Is It Possible To Find The Perfect Notebook?
We are just over half way thought the year and I've still not managed to settle into one notebook or diary. The Hobonichi Techo (mentioned in my Planning in 2016 blog post) didn't totally resonate with me. I really liked the layout however I wasn't a huge fan of the paper (*hears all stationery aficionados draw a sharp intake of breath*) and I was missing my travellers notebook set-up. I dipped in and out of other notebooks from time to time and ended up settling on the official Bullet Journal Leuchtturm 1917 which was a gift from a friend. I'm making a conscious effort to see this notebook to the end however I still haven't found a particular set-up that gives me 'planner peace'.In the meantime, there's been a few notebooks that have caught my attention so I have tried and tested a couple.
I'm a long-standing fan of Dodopad and used their Acad-Pad when working in education as it was easier to plan my work timetable alongside the academic timetable. I always like to have one of their mid-year diaries on my desk in my home office as it helps me to have a focus on next year's family events and holidays or even to work out savings plans for these events. I usually keep this in my personal sized Filofax and saw that recently Dodopad have brought out a range of everyday writing paper for 6-ring binders too. It's the same quality paper (100gsm) that is used in their diaries which passes every single ink test as you can see in this intensive test conducted by Philofaxy against Filofax's own paper. The paper style is one of my favourites too - squared on one side, plain on the other - perfect!
Also, I've recently been introduced to the husband and wife duo who run Inkabilly. Their brand is very much vintage inspired and influenced by their days when they were roller derby skaters. What I do love about their ethos is that they source as much as they can in the UK and strive to support small artisan businesses, makers and artists (something that I also support, especially when I worked with the local regeneration project, Blackburn Is Open, a couple of years ago), They have a small range of A6 notebooks with their 'Atomic' design which are super-handy as a bright, fun notebook (the paper is 80gsm) which fits perfectly into a pocket or handbag.
- If you want to grab some of the gorgeous stock from the Inkabilly website, use discount code TYPECAST15 for 15% off anything! (valid until 31.08.16)
So with all this temptation in my wake, is it any wonder that I struggle to use just one notebook. In the interest of research, I watched tons of videos on YouTube looked into the 'One Book July' project in the hope that it would provided me with some hints and tips for using just one planner. What I did glean from it was that I'm too conscious of having a neat and tidy diary where I should be using any diary or planner for their purpose. A total revelation!!