The Greatest Love of All

As I was thinking of what we do for February, the obvious kept shouting "Pick Me! Pick Me!"
So I did.   February is the traditional month of love.  The holiday where we show our loved one just how much we love them with gifts, cards, chocolate, flowers....but, we won't be focusing on our loved one...no, no, no.  We will be focusing on a very particular kind of love.  SELF LOVE, because after all:  "learning to love yourself is the greatest gift of all".  (George Benson, Whitney Houston)

Welcome to a special month of self acceptance, 

self appreciation, self celebration, self love. 

Love yourself!  Celebrate who you are!  

Accept all your quirky parts!

 Pamper yourself!  Get yourself gifts!

 Honor yourself! 

I will be giving you all of this month's tasks in one shot this month because I will be away and will have limited internet access.  I hope to be back for March 1st, but might be a little late.  I will keep you updated in the Facebook Group.

I'm breaking them into 4 tasks, which you can do as you wish!  You can do them as slow or as quick as you want, you have all month.  Enjoy!

Task 1:  Practice positive self talk or affirmations

Task 2:  Spoil yourself with gifts

Task 3:  Write a contract to yourself

Task 4:  Celebrate who you are and who you will be

Bonus Task:  Write a love letter to yourself!  

Task 1:  Practice positive self talk or affirmations

I started doing this in my bullet journal this year and have really enjoyed it.  I try to read them throughout the week over and over.  With all the negative self talk (and maybe the negative talk we receive from others) it's nice to sit and focus on good things.  I like to dedicate one page every week in my BuJo where I write in my self affirmations in fancy writing once a day, every day (it's a way for me to practice my fonts and write in positive messages to myself).  If you enjoy doing this, maybe it's something you can add to your planner or journal on a daily basis too!  You can make it your first appointment of the day.   

If you have a hard time coming up with some positive self talk or self affirmations, try these resources:  I started a collection of affirmations in my reference journal so I don't have to keep checking the internet for ideas.  But, with smart phones always within reach, a Pinterest board would be an excellent digital resource to have.

Love and Blues Blog by Leah 9 Happy Things to Tell Yourself

100 Positive Affirmations from Potato Mama

You are always welcome to check out my Self Improvement board on Pinterest!  I am a chronic pinner, I admit it.


Task 2:  Spoil yourself with "gifts"
This week will be so much fun!!!  That is, if you like getting gifts!  You do like getting gifts don't you? :) You can be as extravagant or as thrifty as you like for this task.  You don't even have to spend a dime for this...or you could spend thousands.  It's entirely up to you and your budget.  The idea is to give yourself gifts that shows you how much you appreciate everything that you are and everything that you do.  Show yourself how much you love yourself in the form of "gifts".  A "gift" can be 15 minutes to sit and listen to your favorite songs, it can be a new purse or pair of shoes, a meal out, a chocolate bar, a nap, a tv show binge day, a long drive, jewelry, or whatever you can come up with! Spoil yourself.  I hope that if you can't manage to find 15 minutes to yourself, you'll find someone who can help you get it, you can consider that in of itself a gift. (You are loved and appreciated).

Task 3:  Write a contract to yourself
I did this one time when I started a new diet program.  The leader had me write out a quick little statement to myself acknowledging how I had been neglecting my health and what I would do to improve my eating and exercise habits.  I wrote a promise to myself that I would do better.  And I signed on the dotted line.

I would like us to do the same but this time it will be to treat ourselves better.  To forgive our failures, to do our best, to stop negative thoughts and replace them with affirmations, to grant ourselves permission to cry, to believe in ourselves, to say no, to rest, to pamper, to remember that the greatest love of all is to love yourself.  Yep, had to sneak that in there!  You can, of course, write whatever you want.  Write your own contract.  No lawyer needed.  Take your time, sign on the dotted line, and bring it out and read it whenever you feel you need a reminder of how important you are to yourself.

