Leuchtturm1917 - My new Bullet Journal

I never thought that something so small like a notebook could have such a big impact in my life, but it's true!

I've always been a big planner and journal enthusiast, with little notebooks and calendars to note down all the appointments, events and interesting things that happened throughout the day. But no planner that I've ever bought was exactly how I wanted it. It might not have had enough space for me to write on or doodle like I tend to do, or it might not have had the sections that I needed for my every day notes and so on. I then turned to Etsy, in order to find the perfect planner for me. However, I still didn't find what I was looking for and also I'm not fond of having my notes on loose paper or in binders. So, while I was looking around, I stumbled upon a video on YouTube by Kara where she was talking about her Bullet Journal and my world changed! (yes, it was that dramatic!!!)

But what is a Bullet Journal?

It's an analog system for the digital age. It helps record the past organise the present and plan for the future. It can be your to-do list, sketchbook, notebook and diary and all the above.

That's how the creator of this system, Ryder Carroll, describes it in his very informative website that you must visit to see all the information and the detailed videos that thoroughly explain his system.

I knew straight away that this was the perfect system for me, so I obviously had to get that bullet planner. You can use any notebook you want with this system, or you can get the original Bullet Journal from their website. However I am a girl of colour, and I wasn't very font of the black notebook. That's when I discovered the magical and colourful world of Leuchtturm1917 notebooks!

Don't let the name deter you - I can't even pronounce it for the life of me! Fellow planner and journal enthusiasts - I'm introducing you my new love, my new Leuchtturm1917 notebook!

Oh, it's poetry! I chose the light blue colour and the size is A5 (dimensions 145x210mm). For me this is the perfect size - not too big and still compact to carry with you every day. You can also get it in A4, A6 and A7 sizes.

I prefer the dotted one, but it also comes in 3 other styles - plain, ruled and squared.

It comes in 17 different colours, and between you and me, I want to get all of them. (Don't tell my husband though!)

It closes with an elastic band that I really like, because I tend to have little notes and pieces of paper usually in between pages, and not one but two page markers.

It has 249 already numbered pages, which helps a lot with the bullet journal system. And at the front there are 3 pages with a blank table of contents, so you can fill them in as you go along.

One more cool feature that it has, is an expandable pocket at the back. Now all my little notes and pieces of paper have a home! :)

In that back pocket you'll find a set of label stickers both for the front and the spine of the notebook, a little leaflet with all the details and features and a thank you note which is always a nice touch ;)

The Leuchtturm1917 is a thread bound book that opens flat - very handy when you write or sketch things - with ink proof and acid free paper. That means that you very rarely get bleeding through the paper. You can however get some ghosting, but that doesn't bother me at all.

As you can see above I've already started to add my touches in it and I just can't get enough! There are so many things you can do with it, it's unbelievable! And the most important thing of all for me is that it's completely customisable to your needs. 

You can buy the Leuchtturm1917 notebooks online from their website. However, they deliver to a limited number of countries, so make sure you check that out first, plus expect to pay almost the same amount for shipping as the actual product! (yikes!) 

An other place that you can find them online is the Goulet Pens website, however they too don't deliver to all countries and the shipping prices are pretty high! And of course you can always check Amazon.  

For retailers per country, you can check the Leuchtturm website.

Apart from this notebook though and the organisational system that works for me, I also found an amazing community online that helps you and inspires you. If you're interested in bullet journalling then you should totally check out the Bullet Journal Junkies group on Facebook. 

Also, Instagram is THE place for BJ inspiration! The following accounts are some of my favourite: 

@boho.berry , @breeeberry, @maryj13, @tinyrayofsunshine, @allisonleora, @decadethirty ... and the list goes on!

I will also be uploading lots of pictures with the progress of my bullet journal as I'm filling it in, so don't forget to check out my Instagram and Facebook accounts.

You can also join my Newsletter!
So, there you have it. This is my new obsession and I love it! Please share with me in the comments below what type of planner you are currently using and if you're familiar with the Bullet Journal system.

How to choose your guiding word for the year.

I will start this post by admitting that I am an obsessive list maker. Lists help me make sense of everything around me, stay organized and put in order the chaos that exists in my head. They make me feel more productive and there's no better feeling that having ticked all your to-do's by the end of the day.

I love making lists, whether it is the groceries list, the packing list for our weekend trip or my resolutions list. Especially that last one has been one of my favourites. During the last days of December, I would be making all these lists with plans and resolutions for the next year. I would tackle every area of my life, note down all the things I want to change, and then I would go and create a massive goals list for it.

During the past 2-3 years I've taken this to the next level, where I would make my resolutions' list twice a year: at the end of the year and on my birthday. I thought, since my birthday is in May, I would split the year almost in half, and then narrow down my resolutions for each half separately, thinking that it would make it easier to reach my goals.

However, this year I came to the startling conclusion that resolutions don't work for me! 

I tend to over analyze every aspect of my life, creating too many lists and putting my self too many goals that most of the times felt overwhelming and impossible to achieve.

This year I decided to do things differently and make a positive change in my life.

I chose one word for the next 365 days.

A single word that sumps up the essence and the focus of my life for the rest of the year. One word that will guide me and that will be constantly reminding me of what I want to achieve during this year. A word that will act as a promise and that will hold me accountable to the decisions I'll make for the next 365 days. One word that will motivate me and inspire me along the way.

