Very recently, I mentioned that I was going to have a look at starting bullet journaling. I’ve been doing it for a couple of weeks or so now, and whilst I wasn’t sure to begin with whether it was just another form of procrastination, I’m really enjoying doing it and it is making me a little more organised and productive.
If you want to read more about exactly what bullet journaling is, have a look at the ‘official’ bullet journal website here , but in a nutshell…it’s a DIY planner, diary, organiser, tracker, to do list…basically anything you want it to be.
There are some hardcore bullet journal junkies out there, who live their lives by their ‘bujos’ (I hate that word!) and spend a long time making them looking beautiful – and believe me, on Pinterest and Instagram there are some stunning ones. I don’t do this though – I could easily spend hours prettifying it, but that kind of defeats the object for me. I want to use it to help me use what little time I do have more productively. My only concession to making it pretty is using the odd bit of washi tape. Mine is definitely more functional.
I don’t use mine as a planner or a diary as such either – for that I have my Paperchase planner. I use my bullet journal as a kind of glorified to-do list and record keeper. If I write lists on paper, I tend to lose them, and as I find good old paper and pen easier to use than spreadsheets and online organisers, keeping it all in one place kind of makes sense.
So, in my bullet journal, I have a little to-do list for every day. At the front of the book, I have a key which helps me organise my thoughts a little bit better – mine is very basic – a square for a task, a circle for an event and a triangle for an appointment. Once these have been completed, I cross them off like any normal to do list. If I need to move them to another day, I put an arrow in the box to ‘migrate’ it.
Lots of people using this system have ‘collections’ and ‘trackers’ in their journal. A collection is pretty much like a list. The only ones I have in there are a list of books that I have read, blog posts I need to write and payments I am waiting for. Trackers literally track habits – it might be how much water you have drank, how much weight you have lost etc. The only one I have in there is for Alex’s night terrors – I’m trying to keep a record of how often they happen and when to see if there is a pattern.
Most people seem to use dotted notebooks for their bullet journals. I looked everywhere for one that I liked that wasn’t too expensive, which is when I came across TOAD Diaries. I know TOAD Diaries are popular with bloggers because they are so customizable, so when I saw they had dotted notebooks, I was over the moon. The ordering process was simple – I could choose the style of binding, the size, the cover design, the size of the dots, the number of pages and the personalisation. Mine came to £12.48, which for a fully personalised notebook is pretty good value. When it came four days later, I was so pleased with the book!
It gets chucked in my handbag a lot, so the plastic cover keeps it safe, and there is a handy contents page (all of the pages are numbered), and an attached ribbon bookmark. At the back, there is a pocket for keeping important bits of paper in, which is incredibly useful!
TOAD Diaries have very kindly given me the opportunity to offer readers a chance to win £25 to spend on their site. Whether it is to delve into bullet journaling, or just an excuse to buy some lovely new stationery, there is something for everyone.
To enter, please complete the Rafflecopter widget below. All terms and conditions can be found at the bottom of the page.
**Please leave the ‘URL’ box BLANK when writing a comment unless you are a blogger or a website owner. You do not need to write N/A, none, or anything – failure to do this will lead to disqualification from the giveaway**
- The closing date is Monday 27th June at Midnight.
- There is one prize of £25 credit for TOAD Diaries. No cash alternative.
- This competition is open to residents of the UK only
- Entrants must log in via Rafflecopter and answer the question in the widget – this is the ONLY mandatory task. Comments must answer the question. Comments such as ‘great prize, fantastic giveaway’ etc will not be counted. You can gain extra entries in the draw by completing the other tasks in the widget. All entries will be verified.
- Unless you are a blogger or website owner, please leave the URL box blank. Anything else in there (such as email addresses, none, facebook, x, N/A will invalidate all of your entries).
- A winner will be chosen at random using the widget
- The winner will be notified via email within 5 days of the closing date, and must respond within 28 days to claim their prize.
