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organization || 16 Ways to Use a Notebook

IoanaFebruary 28, 2018

Trying to think of a good use for that beautiful new notebook? I put together a list of 16 creative ways to use your empty notebooks that are productivity-boosting and inspirational!

Now, I’m in no way an advocate for creating extra work for yourself by cluttering up your life with unnecessary goals, notebooks and lists, BUT I think you might get some ideas and inspiration from this video for your next favourite notebook!

Let me know in the comments below what other ways you use your notebooks, which of my ideas are your favourites, or if you’ve got some neat variations on the suggestions I made! I love reading all your comments. 😉

AND OF COURSE: HUGE congrats to Cristina M. for winning the Mint Printcess notebook giveaway! I’m sure you’ll love your notebook. Thank you all for participating!



The Ideas

  1. Bullet Journal
  2. Bullet Journal Collections book
  3. Ideas notebook
  4. Journal
  5. Q&A a Day
  6. Questions notebook
  7. Quotes journal
  8. Favourite things
  9. Letters to future/past self
  10. Writer’s notebook
  11. Apocalist
  12. Travel notebook/Places to Visit
  13. Sketchbook
  14. Scrapbook
  15. Health Tracker
  16. Blogging Editorial Calendar

HELPFUL LINKS

– Latest video: March || Practical Bujo Set-up + Free Monthly Printables!
– How I use Monthlies + Dailies || Day in my Bullet Journal
– All Mistral Spirit Printables
– Blog post about Note-taking series
– My blog post about setting up your first Bullet Journal!


FAVOURITE PRODUCTS

– Zebra Mildliner *
– MintPrintcess Customized Dotted Notebook
– Muji Hexagonal Polycarbonate Gel Ink Ballpoint pen 0.38 Retractable
– Staples AvantNext black pen (available in store only)
– Moleskine Classic Softcover *
– Filofax Executive Notebook (removable pages) *
– Pastel Coloured sticky notes *
– Transparent Muji sticky note case
– Lihit Lab Pencil Case *
* affiliate links

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Comments (7)

  • Pam Gaines

    April 3, 2018 at 1:26 pm

    #5, Q & A, simply never occurred to me. Great idea. Thank you much!

    Reply
  • Véronique

    April 17, 2018 at 12:14 pm

    Loved the Q&A idea ! Could you give me, if not too intimate, one or two examples of questions you ask yourself ? Thank you !

    Reply
    1. Ioana

      April 21, 2018 at 1:15 pm

      Glad you do! Since a lot of people ask me, I’ll make a post this week with the questions I use so you can get inspired. But some examples are:
      “what do you regret?”
      “what’s the last thing you bought?”
      “who are the most important people in your life right now?”
      “what is one thing you are working on right now?”
      If you look up “journal prompts” online, you’ll get some more ideas too!

      Reply
  • Jeanette Linero Techau

    May 9, 2018 at 8:42 am

    I too have many notebooks. Thanks for all your great ideas.

    Reply
  • lifestyle || Q&A a Day Questions – Mistral Spirit

    May 15, 2018 at 9:35 am

    […] of the ways to use a notebook I mentioned in my video “16 Ways to Use a Notebook” was to create a Q&A a Week journal where you answer a question each week for five years […]

    Reply
  • writing || instagram ask me anything – Mistral Spirit

    July 12, 2018 at 8:45 am

    […] I only really regularly use one notebook – my bullet journal. But for more ideas on how to fill a new notebook, check out my video and blog post on 16 ways to use a notebook! […]

    Reply
  • JoAnne Stary

    September 8, 2021 at 11:53 pm

    Hi, Ioana, I really enjoy your videos and printables. My question is what font do you use for section titles? I know I’ve seen it before but can’t seem to locate it now. Be safe and happy bujoing!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Nice to meet you!

Hi, it’s Ioana! I’m a blogger, brand marketer, and recent Queen’s Commerce alumni. When I’m not drinking coffee, reading, studying or exploring the city, I dabble in creative projects like this one!

Latest posts

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mistralspirit

ioana | bujo & organization
So glad I overcame my initial hesitation toward th So glad I overcame my initial hesitation toward this book being about video games. It’s a delight for my brain so far and I’m not ashamed to admit that I spent all of this morning and afternoon reading (it was glorious) and I’ve learned 3 new words I adore:
- dilettante
- Weltschmerz
- palimpsest

Pls note: photos taken “while reading” are obviously not as impromptu as they may appear on Instagram. They’re usually when (a) you’re on a reading intermission because you either haven’t started or are getting a bit tired of reading for so long or (b) there’s a long period of descriptive text that doesn’t necessarily represent the quality of the book and is a good time to hashtag let-me-take-a-selfie. So don’t read this one page and form an opinion about the book. Instagram isn’t reality. 😜

Pls also note I’m only 40% through the book so my review isn’t definite. I’ve been burned before by jumping too excitedly to recommend a book (in this case, TV show) to everyone around me before realizing it gets WEIRD later on. So take my moment of excitement with a grain of salt - more thoughts to come!
Just received this new pen from @bulletjournal and Just received this new pen from @bulletjournal and @leuchtturm1917 @leuchtturm1917canada! 👀 Here’s a closer look!

