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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 » brain dump

What is a Brain Dump Page?

March 1, 2022 Leave a Comment

What is a brain dump page in a bullet journal? Forget the bullet journal. What is a brain dump? I’ll review what it is and how to use it in the post below. I started using this method of clearing my head in high school. Especially when trying to sleep, all the thoughts keep running through my head. But I also love mining for treasures. Many good ideas are running through my head, and I create something more significant when cultivated.

What is a brain dump page? | ChocolateMusings.com

Table of contents

  • What is a Brain Dump Page?
  • Is it the Same as Brainstorm?
  • When to Do a Brain Dump
  • How I Get Rid of All Those Thoughts When I Can’t Sleep
    • When Thoughts Repeat
  • How I Use A Brain Dump During the Day
  • After the Pen
  • Ways to Review
  • Do I Have to Call it a Brain Dump?
  • Do You Use a Brain Dump in your Bullet Journal or Planner?

What is a Brain Dump Page?

In simple form, a brain dump page is commonplace to collect stray thoughts, worries, plans, ideas, etc., that don’t fit into any one category. I use a dedicated page in my bullet journal to compile my thoughts throughout the month.

Different names for brain dump: This Month it's an Idea Bush - Keeping with my leaves theme, but I love the lightbulb bursting with leafy ideas. Bullet journal spreads & Ideas | ChocolateMusings.com
Brain Dump Floral Wreath - Don't get boxed in - grow your way out Bullet Journal Spread | ChocolateMusings.com #bujo #bulletjournal #braindump
Alternate names for brain dump - Shadowy Thoughts & Reflections | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #braindump
Brain dump alternate name: Delectable Ideas | ChocolateMusings.com #braindump #creative #watercolor
Space-Themed Bullet Journal Braind Dump Page "Out of this World Thoughts" | ChocolateMusings.com #space #braindump
Yellow Airplane with Cloud Text Brain Dump Page | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #braindump #headerideas
Bullet Journal Ideas: Idea Tree Instead of Brain Dump | ChocolateMusings.com #braindump #bulletjournal #ideas

Is it the Same as Brainstorm?

Brain Dump vs Brain Storm | ChocolateMusings.com

It’s different from a brainstorming because a brainstorm is when you think of a specific idea and expand on it, coming up with more similar concepts in the same vein of thinking. You could create a brainstorming page based on the ideas from your brain dump page or a unique brainstorming page to branch out different ideas. A brain dump is when you have ideas without a home and need to get them out of your head, remember them, or keep them for a later brainstorming session.

When to Do a Brain Dump

Any time is a good time to record thoughts from your head. Especially if they’re distracting you from doing other tasks. Here are some suggestions:

  • When you have a recurring thought or problem
  • When you have an idea but are in the middle of another task, jot it down quickly and return to it so you don’t forget it.
  • If you need to remember a sequence of events.
  • If you’re having trouble sleeping.
  • Before a planning session or starting a project to help clear your mind and focus.
  • Any time you are having trouble focusing.
Floral Doodles Bullet Journal Theme - Brain Dump Page | ChocolateMusings.com #floral #doodles #bulletjournal #braindump

How I Get Rid of All Those Thoughts When I Can’t Sleep

Taking the advice of a psychology course, I decided to keep a pen and paper by my bed. When my thoughts started running wild, I write down every single idea that came into my head, no matter what. Most of the time, these thoughts are silly or have no direction, but I record them anyway.

When Thoughts Repeat

Sometimes at night, when trying to clear my head, my mind would start repeating itself after a few minutes of writing. “Nope! I tell myself. I’ve got that thought here!” Then point to the place where I wrote down the incoming thought. Surprisingly, my mind moves on to the next idea. Soon all those thoughts running wild, keeping me up at night, calmed, and with a clear mind, I ease into sleep.

How I Use A Brain Dump During the Day

I also use my brain dump page to quickly jot down a stray thought while in the middle of another activity or task. It’s a great place to keep random ideas together, then quickly review them.

After the Pen

Reviewing your brain dump can provide some truly amazing ideas and insights when you might otherwise forget them.

Most of the time, however, I don’t review the recorded thoughts that keep me awake at night. I find that they are just worries or nonsense. Yet, I have found a few gems hiding in the dark of the night.

But it’s usually the brain dumps during the day, those stray, distracting thoughts begging for more attention and the real nuggets of awesome. These little gems start as a diamond in the rough. Time will tell if they become that bright, shiny treasure.

Ways to Review

Here are a few ways to review your brain dump. Use your journaling/planning time at night or in the morning when you have a few quiet moments to dedicate to your thoughts.

