my bullet journal arsenal: pens, paper and random bits of paraphernalia

As much as I love that bullet journaling requires the bare minimum of materials (a notebook and pen is enough!), I'm someone who likes to have a few more things to make my 'bujo' that bit more neat and reflective of my personality. My bujo arsenal now looks as follows...

Paper

My first bujo was a Papier one, my 2021 one was a Leuchtturm and this year, I've opted for an Ottergami one (blog post in due course!). I like notebooks with paper decent enough for fountain pen and some wetter inks and these all offer me this feature. I also like a decent number of pages in my bujo and again, these all met that requirement. 

Fountain Pens! (Of course...!)

As most of you probably know by now, I like a fine nib and it's no exception when it comes to my bujo. If I'm at home, the pens I would most likely use are:

- Platinum 3776 Century Nice - top of the picture

- Kaweco Student 70s Soul (honestly, such an underrated pen!) - 3rd pen

And if I'm out and about:

- Platinum Procyon - 2nd pen

- Pilot Kakuno - 4th and 5th pens

There are a few others I use for other purposes (I have a journaling fountain pen and a 'One Line a Day' fountain pen too - one can never have too many!) but these are the ones that seem to work best on the notebooks I choose to be my bujo. My Sailor Pro Gear is seeing a fair bit of use in it at present too... Essentially, any fountain pen will do; as long as it is a fountain pen!

Fountain Pen Ink (a natural follow up!)

My brands of choice here are Diamine (affordable, great quality and come in a fantastic range of colours), Sailor and Pilot (not pictured). I have one of the massive bottles of Pilot blue-black ink which I use to top up my work pen; alternating it with a Diamine work appropriate offering. 

Coloured Pens

I feel like one cannot have a bujo arsenal without including Tombow brush pens and Staedtler fineliners. Tombow brush pens have replaced Zebra Mildliners as my highlighters of choice too. Both of these pens mentioned look great in my bujo - not too bright or garish and just the right amount of colour to add a bit of interest to the pages. 

Monotone Pens

Of course Muji have to make an appearance here - their gel pens are a staple and having been using them for the last 16 and a half years, they had to be included. The Unipin finaliser is also great for those doodles and setting up of pages. Highlighting anything written with the Unipin fineliner is great because the ink doesn't smudge. 

A white gel pen - of course. I alternate between this Uniball Signo and a Sakura one. Both have their merits and uses. 

And of course, the Zebra Mildliner. Included here for now while they still have ink in them. Once they're finished, I think Tombow brush pens will end up taking their place. 

Other Random Bits

Kraft paper adds a bit of texture to my pages and I like how white ink looks on it. I've also been experimenting with black paper too which I quite like. It adds a nice contrast to the white pages of my bujo. 

As someone who aims to have a minimalistic bullet journal, I feel that these tools lend themselves nicely to that goal. 

Do you have any essentials in your arsenal that are similar to mine? Or any that you think should be essential for everyone that I've missed out? 

bullet journal collections of mine

Collections are a core part of most bullet journals I've seen online and mine is no exception. Today, I'm going to talk through a few of mine, how they are used and why they are useful to me.  

Mood Tracker

Pretty self-explanatory! We've had a tough two years or so and a mood tracker has been good for me to reflect on what can affect my mood positively and negatively. This is so I can keep doing the stuff that makes me happy and minimise the stuff that makes me unhappy. It's also good to see if my bad and good days all come at the same time or if they are just here and there. 

As I've got older, I've figured out what things help my mood (for instance, sport, running, baking!) and what things do not (going to bed super late, not exercising and the early, dark nights in the winter). This helps me figure out an action plan to maximise the happiness-inducing activities to try and give my mood a boost. I find doing this right at the beginning of the week helps the most. 

The Worry Tree and a Master Packing List

The worry tree has been a core part of my bullet journal over the last two years and I'm not transferring it to my 2022 one. My mental health is much improved and as a previously self-confessed worrywart, I'm definitely a lot more laid back than I used to be.

A master packing list is useful as I often head away for a weekend at the last minute. I tend to pack the same things for each trip so this is useful. Later this year, I'll be doing on-calls at the hospital which will require an overnight stay, if not longer, so this list will be useful then too. 

Reading!

My reading has been terrible this last year and I don't know why. I think I've poured all of my effort into running and fitness and my concentration levels when it comes to reading have dropped off a lot. I'm hoping to rectify that in 2022 though...

My 100 goals for each year

Each year, I keep a list of 100 random things I want to do. They can be easy and instant or may take a bit more perseverance or effort. It's to keep me motivated as there's nothing better than checking something off a list! I've written one for 2022 already so hopefully I can achieve at least 60% of it. 