Oh my goodness, £25 to spend on stationery would be a dream come true! I’d definitely invest in a personalised undated diary and a gridded notebook. I used to use a gridded notebook when I lived in France and haven’t found any nice ones here. I’m actually tempted to go back to France just to buy a lifetime supply of the gorgeous notebooks I used to use. The Toad Diaries ones sound like the perfect compromise 😉
Nat.x
I like the monster A5 hardback notebook
I would buy two hard back A5 diaries just in case I lost one! 🙂
I’m loving the family diary, perfect to keep track of activities and appointments
I would buy an A5 week to view diary thank you.
i would buy a 2017 ready for next year
Love a personalised diary to keep up to date with all my activities
They are lovely
Much more aesthetic than digital diaries
I love the Mixed Format Notebooks
I love the spiral bound city scape diary with a week to each page family style
I’d buy the A4 diary in the Dragonfly print!
TRAVEL JOURNALS – A5 > LIGHT BROWN
I would buy a personlised diary to help me keep track of daily life
a 2017 diary
city scape diary
The travel journals would be a nice way to record our adventures.
Oh what a lovely treat! I’ve been eyeing up the training diaries for a while now, they’d be so perfect for my active lifestyle! I’d be able to keep track of everything much more accurately 🙂
I would spend the prize creating one of their Family Planners.
Love the Molton design, and would get an undated diary so I didn’t feel obligated to write every day xx
I would buy an A5 week to view diary 2017 ready for next year
I would get an A5 day planner
I’d buy next years diary to put away
Probably an A5 Diary Notebook with page for each day. possibly also a Family Planner.
I would love an A5 notebook
I would choose an A5 day view data flexible diary, perfect for me x
i would get some music ones for my son
my 2017 diary
Probably on single format notebooks.
The travel journal.
i’d get the fuchsia a5 week view diary and notebook
i would like a Personal Organiser
I would get a couple of the quarto note books
I would get a 2017 diary totally personalised to my liking – I have a confession … I have an addition to notebooks and stationary in general.
I would buy some A5 notebooks, as my wife gets through loads of them!
I like the personalised diaries and the music manuscript books
I’d get a personalised notebook 🙂
I love the A4 diary in the Dragonfly print!
I would buy a 2017 diary for next year
I would get my daughters a personalised notebook each
a very special notebook!
An A5 weekly 2017 diary
A diary from the cricket range for my partner
Would like a Travel Journal for my daughter
I would get a travel journal
something from the monster range
i would get a personalised notebook
I would treat myself and buy a A5 week to view diary x
I would get a hardback A5 week to view diary
I’d like a 2017 diary.
I would get one of the lovely family planner diaries
I’d choose the Molten design. I love how it shimmers and shines.
One of the molten diaries. So pretty.
I would get the bird design A5 notebook.
I would get a A5 day planner 🙂
The City Scapes Paris A5 notebook.
Me and my family just use the Droppa app. All family and social events shared in one place. Brilliant.
The Classic Diary is what i would buy
I would get a week to view A5 diary for next year. I love the look of these diary’s. Thank you for this fab giveaway xx
i would buy the family planner
I would get a 2017 Personalised A4 Diary
I would get a hard back 24 month planner
I’d love a Family Planner
I adore the molten diaries! They are perfect!
I’d love the family planner with the Sea cover.
i would spend the money on the family diary, im forever making lists and losing them so this would be perfect for me 🙂
the monster A5 hardback notebook
Love the Molten Orb A5 Diary week to view.
I would get the bird design A5 notebook. i like that
i would pick a new a5 notebook
a mid year diary
I would buy the monster A5 hardback notebook
I would have to buy myself a Hardback, Molten, Cobalt, Day, Mid-Year 10 minute appointment book. Although the monsters are pretty cute!
I would buy the bird design A5 notebook
The hardback 5 year diary would be ideal. Thank you.
I would treat myself to a few Mixed Format notebooks.
I was having a lot of fun customising my diary so i made my perfect one for £21!
Defo hope I win as I always plan to write once a day so this would be the nudge I needed to do so 😛
id get a lovely personalised diary for next year !
I’d spent it on an academic year diary and gridded notebook. Think of all the lists I could make – it would be heaven!
I would treat myself to a design yourself diary …. I keep misplacing mine so i’d make it a bright one !!! LOL
I love the family notebook!
