Dot Grid Everything!
I used to be a straight lines girl. Sometimes I would fuss about the line spacing, or the colour of the lines, but that would be it. Since March though, I discovered the magical world of dot grid and my whole life has changed!
Ok, that may be a bit dramatic! But seriously, for the last three months everything I buy has to have dots! From my various notebooks, to my post-its and my note taking papers - dot grid is everywhere.
It all started when I bought my first Leuchtturm1917 bullet journal in dot grid and saw the difference.
So, why do I prefer the dot grid from the squared, lined or plain ones?
1. It helps me keep my writing and my lines straight.
2. Easier to make shapes even without a ruler.
3. You can draw without the lines/squares obscuring the drawing.
4. You can create even to-do list tick boxes.
5. They are good for diagrams - makes scaling a bit easier.
6. You can even write vertically.
Here is a list of all the things I'm currently using on a daily basis that are full of dots:
- My Leuchtturm1917 A5 Dot Grid Light Blue personal bullet journal that I use all the time! I've made a detailed review about it if you're interested here.
- My Moleskin Dot Grid Black blog bullet journal that I've just started using and I love it! I have made a post comparing the Leuchtturm1917 vs the Moleskine (though at the time I had a squared Moleskine). Even though I still believe that the Leuchtturm1917 has more advantages compared to the Moleskine one, however I tend to prefer the paper in the Moleskine notebooks. I know that it's thinner and it's not perfect for drawing or for darker and more wet pens, nevertheless, the pen seems to glide on the paper and I like my handwritting better on this one. For the purposes of my blog bullet journal, where I'm not drawing that much, it's perfect!
- My A4 Dot Grid Notepad by Fabriano. I just discovered this italian brand and I love it! It's made of ecological paper in a pale ivory shade and the quality is amazing. They also have various types of notebooks in dotted grid that I'd like to try out.
- My FULLFÖLJA notebook from IKEA. Small and compact, I carry it always in my handbag to write my notes on the go.
- My FULLFÖLJA notepad from IKEA. It has 500 dotted sheets and I love writing all sorts of notes on them! I've also created an A4 dot grid page with a paper plane design on the top. If you're a bullet journal addict like me and you prefer taking notes on a dotted grid paper, then this one is for you ;)
Join now my newsletter and get two FREE Printable designs - one with only the outline of the paper plane and one coloured by yours truly :)
JOIN THE GANG!
Subscribe now to my Newsletter to download the FREE Printable.
Plus get access to the Resources Library!
What type of grid do you prefer? Have you discovered the dot grid perfection yet?
Instagram Giveaway: The Winner!
And yes, the day has come for me to announce the winner of my Instagram Giveaway!
I'd like to thank all of you who entered the giveaway and for your lovely comments. They always make my day :)
You've won some of my favourite things that I like to use for my bullet journal at the moment:
Bullet Journal: My June Set Up
With June being just around the corner, I have already finished my June set up in my bullet journal, and I'm going to share that with you today. There's been some changes, some additions plus I've also decided to remove some layouts as well. I'm pretty happy with the way things turned out and hopefully they'll work perfectly during the month.
With June being just around the corner, I have already finished my June set up in my bullet journal, and I'm going to share that with you today. There's been some changes, some additions plus I've also decided to remove some layouts as well. I'm pretty happy with the way things turned out and hopefully they'll work perfectly during the month.
The first page is a drawing I did to welcome June! I love the colours and the way it looks. It makes me happy and these colours put me right into the summer vibe. Inspired by @blackberryjelly.
The first change I did for this month's set up was with my monthly layout. If you remember before, I always used the month at a glance grid with the boxes. I noticed that I was not using that page as much as I wanted to, and therefore decided to turn it into a one page layout following the original bullet journal monthly log method. Here I'll be noting down imporant dates and events.
My Tasks, Goals and Notes for next month have their own page now and I like the way it looks. Plus I added a calendar view of July with the most important dates to keep in mind.
Another change I've done, was with my gratitude log. I've decided to have one entry per day instead of two, and therefore the gratitude log now sits comfortably in one page. The reason behind this is, because I am having another journal for my daily gratitude moments, and therefore I decided to write only one of those moments (or a summary of those if needed) in my bullet journal.
Of course I have my memories page, that I started last month and I love how it turned out. So, I had to add it again for June.
One more new thing added in June's set up is the Quotes pages. I made a quotes page for my birthday and I really liked how it looked, so I decided to make it a habbit and write one quote every day.
I got inspired by @logthatlife and made little boxes for each one of the days. Can't wait to start writing the quotes I read :)
Earlier this week I announced the prompts for the June's Instagram Challenge that me and Alexandra (@alexandra_plans) created. The theme for June is 'Under the Sea'. Make sure you use the hashtag #doodlewithusinjune everytime you upload your images :) This is my set up for this month's challenge. No dates or numbers and the 7x7 boxes are done in pencil. For more information about the challenge, as well as the reason why I set the layout this way, click here.
