goal setting – Keeping it creative

wellness, wellbeing, Setting goals and intentions, goal setting, personal development, personal growth, intentional living, Habit formation

Steps to Enhance Your Wellness with Easy Habits and Lasting Focus (A guest post from Linda Chase)

Posted on May 1, 2026May 6, 2026 by Laura

Today, I bring you an interesting and informative blog post written by regular guest poster, Linda Chase. In her article, she shares tips, tricks and easy to implement habits for enhancing your wellbeing and developing consistency in doing so. I hope you enjoy reading and find the piece as beneficial and thought provoking as I have.

For adults seeking wellness improvement while balancing work, family, and a busy mind, the hardest part is rarely knowing what’s “healthy”; it’s staying consistent when life gets messy. Common wellness challenges like stress eating, skipped workouts, low energy, and a stalled creative spark can make wellness self-improvement strategies feel like one more project to manage. Beginner health habits work because they lower the pressure and build trust in small wins. With simple stress reduction techniques, wellness starts to feel calmer, clearer, and more doable.

Quick Wellness Takeaways

Start with small daily habits and build lasting motivation through simple, repeatable routines.
Choose practical wellness strategies that fit real life, so healthy changes feel achievable today.
Focus on actionable self-improvement tips that support both wellbeing and creativity in everyday living.
Use quick wellness insights to pick one clear step, then expand as your confidence grows.

Choose Your Starting Point: 10 Beginner-Friendly Upgrades

When wellness feels big, it helps to pick one “upgrade” that matches your energy today. Use this menu like your 60-second action map: chose one small move, make it easy, and repeat it often.

Do a 2-minute “nervous system reset”: Try one stress management method you can do anywhere: inhale for 4, exhale for 6, for 10 breaths. Longer exhales nudge your body toward calm, which can make decisions and cravings easier to handle. Keep it “tiny on purpose”, this is about consistency, not intensity.
Upgrade your sleep with 1–2 changes, not a whole routine: Pick one or two new sleep hygiene practices to test for a week, like a fixed “screens off” time or dimming lights 30 minutes before bed. Small shifts are easier to keep, and better sleep supports mood, appetite, and motivation. If you wake at night, avoid problem-solving, write a one-line note and return to rest.
Build a “balanced plate” you can repeat: Aim for a simple formula most days: a protein + a colorful plant + a fiber-rich carb + a healthy fat. Example: eggs + spinach + whole-grain toast + olive oil, or beans + salsa + brown rice + avocado. Balanced nutrition habits reduce energy crashes, which makes other beginner wellness tips easier to follow.
Add hydration with a visual cue: Put a full glass or bottle where you’ll see it during your first daily anchor (coffee/tea, morning meds, or sitting at your desk). Drink half before you do anything else, then refill once. This removes willpower from the equation and can reduce “mystery fatigue” that’s really just under-hydration.
Try a 10-minute “minimum movement” session: Choose something gentle: a brisk walk, an easy mobility flow, or dancing to two songs. The goal is to create a repeatable win, not to “make up” for anything you ate. When motivation dips, the minimum keeps your identity intact: you’re someone who shows up.
Start a creative hobby with a low-stakes prompt: Set a timer for 5 minutes and do one prompt: “Today I notice…,” “If my stress had a color…,” or a quick collage of words/images that match your mood. Starting creative hobbies gives your brain a safe place to process emotions without needing the “right” words. Keep supplies visible so it’s frictionless.
Practice one mental health basic: name it, then choose one need: When you feel off, try: “I’m noticing , and I might need .” Needs can be simple, water, food, movement, rest, connection, or quiet. This turns overwhelm into a doable choice and supports healthier boundaries in daily life.

Micro-Habits That Keep Wellness Moving

These habits work because they rely on rhythms, not hype: they lower friction, protect your energy, and give you quick feedback. Use them to make simple wellness and creativity feel doable even when motivation dips.

Morning Anchor Check

What it is: Pair water with one fixed cue, like coffee, meds, or opening your laptop.
How often: Daily.
Why it helps: A stable cue turns wellness into autopilot instead of a decision.

Two-Song Movement Break

What it is: Move for two songs: walk, mobility, light strength, or kitchen dancing.
How often: Daily or 5 days weekly.
Why it helps: Small reps build daily fitness routines without needing a perfect workout.

Five-Breath Pause

What it is: Take five slow breaths before snacks, scrolling, or replying to a tense
message.
How often: Per trigger
Why it helps: A quick mindfulness exercise creates space for better choices.

