{bits & pieces} and more about journals

{pretty, happy, funny, real} Old-fashioned homeschool planning in ...

{bits & pieces} and more about journals

The weekly “little of this, like of that” feature here at Like Mother, Like Daughter!

My mom got into the topic of journals and notebooks this past week. A favorite topic of mine!

I have witnessed her sticky note/to-do system in action. It is sleek, it is intriguing, and it is clearly very effective for her. But, in a rare case of Like Mother, Unlike Daughter, I have to say no stickies for me; this girl has to write out All the Thoughts in pretty, bound notebooks, forever to remain in ink. Hand me the commitment-y journal and let me fill it in from cover to cover, please!

Here is the stack of journals in which I am currently writing:

From top to bottom:

My prayer journal (small size; for reflections, intentions, and Scripture verses I record) —

My Peabodee journal (I discovered that I felt I was carrying a boy when, while about seven months pregnant, I allowed myself to choose this very blue journal in which to record my thoughts to him while in utero and during his infancy; I write down notes about him and notes to him, and intend to hold on to it and then hand it over to him when he’s grown up) —

My daily planner (see photo of inside, below; it was a requested gift from The Artist this past Christmas; had an extremely appealing cover, until a certain little two year old decided to venture into Naughty Pen Use territory all over its cover; will have to give it a fresh brown bag cover I think…) —

My personal journal (where I write out my longer and deeper reflections and records of events. I have been keeping a journal faithfully since I was a young teen about which time I realized that, while I will never forget a song lyric, I have pretty pathetic long-term memory about my own LIFE; it is important to me to make a record of my days, even if it’s hard to get around to it more than a few times a month) (it has a magnetic closure, which I enjoy) —

My Log/5 Year Journal (the latest addition to my collection; a Christmas gift from my mom about which I am stoked; in addition to its other attractions, I think it will help me to recollect things for when I want to get into detail in the personal journal [above]) —

My Finnabee journal (Starting when I was pregnant with her, I kept a journal of notes to and about her, much like the one for Peabodee, mentioned above, but that got filled up by about the time she was 1. Since then, of course, she’s only grown more noteworthy, with her own thoughts and hilarious comments and things she can request me to write down for her; her other grandmother gave it to her/me this past Christmas).

I let The Artist know that I did want to start using a planner, but I definitely needed something with lines to write on (read: journal-y), not too scrunched or just in calendar form. He got me the perfect thing. It now functions as my spot for recording meal plans, dates/appointments, and my daily to-do lists. We’ll see how it does at keeping me abreast of birthdays and other important dates. (Clever that it started with the last days of 2015, right? I didn’t get around to opening it until after Christmas, but I appreciate the thought from whomever designed it.)

Inside view of the daily planner:

Love me some paper goods! Especially the ones that stick around! Feel free to call me crazy.

On to this week’s links!

Being organized and feeling happy in the home:

Auntie Leila suggested that I post this, which I found amusing because I know that I have posted it before (and at her suggestion!), and that it’s one of the b&p items that I recall most frequently! So, even though it’s been here already, I figure it has earned a re-sharing: How to Stage Your Home for Living. That is: don’t “stage” it just to move away — enjoy it! We don’t want to move away from a home full of defects that, we find, we were living with for no reason. (Which is why a to-do list is so helpful.)

A kind of bonus LMLD archives section, all about organizing:

How to Declutter – Shelves in the Closet; Happy Thought Indeed!

See your home the way others see it – How do Others See Your Home? [You know I love my Chesternest but oh how I wish I had an entryway — any kind of an entryway! — especially now that it’s winter. Folks coming through our door tumble right into our main space, with nary an inch available for hanging a coat nor tossing a purse. It’s tricky.]

Start in the Bedroom

Scroll through the Cleaning Section for further instruction (NB: it’s the one section in the menu bar (so far) in which the posts are organized in nice, approachable thumbnails! {Are you so proud of us?})

Theology/Philosophy:

Ever wonder about Confession? Or you know about it but you’re not sure if you’re doing it right? St. Francis de Sales’ Guide to Reconciliation.

What Narrative Theology Forgot. Some deeper reading on “narrative theology,” aka conversion stories.

Written by a fellow alumna of mine: We’re All Trapped in the Twitter Cave. Some good thoughts to ponder when we’re getting a bit unmoored out there on the webs.

Fun Miscellany:

I was surprised by how interesting and enjoyable I found this to be (perhaps partly because I’ve dropped off, these past few years, in listening to Classical music, so many of these themes seemed like old friends):

From the Archives:

Just in case you needed some more LMLD reading, on a random basis:

January means Crafting Reveal!

A Good Sentence; or, What to do while you are not panicking about how to teach your child to write.

In the Liturgical Year:

Today is the feast of St. Marcellus and St. Honoratus!