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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 » planning

Why Track Habits?

January 12, 2023 Leave a Comment

Why Do You Track Habits?

Why Track Habits? The reason behind the flurry of habit tracking spreads - interpreted through the lens of "the happiness project" book. | ChocolateMusings.com

Have you ever stopped to think of why you track habits? Here are some insights from a book I’m reading by Gretchen Rubin called “The Happiness Project,” which gives a pretty good definition of ‘why’ someone should spend their time and energy tracking habits.

Tracking Habits is Boring – Or is it?

Why track habits? At first glance, it sounds very tedious and mundane. That’s what I thought, too. Then I tried it, and I liked tracking the habits. I liked tracking them almost more than doing them. It’s giving yourself that little star, the little thumbs up that you followed through, that you did something you set out to do.

Adding habits to my circle habit tracker for the month on a black page journal sheet | ChocolateMusings.com

Habits: In Pursuit of Happiness

I finally figured out why I like habit tracking so much. It’s not necessarily in the end goal. In fact, the pursuit of happiness makes an overall improvement. The purpose of a habit isn’t to have it end. The goal is to have it continue without effort.

A habit tracker’s unwritten (now written) goal is to have items fall off the list of consciously trying to be a better person and continue to be that better person without thinking about it.

Thanks to Gretchen Rubin and her book (which I’m currently reading on my Kindle Paperwhite), “The Happiness Project,” she defined what I subconsciously knew:

“It isn’t goal attainment by the process of striving after goals – it’s growth that brings happiness” –

Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project

Never Ending Habits?

Sometimes writing never-ending habits (i.e., reading scriptures or patiently parenting, doing dishes, daily cleaning) every month seemed like I was spinning my wheels and not accomplishing anything. But the accomplishment is ‘the every day.’ It’s ‘the striving’ to improve my life and the lives of those around me as I progress to be a better human being.

Though I’d been married for over a decade and had children, I felt like I earned an ‘adulting’ gold star when I finally considered that I could permanently take ‘doing dishes’ off my habit tracker – because I made a habit of doing them. Believe me, this was a big accomplishment, and I worked hard to create that habit.

At one point, I decided to weigh myself every day. Keep in mind that I do it – not to gauge my weight per se – but to set the mindset for the day and to reestablish the goals I’ve set for myself. This is a habit I broke and need to get back into.

Want More on This Topic?

Read more about my health journey and how habits + journaling are helping me achieve big goals. Trackers.

Change Yourself for the Better & Others Will Follow

As Gretchen states in her book, “you can’t change anyone but yourself.” But I would say that if you change yourself for the better, others will follow suit. I started making my bed habitually. Sometimes I’d make only my side and sometimes both. It’s been a few years since I started this little habit, and my husband beats me to making the bed. Win-win.

Sometimes, he only makes his side as I do on occasion. But now it feels like a joint effort.

Do you know what the best part is? I never said anything, but he started following my example. I’m not sure if it was guilt, but a change in my habit has also changed my husband’s habits.

***FULL DISCLAIMER: I do not proclaim that this will change your significant other’s habits – I just happened to see positive results in this instance.

On the reverse side: if I notice that my kids are being particularly unkind to each other, I have to step back and ask if they are acting that way because I do, too. Those reality checks hurt (a lot).

Mid-Month Habit Checks

As the month progresses, I sometimes get off course. That’s why I like to do mid-month habit checks – because the middle of the month is when I lose momentum. And simply reviewing my daily goals helps me realign to what I deem essential. It’s all in pursuit of happiness.

Book + Dutch Door bullet journal theme - Habit tracker | ChocolateMusings.com
Adding Details - Building Skyline Bullet Journal Habit Tracker | ChocolateMusings.com
Surfboard Habit Tracker + Notes Page - fun theme + simple habit trackers | ChocolateMusings.com
Circular Habit Tracker with Modern Calligraphy Lettering in my Bullet Journal | ChocolateMusings.com #habit #habitracker #tracker
Ice Cream Habit Tracker + Goals Monthly Spread | ChocolateMusings.com #habits #tracker #goals
Flowers inside the monthly calendar wheel + Habit Tracker Vines | ChocolateMusings.com @ChocMusings #bulletjournal #flowers #floral
Pirate Theme Habit Tracker Compass Rose | @ChocMusings ChocolateMusings.com #pirate #bulletjournal #bujo
Bullet Journal Monthly Habit Tracker & Brain Dump Pages - August 2022 Plan With Me
Space themed circle habit tracker - black page journal | ChocolateMusings.com
Habit tracker & Brain Dump Bullet Journal Sea Creature Theme | ChocolateMusings.com

Want More Posts About Habits?