One-Line Boundary Script

What it is: Write and use one sentence based on establishing your limits.
How often: Weekly practice, then as needed.
Why it helps: Clear boundaries protect time, sleep, and emotional bandwidth.

Weekly Reset List

What it is: Make a short Sunday list: rest, meals, movement, connection, and one
creative hour.
How often: Weekly.
Why it helps: Planning reduces decision fatigue and supports practice consistency.

Wellness Habit Questions, Answered Simply

Q: What are some effective daily habits to reduce stress and improve overall wellness?
A: Start with tiny, repeatable actions: a glass of water on a cue, a 2-minute stretch, and a five-breath reset before reacting. Keep one “minimum version” for hard days, like a 3-minute walk or one calming song. Consistency matters more than intensity, so make the habit easy enough to keep.
Q: How can I start and maintain a fitness routine when I have a busy schedule?
A: Choose a time you already have, like right after lunch or before your first meeting, and make it a non-negotiable 10 minutes. Research shows time management moderately related to wellbeing, so scheduling even a short slot can pay off. Track “days moved,” not perfect workouts.
Q: What strategies help improve sleep quality naturally without medication?
A: Pick one anchor: a consistent wake time, dimmer lights after dinner, or a 10-minute wind- down routine. Keep screens out of bed, and use a simple brain-dump note to stop mental looping. If you wake at night, focus on slow breathing instead of checking the clock.
Q: How do I create a supportive environment by surrounding myself with positive influences?
A: Curate what you see and hear daily: tidy one small surface, reduce doom-scrolling cues, and follow people who model realistic habits. Ask one friend to be your “check-in buddy” for weekly wins and gentle accountability. Positive influences should make your goals feel normal, not extreme.
Q: What steps can I take to incorporate healthy lifestyle changes when using a wellness app or self-improvement program?
A: Set one clear goal and one “minimum” action, then log it right after you do it. Evidence from a meta-analysis of over 19,000 participants suggests monitoring progress can improve goal attainment. If apps feel noisy, make a printable habit grid and check off just the basics; you can even print posters online to help you keep reminders visible.

Build a Healthier Rhythm with One Simple Daily Habit

When life is full and energy is uneven, wellness can feel like one more thing to manage, and missing a day can drain personal growth motivation fast. A supportive wellness mindset keeps the focus on small, repeatable choices and kind course-corrections, so the habits fit real schedules instead of fighting them. With that approach, emotional wellness encouragement becomes practical: you notice progress, recover quicker from setbacks, and strengthen your healthy lifestyle commitment through consistency. Small steps, repeated kindly, create lasting change. For the next seven days, you can choose one consistent self-improvement step, your minimum version of movement, hydration, or a short creative reset, and do it once daily. That steady follow-through builds resilience and trust in yourself, week after week.

Final words…

Thank you so much to Linda for her wonderful article. There are so many great ideas here for small, actionable steps which you can build in to your daily routine. I’ll certainly be giving some of them a go over the next few weeks with a view to creating helpful micro habits that last. As suggested, I’ll be starting small, with a view to implementing tiny changes which together, are sure to make a huge difference to my future health and wellbeing.

goal setting, housework, mental health, planner girl, productivity, Setting goals and intentions, spring cleaning

Spring cleaning: Tips for setting yourself up for success

Posted on Mar 13, 2026 by Laura

This year, I’m trying really hard to be methodical with my spring cleaning to make sure everything gets done over the next three months. So, today, I’m going to share a number of strategies I’ve adopted which are working really well so far. Obviously, it’s only the second week of March at the moment, but I’m super pleased with the progress that I’ve made so far and the number of items that have been crossed off my various lists.

Photo credit: Laura Jones for Keeping It Creative

Getting started

Before Christmas, when I was struggling with motivation to do things, I downloaded an app called Finch onto my phone. This self-care app combines gamification with mental wellness tools, letting you care for a virtual pet called a Birb whilst improving your own habits and mental health. I’ve stuck with using it for over 100 days now and I’ve increased the number of goals I work towards each day, especially now I’m feeling well. At the end of February, app users were encouraged to sign up to a spring cleaning challenge, where you have 14 tasks to complete before the end of March. So far, I’ve done a task each day and the sense of accomplishment I’ve felt as I’ve completed each one has really increased my motivation. And it’s even left me with the urge to do a few more cleaning activities at other points during the day. Of course, you don’t have to sign up to an app to do some spring cleaning, but what you might like to do, is pick out some ‘easy wins’ that will only take 5 or 10 minutes to complete and hopefully, this will encourage you to do more.

