@hayleysnotions

This took me so long to record but I’m getting the hang of this video thing lol ##bujo ##planwithme ##aprilbujo ##aprilbujosetup ##booktok ##nerd ##journal

♬ Steven Universe – L.Dre

Cover Page

These spreads would not be possible without the gorgeous washi tape stamps from Joy Addict on Etsy. They have stunning fandom and literary washi tape. I’m obsessed! And I just had to use them in this month’s theme. The results really do speak for themselves and the washi tape shines!

Weekly Spread

Rolling weekly, you are a dream! The little date stamps (ha!) gives the spreads such whimsy. I very much captured the idea of a postcard and it’s so recognizable you can’t go wrong.

Month in Review

Ahh! This is just my favorite ever. I cannot wait to fill this out. Ever since joining TikTok, I need room for a book haul and what I read. It’s nice to get to the end of every month and have a real space to reflect. This is the page I turn to over and over to see what defined my months.

I think this spread would look really cute if you drew the stamps as well! Maybe do little floral doodles for hand drawn stamps. With just simple boxes and a lot of white space, this was quick and truly fits the minimalist style. I love the Disney stamps and the literary ones like Anne of Green Gables which I am currently listening to on audiobook. What stamps would you create for your DIY postcards?

Happy Journaling-

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This section contains affiliate links. See my full list of journaling supplies in this post.
I only link to products that I know and love. Thank you for supporting my blog!

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And here they are! Make sure to get them for yourself by subscribing to my newsletter below. I send a monthly email to let you know what’s been happening in my life and reflect on lessons I’ve learned. I promise not to overburden your inbox!

If you’ve been following my bullet journal spreads for 2021, I’ve actually moved away from using a monthly calendar in my pages. I’ve been using a month in review instead which I love infinitely more! Now, I can still have a monthly calendar to keep track of important dates and my schedule. And it looks pretty too!

I love that this monthly calendar can be put right above my writing desk with some pretty washi tape. It’s helping me keep track of my writing goals every month. You might have seen in my last post that I reached the halfway point of drafting my new novel! Now that I have, I write a little sticky note with 5k word count milestones that I can cross off as I approach the end. Just today (after taking these picture ) I reached 50,000 words!

They also are great for hanging on your fridge! You can write down grocery lists, special events, and reminders for yourself. The calendars are very much inspired by the wonderful work of Bonnie, the founder of Archer and Olive*, of which I am an affiliate.

I really wanted to make something for my lovely readers who have been supporting me all these years. Even if there are not many of you, I see you and appreciate you. You’ve been so loyal to this little blog that has been growing and growing and turning into my dream more and more with every passing month. It means so much that I get to connect and share my thoughts with so many liked-minded people aiming to live a slower more sustainable life while trying to live their dreams.

Happy Day-

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This section contains affiliate links. See my full list of journaling supplies in this post.
I only link to products that I know and love. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Use my code HF10 for 10% Archer and Olive Journals

Journaling has become an important part of my life and an important part of my business! My blog expanded three-fold when I started posting my bullet journal spreads. The act of writing things down—whether it’s a grocery list or a diary about your day—is therapeutic and slows me down. It’s helps me keep track of my goals and helps me let things go (onto the page) so my mind can focus on other things. Without journaling, I know that I wouldn’t haven written two novels (and started work on my third)!

That’s how I really came into the purpose of my blog—

I’m here to share my creative journey and to show you that living the life you choose is the bravest thing you can ever do. With journaling and slow, sustainable living, you can pursue your passions and live a life of your own design.

For me, journaling is an act of intention. That’s half the battle when striving to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Are you doing something with purpose that contributes positively to your life? When something is important you find a way to make it work.

And I’m happy to share, that there are supplies that can make journaling zero waste. I have a lot more journaling supplies than this. But then again, half my business and a huge chunk of my life revolves around stationary. You don’t need a lot to get started! Really just two things: a journal and pen.

This post contains affiliate links which means that if you make a purchase via one of the links, I will receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you. I only link to products that I know and love. Thank you for supporting my blog!

