This is one of my favorite parts of starting a new journal/notebook. Evaluating my past system and deciding what has worked and planning what new pages I am going to try is one of the best things about this whole system. I guess I should be clear that I plan on doing bullet journaling in my TN.
After sizing up my Webster’s Pages TN, I discovered that four notebooks will fit best. The final list that I have decided on for notebooks is:
permanent lists & calendars
monthly/weekly/daily
blog
health & fitness
work (this will remain in my Leuchtturm Jottbook)
When I was planning what spreads and tracking would go where, I decided that having one spread to look at would be easiest. When I purchased my Moleskine Cahier notebooks, I set one aside for planning, doodling, and spread experimentation. The Moleskines are the same length, but are narrower than Leuchtturm and Scribbles That Matter notebooks, so I wanted to get used to the new size. Here is my notebooks:
I decided that having one spread to see all four notebooks would be best for planning. I split each page in half to make my plans.
As I went through my Scribbles That Matter notebook, I decided that I like most of my spreads. I may switch them up a little, but the biggest changes came in my blog notebook. I will be pairing down the number of idea pages and will be getting rid of the inventory pages for now.
One of the biggest things that I wanted to change about my planning (besides switching to a TN) is to hand-draw more. I am going to attempt drawing more of my spreads. We will see how it goes. I will be filming my set-up as well as a couple more tutorials.
So, I have gathered some supplies and done the initial assembly on my TN, but now I am looking for inspiration about what the content of my TN will be. Coming from a bullet journal in a notebook, I think I was a little stuck thinking that I had to do my planning in the same way. In my notebook(s), I did personal planning in my Scribbles That Matter notebook, and my blog and work planning were done in separate Leuchtturm Jottbooks. It was this separation that was what first pushed me toward the TN system.
I started looking at how others plan in their TN and came across this video by Cre8tive Cre8tions by Andrea Gomoll:
I searched for other Webster’s Pages Color Crush TNs because that is what I use and found this YouTube channel. Andrea shared how she plans and I thought that it was really interesting that she has separate notebooks for yearly and monthly/week/daily planning. This blindsided me. It was like all my prayers have been answered. Make sure to visit her channel and subscribe as well as check out her online shop.
Another eye-opener was when I was watching some Erin Condren unboxings and people started talking about a ‘perpetual planner’. In essence, a perpetual planner has all of the days of the year, but not days of the week. This means that you can track birthdays and holidays and use it each year instead of having to recreate it with each year or planner.
This video shows the calender pretty well as well as providing some ideas on how to use the calendars that come with the Erin Condren planners… but that’s not why we are here.
With this new inspiration, I brainstormed what I wanted each of my notebooks to be. Here is the preliminary list that I came up with:
Permanent (similar to perpetual planner)
Monthly/Weekly/Daily
Fitness & Health
Neta Marie Designs blog
Work
When you are looking for inspiration of your own, I suggest looking on Pinterest, Instagram, Google, YouTube, and more. There are so many great ideas. Along with some of the inspiration on what each notebook will hold, I also found some page spread ideas as well.
There is a month-at-a-glance page from Cre8tive Cre8tions video above (at 10:36 minutes in) that I really loved. The page would need tweaking to fit my specific needs.
Another thing I keep seeing are little affirmations that people include on their spreads and I want to include them in my Fitness & Health notebook. I searched ‘daily affirmations’ on Google and found Louise Hay’s website. There is a new affirmation each day (today is ‘I love myself just the way I am.’)
While you are looking, I suggest that you create a Pinterest board, YouTube playlist, and other ways to save your favorite ideas. Here are mine:
I will be continuing to look for inspiration and will also be starting my actual planning soon. I am so excited that I can hardly contain myself. I am combining my next two planned posts into one, so make sure to tune in for the next post in Making the Move from Bujo to TN: What Stays and What Goes and Planning My Inserts.
Welcome back for the second installment of my Making the Move From Bujo to TN series, where I will be going over everything traveler’s notebook. I am going to hop right in by posting the questions that I had and the answers that I found.
Check out the companion video to this post on the Neta Marie Designs YouTube channel!
