 2020 has many people feeling a lack of control over their lives. Overwhelm and adjusting to a "new normal" has many of us struggling in the executive functioning department. While we might not have a lot of events and appointments to document in our bullet journals, we can use our notebooks to guide us through these confusing times. Mind maps are a great way to get cognitive clarity. They are used to visually organize information and the relationships between concepts. They serve as a mind sweep and a path of action. So grab your bujo and a pen and let's create some clarity out of chaos. Step 1: Choose a FocusYour mind map will be about one large concept. Think about the thing that will give you the most mental relief or the thing that is bothering you the most. Draw a circle in the middle of your page and write that concept in the circle. Usually if you create a plan of action about that thing, your path to peace of mind becomes more clear. I needed to make headway on a few household projects that were feeling like a whack a mole game, so that's what I chose.  Step 2: Pick 3 or 4 Key Areas of ActionNext, break down your primary concept into three or four key areas of action. In my case, I choose to focus on four projects that are hanging over my head: creating a better office space for me and my husband, completing a few bathroom repairs, sewing new masks for my family and making our living room more of a sanctuary. Draw lines from your center main focus to your four key concepts to document these areas of action. Step 3: Action StepsFinally, take some time to brain dump all of the steps that each area of action requires. Again - draw radiating lines and bubbles from the area of action to each separate step that will add up to completion.  Step 4: Work the PlanThere's nothing to it but to do it. Work one key area at a time to completion. Resist the urge to pop all over and complete things here and there. (I speak from much experience here.) You will feel so much better once you start working and completing tasks that add up to a bigger goal. If you feel good about something, you are much more apt to continue working it.
Now go get it!! We would love for you to share your mind maps with us in our bullet journaling FB group called Bullet Journaling Tips and Tricks. We host a group of 26,000 kind, supportive and inspiring bullet journalists over there.
We are all grateful for the essential workers - the nurses, grocery store workers, bank tellers, restaurant workers, gas station attendants, doctors, Instacart shoppers, custodians, respiratory therapists, truck drivers, baristas, store personnel, vet techs, health office managers - ALL of them. They keep us nourished, healthy, safe and alive. They sacrifice their safety and their family's safety and comfort for us. We see you and we are grateful.  Many essential workers are experiencing ear pain from extended face mask wear and there is now a solution. For $7.50 you can gift 5 essential workers a Face Mask Ear Guard. It takes the pressure of the straps off of the ears and also ensures the proper mask fit.  We are very happy to offer the Face Mask Ear Guard at a very affordable price. We use pliant yet sturdy material that will not put pressure on the head. If you would like to place a bulk order for a hospital, restaurant, grocery store or other workplace, please contact us for a special rate. Our hope is to get these in the hands of the people who provide our food, keep us safe and nurture our health. Who is your favorite essential business worker? Give them a shout out on the MoxieDori FB page. We would love to fill our page with stories of gratitude and hope.  Ahh, February - a month that can be depressing for many reasons; one being that all our January goals are in the crapper. Snacking less, spending less, saving more, toning up, cutting back, trimming down - all slacking by now, despite our best habit tracking efforts. I'm with you. Or at least I was before I was recently introduced to the brain science behind habits and routines through the work of Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. Multiple whitepapers, TED, and TEDx Talks later, I started thinking about how to bring Duhigg's Habit Loop to my journal as a way of stopping or forming those habits I'd been so optimistic about in January.  Here's how I changed my habits (and you can too)I started by making a three-part loop on my page. That's because, according to the brain science Duhigg references in his book, habits consist of three major components: CUES, ROUTINES, and REWARDS. I can't help but to create tools with a functional purpose, so I designed our new Healthy Habit Bullet Journal Stencil to help me quickly create the graphic element for my page. It looks a little like a funky spider, but it makes swift and tidy 3, 4, 5, or 6 part cycles that fit perfectly on my journal page.
Step 1 - Identify the ROUTINE
Step 2 - Identify the CUE
Step 3 - Identify the REWARD
So, for example, I tried sitting in the living room instead of the dining room, or another day I said, "hi" to the kids and headed directly upstairs back to work, I checked to see if I snacked at 3:30pm on a Saturday, etc. What I figured out was my reward, the part that felt good, was specifically taking a break from work and chatting with our kids about their day at school. To break the habit of snacking during this part of my day during the week, just avoiding the CUE or the ROUTINE did not work. I would still crave the reward. Instead, I needed to alter the routine that leads to the reward. Step 4 - PLAN a new routine: When ________, I will ________ because I get to __________.
I put this plan somewhere I can see it every day and follow the routine for a least a week to help it become habit. Coming up with a specific plan that includes a cue, routine, and reward(s) is vastly different than just setting a goal of "I'm going to exercise every day" or making an exercise tracker in my journal (and then tracking my failure at regularly exercising.) For me, understanding the Habit Loop and planning a new, healthier cue, routine, and reward actually worked.