  • Grab a highlighter (this would be a great place to use your Zebra Fine Liners). You can dedicate a color to group different types of thoughts together. Such as:
    • Family
    • Home
    • Kids
    • Business Ideas
    • Things to Do etc.
  • Review the thoughts you wrote down, and highlight anything that might grow to a bigger idea. (Remember, these are just seedlings – so the plan can develop if you let it).
  • Write down ideas you want to cultivate on another page or a dedicated column. (Think of it like weeding out the weeds and keeping only the right seeds to plant).
  • If you have time, brainstorm or write down more ideas associated with the excellent concepts you highlighted to further flesh out the idea. (Then make it into a mini-mind map or an idea tree).
  • If you don’t have time to develop the idea, schedule a time to review your highlighted concepts and return to it.
  • Start each big idea on a dedicated page or keep them in a collection of like ideas.
  • Add any time-sensitive items to your to-do list or schedule.

Hint: create a page in your bullet journal or planner and take some notes – write down what you can do to use a brain dump. That way, it will be easier to start doing when you need to extract your thoughts from your head.

Pro Tip: Create a cute header for your notes page (here’s a header idea below!). Whenever I create a cute header for a page in my bullet journal, I find & refer to that page more often.

Do I Have to Call it a Brain Dump?

I see so many people who don’t like the name ‘brain dump.’ And if you’re one of them, the answer is no. You don’t have to call it a brain dump. In fact, I came up with 150+ different names for brain dump. So you can choose your alternative name for a brain dump. The pictures above all feature brain dump pages; each one is named something else.

I switch the name every month and create a brain dump page to suit my monthly theme.

Do You Use a Brain Dump in your Bullet Journal or Planner?

If you use a brain dump in your bullet journal or planner, when do you use it and review it? Do you use one at night? I’d love to know in the comments below. I’d also love to know what you call your brain dump page or use any alternate names to describe your brain dump page.

Find out When and How to use a Brain Dump Page + tips and tricks & times to review | ChocolateMusings.com
What is a brain dump? And how can you use it in your bullet journal to help clear your mind | ChocolateMusings.com
  • 150+ Different Names for a Brain Dump
  • Random Thoughts and Great Ideas Collection | Bullet Journal Brain Dump
  • Planet Themed Bullet Journal Set Up
  • Pirate Theme February 2019 Planner Preview
  • Easy Watercolor Wash Background – Plan With Me

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

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Alternate Brain Dump Ideas, Blog, Bullet Journal, Collections, Find Your Happy, Get Organized & Start Planning, Journal Prompts & Ideas, Start Planning Here Tagged: brain dump, brain dump alternatives, start journaling, start writing

150+ Different Names for a Brain Dump

February 15, 2022 4 Comments

Synonyms for Brain Dump - find 150+ alternate names | ChocolateMusings.com #braindump #collections #bulletjournal

I don’t mind the term ‘brain dump,’ but I know many people don’t like it. Which got me thinking – what are some different names for a brain dump?

I use different names for brain dump all the time each month (or quarter) I tend to include some sort of thought-catching page. Though I didn’t realize it, I’ve done this in my bullet journal from the very beginning. I have to confess that since coming up with this list of alternate names for brain dump, I rarely title the page ‘brain dump.’

Here are some alternate names for a brain dump. I’d love to know what you call your recorded thoughts! Leave a comment below on what you call your ‘brain dumping ground’ page.

Edited – Originally Posted 05/09/2019

Need a different name for brain dump? I've organized 150+ alternate names for brain dump - perfect for your bullet journal or planner | ChocolateMusings.com

Table of contents

  • First of All – What is a Brain Dump?
  • Alternate Names for Brain Dump
    • General
    • If You Feel Like the Thoughts are Neverending or Your Brain is Whining
    • Creative Names for Brain Dump
    • Idea Generation
    • Lightbulb
    • Gold / Pirates / Treasure
    • Travel
    • Weather
    • Zen
    • Dark
    • Animal / Bees
    • Creepy Crawly / Halloween Brain Dump Alternatives
    • Harry Potter
    • Beach / Water
    • Plants
    • Food Related Names for Brain Dump
    • Science
    • Space
    • Money
    • Cartoon / Book / Quote
    • Games
    • Gray Matter / Brain Anatomy
    • Close to the Name “Brain Dump” but Just Different Enough…
What is a brain dump? And all things brain dump + 150 different names for brain dump | ChocolateMusings.com

First of All – What is a Brain Dump?

If you’ve never heard of or done a brain dump, it sounds weird. In my experience, you can do brain dumps in several ways. One way to think of it is downloading your thoughts from your head to paper or electronically so you can categorize them and organize them. Once you’ve written down everything flying around your head now you can sort through the information and ‘mine the diamonds in the rough.’ Meaning to pick out the good things and pursue them.

Another way to brain dump is to focus only on one topic and write about it. Though concentrating on one topic might be more brainstorming instead of brain dumping.

For a more in-depth explanation about brain dumps – check out this post.

Alternate Names for Brain Dump - Header | ChocolateMusings.com

Alternate Names for Brain Dump

Need a brain dump synonym? Though I’m 100% positive that this list is not exhaustive, it’s a good start. I’d love to hear your ideas – if you have a different name for a brain dump, leave me a comment below.