Due to some health issues, I have to eat meat for at least a month. So, I've decided to do the Whole30 Challenge. I'm already on day 14 and I really like it so far, even though it took me a while to get used to it and face some psychological issues, since I've been a vegan for so long. I am keeping a food log in order to keep track of what I'm eating.
Lastly, my weekly spread for the first week of June had some changes too. I've added a weather forecast for the whole week, because I can't be bothered to check the weather every day. Frankly, here in Cyprus there is not a lot of change from day to day as far as the weather is concerned - it's HOT! Also, my trackers found a home here, and hopefully I will be actually tracking the things I want this week! I also managed to squeeze in my goals and tasks for this week, my meal planning as well as to have space for notes and the things I need to remember for next month. I've created a printable version of this Weekly Spread to share with you. That way, you can print it and start using it before you apply it in your bullet journal, to see if you like this way of planning and if it suits your needs.
JOIN THE GANG!
Subscribe now to my Newsletter to download the FREE Printable.
Plus get access to the Resources Library!
If you've noticed, I've completely removed everything that had to do with work or with my blog. The reason for this is because I've decided (finally!) to have a completely separate bullet journal for that. I'm using a Moleskine Cahier notebook in Lilac with a square grid and I love it because it's thinner and has bigger pages, which I really want. If you'd like me to show you how I set up this bullet journal as well, please let me know in the comments below.
For more inspiration about weekly spreads, don't forget to check this post.
So, there you have it! This is how I set up my bullet journal for June, and I'm really excited to start the new month. What have you changed or done anything differently for June?
**Don't forget to take part in my Instagram Giveaway. More details here.
Here are my favourite Resources that I use every day with my Bullet Journal. Click to find out what I love to use.
Instagram Giveaway - 5000 Followers!
I cannot believe that I've reached 5000 followers over on Instagram! Thank you all so, so much! It means a lot to me. And in order to celebrate, what better way than a giveaway??!
This is a giveaway from me to you, featuring my favourite things that I use for my bullet journal at the moment. There will be one winner who will get the following:
1. Follow me (@christina77star) on Instagram
2. Repost this image with the hashtag #christina77stargiveaway
Rules:
1. Enter by 11:59pm EST on June 4th.
2. One entry per person.
3. Must be over 18 years old to enter.
4. No private Instagram accounts.
5. No giveaway accounts.
6. The giveaway is open worldwide.
The winner will be announced on Monday 6th of June on my blog and on my Instagram account.
INSTAGRAM CHALLENGE: #DOODLEWITHUSINJUNE
Once again I'm excited to announce our Instagram Challenge for the month of June! It's the #doodlewithusinjune Instagram Challenge created by me and Alexandra (from @alexandra_plans).
It's going to be 30 days of doodles that will hopefully get you to be creative and have fun! The theme of June's Prompts is 'Under The Sea'.
This month, we decided to do something a bit different - make all the doodles part of one big comprehensive picture. Imagine each day to be one piece of the puzzle. So, at the end of the month you will have one big doodle picture!
If you decide to follow this way, you'll have to create a table with 5x6 boxes and you shouldn't add the days at the top. You can also make the boxes and dates in pencil, if you don't want the lines to obscure the end result. It's totally up to you.
Of course, if you prefer to draw the doodles in the traditional way, that's absolutely fine as well. The important thing is to have fun!
You can also download a free printout with the daily prompts here.
- Follow me (Christina) @christina77star and Alexandra @alexandra_plans over on Instagram.
- Download the prompts below.
- Draw something according to the day's prompt, take a photo of it, and share it with us on Instagram.
- Don't forget to add the hashtag #doodlewithusinjune and spread the word.
- Everyone is welcome!
25 Weekly Spread Ideas for your Bullet Journal
One of the best things of bullet journaling for me is the fact that you can change any layout to suit your needs. You can create your own totally from scratch, or you can get inspired from all the amazing fellow bullet journalists online. You can see how they do things and then try to take that layout and make it your own.
I have to admit that I am a weekly spread fanatic! I constantly look around for new ideas and I am actually collecting pictures of weekly spreads that I tend to go through them any time I feel like changing my current weekly spread around.
So, today I thought of sharing with you some amazing weekly spreads that I found, and some that I made myself in order to get you inspired.
One of the best things of bullet journaling for me is the fact that you can change any layout to suit your needs. You can create your own totally from scratch, or you can get inspired from all the amazing fellow bullet journalists online. You can see how they do things and then try to take that layout and make it your own.