For more information about Charles Duhigg's approach, check out How Habits Work on his website. (No we're not getting any affiliate perks - I've just found his synopsis tremendously helpful.) And here's where to get your hands on our Healthy Habit Bullet Journal Stencil that I used for my layouts. Hopefully this is helpful - give it a go and see if you can successfully master those habits too! Happy New Year! Fresh bullet journal, fresh you, fresh goals - it's invigorating, isn't it? You've decided on your word of the year so now what's next? Not sure how to connect your big intention with your goals and projects? You are in the right place. We are going to backwards design your goals, projects and action steps based on your word of the year for 2020. Let's do this thing.  Pick your GoalsOnce you have decided on your word of the year, think of three or four big goals you want to work on to manifest your word. These goals can be personal or professional or a mix of both. For example, my word of 2019 was, "Me." Yep - just "Me." After dropping out of my career for 10 years to nurture my children, it was time to get back to the old me. (The new, old me, of course.) My top three goals that would bring me closer to my old self were: 1. Get comfortable in my own skin. 2. Facilitate the independence of my children. 3. Take a more active role in the success of my business. Brainstorm Projects After I identifying your three main goals, think of projects to accomplish those goals. For my goal "Get comfortable in my own skin." My projects looked like this: Get a check up. (for the first time in a decade), get an eye exam. (also first time in a decade), lose 15 pounds, invest in a few pieces of clothing not found at Target, walk the dog an hour a day, do something different with my hair, paint my nails more often, etc. What projects need to be worked on to make progress in your goals? Monthly Project Planning When working on your monthly layout, go back to your list of projects. Which projects do you want to work on this month? Which projects fit with the weather, your current state of mind, or current level of ambition? Choose a few projects - a balance of personal and professional. Think about the amount of action steps each project will take and be realistic and kind to yourself. Some projects will need daily attention and others will need to be worked once or twice per week. Create a mix of projects that compliment each other. Be sure to not work so many that you become overwhelmed. It's better to undershoot, feel accomplished and add more later. Weekly Project Tasks Next consider the action steps you need to take to accomplish the projects you chose for a particular month. Create a draft of your weekly schedule of tasks that will progress you toward results. For example, to facilitate the independence of my children, I scheduled to teach my son how to cook one new dish per week. I also scheduled a weekly family meeting where we all decide what we want to do on the weekend, what home tasks we need to accomplish and what engagements we have coming up. Each Sunday I scheduled for the kids to put away their laundry, clean out their mudroom lockers and empty out their backpacks that were still full from Friday. As you can imagine not everything went perfectly but progress was made. Tasks + Projects + Goals = Word of the Year So from the bottom up, weekly tasks add up to projects. Projects add up to goals. Goals add up to your word of the year. Each month you can choose which projects to work on. By the end of the year, enough action steps will be completed to achieve the transformation and results you seek.
If you liked this and would like to join our newsletter for more bullet journaling ideas, please head over to moxiedori.com and sign up. Love stencils but not exactly sure how to use them in your bullet journal? Here are 5 simple tips for getting the most out of your bullet journal stencils.  1. Fill in the DetailsStencils are made up of the negative space of the element. In order to make the elements come to life, you need to fill in some details. Find an example of the element you're working on and copy it. If you're looking for ideas, the MoxieDori Instagram account has tons of examples for you to follow.  This horizontal ribbon element can be found on the Vertical Weekly Stencil. 2. Pen the front element first.When you are creating a layered element, imagine which part of the drawing is at the forefront. Draw that part first. After that, draw the portion in the background, stopping when you reach the element in the foreground. Add shading and voila!  3. Drop ShadowAdd some dimension to your layouts with a drop shadow. This is super simple to do with a stencil. Simply pen the element on your page and then shift the stencil to the right and down just a titch. Draw a "shadow" of the right and bottom sides of the element. Connect the two lines with diagonal shading lines. The element appears to be 3D.  4. Layer ElementsLayering stencil elements is another way to create dimension in your layouts. Pick which elements you want to exist in the foreground of your layout and pen them in first. Tuck another layer of elements behind and maybe even another layer behind that one. Easily create fun layouts with depth and visual interest using just one or two elements on the stencil.  5. Use Distress InkAdd color to your layouts using Distress Ink or a damp cosmetic wedge and watercolors. Daub the colors on the page using the stencil as a masque. When color is complete, outline in black pen. The effect is super impressive yet it is so fast and simple.  The Vertical Weekly Stencil has basic elements that create a cohesive weekly layout in an A5 journal. If you're looking for more bullet journaling inspiration, head over the Bullet Journaling Tips and Tricks on Facebook. MoxieDori hosts a supportive, kind and creative group of over 22,000 bullet journalists. We'd love to see you there! A bullet journal is more than a date book. It is an all encompassing notebook that holds all of your information in one place. Think of it as your external brain. There are many benefits to putting pen to paper and downloading your thoughts. Here are 20 reasons you should start a bullet journal in 2020.  1. Clear your mind. 2. Make note of important days, events, holidays, deadlines. 3. Organize your thoughts. 4. Doodle and be creative. 5. Work out your weekly priorities. 6. Create habits by tracking them. 7. Break goals down into smaller goals. 8. Prioritize steps of a project. 9. Brainstorm. 10. Schedule appointments. 11. Write down daily intentions. 12. Reflect on your progress. 13. Document to remember. 14. Write down your swirling thoughts. 15. Plan for the future. 16. Manage your time. 17. Create space in your head. 18. Manage your budget. 19. Be more mindful of how you spend time. 20. Express your gratitude. If you are looking for bullet journaling guidance, inspiration or support, head over to Bullet Journaling Tips and Tricks on Facebook.  Join us in getting our 2020 bullet journal all set up and ready for success. Let's start off with the Future Log, which is an extended view of the year where you can write down future important events, birthdays, holidays, appointments, deadlines, etc.  1. Divide Your PageDivide your page horizontally or vertically (your choice)into three equal sections. I prefer a horizontal layout and only make my future logs 6 months in advance. You do you.  The Rows and Columns Tracing Card makes dividing your bullet journal pages into super easy. 2. Create your Mini CalendarsDecide if you would like to have a Sunday or a Monday start. Label the month and the days of the week. Figure out which day of the week the 1st falls on. Continue down that column with 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 (except February when it is not a leap year.)  I used the Mini Calendar Stencil in the 4 Piece Essential Set and Distress Inks to add color under the month name, days and numbers.  Next write the final numbers for the month - the 30 and 31. I find that writing the dates in this way creates the fewest mistakes. Finally, fill in the remaining dates. 3. Log Important DatesLog birthdays, deadlines, appointments, holidays, etc to be referenced when you make your monthly layouts. All of your necessary information all in one place. Feels good, doesn't it?   The gift giving season is soon upon us. Finding that special something for everyone on your list can be both stressful and rewarding. If you have an aspiring brush letter artist on your list, we have a unique, budget friendly guide just for you. You will find great picks under $15 you can gift for stocking stuffers or secret Santa gift exchanges. 1. Brush Lettering Tracing StripsThese Brush Lettering Tracing Strips are placed under your paper and traced. Not only does the user have immediate brush lettering skills but these strips train the muscles in the hand in letter formation and thin and thick strokes. In gifting these brush lettering tracing strips, you are gifting the immediate gratification of perfect brush lettering. The tracing strips come in Cursive Lowercase and Cursive Uppercase, Mini Lowercase and Mini Uppercase. They also come in Block Uppercase for a complimentary san serif print font option. Priced at less than $5 a set, these tracing strips are an affordable and unique gift. 2. Brush Pen Pouch
Journal Bag & Supplies Pouch
$7.00
Only a few left!