Find more blog posts on creating and tracking habits.

Want Theme Ideas for Your Planner?

Find more blog posts with theme ideas for your Bullet Journal + Habit Trackers.

How Do You Keep Yourself on Track?

How do you keep yourself on track? Do you do a ‘mid-month habit check?’ If not, try to add it to your planner on the 15th/16th of every month. Then compare where you want to be versus where you’re trending, then make adjustments as necessary.

If you give your habits the priority they deserve, these seemingly insignificant habit checkups will help you in your pursuit. It’s a great way to reevaluate your course throughout the month.

I’m sure as you see steady progress, you’ll come to find out why you track habits. I know that tracking habits and seeing progress helped me progress in positive ways. If you fall away from tracking habits, there’s no better time to start tracking again.

Why Track Habits? The reason behind the flurry of habit tracking spreads - interpreted through the lens of "the happiness project" book. | ChocolateMusings.com

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Blog, Get Organized & Start Planning, Habits, My Muses (My Favorites & Inspiration), Start Planning Here Tagged: bullet journaling, create organizing habits, creating habits, habit tracker, habit tracking, habits, mid-month habit check, planning

January Random Holidays

January 9, 2020 2 Comments

Random Holidays: Create Pockets of Joy - January 2020 | ChocolateMusings.com #randomholidays

I hope that part of your goal-setting for this year includes taking time for you and your family. Add some of these January Random Holidays to your schedule and start creating moments you’ll cherish. Don’t forget to check the bottom of the post for the calendar link so you can easily add the holidays to your calendar.

Add Pockets of Joy

Creating pockets of joy, snippets of celebration regularly helps slow the rush of time and pauses the fast-forward effect we all encounter. Since time seems to be moving at an all-time high speed, I decided to create a calendar of all the Random Holidays I wanted to celebrate every day.

Some random holidays seem goofy or silly but it creates a bond for our family. For instance, we celebrated #SarcasmAwarenessMonth for October. Anytime we would say something silly or sarcastic, everyone would say ‘Sarcasm Awareness Month!’. For younger kids, it helped teach them the difference between seriousness and joking.

We celebrate my black cat, named Baghera on October 29th (Black Cat Day). She gets a special kitty treat that day, which my kids love to give her.

January Month-Long Random Holidays

Check out the history of some of these Month-long Random Holiday Celebrations. The story of the Black Diamond intrigued me, so of course, I had to include it in my list of celebrations. As an advocate for creativity and hobbies, it was only natural to include both holidays. What hobbies or creativity do you hope to focus on this year or month?

Fire up the Crock-Pot and let’s get going!

  • National Black Diamond Month #BlackDiamondMonth
  • National Hobby Month #NationalHobbyMonth
  • Creativity Month #CreativityMonth
  • National Slow Cooking Month #SlowCookingMonth

January Random Holidays – States

  • 4th – Missouri Day
  • 11th – Arkansas Day
  • 18th – Michigan Day
  • 25th – Florida Day
  • State Outline - Missouri
    State Outline – Missouri
    $10.00
    Select options
  • State Outline - Michigan
    State Outline – Michigan
    $10.00
    Select options
  • State Outline - Florida
    State Outline – Florida
    $10.00
    Select options
  • State Outline - Arkansas
    State Outline – Arkansas
    $10.00
    Select options

January Random Holidays

  • 5th – National Bird Day
  • 8th – National Bubble Bath Day – if self-care is on your list of resolutions, then here is a perfect way to celebrate. If self-care is not on your list, it’s not too late to add it!
  • 10th – National Houseplant Appreciation Day
  • 12th – National Kiss a Ginger Day – I look forward to celebrating this day since my husband is a redhead. If you’re not married to a ginger, I give you permission to skip over this holiday.
  • 13th – Clean Your Desk Day – Do you need some motivation for keeping a clean desk? Then read this post. My productivity has increased significantly as a result of these two tiny habits.
  • 14th – Organize Your Home Day – After tackling your desk yesterday, did you find the motivation to follow up with your house? Read my post on organizing using the Kon Marie Method. Along with that method, here’s how I win my battle with stuff & daily decluttering.
  • 15th – National Hat Day
  • 16th – National Appreciate a Dragon Day
  • 20th – National Penguin Day
  • 24th – National Compliment Day – Since my anniversary falls on Compliment Day, I think it’s a grand day to celebrate. Even if your anniversary doesn’t fall on January 24th, it’s a great day to celebrate.
  • 26th – National Spouses Day – if you have a spouse, then appreciate them. I hope they return that appreciation as well.
  • 31st – National Backward Day