How to Journal Zero Waste

There are some practices that can help you journal zero waste. But in the end, journaling is personal. It’s what you need individually that makes it so special. I’m constantly posting about how my journaling journey is evolving. In terms of shopping, here are some tips:

1. Use supplies you already have! Most people have junk drawer so utilize those supplies while you can before recycling them or gifting to a friend.
2. Shop second hand! Facebook market place and variety sections of a thrift shop carry loads. Easier for some supplies than others. No one wants a half filled journal!
3. Buy from a small business and be mindful of packaging.
4. Recycle with TerraCycle when a product has reached the end of its days.

So without further ado, let’s get into my favorite part: stationary STUFF.

My Zero Waste Journal Supplies

Despite my previous minimalist list of bullet journal supplies, this really is the ultimate minimalist list. At least for me! I’m sharing six items that I adore and make my journey towards zero waste easier and prettier!

As a writer, I love (and need!) to write by hand. The act of putting pen to paper slows down my thinking and lets me focus on poetic language or organizing my thoughts. My writing notebook is something that is entirely zero waste! It’s simply a eco-friendly journal and a fountain pen!

I have been raving about Archer and Olive journals since I started using them at the end of 2019. They are durable and beautiful notebooks that come in a ton of different sizes and paper styles. Plus, they have low waste packaging! Their journals come in a cardboard box with paper. The boxes are beautiful too!

Archer and Olive have replaced almost all packaging with recyclable or compostable shipping material and they aim to eliminate all single use plastic from ALL  packaging by the end of the year. They only work with trusted manufacturers with FSC certification.

Peep my actual writing journal! I have this stunning dot grid journal with kraft paper. Kraft paper is more sustainable to produce than regular paper. It retains its natural wood color and has less chemical treatment. It’s not dyed/bleached, plus I love the aesthetics of it. It gives me such a vintage vibe and is great for drawing! I have character sketches and MAPS. Yes, all the maps for fantasy writing. I’m not one to reveal too much about my writing before it’s published. Here are some notes on theme:

Another cool thing about the Archer and Olive journals is they have a place for your pen with a little elastic loop. There is also a pocket in the back. It lays completely flat and has two ribbons for keeping your place. This journal is in the B5 size! It has 160 pages and so much space for keeping all the secret notes of my WIP.

I also use my journals as places to create freely and make art. I’ve really embraced minimalist art, capturing lines and florals. Archer and Olive can hold up to acrylic paint, watercolor, and all the ink, and the pages don’t bleed or wrinkle.

Fountain pens! Why reinvent the wheel when fountain pens are the best. The writing is flawless and I have no issues with mine from Dryden. I have a complete guide to using a fountain pen below. It fits nice in the hand and clicks when the cap is attached. I feel fancy and vintage! In terms of cost, it’s the same as buying about thirty gel pens. That may seem like an insane amount but it would probably take about two or three years to go through them. After a year of using my fountain pen, I know I’ve saved a lot of plastic packaging from going to waste and reduced the carbon emissions by not purchasing new product.

When it comes to fountain pen ink, all ink is not made the same! I had some old ink for art project and using it in my fountain pen was not great. It was old ink and the pen didn’t write as smoothly. Getting a liquid ink is important! The Parker Ink comes in a glass bottle and cardboard box packaging. It has a tight lid so the ink won’t congeal or dry out.

I have a couple of other supplies including a brass ruler and metal binder clips. But my other most used zero waste journal item (that I have yet to blog about) is my pocket journal. It’s a simple kraft paper cover with blank pages that I use as a common place book. It’s something I keep in my purse and on my bedside. I jot down quotes or thoughts or little ideas or lines of prose. It’s something I will definitely be talking more about! With the Archer and Olive journal, I slip the pocket notebook in-between the elastic. Great for on the go!

Here is my full list of supplies. Most come in cardboard packaging that can be recycled. The pocket journals came wrapped in plastic as well as a seal on the ink bottle. Some things are a bit unavoidable. These items stand the test of time and will last me years upon years. Investing in things you love will help you keep them around a lot longer.