This 8" by 11" (28 x 20cm) zipper journal pouch is big enough to hold both your bullet journaling supplies and your journal. The pouch is made of a black durable canvas cotton fabric, strengthened by a second natural cotton canvas lining, closes with a zipper, and features a 6 inch (15cm) wristlet strap.
Keep all of your stencils, pens, and your journal all in one place, ready to go wherever you're headed. Here's a bonus: an iPad fits in as well. Store, protect, and tote your stuff in style. 3. Word Art Tracing CardsCreating an aesthetic composition is difficult. Use these Word Art Tracing Cards to pencil in your perfect composition before brush lettering. They slip under the page and the shape containers can be penciled in and erased after the piece is complete. This set includes two double sided vinyl cards priced at $8.  4. Brush Pen Color Swatch StencilBrush Letter Artists love their pens in all of their glorious colors. The Brush Pen Color Swatch Stencil creates a consistent and gorgeous layout that documents how the pigment appears on the page. At $9, this makes a thoughtful gift for that pen lover in your life.  Enjoy picking the perfect gifts for your brush letterer!  Holly, jolly Christmas bullet journal inspiration!Enjoy some monthly layout ideas, learn about brush lettering hacks, get some geometric animal mood tracker inspo, and learn how to make your holiday card envelopes fun and gorgeous.  Hello, December!There are so many fun ways to create your opening page. The Christmas Holiday Ornament stencil is an easy and fast way to deck your opening page. With some Distressed Inks and a 03 Tombow MONO drawing pen outline, you have a clean, festive layout to set the tone for December.  December Monthly Calendar SpreadTurn your monthly calendar into a holiday spectacular by using one of the elements on this Christmas Tree Stencil. Each day can be an evergreen, a stocking, or an ornament. Just place the card under your journal page and trace the perfect lettering right onto the page.  Check out this how to video. Geometric Mood TrackerSelf care is important during this busy time of the year. One way to take care of oneself is to be mindful of your moods. This double sided Geometric Animal Tracing Card has a deer on one side and a bear on the other.  Holiday Card Envelope DecorationCelebrate the season with a cup of hot cocoa and some snail mail. These Holiday Card Envelope Guides make the job a creative process. Your friends and family will appreciate the handmade touch and they never have to know how easy it was. ;)   If you are looking for more Christmas themed inspiration, hop on over here to this December Bullet Journal Pinterest Board. Happy Holidays!!!!  You know when loved ones ask what you want for a gift and you draw a blank? Tired of getting that fruit cake from Aunt Betty? Just because Santa doesn't entertain adult wishes, doesn't mean we can't make lists of what we want and share with those who ask.  Cat Lover Bullet Journal Supples Every crazy cat lady needs to include her favorite feline in her bujo. Lucky for you MoxieDori designed the kitty goodies you want. The Cat Doodle bullet journal stencil contains seven cat silhouettes and four kitty facial features. Mix and match to make your kitty express herself or himself in their own unique way. The Cat Lover Stencil hosts four large cats that lounge, walk, or play on your bujo layouts. Just like real life. The Kitty Bookmarks measures approximately 2" x 3" and made of black flexible plastic. Both front view and back view available. 2020New Year Bullet Journal Accessories New year, new journal. Get going on your 2020 bullet journal with these supplies. . The 2020-2021 Linear Calendar is a double-sided quick reference that shows what day falls on what date during the years 2020-2021. It's super handy when making those monthly calendar layouts. The 2020 Lunar Calendar Card displays the moon phases for 2020. The Planner Clips are perfect layout markers to keep track of your future log, monthly, weekly and daily layouts. Mandala Supplies Mandala supplies are tools you need to draw a mandala with ease and precision. The Mandala Maker Stencil is a flat compass and protractor used to make mandalas. This 8" by 8" (200mm x 200mm) transparent compass stencil makes 32 circles in 2.5mm increments. The smallest circle is 45 mm in diameter and the largest is 200 mm in diameter. It is also a protractor that divides the circles into 2, 4, 8, or 16 segments. The Compass Protractor is a compass, a protractor and a straight edge. It makes concentric circles from 5mm to 120mm in diameter. It also measures out segments that divide the circles into 2 to 32 equal parts. The Mandala Elements Stencil is a template of 15 basic mandala elements that can be used in conjunction with the Mandala Maker and the Compass Protractor to create mandala art. Brush Lettering Supplies Brush Lettering Supplies are tools that assist in improving brush lettering skills. The Brush Lettering Tracing Strips™ sets have the letters A through Z are professionally printed on waterproof plastic vinyl. The letters are easily visible through your journal's page. They are available individually or as a set and work well with all types of brush lettering pens. Uppercase Cursive Brush Lettering Strips are 2.5 cm - 3 cm tall Lowercase Cursive Brush Lettering Strips are 1.5 cm - 3 cm tall Mini Uppercase Cursive Brush Lettering Strips are 1.5 cm tall Mini Lowercase Cursive Brush Lettering Strips are 1 cm - 1.5 cm tall Uppercase Block Brush Lettering Strips are 2.5 cm tall Set of 5: All Brush Lettering Strips The set of Lettering Composition Guide Cards are double sided. In all there are 14 word shape containers that act as guidelines for your creative lettering. You can mix and match the shape box guidelines to create your perfect A5 sized composition. The card is made out of a durable vinyl and is waterproof. It will not tear and is meant to last. Beginner Bullet Journaling Starter Kit for Adults or Children The MoxieDori Beginner Journaling Kit has everything one needs to begin bullet journaling. The