January Random Holidays – Hobbies/Creativity

I guess most of the random holidays could be considered a hobby or lead to creativity, but what I would love for you is to find a hobby you enjoy and work at developing it. Create a challenge for yourself, whether you set a goal for 365 days, a month, or a week, work to build your creativity. Here are 5 easy steps to develop a new skill.

I find that when I think creatively, it builds on itself and develops further. But if you find yourself in the middle of a creative slump, check out this post.

  • 1st – Motivation and Inspiration Day – after all, what day could be better than to celebrate Motivation and Inspiration? Check out my list of quote blog posts for more motivation.
  • 23rd – National Handwriting Day
  • 28th – National Daisy Day – want to learn to draw flowers?
  • 28th – National Lego Day – in the fashion of celebrating hobbies, I thought I’d celebrate my kid’s favorite pastime – scattering Legos all over the floor in hopes they will cause the ultimate pain for someone’s foot in the dark.
  • 29th – National Puzzle Day

January Random Holidays – Food

  • 1st – National Cream Puff Day – even if you’re starting a diet in January, you probably won’t start until the 2nd, right?
  • 4th – National Spaghetti Day
  • 5th – National Whipped Cream Day
  • 15th – National Strawberry Ice Cream Day
  • 19th – National Popcorn Day
  • 22nd – National Blonde Brownie Day – by now you’ve made a valiant effort to stick to your diet, right?
  • 24th – National Peanut Butter Day
  • 27th – National Chocolate Cake Day

Random Holidays – Google Calendar

After celebrating different holidays for over a year, I decided to create a Google Calendar to see all the holidays I’d love to celebrate. It makes it easy to share creations, words, and ideas on social media and with friends and family. The best part about Google calendars is that you can toggle them on and off when you don’t want to see them.

If you click on the calendar item, it has a link to the source & relevant hashtags! I’m always evolving this calendar – and I will add calendar days or corrections all the time.

Tip: The calendar will show the current month, you can navigate to the month of your choice by using the arrows or dropdown.

If you want to add my calendar to your Google calendar:

  • Go to your Google calendars and click the + next to other calendars
  • Choose ‘add other calendars.’
  • Then click Subscribe to Calendar
  • After that, paste the text below in the “add calendar.”
  • Toggle the schedule on and off when you want to access it – that’s what I do.

chocolatemusings.com_q316ucpnldal611fs2q2nnk7v0@group.calendar.google.com

I won’t list all the random holidays, but just the ones that work with ChocolateMusings.com – so, of course, you’ll see a lot of food, art, creativity & some miscellaneous holidays are thrown in as well.

Random Holiday Links:

Choose The Holidays Right for You

What if you don’t like the holidays I choose? Below are links to the other random holiday sites I found – pick your favorites and celebrate the ones that resonate with you! It’s about breaking out of the monotony and creating your happiness.

Find more to celebrate – I compiled my random holidays from the websites below. There are so many holidays to enjoy! If you find a day you’d like me to feature – leave me a note below!

  • Nationaldaycalendar.com
  • Nationaltoday.com
  • daysoftheyear.com
  • checkiday.com
  • heywhatday.com
  • Timeanddate.com
  • holidayinsights.com
  • wildcalendar.com
  • thereisadayforthat.com

2 Comments
Filed Under: Blog, Find Your Happy, Randomly Celebrate Tagged: calendar, celebrate randomly, fun holidays, planning, random holidays, randomly celebrate, snippets of joy, weird holidays

December Random Holidays

December 5, 2019 2 Comments

You're Invited to Randomly Celebrate! Find Random Holidays and create your own joy! | ChocolateMusings.com #randomlycelebrate #celebraterandomly #randomholidays

December Random Holidays – Create Memories & Traditions

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have that child-like wonder during December? That’s what I thought about when I chose December’s Random Holidays.