These are the core collections in my bullet journal from 2021 and it will be interesting to see how these evolve in 2022. I've left off my Animal Crossing ones (i.e. fossils, statues, paintings, fish, insects and sea creatures left to find for the museum!) as it's a little too nerdy...! 

What collections do you have that are essential to your bullet journal? 

planning ahead with a bullet journal

The one thing about bullet journals that I struggle with is putting in important dates for the year after. Because I'm not buying a planner every October in preparation for the next calendar year, I knew a set-up within the current year's bullet journal was essential. 

So this is how I plan my year ahead. 

Each six months' get a double page spread of their own. This is to ensure there's plenty of space for important dates and also any other things I wanted to make a note of. 

To-dos for those specific months are noted, as are important dates where renewals may be coming up or appointments made in advance. I also make a note of upcoming blog posts and as you can see, there's a few coming up for next year! 

The other thing I like to do is make a note of things that need to be in a future future planner. For example, my passport renewal will be due in September 2031 - I'm still yet to work out whether this belongs on the first page of my bullet journal or in this future plan spread. Likewise with my mortgage! 

I'm still working through how this works for me and there's definitely room for improvement. However, this seems to work at present; allowing me to keep my planner neat and tidy whilst ensuring I still feel organised inside my head. 

Do you do your future planning another way? I'm always on the hunt for a better and more logical way! 

keeping my bullet journal minimalistic

Some bullet journals that are shared online are so artistic, I can only envy their owners. Given time is a major constraint for me (along with artistic skills), my bullet journal remains as minimalistic as possible. This post is to show examples of this...! 

Minimalistic doesn't have to mean boring though I do seem to have a style. I've noticed that I need to make the separation of each day obvious so I do this by making the date larger in size compared to the day next to it. 

The other thing I like to do is have solid black boxes so that I can use a white gel pen to make it pop. This can be seen below. I also clearly separated each day with a solid fine line. 

Occasionally, I'll throw in some colour and a little bit of artistic flair (or lack thereof). 

I find craft paper pretty good at adding something extra to my spreads. 

And instead of using a black fine line, I've used a colour line to emphasise a title here instead. 

More examples of my weekly spreads which are as minimalistic as possible. 

Ultimately, I've realised that I like clean lines and minimalism in my bullet journal. That said, I still try and add some minimalistic decor to it with filled in boxes, craft paper, occasional uses of colour (via Tombow brush pens). However, all I've got to offer is a pretty boring looking bullet journal but it functions excellently for me and that's what matters. (Can I get a cry laughing emoji?)

review of my 2020 bullet journal (july to december)

Considering I've now been bullet journaling for over a year, this post is a bit late. Can I blame it on the pandemic...?! 

Anyway, I first tried it out in July 2020 and used up a whole Papier notebook in the space of about 6 months. What I like about Papier is the ability to personalise and that's exactly what I did with this Miffy one. 

By the end of the six months, the notebook had expanded in density as you can see...

What I really liked about bullet journaling is the ability to make spreads that suit me. I also really liked that I could really do some trial and error with different layouts or designs each week. The other really good thing is that you can be as artistic or minimalistic as you like. I erred on the side of minimalistic with a dash of colour but ultimately, tried to stay as basic as possible. 

Although I could easily buy, for example, a Leuchtturm planner for the year, I often found pages were wasted as I don't need a world map or address section (not saying this is what Leuchtturms have - just some planners do). By using a bullet journal system, it allows all pages to be utilised in a way I would like, maximising productivity and also value for money with each notebook. Particularly important if you're opting for one on the pricier end of the spectrum. It also allows me to choose the paper in the notebook. 

As I've got older, I've appreciated reflecting a lot more. Each month, I will make a note of the days where there was exercise, books read and films/TV series watched amongst other things. Now, I often freestyle the reflection with anything I need to dump onto paper. 

It's quite nice to see when I've been most productive with exercise in particular because I got into running in December 2020 and since then, I've noticed my mood lifts on the days immediately after a run and vice versa. This has been particularly important lately as the days are now shorter which also often causes a mood dip in me. 

I've found a year to view not that helpful to be quite honest. That said, it's a spread I can't quite cut out yet as a planner doesn't feel like a planner without a year to view. 

I've been doing a 101 in 1,001 days challenge for a while now and I think I'm onto my third or fourth one? It's quite nice to have goals that require checking off as I'm very much a goal-oriented person. When I don't feel like I'm achieving, my motivation decreases. Therefore, having a challenge like this keeps me motivated in life. 

Overall, bullet journaling has been a success for me. I've enjoyed making my own spreads and customising my bullet journaling depending on what my current needs are. As convenient pre-printed planners are, there's something satisfying about creating your own planner. I'll likely do an update with my 2021 bullet journal at some point so sit tight for that to see how my spreads have evolved...! 

how I'm getting on with my bullet journal

Back in November 2020, I talked about three months' in a bullet journal. I've now been using a bullet journal for over a year (how time flies...?!) and I wouldn't say I'm a seasoned user but like to think I've worked out what does and doesn't work for me now. 