journaling kit includes a Beginner's Guide to Journaling, a Practice Journal filled with dotted, grid, and plain paper, an exclusive journaling stencil, a sampler of useful, fun washi tape, and a 2020 Linear Calendar Card. A5 Journal Rule The A5 Journal Rule a straight edge, a ruler, a column and row guide, a bookmark, and likely to be one of the most useful planner accessories you own. It is made of flexible, durable, plastic, with 5mm increments printed on both edges that perfectly align with a standard 5mm grid. Van Gogh Art Kit The Van Gogh Kit contains a Brush Color Swatch Stencil, a double sided Van Gogh Art Tracing Card, and a card of 8 generous samples of Van Gogh washi tape. The Brush Color Swatch bullet journal stencil allows you to track the true colors of each pen, marker, or colored pencil in your journal and eliminate the guesswork with this creative, durable 12mil matte stencil. The stencil itself is approximately 5" by 7" so it will tuck into you journal with ease. The Van Gogh Coloring Card is a double sided durable waterproof vinyl card. One side of the card displays an image based on Van Gogh's "Starry Night." The opposite side has an image based on "Sunflowers in a Vase." The card itself measures 5 3/4" x 4 3/4". The Van Gogh Washi card has a generous sampling of eight Van Gogh washi tapes. MoxieDori Gift CardThe MoxieDori Gift Card is a double gift. You receive the item and the thrill of shopping for the goodies you've been eyeing. Be nice, not naughty and get your gift list prepared for those who ask. I know I LOVE when folks provide a link to something they want. It just makes giving easier. Is your mind in a continuous cycle of thinking, planning and organizing domestic life? You are not alone. Here are five ways you can use your bullet journal to cope with the mental load of life.  1. Make the Invisible Visible
Grab your bullet journal and write down all of the things. Just get it all down on the paper and don't worry about how they connect, your handwriting, the order, whether or not the things really belong of the list. Just empty your mind onto the page. Ok. Now that that's done, start looking for connections. Also look for ideas that aren't part of your overall goals and ditch them. Decide which items on your list are to be scheduled, which need to be fleshed out into collections pages and which are subcategories on those collections pages. 2. Plan Ahead
Try to create next month's calendar by the 20th of the current month. This way you will have a roadmap for upcoming events and commitments. Better yet, you'll have something concrete to sit down and share with your loved ones. More on that later. You can use the Moxie Journal Rule to make the calendar. Each box is 5 boxes wide by 6 boxes tall. This means that the left side of the calendar itself is 15 boxes wide and 30 boxes tall. The right side of the calendar is 20 boxes wide and 30 boxes tall. The Journal Rule makes this job easy because it counts the boxes for you. Easy peasy. Create collections pages for your projects, plans, and events. Include the actions that keep your household running. Some of your collections could be meal planning, gift buying, household projects, cleaning checklists, birthday parties, bills, etc. 3. Delegate and Let Go
Perhaps take 15 minutes to go over the month with your family, room mates, or significant other. Folks don't know what they don't know. Help them help you. Put your scheduled items on the family calendar, the google calendar, or wherever else your people will see them. Share your collections and decide who will do what. Delegate and then let it go. Don't concern yourself if someone doesn't do things they way you would. Just. Let. Go. 4. Mind the Chatter Just because you're coping with mental load doesn't mean the chatter in your mind will stop. Your work now is to catch your thought spirals. Identify if the thought is something to be documented in your bullet journal, delegated or dropped. Then bring your mind back to center. 5. Practice Self Care Create a self care layout in your bullet journal as a reference for quick and easy ways to take a break. List simple acts that bring you joy or pleasure. This could be bird watching, a cup of tea, lighting a candle, snuggling with your pet, hugging a loved one, taking a walk, listening to your favorite song, meditating, or anything else that fills your soul. We would love to continue the conversation of using a bullet journal to improve life, so hop on over to our Facebook group Bullet Journaling Tips and Tricks to join us. Amy and I make a concerted effort to carefully design products that work across a wide range of journal types. Occasionally, we get requests for tools matching a specific journal or planner line and we love it - we really appreciate when customers bring their insights and ideas to us to create. A few years ago, a number of customers asked for tools that would work with their Hobonichi and we designed a stencil, and later, a journal rule for the Techo Planner; the English planner Hobonichi offers in a sea of otherwise Japanese products. Both the stencil and the journal rule matched the Planner's quirky A6 size and 4mm grid. Well, it turns out that most of our Hobonichi customers use something other than the (English) Planner AND Hobonichi recently announced eagerly anticipated 2020 A6 and A5 Techo Day-Free bullet journals. We've predicted this new Day-Free line will have a significant following, as customers are already asking us for accessories to match and they won't even be released until November 1st. The grid inside these beauties matches all the other Hobonichi products (the Techo Original, Techo Cousin, and Techo Weeks), at 3.7mm. All this to say, we've decided to change up our Hobonichi offerings: New MoxieDori tools for use with Hobonichi
We're so excited to see how Hobonichi users work with the new 2020 Hobonichi A5 and A6 journals in combination with our products. We would love if you joined our Facebook group Bullet Journaling Tips and Tricks to share your Hobonichi layouts. Let's see what you create!