What names have you seen or brain dump page names you’ve used. I’d like to see your creations, too if you’re inspired by these different names for brain dump – tag me on Instagram @ChocolateMusingsCreates.

General

  • A to Z (a little doodle of Amazon’s arrow logo might be fun for this brain dump page)
  • All the Things
  • All the Things in My Head
  • Hello Thoughts
  • Jots & Tittles
  • Landing Page
  • Let me Sleep (this brain dump name is perfect if your thoughts keep you up at night)
  • Meeting of my Mind
  • Mind Tricks (Magic tricks come to my mind with this alternate brain dump name)
  • Mind Unzipped (wouldn’t this be a fun illustration?)
  • Mindless Wanderings
  • More than Just Shower Thoughts
  • Musings
  • Musings & Mutterings
  • Recorded Thoughts (this brain dump alternate reminds me of an 80’s tape deck)
  • Sandbox
  • Shower Thoughts
  • These are Mine
  • These Thoughts
  • Thinking
  • Those aren’t voices; they’re my thoughts speaking to me
  • Thoughtful Things
  • Thoughts – Everybody has Them
  • Thoughts Anonymous
  • Wander through My Wonderings
  • Wonderings
  • Write it Down! If you’re like me – you might need an instruction to write it all down instead of trying to remember the details. Sometimes you just need to a reminder to write it all down.

If You Feel Like the Thoughts are Neverending or Your Brain is Whining

My brain usually does this when I’m trying to sleep. I keep a notebook and pen beside my bed and just write things down. Here’s a little secret – I don’t even turn on the light when these thoughts keep me up. So you can imagine the mess on the page when I try to re-read what I wrote. And in all honesty, these thoughts are rarely worth keeping since they are more worries or things I already know.

  • Don’t Judge My Thoughts
  • My 2-Year old and My Brain are alike – They Both Whine (of course you can substitute for any age that whines at you, 16 year olds, 12-year olds, 47-year olds. Whatever you need to compare it to)
  • My Brain is Whining Again
  • Anti-Meditating
  • Anything Goes
  • Free Your Mind
  • Get it all out
  • I’m trying to Quit…Thinking
  • Information Relay
  • Inner Monologue
  • Internal Broadcast
  • Brain Exclamations
  • Nonsense
  • Where Did That Come From?
  • Odds & Ends
  • Peculiarities
  • Random Thoughts
  • Straight out of the Brain
  • Stream of Consciousness
  • Stuff

Creative Names for Brain Dump

I don’t know about you, but sometimes the creative ideas just flow. There were literally times where I sat down and wrote an entire year’s creativity-based ideas in about 10 minutes. So naturally, I like to title these creative bursts appropriately so I can let my creative juices flow. Now, there are a lot of ways to illustrate each of these ideas.

  • Creative Juices
  • Crafting my Awesome
  • Creative Muse
  • Creative Space

Idea Generation

If you use your brain dump as a brainstorm page as well, you might need a page focused more on idea generation. Here are a few names for brain dump which focus on generating ideas. If you’re digging for treasure (in your thoughts, of course) look through the treasure/pirate section as well!

  • Fabulous Finds
  • Idea box
  • Idea Log/Journal
  • Think Outside the Idea Box

Lightbulb

  • Light bulb factory
  • Light switch
  • The Lights are On

Gold / Pirates / Treasure

  • Nuggets
  • Brain Nuggets
  • Thought Nuggets
  • Nuggets of Awesome
  • Pot of Gold
  • Thoughts of Gold
  • Gilded Thoughts
  • X Marks the Thought
  • Pirate Map
  • Mind Map / Mind Mapping (make it look like a treasure map)
  • Treasure Trove
  • Diamonds in the Rough
  • Diamonds and Coal
  • Treasure at the end of the rainbow
Pirate theme Treasure Map Brain Dump | @ChocolateMusingsCreates ChocolateMusings.com #pirate #bulletjournal #bujo

Travel

  • Train of Thought
  • Flying Through my Thoughts
  • Zoom
  • Zooming Thoughts

Weather

  • Brainstorming
  • BrainStorm
  • Down Pour
  • Lightning Strikes
  • Winter Thoughts
  • Spring Thoughts
  • Summer Thoughts
  • Fall Thoughts
  • These Thoughts Keep Falling
  • Thoughts Keep Springing Up
  • Thought Tornado
  • Snowflake Thoughts (because each one is unique!)
  • Stormy Thoughts

Zen

  • My Tangle of Zen
  • Too Tangled to Zen

Dark

  • Don’t Go There
  • Dark and Dreary
  • Dark and Dreary Wilderness
  • Mind-field
  • Fettered Mind
  • Unfettered
  • Do Not Enter (Police Tape Theme)
  • Outer Darkness
  • Brain Limbo
  • Shadowy Thoughts & Reflections

