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Chocolate Musings

Set your goals - make the plans - artfully create your life - live it beautifully. Grab the good chocolate and find your muse.

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Home » Get Organized & Start Planning » Plan With Me » Plan With Me 2019

November Bullet Journal Set Up – Bright Colors & Falling Leaves

November 10, 2019 Leave a Comment

November Bullet Journal Set Up | ChocolateMusings.com

November Bullet Journal Set Up – Bright Colors & Falling Leaves

Despite failed attempts and soaked notebook pages recently, I was itching to create a November themed bullet journal layout with watercolor. So here’s November’s Bullet Journal set up & inspiration.

It’s been a while since I posted a Bullet Journal Set-Up post. Mostly because I haven’t felt that I had much to share. I’ve had some bad luck with notebooks lately, so I’ve had to scrap everything and restart multiple times. I feel like a notebook vagabond, a stationary hobo, glassy-eyed, stumbling from one journal sheath to another. Never lingering long, just enough to warm my fingers against the pages before moving on.

Have you been there? Either where inspiration never strikes or when you start creating, your medium doesn’t cooperate? Hopefully, my November Bullet Journal set up gets your creative brain working.

November Bullet Journal Set-up Fall Inspiration  | ChocolateMusings.com #fall #leaves #bulletjournal

November Planner Inspiration

It was so warm in October that the leaves didn’t have a chance to lose their green and turn colors. The first week of the month was close to 100°F or 37°C all week long! With this in mind, I wanted to create fall colors and a fall attitude somewhere – so why not in November’s Bullet Journal?

In addition to bright colors, I decided to try out some new techniques I desperately want to try and share with you! So let’s dive into the leaf piles and experiments for November’s Bullet Journal Set Up.

  • Fall Minimal Weekly Inspiration | ChocolateMusings.com #bujo #bulletjournal #weeklyspread
  • Fall Minimal Weekly Inspiration | ChocolateMusings.com #bujo #bulletjournal #weeklyspread

Brightly colored falling leaves are a sure sign of fall to me, but something else speaks fall to me as well – and I’m not quite sure why. Finding the moon above the barren treetops and watching my foggy breath rise around me in the cool, still night speaks peace and reflection and reminds me of the transition from warm nights to cool crisp evenings. My welcome page doesn’t look cohesive, but to me, it’s all the elements of a perfect fall.

Fall Bullet Journal Welcome Page - November Bullet Journal Set  Up | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #plannerinspiration #bujo #welcomepage

Want to Learn How I Created These Pages?

There are some parts of November’s Bullet Journal Set up that I want to explain further – such as cutting pages, flip-out pages, & the expanded monthly log. I’ll explain those in separate posts.

  • Fall Bullet Journal Planning - Monthly Log | ChocolateMusings.com #bujo #bulletjournal #monthlyplanner
  • Fall Bullet Journal Planning - Cut Out & Flip Out  | ChocolateMusings.com #bujo #bulletjournal #monthlyplanner
  • Fall Bullet Journal Planning - Cut Page Border  | ChocolateMusings.com #bujo #bulletjournal #monthlyplanner
Bullet Journal Ideas: Idea Tree Instead of Brain Dump | ChocolateMusings.com #braindump #bulletjournal #ideas

Highlights for November’s Bullet Journal Set-Up:

Monthly Log
Cut Pages
Flip-out Pages
Minimal Layouts
Watercolor + Bright Colors
Gratitude Wall – Inspired by this Month’s Instagram Challenge – Gratitude
Idea Tree – Find 150+ Ideas to Replace “Brain Dump” in your Planner

Hopefully, this provides some inspiration for a future spread for you. Minimal design, but bright colors and thick, black outlines give a whimsical look to all the fall & thanksgiving elements. Don’t get stuck thinking you have to create realistic views and doodles. NO! Not necessary! Sometimes blobs of color with a thick-black outline create the best story.

Want More Planner & Bullet Journal Inspiration?

Find more plan with me ideas | ChocolateMusings.com #planwithme #ideas

Question: What reminds you most of the fall?

What part of fall makes it feel like fall to you? Pumpkin Spice? Sweaters? Let me know in the comments below!

Need some inspiration? Here are a few of my favorite planner supplies.