Here are some December Random Holidays to celebrate and create memories. I’m hoping that you’ll find some new traditions to share with those you love.

Create your own Joy | ChocolateMusings.com #randomholidays #challenge #findjoy

Overcome the ‘Busy-ness’ of the Season – Create a Few Choice Moments by Randomly Celebrating

The end of the year gets very busy for most people. Christmas celebrations, end of the year parties, wrapping up the loose ends at work, goal planning, traveling all contribute to the hum of the season. I tried to choose Random Holidays for December that worked naturally with the month’s festivities.

If you’re like me, you find that December whips by without realizing it. I don’t want to add any additional stress to your busy month except for a reminder to slow down and enjoy the season. If you have kids or family nearby, sometimes the best moments are the ones where you simply enjoy each other.

You're Invited to Randomly Celebrate! Find Random Holidays and create your own joy! | ChocolateMusings.com #randomlycelebrate #celebraterandomly #randomholidays

December Random Holidays

  • 3rd – Roof over your head day – think of someone who doesn’t have as much, share your gratitude for what you do have
  • 4th – National Dice Day – play some games while eating some cookies. It sounds like a great time to me!
  • 4th – National Sock Day – no better day than to celebrate those warm, fuzzy socks!
  • 5th – National Ninja Day
  • 7th – Letter writing Day – after all, don’t you need to get that letter written to Santa? Or maybe a soldier or a grandmother.
  • 7th – National Cotton Candy Day
  • 8th – National Brownie Day – even if you don’t eat your brownies, making them is celebrating enough.
  • 8th – Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day pause the jingling bells and jolly fellows – check out the link for a list of recommended books or movies then start a new tradition or take a well-deserved break for self-care.
  • 14th – Monkey Day
  • 15th – National Wear Your Pearls Day – Are you going to a party? Then wear your pearls. Even planners look lovely wearing pearls.
  • 16th – National Chocolate Covered Anything Day
  • 17th – Wright Brother’s Day – Check out my aviation monthly spread!
  • 21st – Crossword Puzzle Day
  • 25th – A’Phabet day or ‘no L’ day – I included this entry on the December Random Holidays for no other reason than it made me laugh.
  • 26th – National Thank-You Note Day – although this is not a tradition in my house right now, I would like to make it one.
  • 28th – National Card Playing Day
  • 31st – Make Up Your Mind Day – Since tomorrow starts a new year, take some time to finalize your goals and resolutions if you make them.

December Food Random Holidays

  • 1st – National Pie Day – If you’re making pie anyway, post a picture to social media #nationalpieday
  • 4th – National Cookie Day
  • 9th – National Pastry Day – what’s your favorite pastry? First on my list of favorite pastries are cinnamon rolls.
  • 12th – Gingerbread House Day
  • 13th – National Cocoa Day
  • 17th – National Maple Syrup Day
  • 24th – Eggnog Day – Do you love or hate this seasonal drink? No one in my family likes it, so I use this Random Holiday to get one gulp of the stuff per year. #Excuses
  • 26th – National Candy Cane Day
  • 28th – National Chocolate Candy Day – calories don’t count since it’s between Christmas and New Year’s Day – right?
  • 30th – National Bacon Day
Random Holiday Post Archive | ChocolateMusings.com #randomlycelebrate #randomholidays

December State Holidays

  • 7th – Illinois Day
  • 14th – Alabama Day
  • 21st – Maine Day

State Holidays

In celebration of the state’s statehood birthday, each month, the honored state will be on sale! I created 8 variations for each state, and they make lovely wall displays. Print it out, and frame it, and show it off! They make great gifts! All the states are available in my shop!

  • State Outline - Maine
    State Outline – Maine
    $10.00
    Select options
  • State Outline - Illinois
    State Outline – Illinois
    $10.00
    Select options
  • Alabama Frame
    State Outline – Alabama
    $10.00
    Select options

Which of these December Random Holidays do you already celebrate without realizing it? I find that if I make a point of saying it out loud or reflecting on a tradition, it means more to me, and the memory stays clearer, longer.

