plan with me Archives

Plan With Me: April 2018 Limited Color Palette & Fun Space Elements

April 1, 2018 3 Comments

April 2018 Plan With Me Theme

I’m excited to share my methods in this April 2018 Plan With Me post. I hope you’ll find something to inspire you in your bullet journal.

I chose a limited palette for this 2018 April Plan With Me and combined the colors with fun space elements. Using Crayola markers to watercolor loose space elements on the thin sheets of this notebook makes a whimsical effect, and I’m over the moon with this month’s theme. I love how a limited color scheme tied everything together throughout the month. Plus, I got to draw circles all month long – in case you didn’t know, I love using circles in my bullet journal.

April Plan with Me Welcome Page Bullet Journal Spread - Fun Space Elements Theme + Limited Color Palette | ChocolateMusings.com

Marker Color Scheme - April 2018 Plan With Me - Limited Color Palette & Fun Space Bullet Journal Theme | ChocolateMusings.com

Welcome Page Colors - April 2018 Bullet Journal | ChocolateMusings.com

April Monthly Pages + Video

In the video, I show the marker-painting technique I’ve grown to use and love in my bullet journal, plus do some real-time handlettering and quote making. Watch below! (You can also view it on my YouTube Channel – subscribe to my channel if you haven’t already (mouse over the little subscribe button in the corner of the video).

The technique for painting with Crayola markers involves a ceramic palette (in this case, a plate), Crayola Markers, a paintbrush, and very little water. Scribbling the markers on the plate creates a paint palette. Then with a barely damp paintbrush, run your brush through the marker on the plate to pick up the pigment. The key is to use as little water as you can. I love painting with markers like this in my bullet journals because it doesn’t make the pages feel stiff, like watercolor paint or gouache. Find more on the Crayola-Marker Watercolor Painting technique in this post.

Enjoy!

April 2018 Plan With Me Video Playlist:

Pages I included in the April 2018 Plan With Me:

Welcome Page – Whimsical Planets Strung from the Sky
Simple Monthly Log
Weekly Pages (Moon Cycles, Watercolor Circles x2, Watercolor planets
Habit Tracking by Number

Pages in the Plan

One reason why I love to bullet journal is that I can customize each month to suit the upcoming plans. For instance, if I’m short on time one month but have a lot of plans, I plan out easy, no-fuss spreads with large sections for to do lists or daily appointments. Other months, I may need a little more art and ‘fluff’ in my life when I’m feeling down. Like many others, I use art as a self-care device and find it a wonderful outlet.

If I don’t have a special reason to change my bullet journal for the month, I tend to stick with a welcome page, a monthly page, a habit tracker, and weekly pages. I think the theme is what makes this month so special and so much fun. Who doesn’t need a bit of whimsy in their lives?

For some reason, I didn’t end up with a good picture of the fourth week of April for this plan with me. For that spread, I arranged the loose watercolor circles at the top instead of the bottom for a little variety. That’s the other thing that I love about bullet journaling – I don’t get bored with the same layout every week.

Weekly Bullet Journal Spread - Moon Cycles - Watercolor Painted with Crayola Markers- fun and simple weekly spread and layout | ChocolateMusings.com

Easy & Loose watercolor circles painted with Crayola Markers - add a bit of color to your bullet journal without any artistic talent | ChocolateMusings.com

Monthly Favorites

One of my favorite elements in this Plan With Me for April 2018 is the monthly badge I included on the monthly log page. The way the letters bend and curve around each other and the circle outline is so fun! I tried to make a badge with every month’s name, but September’s name is way too long!

Another favorite feature for this month is the unified color scheme. If you’re struggling with making a design cohesive, limit your color palette. Each element in your design will have a common element and better unify your creation.

One last favorite for this April 2018 Plan With Me has got to be the habit by number spread. With it’s flip out key, each habit is defined by a number. I find that giving my habits parameters (or expectations) I tend to try harder to meet those habits.

2018 April Welcome Page (Part 1) - Painted with Crayola Markers in a Loose, Whimsical Watercolor Space Theme | ChocolateMusings.com

2018 April Welcome Page (Part 2) - Painted with Crayola Markers in a Loose, Whimsical Watercolor Space Theme | ChocolateMusings.com

Question:

What’s your favorite theme you’ve tried (or seen) for the month? This circle one is high on the list for me.