Looking for a new weekly layout for your bullet journal? The Fold Over Weekly Layout is quick to make AND facilitates task delegation and migration. All that and you can see your monthly calendex at the same time.  The utter beauty of the Fold Over Weekly is that you can see your monthly calendex and weekly spread at the same time. Create your weekly layout, migrating important events and appointments from your monthly layout to your weekly spread.  The A5 Fold Over Stencil contains a weekly template that evenly divides the pages into a weekly spread.  The A5 Fold Over Weekly Stencil is perfectly sized to create a 1/3 page "fold over" where your weekly tasks can reside before they are assigned to a particular day. The stencil contains 18 tick boxes so you spend less time making the list and more time working the list.  Use the underside of the fold over for trackers, mini calendars, gratitude logs, menu planning, etc.  At the end of the week, fold over the right side of the page and create the next weekly spread. Migrate any unfinished tasks from the previous week. Continue through the month. Do not fold over the last week in the month so you can make the next month's calendex on the opposite side. If you're looking for more bullet journal ideas and inspiration, join our Facebook group Bullet Journaling Tips and Tricks. One of the strengths of using a Bullet Journal for planning over a traditional calendar or planner is that you can create and use your own customized system of planner layouts. Do you like to start your week on a Monday rather than Sunday? You can do that! Do you need more space allocated to some days over others? No problem! Often the greatest challenge is finding which layouts work best for you. Here are a variety of tips and examples to help you identify which might be your perfect fit.  Create Only the Layouts You UseWhat amount of your time do you need see at a glance? Some people need a spread or two summarizing the entire year (often referred to as a future log), some like seeing an entire month across a two-page spread, others need one week per page, while others enjoy an entire page dedicated to each day. Often many end up using some combination of the above; like 12 monthly spreads, each followed by 28-31 daily layouts, or a yearly spread followed by 52 weekly layouts. There is no right answer here. The key here is to try out each type, pare down to only what you'll actually use, and forgo the rest rather than feel like all of them are somehow required.  Use the Layout Orientation that Feels RightEach person processes information in their own way. What works for me might not work for you. This is why there are so many different options for layouts. Some are horizontal, some are vertical, some are circular, some are artsy and others are minimalist. Pick the style that feels right and you do you. If you're not sure what style feels right, try one out. You'll quickly know if it fits the time you have to spend, whether you enjoy the process or not, and whether or not you're drawn or inspired to return to your journal regularly. The style you choose should work for you and alleviate rather than cause additional stress. Layout OrientationsTake a look at the following layout/spread ideas and see how they feel to you. Does it feel natural or is it confusing? Do your eyes and mind flow naturally through the information and take it in or do you need to work a bit to absorb what's going on? Don't overthink this. Use your intuition more than logic to identify how you best process information. Horizontal
Tools used: Moxie Journal Rule , Cherry Blossom Stencil, Rows and Columns Tracing Card, Super Slider Vertical
Tools used: Vertical Weekly Tracing Card, Tidy Slider Stencil, Brush Lettering Strips, Vertical Weekly Stencil Circular
Tools used: Compass Protractor , Mandala Maker Artistic
Minimalist
Your Bullet Journal is All YoursYour journal's purpose is to assist you. Choose and work the layouts that will help you and let the rest go. The layouts you see on social media should serve as options, not standards. Take the layouts that feel right to you and make them yours. If you are looking for more inspiration, hop over to our FB group called Bullet Journaling Tips and Tricks. We host a drama free, kind and helpful bujo group of about 19,500 people Looking for a mindful way to balance your time and energy? The Balance Wheel might be the bullet journal layout you're looking for. Read on for a complete how to tutorial. You will learn how to make a Balance Wheel and how to use it.  Time and energy are our most valuable resources. Being mindful about how you spend both is an investment in your self care. I designed this Balance Wheel because I was weary from fussing and fighting over screen time with my children. As we rolled into summer break, I knew we needed an instructive, long term plan about how we would spend our time. I wanted to teach my children to monitor time spent and areas that deserved more attention and care. While this particular Balance Wheel is for the purpose of tracking and being mindful about how my family spends our long summer days, the concept can be applied to a multitude of situations. Here is the step by step process I went through to create our Summer Time Balance Wheel: 1. Brainstorm Topics to be BalancedThe eight areas that we are striving to balance are: Physical/Emotional Health, Alone/Community, Family/Friends, and Receiving Information/Seeking Information. (Receiving Information = screens and reading.) Your areas might be professional in nature. They might be personal. Think about your investments in time and how they contribute to your overall goals and happiness. Once you have identified an area, think about its opposing area. For example, social media can be countered with in face interactions. Both are important and both need to be nurtured. Are you clear about how much time you spend on either throughout the week? Would your life be improved if you balanced the two better?