Random Holidays – Google Calendar

After celebrating different holidays for over a year, I decided to create a Google Calendar to see all the holidays I’d love to celebrate. It makes it easy to share creations, words, and ideas on social media and with friends and family. The best part about Google calendars is that you can toggle them on and off when you don’t want to see them.

If you click on the calendar item, it has a link to the source & relevant hashtags! I’m always evolving this calendar – and I will add calendar days or corrections all the time.

Tip: The calendar will show the current month, you can navigate to the month of your choice by using the arrows or dropdown.

If you want to add my calendar to your Google calendar:

  • Go to your Google calendars and click the + next to other calendars
  • Choose ‘add other calendars.’
  • Then click Subscribe to Calendar
  • After that, paste the text below in the “add calendar.”
  • Toggle the schedule on and off when you want to access it – that’s what I do.

chocolatemusings.com_q316ucpnldal611fs2q2nnk7v0@group.calendar.google.com

I won’t list all the random holidays, but just the ones that work with ChocolateMusings.com – so, of course, you’ll see a lot of food, art, creativity & some miscellaneous holidays are thrown in as well.

Random Holiday Links:

Choose The Holidays Right for You

What if you don’t like the holidays I choose? Below are links to the other random holiday sites I found – pick your favorites and celebrate the ones that resonate with you! It’s about breaking out of the monotony and creating your happiness.

Find more to celebrate – I compiled my random holidays from the websites below. There are so many holidays to enjoy! If you find a day you’d like me to feature – leave me a note below!

  • Nationaldaycalendar.com
  • Nationaltoday.com
  • daysoftheyear.com
  • checkiday.com
  • heywhatday.com
  • Timeanddate.com
  • holidayinsights.com
  • wildcalendar.com
  • thereisadayforthat.com

2 Comments
Filed Under: Blog, Find Your Happy, Randomly Celebrate Tagged: calendar, celebrate randomly, december random holidays, fun holidays, planning, random holidays, randomly celebrate, snippets of joy, weird holidays

November Random Holidays

October 24, 2019 2 Comments

It’s time to start planning your November Calendar, and I have some inspiration for adding November Random Holidays to your schedule.

I know you’re with me on this – how can it be nearly November already? I’m starting to believe the conspiracy theory that time is moving faster. Perhaps it’s because I’m getting older, and so each passing day is just a smaller part of my overall life.

In an effort to slow time down or at least return it to normal speed, I make an effort to celebrate little things. It’s possible to make memories every day, even if it’s not a significant national holiday or a huge life event.

You’re Invited to Celebrate

Wouldn’t you want more reasons to celebrate? Wouldn’t your kids or work-family pause for just a moment, a significant moment to enjoy a doughnut? (By the way, National Doughnut Day is November the 5th!)

I invite you to pursue the small things, the seemingly insignificant events. Because when you look back on your week, month, or even year, it will be these moments that create a special place in your heart. These pinpoints of joy that stand out among the blurred days. Even if you don’t like any of my chosen random holidays, you can select some days that you prefer.

Random Holidays Challenge - Find Reasons to Add Joy to Your Life | ChocolateMusings.com #randomholidays #challenge #findjoy

Random Holidays – Google Calendar

After celebrating different holidays for over a year, I decided to create a Google Calendar to see all the holidays I’d love to celebrate. It makes it easy to share creations, words, and ideas on social media and with friends and family. The best part about Google calendars is that you can toggle them on and off when you don’t want to see them.

If you click on the calendar item, it has a link to the source & relevant hashtags! I’m always evolving this calendar – and I will add calendar days or corrections all the time.

Tip: The calendar will show the current month, you can navigate to the month of your choice by using the arrows or dropdown.

If you want to add my calendar to your Google calendar:

  • Go to your Google calendars and click the + next to other calendars
  • Choose ‘add other calendars.’
  • Then click Subscribe to Calendar
  • After that, paste the text below in the “add calendar.”
  • Toggle the schedule on and off when you want to access it – that’s what I do.

chocolatemusings.com_q316ucpnldal611fs2q2nnk7v0@group.calendar.google.com

I won’t list all the random holidays, but just the ones that work with ChocolateMusings.com – so, of course, you’ll see a lot of food, art, creativity & some miscellaneous holidays are thrown in as well.

More Random Holidays

Click the picture below or go here to find the Random Holiday Archives.

