Hello Everyone!

One of my favorite things about going on an exciting trip is having fun documenting it and being able to look back on the memories later. You guys know how much I love journals as well, so of course I can't pass up the opportunity to buy a new one for an upcoming vacation! 

I started doing this a couple years ago when I went to the States for a month and found some fun ways of documenting our time there. I found it quite relaxing to do when I had some downtime at night, or even when we were waiting at the airport. It's one of my all-time favorite projects to work on, seeing as it mixes travel with creativity. I thought I would show you my little journal kit that I always take with me to have fun being creative on holiday.


My Journal! 

On my first trip to the states, I took with me a journal that one of my really good friends had bought for me on my 21st birthday. It was an amazing leather-bound one from kikki K that was absolutely perfect. Since I loved it so much, I decided to go back and get another one from the same store and managed to find this cute one (on sale too!) What I love about these the most is the writing prompts throughout the journal, so you can document things like Here and Now or My Day On A Plate. It just makes both writing it and reading it later on so much more fun. There's also tonnes of room for pictures to go in and a section for food and shopping recommendations too. These are definitely my go-to travel journals!




A Rainbow of Pens + Case 

A bit obvious, but important nonetheless. I like taking tonnes of different colors with me to make the pages look pretty. I can use a different color for writing each day to make them stand out more too. I like bringing a Sharpee with me as well, because it has come in handy several times before. Maybe even for getting some signatures at Disney!
My pencil case is from Typo and it's super-light weight, as well as being able to be flattened down so it won't take up much room in my bag. I will probably keep some of my other journal accessories in here too for easy storage.

A Collecting Pocket 

My favorite part of travel journals is keeping all of my ticket stubs and brochures and turning the pages into a collage of what I've been up to. Some travel journals have that handy pocket at the back, but since my new one doesn't I'm just bringing a clear file with me to keep everything together. Paper clips can be really useful too. Here's what I keep:

Post cards

Receipts

 Business Cards

Food Wrappers 

Tickets

Maps

Money (notes)

It's also where I'm going to keep my journal stickers etc. so that they don't get damaged while we travel.

Instax Camera + Film

For me this is easiest way to get a few snapshots into my journal as I travel. It's a bit of a pain to have to wait until you get back to print pictures, so this is my on-the-go solution. They're the perfect size for an A5 journal too. Plus, how cool are Polaroids? My awesome friend got me the Alice in Wonderland film for my birthday last year, so I'm definitely going to be using that in the LA/Disney part of the trip. 

Accessories 

Double sided tape / Scissors
This is a really tidy way of sticking in any Instax pictures or other mementos you collect along the way. I usually cut a few strips to keep in my pencil case if I working on my journal at the airport. Just remember to keep your scissors in your check-in bag!

Stickers
Making the collages of ticket stubs etc. that I've collected is always my favorite part and adding stickers makes the pages look awesome. I picked up this book from Typo and I am in love with some of the designs. It was only $11, so it's not going to break the bank and it fits the theme of an American holiday.
Then I have some alphabet ones too, so that I can personalize pages and have titles for the places we go. I actually bought this for my first travel journal and luckily there are so many sheets of them that I have plenty for this trip too!

Washi Tape
Just to have a little bit more fun with making collages! I bought these for my Bullet Journal and they're really great for making borders around pictures and titles. It will be cute for using to stick down my Polaroid photos and all the ticket-stubs I collect. They fit easily into my pencil case and you don't need scissors to cut strip off. It will make it easier for me to get some work done on my journal on flights or in the car while we drive.




And that's it! Everything I take with me to document my time traveling. I can't tell you how excited I am to work on this again soon.

Do you like to keep a travel journal?
Steph x.

How I Started My Bullet Journal

Hello Everyone!

I wanted to share my latest obsession with you, which is the world of bullet journals (cue the eye-rolls for me taking on yet another journal project...) I came across this positive post by Rosie fromdamzelinthisdress blog where she lists 6 Reasons Why You Need A Bullet Journal. It's safe to say that I was sold very quickly, and before I knew it I was in the depths of Pinterest looking at inspiration. You guys know I love anything to do with journals, stationary, or just being creative in day-to-day life, so this is right up my street!

The Journal 
After a little research, everybody tends to go for either a Leuchtturm1917 or a Moleskine journal. When I set out to find one of my own I couldn't find any of the the first, but my local bookstore did have a selection of Moleskine ones. Most of them were either blank or lined, but I managed to get the very last dotted A5 softcover. It was fate, I reckon! The dotted version was well-worth it too, because it makes symmetry a breeze. I did have to settle for a tan color, but I wasn't really fussy.


The Accessories 

I feel like this is where you can have a bit of fun. Firstly, I got two black fine-point pens, which are definitely worth the money! They're so easy to write with and make your handwriting look so much nicer. I also bought some washi tape to help make borders and to bring some color into my pages.

Another little accessory I've found to be a real life-savor, is a ruler. I actually use a mini one that I had back in high school. You could easily free-hand everything if you wanted to, but I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so I need a ruler for all of my boxes/outlines.


The Pages  
I will admit that I got a bit overwhelmed with where to start at first. My solution: start anywhere! Get some ideas, then just create pages as you need them. I also started a Pinterest board to keep tonnes of ideas and inspiration all in one place.

Workouts - At a recent gym session, my trainer explained how my training was going to be different from now on. I basically start at my lowest rep and work up to my highest, which is when I need to meet with him for an update. This is where he suggested I write down my reps as I go through them each day and have a record of how I'm doing. It will be great to see how much I improve within a few weeks.