I would buy a combined diary/notebook for 2017. I like the Spring themes.
I’d probably choose an A5 day view data flexible diary
I would buy an academic diary for my son for when he starts university
I would love an appointment book as I work from home and this looks like a fab way to schedule my time better
I would design a family planner – I absolutely love things like this! They make me at least feel slightly organised for a little while!
I would buy an A5 week to view diary.
I’d buy a mid year diary to keep track of my blogging
Definitely the monster notebooks, my son would absolutely adore them. I love bullet journalling and love seeing more and more people get in into it. It’s so much fun and a great way to keep on track with tasks.
love the travel journals
A personalised travel journal
I could do with a new family planner
Oh I’d love a family planner – so many dates for so many people to remember!!
I’d love to get a hardback diary. They have so many lovely designs.
id love a day per page year diary so i have plenty of space for daily notes and stuff!
A mixed format notebook and a diary/journal
planner and stationery would be great
Combined diary and notebook
I like the combined notebook and diary I would buy two of these for my student children
A family Planner, i have 4 children who are just old enough to start doing jobs, and have a busier social life than me, this would stop us being late and try to be more organised x
A lined notebook and an appointment planner.
a5 wiro bound Black Cover
a 2017 diary so i can be in order next year haha
You know you’ve reached adulthood when you get giddy at the idea of a stationary spending spree
😀
I’m not even ashamed, just blunt, like the pencils I will use if I win!
I would go with a personalised family planner are calendar can’t take much more
What a fab prize. Ive always wanted a diary like that to keep track of everything me and the kids are up to.
Would love a diary like this to keep everything me and the kids get up to in one place
I love the aqua travel journal.
the aqua travel journal
I would buy a quatro diary in hardback that lasts for 18 months so that it covered my university year as well! 🙂 What an awesome giveaway – fingers crossed!
I like the Birds Hardback A5 diary.
I would get an 15 day view planner
Wiro-bound, 12 Months, Quarto (midway between A4 and A5), UK Diary (Yellow Paper)
And probably a nice pen to start my new job as a teacher 🙂
maybe a mid year dairy
A5 week to view diary would be very nice thank you xxx
I think a week view diary would be most useful for me
A5 notebooks for me
I would love an A5 notebook for my son
Love the Mixed Format Notebooks
i would get a family planner for 2017
Hardback A5 Diary 🙂
I am afraid if I won this my daughter would pinch it as she is stationery mad
family planner diary and a notebook
The A4 diary in the Dragonfly print for me x
I would spend part on a green Quarto travel journal
The A5 hardback notebooks look great
i love the limited edition owl one would love to get a week to view for next year
I love the paper towns design. I would probably get a notebook in that.
I do like the look of the travel journals
I would buy personalised lined notebooks for my son’s teachers
A 36 month weekly diary would be great, I’d have no excuse to forget anything then!
I like the Birds Hardback A5 diary the most.
the family diary
Would get a A5 Hardback with Cityscape themed in London design family planner in week to 2 page format for 24 months starting from September this year.
I would buy a week view diary
I would spend it on creating afamily planner
I would treat myself to a lovely week to view diary
I would get prepared for 2017 by choosing a diary
I’d get a personalised travel journal for my parents who are taking a gap year in September.
I would have a hardback midyear A5 diary/notebook
have to be a personalised quarto day view diary please xx
I would pick a lined notebook in green
I love that you can customise everything on the diaries! I’d choose a Quarto-sized hardback 12 month diary with Molten Inferno cover, week to 2-page spread with fitness tracking, starting January 2017 with the weeks starting on a Monday!
I would choose the diary journal
Academic diary is always useful
I like the molten notebook
A week to view diary
I would love to win the A5 dragonfly undated diary. So gorgeous.
the monster A5 hardback notebook xx
I’m in desperate need of a new family diary for the upcoming academic year with my daughter starting school so I would buy a personalised one of those.
Some diaries to remember all of my 5 yr old daughters’ social events! lol
I would get a Paper Town notebook
I’d spend it on a combined diary and notebook