Find your reason to celebrate today - Random Holidays Challenge | ChocolateMusings.com #randomholidays #findjoy #daytoday

November Random Holidays on the Chocolate Musings Calendar

After adding appointments and scheduled items to my calendar, I add the Random Holidays. Even though they are small moments, my family looks forward to them. I find that my kids look through my calendar just to see the random holidays and then share it with their friends. November’s Random Holidays don’t disappoint.

Month-Long Celebrations

Pick a day or multiple days for these November celebrations!

  • Gratitude Month
  • Peanut Butter Lovers Month
  • National Novel Writing Month #NaNoWriMo

November Random Holidays – Fun Celebrations

  • 1st – National Author’s Day
  • 2nd – Look for Circles Day (Check out my Circle-related posts here! I love to use circles in my bullet journal. In fact, here’s a post on creating circles in your bullet journal)
  • 2nd – Ohio Day
  • 5th – National Love Your Red Hair Day – since we have many red-heads in my family, we celebrate their lack of pigment this day!
  • 9th – Go to an Art Museum Day
  • 9th – Louisiana Day
  • 10th – Forget-me-not Day
  • 11th – Veteran’s Day (USA)
  • 13th – World Kindness Day

Everyone should celebrate World Kindness Day every day! Without a doubt, the world be a better place if we gave the benefit of the doubt and treated everyone just a little better? I know I could improve, so I’ll start with one day and take it a step at a time.

  • 15th – Clean Out Your Fridge Day – clearly excellent preparation for the coming food holiday! Though I’d probably need to do it again before Thanksgiving.
  • 16th – National Button Day – my mom used to have a big box of buttons that I would string together even though I don’t have a button box, I plan on sharing this memory with my family. Did you have a button box as a kid?
  • 16th – Indiana Day
  • 18th – Mickey Mouse Birthday
  • 18th – National Princess Day
  • 19th – National Play Monopoly Day
  • 30th – National Mason Jar Day
  • 30th – Mississippi Day

State Holidays

In celebration of the state’s statehood birthday, each month, the honored state will be on sale! I created 8 variations for each state, and they make lovely wall displays. Print it out, and frame it, and show it off!

  • State Outline - Indiana
    State Outline – Indiana
    $10.00
    Select options
  • State Outline - Louisiana
    State Outline – Louisiana
    $10.00
    Select options
  • State Outline - Mississippi
    State Outline – Mississippi
    $10.00
    Select options
  • State Outline - Ohio
    State Outline – Ohio
    $10.00
    Select options

Food-Related Celebrations

Despite having a busy schedule, it’s easy for me to add a treat or plan a meal around a random holiday, my kids love it, and it’s effortless to add those moments of joy I seek in our lives.

  • 3rd – National Sandwich Day – since sandwiches are my husband’s favorite food, he’s all too happy to celebrate this holiday multiple times in the month!
  • 4th – National Candy Day – for this holiday, I think we will rid ourselves of all the Halloween candy sticking around our house
  • 5th – National Doughnut Day
  • 10th – National Vanilla Cupcake Day
  • 11th – National Sundae Day – YUM
  • 12th – National French Dip Day – one of my favorite sandwiches
  • 14th – National Pickle Day – my kids LOVE pickles
  • 16th – National Fast Food Day – this is a day I know we can celebrate, how about you?
  • 17th – National Baklava Day – my boss makes THE Best Baklava, I’ll have to convince her to celebrate this holiday with me.
  • 19th – National Carbonated Beverage Day – My poison of choice is Diet Dr. Pepper. What’s yours?
  • 20th – National Peanut Butter Fudge Day – YUM!
  • 21st – National Gingerbread Cookie Day – check out the National Day calendar for this one, they list out the other National Cookie Day Celebrations.
  • 23rd – National Cashew Day
  • 25th – National Parfait Day
  • 26th – National Cake Day
  • 28th – National French Toast Day

Whew! I didn’t even include all the food days!

Random Holiday Links:

Choose The Holidays Right for You

What if you don’t like the holidays I choose? Below are links to the other random holiday sites I found – pick your favorites and celebrate the ones that resonate with you! It’s about breaking out of the monotony and creating your happiness.

Find more to celebrate – I compiled my random holidays from the websites below. There are so many holidays to enjoy! If you find a day you’d like me to feature – leave me a note below!