I just want to note that I am not the authority on traveler’s notebooks. I have just been researching them like crazy, and thought that I would share the knowledge. Going forward, I also wanted to note that I may see abbreviations like TN for traveler’s notebook and bujo for bullet journal because it is just quicker to type.
Let’s dive in!
What is a traveler’s notebook?
Traveler’s notebooks are comprised of:
external cover that can be leather (like a traditional Midori), fabric (like fauxdoris), or a faux leather (like the Webster’s Pages TN that I have), or other materials
external elastic closure
internal elastic bands
inserts
What’s the big deal?
I started bullet journaling in a traditional notebook. I like to track many different aspects of my life including my blog, my work, general planning, fitness, meal planning, holidays, birthdays, health, and more! As my planning has expanded, I have found that I needed more space and separation. While I have been in my Scribbles that Matter notebook (since April), I gave a multiple, notebook system a shot and it worked better, but lead me to believe that I needed to revisit the thought of doing my planning and tracking in a TN. The main reason for this is because the notebooks are interchangeable, and can be swapped out without me having to redo all my standard spreads like calendars and yearly trackers.
Who makes traveler’s notebooks and where can I get one?
You can make your own TN by using one of the many YouTube videos out there (link to playlist) or you can purchase one from a wide variety or manufacturers. My TN is from Webster’s Pages that was purchased at JoAnn’s. I liked this particular one because it was large enough to use Moleskine Cahier notebooks, and it has a fairly firm cover along with a bunch of pockets and extras.
The manufacturers/makers I can think of off the top of my head are (click names to go to either the manufacturer website or a link where you could purchase the TN):
There are so many more, you just have to look. Purchasing a TN couldn’t be easier. They are widely available at craft stores like Joann’s and Michaels, but can also be found on online retailer sites like Amazon and Etsy.
What sizes are there?
Every size – haha just kidding. I, personally, own Webster’s pages notebooks that is considered a larger TN. There are so many sizes available that it is insane. The only hard part is when you are going from brand to brand, they may name their sizes differently. I have researched and compiled the table below of some sizes along with their associated names and associated manufacturer names.
While we are talking about size, it is a good time to talk about the spine or thickness of your TN. Here are a couple questions to ask yourself:
Do you like a chunky TN?
How many notebooks are you planning on having?
TNs generally come with four elastics and can accommodate about an inch worth of notebooks. If you need more than that, I suggest going for a wide option.
Note: Although there are four elastics, if you are using thin notebooks, there is a hack to add more notebooks to a four elastic system. Click here to read about it.
What else do I need?
Inserts or refills… a.k.a notebooks, calendars, planners, trackers etc. Choosing the correct insert for your TN is vital. There are many choices to consider including:
Paper quality
Ruled, plain, grid, or dotted
Glue bound, stapled, or sewing bound
Pre-Printed or template insert PDFs (like those available from planner 1407 and on Etsy)
Size
What are you planning on using the insert for?
When you are picking inserts for your TN, I suggest selecting an insert that is at least 1/4 inch smaller than your TN on top and bottom, and at least 1/2 inch smaller on both of the sides (left and right). If you can size your inserts to your TN in person, it would be best. For my TN (a Webster’s Pages notebooks), I found that the Moleskine Cahier notebooks in large size fit perfectly!
What is this ‘dashboard’ of which you speak?
Dashboards are a part of the traveler’s notebook system that are functional, but can be completely customized to fit your needs. They slip in your TN either on their own or around the outside of a notebook and can store planning items and be decorated in any way you like.
How? I am glad you asked. These are my dashboards that I created:
Dashboards can be made out of scrapbook paper, cardstock, velum and more. They can even be shaker-style and be filled with glitter and sequins. My dashboards are laminated to extend their life and protect them from wear and tear, but they don’t have to be. There are tons of spots/shops that you can purchase dashboards from as well.
What other goodies are there?
I am so glad you asked. These along with personalized dashboards are my favorite parts of creating a TN.
