Keeping it creative

bullet journal, Bullet journaling, creativity, goal setting, planner girl, planner lifestyle, Planning and journaling, productivity

Setting up my Bullet Journal for November 2024: Autumn plaid theme

Posted on Nov 8, 2024 by Laura

This month, I’ve moved into a brand new bullet journal and again, I chose one from Notebook Therapy. Part of the Maple Journey collection, this one is a soft burnt orange velvet cover featuring a gold moon design to the front and pearl gold gilded edges to the pages. I’d forgotten how long it takes for notebooks to arrive from there, so I didn’t receive it until almost the end of October, hence me being so late sharing my pages.

I decided to try something different for November and picked out some digital papers with autumn plaid designs to use as a background for my different pages. Although printing on full sheets of A4 paper used up almost all of my ink, I was really pleased with the quality of patterns and the way they were all different but matched together perfectly.

The front cover

I kept the front cover really simple so that most of the plaid pattern is on display. I made a page of stickers for all of the titles I needed for the month, including the month and year to place centrally.

Photo credit: Laura Jones for Keeping It Creative

Monthly calendar

This is my usual size of monthly calendar but to ensure the plaid design was seamless behind it, I used my dot grid paper pad from Claire Fontaine, to draw up the grid and then trimmed it using my paper cutter and some scissors. Again, I left the rest of the page untouched so plenty of the patterned background is displayed.

November finances

Again, I used my paper pad to draw up the tables and stuck them over the top of pages covered with a plaid design. The titles and the small autumn sticker were made using Cricut Design Space my Joy Xtra. I haven’t used a Tombow brush pen to separate the lines this month as it’s so time consuming and I didn’t want the washi I use to damage the printed plaid paper.

Monthly goals

I enjoyed using my monthly goals spread in October so decided to do another one this month. The tiny heart stickers were made in Cricut Design Space and printed on white vinyl sticker paper.

Weekly plan

I’ve only had time to set up my first weekly for the month but I’m going to use the same layout for each week. I find that this set up gives me enough space to write in any events, plus a few to-dos each day.

Final words…

I’ve kept today’s post relatively short but if you have any questions about my November spreads, I’ll be more than happy to answer them. I was hoping that, by using pre-made papers, setting up for the month would be super quick, but, I spent ages searching on Etsy for different digital plaid designs before I settled on my favourite!

I hope you all have a lovely November and are able to make the most of the final month of autumn,

goal setting, intentional living, life hacks, mindset, productivity

Monday Matters: How writing a Not to-do list can revolutionise your days

Posted on Oct 21, 2024Oct 16, 2024 by Laura

We’re all familiar with the concept of a ‘to-do’ list and have likely used them many times in a bid to make our day super productive. We’ve probably tried to make ourselves feel like we’re winning by adding a few things we’ve already finished or got started on so we can quickly tick them off. However, sometimes, we’ll have felt disheartened when we’re approaching bedtime and discover that most of our list needs migrating to tomorrow’s to-dos because we weren’t productive enough, have too much to do, or, we got distracted by other things.

Creating a ‘not to-do list’ can be a wonderful tool to help us identify and eliminate tasks, habits and distractions which prevent us from focusing on what really matters and stop us from being as productive as we would like to be. In a nutshell, a ‘Not to-do list’ is a list of activities you choose to avoid doing so that you can manage your time effectively. This might include things like the following:

anything which distracts you on a regular basis
things which drain your energy
bad habits that you want to remove from your working time
things which don’t currently add value to your life
unnecessary tasks i.e. things which don’t need to be done
other people’s responsibilities

Ideas for items to add to your not to-do list

Your Not to-do list should be highly personalised depending on your own wants and needs but here are some ideas to get you started.

Checking your emails repeatedly throughout the day
Mindlessly scrolling social media
Checking your phone in bed – either last thing at night or before you get up
Drinking coffee after 3pm (when you have work the next day)
Going to bed later than 11pm (Sunday – Thursday)
Spending time thinking about / stressing over things which are out of your control
Reading negative news
Things that are not my responsibility
Doing tasks which would be best delegated to someone else
Multi-tasking (or attempting to)
Saying yes to tasks or events that aren’t a priority right now
Working whilst eating lunch
Spending time with individuals who drain your energy
Forgetting to take regular work breaks
Doing work after 5pm
Procrastinating by watching lots of productivity videos (binge watching) on YouTube
Keeping ideas, thoughts and must dos in your head instead of writing them down and scheduling time to deal with them
Not identifying your top priorities for the day
Eating unhealthy snacks which make you feel sluggish
Making excuses to avoid / put off difficult tasks
Aiming for perfection – forgetting that done is better than perfect
Setting too many goals at once

Final words…

I hope you’ve found today’s post useful and it’s helped you to consider tasks, habits and distractions which prevent you from being as productive as you could be. I would really appreciate it if you took time out from your busy schedule to drop me a comment sharing your top three things to add to your ‘Not to-do list’.