1. B5 Dot Grid Notebook (Night Sky) with Kraft Paper | $37
2. Pocket Journal with Kraft Cover (3) | $10
3. Gold Metal Wire Binder Clips (12) | $10
4. Midori Brass Ruler | $12
5. Dryden Bamboo Fountain Pen | $29
6. Parker Ink Bottle | $10

How to Use a Fountain Pen

Investing in a fountain pen was by far my favorite zero waste purchase last year. I use it every damn day! It’s a dream to use and I’m so impressed with how smoothly it writes. I write in cursive most of the time and it makes for flawless writing and fast note taking. Oh and signing books with it! Amazing! And what’s great is that if I ever reach a stage in my career where I have to sign lots of books, I can simply refill the same pen with ink.

I purchased a Dryden fountain pen. It’s bamboo and comes in a bamboo box. It’s mostly made of wood and metal with the convertor made of plastic. The amount of plastic is negligible considering I’ll be using this for years! It has amazing reviews too. It hasn’t let me down!

Does it leak?

I have taken this with me all over and its been thrown around it my bag all day with no issues! You better believe I take my writing journal with me in case I get inspiration.

How often does it need new ink?

Because I use my fountain pen so frequently, I add more ink about every ten days. You may have noticed that I journal and write a lot. I expect most people would need to fill the fountain every couple weeks or every month or so.

How does it compare to a regular ball-point pen?

The writing is flawlessly smooth. The ink does take more time to dry so you do have to be more careful of smudging. But not much. It has a medium-nib and is comparable to a regular pen in its width when writing.

I actually love the weight of the pen in my hand.

Okay, you convinced me! How does it WORK?

My fountain pen has a converter which means I can draw up ink. It can get a bit messy so I often place newspaper or use a blank page of the journal. After unscrewing the barrel, I un-pop the convertor. The convertor has a twisted suction. I dip it into the ink and twist to draw up the ink. Then I simply pot the plastic back into the section and reattach the barrel.

It can take some practice. The first time I got ink all over my hands!

As a historical fiction writer, it’s wild for me to put something like this in perspective. All that was used in the twentieth century was fountain pens! I’m sure there were guides for using them back then too. We can learn so much about sustainable practice by seeing what people did in the past.

Yet, I am happy to live in this time too. I love having beautiful stationary shipped to my door within days. What is a journal item you love? I’d love to hear!

Happy Journaling-

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This section contains affiliate links. See my full list of journaling supplies in this post.
I only link to products that I know and love. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Use my code HF10 for 10% Archer and Olive Journals

Pin for later

Cover Page

With just two colors, I created this messy but pretty wreath. I just drew some circles free hand and filled them in with round leaves for the teal and pointed leaves for the sage green.

Two lengths of washi tape from the Washi Tape Shop complete this spread! The trick with minimalist designs is plenty of white space. Don’t be afraid of leaving the pages blank.

Weekly Spread

I’m continuing to love the rolling weekly and will be using it for this entire bullet journal. It doesn’t leave much room for art but when doing a spread like this, that’s beneficial!

I just did some mini wreaths around the dates and brought the same design of double washi tape lines to the bottom.

Month in Review

I love the wrap up the end of each month with some long form journaling. The pages here are a little messy but I always call it whimsical it was meant to be that way.

There’s not much to say for me this month! I often struggle to figure out how to use washi tape. When you have beautiful washi tape, I think it’s okay to just let them be beautiful on their own. Just like us! We just need a little space to be our own beautiful selves.

So tell me in the comments, how you use washi tape in your journals! Let’s brain storm some ideas.

Happy Journaling-

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This section contains affiliate links. See my full list of journaling supplies in this post.
I only link to products that I know and love. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Use my code HF10 for 10% Archer and Olive Journals

This kind of flexibility used in the bullet journal is where I find its magic. It’s different for everyone and can be exactly tailored to the way you function and organize.

If you’ve been here for a while you know I’m obsessed with my Archer and Olive* journals. I recently got a new one just to keep track of everything having to do with this blog. I’m in love! And I’m dedicating this journal to the ultra minimalist style that I’ve been known for.