Can you tell I had so much fun unboxing this 😅 It’s my new desk pen for days that I want to feel a little ✨fancy✨

#gifted #pen #amwriting #bulletjournalleuchtturm1917 #gelpen #journal #journaling #planner #studygram #aestheticstudy #bujo #bulletjournal #bulletjournalpen #bujopen #minimalistplanner #bulletjournaling #bulletjournalcommunity #penlover
Vote in the comments for your top 2 on-location sk Vote in the comments for your top 2 on-location sketches! 👆 Check my IG story from today more more details, but there’s an @usktoronto call for submissions for an art expo/sale happening in Jan/Feb. Since they’re looking for on-location sketches and I have plenty, I’ve decided to submit and see what happens!

They would all be for sale so I’ll donate anything that comes of it to a related cause. ❤️ 

Which of these 2 do you like best? 👆

#urbansketchers #urbansketch #sketchbook #sketching #artjournal #travelsketch #drawyourday #sketchbookart #watercolor #illustration #urbansketching #sketchjournal #fineliner #finelinerdrawing #moleskine #watercolortraveljournal #watercolorillustration #traveljournal #travelwatercolor #traveldiary
One final art supplies haul from @currysartstore M One final art supplies haul from @currysartstore Mississauga this weekend! 🥺 So sad that they’re closing - I remember they’ve moved locations a number of times but they were always my favourite art store growing up. ❤️

And let me know if you’ve tried any of these supplies because I haven’t! Super excited to play with some new paints - specifically the metallics and also practice more acrylics after my summer painting class at @visualartsmississauga. 🥰

#artsupplies #unboxing #artsupplieshaul #artistsupplies #torontoartist #currysartstore
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So glad I overcame my initial hesitation toward th So glad I overcame my initial hesitation toward this book being about video games. It’s a delight for my brain so far and I’m not ashamed to admit that I spent all of this morning and afternoon reading (it was glorious) and I’ve learned 3 new words I adore:
- dilettante
- Weltschmerz
- palimpsest

Pls note: photos taken “while reading” are obviously not as impromptu as they may appear on Instagram. They’re usually when (a) you’re on a reading intermission because you either haven’t started or are getting a bit tired of reading for so long or (b) there’s a long period of descriptive text that doesn’t necessarily represent the quality of the book and is a good time to hashtag let-me-take-a-selfie. So don’t read this one page and form an opinion about the book. Instagram isn’t reality. 😜

Pls also note I’m only 40% through the book so my review isn’t definite. I’ve been burned before by jumping too excitedly to recommend a book (in this case, TV show) to everyone around me before realizing it gets WEIRD later on. So take my moment of excitement with a grain of salt - more thoughts to come!
Just received this new pen from @bulletjournal and Just received this new pen from @bulletjournal and @leuchtturm1917 @leuchtturm1917canada! 👀 Here’s a closer look!

Can you tell I had so much fun unboxing this 😅 It’s my new desk pen for days that I want to feel a little ✨fancy✨

#gifted #pen #amwriting #bulletjournalleuchtturm1917 #gelpen #journal #journaling #planner #studygram #aestheticstudy #bujo #bulletjournal #bulletjournalpen #bujopen #minimalistplanner #bulletjournaling #bulletjournalcommunity #penlover
Vote in the comments for your top 2 on-location sk Vote in the comments for your top 2 on-location sketches! 👆 Check my IG story from today more more details, but there’s an @usktoronto call for submissions for an art expo/sale happening in Jan/Feb. Since they’re looking for on-location sketches and I have plenty, I’ve decided to submit and see what happens!

They would all be for sale so I’ll donate anything that comes of it to a related cause. ❤️ 

Which of these 2 do you like best? 👆

#urbansketchers #urbansketch #sketchbook #sketching #artjournal #travelsketch #drawyourday #sketchbookart #watercolor #illustration #urbansketching #sketchjournal #fineliner #finelinerdrawing #moleskine #watercolortraveljournal #watercolorillustration #traveljournal #travelwatercolor #traveldiary
One final art supplies haul from @currysartstore M One final art supplies haul from @currysartstore Mississauga this weekend! 🥺 So sad that they’re closing - I remember they’ve moved locations a number of times but they were always my favourite art store growing up. ❤️

And let me know if you’ve tried any of these supplies because I haven’t! Super excited to play with some new paints - specifically the metallics and also practice more acrylics after my summer painting class at @visualartsmississauga. 🥰

#artsupplies #unboxing #artsupplieshaul #artistsupplies #torontoartist #currysartstore
Black Friday SALE on now at @thewashitapeshop 💃 Black Friday SALE on now at @thewashitapeshop 💃🏼 20% OFF everything - link in bio or visit thewashitapeshop.com to shop what feels like an entire art gallery. 😜

So hard to pick but I was most excited to get my hands on this new PET tape designed by @tonia_tkach - it’s called Forest Houses and comes as both PET tape and washi tape. How cute!

#pettape #originalwashitape #thewashitapeshop #washitape #washitapes #scrapbooking #craftjournal #aestheticjournal #artjournal #craft #journaling #bujo #stationery #stationerylover #sticker #bulletjournal #scrapbook #bujoideas #bulletjournaling #journalwithme #bujosupplies #stationerystore #starioneryshop #stationeryhaul
Sounds from a day in the life preparing for @nanow Sounds from a day in the life preparing for @nanowrimo last month. 🥰 Please send over any motivation you can though because I haven’t written in a WEEK. 🙈😭 Turns out it’s harder than I thought to write 50k words in a month during the literally busiest week at my day job, while also spending time with my boyfriend, family & friends… and helping to keep our apartment at least somewhat in order. 😅 Posting this video to inspire myself is already working though so… let’s see if I can make it past 6k words today! 💪
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