Eclipse/Space Layout – Shield Your Eyes!

August 17, 2017 1 Comment

The Eclipse is Coming! The Eclipse is Coming!

Warning: Shield your eyes from what you are about to see or make sure you have the proper viewing spectacles for your eyes.

Nevermind, you can look.

Monday is the eclipse across North America – and we are very near the total coverage area in the south. We are checking the kids out of school and trekking our way to a better viewing area. Thank goodness we have family in the area and don’t have to find lodging. If I owned a hotel, I would crank up prices because people would pay them to see this once-in-a-lifetime {for some} event. I am not a hotel owner though.

Perhaps I should make a calendar of when the next eclipse will be and where so I will be more prepared the next time. Well… if I’m still around on this earth. I should learn more about them. I’m sure that I just cursed myself – it’s predicted that my kid’s future science fair project is probably on eclipses. Great, can’t wait for that karma. That doesn’t lessen my excitement about this eclipse, though. So now, enough with the chit-chat.

Here is the layout for next week in honor of the Eclipse!

First off, I have to tell you that I didn’t have a compass of any sort in my possession, but I wanted to make circles. I actually wanted imperfectly overlapped circles, so it looked like the eclipse either coming or going.

I scouted around my kitchen for two glasses with different size openings. One needed to fit inside the other – but just so I could make the circles pretty close to overlapping. I offset them just slightly. On the first page, I wanted the emphasis on Monday, which is when the eclipse was happening. I chose to do a repeating pattern for the facing page. Watercolor was so much fun on these pages!

I left a large area for notes since we are making a big deal of it for our kids, I plan on recording the events here so I can tell them about the adventure in years to come. Maybe you will have more patience than I did to splatter white paint across the pages to make it look more like stars.

Did you miss the eclipse but like the layout? This layout could be used for space/celestial/cosmos theme.

What layouts did you do for the eclipse? Anything special?

What objects have you used in a creative way?

Pin this layout for later (and follow me on Pinterest for more ideas!) I’m on Instagram too, @ChocolateMusingsCreates. Follow over there for bullet journal ideas/layouts art and hand lettering.

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Here is the layout with a couple of close-ups.

Leave me a comment below and let me know what objects you’ve used in a creative way.

Minimal Open-Side Square Weekly Spread

August 15, 2017 Leave a Comment

Minimal Open-Side-Square Weekly Spread

{with Monday Start}

Great layout for a minimalist design
the names on the side added variety to change-up the layout.

The day-to-day planning is down the center of the page (except Sunday) and all the other planning is on the edge of the pages.

I left a big part of the page on the right for a quote or to do list. You’ll notice that the week starts on Monday. Not typical for the calendar I use, but I’ve really been liking the Monday start to the week. Whether it’s in my head or not, it makes me feel like my weekend is not disjointed…and possibly longer? Whatever extends the weekends right?

I tend to lay things out in pencil before adding color or pen, it reduces mistakes. After getting it drawn out, I decided the sides would be the best place for the days of the week names. Below is the video of me lettering the names. Yes, I forgot to cross the “t” on Saturday and dot the “i” in Friday – what in the world was I thinking?! Details! I discovered it later and added them as you’ll see in the final layout.

To create this layout:

Start from the center – and leave one dot to the center of the book, you could move it closer if you wanted, but it makes it easier to add tasks and notes you don’t have to write into the center of the page. I have tried to allow for white space in my bullet journal. (And let’s face it, white space in my life too!)

I always leave 2 square heights for the meal planning – it just makes it seem easier to plan meals that way. I like to have a place to jot down miscellaneous ‘next week’ items. On the right side, I included a square for blog posts and “to do” for those tasks that are not assigned to a day. But in that space, you could have: To Do Lists, Shopping Lists, a place for notes or journaling, mini-calendar, a weekly habit tracker or a myriad of other things! I love having space ‘as needed’. If you were making your own, you might decide to mash Saturday & Sunday into a “weekend” box instead. I think I might do that next time.

Pin these layouts for later (and follow me on Pinterest for more ideas!) I’m on Instagram too, @ChocolateMusingsCreates. Follow over there for bullet journal ideas/layouts art and hand lettering.

Pin this layout for later!

Leave me a comment below and let me know what you think.

Eliminate the Same To Do List – Create a Master Project Checklist

August 13, 2017 3 Comments

I love ‘to do’ lists. They help organize my brain.

Once I get it down on paper, I’m free to think of other things that could be put down on a different list.

But to do list-ing (is that a thing?) is tedious if you record the same ‘to dos’ for every project.

In an earlier post, I showed you how to set up a habit tracker in your bullet journal – tasks done every day to form habits. Read the post here. I thought about that layout and decided to transform the same format into a framework for accomplishing tasks that have the same group of “to dos”. But instead of tracking daily tasks, check off a to do list on projects. For instance, my blog posts have similar tasks before I can post each one. I found that I was writing the same tasks over and over. (And taking up a lot of room to do it!)