Animal / Bees

  • Barrel of Insights
  • Barrel of Thoughts
  • Buzzing Thoughts
  • Fluttering Thoughts
  • Idea Farm
  • Idea Keeper (like a beekeeper)
  • Untamed Thoughts
  • Wild and Untamed
  • Wild Thoughts Can’t Be Tamed
idea keeping is like bee keepeing

Creepy Crawly / Halloween Brain Dump Alternatives

  • Brewing Thoughts
  • Haunted House of Thoughts
  • Monsters in My Head
  • Spider’s Lair
  • Spooky Thoughts
  • Tangled Thoughts
  • Tangled Web of Thoughts
  • What’s Brewing

Harry Potter

Harry Potter themes provide a treasure-trove of different names for brain dump. Some of my favorites (so far) are:

  • Catch the Golden Snitch
  • Chamber of Secrets
  • Chamber of Thoughts
  • Fantastical Thoughts and Where to Find Them
  • Horcrux
  • I Think I Need Another Butterbeer
  • Magical Maladdies in My Head
  • Magical Thoughts
  • Maurader’s Map of Thoughts
  • Mischief Managed
  • Quiddich Field of Thoughts
  • There’s a Quaffle in my Brain (Someone let it out!)
  • Tom Riddle’s Diary

Beach / Water

  • Beach It!
  • Beached Thoughts / Beached Ideas
  • Deep Thoughts
  • My Pool Runs Deep
  • Pool of Thoughts
  • River of Thoughts
  • Shell we Think?
  • Submerged
  • Swimming Thoughts
  • Think Tank
  • Thought Waves
  • Wading through Wonderings
  • Water under the bridge
Floral Doodles Bullet Journal Theme - Brain Dump Page | ChocolateMusings.com #floral #doodles #bulletjournal #braindump

Plants

  • Berry Picking
  • Idea Jungle
  • Idea Tree
  • Field of Thoughts
  • Idea Berry Bush / Idea Bush
  • Wilderness of Thought
  • Finding Roses Through the Thorns
  • Prickles in my Brain (Cactus)
  • Garden of Thoughts
  • Maze of Thoughts
  • Seeds of Thought
  • Don’t get boxed in, grow your way out
  • Idea Bush – Let your Ideas Grow

Food Related Names for Brain Dump

  • Delectible Ideas
  • Hot Dog! Those are a lot of thoughts! or (Hot Dog! What a good idea!)
  • Fruits of my Brain
  • Pot o’ Honey
  • M&Ms (musings & mutterings)
  • Thoughts are Poppin’
  • __________ Pieces (include your name – for instance: Tricia’s Pieces)
  • Seedlets
  • Seeds of Thought
  • Grape Thoughts
  • My Thought Vine
  • I Need Chocolate for these Musings (Can you tell where I got this idea?)

Science

  • Brain Waves
  • Radio Waves
  • Spectrum of Thoughts

Space

  • Brain Warp
  • Thoughts at Warp Speed
  • Galaxy of Thoughts
  • Out of this World Thoughts
  • Flyby Thoughts

Money

  • Penny for your Thoughts
  • If Time is Money, Thoughts Make Cents!
If time is money, thoughts make cents! Different Name for Brain Dump | ChocolateMusings.com #braindump #bulletjournal #bujo

Cartoon / Book / Quote

  • Think, Think, Think (like Pooh Bear)
  • Curiouser and Curiouser
  • Where the Wild Thoughts Are
  • Dump it to Crumpet
  • Fifty Thoughts Freed
  • Not All Who Wonder are Lost
  • Mindcraft / Mindcrafted
  • One Thought to Rule Them All

Games

  • Scribble Scrabble in My Head
  • Scrabble Tiles
  • Word Search
  • Crosswords
  • Know When to Fold ’em (Know when to keep ’em)
  • Brain Games

Gray Matter / Brain Anatomy

  • Wandering Through theBrain Folds
  • Gray Matter / Grey Matter
  • My Gray Matters
  • Cranial Purge