This year I'm choosing the word 'challenge'.

I want to challenge myself in all aspects of my life. I want to take chances and risks and not to over analyze things so much. I want to push myself to the next level and get out of my comfort zone. I also want to take on as many challenges as I can. From my book challenge on Goodreads, to challenging myself to run 5km in a months' time - the sky is the limit! This little word will remind me to not be afraid and it will be powerful enough to push me forward during the times that I get cold feet and I start having second thoughts.

Of course that doesn't mean that I don't have my lists of to-dos for the year. But they're more focused now around my one guiding word of the year.

All dreams come with built-in challenges and all challenges come with built-in dreams.

It took me a while to narrow it down to one single word. I have to admit it was a bit overwhelming in the beginning. There are just so many different words that you can choose from, so many possibilities. But, even though it took me a while, when I did find my word, it felt right. I remember I was having a shower (I tend to have the best ideas while I'm in the shower lately!) and I just thought of the word 'challenge' and it just clicked. It was the perfect word for me.

But how do you define and choose your one word of the year?

Perhaps you already know your word. But even if you don't, there are a number of ways that can help you find that special word that you'll commit to for the next 365 days.

You can get inspiration from the words in your favourite quotes. Write down the quotes or sayings that you love and just focus on the words that mean the most to you. You can even check out my 'Words' folder on Pinterest for more ideas.

Go to websites like OneWord365 or MyOneWord and get inspiration from there.

Or you may have read a book that had affected you in the past and you get your inspiration from that.

You should also start paying attention to everything that's been happening around you. I believe that the Universe leaves shuttle hints here and there and in a way it is guiding you towards the word that's just right for you.

However, if you still can't find your guiding word, then you can follow the three little steps that I took, that helped me narrow it down to one single word.

Step 1. 
Take a few minutes and write down what you want to achieve in the next 365 days. What you want to change. Areas in your life that you want to improve.

Be specific. Be clear to what you want.

Ask yourself:

- What do I want to feel this year?
- What changes do I want to see in my life?
- What new experiences do I want to include in my life?
- Why do I want these things in my life?
- How can I make them happen?

Step 2. 
Write one word next to each sentence you're written above - a word that describes or sums up each goal or change.

Then write all these words in a new piece of paper.

Step 3. 
Spend some time focusing on that list. Come back time and time again and see which one of these words stands up more to you. Which one can be used for each one of your goals.

The important thing is to realise that there is no right or wrong. It's your word.

Discover the big impact one small word can make to your life.

So what word will you choose for 2016? Will you be brave and commit to just one word? If yes, please share your word in the comments so that we can connect. Together we can make a change in our lives!

How to Optimize Images for Twitter

In order to create the best blog post, you should combine excellent content and equally amazing images. Pictures are extremely important. Eye-catching graphics and photos are one of the best ways to catch the attention of your followers on social media and to also attract new audience to your site from Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter etc. When you post high quality, original images, there's more of a chance that they'll be repinned, retweeted, or/and shared. That means more traffic driven back to your blog.



When you post an image on Twitter, it shows a preview right in your feed without having to click on any links - which is quite cool. However, the in-stream preview is a section of your image that Twitter automatically chooses to display.

Twitter’s in-stream preview is 440 pixels wide and 220 pixels tall (a 2:1 ratio). 

That means that if your image's dimensions are not of a 2:1 ratio, parts of the top and bottom of your image will be cut off.

So, for example let's say that you've found the perfect image to accompany your blog post and added your catchy title on it as well like the one below.

Then, when you post your image on Twitter you end up with something like this:

Mmmmm.... not ideal if you ask me! You can still see part of the delicious donuts, but I've completely lost my text which is very important to show what the post is all about.

So, how can you optimize your images to look good in the Twitter preview?

There are a number of ways to make sure that the in-stream preview doesn’t leave out the best parts of your picture.

• Make sure your image dimensions are a 2:1 ratio.

Even though that solves all your problems and all of your image will appear in the in-stream preview every time, however it can be quite restricting in the case you ever decide to use a portrait or a square image.

So, in that case you should:

• Pre-figure what will show in the in-stream preview.

You can easily do that by following these steps:

Find the center of your image.

Find the 2:1 ratio of your image, in other words the dimensions of the in-stream preview.

To do that you'll have to divide your width by 2.

So for example, the dimensions of the image above are 600x878. If I divide the width (600) by 2 then the 2:1 ratio of the image shown in the preview will be 600x300.

That means 150px above and 150px below the horizontal line that crosses the center of your image.

What I like to do, is create a new layer with the dimensions of the in-stream preview that I've just calculated and place it on my image. I usually choose a nice vibrant colour, but I like to also make it around 55% opaque so that I can still see what part from my original image will be shown.

Then I move my text around so that it falls in the blue rectangle. At this point I might have to do some adjustments in size or change the font depending on the image.

Finally, I remove all the lines and the blue layer and I'm left with the perfect image for my post that is Twitter optimized!

Now, when I post this image on Twitter I get this:

Which is a million times better than what I had before!

So there you have it. Twitter optimized images every time.

How do you optimize your images before posting them on social media?

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