No Matter Which Notebook I use – You’ll Always Find These Supplies Close at Hand

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Filed Under: Artsy Planner Spreads, Blog, Bullet Journal, Creating Art - Watercolor, Painting & Drawing, Plan With Me, Plan With Me 2019, Planner Spreads Tagged: #BuJo, Bullet Journal, bullet journal set-up, monthly, plan with me, planner set up, weeklies, welcome page

EVO Planner Review

September 5, 2019 Leave a Comment

EVO Planner Review

EVO Planner Review - What is your Brain Type? Using the planner for 90 days - will it help organize your thoughts & to-do list? | ChocolateMusings.com #evoplanner #productreview

In this post, you’ll find my initial EVO Planner Review as I start using it for the next 90 days. This post is not sponsored – all opinions expressed are my own.

I’m a sucker for planners, notebooks, and school supplies in general. I love trying out new planners and journals. Honestly, the stacks of notebooks I’ve acquired don’t bother me. I came across the EVO planner, I was intrigued. They have four different types of planners suited for different brain types. I did the free assessment and discovered that I am an alchemist. 

EVO Planner Review: What is it & Why is it Different?

The EVO Planner started out on Kickstarter, after funding, they moved it to their website and Amazon. The EVO Planner has 4 different planner types – one for each brain type. I have to admit that it is the part that really intrigued me. I have trouble starting too many projects and finding shiny objects to distract me regularly.

  • EVO Planner Review - Alchemist Brain Type | ChocolateMusings.com #evoplanner #productreview
  • EVO Planner Review - Archetect Brain Type | ChocolateMusings.com #evoplanner #productreview
  • EVO Planner Review -Explorer & Oracle Brain Types | ChocolateMusings.com #evoplanner #productreview

EVO Planner Review – 4 Brain Types

To determine which type of planner you receive, first, you’ll take an assessment to determine what your brain type is. I am an alchemist. There is also Explorer, Oracle & Architect. 

An alchemist needs novelty, discovering patterns, exploring different possibilities, inventing and creating original work, competence across many areas. Some strengths: Creative problem-solving, inspiring others, playing multiples roles at once. Weaknesses: getting bored & distracted quickly, always wanting to switch to a new project, putting things off, restricting structure imposed by others, starting a project, and not finishing them.

Well. If we haven’t been introduced, then this little book just exposed my darkest and deepest secrets to the universe. So it seems they got something right. 

Take their free quiz from their website projectevo.org to find out what your EVO Planner brain type is – you’ll likely learn about yourself. My husband found out that he was an Architect brain type. Which, according to the brain type assessment means we work together well.

FYI – They will add you to their marketing list, and if you don’t want to hear from them again after your assessment, unsubscribe. You can also check out the EVO Planner on Amazon. It comes with access to their app since promotions change, you’ll need to verify if access to the app is still free with the purchase of the planner.

EVO Planner Review: Planner Layout

Since there are four different planners, each will be structured a little differently. This is my experience with the Alchemist planner.

EVO Planner - A Peek Inside | ChocolateMusings.com #evoplanner #productreview #plannerreview

Planner Stats:

Each planner starts with an overview of the brain types and how to use the book. The planner contains:

  • Monthly Calendar for 3 Months (actually it has 4 months, but it’s intended to be used for 90 days)
  • 14 Weekly Planning & Review Pages
  • 90 Daily Planning & Review Pages
  • 9 Notes Pages at the End
  • 2 Bookmarks – one labeled weekly & the other labeled daily to keep your place within the book
  • Unnumbered, Undated Pages
  • App for Scanning Your Daily & Weekly Progress. It will keep track of the scores you give yourself and give some incentive for continuing in your goals.
  • Dimensions 8 3/7″ x 5 1/8″ or 21cm x 13cm
  • Colors Available – at the time: Navy with Copper Accents & Copper Guilded Pages

On one of the first pages (after they give a breakdown of how to use each page), you pledge to use the planner for the next 90 days and using their app. I signed my name, so I was committed.

They bind you by your own word to use the planner and app for 90 days. I have to admit, that’s the reason why I came back to this planner after I signed it because I figured I’d already committed to giving it a go and if I’d like to order it in the future.