Close to the Name “Brain Dump” but Just Different Enough…

  • Brain Farts (though this doesn’t sound much nicer than brain dump – I thought someone might get a kick out of it)
  • Brain Dumping Ground
  • Download
  • Mind Dump
Idea Tree - Alternate Name for Brain Dump for your Journal | ChocolateMusings.com #braindump #doodles #lightbulbs
Hate the name brain dump? Me too. So I came up with 150+ different names for brain dump - perfect for themes in your bullet journal or just to change it up! | Chocolatemusings.com
Need a different name for brain dump? I've organized 150+ alternate names for brain dump - perfect for your bullet journal or planner | ChocolateMusings.com
Habit tracker & Brain Dump Bullet Journal Sea Creature Theme | ChocolateMusings.com
Not all thoughts are black and white - that's why we have grey matter - Bullet journal brain dump page | ChocolateMusings.com
Building Outline Brain Dump Spread - Wander Through my Wonderings | ChocolateMusings.com
Shimmery Shiny Ink Building Outline Drawing | Chocolatemusings.com
Thought Waves Brain Dump Page - Ride only the good ones - a reminder to focus on the good thoughts instead of the negative ones | ChocolateMusings.com
Out of this world - brain dump page for my bullet journal - use different name for brain dump | ChocolateMusings.com
Different names for brain dump: This Month it's an Idea Bush - Keeping with my leaves theme, but I love the lightbulb bursting with leafy ideas. Bullet journal spreads & Ideas | ChocolateMusings.com
Brain Dump Floral Wreath - Don't get boxed in - grow your way out Bullet Journal Spread | ChocolateMusings.com #bujo #bulletjournal #braindump
Shadow Thoughts & Reflections - Alternate Names for Brain Dump | ChocolateMusings.com #braindump
Alternate names for brain dump - Shadowy Thoughts & Reflections | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #braindump
Brain dump alternate name: Delectable Ideas | ChocolateMusings.com #braindump #creative #watercolor
Out of this world thoughts brain dump watercolor bullet journal spread | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #bujo #braindump
Yellow Airplane with Cloud Text Brain Dump Page | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #braindump #headerideas
Seeds of Thought Brain Dump Page - Simple Floral Border | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #braindump #floral #linedrawing
Bullet Journal Ideas: Idea Tree Instead of Brain Dump | ChocolateMusings.com #braindump #bulletjournal #ideas
If time is money, thoughts make cents! Different Name for Brain Dump | ChocolateMusings.com #braindump #bulletjournal #bujo
Idea Tree - Alternate Name for Brain Dump for your Journal | ChocolateMusings.com #braindump #doodles #lightbulbs
Floral Doodles Bullet Journal Theme - Brain Dump Page | ChocolateMusings.com #floral #doodles #bulletjournal #braindump
Floral Doodles Bullet Journal Theme - Brain Dump Page | ChocolateMusings.com #floral #doodles #bulletjournal #braindump
Pirate theme Treasure Map Brain Dump | @ChocMusings ChocolateMusings.com #pirate #bulletjournal #bujo
Random thoughts and great ideas bullet journal spread idea tracker brain dump
Random thoughts and great ideas bullet journal spread idea tracker brain dump
Random thoughts and great ideas bullet journal spread idea tracker brain dump
Random thoughts and great ideas bullet journal spread idea tracker brain dump

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Filed Under: Blog, Bullet Journal, featured, Find Your Happy, Get Organized & Start Planning, Journal Prompts & Ideas, Planner Header Ideas, Planner Spreads, Start Planning Here Tagged: #BuJo, alternate names for brain dump, brain dump, brain dump ideas, Bullet Journal, different names for brain dump, planner

June Plan With Me – Ice Cream Theme + Video

June 7, 2020 Leave a Comment

Bullet Journal for June Ice Cream Themed Plan With Me | ChocolateMusings.com #planwithme #icecream #bulletjournal

June Plan With Me: Bullet Journal Ice Cream Theme

Welcome to June’s plan with me – Where the theme is ice cream! I can’t tell if I’m more thrilled with the result or enjoyed the process more. Whichever it is, I am excited to share a bit of my process and the fun ice-cream related artwork for June’s plan with me.

When I decided on ice cream for this month’s theme, I envisioned a lot of sparkling glasses of ice cream with perfectly shaped scoops and delicious-looking flavors popping off the page. However, when I sketched it out, I kept drawing the scoops falling towards the glass or falling on the ground. One of my weekly pages has only cones and my brain dump page, well, that one features either a lucky seagull or an unlucky ice cream lover.

I’m not sure if it’s the unrest with the world that made drawing the ‘ideal’ or ‘perfect set’ of ice cream spreads difficult, or if it was just a particularly rough day when I sketched it all in. All of the spreads have a certain quirky quality. Regardless, I love the outcome and can’t wait to share them with you. All I can hope is that they will bring a bit of joy to your day.

  • Empty Ice Cream Cones Weekly Spread | ChocolateMusings.com #bujo #bulletjournal #weekly
  • Brain Dump Alternate: Delectable Ideas Ice Cream Theme Bullet Journal Layout | ChocolateMusings.com #braindump #alternate #icecream
  • Bullet Journla Weekly Spread - Popsicles | ChocolateMusings.com #popsicles #bujo #weekly
  • Ice Cream Habit Tracker + Goals Monthly Spread | ChocolateMusings.com #habits #tracker #goals
  • Ice Cream Toppings Weekly Bullet Journal Spread Ideas | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #icecream #watercolor
  • Ice Cream Scoop Weekly Stack Bullet Journal | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #weekly #icecream
  • Ice Cream Sundae Monthly Calendar - Bullet Journal Spread Ideas | ChocolateMusings.com #icecreamsundae #cherry #calendar #monthly

Spreads in this Month’s Ice Cream-Themed Plan With Me:

  • Welcome page / June Calendar (ice cream sundae falling into place)
  • Habit Tracker / Goals Page (dropped ice cream cone)
  • Journal Page (banana split)
  • Weeklies (empty ice cream, popsicles, ice cream toppings, and stacked ice cream cone)
  • Brain Dump (that’s the one with the seagull and unfortunate ice cream cone)

Products I Used (though you don’t have to use the same things!)

