over darker areas of your journal or planner.

 

 

Note:  This post contains affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you purchase something through the links here, at no cost to you. These are all products that I use and love, and any purchases made help support this site and my newly found stationary addiction.  😉  Thank you so much for your support and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have questions!