March 2018 Plan With Me: Two Favorite Weekly Layouts + Video

March 22, 2018 2 Comments

March 2018 Plan With Me: Weekly Layouts

This month’s weekly layouts/spreads are very simple, but I used a couple of my very favorites. Don’t get me wrong I love to try new things and paint in my journal, but I also like to plan a productive month. Sometimes you just need a month without frills and these two designs are minimal, functional, and lovely if I do say so myself. Watch the set-up video below for how I set up the weeklies this month with the two different layouts I used.

Reverse “To Do List”

One new thing included in each week is the #InMy10Minutes section. It’s kind of like a reverse to-do list. Where I take 10 minutes per day (sometimes multiple segments), and I try to get as much done in those few minutes as I possibly can. Then I take just a minute to jot down what I did. This action combats the feeling of inadequacies. It also helps me realize that even on days where I feel like I got nothing done, that is not true.

March minimal weekly layouts with #inmy10minutes reverse to do list

Don’t Get Caught Up in the Inadequacies

#InMy10Minutes In My 10 minutes 10 minute tasks, how many things can you do in 10 minutes? I took a deep breath, cleaned the sink, spruced my reflections, shined the throne, make the bathroom floor sparkle, swept and scoured the kitchen, did the dishes - what did you do in your 10 minutes

Despite the ever-growing to-do list each week, this little box reminds me of what I did do. One day I might jot down that I took 10 minutes to read my kids a story before they went to bed, listened to each of their prayers, talked with them about their plans for the next day, and kissed them goodnight. Those 10 minutes were more fulfilling than a whole day of errands, and those are the kinds of things I want to remember. Other days I might feel very accomplished and clean four rooms with a flurry of activity. And yet other days, in 10 minutes I read a chapter in a book for some much-needed downtime. Try it out! Include a section in your daily/weekly/monthly spread to remind you of all the things you DID do. Tag me on social media (@ChocolateMusingsCreates) and use #InMy10Minutes. Check out the headers/layouts in my Shop! I’m adding more all the time – so check back often.

Some Weeks Are NO JOKE!

Despite my best-laid plans, some weeks just knock you down.However, since I spent the whole of March planning ahead, a whole week out didn’t completely frustrate me, I’m behind, but not frustrated. So this is how I logged a week with strep, double ear infections, and a hacked computer.

What to do after a terrible week. Write large and turn the page.

Next Month’s Plans

Next month I’ve planned out all sorts of circles – what goes better than circles than space & planets?

Question:

Do you have a go-to spread for your weekly or daily pages?

March Mid-Month Habit Check

March 19, 2018 3 Comments

It’s been a busy month! February for me was unproductive and slump-ish. March has been the complete opposite. This month has been very productive, with the results so far are delightful (though you may not know it from my Habit-Tracker). Here’s the March mid-month habit check.

The Results

The result of the mid-month habit check (so far) is that I haven’t been tracking them. I’ve done them more than I’ve indicated. The last half of the month I am definitely going to put more effort in marking them if nothing else than just to keep the habit of tracking.

The Layout

There are some fresh, clean, fantastic layouts tracking habits individually and not in a big block like I usually do. The quote took over the minimal look and the thing just…does not work the way I imagined. Next month I am going to track my habits in a block style again. The quote is a great one though!

Additional Habits

You may have heard (or read) that I love Skillshare. (Here’s one reference: My Muses: Sources of Inspiration). One of the classes I took was about creating a 365-day project. Well, that seemed to fit in very nicely with my habit tracking. But which habits do I want to track for a whole year?

Skillshare Mini-Overview
Ok, let’s stop for a minute and talk about Skillshare classes. ‘Classes’ is a strong word. Many people think they don’t have time for ‘classes’ because they think it is a time commitment and think that they have assignments and blah blah blah.
No! Not like that at all. The ‘classes’ are broken down into hour-long courses but what’s better is that each one is then broken down into 5-10 minutes, you can download them to your phone and watch them when you can.
Infact, the 365-Day Project is just 34 minutes long. (Sign up for a FREE Trial and check it out!)
While drying my hair or cooking dinner, I stick my headphones in and watch a video and learn how to paint or draw or manage my time or learn how to cook a fantastic meal. I even watch while grocery shopping. It’s some great ‘me’ time.

