So notebook hoarding is a very real thing. I have so many pretty notebooks and if you are a stationery lover like me you are probably in the same predicament. I have this week started the Marie Kondo method and so it is a great time to really look at what I have and what sparks joy for me. Just in case you didn’t know I have the first giveaway of stationery over on my Twitter, so if you would like to enter head on over.
If like me, you have so many notebooks and are wondering what you can actually use them for, I am sharing 5 ways you can fill those notebooks.
1. Washi Tape Swatch
This idea was also highlighted in my filling bullet journal pages post, which you can read here. You can use any size of notebook, just cut a small line of each of your tapes and place it on the pages. If like me your collection of washi tape is always increasing, creating swatches with them as soon as you buy them means you have a catalogue. So when you are designing homemade cards, your journal or wanting to wrap a gift, you can look through your collection to choose the one you want. Not only is this an efficient way to catalogue but it looks pretty too.
2. Journal
I find it quite therapeutic to journal about my day or a situation/event. Get all my thoughts and feelings on paper and help to work through any anxieties. However, for the past few months I haven’t made time for this, but I definitely should start again! Having a specific notebook for this means you can keep it in a private space. Also if you use a smaller notebook you can easily put it in your bag for when you are travelling. If you find it difficult to journal you can check out on Pinterest Journal Prompts. Each day there is a word or statement or a question and you can write about it. I like to use journal prompts to help me journal sometimes also.
3. Practise Lettering
Using a notebook specifically for your lettering is a great use of space. I have been wanting to develop my calligraphy and my brush lettering, so having a specific notebook I can experiment is so handy. Otherwise I just doodle it in my blog planning notebook and takes up too much space ha ha! I can pick it up when I want too and I can try different colours and write quotes I like. Or you can swatch your pen collection if you are not a fan of lettering.
4. Positive Affirmations
I like to keep a record of positive comments or positive achievements big or small. I think that this is important for me because I sometimes don’t have confidence in myself or my writing. Writing down positive comments from other bloggers, readers or feedback from brands you have worked with reminds me I must be doing something right. If I am having a bad confidence day or I have writers block I can read those testimonials and lovely support to make me smile. Practising affirmations in your journal or out loud can really help.
5. Brain Dump
Using a notebook to act as a “brain dump” for any and all of your creative ideas. I find it so helpful to write down all your blog post ideas I have or topics I want to approach, Instagram posts and brands I would love to approach. Some title ideas or even photo props I would like to buy. Having all these ideas in one place I can read and refer back to them when I am writing or wanting to feel inspired. Sometimes I write things down on bits of paper, but I can’t always find them ha ha, so this is great for me!
I hope this has given you a couple of good ideas as to what you can fill your empty notebooks with. Do you have lots of empty notebooks? Do you have other ideas to fill empty notebooks with? I’d love to hear in the comments.
I love the idea of writing down positive comments and achievement – might have to get down to the stationary shop and get more notebooks.
Definitely! It’s so lovely to read when you are having a bad time x
Ooooh, I love that there are so many different prompts to write in a journal. Even though I don’t write every day, I don’t feel pressured or bad when I pick up from my last prompt. I love your handwriting! It is so cute.
BIG YES ON POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS!!!
Thanks for sharing all of these ideas! I should go write in my career journal, hehe.
Nancy ♥
Aww thank you so much! Enjoy writing! Xx
These are such good ideas! I want to do more positive affirmations in my journal, sounds like such a nice thing to do X
Megan | https://meganelizabethlifestyle.com
You definitely should! X
The problem is when the notebooks are just too pretty to use! 😉
I do this too. I buy one just because it’s pretty
Same!