Find more plan with me ideas | ChocolateMusings.com #planwithme #ideas

Here are the Pros and Cons (so far) of the EVO Planner

EVO Planner Brain Types - Planner Review | ChocolateMusings.com

Pros (What I Like)

A big plus for me when using the EVO Planner is how much I actually focus. This notebook makes you sharpen your attention. You have to decide what is most important, and then it makes you accountable for how much time each activity will take. 

I habitually over-plan and carry my to-do list over though the week and sometimes month. Knowing how much time an activity will take upfront made me set real priorities. I didn’t add an item to the to-do list unless it was a true priority and I could reasonably get it done. Once finished, there’s a feel-good checkmark box to move on to the next task. (I think this is different in each brain type planner).

Daily Section: Gratitude

Something that I’ve wanted to start is a gratitude journal. Each EVO Planner has a section for gratitude every day. You may find it a little awkward to sit and think of something to be grateful for each day, I find that it adds mindfulness to the start of each day.

Daily Gratitude | ChocolateMusings.com #productreview #evoplanner

Daily Pages

I’ve never used a daily planner, only weekly planners – so completing one page daily was a little different. But I really liked it! It might be something I will include in my planner in the future.

Planner Review Daily Pages | ChocolateMusings.com #productreview #evoplanner

Daily Quote

They say that each daily quote is specific to your brain type. I like quotes and I like the ones in my planner so far.

EVO Daily Quotes | ChocolateMusings.com #dailyquote #motivation #quotes

Cons (What I Don’t Like)

The App

The app scanner was slightly off. I scribbled in a 7, and it gave me an 8 or 9 instead. Correcting it within the app at the time of scanning, however, was very easy. You just change the rating. I didn’t find that you could change the scan once you’ve saved unless you scanned it again and overrode the daily submission. 

There was a spot on the daily scan called “monthly ritual” I wasn’t sure what that was until I downloaded the app. It’s basically a monthly goal you want to do daily to help you achieve a bigger purpose. Mine is to write for at least 10 minutes every day.

What I Miss

What I miss about my bullet journal are my future logs, habit trackers, and journal pages. I also feel like some of the to-dos that aren’t as urgent could get lost. Although there are small areas for notes and ideas and places to write about your wins & plans for the day and week personally, I like to record deeper feelings and events with my family. I would need to have a secondary notebook to keep alongside this notebook.

EVO Planner Close Up | ChocolateMusings.com #evoplanner
Want More Product Reviews? | ChocolateMusings.com #productreviews

EVO Planner Review: Conclusion

In conclusion to my EVO Planner Review, if you were to ask me right this minute if I would buy another planner for the next 90 days, I would say probably not. Only because I miss my other pages so much even though I can tell that I have a greater focus on the projects I want to finish.. We will see as this experiment goes on!

What Else Should I Review | ChocolateMusings.com #productreviews

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Filed Under: Blog, Get Inspired, Get Organized & Start Planning, Notebook Reviews, Plan With Me, Plan With Me 2019, Product & Book Reviews Tagged: EVO Planner, review

Weekly Time Block Spreads for Your Bullet Journal

August 11, 2019 Leave a Comment

A Month of Timeblock weekly layouts | Chocolatemusings.com #productivity #productivitylayouts #timeblock

All About Productivity – Weekly Time Block Spreads

This month is all about productivity (and trial and error)! I created several different time-blocking layouts for the month of August and want to try them out. One thing I discovered is that I have a very boring schedule. It’s the same every day of the week. But I really enjoyed coming up with a month’s worth of weekly time block spreads to try out! I hope you find some inspiration. Let me know which one is your favorite in the comments below!

Weekly Spread Ideas: Time Blocking (+Video Plan with Me) | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #timeblock #minimal

The Plan

After looking at several different time block layouts, I decided that I didn’t need to block out time for sleeping. I would track my ‘awake’ hours only and not fill space with scheduling my sleep. I made a time-blocking spread a couple of years ago (please don’t look, it’s embarrassing) and I still get questions about it.

Watch the Plan With Me Video Below & Be Sure to Subscribe!