Flying watercolor cherry - Bullet Journal Calendar | ChocolateMusings.com #cherry #icecreamsundae #bulletjournal
  • Scribbles that Matter Size: A5 160 GSM Paper Iconic or Smooth Cover
  • Marie’s Watercolor Paint Set (used for all watercolor painting)
  • Dr. Ph Martin’s Bleed Proof White (for the white highlights/accents)
  • Ceramic Artist Porcelain Watercolor Paint Palette (mixing paint)
  • Detail Paint Brush Set (the small, white brushes)
  • Watercolor Paint Brush Set (larger, black-handled brushes)
  • Papermate Mechanical Pencil .5 mm (I love these because I can see how much lead I have left & they have large erasers!)
  • Tombow Mono Dust Catch Eraser
  • Papermate White Pearl Eraser
  • 6″ Stainless Steel Ruler
  • Masking Fluid (blocks off portions of your page – don’t apply with your good paintbrushes!)
  • Kid’s Paint Brushes (for applying masking fluid)
  • Zebra Rollerball Pens .5 mm (outstanding for outlining drawings and writing fine lines)
  • Zebra Zensations Technical Fine Liner Pens (waterproof & have a wonderful rounded point, so you don’t have to draw straight up and down like other fine liner pens)
  • Tombow Fudenosuke Hard Tip Colors
  • Papermate Ink Joy Pens (these pens are the ones I use to write with daily)

The Plans This Month

How I plan is different, lately. I don’t include a lot of structure or boxes. Instead, I use open space and fill it with what I need that week such as journal space or doodle areas or note-taking.

My planner isn’t all about aesthetics. Although, getting excited to open the book because of the ice cream theme doesn’t hurt. I use it functionally, and that’s part of the reason why I like to include plan with me posts on this blog.

I know a lot of people ‘just aren’t into planning right now,’ but it is one thing that I need to remain constant in my life. Planning is a habit I’ve worked hard to establish, and one that I don’t want to have to work hard to re-establish once we start returning to ‘normal’ whatever that means.

Watch the Plan With Me Video

Habits and Goals

One habit I know I need to re-establish is my weight loss goal & efforts. I was doing so well with tracking my eating habits and weight loss for so long. Then I kind of just fell out of practice and have been chasing that wagon begging to hop back on ever since. Maybe I shouldn’t do ice cream planner themes to help get back on track. (Thankfully, I don’t crave ice cream since starting on this theme any more than I did beforehand.)

Have you kept on track with any weight loss or exercise goals this year? I’d love to know what you’ve been doing. Starting to track my food intake and using/finishing my monthly habit trackers is something I’ll include as part of my mid-year goals and on my habit tracker.

Click on the picture below if you’d like to read more about habits & my health journey.

Welcome/Calendar Spread

Ice Cream-Themed Bullet Journal Plan With Me | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #bujo #icecreamtheme

I love having an overview of the month where I can see scheduled items or events. Besides keeping a high-level overview of the month, I’ll keep a few notes on this page and a few critical to-dos. But mostly, my to-do lists stay on my weekly spreads.

Habit and Goals Tracker Bullet Journal Page Ice Cream Theme | ChocolateMusings.com #habittracker #habits #goals

Habits/Goals

The ice cream cone on this page says it all for how I’ve been doing this year. So the quote on this page says, “It’s ok if you fall. But not if you stay there”. Since June is the middle of the year, I decided to make a page dedicated to reassessing my goals and picking myself back up from the train wreck that has been the first half of the year. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.

Banana split journaling page in my bullet journal - follows the ice cream theme perfectly! | ChocolateMusings.com #bananasplit #journaling #writeitdown
Banana split watercolor close up on my journaling page | ChocolateMusings.com #bananasplit #icecream #bujo

Journal Page

Though I leave a lot of room on my weekly pages (especially over the last few months) for journaling, I wanted to have a page specifically dedicated to family memories. The good things that I see, the experiences we have. I find that if I look for the good, I see it. The effect is the same if you look for the bad. This is my page to look for the good.

I can’t tell you how pleased I am with this banana split page. Using masking fluid, I literally sprinkled the page, anticipating where to paint in the sprinkles. I used this effect in April, but this month’s plan with me was definitely smaller-scale when it came to masking fluid.

Bullet Journal Weeklies Sweet Treats - Ice Cream Sundae Plan With Me | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #icecream #weeklies

Weekly Pages

Other than one week with a vertical, one-page layout, the rest of the weeks use a simple design where I split the page top to bottom with various ice cream-related illustrations. Throw in a few motivational quotes for week’s spreads, and I’m delighted with the outcomes.