Blogging, lifestyle, reflective journalling

Currently… Life update October 2024

Posted on Oct 10, 2024 by Laura

The last time I did a life update was in the summertime of this year so I figured that, as we’re now well into the autumn season, it’s time to write a new one. Before starting, I’ve made some brief notes on what I’m up to right now and how I’m feeling at the moment.

Currently reading…

About once a week, I check out the Kindle charts to peruse the popular books and select a few to download. I also regularly visit Waterstones to see what’s new. This month, I’ve decided to try a few different authors and I’m currently reading a novel by Simon McCleave called The Snowdonia Killings which is a crime thriller set in North Wales. I found it a little difficult to get into at first but I’m now enjoying it more. The only other book I’m dipping into at the moment is The Happiness Year, where I’m selecting Autumnal exercises to try.

Currently watching…

There’s so many good television series on in the autumn and I made a list of all of the ones I want to check out. At the moment were watching:

Joan – a crime drama inspired by the true story of a woman who becomes a jewellery thief in a bid to provide for her young daughter who is currently under the care of social services
Ludwig – a crime / comedy drama starring reclusive puzzle lover David Mitchell who poses as his twin brother, a police detective, to try to find out why he has disappeared and ends up solving a number of crimes along the way
The Voice Season 13 – the popular British singing competition where individuals (and the occasional group or duet) take to the stage to perform in the hope of get at least one chair turn and the chance to work with the support of a celebrity coach

Currently eating…

Since the beginning of autumn, we’ve been enjoyed cooking together and trying out a range of online recipes for vegetarian soups and stews. Over the next few weeks, I’m hoping to type out the recipes with any modifications we’ve made, to add to our little recipe folder that I keep in the kitchen.

Currently drinking…

As the weather gets colder, I’m starting to crave hot chocolate and I’ve discovered that it tastes much better made with oat milk rather than the soya milk I used last year. However, cartons of oat milk are much more pricey so I’m trying to only have it as an occasional treat.

Currently feeling…

I’m feeling a bit sorry for myself at the moment as I have a painful sprained wrist after falling over on the beach and it’s taking ages to heal. Also, I’ve been unable to hear through my left ear for two months due to impacted wax and I’ve been trying various remedies to no avail. I’ve finally seen a doctor about it and will be getting it syringed at the surgery later in the month. I’m grateful that they’ve started to offer this treatment again though!

Currently crafting…

I’ve bought a couple of mini cross stitch kits from Mouseloft to do this autumn. I’m currently working on a cute little squirrel called Cyril who is holding up a prized acorn. The other kit, which is also from the ‘In The Woods’ collection, features a mouse peering around a tiny toadstool. These kits are super quick to do and intend to custom frames for them so I can add them to my seasonal decor next month and for years to come.

Image credit: Laura Jones for Keeping It Creative

Currently working on…

I started adding some new products to my Etsy Shop last month and I hope to continue with this during October. Some of the charms are winter and Christmas related, whilst others will be available all year round. It takes me a while to take all of the photos with my DSLR and, as it keeps raining, the lighting isn’t too good!

Currently enjoying…

As the dark nights draw in, there’s plenty of time for indoor hobbies and one which I’m particularly enjoying right now is doing 1000 piece jigsaws. At the moment, I’m doing a Gibson’s one called curious creatures and it has four panels going across – minibeasts, land mammals, birds and aquatic life. After I’ve finished doing my jigsaws, I pass them on to my mum and dad to do. They then donate them to a charity shop for someone else to enjoy. During days out, they scour various charity shops for jigsaws to do. They then save them for me so we’ve always got a good stash to keep us busy.

As well as being fun, doing jigsaws is an excellent way to challenge and exercise the brain.

Final words…

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my mini life update and it’s made you think about all of the things that you have going on at the moment. I’d love to hear about your current favourite hobbies and if you tend to enjoy different activities depending on the particular season.

crafting, creativity, seasonal crafts

Getting Creative: How I’m preserving colourful Autumn Leaves for a pretty collage

Posted on Oct 7, 2024Oct 6, 2024 by Laura

One of my bucket list items for Autumn 2024 is to create a pretty collage of different leaves I’ve found on my walks. So far, I’ve collected some lovely examples, and, in order for them to retain their beautiful colours, I’ve spent time pressing and preserving them. Today I’m sharing my process with you so that you can have a go yourself if you would like.

Step 1

When going on a woodland walk, I usually take a small, plastic popper wallet to place my leaves into. This keeps them flat and protected from the elements. It also means I can collect plenty of different examples and not have to worry about them getting spoilt. Before putting the leaves in the folder, I check the reverse of them, looking for any tiny creatures which might be lurking there.

Step 2

I’ve been collecting my leaves for several weeks now, and as soon as I get them home, I examine them carefully and then gently wash them. When checking the leaves, I looked for signs of mould on them or general decay and discarded any which looked too blackened, dry or crumbly. For this reason, I try to collect as many different leaf and colour examples as possible.

To clean the leaves, I use a cotton wool ball dipped in warm water and wipe each on the front and back before leaving them on some kitchen towel to dry. I’ve been amazed how much invisible dirt is on some of them!