Weekly Time block Spread Ideas & Layouts

Minimal Bullet Journal Time Block Spread #afterthepen | ChocolateMusings.com #timeblock #weekly #weeklyspread
Bullet Journal Time Block Spread with Highlighter Stripes | ChocolateMusings.com #timeblock #weekly #weeklyspread
Bullet Journal Time Block Spread with Highlighter Stripes | ChocolateMusings.com #timeblock #weekly #weeklyspread
Minimal Bullet Journal Time Block Spread | ChocolateMusings.com #timeblock #weekly #weeklyspread
Minimal Bullet Journal Time Block Spread | ChocolateMusings.com #timeblock #weekly #weeklyspread
Minimal Bullet Journal Time Block Spread | ChocolateMusings.com #timeblock #weekly #weeklyspread
Minimal Bullet Journal Time Block Spread | ChocolateMusings.com #timeblock #weekly #weeklyspread
Minimal Bullet Journal Time Block Spread | ChocolateMusings.com #timeblock #weekly #weeklyspread

Since time blocks take up so much room on the page, there are only a few ways I could think of to customize each page. Each one is slightly different, and in pursuit of productivity, I want to find out which layout I prefer. The first week I highlighted every other line – but I didn’t find that necessary after the first week.

A Month of Minimal Bullet Journal Time Block Ideas | ChocolateMusings.com #timeblock #weekly #weeklyspread

Solve a Problem – Number Stickers

Time Block Number Stickers Planners & Bullet Journals | ChocolateMusings.com #planner #plannerstickers

I figured with so many planners and spreads with time blocking, there must be something to it. But I’ve always hated writing the numbers over and over again. Because it never fails! I start daydreaming while I’m writing and I skip a number or get off sequence. I solved my problem by creating hourly time blocking stickers that work perfectly in a 5mm grid.

Since I’m tracking only my ‘awake’ hours, I cut the hours of the day I want and stick them to the page. That’s how they work for me, and it could work for you in your own way – and isn’t it about creating a method that works for us individually?

If you like the numbers, find them in my shop!

  • 1-31 Number Line for Planners & Bullet Journals | ChocolateMusings.com #planner #plannerstickers
    Every Day (1-31) Stickers for Planners & Bullet Journals
    $3.75
    Add to cart
  • 24-Hour time block stickers for bullet journals and planners | ChocolateMusings.com #timeblock #productivity
    24-Hour Time Block Number Stickers for Planners & Bullet Journals
    $3.75
    Add to cart

Do you use time-blocking? How does it work for you? What spreads have you used for your time blocking?

Here Are Some Great Supplies for Minimal Bullet Journaling

  • 1-31 Number Line for Planners & Bullet Journals | ChocolateMusings.com #planner #plannerstickers
    Every Day (1-31) Stickers for Planners & Bullet Journals
    $3.75
    Add to cart
  • 24-Hour time block stickers for bullet journals and planners | ChocolateMusings.com #timeblock #productivity
    24-Hour Time Block Number Stickers for Planners & Bullet Journals
    $3.75
    Add to cart
Weekly Spread Ideas: Time Blocking (+Video Plan with Me) | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #timeblock #minimal

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Filed Under: Blog, Bullet Journal, Get Organized & Start Planning, Plan With Me, Plan With Me 2019, Planner Spreads, Start Planning Here Tagged: productivity, time-blocking, timeblocking, weekly

Floral Wreath Bullet Journal Theme – May 2019 Plan With Me

April 28, 2019 Leave a Comment

Floral Wreath Bullet Journal Theme | ChocolateMusings.com @ChocolateMusingsCreates #minimalist #blackandwhite #bulletjournal

Floral Wreath Bullet Journal Theme – May 2019 Plan With Me

Have you ever had something you really wanted to try, but never did because you were afraid you wouldn’t be good at it? Practically everything I do starts as that thought in my head. This time it was drawing flowers. I really wanted to draw flowers. Outline drawings, watercolor paintings, floral wreaths, you name it, I want to create flowers. But I collected flower drawing & reference books instead of trying. I chose floral wreaths for my bullet journal theme this month and I’m happy to say that April showers bring May flowers!

I went a little flower doodle crazy and I’m super thrilled with the way they turned out. It gives me so many ideas for the future. In a way, this whole month is minimal. I love how elegant it looks and how it turned out. I hope you find some inspiration in my floral wreath bullet journal theme this month.