Daily Schedule -My mind can be a bit scattered sometimes, I think it has to do with my dyslexia, so I find it hard to concentrate on one task at a time. But I've found in the past that on days where I have my hours mapped out I'm so much more focused and I get more done. I know some people hate being so strict with their time, but for me it helps get through my whole to-do list. I've found it really helpful so far. 

2016 Reads - This is probably my favorite page so far. I'm determined to get through 50 books this year (or more if I can) and I'm already itching to fill in more on this one. I'm still not sure what to do with the opposite shelves. I could use it as my TBR, or just wait and fill in the rest for my 2017 reads. I love keeping note of what books I have gotten through in the year and this is such a satisfying way to keep a record. 

Habit Tracker  

There's nothing that makes you stick to healthy habits like having to note down what you do! I love the idea of seeing what I do (and don't do) throughout the month. This is the beauty of bullet journals; you can personalize it to whatever suits you and your lifestyle.

I think the most important thing to remember, is that it's YOUR journal. The pages don't have to be perfect and Instagram-worthy, just have fun being creative with whatever you decided to put in it. There's no right and wrong way to use a bullet journal. Have fun with your planning and be creative anywhere you want.

You just need a journal (any make, really), a pen, and a bit of inspiration. Then you're good to go! 

Have you tried using a bullet journal?
Steph x. 

My Daily Happiness Journal

I stumbled upon this cute little journal when I was out shopping the other day and the single word "happiness" sparked an idea. Why not write down positive thoughts during my day to day life and look back on it in times where I need a bit of positivity. I know this is hardly an original idea, but for someone who loves to write out my thoughts and lists, it could be something that really helps on those bad days. And you all know how much I love starting a new journal!

I've been carrying it around with me and writing down any little thought that I might want to look back on later. Basically anything that made me smile that day or gave me a warm fuzzy feeling.The journal I got is such a perfect size too, so I can easily slip it into my bag and write something quickly if I need to.

I found that since I started this journal, I began trying to find positive things that I would normally ignore or just brush off. I'm someone who can find a silver lining in almost anything and it's a great mood enhancer when you need it. I love flicking through the pages I have already filled in and seeing what made me happy that day. It also helps in clearing my mind, as all journals are great for, and I know I'm not going to forget anything.

Grab a journal and start writing down happy thoughts that come to you, no matter how small. 

I'm gonna make it a personal goal to fill my journal as fast as I can, and write in it everyday.

 It's so important to take the time to slow down and appreciate the little joys in life, especially when it all gets a bit hectic. Never forget the things that make you smile!

 Ideas for happy thoughts to write down: 

Quotes you find

Something funny that happened

A nice dream you had

Highlights from your day

Compliments 

Good deeds

Relaxing moments

New things you have tried and loved

Goals achieved

Something that made you feel confident

Do something you're scared of and write about your experience

Exciting news

What do you think of this idea? Let me know in the comments!

Steph x.

A List of Lists: Stay Organized and Rememer Everything

I'll admit it, I'm one of those people who feels the need to keep lists at all times. I even have a list journal with a specific list on each page (I won't mention how many journals I own and write in) However, as someone who considers themselves to be organized this is a very helpful thing!

I'm also incredibly forgetful so lists are often my only hope of remembering both the big and little things.

A while ago I set out on an online search for a list of lists, if you will, to help me stay organized and have a bit of fun with it. While I didn't find that one source with a masterlist, I did manage to find ideas here and there to create my own.

So, to help you stay organized here is a list of lists that I keep in my journal:

Wishlist

 For that ever-annoying "What do you want for your birthday?" question we can't ever think of an answer for. Or rewarding yourself after a challenge of course.

Gift Ideas

Save yourself from getting stuck on what to buy for birthdays. Keep updated year round and take notes when you get home from shopping with a loved one. Remember what they pointed out or said they would love to buy for themselves but won't. 

Got a Minute? 

For small chores we all forget to do, but don't take a lot of time. I skip this page more often than I should

Watch, Read, Listen

Recommendations to explore at a later time. So much music...

Things I Will Do This Year 

Because it's important to make exciting plans. Life's all about making memories, right? Go skiing, spend more time at the beach or make your own ice cream. 

Big Hairy Audacious Goals

A list of your biggest dreams to help keep them in mind. When you write them down on paper they don't seem so scary!

Don't Forget 

Important reminders; just don't forget to check it regularly!

Blog Post Ideas

A pretty important one for me. I always jot ideas down as soon as they hit me so I don't forget and I can look back on them when I get stuck for ideas

Bucket list

Probably the most important list to keep updated. Best feeling ever when you can cross them off!

Great Ideas

I think we've all lost some great ideas over the years, so always right them down. You never know where they might lead!

Apps to Try 

For those online recommendations to try later

Things to Do When You Are Sad

Because we all have those down days and need to be reminded of what makes us happy. It's important to keep this one updated too

Websites

Online shopping is very important to all of us

Sayings to remember 

Little quotes or things people have said that were too lovely to forget

Lessons Learnt

Great to look back on over the year and be reminded of what you've been through

Beauty 

There's always new products to try; great for trips overseas where they don't charge an arm and a leg for lipstick. I love you America!

Things to Google

To satisfy my curiosity on a bored Saturday evening (What is quorn even made of?)

Packing  

I'm lucky enough to be visiting Hawaii very soon and I like to slowly add items so I don't forget anything.

I hope this helps! What lists do you keep? x.

Twitter - @MarvelSteph91

Instagram - @marvelsteph

Pinterest - marvelsteph