Here is a list of fun things to think about when you venture out on your TN supply gathering journey:
fun paperclips
binder clips
ruler
washi tape
washi cards
decorative cards (like the Happy Planner cards)
sticky notes
adhesive pockets
zipper pockets
card holders
elastic charms
extra elastic
pen loop/ holder
So, that is all I have for this Traveler’s Notebook 101. I hope you found it useful.
Have a beautiful day!
Supply Links :
P.S. – I started using Bitly to shorten some of the links down because they were sooo long, but if you would prefer the original links, just let me know.
Webster’s Pages Traveler’s Notebook – Mint Floral: http://bit.ly/2rmY35E (JoAnns Link)
Yes, some the product links are Amazon Affiliate links. All that means is that if you make a purchase, Amazon gives me a percentage of the earnings (at no extra cost to you), for referring you to their product/site. If you do chose to order from Amazon, make sure you give Amazon Prime a try, click here to take advantage of a 30-day free trial, so you can get free 2-day shipping too!
I wanted to hop on here and share my May Likes and Dislikes before it gets too much further into June. I will try to keep this short.
When I set up my May pages, I reserved an entire page for recording new items that I acquired during the month. Some of the items that I listed are being moved to next month because I didn’t use them enough to give them a chance.
My Faves, but first a shoutout!
picture courtesy of SewingScientistJen Etsy shop
First, Jennie forgive me for being so late on this. Second, everyone go take a look at her Etsy shop, SewingScientistJen. I purchased this floral anchor pouch while she was doing her Easter egg promotion. I was so excited when I opened the egg and saw that I won another pencil pouch! I knew immediately that I wanted to get the pouch pictured above for my sister who is an engineering student. After a mailing snafu, Jennie’s true colors shown through. Her customer service is amazing. She mailed another pouch to me quickly (mind you the snafu was not her fault). She is truly amazing and her pouches are amazing. She has many many many different prints and you should go take a look now… I mean now… here is the link again 🙂 On a side note, the product I received was exactly as it was pictured, but I was so excited that I gave it to my sister with her other goodies before I could take a picture. I did feature my anchor pouch in my April Likes and Dislikes video if you want to see more.
This ‘Botanical Line Drawing’ book by Peggy Dean is such a fun book. I love the simple instructions. I am someone who struggles with just drawing without inspiration and there is tons in this book!I found these at my local university book store. These are the Kuretake ZIG Cocoiro pens. When you purchase them, you buy the case and the pen insert. They come in a variety of colors and cost around $5.00. I have been using these for my daily lettering as part of my #LetteringMayFlowers and #AFlowerADay_June challenges.These are some of the new Tombow Dual Brush pens that I picked up at my local art store, Art & Craftsman Supply. I picked these because I wanted some pastel colors.This is a Sargent Watercolor 36 cake Set. This set was under $10 at my local art store and I am pleasantly surprised. I love the colors and they work well.If we have watercolors, then we need brushes, right?! I started with the Niji Waterbrush, but discovered that there are more sizes. I found this set on Amazon. The make is Arteza, and this set has three pointed, brush tips in different sizes as well as three flat,brush tips in different sizes. I must say that I like these better than the Niji, just because when you squeeze the water down it goes directly through the bristles instead of around the outside like the Niji.
Less than favorite items:
I like to preface this segment by saying that the products that I list here didn’t work for the purpose that I wanted them to work for. This doesn’t mean that they wont work for you.
I purchased this palette after seeing so many metallic lettering posts on Instagram. I purchased this palette from the art store and saw the name ‘Niji Yasutomo Pearlescent Watercolor’ and got really excited. I quickly learned that pearlescent is not the same as metallic. These colors are gorgeous and as a accent color, they work beautifully. However, on their own, they do not work for me.
Sorry there isn’t a video with this post. I have been under the weather, but I enjoy sharing my thoughts on products with you guys.
Niji Pearlescent Watercolor: http://amzn.to/2sc7MNa (don’t buy this from Amazon because the price is crazy high, but the link has a lot of information)
Yes, some the product links are Amazon Affiliate links. All that means is that if you make a purchase, Amazon gives me a percentage of the earnings (at no extra cost to you), for referring you to their product/site. If you do chose to order from Amazon, make sure you give Amazon Prime a try, click here to take advantage of a 30-day free trial, so you can get free 2-day shipping too!
