Bullet Journal 2019 Set Up

I'm not the best at taking photos but at least you get the idea of what I've managed to accomplish for my new bullet journal. I'm using my new leuchtturm1917. 

I've managed to colour these pages in now and they look so much nicer.

I have managed to set up the first week of January but not the cover page (o_0) as yet. The layout for this particular spread comes from Life by Witney. She has some great layout suggestions on her website.

Things From Wish - Stickers and Buttons!

Yes I've been online shopping again ... what can I say I found some bargains!

I bought these from wish. 

As you can see by the 50c coin next to the stickers they are rather small
but they will be perfect for my bullet journal.

The stickers above are of Vincent Van Gogh's work. To be honest I bought these mostly because of the starry night painting that I love. Sadly you can't really see it very well in the photo. 

These buttons will definitely come in handy. They are 15 mm in size but they have handmade with love written on them. I'll be adding these to the baby kina cardigans that I knitted a little while ago. Provided they fit through the button holes that is.

Bullet Journal - April Set Up

The Commonwealth Games begins on April 4th so I thought I would use that as my theme for the month. It's being held on the Gold Coast. 

I cheated a little and printed out the logo that is being used for the games but the doodles of the sports are mine. Not the best cover page I've done but at least it shows the sentiment, right?

I also chose the colours green and yellow as part of my theme. Mainly because our sporting colours are green and gold. Not that you see much of that in these photos.

I also printed out the competition schedule & stuck that in.

My April tracker & mood tracker came from my boho berry box.

My first weekly spread looks a little blank for now. Mainly because I am still deciding what to put on the top of that second page. I am thinking perhaps some sporting doodles would look good or even a medal tally for the week. Maybe even both.

My Boho Berry Box Arrived

Yay my subscription arrived! Although it took a lot longer than I expected it to.

I'm impressed with what is in the box especially the stickers and the fountain pen from Goulet. 

I wonder what next months box will contain.

Bullet Journal - New Stickers

I bought myself some new stickers from a shop on etsy called Princess Creations. 

These stickers are so cute! I especially love the penguins. 

They remind me of Tux, the former Linux mascot.

I'm not sure when I will actually use these stickers in my bullet journal. I am still thinking of  monthly themes I might use in the future. I'm thinking perhaps the penguins might feature some time in late winter or early spring. 

Bullet Journal Supplies - Cute Cat Stickers

I was checking out Wish.com for some cute cat stickers but found these on ebay.

The cat heads look super cute! The stickers are only tiny little things, no bigger than a 50 c piece.

I've been behaving myself and I haven't bought any many new things for my journalling. I am still waiting on some washi tape that I bought at the end of February whih are coming from China. They are due any day now. I also purchased some stickers on etsy over the weekend & should be here in a few days. They are coming from the other side of the country so hopefully they wont be too long. Although they were only posted yesterday.

My New Journal Cover

I bought myself a cover for my bullet journal today. I was looking at getting a leather one online but it would mean saving up for a while before I could get it. 

However, while Brodie and I were shopping at Fountain Gate this afternoon I thought I would take a look in there. It's a pretty big shopping centre but guess what. The one I did like was too narrow.

We ended up going to Officeworks across the road. I thought one last stop before heading home. My feet were feeling pretty darned sore from the walking we had done [Note to self: wear comfy shoes when shopping such as your runners!] 

There's a zipper section where I can place pens or other things in that I might wish to carry.

I found this one. It's actually an Otto A5 financial year diary 2018-2019.

The lady at the check out when I went to purchase this asked me if I realised that it was a financial year diary. I said it didn't really matter because I really only wanted the cover for my moleskin journal and that I was just going to rip out the diary that was in it. 

The slot/pocket to the right of the studs is large enough to fit my mobile phone.

 It states that the colour is blue but it looks more like a teal to me.

It's a little bit big for my moleskin but if I changed to a different A5 journal I know it will fit in there properly. I just wanted a cover to protect my bujo if I decided to take it with me in my handbag. I don't want it to get dog eared.