Step 3

After allowing the leaves to air dry, I press them by putting them on card stock layered on top of each other with a heavy book placed over all of the layers. I then wait for 24 hours before removing them. It’s surprising how much moisture come from them and soaks into the card.

Step 4

After pressing the leaves nice and flat, it’s time to coat them in a preservative. For this, I use a bottle of gloss mod podge. I paint the sealent on one side using a decoupage brush and then leave them to dry, before repeating the process on the back. The mod podge has a really strong and not particularly pleasant smell, so I try to make sure I open a window whilst working. The silcone mat you can see on top of my self healing mat is from Hobbycraft and can be washed clean with warm soapy water afterwards.

Step 5

As the leaves were drying, I found that some of them curled up again so back under the cardstock and heavy book they went! Others remained completely flat so we’re ready for my collage. Some of them were difficult to get completely flat but I’ve still kept them as they will add dimension to my collage.

The collage so far…

I’m still in the process of collecting my leaves but here’s the ones I’ve finished so far. I intend to fill my table with them later on in the season, but I’m thrilled with what I have so far. The Mod podge makes them super glossy, and the colours really pop.

Picture credit: Laura Jones for Keeping It Creative

Final words…

I’m sure many of you collected and played with leaves as children but there’s no reason why you can’t have fun doing the same as an adult. I think the finished, glossy leaves would look great displayed on a mantlepiece or scattered on a table but there are many other creative ways to put them to good use once they’ve been preserved. I found this page on the Woodland Trust website which has some additional leaf craft ideas as well as a number of ways you can put fallen leaves to good use in your garden.

Let me know in the comments if you’ve enjoyed any Autumn season crafts already this year or if you’d like to give preserving leaves a go. Searching for beautiful colours on the trees and scattered on the ground during woodland walks is a great mindful activity and, in my opinion, a lovely way to destress on a weekend.

bullet journal, Bullet journaling, creativity, goal setting, planner girl, planner lifestyle, Planning and journaling

Setting up my Bullet Journal for October 2024: Autumnal Vibes Theme

Posted on Sep 25, 2024Sep 30, 2024 by Laura

Welcome to another blog post where I share my bullet journal set up for the month. For October, I went for an Autumn vibes theme with lots of stickers featuring autumnal leaves, fungi, hot drinks, squashes, woodland animals and colourful trees. I hope you like my pages which took me a good while to complete!

Front cover

I decided to do an autumn wreath for the cover and was going to do a watercolour design but I decided to look for something on Cricut Design Space in the end. My thought was that creating stickers would be less time consuming than mixing autumnal watercolours to make my own wreath shape and the colours would be more intense. I was certainly correct about the lovely, bright designs but I spent ages sizing images and making sheets of stickers for all of my pages and subthemes. At least I’m pleased with the effects I’ve achieved.

I selected about 4 different wreath designs in Cricut and asked my husband to pick his favourite and here it is with an October 2024 title added in the centre and a few leaves dotted about in the spaces at the top and bottom.

Monthly calendar

As is usually the case, I wasn’t happy with my lettering on the first attempt so I practised on dot grid paper and stuck in the title I was happiest with. The paper is from Claire Fontaine and I’ve been using it for years to cover up little mistakes in my journals.

I’ve gone back to my usual 6 dot space grid calendar layout this month as I missed it in September. As you can see, I added tonnes of stickers which are mainly from Design Space but a few are from a mini Carpe Diem book I’ve had for quite a while now.

Finances

My finances spread is my usual layout with a few autumnal colours, a cute little fox design as some tiny leaves. I like to record my income and spending for each month to keep an eye on my purchases and to check I have a few low or no spend days.

Monthly goals

This is a fairly new spread for me and it’s a great way to set myself some small goals which contribute to my longer term goals for the year. This month, I split my goals into personal and business. I’ve got a few more on the list than I wrote last month so lets hope I haven’t taken on too much.

On the adjacent page to the monthly goals I’ve created a bright and colourful evaluation space so I can journal about the progress I’ve made and then summarise at the end of the month. I’ve purposely kept the box quite small so writing isn’t such an onerous task.

Weekly spreads

Preparing all of my weekly spreads took quite a while but I’m sure I’ll appreciate the effort I’ve gone to every Monday morning when my pages are ready to write in. I enjoyed choosing a different aspect of autumn for each week but it was a challenge searching for images that I liked which would be suitable for small stickers to decorate each day.

The autumnal border strips that I used at the top of the pages were from The Range and were a cheap, quick and easy way to add decor above the weekly boxes. The stickers have a transparent background so were easy to align with the dot grid.

Final words…

I hope you’ve enjoyed looking at my spreads for the month of October and they provided you with some inspiration for your own bullet journal planner. In addition to the ones I’ve shown you, I also create a meal plan each week which I photocopy and attach to our noticeboard in the kitchen. Writing the plan in my bullet journal gives me something to refer back to at a later date and it’s a wonderful record of all of the delicious dishes we’ve enjoyed throughout the season.

Let me know in the comments if you have any exciting plans for the month of October or autumn activities that you’re looking forward to trying.

Happy October everyone,