Today I filmed the Spotlight Stationary Subscription Box unboxing for May (yes, I am a little late). I normally receive my box just before the first of the month.
Anyways, make sure to check out the video and hit subscribe!
The products inside this box were pretty awesome. All of the products are from premium and artisan brands from Germany as well as postcards with amazing art from Dhekelia Lennon. My Hunny’s family is from Germany, so I was pretty excited to see everything. Because I talked about products in the video, I will just give quick blurbs about everything here:
Postcards featuring the art of Dhekelia Lennon
Bindework Notebook and Patterned Envelopes Rico Designs Brass Binder Clips Mobius & Ruppert Pencil Sharpener Staedtler Eraser and Double-Tip Fiber Pen Scheider Line-up (Pink/Green) and Slider Memo (Blue) Stabilo Schwan PencilsMake sure to check out Spotlight Stationary for all their awesome subscription boxes. They offer monthly and bi-monthly services.
That is all I have for today! Have an amazing day!
Yes, some of the links above are Amazon Affiliate links. This means that I receive a portion of Amazon’s profits for referring you to the product/site. This is at no extra cost to you. I couldn’t find direct links to some products, so I linked the Spotlight Stationary site because they will post the products in the box for purchase soon.
Today, I wanted to share a recap of my bullet journal for the month of May. I was ambitious in my pre-month planning, but a couple road bumps tried to derail me. Anyways, let’s get started!
I have to start by saying that some of the spreads are not pretty because I crapped out on a them ( shame on me), but there were other spreads that I was really happy with.
Here is my monthly calendar, gratitude log, and daily log (fail #1). I always kick myself when I crap out on these because there are times when I reminisce and look back.
Next up is my running list of likes and dislikes (video is coming soon – I promise) and my Zentangle-style mood tracker. I really enjoyed the mood tracker. I will say that picking a better color palette was a giant WIN!
The following spread is my monthly trackers for sleep and headaches. These are some of my favorite pages. They give me so much information about how my body works. These are printable files that are available in the Printable Tools and FreebiesPrintable Tools and Freebies Library.
This next spread is depressing. My Step tracker that I was soooo excited about was a big fail because I lost my Fitbit… again. Ughhh…. And I failed at most of my goals for the month as well. Don’t judge me. I don’t wanna talk about it.
On to weeklies!!! I continued used a different color palette each week (check my Pinterest Color Scheme board for ideas!) About half way through the month, I tried my hand at watercolors, and I loved it! So much fun 🙂
I still used half-page dailies (for the most part) this month because they are working pretty well for now. If you want to see more, head over to my #LetteringMayFlowers Recap to see more of the dailies. Make sure to head over to my Instagram @NetaMarieDesigns to see a quick flip thru of May’s pages.
Have an amazing day!
Supply Links :
P.S. – I started using Bitly to shorten some of the links down because they were sooo long, but if you would prefer the original links, just let me know.
Yes, some the product links are Amazon Affiliate links. All that means is that if you make a purchase, Amazon gives me a percentage of the earnings (at no extra cost to you), for referring you to their product/site. If you do chose to order from Amazon, make sure you give Amazon Prime a try, click here to take advantage of a 30-day free trial, so you can get free 2-day shipping too!
Many of you know that May was the first month that I hosted my own challenge, #LetteringMayFlowers. It was a super fun month and challenge, and I have since decided to extend the challenge and keep going and am hosting the #AFlowerADay_June challenge this month. That first challenge was eye-opening and I learned many things. I thought that it may be helpful to some of my fellow Instagram-ers if I shared what I learned.
First off, hosting challenges is so fun, and I 100% recommend that you take the plunge and host one if you are thinking about it. These tips/tricks are meant to make the hosting and planning job easier for you.
My tips for hosting challenges:
Pick a topic that you are interested in
Create your challenge image and make sure that it can be read easily on Instagram (that seems to be where most challenge participants look when deciding which ones to do)
Include the following on your challenge image:
your Instagram handle
the challenge tag (make sure that this is very unique because you don’t want your challenge posts getting mixed with another)
the prompts
the type of challenge (i.e. planning, doodle, draw, paint, reading, hand lettering, etc.)