2. Create your wheelGrab your Compass Protractor and draw five concentric circles. Each circle represents one week. Use the tick marks on the tool to divide your circles into equal pieces. In my case, I divided my circles into six pieces. Next label the sections of the wheel, placing opposing concepts opposite one another. 3. Use your Balance WheelEach circle represents a week. Start using the Balance Wheel from the inside out. When you complete an activity that falls into a particular category, make a tick mark in that pie piece. Tracking your time forces you to monitor time spent and to be mindful of the areas that need more tending. If you have questions about this layout or any other questions, please don't hesitate to contact us. You can find lots of bullet journal support, tutorials and inspiration in the Video Vault and also in the Facebook group Bullet Journaling Tips and Tricks.  Using a bullet journal can be helpful in so many ways and yet it is a habit that is sometimes hard to stick with. Looking for tricks to stay on the path of the bujo? Here are 15 tips that will help you cement and sustain your bullet journal habit.  1. Keep your journal in sight & travel lightKeep your bujo on your kitchen table, in your purse, at your desk, or next to the coffee pot - wherever you will see it and remember to use it. Taking your bullet journal with you wherever you go will also help ensure you use it. Travel only with the bare essentials and leave your fancier bujo accessories at home for more in depth journaling sessions. Make placing your journal in your bag, purse, or hand part of your departure routine and keep it close throughout the day. 2. Build planning into your dayThe act of sitting down with your bujo and organizing your affairs is focusing and it forces you to think through the steps of how to accomplish your daily goals. Include "Plan" on your daily task list, at the start or end of your daily schedule, allowing time to prepare for or reflect upon the current day or get ready for the next. You could also work in a small habit tracker on your weekly layout and include "plan" as one of the habits. Tracking your planning will help you notice patterns as well as keep yourself accountable.  3. Store your pen with your journalHow many times have you gone to write something in your journal but didn't have a pen? That's a missed opportunity right there. Find a pen you like and store it in a pen loop attached to your journal. If your journal doesn't have a pen loop, you can make one or buy them separately. 4. Keep it simple when you need toIf you have a busy week coming up, keep it simple. Don't task yourself with an artsy or complicated layout. Some weeks are just a messy scribbled list and that's okay.  5. Value the process over the end resultSometimes I make my weekly layouts and then never look at them again; other times my pages are a messy reflection of life. Either way, neither, I feel, is a waste or fail. I sat down and mindfully thought about my week. I wrote appointments, thought through projects, sculpted out time for myself, etc. Just the act of writing helped me remember, focus my efforts, and empty my mind. Regardless of how it looks or to what extent something was ultimately used, often the exercise itself is of the greatest value. 6. If you like to be creative, art in your journalCreating visual treasures in your journal help draw some back to their journal. If you like to art, art. You don't have to be good at it and you don't have to share. Your journal is for you - be it a place to practice, decompress, or showcase your skills - make what you want of it.  7. Start with dailiesIf you're new to bullet journaling, consider starting small and use only dailies rather than feel obligated to create weekly and/or monthly layouts that you may not use. Daily layouts simply allow you to get into the habit of putting your brain and your life on paper. Start small. Start scratchy. On each page, write the day and date, then list all the balls in the air for the day. Give yourself a separate page to jot down future events, so you can focus primarily on the current day. If you find over time that it leaves you with lots of empty space, either fill it with reflection, motivation, or creative expression, or switch up to weekly spreads instead, which provide less space for the tasks and appointments for each day and show multiple days in one go. Still feel at a loss for what to put on the page? Add a habit tracker, a mini monthly calendar, or switch up to using only monthly spreads instead. Continue to shrink or expand according to your needs and eventually, you'll hit your stride. 8. Habit bundle your bujoHabit bundling is a fabulous concept where you pair one thing you LOVE with another thing you are trying to love. For me, this LOVE thing is drinking coffee or listening to Outlander on audible or being creative. I pair these super groovy things with acts I am attempting to make habits. For example, I only watch Amanda Rach Lee's You Tube videos when I'm running on the treadmill. Pair planning with your favorite jazz music, a special cup or tea or while defusing your favorite essential oil. It works - I swear.  9. Note when you feel disorganizedYou know that feeling when you are mentally juggling too much and you feel like your head is going to explode? Stop and open your bujo, commit all that noise to the page, and quiet your mind. Lean on your journal. Let it save the day. If you use it, it will carry all the things so your mind doesn't have to. 10. Try different layoutsWhen your bullet journal has gone stale try to switch up the layouts you use. There are a ton of variations of daily, weekly and monthly layouts to try. Some will work for you and some won't. Variety is the spice of life, so try something new. You can find a ton of bullet journal ideas on this Bullet Journal Ideas Pinterest Board. 11. Work towards rewardsReward yourself for consistently using your bullet journal. Did you make a plan for 5 out 7 days? Did you fill out more than half of your monthly habit tracker? Treat yo' self. Take a bath with your favorite book. Or schedule a coffee with your bestie. Purchase that pen, tape, or special journal accessory you've been lusting after. Positive reinforcement will help to solidify the habit. 12. Know thyselfThe key to using your bullet journal is setting up a journal that assists you with your life. You want to create a journal that works for you, not the other way around. If monthly mood trackers simply do not work for you, don't continue to make them. If you know that you can work a weekly like a boss but fall down with dailies, don't use dailies. Your journal is yours and only yours. Make it work for you. In addition, we all have a Big Why behind our bullet journaling. For some it holds all of the details, for others it is a creative outlet, and for yet others it provides space for the hustle and bustle schedule that is life. When you find yourself slacking in your journal, remind yourself of the reason you started in the first place.  13. One place, all thingsYes, a bullet journal is a great way to customize your own planner. Prefer to start your week on Monday? You can do that. Tasks on the left, appointments on the right? Yep, you're making it, so you get to decide how it looks. However, a bullet journal can also be where you jot down that running list of books you want to read, plan your next vacation, or think through that difficult discussion you need to have with your boss. The more you go to use it, not just as a planner, but as an extension of your own mind (replacing all the post-its, scratch pads, lists, and more), the more likely you'll be to continue using it on a regular basis for planning too. 14. Accept incompletion and imperfectionDid you miss a day or a week? Maybe you made an amazing mood tracker but only filled in two days? Or better yet, added two Tuesdays to this week. Do yourself a favor and don't forgo using your journal for fear it won't be perfect. Because it won't be. There will be jagged lines, misspelled words, smears, smudges, and months missing the 4th entirely - because you are human. The downside to all of the glorious bujo inspiration on social media is that it can set up unrealistic expectations. As someone who posts that eye candy, I can tell you that the page before the one I photographed and shared is often all jacked up. Allow yourself some grace and adopt an "Oh well" attitude. Jump back in wherever you are, without shame or guilt and just move forward. 15. Connect with the communityConnecting with like minded folks provides validation, inspiration and reinforcement. If you are looking for a Facebook group where you can ask questions, share successes and post photos, please consider joining us over at Bullet Journaling Tips and Tricks. MoxieDori hosts this kind, generous, and calm group of over 19,000 people and we'd love to see you there!    Want to learn how to make the most effective habit tracker? Chances are you've played around with a few different types and perhaps haven't found the one that works best for you. You might find the right fit in one (or more) of these three habit trackers. 1. Weekly Grid Habit TrackerThe Weekly Grid Habit Tracker hones in on six or fewer habits. Maybe these are the habits that glue your life together. Maybe three of these habits are old hat and three are behaviors you are trying to turn into habits. Or maybe you are just paying attention to how many times per week you do these things.