  • It's ok if you fall, but not if you stay there. Bullet journal handlettered quote | ChocolateMusings.com #bujo #bulletjournal #handlettering
  • Top off your day with something good. Ice cream themed bullet journal handlettered quote | ChocolateMusings.com #handlettering #lettering #quote
  • How will you fill your days? Bullet Journal Quote | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #quotes #handlettering

Planner Quotes Used:

Surprisingly most of these quotes relate well to ice cream and getting motivated.

Goals Page:

Its okay if you fall. But not if you stay there.

Empty Ice Cream Cones Weekly:

“How will you fill your days?”

Slowly Consumed Popsicles Weekly:

“Do something great, finish what you start.”

Note: I tried to use a different kind of brush pen to get the rough textures for this quote, and it just didn’t end up working out as I wanted. But it’s ok. I finished it.

Ice Cream Topping Weekly:

“Top off your day with something good.”

A great reminder to focus on the good.

Brain dump alternate name: Delectable Ideas | ChocolateMusings.com #braindump #creative #watercolor

Brain Dump: Last Page in the Ice Cream-Themed Plan With Me

I might have to retitle this page to “What was I thinking?!” instead of “delectable ideas, aka MINE.” 10 points if you get the reference for the aka title. I like how it turned out, and maybe I’ll be careful this month about guarding these delectable thoughts against hungry predators.

If you’d like alternate names for a brain dump page, check out my post featuring 150+ alternatives.

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I hope you’ve enjoyed my ice cream themed plan with me, and it gave you a bit of inspiration. Even though it didn’t turn out to what I expected in my head, I think the fun, whimsical designs express a bit of the chaos that we are all living with and will (hopefully) elicit a smile in some form or fashion.

What I’m looking forward to this month:

Setting some goals & getting back on track are two things I look forward to doing this month. I hope to record the good things in life, even if it’s enjoying the silence after the kids go to bed or the smell of gardenia on an evening walk. I intend to write all my feelings. It’s been hard to express myself in the past few months, but I think if I write it down, I might resolve some of the other creative blocks.

Happy planning!

Let me know what you think and what your most significant challenge to plan is for you.

Are You Looking For More Bullet Journal Ideas?

Find more ideas and start planning here! Make sure to sign up for my newsletter for additional tips & tricks for bullet journaling, planning & staying creative.

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Filed Under: Artsy Planner Spreads, Blog, Plan With Me, Plan With Me 2020 Tagged: brain dump, bujo, Bullet Journal, ice cream, monthly, plan with me, weekly

Planet Themed Bullet Journal Set Up

April 23, 2020 Leave a Comment

Whimsical Space-Themed Bullet Journal Plan With Me Layouts | ChocolateMusings.com #watercolor #planwithme #bulletjournal

This month I decided to do a planet-themed bullet journal set up. I like to use circles in my planner. You might have noticed that if you’ve explored my blog a bit. Feel free to pin any images for later.

Here are some posts relating to using circles in your bullet journal.

I skipped out on a Planet Welcome Page in May and jumped right into a colorful monthly-log style layout for the beginning page of May. Instead of trying to copy planets exactly, I let the watercolor bleed and blend on its own.

Tip: when watercoloring on something other than watercolor pages – even a notebook with thicker pages – it’s always best to go easy on the water. You can’t use the same amount of water as you do on watercolor paper. Otherwise, you’ll start to see the water bleed through. Sot that means you’ll have to work quickly in smaller sections so you can get the paint to blend together.

Fun planet themed bullet journal layouts - Plan With Me | ChocolateMusings.com #planner #bulletjournal #planwithme

Monthly Log/Calendar

I have a habit of filling up my monthly calendar with all the things and never looking at it again. Monthly logs don’t allow me to fill it up – not really anyway. With the #stayathome initiative right now, I figured that now is the time to train myself to list only the essentials on my monthly calendar as an overview then use my weekly planner to record all the nitty-gritty details.

I find that if I keep my habit tracker on the same page as my monthly calendar, I refer back to the bigger picture more frequently. That’s a benefit if you’re like me and get lost in the details. So once I add my monthly appointments, I’ll add a circular habit tracker down in the left-hand corner of the page.

Planet-Themed Monthly Bullet Journal Log | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #bujo #monthlylog

Monthly Log – Artwork

Using the idea of layers behind and in front of the band featuring dates/days, I used my favorite circle drawing tool – the helix circle maker to create several different sizes of circles. Then watercolored them in various shades.

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

For this planet-themed bullet journal set up, I decided to use a lot of bright colors and fun, wiggly lines outlining the planets. I used artistic interpretation of planets and used inspiration from our own solar system, but created a few of my own.

Tip: If your artwork doesn’t look realistic, it’s ok! Add black outlines (maybe two or three!) around each planet and turn your artwork into a whimsical peice. It creates a style all its own and doesn’t require realism.