The structure is a standard one in terms of a journal - there's an information page, a year plan, a month spread and the standard weekly spreads. I've found a week-to-view an optimal way for me to organise my life and it has worked well for me in the past so I have stuck to it here. From next year, I'm hoping to use a more free-form week to view (more on that in due course). 

I'm still in my Leuchtturm 1917 and this is how it's looking so far. 

Month Spreads

Although month spreads are something that have universally graced my planners year on year, I've actually found that I don't use them that much? A perfect example is June below. You can see just how bare it is and it only has the bare minimum. I'm thinking of doing away with it altogether, however, it's actually quite a useful way of seeing an overview of how busy the month will be and when my free time will likely be too. Very essential for organising catch-ups with friends and other downtime! 

Weekly Spreads

I've stuck to a fairly basic structure. A column is down the outsides of both pages and to-do lists tend to grace these columns. Some weeks, there's very few to-dos; other weeks, there's loads as you can see below. 

It's quite a chaotic spread below but I find it works fine for me. I'm still trying to find the best way to sort my weeks though and the spreads shown here give me a bit of anxiety, purely because of how scatty they look! 

Triangles denote events which can vary from meetings to netball commitments to meet-ups with friends. Squares are for actions I need to do and anything else is just whatever I fancy. Although conventional bullet journals suggest using a set code for things like this, I tend to do my own thing. That's one of the reasons as to why I like the bullet journal system so much. There's so much room for creativity and also adjusting things to fit my own personality and life. 

Monthly Reviews

At the end of each month, I sit down and review the things that matter to me. 

1. Exercise

To say I'm a little obsessed with exercise is putting it lightly. My sister gifted me an extra MyZone belt system that she had and it's something we use semi-competitively (she always wins though). A few months ago, I also bought myself a Garmin watch to track my runs and workouts too. 

2. One Line A Day

I'm on my third year of a five-year 'Some Lines A Day' Leuchtturm 1917 journal. This is a streak I'm determined to continue. 

3. Journalling

I try and journal at least twice a week but sometimes, this is more if I've had a tough day for example. It's important for me to brain dump because I often take work home mentally. The other thing is, that it also helps my mental health and keeps things in check. 

4. Reading

I've not read nearly enough this year and it's a little disappointing. By having a tracker, this will keep this hobby accountable. There's always time for a chapter of two of a book (more often more!) and I'm trying to re-discover my reading mojo. 

5. Running

I started running properly at the end of December 2020. Although I play a lot of netball, I've never described myself as a runner. At first, I could run 3-4km without stopping for a break and now, I can run far further than that. My speed has also improved and I smashed my 5k PB at the end of June! My goal now is to keep up the mileage because after each run, I've noticed that my mood is so much brighter and my mental health receives a boost in positive hormones. 

Overall, the bullet journal system is a good thing for me. I like the freestyle nature and adapting it to my own needs. I also like tracking things important to me so the monthly reviews lend themselves perfectly for that. As mentioned earlier, I'm going to try something slightly different for my 2022 bullet journal and we'll see how that pans out too. One option I'm considering is combining my bullet journal with my twice-weekly brain dumps in my main journal. This might work as my bullet journal doesn't leave the house usually so the risk of someone reading a brain dump would be minimal anyway. 

Do any of you use a bullet journal? I'm keen to try and go more minimalistic with it so if you're similar, please do let me know and link me to your own spreads/other spreads you've seen that are inspirational. 

three months using the bullet journal system. Is it working?

Having now used my bullet journal since the beginning of July 2020, trial and error has enabled me to figure out what works and what needs to re-visit the drawing board. I'm still in my Papier bujo and with the aid of various pens and paper materials, I've developed a journal that is a pleasure to use on a daily basis. 

My monthly layouts are ever evolving. September was a liner top to bottom style whereas October is in a grid format. I'm still trying to decide which one works best for me - both have their pros and cons! For once, I'm sitting on the fence with this one until I give both systems a few more uses. 

August was a busy month; I moved to a new area and also started a new job. As a result, the space I left for each day felt like it just wasn't enough. I ended up using two columns a day on some occasions. However, as the months have gone by in this new job, I've needed less of the two columns and the space has been enough. I also tried out @ellolovey's Instagram 'doodle a day' which explains the appalling drawings down the right hand side. 

There isn't a colour code as such; I just use whatever colour I feel like to accent some important events or tasks. 