Some examples of 5 minute decluttering and cleaning tasks include:

clean light switches and door handles
polish a mirror
dust the corners of the main rooms in your house
bin out of date cosmetics / toiletries
remove stains from cups and mugs
vacuum under the sofa cushions
dust pendant lights or lamps
tackle soap scum on your shower screen
check the fridge for items that are ‘past their best’ or out of date

Adopting The 5 Minute Clean Routine

This is the name of a book written by popular Instagrammer Anna Louisa who offers cleaning tips and advice. I purchased this handy cleaning bible a number of months ago but only dedicated time to reading it when I was feeling better and more motivated to get my house clean and tidy. In it, as well as providing lots of cleaning tips, she shares her ‘5 Minute Clean Routine’ with the basic premise that most household tasks can be achieved in minutes (unless your home needs a serious declutter first), or at least broken down into five minute chunks of time. The idea being that tiny tasks lead to small and satisfying wins which make ‘…you feel like you’re in the driving seat of your own life, rather than a backseat passenger.’ It helps readers to see that cleaning routines, checklists, five minute bursts of activity plus a carefully curated cleaning kit can make such a difference to your home and your happiness in it.

Towards the back of the book, there’s a long spring cleaning list of tasks which you might do once or twice a year. Again, these can be split up into 5 minute blocks or longer if you’re feeling particularly motivated. However, this year, I chose to create my own lists for the different rooms of my home and also a more general list of chores around the home. Of course, as Anna Louisa says in her book, you don’t have to get everything done over the springtime. You might tick things off over the course of six weeks, 3 months or longer, depending on what works best for you.

Creating my cleaning lists

Rather than writing my room by room lists on scraps of paper or on a list pad, I chose to create something I could tweak and come back to again and again. I wanted to create digital documents but also print them off to stick in my bullet journal. As I currently have a Canva Pro subscription, I had a look on there to see if there was anything I could adapt. Although I generally use photographs and images, there’s also another feature of Canva where you can search thousands of templates for all manner of documents. In the search box, I typed ‘Spring cleaning list’ and was excited by the many examples available which would save me lots of time and energy. I opted for a pretty floral design and got to work setting up files for each of the main rooms in our home.

To ensure I had listed everything for the rooms I wanted to work on, I physically went to each room in turn (over a number of days) and looked around and noted down all of the different items and places I wanted to focus on (on paper to be transferred to my digital lists). This was much better than doing it by memory as it’s easy to forget small areas that often get overlooked. I also tried to think of some tasks that I do every week anyway (such as cleaning the toilet and vacuuming floors) along with tasks which aren’t done so regularly (such as cleaning the extractor fan in the bathroom and vacuuming under and behind the sofa).

Designing your own cleaning schedule

What you do and when you do it can be very much personalised to you and your circumstances. Perhaps you have a really busy work schedule and find yourself exhausted in the evenings and want to do the bulk of your cleaning on a weekend. Or maybe you have a small child you care for and want to get a few chores done during nap time. Whatever your circumstances and life commitments, you need to work around your existing routines and carve out regular tidying and cleaning time, either in quick 5 or 10 minute bursts or a longer time period when you feel up to it. Even an hour of housework can be broken down into five minute chunks to help prevent overwhelm. Just like scheduling an appointment in your planner or on your calendar, try to use time-blocking to map out your spring cleaning sessions to ensure you stick to your commitments.

Also to be considered, is your attitude to cleaning and any short or long term physical or mental health difficulties you’re currently facing. Perhaps you really struggle with motivation to clean right now but you want to make your home environment a priority and know some spring cleaning would make you feel much better. If that’s the case, you want to start slowly with a few quick win tasks (maybe from some of the above suggestions) that hopefully spur you on to do a little bit more. Maybe you become exhausted quite quickly due to the physical nature of cleaning or are easily distracted so find that a little and often approach works best for you. However you organise your cleaning time, remember to do it with plenty of self-kindness and compassion, celebrating each of your small wins or recognising and accepting that you don’t have enough spoons that day and it’s okay to rest and plan some cleaning time for another day – you have the whole of spring (and beyond if you so wish) after all.