Now, I’m taking it a step further and following the original bullet journal method. It’s fast and bare bones. Watch this brief video by the inventor of the bullet journal method, Ryder Carroll, to learn more.

Even though I’m going ultra minimalist, I’m including simple art, color and even washi tape to make things my own. Things that make me happy to journal!

Cover Page

You may recognize this art from my 2020 bullet journal set-up. It was such a favorite that I’m carrying those floral elements and color scheme into this entire journal.

Index

Now this is something that is entirely new to my bullet journal world: an index. I’ve never included one before! I never really saw the point when I journal by monthly chunks. That’s still the case for my personal bujo, but for this one, it’ll be helpful to refer to certain months (oh, when did I last upload a craft post, let me check my post schedule).

I love the washi tape that goes with my color scheme and floral designs! It’s something that’s so quick to add to any page.

Custom Log/Growth Tracker

This is another set-up that I copied from my 2020 journal. I included a blogging section into my journal that you can see here. It even included an attempt at a kanban board. I’m trying to really grow and expand my blog this year so I using an entire journal, not just five pages.

Future Log

This is something that I’ve struggled to use in the past but I’m finding it useful to give myself deadlines for bigger projects. I usually end up doing many big projects at one time so each is just in a constant state of “almost done.” Now, I can assign a project per month and try not to worry about it until that month arrives.

Collection/Brain Dump

A collection is a list of related items. I love using the word brain dump because it really captures how I can litter a smattering of ideas onto a page. Since this is for blogging, I have lists of blog post ideas by category.

Later on, I added another page for a brain dump to jot down big project ideas or inspiration! But I wouldn’t want to give too much away! So there’s not much written on this page.

Monthly Calendar and Task List

This is another set-up that I’ve never tried before! And since this journal deals with mostly tasks and deadlines (no major events, holidays, personal appointments, etc.) this calendar set-up is ideal for giving myself deadlines! My posting schedule is every Thursday so I’ve highlighted that day of the week so I can write which post will go live that day. I’ve also highlighted one Friday each month where I’ll send my monthly newsletter.

Rapid Logging/Daily Log

Since I don’t do work for my blog every day, I don’t need a section for every day of the week for the entire year. This is where Ryder Carroll’s method is really in the works! I record each day as I go and can jot things down to do later on in the monthly tasks list.

Key

The dots are tasks bullets and the dashes are ideas/notes. You can use another symbol like a circle or square for events but since I use this for blogging work, I don’t have events. At the end of the month, I’ll go back through the month and put an x over all of the task bullets to mark if they are complete. If not, I’ll put an arrow to migrate the task to the next month, or to a later month by putting it in the future log.

This journal has already been invaluable to me! There’s something to be said about having a separate journal for this work. Until I open up this bujo, I’m not worrying over the things I want to get done for the blog. There’s a real separation of personal and work life here that is really beneficial to my mental health.

Happy Journaling-

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This section contains affiliate links. See my full list of journaling supplies in this post.
I only link to products that I know and love. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Use my code HF10 for 10% Archer and Olive Journals

Cover Page

I got some beautiful washi tape from The Washi Tape Shop and I just love the variety of absolutely stunning tape they carry. Their quality is superb and I have no complaints! I just drew a simple branch to compliment the pink lettering on this cover page.

Weekly Spread

I am continuing to use the rolling weekly layout for my weekly spreads. Last year my goal was to create a different weekly spread for every month! It definitely was too much. The only thing about this layout is that it doesn’t offer too much in terms of design. Since I opt for simpler spreads (ones that anyone can recreate!) it feels minimalist and is minimalist.

I have my agenda for the week on the left and my weekly tasks on the right. This rolling to do list works nicely because many tasks take multiple days to complete so I’m not constantly rewriting the same task over and over again.

What’s nice about this spread is that it really saves so much time! Using the sticky note weekly plan make set-up such a breeze.