Regardless, this handy little 6 by 7 grid box tracker can be made quickly with The 4 Piece Essential Stencil Set. You can use Distress Inks or a damp makeup sponge and watercolors to create a colorful grid. Then you can trace the box in black pen once you've completed the habit. (Pro tip: I find if the habit tracker is a bit of eye candy, I tend to use it more.) This tracker will more than likely live on your weekly spread, where it will be easily seen and therefore worked. Seeing the tracker there will be the trigger to get the behavior chain going and the habit formed. 2. The Graduated TrackerSome habits or tasks are not all or nothing, right? Maybe you didn't walk 10,000 steps today but dang it you walked 7,667! Or maybe you went above and beyond and walked 15,000. The Graduated Tracker shows if a habit/goal/task is complete or if it is partially done. It also allows room for growth to show that you surpassed your initial goal. For example, if I decided to tackle Mt. Laundry on the day in the photo below, I could use the 4 Piece Essential Stencil to pen in another square or 2 and color them in as I completed additional loads. Likewise, if I wash and fold but don't put away, I only get to color in part of the box. Make the plan, work the plan. Wash, rinse, repeat.  3. Completed Task TrackerThe Completed Task Tracker is an alternative to the full page monthly habit tracker. Just looking at all of those tasks exhaust me and I never remember to flip to that page and fill the boxes in. The result is a depressing page of incomplete tasks every month. The Completed Task Tracker is more of a "Done" list than a "To Do" list. You list the habits or tasks you would like to complete. Then you pen a box (or a star, heart, or water drop) after the task and color it in when you complete it. If you want to reset your goal, draw another box and go for it! This way you'll see a tracker of the habits and tasks you have completed.  Habit Trackers are great ways to maintain or create new habits. They serve as triggers for the desired behavior and act as accountability. Your challenge is to find the tracker that works for you and not the other way around. Best of luck! If you have any questions or want to see more tips and tricks like the ones you saw here, hop over to our Facebook Group Bullet Journaling Tips and Tricks. We also have a curated Pinterest Board of Bullet Journal Trackers over here.   OH BLOODY HELL, IT'S SHARK WEEK... AGAIN When I was younger, I used to be completely surprised by the arrival of my period. I was also a little fuzzy about when exactly I was most fertile each month, even after I became a mother. Twice. (I know... right?) Fast forward to last year when, in my late 40s, I decide to study up in order to answer a frequent Bullet Journaling Tips & Tricks request, "Let me see your period trackers." Thanks to you all, I am now far less clueless about the female cycle! Oh, how I would have loved what I'm about to show you when I was younger. Better "late" than never I guess? (Har, har!) Anyways, below I'll describe how to track the length of your cycle, better predict the start of your next period and identify the portion of each month you're more likely to be fertile. I'm using the Period Fertility Tracking Stencil we designed to make the whole process both simple AND lovely.
LATHER, RINSE, AND REPEAT Since the length of your cycle can vary slightly from month to month, keep track of your cycle for at least 5 or 6 months initially in order to get an overall average of your cycle lengths. FERTILITY AND FAMILY PLANNING Intercourse during the first seven squares on the circle will have a very low likelihood of resulting in pregnancy. However, somewhere between squares 8 through 19 will be a fertile period of approximately 6 days, during which there is a higher likelihood of getting pregnant if you have unprotected intercourse. Here's how you can get a little bit closer to figuring out where your 6 days will fall each month using trackers.
Becoming more aware of your cycle can give you an idea of when to use additional birth control methods if you want to avoid pregnancy or help highlight the days during which you're more likely to conceive if you're hoping to start a family. Identifying the day you actually ovulate and the days that proceed and follow it when conception is actually possible is a more involved process. It involves tracking your menstrual cycle as described above, combined with the Temperature Method where you take your temperature in the morning every day before you get out of bed and the Cervical Mucus Method where you check your cervical mucus (vaginal discharge) every day. We've included the icons in the center of the Period Fertility Tracking Stencil to make recording these types of details in your daily, weekly, or monthly spreads more enjoyable as well. LASTLY, PLEASE NOTE: NOT EVERYONE IS THE SAME
This tracking technique is effective if your menstrual cycles are regularly between 26 and 32 days long. Determine if your cycles are in this range and whether they stay in this range first before you use a tracker like this for family planning purposes. If you have cycles outside this range, you should use a different family planning method to prevent pregnancy. It's also advisable to use more than one method of birth control at a time if you want to avoid becoming pregnant.  Join me in creating a mandala using these simple, step by step instructions. Grab your Compass Protractor, Mandala Maker or compass and protractor. Also gather a pencil, your bullet journal and a pen such as an 03 Tombow Mono Drawing Pen. Let's get started! Step 1: Draw Concentric CirclesPencil a light dot where you want your circles to be centered, then using the MoxieDori Compass Protractor™ or Mandala Maker™, create about 6 - 8 concentric circles at a variety of distances apart. Step 2: Divide the CirclesUsing the notches of the Compass Protractor or Mandala Maker, make a light mark at the top (12:00), bottom (6:00), right (3:00) and left (9:00) of the circles. Make additional marks halfway in between each, again using the notches of the stencil. This will result in eight marks total around the perimeter of the circles. * For a more detailed mandala, make one more round of light marks halfway in between all the existing marks, using the notches provided by the stencil. This will result in sixteen marks total around the perimeter of the circles. Using the straight edge of the stencil or a ruler, connect the opposing marks (12:00 to 6:00, 3:00 to 9:00, etc), lining them up with the registration dot in the center of the circle. Step 3: Add Center CirclesAdd a few smaller circles if you’d like, using the straight lines to help place them on center. Step 4: Pen in the Mandala ElementsBeginning with the center circle, start adding mandala elements with a non-smearing pen. Use the circles and the straight lines to guide the height and width of the elements, remaining inside the lines of each pie-piece section to create a balanced and consistent look. Repeat the same element 16, 8 or 4 times as you rotate your notebook in a 360 degree circle. (Rotating your notebook makes drawing consistent elements easier.) Decorate each subsequent circle, adding elements of varying in shape and size. Do not fret about the perfection of each individual element. The mandala as a whole will be beautiful regardless of a few imperfections. Enjoy the process as well as your final product. Erase your pencil marks, leaving your penned in decoration plain, or color them in for additional creative or meditative expression. Please share your mandalas or questions with us in the Facebook group Bullet Journal Tips and Tricks. Also, if you would like a pdf download of written directions on how to draw a mandala, hop over here: https://www.moxiedori.com/members.html#mandala   Looking for a fresh theme for your March layout? Here are 10 inspiring layouts with gorgeous elements that can be expanded upon throughout the month of March.  Stars Spring Cleaning Floral Spring Green Honey Bees Dream Catcher Plant Doodles Feathers International Women's Day Mandala   Great photos are key for catching attention, sparking interest and kick-starting engagement. Whether you want to improve your bullet journal Instagram photos or lure clients with great product shots, these five simple steps will help you do just that. 1. LightingNatural light is everything. Turn off overhead lights, as they create shadows and cast yellow hues in photographs. Find a window with filtered light (not direct sunshine) and set up there. I find the light to be the best between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm in my north facing window. You'll have to find your personal sweet spot.