Here’s the first part of my to do list for a video + blog post:

Start with a topic
Brainstorm
Plan ideas
Layout
Create content
Video
Audio recording
Music
Edit video
Edit pictures
Write post
Edit post
Schedule Post
Etc.

That’s not even half the list! I was spending more time creating the list than I was doing the tasks on the list. The kicker was they were the same tasks over and over for every project!

So I set up a Master Project Checklist.

For more efficient project tasking sharing a common to do list, create a Master Project Checklist.

The size of your to do list vs. number of projects will help you decide on a vertical or horizontal layout. I opted for a horizontal checklist as I needed more room for the ‘to dos’ for each project. I counted down 4 dots from the top of my A5 Leuchtturm1917 and 8 dots over. After squaring all the boxes in the to do list, I added the task lines at an angle (which allows more room to write). I filled in my tasks grouped by the typical timeline. Since this is a ‘master page’ I knew I would return to it, so I added this fantastic feather and *To Do* washi tape to the edges of the page as a marker (I found it at Michaels at a steal), but if you want to know what the set looks like -here is a link.

This will do nicely. I can check that off the list!

Let me know what you think in the comments below. Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Pinterest for more ideas! Be sure to pin this for later.

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Creating a Bullet Journal Map Spread

August 1, 2017 2 Comments

Creating Map Collection Spreads for your Bullet Journal

Include a map collection for planning trips, tracking where you’ve been, where you want to go, how much you need to save for that amazing journey you are planning…the possibilities are limitless!

I saw a collection not long ago similar to this and the ideas for what I wanted to do and incorporate it into my bullet journal started flowing. Seeing things visually helps me envision other possibilities. So I LOVED the idea of tracking travel. I knew I had to do something with it! Getting it into the pages were a little tricky since I wanted a two-page spread instead of just a single page spread. It’s also tricky because the lines are so intricate.

Watch the video on how I planned & created this spread

With a little planning, the two-Page Map Spreads aren’t so Tricky!

I searched and searched for maps that would work and planned the center line for my United States map. Right down the line where Montana/Wyoming meet up with North Dakota/South Dakota/Nebraska and down to the line separating New Mexico & Texas seemed like a pretty good separating line in this case. I didn’t choose a very large map to start with, partly because when I sized the map larger, it was a little pixelated and I didn’t like the detail I got from the map. It also afforded more margin for other opportunities. The map could also go on a single page. (Don’t worry, you don’t have to search and search, I created free printables for you!)

When planning the spread for the European map, it was more difficult to plan for the center split. I thought it would interrupt too many countries to be on two pages – so I decided to do a “Pop-Out” map view, basically, a zoomed-in map for enlarged detail of Europe. I have to say that I really like the way that turned out.

TIP: Make sure that if you are tracing through the blank back of a page – it will make it so much easier to find the details. Otherwise, you might find some random words or miscellaneous marks on the paper traced from the opposite side of your paper to your map. I used my tiny washi tape to hold the map sheets in place temporarily. (Side note – when I ordered the washi tape – I totally expected a larger width! But it has turned out so useful and unique!) Starting from the center and working outwards seemed to work really well for me – it helped me gain my bearings a bit.

I started with a pencil and planned to outline it with a fine pen afterward, erasing the pencil marks for the final product. I used Sakura Micron 005 (.20mm) for the world map after seeing how large the .45 mm marker was – (.45mm marker tip large?!? Yes, it seemed monstrous in comparison to the .20mm!). The detail using this minuscule marker was simply amazing once I erased the pencil lines. These pens didn’t bleed or smear when I erased them. I foresee myself using them in more projects!

The details are not perfect, but they do not have to be!

World/US travel tracking Map creation steps for the bullet journal or planner

I grew up in the United States, have gone through United States Geography through my whole life. So the outline of the US is familiar to me. When I started outlining more unfamiliar countries of the world and Europe, I found it hard to get the details just right. I don’t {currently} own a light box otherwise I would have used that. I grabbed my phone and couldn’t find the app that made the screen display white. Darn it!

Instead of searching forever for this essential app, I took a picture of a white page, changed the brightness to 100% and the contrast to 100% and the screen glowed in just the right white. I learned not to touch the screen while I was tracing because it changed the screen and took away my perfect mini-on-the-go light box. I just had to remember to trace lightly with the pencil. What a find! Forever more I am going to use that trick for tracing.

Use your cell phone as a mini-on-the-go light box

Final Product

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below! Want more travel planning ideas? Follow me on Pinterest. I created a short list of ideas for using a Map Page Tracker in your collections, If you have used a map spread in your journal…or you plan to – let me know in the comments below what you’ve done and other ideas you’ve incorporated. I would love to see what you have done!

