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.

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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How to Set Up a Habit Tracker in your Planner

June 20, 2017 3 Comments

Do you like the idea of a Habit Tracker in your Bullet Journal, but don’t know where to start? Do you run out of room when numbering in a month? (Yes, I have done it too.) I’ve put together some best practices for planning, laying out and implementing your horizontal Bullet Journal/Planner Monthly Habit Tracker.

Best Practices

I like to create my Habit Tracker horizontally (long ways) So since I am starting with the horizontal layout, so I turn my journal the way I will view the habit tracker – it makes it easier to create and visualize what I am doing.

First of all – have a plan for your plan. Seems redundant? Not really. Just jot down a couple of things you want to include on your habit tracker. Things such as how many goals/habits to track, check the number of days in the month, do you want colors on the columns or rows in the background? Do you want a quote on the page? Don’t get stressed about planning your planning, it’s nothing intense, just some good things to think about as you plan your page. And it will help to prevent those messed up pages no one likes to talk about. (But are perfectly acceptable)
I always start on the right side (where the month ends – and I like leave two spaces on the right for my totals & percentages. If you don’t want these, you can start on the end dot). Start your habit tracker numbering at the end of the monthly days and count backward.
When finished counting, use a ruler to get a straight line under your numbers and to the side of your tracker.
Add a header if you wish.
Then label your habits you want to track. (Need ideas? See Below!)
Draw finishing lines down the sides and bottom if you want to box it in.
I have extra space for a quote at the bottom – so I included a positive productivity quote.
If you truly want to create a habit and see your improvement and progress and improve – here are four tips to supercharge your Bullet Journal Habit Tracker.

I’ve pinned several motivational/productivity quotes to my Pinterest page. Please follow my Quotation Board for more quotes. {This is one of my favorite quote topics ~ so I will pin a lot more as I find them! Here are a few of the latest pins from that board.} Quotes

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-Or – follow me on Pinterest for more ideas, tips, tricks and ideas for your Bullet Journal.
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Ideas for your Habit Tracker

Things to track in your habit tracker

Up at 6:30
In bed by 10:30
Slept 8 Hours
No TV
Read
Me Time
Self-Care
No Spend
Cook Dinner
Yoga/Stretching
Exercise
Meditation
Medication/Vitamins
Gratitude Log
Water Intake
Instagram Posts
Pinterest
Facebook
Snapchat
Twitter
Email
Blog
Cleaning
Dishes
Made bed
Tidy up
Vacuumed/Swept
Studied
Learn a skill
Practice
Journal
Did homework
1-1 Time with Kids

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Do you have any other suggestions for the habit tracker? Leave a comment below! I would love to hear from you.

Need Inspiration for a typeface? – check out this beautiful font: “Hello Sunshine”

I have compiled a list of items I used in this post

This post contains affiliate links. The cost is same to you but, I will receive a small commission to help support my blogging and creativity habits 🙂
All opinions expressed were solely mine and from my heart.