I have to admit that I am a weekly spread fanatic! I constantly look around for new ideas and I am actually collecting pictures of weekly spreads that I tend to go through them any time I feel like changing my current weekly spread around.
So, today I thought of sharing with you some amazing weekly spreads that I found, and some that I made myself in order to get you inspired. The first 5 are mine and they are the ones I seem to use the most.
The above 3 spreads are for the weeks where I have a lot to do and I need a more detailed plan, while the following 2 are more for the weeks that there's not many tasks to do. On those weeks I sometimes also skip the daily spreads.
Creative Journaling Course
Step-by-step video lessons that will help you set up and organise your life in your journal.
The following spreads are from some very talented people that I found online, mainly on Instagram. If you want to get inspired, then you should definitely check them out.
- Weekly Spread by Lori@loriluckyhouse
I love, love, LOVE the colours and the use of space! Also, I really like that she has a section for the level 10 each week.
- Weekly Spread by Dee @decadethirty
I really like the simplicity of it. Sometimes you don't have to draw or do anything complicated.
- Weekly Spread by Marissa @choosingbliss
I like how compact that looks and the colours of the dates.
- Weekly Spread by Kara @BohoBerry
Of course there had to be a spread by Kara! This is a more updated weekly spread of the one I got inspired from, for my first two spreads. I like the section for the current projects.
- Weekly Spread by Jessica @prettyprintsandpaper
I love the colourful dates, the colour coordinated bullets and how she uses the space of the two pages.
- Weekly Spread by Ros @bluepapertrail
I like the section for 'This week's top 3' and the bottom section that can be used for tasks that repeat during the week.
- Weekly Spread by Kate @plantosucceed
I am currently obsessed with Kate's account and you should definitely check her out! Everything looks so tidy and neat, and I can't wait to use this layout for my inspiration when setting next weeks spread!
- Weekly Spread by Martina @martyplanner
Similar spread with different sections. Another amazing bullet journalist that I love to get inspired by!
- Weekly Spread by Doaa (I hope I got this right) @doaakhalil5
Just look at the detail and the colours! Love it!
- Weekly Spread by Laura@planningmyday
I love the stamps and step counting section. Everything looks very neat and tidy :)
- Weekly Spread by Svenja @loveandnotes
I love the mood section and the shopping post-it. Very clever!
- Weekly Spread by Ashlyn @nittany_bujo
Look how compact everything looks! I think she managed to fit everything in just one page!
- Weekly Spread by Alexandra @alexandra_plans
Lovely colours and doodles!
- Weekly Spread by Veronika @onki_art
Another colourful spread based on events and tasks.
- Weekly Spread by Mina @cubbifulplans
I love the boxes and the animation after each day! Such a great idea!
- Weekly Spread by Christine @writingbravely
Simple and to the point. I like the way she does her headers and I love her handwriting!
- Weekly Spread by Cristina @prettylistsandcolors
I like that she has the monthly view on the right page and also the brain dump section. :)
- Weekly Spread by Mia Moore@xomiamoore
There is space for everything and I like the pink-black combination.
The last 2 I found them on Pinterest and I don't know exactly who created these spreads. If you know, please let me know in the comments below so that I can give credit. :)
Again I love the shopping list post-it and it also has some of my favourite sections without being crowded.
I like the tasks being separated in two categories and the habits and expenses tracker.
So, there you have it! 25 amazing and creative weekly spreads for you to get inspired from!
For even more inspiration make sure you join my Newsletter in order to get access to the Resources Library!
JOIN THE GANG!
Get all the inspiration delivered to your inbox twice per month.
Plus get access to the Resources Library!
Also, don't forget that Instagram and Pinterest are the places for bullet journal inspiration. I have also created an open board on Pinterest for all the fellow bullet journal fans. This board is all about Bullet Journaling: Spreads, Collections, Tips and lots and lots of Inspiration.
So, if you would like to join the BULLET JOURNAL Inspiration board please follow the steps:
1. Follow Christina (christina77star) on Pinterest
2. Send me an email to christina77star@gmail.com with the subject: 'Pinterest Group Board Request' and include your Pinterest account name or Pinterest email address so that I can invite you.
Here are my favourite Resources that I use every day with my Bullet Journal.
Click to find out what I love to use.
Have a lovely day! :)
Weekly Review and Planning with my Bullet Journal
The last month I've started doing something at the end of each week that has totally affected my productivity and my mindset. Since I've started using this technique, I am able to do much more over the course of the week both in a personal and working level.
The new thing that I've implemented into my planning and bullet journaling is a Weekly Review. It's the time where I step back and assess everything that has happened during the week that just passed. I see where I am at, and what needs to be done. It usually takes me 20-30 minutes every Sunday afternoon to go through the process, and that makes me focus, concentrate on my priorities and make sure that I'm dealing with the things that really matter. That gets me ready for the week ahead.