  • Nationaldaycalendar.com
  • Nationaltoday.com
  • daysoftheyear.com
  • checkiday.com
  • heywhatday.com
  • Timeanddate.com
  • holidayinsights.com
  • wildcalendar.com
  • thereisadayforthat.com

Pick and Choose

You don’t have to celebrate them all, but choose a few dates that you pause the rush of life and take a moment to yourself or as a family to create lasting memories. That’s the point of these random holidays for me, and I hope you gain the sense of what it could mean for you.

Among the November Random Holidays, this month is #nationalgratitudemonth, and I fully intend on keeping a one-line or one-word gratitude journal for the month. Is that something you’d like to do, too?

What other days do you think you’ll add to your calendar? Hint: if the date doesn’t fit for you – there’s no hard rule stating you can’t celebrate another day. Use a weekend or a free weeknight to create your memories.

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Filed Under: Blog, Find Your Happy, Randomly Celebrate Tagged: calendar, celebrate randomly, fun holidays, mississippi, November, planning, random holidays, randomly celebrate, snippets of joy, weird holidays

Notebooks: What’s the Difference Between Ghosting & Bleeding?

September 12, 2019 2 Comments

What’s the difference between Ghosting & Bleeding in a notebook?

What's the difference between ghosting and bleeding in your notebook? | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal

Ever heard of the term ghosting or bleeding when bullet journaling or planning? Not sure exactly what ghosting or bleeding means? And what’s the difference between ghosting and bleeding? Don’t worry, you’ll be a pro in no time.

Hint: it does not mean that your planner is haunted or died a tragic death (although my bullet journal fails could argue otherwise).

Ghosting Vs. Bleeding in your notebooks - what's the difference? | ChocolateMusings.com #bleeding #bulletjournal

What is Ghosting?

Ghosting in a notebook is when you can see the ink or text you’ve written from the other side of the page. But the ink doesn’t come through to the opposite side. It’s like showing a ghost of the other page.

I used Leuchtturm 1917 A5 notebooks for a long time, and they ghosted on every single page. In all honesty, I didn’t care too much, as long as the ink didn’t bleed through to the other side. But when I started posting consistently on Instagram, I didn’t like the fact that you could see the previous page’s use.

You could say that the previous page haunted me. Oh wait, I said that your notebook wasn’t haunted.

If the ink seeps through the page, that’s when it’s called bleeding.

Ghosting Vs. Bleeding in your notebooks - what's the difference? | ChocolateMusings.com #bleeding #bulletjournal

What is Bleeding?

When you write on one page, and the ink appears in full color on the opposite page, in spots or blotches or more. I find that notebooks bleed when they can’t handle the amount of liquid a pen or marker lays onto the page.

I started using fountain pens in my notebooks, but have reverted to gel pens and fine liners. But using Tombow Dual Brush Pens and Crayola Supertips for headers and coloring is almost non-negotiable for me and a notebook, so the pages have to withstand some coloring abuse. I also like to watercolor (with limited water in most journals). This tends to break through the fibers and bleeds through, especially if you use too much water.

Recommended Post: How Watercolor Paint with Markers in Your Bullet Journal

Too much water trying to blend the marker made the ink bleed through | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal

How Can You Test for Ghosting or Bleeding in a Notebook?

When starting a new notebook, I flip to the end pages and do a pen test using the most common pens & markers in my planner. Scribbles that Matter notebooks have a page at the back dedicated as a pen test.

TIP: I write the name of the ink/pen I’m using so I remember what it is in the future.

When Doing a Pen Test:

When you do a pen test, put the paper through more extreme examples than you might regularly use in a planner. I do this and it helps me know what the limits are on the paper.

For instance: I take the darkest Tombow Dual Brush Markers and layer them and blend them until perfectly blended. I find that most paper starts bleeding on the 2nd to 3rd layer. Using consistently dark colors will give you a better idea for ghosting as well. Light colors won’t show up as much.

Now you know what ghosting and bleeding are, and how to test for them in your notebooks. Happy Planning!

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

Use a pen test page in the back of your notebook to see if your favorite pens bleed or ghost in your new notebook! | ChocolateMusings.com #bulletjournal #planner

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Filed Under: Blog, Bullet Journal, Bullet Journal Fails, Get Organized & Start Planning, Start Planning Here Tagged: Bullet Journal, bullet journal fails, pen test, planning

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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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