Final words…

I hope you’ve found today’s blog post useful and it’s either given you the motivation to get started on your spring cleaning or some ideas about how to proceed. My lists are pretty thorough but I’ve still thought of a few things I missed which I intend to add to the space at the bottom. For me, the tasks are very much pick and choose, rather than the lists being a room by room work through from top to bottom over the course of a day as I prefer a little and often approach. I’ll be delegating some of the tasks to my husband or asking for assistance as I’ve already attempted to move the sofa and found it stuck to the carpet (ha ha!) and will definitely need help with moving the other heavier items of furniture. There are also some household tasks that I would be getting in a professional for, such as deep cleaning carpets (although ours don’t require this), cleaning the upstairs exterior windows or the outside of a conservatory (if we had one) as I feel there are some jobs that make sense to pay someone else to do.

Thanks for reading and happy spring cleaning!

creativity, goal setting, intentional living, lifestyle, planner girl, planner lifestyle, Planning and journaling, Setting goals and intentions

Falling for a New Season: My Autumn 2025 Bucket List

Posted on Aug 28, 2025Aug 29, 2025 by Laura

As August is fast coming to a close, my thoughts have turned to the approaching Autumn and what I’d like to achieve and have fun doing over the next three months. My mind is brimming with ideas, and, as has become my routine for the last couple of years, just prior to the beginning of a new season, I work on writing a bucket list, planning things to ensure I live intentionally and in line with my core values.

In today’s post, I’m excited to share my bullet journal pages in which I’ve created a bright and colourful double page spread for my Autumn 2025 bucket list which serves as a reminder of my plans and provides inspiration to keep me on track. I’m also going to explain a little bit about the process I go through to come up with the best, personalised ideas which reflect what I want in my life currently. Finally, I thought it might be helpful to provide some detail about each of the items on my list and why I chose them.

How I prepared myself for creating my autumn bucket list

Reflection and reconnect – I took plenty of time to look at previous bucket lists and plans. I asked myself lots of reflective and orientating questions such as – what did I enjoy in the summer time? are there any activities that I would like to continue doing? what did I focus on in previous autumns – do I want to revisit any activities, or, are there things on my lists that I didn’t get around to but would still love to try? I also checked in with my vision board for the year, again asking more probing questions including what are my priorities and intentions for 2025? what kind of seasonal activities fit in with these? which classic activities and pastimes do I associate with autumn? what do I most love about the autumn season? what memories do I hope to create? what do I need emotionally right now? (e.g. comfort and cosiness, connection with others, rest and recuperation, creativity and expression, a fresh perspective, a new sense of purpose, self compassion etc) which activities are likely to instill these?
Gather inspiration – I asked friends and family members to share their favourite autumn traditions and talk about what they look forward to the most about the season. I also went online seeking ideas – Googling ‘autumn bucket list ideas’ checking out Pinterest for all things autumnal and searching tags on Instagram including #autumnaesthetic, #autumnvibes, Finally, I took time to explore what’s on in my local area over the coming months and if there were any events I’d like to attend.
Jot down anything that resonates with me – as I did the above, I jotted down anything that came to mind or resonated with me, include activities to try out, things to start doing this autumn, moods or vibes I want to create and how I wish to feel.

My Autumn 2025 Bucket List illustrated in my BuJo

I chose a neutral colour background from the 12×12 paper pack I purchased Dovecraft to ensure all of the items on my bucket list and the decorative stickers I made stoodout and created the most impact. I also selected a colour palette of deep red plus shades of orange, yellow and brown to give the pages an autumnal feel.