Watch the Plan With Me for Some Oh-So-Satisfying Flower Doodles

What’s in My Planner This Month:

I skipped the monthly welcome page (gasp!) partially because I stared at some blank pages and didn’t know what to do at first. The other part was that I was trying to conserve pages as I thought I could get two more months out of this journal, but I realized that I neglected my brain dump pages and review pages, and those pages are essential for keeping me organized and motivated, so I got a new notebook instead of trying to cram another month in the journal.

Circle Monthly / Calendar Wheel

If you’ve been around my blog in the past, you might have noticed that I like circles. The May monthly calendar doesn’t disappoint. Built around a partial floral wreath, I created a circular May monthly log. Then because I wanted a miniature calendar, I added a flip-out page which also has color codes. Thinking I would only use the flip-out for the monthly, at first I was pleased with the idea. Then I realized I can use it for all the weeklies to follow and now I’m a little giddy. I love it when something good turns into something fantastic.

The only thing I wish is that I would have kept the colors muted or not used as much of them. So use only a stripe of color instead of coloring the box in. I don’t think this will be the last of floral wreaths, a flip-out calendar or color codes. So, there’s always next time!

  • Flowers inside the monthly calendar wheel + Habit Tracker Vines | ChocolateMusings.com @ChocMusings #bulletjournal #flowers #floral
  • Floral Wreath Bullet Journal Theme | ChocolateMusings.com @ChocMusings #minimalist #blackandwhite #bulletjournal
  • Monthly Flip-Out Mini-Calendar and Monthly Color Codes | ChocolateMusings.com #flipout #planwithme #monthlycalendar

If you have only a few calendar items, the monthly log either in horizontal or vertical format (like mine for last April or December) or this circular format (also known as a calendar wheel) is a really fun change to display significant dates and a high-level overview for the month.

Habit Tracker

Instead of my usual circle habit tracker, I decided to go with a block format. Just so I didn’t have two facing circles across from each other. My favorite part about this page is the leafy vine wrapping around the words. Using a Tombow Brush Pen, I was able to get the thick and thin lines just like you see in calligraphy. Unlike the calendar facing page where each line on the flowers is the same width, the brush pen gives a little more character. I’m excited to track my habits this month!

Intertwining Floral Vines Habit Tracker | ChocolateMusings.com #floral #flowers #bulletjournal #habittracker

Weekly Flower Wreaths

I LOVE floral wreaths. Flowers wrapped around a circle – what could be better? Creating floral wreaths was the inspiration for the entire month, and my goal was to make each day different. #missionaccomplished

I used different pens and pen thicknesses on each of these pages. My favorite: Micron 02 .30mm and Micron 03 .35mm. I also tried a black Papermate Flair pen and a .50mm Micron pen.

Tip: if you decide to watercolor the flowers, make sure you use an archival pen (like the Micron pens, not the Papermate Flair pen) if you ink before watercoloring. Otherwise, your black outlines will blend with your watercolors. And make sure the ink is completely dry before watercoloring. You can use the Papermate Flair pens after the watercolor is absolutely dry.

  • Minimal Weekly Bullet Journal: Floral Wreaths Theme | ChocolateMusings.com #floralwreath #bulletjournal #weekly
  • Minimal Weekly Bullet Journal: Floral Wreaths Theme | ChocolateMusings.com #floralwreath #bulletjournal #weekly
  • Minimal Weekly Bullet Journal: Floral Wreaths Theme | ChocolateMusings.com #floralwreath #bulletjournal #weekly
Minimal Weekly Bullet Journal: Floral Wreaths Theme | ChocolateMusings.com #floralwreath #bulletjournal #weekly

Miscellaneous Pages

Social Media Planning

I added a new page to the month – a social media planning page. Believe it or not, I have a lot more images I want to share each month than I post here or on my Instagram page. I create something a little special for Random holidays like Pick Strawberries day or Waffle Day and it never fails, I forget to share them!

All the Things

My journal page/memory keeper spread for the month. I love filling in details of the adventures we have as a family, what I learned & created for the month and other good things.

Seeds of Thought

The last page in my monthly pages is my brain dump page. I love coming up with names for brain dump pages that tie to my theme. For instance, February was a pirate theme & I called my brain dump spread “X Marks the Thought”. So this month, I called it “Seeds of Thought”.