I know 😩
Can you link me your blog
https://www.dorareads.co.uk 🙂
I am guilty of having way too many journals I don’t use. I want to but I find myself to dependent on my phone to use. They are pretty to collect for me in case I do use them one day
I always write my blog posts drafts on paper first x
I have planned to do this so many times to keep them organized but I haven’t fallen through with that plan yet
I hope you manage to do it!
ooo I love your hand lettering! I used to be an absolute hoarder of notebooks but travelling has cured that a little bit because i just dont have that much space LOL! xx
Thank you! Aww. Writing about your travels is good too xx
Yesss, these are all great ideas, Lauren! I have so many empty notebooks and this has definitely given me lots of inspiration. I love the idea of washi tape swatches, that is such a cool (and pretty!) way to see your collection at a glance and quickly find what you are looking for. I have just recently started a new notebook for jotting down all my blogging ideas, like you say it is such a good way to dump all your creative thoughts onto paper and have it all in one place 🙂 Thanks for sharing these fab suggestions lovely, awesome post! <3 xxx
Bexa | http://www.hellobexa.com
Aww that’s good! I hope you enjoy using your notebook for your blogging ideas! Thank you for reading Bexa xxx
ahhh these are such good ideas!!
I have too many notebooks – I might do a ‘giveaway’ myself! Need to go through my drawer 😀
haha
thanks so much for this!
-Lena
http://www.lenasnotebook.co.uk
x
Yeah definitely, it’s a great idea! Xx
I love the idea of saving the positive things, I imagine that’s a real boost when you’re just not feeling it!
Cora | http://teapartyprincess.co.uk
Definitely it’s such a lovely thing to look back on and read too x
I love this post so much!!! I have so many empty notebooks that need filling! x
I know the feeling!! Xx
such good ideas! love this!
Thank you! Can you link your blog x
I love staring at an empty notebook and wondering what to fill it up with. Those empty pages are just begging for something. I have a notebook dedicated for my fantasy scribbles and that never fails to fill up. I also love chronicling my days in a journal.
It’s excitement isn’t it. So many possibilities. They are great ideas to fill notebooks with
Good ideas! I just started a notebook just for making lists. I used to do this with my sisters, and we would pass it around, but this one is just for me. You never know when it will lead to a good list post.
That’s great. Definitely that would be a great post!!
Thank you for sharing – these are some really great tips! I’m such a notebook hoarder and this has definitely given me a few more ideas. I especially love the positive affirmations one, definitely something I’m going to start doing! Also I love how H from Steps read your blog and tweeted you – I would be majorly fangirling to no end!
I know I was so shocked, I screamed and ran around haha! Thank you for reading and commenting x
These are such such such great ideas! I am a total notebook hoarder, as you said, and so many pages are sitting there, going to waste. I hadn’t considered keeping track of positive feedback, but I think that would go a long way for my confidence and impostor syndrome. Thanks for sharing!
Definitely, you should give it a go and see what you think. Thank you for reading and commenting x
These are some good ideas! I have a few blank notebooks that I need to use. Writing positive affirmations in a notebook is a great idea! That’s something I can keep with me, especially while I’m traveling.
Thank you so much, can you link your blog for me to have a read xx
Always love a reason to fill a notebook 🙂
I have a scrapbook of all the positive things from my teaching career so far, it’s so good for my confidence to look through on a bad day.
That’s great you have that to reflect on. X
These are great ideas Lauren. I love the idea of using a notebook to catalogue my Washi tape collection. I’ll have to do that one very soon. That tweet fron H is very sweet. 😊
I was blown away from H, so happy x
I like the idea of filling the notebook with positive affirmations. I would also like to doodle swirly designs and objects to go with the affirmations.
That would be great! Thank you for reading and commenting xx
Thank you! That’s great! X
Thank you!
That’s great you are using them more. Definitely practise and give it a go. Thank you for reading and commenting x
Wow!! These are very useful ideas…Being a stationary lover like you, I too have many pretty cover notebooks lying in the corner of my cupboard…Now finally I’ll do something with them
That’s awesome! It’s always great to meet a fellow stationery lover!