World Map and European "pop-out map" Spread in your Bullet Journal

United States (US) Bullet Journal Collection Map Spread

Ideas for adding a Map Page Tracker in your Planner:

Use it as a travel log:

Keep track of where you have been
- Countries
- States in the USA
Keep track of the places your kids visit – we took a cross-country trip when my oldest was just a baby, so technically, he has been in 15 + states. We flew out west when my little girl was 2 1/2, she has been in only four states. My youngest has been in two states. I should probably track these visits so I can tell them when they ask me where they have been but keep it super-secret from my kids in the meantime if they discover it and it turns into a “mom loves me more than you” competition.
Wanderlust – what you’d like to do and places to visit
If you wanted to get even more detailed, you could do a state or even a county map of things to do and places you’ve been

Education:

Learn the state capitals
Learn country names and capital cities
Interesting facts about each place

One idea I may carry out – because it’s really that awesome of an idea:

If you there is a significant event in your life on a particular day, write down the newspaper article headings {found online} for that state/country on that date.

Trip Fund Meter Tracker:

“Fill” up the countries as you save money for your trip by coloring in from bottom to top as you squirrel away the funds for the trip.
- If you didn’t want to fill in the countries, fill in the water/ocean around the countries to track your savings goals.

Rather than outlining in black, you could outline the different countries/states in a different color. This would need a variety of colors…but… #excuses, right?

Leave me a comment & let me know what other content you would like to see.

P.S. I would LOVE to see how you ended up using these maps.
Follow me and tag me in your posts. I can’t wait to see your inner muse spread a light throughout the world inspire yourself and others around you.

Wishing you joy and creativity every day,

Tricia @
Chocolate Musings

The maps I created are from http://d-maps.com – the ones I selected don’t even scratch the surface compared to what’s available. If you need a county map in the United States, showing the major roads, cities, and rivers, they have it. “Dead useful” to quote Hagrid. As far as a map resource goes. They also have ancient maps which piqued my interest. But alas, another day, another time for that. The site is gracious enough to allow me to use the maps for my purpose asking only for a link in return to the map that I used.

World Map Europe United States Africa Americas South America Central America Asia Australia

Four Ideas to Supercharge Your Habit Tracker {that you may not have thought of before!}

June 20, 2017 4 Comments

Implementing any of these 4 items could increase your habit tracker effectiveness – and help you achieve even more!

Ever heard the quote “What gets measured, gets managed”? Logging month-to-month totals and/or percentages creates a quick overview of your habits each month. Use it to supercharge your habit tracker.

Implementing any of these 4 items could increase your habit tracker effectiveness – and help you achieve even more! Ever heard the quote “What gets measured, gets managed”? Logging month-to-month totals and/or percentages creates a quick overview of your habits each month and facilitates improvement. Want to know how to set up a habit tracker? Here is my step-by-step instructions on setting-up your own habit tracker.

You’ve been tracking your habits, and making some progress! (Good for you!) I know that my habit tracker in my bullet journal has helped me make some major improvements in my life, simply because I like filling it out every day, and I can’t fill it out unless I do the things that are in the tracker! This practice has boosted my motivation, and I have seen a difference in making positive changes. It really helps to hold myself accountable.

Would you like to see more progress or easily compare last month’s tracking numbers without flipping back and forth pages? Here are some super simple ways to help you keep track of your past ‘tracking’.

Idea #1

I have seen some yearly or extended trackers for each habit, but even a double-page spread is simply not big enough to accommodate multiple months with multiple habits. So one month ends and you start a new month with a new habit tracker. The past is in the past right? But aren’t you trying to create a habit? If you don’t know where you came from, then how do you know when to improve? Wouldn’t it be good to see your progress from the previous month?

Bullet Journal Habit Tracker Percentage Chart — Track percentages in your bullet journal habit tracker

Supercharge your habit tracker Idea #1:

Add a “Last Month” Totals Column. Track the same habits over and over again? Add a column at the end of your tracker showing how many days you accomplished your habit last month. Competition with yourself? Yes, please. But no smack talking.

Idea #2

Idea #2: Add a “This Month” Totals Column. {Or a ‘Last Month’ vs ‘This Month’} Prefer not to carry forward the numbers? Add a column for “This Month” or “Totals” to the end of your tracker. When you flip back in your planner to see how you’ve done, you have a quick reference. You could always add a ‘last month’ column and a ‘this month’ column at the end of the tracker – creates a great comparison month to month. An end of journal reflection (because seriously, who can use a single journal for a whole year?) will show improvement at a quick glance month-to-month.

Idea #3

Idea #3: Track Percentages. Really serious about the improvement of your habits? Include a percent field. (To figure the percent – take the total number of days you did your habit – say 13 and divide by the total number of days in the month = percent.) Hate math? no problem. I’ve created a graphic for your reference.

Idea #4:

Idea #4: Cross out days for seldom-tracked habits. Do you have a habit that you want to track, but don’t do it every day – cross out the days that don’t apply for that habit so you don’t become discouraged for only having completed 3 or 4 days in the month.

Use these tips to help change not only your habits but change your character. After all, “it’s never too late to be who you might have been.” -George Elliot

What gets measured, gets managed - Peter Drucker

Leave me a comment below – let me know of any tips or tricks you might have for your bullet journal habit tracker. I’d love to hear from you, and try out some things you like to do too.

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