365-Day Project

Like most things I do, I usually can’t settle on just one thing (the bane of my existence.) So I chose 6 items for my yearly project – where I’ll spend at least 10 minutes per day (or other designated time) doing these projects.

Work on my blog
Products
Spiritual reading
Prayers (am/pm)
Laundry
Workout

Thinking back, I probably should have left laundry and workout off the list, but I want to create a habit of washing and working out that just ‘exists’ in my life and I don’t have to think about it anymore. So I’ll keep working on those.

365 day project is like a giant habit tracker

Betterment to the Core

Looking at the results for the first month and a half, I can tell that the first two are high on my priority list. I work on them regularly and put in at least 10 minutes per day. The shocker to me is the spiritual study and the prayers. I think of this as the self-betterment to the very core. You may have practices where you work towards a similar goal, regardless of your theological point of view.

Not Expected

Why is it so hard for me to study my scriptures or read a spiritual thought or get down on my knees twice per day? Another thing I didn’t expect is how hard it is for me to write about it. This is my personal journey, and I have invited you along for the ride, hoping that we can strengthen each other along the way, but this is something that I hold dear to my heart – or so I thought. The results say otherwise, and I didn’t expect that at all.

The Way I Use Habit Trackers

The way I use habit trackers sometimes is just as an assessment as I like to do a ‘status check’ with tasks that I want to turn into a habit, and this 365-day project was eye-opening. I am going to reassess my mindset because the reality is that I am not really committed to these tasks on my tracker, and that is where I need to start to make a change.

Question:

What would you track in a 365-day project?

Moving to a New Bullet Journal for March!

March 8, 2018 7 Comments

The well-loved golden-bound book has seen better days, and it is time to move into a new bullet journal. See this ruby beauty? I’m hoping it will last me more than a year for planning. And this lovely Azure book? It’s becoming my long-term collections journal. I’m moving to a new bullet journal. You read that right! I’m moving to not just one journal but separated into two for March!

Moving into TWO new bullet journals + Video set up

Why the Separation of the Journals?

I split my journals for two reasons – one I wanted a planner that lasted more than 6 months (I got almost 6 months from both the last journals (purple then yellow). But I didn’t want to move all my long-term collections to a new journal. Short-term collections I will keep in my red planning journal.

The Need for a Long-Term Collections Journal

About half-way through the last journal, I realized that I needed a long-term collections journal. There are lots of things I jot down that are not for the immediate short-term. Some things are years in advance. For instance, I created a ‘new home wishlist’ and a ‘repairs list’ for my current home. We are not purchasing in the next 6 months, and it will take longer than that short span of time to fix up our current house.

The split allows for longer-term goals and projects and does not get lost in the day-to-day planning minutia. I am very excited about this move and look forward to making beautiful, functional spreads for both my weeks and months and my collections.

New Journal in the Middle of the Year?!

I admit it would have been nice to start the new journal in January. But starting a new journal shouldn’t have to be done just at the beginning of the year. In fact, the more I thought about it, the bullet journal system is flexible so you can start in the middle of a year with no problems. If you need to go back and complete the previous month’s future logs, go ahead, there’s no reason why you can’t. In fact, I did that when I started my purple journal last April!

Moving to a New Bullet Journal - in the middle of a year

The New Journal Set-Up

Moving to a new bullet journal requires a little bit of what I call planning-the-planner. I write the titles of the page in pencil and plan the flow. Since it’s in pencil, I can adjust and move around some of the pages.

Future Log

I have two future logs in this new journal. Silly? Maybe. One is a very high-level overview, and the other one allows me more in-depth goal planning. I discovered something in my Leuchtturm1917 journal, and I am a little ashamed that I didn’t see it before. Keep reading, I’ll tell you.

Broad Overview Future Log

There are 52 columns on a spread in an A5 Leuchtturm1917 and 52 weeks in a year. I don’t know why I didn’t make this connection before, but I was interested in creating continuing year’s calendar with this information. Using my trusty Google Calendar which conveniently shows the weeks of the year, I created a full year’s continuous-flow calendar. To see the year’s broad overview in one peek.

FYI: The washi tape serves no purpose other than to cover up the marker from the opposite page where I was too heavy-handed and used too many layers to blend colors.