Month In Review

Like my spread last month, I’m doing another month in review spread. Actually, I see myself using this for the entire year! With different designs of course. I left a lot more space this time for ‘book haul’ to list all the books I buy or get from friends!

The balance of washi tape gives these pages some visual interest without taking any time at all.

I am so happy with how these spreads turned out! It was so nice to get them done so quickly too. And these pictures?! My photography game on this blog has stepped up so much and I just want to look at these pretty pictures all the time. (Nice humble brag there, Hayley .) What creative ways to you use sticky notes or washi tape to create quick bujo spreads?

Happy Journaling-

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This section contains affiliate links. See my full list of journaling supplies in this post.
I only link to products that I know and love. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Use my code HF10 for 10% Archer and Olive Journals

Cover Page

My cover page for the month is phases of the moon. The moons are opposite, using the navy as the full part of the moon. I didn’t use any tools for this, just made the circles free-hand. It’s not precise but I think it gives it a whimsical look.

This spread also goes lovely with my NEW writing journal! You can see it and my list of zero waste journaling supplies in this post. These two journals are ones I have with me all the time so they have to go well together. Again, dark blue and gold were made for each other!

Weekly Spread

I’m doing something different this year with my weekly spreads! I’m doing the rollover weekly inspired by The Plant Based Bride on YouTube. On the left side I have my agenda where I have important events or deadlines. On the right I have a rolling to do list. I have the list of things I want to accomplish for the week and the days of the week to the left of that. Then I can mark the day I started the task and draw a line to that task.

The key for the task bullets are self-explanatory. The x means it’s completed. A half x means it’s started. Then I can draw an arrow to migrate the task to next week or another week in the month.

By absolutely favorite part of this month’s design is the blue mountains!

Here my beautiful bujo in action with the two ribbon bookmarks. I always use the ampersand ribbon to mark the current week.

I have each week written at the top and have set up all four weeks of the month ahead of time. I usually watch some TV and draw my spread for the month.

Month in Review

Something I dearly missed that I haven’t done since my 2019 journals is a month in review. I love this space to wrap up the month and long-form journal a page about my thoughts. It really helps me frame the month and prepares me for the month ahead. This is the slow part of journaling that makes it more than just an agenda and keeper of lists. It makes it personal and meaningful. It’s a page I can go back to and reflect and remember.

I have been loving seeing reading journals but haven’t wanted to take the plunge into creating one for myself. I track my books on Goodreads (follow me lol ) but I’m excited to track all the books I BUY each month. This way I can visually see how many I am buying. Booktok has not been a help in that department!

I brought back the moon for the brain dump page. When this page is filled with writing it looks a lot better!

I’ve already listed some ideas for things I want to do post-covid when things open up again. I definitely want to have a murder mystery party! How fun would that be?

There are not too many supplies or skills required for this spread. And PLEASE go ahead and copy these ideas. I’d love to see them. You can tag me on Instagram or upload your spread to Pinterest with my pins. Can’t wait to see what you create!

Happy Journaling-

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This section contains affiliate links. See my full list of journaling supplies in this post.
I only link to products that I know and love. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Use my code HF10 for 10% Archer and Olive Journals

Cover Page

“Bloom where you are planted” is my theme for the month. We can’t control everything and that has not been made more apparent than this year. Sometimes you have to let go of the things out of your hands and thrive where you are. Grow and bloom by your own hand, no matter where you are, no matter what unfolds around you.

I have encorporated this wildflower bouquet into every page in different sizes and patterns. Letting the stems overlap gives it a natural, messy appearance. The simple black lines and lots of white space on the page gives it the iconic ‘Hayley Minimalist’ design.

Monthly Calendar and Habit Tracker

I’ve usurped the space on the side of the calendar this month to sneak in a habit tracker. It’s perfect and I’ll be doing this more often now! I used to keep the space open for monthly notes but rarely found myself using them. Now my weekly spreads have more room.

My habit tracker this month fits perfectly on the side of my monthly calendar. I don’t know why I haven’t done this before! I just put a checkmark for the day in each box.