There's even a pen holder that I've attached my black marker to.

Bullet Journal - March Doodling

I decided to stick with pretty much the same layout as last month so far.

I am having lots of fun drawing cute animals in the blank spaces of each day of my layouts. I think it looks a lot better than just leaving it all blank.

I also found some Triplus Fineliners in Neon Colours on the weekend. You gotta love sales! I already have some Fineliners so I know that these are good to use in my bullet journal.

I also found some metallic sharpies. I have no idea what I will use them for but I just liked the idea of having some new metallic markers. I just need to hide them from hubby...

More Bujo Supplies

I received more parcels in my letter box this week.

Some very pretty washi tape that I bought on ebay. They will look great in a spring themes spread!

I also received the fountain pen that I ordered from wish. 

It's a Chinese version of the Lamy Al-star. It writes beautifully too. I almost don't want to go back to using an ordinary old biro. 

I filled it with an in from Parker and used most of it up writing in my journal. It is so nice to write with. I believe that I may end up being addicted to fountain pens. I've now ordered a Jinhao 500 from an Australian seller so it should arrive early next week.

Bullet Journal - March Spread

In Australia the first day of March signifies the beginning of autumn.

I love the colours of autumn. It's actually my second favourite season ever. Spring being my absolute favourite. Since March starts this week I thought that it was only fitting to use autumn as my theme for the month.

My favourite quote from Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter)

My cover page for March came from a drawing I did using stamps in an app I use on my android tablet called Sketch. I just copied it from that. It's a good program. I've tried drawing on it as well but I am not very good at it. At least not yet. 

My future log (above) is pretty much the same layout I used in January. I think it looks much better over two pages rather than squished in to one like I did for February.

I chose the same layout habit tracker for March that I used for Feb. Instead of drawing more leaves at the bottom I used some pretty leaf washi tape that I have. I think it fits in rather nicely with the theme. 

Bullet Journal - February Spread - 19th to 25th

I absolutely ♥LOVE♥ how I finished my spread for last week. I know it looks quite full but the flowers and the colours really help make the difference. I didn't like the look of all the blank space that was in my January weeklies. I am so glad I decided to doodle some pictures to fill in the spaces.

February Bullet Journal Spread

This is what my February spread looks like.

There were a lot of empty spaces and I couldn't leave them blank. 

I decided to fill in the blank spaces with doodles and colour them in with my Derwent water colour pencils. 

I am loving my flowers, cats and cacti.

I still have some colouring in to do but I am loving all the colour and the busyness of the pages. It makes me feel like I have actually accomplished something.

All I need to do now is think about what next months spread will look like .. I am thinking of autumn or perhaps St. Patricks day. I haven't decided yet.

Bullet Journal - Page Ideas & Self Care Ideas

I've been playing with some ideas for my bullet journal.

It's a great way to jot down things and keep them in one place.

I am totally loving the washi tape that I have found. I could totally get addicted to purchasing more. I believe I need to stay away from ebay and wish for a while or I may end up buying way too many of them. I mean there are so many pretty tapes out there ...

Bullet Journal - January

I am still learning about bullet journalling and I know it will take me a while to get the hang of things.

Since January is Summer here I went with some summer drawings.

I really disliked the first weeks layout so I didn't take a photo of it to share. In fact it looks so horrible that I was tempted to glue the pages together!! I much prefer the one in the photo below. It's simple but it looks pretty with the hibiscus flower there to offset all the plain boxes and writing.

I covered up some appointments.
I need to remember to take photos before I put personal stuff on any of the pages.

I am very tempted to look in the scrapbooking shops and/or the cheap shops in town (and the next town over from us) to see what stickers they may have. I have found lots online that are specifically designed for planners and bullet journals but I want to check out things locally before purchasing anything. Sometimes it takes a while for things to get here which means I shall need to plan well in advance for some of the stickers. My mind hasn't got around that yet but I'll get there.