I’m so excited to track and do all the things for the month of May. I love creative planning/bullet journaling because I can customize it and use it as a learning tool each month. I think you might see florals in the future. The moral of the story is, don’t let your mind convince itself that you can’t do whatever it is you want to do before you’ve even tried it.

I hope I’ve given you some ideas & inspiration to dress up your planner or bullet journal and try drawing some flowers & floral wreaths.

Wishing you joy and creativity every day - Tricia

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Filed Under: Artsy Planner Spreads, Blog, Get Organized & Start Planning, Plan With Me 2019, Planner Spreads Tagged: #BuJo, 2019, Bullet Journal, bullet journal theme, Circle, circles, doodles, floral, floral wreaths, flowers, may, plan with me, planner set up

April Plan With Me Citrus Recipe Art Inspired

March 31, 2019 4 Comments

April Plan With Me - Recipe Art Inspiration | ChocolateMusings.com #planwithme #video #lemons #thyme #watercolor

April Plan With Me 2019 – The Inspiration: Citrusy Water Infusion Recipe Art

After a couple of months taking a break to refocus, I’m excited to show you my planner setup for April. The inspiration this month’s plan with me: Recipe Art I’m completely obsessed with the idea of taking old family recipes and doodling the various elements and creating a visual recipe card.

This month I took that idea with a modern twist – each of the spreads for April are different fruit & herb water infusion recipes. I’m happy to say that it resulted in bright colors and mouth-watering blends. While researching the combinations, not only did I choose beautiful colors, but I look forward to trying these flavor combinations.

  • blackberry + sage watercolor bullet journal weekly inspiration | ChocolateMusings.com #crayola #watercolor #minimal #weekly
  • blackberry + sage watercolor bullet journal weekly inspiration | ChocolateMusings.com #crayola #watercolor #minimal #weekly

When I showed my husband, he looked excited and asked me when I was going to sample the recipes.  It’s an excellent opportunity to get back on track with my weight loss goals. Diet Dr pepper is my vice. I’m looking for a way to break its grip and cut the soda. Flavor-infused water sounded tempting and delicious all in one!

Watch the April Plan With Me video below and make sure to subscribe in the lower corner of the video!

Fun characteristics from this month’s plans:

In addition to bright, citrusy colors, and recipe inspirations, I’m excited about several different items featured throughout the month. After looking at some pictures of herbs (my friend Amy (@PurplescapeDesign) also did a challenge a couple of months ago featuring herbs), I tried to include their distinct characteristics and colors as I painted them. In the video, I mention the mint leaves, and if you look carefully at the mint leaves, it’s almost like they have a leaf within a leaf.

If you notice the way I painted the thyme leaf, I used the tip of the water pen and pushed down, leaving a leaf imprint. I discovered that trick a few months ago with some Tombow Dual Brush pens. I plan on showing you the specifics of this technique in a later post.

Lemon Thyme Bullet Journal Theme | ChocolateMusings.com #inspiration #bulletjournal #bulletjournaltheme

Circle Habit Tracker on Tracing Paper

The circular habit prints.  Using tracing paper, I printed a circle habit tracker and taped it over top of a large cut section of a painted orange. Since the paper is partly transparent, you can see the detail of the orange through the tracing paper. I did this in February too, and it’s going to happen more and more because I LOVE the look.

Note: If you try this at home – PLEASE be very careful with printing on tracing paper and DO NOT print using a laser printer – it will probably melt the paper and ruin your machine. I still have some kinks to work out to make it perfect, but I’m pretty excited.

Transparent Habit Tracker - Print, Paste & Mark | ChocolateMusings.com #habittracker #bulletjournal

Monthly Overview + Habit Tracker

I combined my monthly page with the habit tracker because I rarely referred to the monthly page by its self. I like the overview of the month, but I live mostly in my weekly plans. So I created a small monthly calendar with room to write out dates or monthly to-dos or notes below the calendar.

By the way, if you’ve never used a habit tracker before, I was skeptical, too. But once I started, I never stopped. It’s like it unlocks a secret magical will to improve your life one day at a time. And if you neglect it one day, week, month, you have the power to try again the next month.

