The intention to keep a journal is a beautiful thing! Personal feelings, daily moments and milestone memories, dreams and goals put into handwriting. A practise that is so therapeutic while documenting life.
Dedicating the time to journal keeping can sometimes also be challenging. So, we wanted to pass on our tips to help keep your journal and motivation!
PREGNANCY JOURNALS
Such a special time with so many details, emotions and feelings that can change with every week. We recommend taking the time to keep your weekly journal. Perhaps taking time daily before bed or blocking half an hour on the weekend to journal about the whole week. Life is busy so schedule in the time to document this momentous adventure. Take weekly bump photos and perhaps to save time, print them altogether and stick them in to complete your journal at the end of your pregnancy.
BABY JOURNALS
Having a baby makes you busy and really tired with not a lot of extra time left over to do other things. We get it. We also understand that documenting the milestones that pass as quick as the new changes come along is important to so many parents. So here are our tips to keeping our baby journals:
- Schedule Schedule in time once a month to sit with a cup of tea, some music or Netflix and spend time on your journal. Keep it on a visible shelf that will also remind you to fill it out for that month.
- Phone Notes Keep notes on your phone and transfer the information when you have time. This is also handy to remember things you think you will, and then hot damn, you don't.
- Post It Notes Post it notes are also a quick way of saving the details. Keep them nearby and stick them in as you scrawl detail. When you are feeling like you have more time you can transfer all the information.
- Photos ‘Heart’ your favourite photos in your phone so that you can easily find the ones you want to print without having to scrawl through the 3,500 you have taken. Send them to print online once a month and having them delivered home makes the process of printing photos less of a chore.
- Supplies Keep your pen, tape, notes, photos and journal altogether so filling out your journal becomes a stress free enjoyable time of reflection and documenting special memories to one day pass down.
CHILD JOURNALS
Our biggest advice is don’t put them away out of sight! Use our tips on printing photos, keeping quick notes and scheduling in time. A letter a year, a snippet of writing about raising them, noting the funny things they say, documenting birthdays year on year, or writing about their school years and achievements – so many moments that can be collected as time flashes before your eyes and they grow into adults!
FAMILY JOURNALS
Keeping journals to document times spent or recipes shared create family heirlooms that will always be treasured and looked back on with heartfelt appreciation for the time put into them. We find with our own memory keeping that if it doesn’t get documented soon after the occasion then it gets put into the too hard basket. So after a family holiday, celebration, Christmas, Easter, take the time to print your photos and write about the time spent. It really is all about scheduling in the time to make this happen.
WELLNESS JOURNALS
The practise of writing can be so therapeutic. It is like downloading to a best friend, it helps sort through feelings and directions. It is also the best tool to use to plan and execute things you want to achieve. Keeping a daily journal or notebook is all about routine. Just like other things you want in your life, you need to make space both physically and mentally. My gratitude and personal journal I use like a dear diary and it sits on my bedside table. I find a download before bed gets all the thoughts out so I can switch off. My notebook is everywhere my computer is. I reference it all the time. It is my way to tick off things that I want to do, achieve and keep those blue sky ideas that keep me motivated.
Quick Reference Common Questions!
- What pen should I use? We simply recommend a good old fashioned ball point pen. Make sure you can get the same pen or refills if you want the ink to stay consistent throughout.
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Where should I print my pictures? Google keywords like 'print square photos' or 'photo printing business' or 'online photo ordering' and you will find a business online to print your images and deliver to your door.
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How should I stick photos in my journal? We recommend acid free washi tape, double sided tape or photo corners. Your choice will come down to personal preference on how you want your journal to look.
- How do I fit in journaling?!
- Phone notes Keep notes on your phone and transfer the information when you have time. This is also handy to remember things you think you will, and then hot damn, you don't.
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Post it notes This is a quick way of saving the details. Keep post it notes nearby and stick them in as you scrawl detail. When you are feeling like you have more time you can transfer all the information.
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Set reminders Schedule in time once a month to sit with a cup oftea, some music or Netflix and spend time on your journal.
- Print your photos Once a month choose your favourite photos and send them to print. Ordering your prints online for delivery saves so much time.
- Keep it out Keep your journal on a shelf or coffee table so it is in eyes site. If you put it away it may get forgotten about or make it harder to prioritise filling it out.
We hope these tips help bring your journal vision to life.