2. BackgroundIf you want to convey the color of your item, use a white background. I use a white foam board from the Dollar Store. If your item is mostly white and you want to set it off, use a dark background. I like to use a dark wood table that doesn't have a lot of grain to it as I want the focus to be on the bullet journal spread, the stencil and the journal rule.
3. CompositionPut three things in your photos. Number one will be your main item of interest. It should go in the center and be in focus. Now add items two and three and create an upside down triangle with the three objects. The observer's eye will start at position 1, travel to either 2 or 3 and then back to 1. Then the observer's eye will travel to the opposite item and finally land back on item 1. This causes people to look at your main item again and again. Attempt to use items in positions 2 and 3 that tie in thematically and/or have a similar hue as the primary item. Finally, get your hands in the photo. Hold your item and take the photo from the angle and distance that would naturally occur during normal use of that item. Psychologically the observer enters the photo and they feel as though they are holding that item. I have noticed that photos with my hands in them get much more engagement on social media than traditional flat lays do. 
4. iPhone Camera EditMy first photo edit is on my iPhone's camera app. I always shoot in Square and crop if needed. When editing, I start by adjusting the Light. I almost always increase the exposure first. I slowly adjust the brightness and brilliance. At that point I go over to Color and adjust the cast. I then go back to the Light and adjust the shadows, the black point and sometimes the highlights.
5. Snapseed EditI make my final editing touches on Snapseed. It is an amazing app and it is really easy to use. I resist using the "Looks" and head over to Tools. While I use Selective and Healing the most, I sometimes use White Balance to adjust the color of my bullet journal page. Selective allows you to choose certain points on the photo to adjust Brightness, Contrast, Saturation and Structure. Use the Healing tool to "erase" small flaws in your photo.
We hope this was helpful. Hop over to MoxieDori on FB and share your before and after photos with the community. We'd love to see! Before and After
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Do you love galaxy watercolor paintings? Today is your lucky day! Rosanne Schuurmans of @rosannecreates is sharing her galaxy watercolor technique with us. Grab your Tombows and create along with! 1. Gather your supplies.  Gather your supplies! It’s very important to use watercolor paper for this technique. It doesn’t have to be the best/expensive you have, but it should be at least 200gsm in weight and smooth (so you don’t fray your markers). I love blue, but you can use any color Tombow markers you have. 2. Draw a window using the Journal Rule Tape your paper down to a flat surface, and use the MoxieDori Journal Rule and a black alcohol marker to draw out your window frame. It is important to use an alcohol marker, because that will not react with water in later steps. 3. Start coloring! Lay down the colors with your Tombow markers. Start with the lightest color and work your way out to darker tones. 4. The fun part! Use a wet brush to go over the colors. Start with the lightest parts again and carefully work your way out. You will see the colors start moving on the paper and blending into each other. Don’t use too much water, only enough to blend. Let your work dry completely before moving on to the next step. 5. Draw the cat. Draw a cat silhouette with the same black alcohol marker. You can use the Moxiedori Cat Doodle bullet journal stencil for this step! You can of course draw a different silhouette. You could try a vase with flowers, or a Christmas tree for December. Get creative! 6. Draw the stars. I use a white gel pen to draw the stars. You could also paint them on with white gouache or acrylic paint, or splatter them on with a toothbrush! 7. Peel off the tape. Your artpiece is finished! All that is left to do is peel off the tape. Do this very slowly and carefully, you don’t want to rip the paper! It helps to heat the glue of the tape a little with a heatgun or hairdryer. 8. Tadaaa! Marvel at the beautiful painting you made! You can paste it into your journal, make it into a card or hang it in your house. Rosanne also has a lovely etsy shop full of her original works. Hop over to RosanneCreates to check out her beautiful watercolor paintings.  Last week got away from me, what with the kids being off from school and all the eating and eating and eating (Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving 4 Breakfast! Thanksgiving Leftover Dinner with friends! etc.) So this week, the final week of November, I have TWO doodles for you. Two of my favorite things this time of year; MITTENS and TEA. If you need some additional hot beverage flair in your journal, Amy made a sweet Coffee Tea stencil that can help with that. Enjoy and thanks for doodling with me! P.S. Want to keep on doodling through December? Check out our December doodle how-to collections (printable or printed) available in our etsy shop too! 
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May 2020
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