My chosen bucket list items explained

Choose a new seasonal decor item to display in our home – I love changing up our home decor each season and I’ve got quite a collection of autumnal items to display. I do think it’s nice to pick out one or two new items to add each year and I’ve already been looking online for inspiration. Although it’s not quite autumn yet, I’ve already spotted a pumpkin garland on the Lisa Angel website that would make a lovely addition (okay, I might have cheated and ordered it already but it won’t go up until September 1st!).
Buy a vegan scented candle kit and make own jar candles – I love scented candles and I’ve been wanting to have a go at making my own for a while now. I’ve found various suitable beginner kits and I think candle making is a really nice, cosy activity to do with my husband one weekend. Crafting together is always fun and a wonderful way to strengthen our emotional bond. I’ll be opting for a scent that I associate with winter time so that we can use our handmade items later in the year.
Create an autumnal hanging basket using pansies or violas – We’ve been making our own summer hanging basket arrangement for the past couple of years and I love the charm that it brings to the front of our house. I thought it would be nice to have a go at making an autumn one this year in rich seasonal colours, and my mum said that pansies or violas would be good choices.
Make a list of TV series to watch this autumn – There are always lots of great dramas on the TV as the nights draw in and to ensure we don’t miss any must sees, I like to make a list in my bullet journal. My husband and I both enjoy crime and psychological dramas and watching an hour of TV together is a nice way to relax after a busy day.
Make the vegan rocky road fridge cake from The Veganuary Cookbook – In January, I made a vision board for the year and something I wanted to do in 2025 was eat more plant based. We’ve made lots of recipes from the cookbook so far, but until recently, we’ve mainly done main courses. After flicking through the dessert and bakery chapters in our cookbook I found the perfect quick and easy to make recipe that I can’t wait to try.
Have a go at making the leaf mandala from Painting Calm (using own paint colours) – I found a lovely book in a National Trust shop last year which focuses on connecting to nature through the art of watercolour and my husband bought it for me for Christmas. There are so many different exercises and projects to try and, as I’m keen to spend more time developing my watercolouring skills, I’ve added an autumnal idea to my bucket list.
Try a new recipe with pumpkin in it – For almost a year now, my husband and I have enjoyed the taste and health benefits of lots of home cooking. As part of this, we try as much as possible to eat seasonally. During the autumn, the supermarkets are full of nutrient rich pumpkins and other squashes and we love trying different varieties and experimenting with different recipes.
Enjoy an autumnal treat at Costa or Starbucks – Going to a cafe for coffee and cake is a regular pastime of ours but we tend to opt for the same drinks and sweet treats each time. It’s always good to try something different and both of these chains bring out seasonal flavoured drinks and limited edition bakery items so there’s bound to be something new to try.
Complete an autumn themed jigsaw – There are so many benefits of doing jigsaw puzzles and I find them great for helping me to maintain good mental health. I’ve already browsed a range of autumn themed jigsaws online and I’ve picked one out to treat myself to next month so I made a sticker from the Amazon image and added it to my bullet journal spread.
Visit Castle Lake for seasonal bird spotting – My husband and I love spending time in nature and one of our favourite outdoor activities is bird spotting. Last week, I was looking online to see if I could find any nature reserves that we haven’t yet visited, and I came across a place called Castle Lake. Their conservation group website describes the place as ‘a haven for wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers’ and promises an enjoyable circular walk so I added it to my list straightaway!

Final words…

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing my bucket list for this autumn and reading about why I picked each of the items on it. During the season, I will look at my bullet journal double page spread regularly when planning out my weeks and days. For any items that fall into the project category (such as candle making), I’ll sit down and do some goals planning, such as turning them into SMART goals and outline key action steps. I also like to tick off items as I go along (yes I made myself some little tick stickers on my Cricut!), whilst at the same time remembering that my list isn’t something to work through and ensure I get finished by the end of November, but simply a collection of intentional living ideas to help me and my husband make the most of the coming autumn months.

Wishing you an amazing autumn season,

art, Bullet journaling, coloured pencil, creativity, goal setting, intentional living, lifestyle, line drawing, planner girl, planner lifestyle, Planning and journaling, productivity, Setting goals and intentions, Uncategorized

Setting up my Bullet Journal for July 2025: Summer flowers theme

Posted on Jul 1, 2025 by Laura

Happy July everyone! This month, I’ve opted for a floral theme for my bullet journal, taking inspiration from nature, particularly wildflowers and those found in our garden. I initially found some simple flower bouquet stickers in my collection and planned to have a go at recreating them but, I decided that doing some drawing for my front cover was going to take enough time so I used the stickers themselves in my following pages. I know I said when I moved into this notebook that I was going to try to avoid too many stickers in my BuJo but the vinyl is very thin so I relented!

The front cover

For the cover page, I sketched out a number of flowers and leaves focusing on different shapes and sizes of bloom as well as different colours for both the flowers and the foliage. I took some inspiration from my own garden as we currently have some lovely bright orange poppies next to our pond, lavender in one of our pots and some pink flowers with white tips in our hanging basket.

After sketching, I used a size 0.2 Pigma Micron to outline before using coloured pencils and a blending pencil to add some nice, bright colours. I kept the stems black so the focus was on the blooms themselves.

The monthly calendar

This is my usual calendar layout with stickers added as decor. I wanted to do something in the white spaces between and decided to add a few loose petals. I opted to do the title in a different font from my usual choices and I selected a nice bright purple which I felt complemented the flowers.

July finances

I like to choose quite a pale colour for the lines in my finances log and I picked out this minty green to go with the mid pink colour of the title. I also used one of my stickers leftover from the calendar and added a few petals to look like they’d fallen from the bouquet.