Weekly Layout

Okay, this is one of the absolute easiest weekly spread ever. It cannot be simpler than a line and quick stamp of the dates.

Can we talk about my new vintage style letter stamps?! I’m in love and it gives me beautiful font letters quickly! It’s been something that has been on my bujo wishlist for a while and I finally made the purchase and am so thrilled with the results.

For week 34, Tuesday August 18 was the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment. I loved the stamps that they created for the occasion and put one on that day in my journal. It’s such a cute memento!

Sometimes it’s hard to get a feel for what a weekly spread looks like in action when it’s just… you know, a line. But here is the first week of August filled out. I changed up my key a little bit to use a dot and x system.

Can you tell I’m posting this a little late As here in the second week of August filled out until Thursday.

One of the reasons I love my dot grid journal from Archer and Olive is because it has two ribbons! This way I keep one ribbon for my finance tracker and the other for the week I am currently on.

I actually covered the top of my letter stamp box with a bit of blue floral fabric with some modge podge. Gives it a bit of visual interest.

I’m just so happy with my spread this month and can’t wait to hear your thoughts on it! Do yo have a go-to or personal style for your own journal?

Happy Day-

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Shop this post

This section contains affiliate links. See my disclosure page for more info.
See my full list of journaling supplies in this post. I only link to products that I know and love. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Use my code HF10 for 10% Archer and Olive Journals

Cover Page and Calendar

Lavender is such a soothing scent for me and it blooms in July! To draw lavender all you have to do it make a stem and then do little v‘s along it. At the top, I’ll often make three little blooms like a w.

I went even more basic this month and put my calender on the side of my cover page. It’s not as pretty but it works. Since I tore out a couple pages now I can make up some of the lost space by doing this.

Weekly Layout

I’m actually pretty pleased with the way this turned out. I love the boxes and it makes the minimalism more obvious with all the lines.

Even my color scheme this month is plain with just a lavender brush pen and a strong black ink pen. The soft color and dark color work well together.

I have my standard habit tracker on the bottom. This weekly layout is very similar to my January spread.

As a personal note, I will taking the whole month of July off from blogging! I never expected to do this. I’m feeling very burnt out and I think it’ll be nice to have time to focus on some bigger projects and generally take a step back for a short time. See you the first Tuesday of August!

Happy Day-

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The above pictures are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. (See my disclosure page for more info.) I also use Tombow brush pens* bought in bulk (without packaging or plastic) at a local craft store to reduce waste.

I only link to products that I know and love. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Art has always been a balm for my spirit and creating this month’s bullet journal spread helped. I’m starting a new writing project (book number 3!) and created a spread slightly inspired by my new project. I traveled to Morocco two years ago and fell in love with the architecture and colors. Remembering that trip, I’ve come up with designs that try and capture that essence.

Cover Page and Writing Tracker

I decided to make a painted cover page again and I really love it! It was inspired by this piece of art that I first encountered on Pinterest.

As I said above, I’m starting to draft a new project. My historical is currently being read by some beta readers and friends. So while I wait for their feedback, I’m going full steam ahead on my new project! My writing tracker is the same as the one I used in November and really is a simple visual to track my progress.

Habit Tracker and Calendar

I did another more simplified calendar like I did last month. I also have a habit tracker that, while tedious to first make, is super easy to fill in every day with my blush brush pen. While my cover page was nighttime, I captured the desert in day for this spread.

I really love the detail of the bottom with layers of sand. It’s something anyone can recreate!

Weekly Layout

The first pages on my June bujo spread and a bit intensive but the weekly spread this month is incredibly simple and took me no time at all to draw up.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my journal layouts for this month. Let’s be open to more perspectives, to be more emphatic, to be a better creator. Make art and be kind.

Happy Day-

Shop products featured in this post:

This post contains affiliate links which means that if you make a purchase via one of the links, I will receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. (See my disclosure page for more info.) I also use Tombow brush pens* bought in bulk (without packaging or plastic) at a local craft store to reduce waste.

I only link to products that I know and love. Thank you for supporting my blog!

*Affiliate link