Post your challenge at least twice – once about 10 days before the challenge is scheduled to begin and again the day before
In the description of your challenge:
make sure to indicate how and when you will feature participants work
tag or DM the challenge Instagram accounts (these are accounts that just share challenges and they are a great way to get your challenge seen by more people)
I am jumping right in today. Be forewarned, there are a lot of pictures in this post. All I can think is ‘I did it’ – I successfully hosted my first challenge. If you hadn’t seen before, last month I decided to host my first challenge. I actually had two, but cut it down to one because hosting is a lot of work! My challenge for the month of May was #LetteringMayFlowers.
I was so excited to see that there were quite a few people that took part in the challenge. It was fun seeing of their wonderful posts. Every other day, I shared their magnificent work on my Instagram (@NetaMarieDesigns) Story. A big THANK YOU to everyone that participated and made my first challenge awesome! Click here to see all the wonderful posts!
Last month, I posted a recap of my challenge prompts and work and really enjoyed it, so I decided to do the same thing this month. I started using watercolors in my journal, and I had a lot of fun each day completing the prompts. I grouped the images together, so hopefully it won’t bog anyone’s computers down. Without further ado, here are my #LetteringMayFlowers prompts – enjoy!
I loved having flowers on my dailies each day. They remind me of Spring and Summer, and they put me into a cheery mood. That being said, I decided to continue the challenge and changed the name! It isn’t too late to take part – check out #AFlowerADay_June on Instagram and make sure to tag, @NetaMarieDesigns, in your posts.
Okay well that is all I have for today! I hope that you enjoyed seeing the recap, and that the challenge information was helpful to those thinking about hosting or co-hosting their own challenge one day!
YES, SOME THE PRODUCT LINKS ARE AMAZON AFFILIATE LINKS. ALL THAT MEANS IS THAT IF YOU MAKE A PURCHASE, AMAZON GIVES ME A PERCENTAGE OF THE EARNINGS (AT NO EXTRA COST TO YOU), FOR REFERRING YOU TO THEIR PRODUCT/SITE. IF YOU DO CHOSE TO ORDER FROM AMAZON, MAKE SURE YOU GIVE AMAZON PRIME A TRY, CLICK HERE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A 30-DAY FREE TRIAL, SO YOU CAN GET FREE 2-DAY SHIPPING TOO!
I have to start by saying that I have been in a really good state of mind for June. I think the excitement of switching up my planning game has me a little bit happier overall. I am really looking forward to all of the possibilities.
Let’s get started!
Some of you may have had the same questions as the title of this post. My answer? I have no clue, but I plan on taking you all on my journey this month. I will say that the bullet journal in a traditional notebook 📓 is still amazing, but I have a little bit more going on in my life than I did when I first stumbled upon bullet journaling. I think having separate inserts (notebooks) may help me stay organized and also track things better too.
I wanted to try to keep myself focused, so here is a list of the posts that I will be sharing with you in these next few weeks as I plan my new traveler’s notebook, or ‘TN’:
Has anyone made this switch before? Maybe even the switch from TN to bujo? Can you give me some tips?? Leave them in the comments below.
Before I let you go, I thought I would show you (again) my chosen Traveler’s Notebooks from Webster’s Pages 😍
Aren’t they beautiful? Shown above are my Mint Floral and Champagne TNs. These notebooks have some pretty awesome features. Each notebook has:
Outer elastic with a fun tag (my mint TN tag says ‘Grow with Grace’ and my champagne TN tag says ‘Hello Beautiful’)
Covers are a durable plastic/faux leather material
Internal card slots (2)
Photo slot in front cover
Four insert elastic
Back storage pocket for a long notebook as well as a bigger side-open pocket
Blank notebook insert included
I found these at my local JoAnn’s store. With a coupon, they end up being really affordable – well, actually they are affordable anyways. The price in store starts at about $32.99, but coupons are always a good idea!