Goal Planning – Future Log “Common Area”

The second future log has two months to a page and 4 sections. Writing the month’s name down the middle of the page and separating one big area into 3 smaller parts for appointments, random dates to note, and blog post plans. The largest, unseparated section I plan on using for goal setting & notes.

I call this my common area – thinking back to my high school days where we had a big ‘commons’ in the center of the school. Many hallways and offices split off from this large space, so it was a place of gathering and meeting up after various events or classes. Just like my common area is a place to meet back after one month and gather my thoughts for the next.

Future Log: 1 month to a page - large goal planning areas & space for lots of to-dos

March Plans

For the start of March, I wanted to see If I could use the March ‘common’ future-log as a calendar. So the welcome page is minimal with just a bit of text, a wreath, and a calendar. I’ve been practicing drawing circular wreaths, and this was an excellent opportunity to use one.

Tip: If you draw free-hand circles, try to use your whole arm (from the shoulder) to make the circular movement. I find that I make a much better shape that way than trying to draw from my wrist.

The First Week

The first week of March started on Thursday. Lately, I’ve been keeping the months together (beginning each month fresh – no matter when the month starts). I created a partial week spread and decided that the other half would be for my habit tracker for the month.

Watch the setup video below for the first month and week of my new bullet journal. As I was editing the video, I realized that part of the problem with me getting things out on the timelines I set, is that I promise WAY too much from the video. I don’t have all the things done, so I will update this post and the YouTube description as I complete my promised items. 🙂 Learning to scale my projects to meet my deadlines is definitely a work of art.

I hope this gives you some confidence to start a new journal no matter what month it is or where you are in your life. Do not wait for the perfect opportunity. Make it the perfect opportunity.

Question:

How do you feel about starting a new planner in the middle of a year?

Remember to plan your life so you live beautifully and don’t be afraid to find your inner muse.

~Tricia

Mid-Month Habit Check – What to do if You and Your Habits Were on a Break

February 22, 2018 5 Comments

What to do if You and Your Habits Were on a Break?

I feel like Ross shouting at my habits “We were on a break!” or maybe my habits were yelling at me? Not sure which, either way, we parted ways for a while. I had good intentions, and I swear this month I thought I was going to rock at everything. But I just crashed and burned. So what to do if you and your habits were on a break? I used a simple shift in mindset to recapture the flame after a habit break-up.

We were on a break - what to do if you break up with your habits

Is It Just February Blues?

I don’t know if it is just February blues or if there is something else going on, but I know I am not the only one who feels it. Today my boss commented (by the way, I have a job too!) that he feels like it is February blues. He said that all the things to look forward to are far away that it’s hard to get excited about them. So it’s a time between events and just feels, well, blah.

My habit tracker shows that I feel the same way. This blog post is supposed to coincide with the middle of the month (give or take a couple of days) and I am nearly a week late just writing it. I do have good news…in just the past couple of days, I have managed to crawl out of the crazy unmotivated slump. But that wasn’t easy. You can read how a simple list turned things around for me here.

The simple mindset to adopt if you and your habits were on a break

Falling Off the Wagon is my Specialty – Getting Back on is Not

Falling off the wagon per se is my specialty. I am good at starting something, but continuing when I mess up or get off track is a whole other story. I feel like the wagon runs off while I am off smelling roses and continues faster than I can run, so I just pretend like I was never on that ride.

Change of Mindset After a Break-up With Your Habits

This whole running after the wagon mindset changed when I read a book by Gretchen Rubin called Better Than Before. She suggested that if you are going to have planned break in your habits, then plan a time when you come back. I figure that if I have an accidental break, I just tell myself that we were on a break, but not to worry ~~Rachel~~ habits, I am back and we will live happily ever after.

This change has helped me immensely move on from incidental breaks and just pick up where I left off as though I never missed a thing. So using that mindset… it doesn’t matter how terrible the last six days of February, here I come!

By the way, I am trying a new layout for March. I’ll give you a little sneak peek even though it’s still in pencil mode. Oh, and just so you know, I still do dishes every day so at least that habit stuck, it’s these new habits that are causing me trouble.

Sneak Peek - tracking habits by category instead of log style in my bullet journal

Question:

I’ve never met a single person who hasn’t broken up with their habits at some time or another. So I’d like to know how you handle your habit break-ups. What strategy do you take?

Remember to plan your life so you live beautifully and don’t be afraid to find your inner muse.

~Tricia

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