Things I need to practise:

• calligraphy
• drawing
• using water colour paints & pencils more effectively

I am sure there will me many more things that I need to add to this list.

VIDEO: How to Fix Your Bullet Journal Mistakes! (7 WAYS)

Tips and tricks from AmandaRachLee

A New Thing to Try - Bullet Journalling

I've always been one to write things down. Over the last couple of years I have used what I call my "Book of Everything". It was where I wrote notes, appointments and messages of things that I didn't want to forget.  I keep it in my handbag to use instead of writing things on a heap of little pages only to lose them when I needed them. 

 When I saw a video on youtube on bullet journalling I thought that it seemed like the next logical step to what I was actually doing. The bonus to this was it would be organised instead of all over the place which is what my notebook looks like at the moment.

I bought myself a Moleskin dot point journal on Amazon via the Australian website which went live in December and I thought why not make use of the new way to shop. It's not all that different to ebay and I am used to shopping on that.

I'm not that good at calligraphy (yet) but I am sure with practise I shall be.

I've only done a few set up pages so far but I like how I can be creative if I want to be.

The left page looks like a book shelf, right?

I am using water coloured pencils for the colouring and a Monte marte water brush that I bought at my local discount store.

I've had some fun setting things up so far. I also like how I can add things about me. It's like a diary but it's more than that. And I really dislike just writing pages and pages of journal stuff about me. That's not what I am about.

VIDEO: Plan With Me! | May 2017 Bullet Journal Plan with Me | Setup Ideas + 30 ...

I wish I was as artistic as this.
I love how her journal/planner looks.

More Important Tips for your Journal

Golly look at me with all of these posts today and I've not put a thing in about myself lol .. .. maybe later .. ..

• DO NOT treat your journal as some kind of holy thing that you only put your deep thoughts in. This is about REAL life. Let is show who you really are.
• Copy your patriarchal blessing on the first page of your journal and watch it be fulfilled. Pray about your journal writing.
• If you acknowledge your Heavenly Father's hand in your life, HE will help you fill the pages.
• Remember that you are writing a journal for several reasons: for your posterity, for a record of your life, as a marker for growth and progress in your life, as a source of inspiration for yourself and others.
• Always date each entry with Day of the week, Month, Date and Year & maybe even sometimes the time of the day.
• Give the full names of the person (not something to do online of course) when mentioning him or her for the first time. People who think they will always be our close friends may move away, and we may lose contact and forget names and situations.
• Write about deaths, births, marriages, baptisms and endowments: personal triumphs, failures and struggles and how they were met, personal feelings, important events, blessings received, current events.
• Don't ever think, "I'll never forget this day, this person, etc". 40 years is a long time and you might not remember your phone number let alone the special person you liked in the third grade.
• Tell the who, what where, when and why of things you do. Relate the decision you made and how you reached those decisions.
• It is all right to mention problems, doubts and dislikes but emphasise normal days and happy times.
• Write about good and bad days. It can be a source of inspiration and comfort for your descendants to see that 'Grandma" was human too,
• Tell about the funny or embarrassing things that happen in your life.
• Note family events, vacations, weddings, deaths and special activities.
• Note medical history, both personal and family. When did you have your tonsils removed? When did you sister have her baby?
• Make a record of music you listen to, movies you watch, books you read and what you think of them.
• Write thoughts, quotes, sayings, proverbs, poems etc that you find thoughtful and inspirational.
• DO NOT write gossip or trash about others.
• DO NOT LIE. be honest about yourself.

This has given me stacks of ideas for future posts. It's a matter of where do I start??

Tips For An Effective Journal

This was from another sheet that I was given at Church. It has some really useful tips for Journals that are in books or folders. I probably wont use these myself but placing it here might give someone else some new ideas.