I've been looking around for new and more organised ways to do things (as I always do!), and I came across a lot of articles and planners that mentioned the Weekly Review concept. So, I took all the information that I found and adjusted it to my needs.
The first thing I do, is to go back to the week that just passed in my bullet journal and see how I did. I know there's a million questions I could ask myself about what happened, like how I felt, the obstacles I encountered etc. But I decided to keep it simple to three questions:
- Which were my biggest wins?
- What didn't work?
- How can I improve?
This helps me to actually see what I've achieved this week and give myself a pat on the back :) It also shows me what didn't work, and what changes need to be done to make things happen. It's a really nice way to focus on the things that matter and find solutions. I also like to separate personal from work, and therefore I create a section for each one.
After I finish with my Weekly Review, I move on to myWeekly Planning. For this, I go through a few steps:
- I check all my emails to see if there is any appointments, events or tasks for next week.
- I go to my Calendex to see if there is any birthdays, appointments of events.
- I go through my monthly spread and my previous week spread to see if there is any tasks that I have to migrate to this week. I also look at any notes that I have written to myself to remind me of things that need to be done.
- I check my housework routine to see what I need to do each day.
When all this is done, and I have filled in my weekly spread, then I identify the key tasks / priorities that I need to do this week. I choose 3 for personal and 3 for work. Of course there are more things that I need to do, but I have to finish these 6 first, before I move on to the other projects. That way I don't get distracted and lose focus.
Under each project, I write all the necessary steps I need to take. There is no particular order, I just brainstorm and write things down. I can add extra steps if needed as I go along and when I finish one of the steps, I tick it off. During the week, I will go back to this page to see what I can do that day for each project, depending on the time I have. For specific tasks that I want to make time, ie. hand lettering practice, I will
It makes me feel very organised and ready when I've got all the steps that need to be done in one page :) It is a way to collect all the information you need from your notes, emails, bullet journal and your brain (!) onto a page, so that you can figure out how to take action on what needs to be done.
Do you do a weekly review? What system do you prefer for your goal setting and your projects?
Colouring: A Stress-Relief Technique
Coloring books are no longer just for the kids. On the contrary, adult coloring books are the in thing right now, placing them on more and more bestsellers’ lists throughout the world.
Researchers have acknowledged the therapeutic qualities of art for years, and many grown-ups find sitting down with crayons or coloured pencils a way to unwind. Colouring has therapeutic qualities that can help to reduce anxiety, create focus or bring about more mindfulness. Like meditation, colouring allows the brain to switch off other thoughts and focus on the moment.
Personally, I've always liked colouring. Since I was a little girl I remember treasuring all my colouring books that I just loved to fill in with my coloured pencils. This continued through my high school years and university, where I would always add doodles and colour on my notes and books. Even now, every note and diary has colour in it. And of course since I started my bullet journal, this has escalated a bit! You only need to take a look at my Instagram account :)
So, colouring has always been in my life. Lately though, I've discovered (a bit late, I know!) the adult colouring books, and this has opened up a whole new world for me!
Some of these books are more detailed than others, and they have some amazingly intricate designs that you can spend hours colouring! One of my favourite ones that I bought recently is the Enchanted Forest by Johanna Basford. I really like her style and I'm planning to get next the Lost Ocean as well as the Secret Garden.
I can literally get lost for hours, when I start colouring with these books. My favourite coloured pencils to use with them are the Pelikan soft coloured pencils and the Staedtler ones.
You don't have to be an expert to start colouring. You just add different colours as you go, and then see the whole picture transform. Of course, if you want you can take it to the next level and experiment a bit with shading that will definitely bring the picture to life!
You can find loads of colouring books online. Some of the ones that I've added to my wish list are:
 |
| Left // Right |
 |
| Left // Right |
 |
| Left // Right |
There is also a box created by Crayola specifically for adults that's called 'Color Escapes' that looks interesting.
If you don't want to buy any books, but you're still interested to see if you would like to start colouring, then you can find loads of adult colouring pages online that are free to download. I really like these ones:
Zen and Anti-Stress Colouring Pages for Adults
Printable Coloured Pages for Adults - 15 free designs
Free Adult Colouring Pages
Free Colouring Pages for Adults
Of course you can also try and create your own designs and get creative! I had a lot of fun drawing this owl colouring page. To create it I used an HB pencil to draw the design, and then I used my Sakura Micron pens in 01, 03 and 05 (depending how thick I wanted the lines each time) to draw the outline
You can click here to download it for FREE! For best results when printing, choose black and white in the settings. Hope you like it :)
So, grab your coloured pencils and let's get lost in the amazing world of colour :) Which are your favourite colouring books?