For the longest time, I tracked ‘doing dishes’ because this household chore was a struggle every single day. Eventually, after several months, I created a steady habit and haven’t tracked it since, and I still do the dishes. I don’t like them, but I do the necessary evil thing.

Citrus Recipe Monthly Bullet Journal Inspiration | ChoclateMusings.com #monthly #planwithme #bulletjournal

Painting With Crayola Markers

If you’ve seen my other plan with me videos, you’ll already know that I LOVE painting in my journal both with watercolor and with Crayola Markers. It’s one of the reasons I tried out every notebook I could get my hands on and why I finally fell in love with my current notebook, one by Archer & Olive. If they had an affiliate program, I’d join in a heartbeat. The paper is 160 gsm (which means it’s very thick) and is so beautifully white instead of ivory or cream. Their paper can handle watercolor paint – most notebooks soak the paper and then bleed through to the other side.

There are two main reasons why I prefer painting in my journal with Crayola Markers:

One – They have so many colors! Two – there’s no paint texture left after painting with markers, so I can write over it with any marker or pen that I want.

A bonus reason why I love painting with Crayola Markers: I use less water on the page, so there’s less overall wrinkling and buckling.

Want to learn to paint with Crayola Markers too? Click to read my blog post – it’s really easy and you don’t need a lot of supplies to start adding pops of color to your planner.

  • watermelon + mint weekly planner spread| ChocolateMusings.com #crayola #watercolor #minimal #weekly
  • Raspberry Orange Bullet Journal Weekly | ChocoalteMusings.com #bulletjournal #weekly #theme
  • Basil Lemon Blueberry Infusion Recipe Weekly Theme | ChocolateMusings.com #inspiration #bulletjournal #bulletjournaltheme

Minimal Weeklies

As you can see, I didn’t include a lot of boxes or separated areas on my weekly layouts. I am trying some new layouts, but they’re all pretty minimal. One thing I added to most of the weeks was a line dedicated to each member of my family. My kids have ‘specials’ at school. They rotate classrooms or activities and need to bring or wear different items each day. In an attempt to be a well-put-together mother, I jot down each of their specials so I’m better prepared for wardrobe or equipment requests each day.

Large Space for Journaling/To-Dos

One reason why I’ve stuck with bullet journaling as my planner for so long (it’s now about 3 years since I started using a bullet journal to keep track of my life!), is the flexibility and creativity it offers. Last month I added quite a lot of journaling to each page and loved it.

Creating pages with minimal outlines allow me more flexibility for the needs of the week. So if I have a lot of miscellaneous to-dos, I have space to fill the week with these items. If, instead, I have a lot to record (more than just fits on my “All the Things” journal page”) the space on the weekly easily accommodates. If I need to add more space for journaling, as I did last month, I literally tape in a page or a section of paper so it lifts like a flap. Washi tape for the win!

Lavender Journaling Page | ChocolateMusings.com #inspiration #bulletjournal #bulletjournaltheme

I love sharing my plan with me videos & monthly planner set up. I hope I’ve given you some ideas and inspiration for adding function and fun to your planner.

Let me know what you think of my April Plan With Me in the comments below. I’d love to know which flavor infusion do you want to try.

Check back later this month for how to create flavor infusion doodles!

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Filed Under: Artsy Planner Spreads, Blog, Bullet Journal, Creating Art - Watercolor, Painting & Drawing, Get Creative, Get Organized & Start Planning, Plan With Me, Plan With Me 2019, Planner Spreads Tagged: #BuJo, Bullet Journal, Circle, circles, inspiration, minimal, plan with me, recipe art, water infusion

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About Me


Hi! I'm Tricia, the creative behind ChocolateMusings.com, I know how it feels to lose your inner muse. After years of darkness (which I call the dark ages of my life), I found my inner muse hiding in the forgotten corners of my soul, I vowed never to lose sight of her again.

Bullet journaling helped reignite the passion for art and living life again while organizing my days. I also discovered modern calligraphy and watercolor. Since then, my use of the bullet journal system has evlolved and I call it 'creative planning'. Here on the blog, I show you how to use your planner to ignite your inner muse and explore creativity and art while staying beautifully organized and living a joyful life.

I invite you to grab some good chocolate and dive into my musings. Let’s ignite your inner muse.

Read more on the about me page. You can also find my policies and disclosures here.

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