I've enjoyed looking for an interesting quote for each double page spread. Some are quite motivating and some have really resonated with me. The one by Tina Fey below is one that I quite like; I was going through a phase where I felt quite disillusioned with things because I had noticed that assertive women are treated differently to assertive men. They are often called aggressive or obstructive and this is something I've noticed throughout my short career so far. I have no idea what the solution is because I have noticed some women calling other women these names too! 

Each month, I sit down to review my goals. I like to exercise as much as possible (but without injuring myself) and the use of a MyZone belt (a gift from my sister) helps with this. The time I take to reflect on the month also allows me to see what worked within my bullet journal. I'll often know if my system is working or not because I'll either feel calm and organised or burnt out and frazzled! 

What I've enjoyed is the flexibility with the set up. Mid-way through my currently bullet journal, I decided I needed a revised Bucket List. And that is what you can see below! 

And no bullet journal is complete with something Animal Crossing related! Below is a list of Redd's paintings and statues I still need to complete my museum. Very important pages indeed. 

Pros

- I've really enjoyed the flexibility with the pages. I can use as much or as little as I want for each week. So far, I've stuck to a double page spread but for 2021, I'm going to freestyle it (I think). I also like that I can have random collections in my bullet journal. 

- Using a bullet journal has allowed me to stay creative (within my limited capability!). I aim for a minimalistically creative look (if that's such a thing) and I think for the most part, I've achieved that. 

- Goodbye to wasted pages in pre-set up planners! I've never had much use for address pages as I usually send e-cards/emails instead of post to try and cut down on my environmental impact. 

Cons

- A lack of structure is something that is very unlike me! I think bullet journaling has been good in that regard as it has allowed me to learn a bit about spontaneity and how to adapt when things don't go to plan.

- The time taken to set up some weeks have been much more than I would like. 2021 will look very different as a result; much more minimalistic!

- Choosing which notebook to use for my next bullet journal. This really is a pickle!

Overall, there are very few cons to using a bullet journal. There is a set-up for everyone; you don't need to copy someone else's system as what will work for someone else will not necessarily be a system that works for you. Much of the fun is working out what does work for you and how to adapt it to make it even better. Let's see how my next three months fare! 

archer and olive 160gsm a5 dot grid fabric cover notebooks

As I've decided to give bullet journaling a go at some point in the near future (this might be a case of just 'shut up and get on with it' as I've been putting it off for a few months now), I need the right materials for it. And by materials, I mean notebook. I can't imagine not using my fountain pens or pigmented fineliners in it so I knew it had to have good quality paper and be of a size that would be portable enough for daily use.

A5 is a sure bet for me - it's a size I'm very much used to and having toted an A5 notebook to work everyday for a whole year, I know it works.

In terms of paper, 90gsm is standard for the Leuchtturm 1917 and Rhodia notebooks. I know I like it but I do wonder if there would be too much showthrough for me to be comfortable with. Enter some research I did which led me down a rabbit-hole... which then led me to Archer and Olive. This is not a sponsored post - I'm just a happy customer.

Archer and Oliver is run by Bonnie Kuhl from across the Atlantic.What really enticed me was that Archer and Olive are named after Bonnie's two cats. If that isn't adorable, I don't know what is.

When this notebook arrived, I was impressed by the packaging. It comes in a beautiful thick cardboard box which I will definitely be using in the future to store little trinkets in.

The notebook is wrapped in a single sheet of card and there is a card sleeve displaying the notebook's qualities too. It's great that all of the packaging shown here is readily recyclable. Unfortunately, what you can't see is that it actually came wrapped in plastic which I put in my recycling bin anyway but am still dubious about its capacity for re-use.

I opted for the 'morning sun' design for a few personal reasons and I really do like it's bright, happy, yellow hue. The fabric cover feels very hardy and the elastic closure looks like it is sturdy enough to put up with me potentially overstuffing this notebook.

Although this notebook is only 160 pages, it is as thick as my notebooks that are 192 pages. This is because of the epic 160gsm paper.

This notebook comes with two ribbon page markers which is ideal for what I intend to use it for: bullet journaling. One ribbon can be for 'today' and the other can be at a page of importance (i.e. goals for the year).

It also comes with a pen holder which is stretchy enough for my fountain pen of choice: my Pilot Kakuno. It's surprising how such a cheap fountain pen (it only cost me about £8 at the time) is one of the ones I reach for time and time again.

The interior is as you would expect: a page at the front for your details and then the dot grid pages, ready for use as whatever your heart desires.

I'm not going to lie: I'm very excited about using this. I also have a dot-grid Papier notebook which needs using and it'll be a tough choice to see which one gets used first. There is a part of me that thinks I should use the Papier first because if I use this 160gsm paper first, nothing else will compare. As a self-confessed paper snob, this notebook will do nothing to change that part of my personality!