• Paper - use acid-free
• Ink - use a good quality black ball-point pen and paper. Never use messy felt tip pens, coloured pens, or pencils because over time they will become blurred, smudge or even fade.
• Pages - number them. Paper clips, staples, & pins can rust so they may stain the pages. Overtime, most tapes and glues become brittle and no longer hold. As a result laminating should not be used for the purposes of journaling. Newspaper clippings cause journal pages to turn yellow.
• Table of Contents - reserve a couple of pages in the front of the journal to record the page number of important happenings.
• Frequency - Write something every day or at least once a week, and write for at least 15 minutes. It takes that much time to develop an idea.
• Time of Day - Set aside a specific time to write (and stick to it as much as possible).
• Place to write - Consider writing in a certain place, one that when you sit there, you think of writing in your journal, or carry your journal with you and write down thoughts and ideas as they come (or take loose sheets of paper with you on trips that can be added to your journal later).
• Spend time with your Journal - Read past entries to check on your writing style and content. Rereading revives memories and may suggest something else for you to record (always a good idea).
• Reminiscing - writing about an event that you witnessed today may remind you of something that happened in the past. Write it down while it is still on your mind.
• How do you feel? - Make sure that you don't have just a record of events. Record your thoughts, feelings and insights. Looking back later, your journal becomes a book of encouragement and record of lessons learned.
• Be creative and have fun - If you are artistic, include drawings and sketches. You might want to include a funny joke or story that you heard.
• Details, details, details - we forget so much. Take the extra time to include details. Later, when you read your entries, even a few details will bring the whole event back in your mind.
• Be yourself - Write in your own style, in your own words, the way you talk.

Keeping A Journal - 10 techniques

Well that wasn't so hard. I found the list in the first place I looked. In a pile on the floor where the boys dump things each night when its time to clear & set the table for dinner. So that was no real surprise lol.

1. Notebook & Bound Books - the most common way to record a journal. (Me personally, I've tried this and I don't like the idea of my boys picking it up and reading it. I know that sounds silly as I do this online and I let anyone who wants to read it but my boys are less likely to read my blog than they are a book I write in).
2. Computers - they recommend you use a word processing program & to back it up to keep it safe & then to print it as well. (well me once again prefer to blog - less likely for me to misplace a folder or accidentally delete a file).
3. Letters & Emails - keep a copy of your emails and letters. It says you can paste and copy to your journal. It also mentions printing them for safe keeping. (Been there done that - I've often copied what I have said in an email and pasted it here in my blog).
4. Scrapbooking - Take lots of photos? Scrapbooking is a very popular way of recording your life (Unless of course you are like me and have a stack of photos sitting in a box that is in the cupboard gathering dust! I now prefer to take photos with my digital camera and never print them off - oh well).
5. Media Sources - Suggestions are use tape recorders, videos and digital video clips on the computer. (not a bad idea maybe one day I'll do something like this).
6. Spiritual or Gratitude Journal - record those spiritual events in your life, or that of family and friends, along with personal thoughts and ponderings. Write down your experiences, answers to prayers, your testimony, conversations and other spiritual experiences from Church/Temple attendance, scripture study. Write down all your blessings and what you are thankful for. (All great ideas - make note to self to included these things in my blog).
7. Study Journal - Elder Richard G. Scott said, "Knowledge, carefully recorded knowledge available in time of need. Spiritually sensitive information should be kept in a sacred place that communicates to the Lord how you treasure it. This practise enhances the likelihood of your receiving further light).
8. Meeting Journal - Some people carry a notebook for use in Church meetings. It could help you focus on the talks and lessons given at Church. It gives you a place to record your thoughts and reflections as they happen (not a bad idea this one *note to self get a book to use this coming Sunday).
9. Calendars - these are a great addition to journals. Make sure you keep your calendars over the years to come and keep them with your journal (I do this with my pocket dairy for the past few years that I keep all meetings and appointments in; it has come in handy quite a few times).
10. Additional Embellishments - decorating your journal makes it more personal and more enjoyable to look at. You can keep things like tickets, maps, charts, photos, poems or anything you can think of. It will certainly make it more interesting reading later on down the track when you may have forgotten some of the details of events you've been to. (I like this idea but it comes down to the book thing again. I prefer the PC and being online).