Monthly goals

A goals page has become a regular feature in my monthly bullet journal pages. I look at my vision board for the year and also my bucket list to help me choose a small number of goals to work towards. When I first started adding goals, I would come up with around eight in total, but I soon discovered that this was too much and for the last few months, I chosen five which I feel is a lot more attainable, even if I’m busy with work and fitness classes.

I’ve actually created some more little stickers to add to my goals pages but unfortunately Cricut Design Space is currently down for maintenance and I wanted to get today’s post up at soon as I possibly can so I’ll have to print and cut them later and add them tomorrow.

Weekly spread

This has become my favourite layout for weekly spreads as it allows plenty of room for events and to dos. Sometimes, I’ll add decor at the bottom of the boxes and sometimes it’ll just be a long list of things I want to get done that day so I’ll skip the decor. Often, I’ll add more information or to do lists to the boxes as the days go by. Also, on a weekend, we might make last minute plans so I’ll write in what we got up to in retrospect. This helps me remember any days out so I can include photographs and text to my highlights journal when the month is over.

Final words…

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog to look at my bullet journal set up for July. I’m super excited to use my pages this month as I love how bright and colourful they are. As well as drawing flowers, I’ve also treated myself to a flower press and I’ve been busy pressing blooms from our garden. I’ve had mixed success with it so far, with some of the flowers falling apart when I’ve removed them from the greaseproof paper, but I’ve also had some which look fantastic. I’m hoping to get my watercolours out to have a go at painting the results but this was one of my goals for June and, so far, I haven’t dedicated any time to it. I have my second lot of flowers pressing and they’ll be ready by mid month so hopefully, I’ll give it a go at some point in July or, if not, August.

Wishing you a relaxing month where you find time to do some of the things you enjoy too.

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

Setting up my Bullet Journal for June 2025: Portuguese ceramic tiles theme (AKA azulejos)

Posted on Jun 1, 2025 by Laura

This June, I’ve gone for something completely different for my monthly BuJo decor. Usually, in the Summer months, I opt for bright colours and seasonal things such as fruits, butterflies, ice cream and beach holidays. However, this time, I took inspiration from our recent trip to The Algarve in Portugal and decided on a Portuguese ceramic tiles theme. Although a range of colours appear in these traditional items, the most popular by far is dark blue on a white background. The designs can be incredibly intricate but I opted for simple patterns as I really wanted to add cute swallows somewhere in my theme but at the same time, ensure I hadn’t set myself too much of a drawing challenge!

The Front Cover

I created my two tile designs on dotted paper from my Claire Fontaine pad and then traced them using pencil so I could create a repeating pattern and keep the images looking almost the same. They’re not exactly identical but this is in keeping with the hand-painted look which the traditional ceramic tiles would have. I then decide to outline the squares with a light sand colour Tombow. The June title was hand-lettered using my darkest blue Tombow and I went over it twice to intensify the colour. As I didn’t have a very dark blue Tombow, I had to make use of my Crayola Supertips which made it quite difficult to be precise with the colouring as the pens are quite thick and not super pointed. I think the tiles turned out okay but I’m not sure if the tile outline is impactful enough and I’ve been debating using a darker colour.

Monthly Calendar

I worked on a few more fairly simple tile designs for the spaces around my calendar, again using tracing paper to copy the images multiple times. I opted for a darker surround, but, as a dark yellow is quite often used in addition to the dark blue on azulegos, I thought it made them look more vibrant but still similar to the actual Portuguese tiles.

Finances – income and expenses

My usual financial information record with a Portuguese tile sticker I made using an image from Canva.

Monthly Goals

I’ve been setting monthly goals for a while now and like how they keep me focused on what I hope to achieve. I used both my vision board for 2025 and my seasonal bucket list to help me choose specific goals and I have some printables which I got from Etsy to help me map draw up action steps. I also use my monthly calendar and weekly spreads to record when I will work on each of the goals to ensure I meet with success.

I got some washi and PT tapes from The Washi Tape shop last month and decided to add a few motivational phrases on the pages. I love the different messages but I wish they were pre-cut like some of their other collections.

Final words…

I hope you enjoyed seeing my various spreads for this month. I don’t think I’ve ever done a theme with such a small range of colours before and I’m certain I’ve never used blue shades as the main focus of my palette at any time of year. I’m still not sure I’m happy with the front cover but I guess I’ll have to live with it as it’s done now! Let me know your thoughts or suggestions if you have any.

Wishing you a joyful June,