If you are taking this journey of starting a TN with me, share your photos and finds either via comments, Instagram @NetaMarieDesigns, or email at netamariedesigns@gmail.com
Stay tuned for the next post in this awesome TN journey!! Make sure to subscribe here on WordPress or follow me on Instagram @NetaMarieDesigns to get a notifications when the next post is up!
Have a wonderful day!
Supply Links :
P.S. – I started using Bitly to shorten some of the links down because they were sooo long, but if you would prefer the original links, just let me know.
Yes, some the product links are Amazon Affiliate links. All that means is that if you make a purchase, Amazon gives me a percentage of the earnings (at no extra cost to you), for referring you to their product/site. If you do chose to order from Amazon, make sure you give Amazon Prime a try, click here to take advantage of a 30-day free trial, so you can get free 2-day shipping too!
Welcome to the second post in this series of monthly stats, goals, and growth tracking posts. April was our first month and the data included some information prior to April, but this post will feature only information on growth in the month of May. This should paint a better picture for those who are looking at starting a blog of their own and want to see what growth looks like.
Let’s get to it!
General Planet Plan It Blog Traffic
May brought in 110 more views with 6,613 versus 6,503 views in April.
Blog Post Data
I gave regular posting a good effort in May. I posted quite a few times.
There were 6 posts in May compared to 5 in April
Need a recap of what was posted? The list below shows what the big world of Neta Marie Designs was talkin’ about.
If you are trying to get more traffic to your blog, it is helpful to know where the traffic comes from.
Pinterest has been my biggest source of traffic for a long time. Even the lesser referrers are Pinterest sites from other countries!
Other Social Media:
So, May was a great month, but also a stressful one. I bit the bullet and changed/rebranded my blog and all my social media from Planet Plan It to Neta Marie Designs. The change came about because I want to see my blog and work here grow, but I also discovered another site called Plan It Planet. Because they had been around longer, I chose to rebrand, so here I am. It was stressful, but went smoother than I expected.
Although I thought the rebrand may hurt my numbers, I have to say that I saw the opposite effect. It seemed like many people were very receptive of my new name 🙂
Instagram @NetaMarieDesigns: April ended with 690 followers and May ended with 745 followers (+55) with 40 new posts
Instagram @NMD_Challenges: With 87 new challenge posts, followers increased from 147 to 256 at the end of May (+109)
YouTube Channel: With only two videos posted, my channel subscribers grew from 21 to 31 subscribers (+10)
MailChimp (Newsletter): Grew from 820 subscribers in April to 903 subscribers by the end of May (+83)
Income:
Many people make money via YouTube, blogging, online shops, and affiliate links. Currently, my only earnings come from the Amazon Affiliate program.
My earnings for May were still minimal, but there seemed to be a lot of action on the links, so I will count it as a big win.
* I do try to disclose my Amazon Affiliate link use (like at the end of posts and videos) because it is required. If you have questions regarding these links, let me know. *
May Goals:
** Let’s see how I measured up! Goals achieved will be in GREEN and goals that weren’t achieved will be in RED**
I will try not to be long-winded with this. For the month of May 2017, I would like to:
Blog
Grow blog newsletter subscribers to 1000 I grew to 903, but fell short of my goal (-97)
Grow views to 8000 I fell short and only got 6,613 views, so I was about 1,387 views.
Grow visitors to 3000 I bested this goal and got 3,454 visitors (+454)!!
Post at least 10 times I was only able to post 6 times (-4).
Instagram
grow @NetaMarieDesigns main account to 1000 followers I am gaining on this goal, but didn’t make it all the way in May. I made it to 745 followers (-255).
grow @NMD_Challenges account to 200 followers Bam! Goal achieved! I was able to onboard 211 followers (+11)!!
YouTube
Post 4 videos Only 2 videos made it up on the ‘Tube (-2)
grow followers to 30 Followers increased over 30 to 31 (+1) Woot Woot!
Well, that is a lot of red, but I see it as opportunities to grow. It will be interesting to see if I meet my filming and posting goals if my subscriber and viewer rate will meet goals as well.
Welp, that is a snapshot of May on NetaMarieDesigns. I love seeing posts like these even though they may not be so exciting to others. Don’t worry, though, tomorrow I will be back to bullet journaling!