Loose Circle Doodles + Watercolor for your Bullet Journal | ChocolateMusings.com #watercolor #weeklylayout #weeklies

The inspiration for creating the outlines around the planets came directly from my ‘floral wreaths’ post. It creates an enjoyable, whimsical, playful style. I’d expect to see it in a children’s book or as a children’s room art piece.

You can check out the floral wreaths post here:

3 Simple Ways How to Draw Circle Wreaths Tutorial | ChocolateMusings.com #circles #howto #floralwreaths

May Weeklies – Continuing the Space/Planet Theme

Bullet Journal Planet Weekly Layout | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #bujo #weekly #planets

Week 1 – Planet-Themed Bullet Journal Layout

Each week has its unique feel, but they are all cohesive due to the style. The first week has six planets laid out along the centerline of the page. If you used this design, the week’s tasks & daily agenda could be logged at either the top, the bottom, or vary back and forth if you wanted.

Underlying Design

This design is the underlying layout for nearly all of my weeklies in April. You can see that I continued it into May. The basic design is the same, but the graphics are very different.

Circular Watercolor Bullet Journal Weekly | ChocolateMusings.com #watercolor #weekly #circle

Week 2 – Sunburst or Orange – You Decide

The 2nd week, my little girl told me it looked more like an orange. I intended it to look like the sun with solar flares or sun-rays. But since I sectioned off the center part for the days, it does look more like an orange. You can be the judge of which one it is.

By the way, if you want to know how to break down a circle into (relatively) equal parts, visit this post.

  • Spaceship weekly bullet journal layout - Space Theme | ChocolateMusings.com #bujo #weekly #spacetheme

Weeks 3 & 4

The third & fourth weeks use a horizontal layout similar to the bike layout from April. I LOVE the look of the spaceship and multi-colored stars. The inspiration for the balloon-planets comes from a t-shirt I bought my husband. The colors and stripes of the planets are so bright and cheery. It makes me happy.

Space-Themed Bullet Journal Braind Dump Page "Out of this World Thoughts" | ChocolateMusings.com #space #braindump

Final Planet Themed Page in my Bullet Journal for May – Brain Dump Page

The last page for the month is my brain dump page. I don’t always call it ‘brain dump’ – in fact, I came up with 150+ different names for brain dump (and have come up with more since then) so check out that post if you’re looking for an alternative to the term’ brain dump’.

Out of this world thoughts brain dump watercolor bullet journal spread | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #bujo #braindump

My brain dump is the catch-all page for thoughts that don’t fit nicely into my schedule or weekly plans. It’s the place that holds my ideas and concerns and makes me feel like a human once I’ve dumped all the wandering thoughts from my brain onto paper. If you don’t have a brain dump page, I recommend keeping one. Don’t be shy about what you write in it. Believe me, this page will not be pretty once the month is through.

Pro Tip: review your brain dump pages monthly or quarterly – you may find gold nuggets of recorded but forgotten ideas nestled on those pages.

  • Weekly To Do List Attached with Washi Tape - Bullet Journal Weekly | ChocolateMusings.com #todo #washitape #getstuffdone
  • Weekly Task List + Washi Tape Bullet Journal Addon | ChocolateMusings.com #weekly #tasklist #todo

Weekly Tasks

For a couple of months, I drew in a running list of tasks for the week/month. But then I came up with the idea of printing them out and attaching my weekly task list with cute washi tape to each week’s plans. The reason why bullet journaling works so well for me is that I write everything down by hand. If I have it pre-printed or even scheduled on my google calendar, I tend to give the task lower priority than if I write it down with a pen.

So I’ve learned to write down only the tasks that need to be completed for the week; otherwise, I get overwhelmed & don’t follow through. It’s a delicate balance of prioritizing tasks and ignoring them completely.

Planning for the Week – The Process

Before the week’s start, I’ll sit down for a few minutes and assign out the various tasks to a particular day by adding a dot to the day I think I should do the chore. The day I get it finished, I will checkmark it off. Some tasks are assigned to multiple days, others a single day. It’s my way of migrating tasks – if I see no checkmark, the job is not done.

Each night I’ll review & plan for the next day, adjusting as needed. Check out this post for 2 things to do every night to have smoother days.

I Hope You’re Inspired to Add Some Whimsy to Your Days on Earth

I hope my inter-galactic planner adventure for May (aka planet-themed bullet journal set up) gives you some ideas on increasing your productivity and lightening up your days with some fun, whimsical artwork as well.

Let me know if you use any ideas – I’d love to see them tag me on Instagram. Be sure to pin them for later! I’d like a comment below if you try any productivity tips or use the doodle ideas. I’d enjoy finding out what works for you!

Want More Planner & Bullet Journal Inspiration?

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

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, Get Creative, Get Organized & Start Planning, Plan With Me, Plan With Me 2020, Planner Spreads Tagged: #BuJo, brain dump, Bullet Journal, plan with me, planet theme, planner set up, space theme, watercolor

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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