Task 4:  Celebrate who you are and who you will be
This week you will take all that you have learned about yourself last month, add in all you discovered this month, toss in a little whipped cream and call it cake!  Be proud of what you've done so far.  All the treasures you've written in your journal.  All the goals you've taken the time to write down.  All your plans, your lists, your words.  Take the time to review your journal this week and address anything that needs some tweaking.  Once you've done that, celebrate yourself!  Celebrate the you you were last year, the you you are today, and the you you will become.  You could even light a candle and make a wish.  I gave you an excuse to eat cake!!!  Go get some!!!  And coffee....get coffee.  Or you could get me coffee.  (I kid, or do I?).

Bonus Task!  Write yourself a love letter

Maybe it's been a while since anyone has sent you a love letter.  Maybe you've never gotten one. Well, now's your chance!  The greatest love of all....ok, ok, I'll stop.  Write yourself a magnificent letter.  If you struggle, pick a love song.  Write the lyrics down.  I will never make any task difficult or impossible.  My personal favorite is I Can't Help Falling In Love by Elvis Presley.  I actually think that's what I'll do.  I'm no good at making mushy stuff up, I leave that to the professionals, like Hallmark.  Hey, there's an idea!!  Go snap a picture of a sappy Hallmark card and write it to yourself. I amaze myself with my endless brilliance.  (Getting a head start with my positive self talk).  

Have a beautiful, loving month.  

All my love,

C

Rise Above the Clutter and Chaos

If you are like me, you have a lot of stuff.  I am currently drowning in stuff, some by choice others not. We must make the conscious decision to let go of needless belongings to set ourselves free.  We will be much happier with less stuff to clean too!

This week's task is about rising above all the clutter and chaos of our belongings. 

Purging my friends.  Let's talk about purging.

While researching how to get my life all perfect and put together, I stumbled upon a gem of a YouTube Channel! This soft spoken woman popped up telling me to Get My Shit Together!  (You can find her HERE.)  I was like, YES, I do need to get my shit together!!  I watched this video How To Save Money and got inspired to write this post.

Her website is www.howtogyst.com  where you can find her 7 step process on how you too, can get your shit together!  (And a whole lot of other very useful information)  Check her out, she's adorable, well spoken, and her voice is mesmerizing.  I might play her videos while I sleep.  But, don't tell her that!  (She might think it's creepy.)

She has a whole YouTube Series on decluttering!  Check out those videos HERE.  She references a book:  The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo which, of course, I immediately purchased on Amazon.  I NEEDED it!  Don't judge me.

I just started reading it, so I won't be summarizing or writing any kind of review.  But, what I will say is that so far, the most important part is purging.  Even when you watch those hoarding shows, what's the first thing they do?  PURGE!  Throw it away!  You shouldn't have bought it in the first place!  Look at all the money you wasted!!!  Aaaaaarrrrgh.

Ok, we're going to stop right here for a quick chat.
Let's talk about all the negative thoughts and feelings that will come up when we start to purge:

• It will feel like a waste  
• Money down the drain. 
• What if I need that one day?  (I'll be asking myself this one a lot). 

The biggest take away from this week's task is not just the act of throwing your belongings away. The task of keeping what's important and getting rid of what's not is the big takeaway.  Also, the psychological effects of lifting the burden of "things" off our shoulders is well worth the "money you wasted".  Consider this a life lesson and don't make the same mistake again.  In fact, I highly suggest you journal about your feelings as you purge.

Keep it real:  if you throw away 25 pens, then you should stop buying pens.

Note:  You don't have to literally "throw it away", donate, gift, sell; do whatever works for you.

There are tons of decluttering and/or organizing challenges out there you can join.  I printed one last year, added it to my planner.  I'm pretty sure it's still sitting there, waiting for me.  If you're into it though, check it out here! January's Decluttering Missions by Home Storage Solutions 101.  Printables, Facebook Group, Newsletter...you name it!  Highly recommended!

Some other great ones:

Erin at A Welder's Wife has a great 2017 Declutter Challenge with free printables!  New and Improved, without any pressure of "Daily Tasks".  You get to work as your schedule allows while completing 6 - 8 tasks per week.  (If the Daily 15 minute missions are too much pressure for you, this one might be more your speed.)

30 Days of Decluttering by Kaylie at Life As You Live It has a simple, yet effective 30 Day Challenge with a printable.  I like how she included emails, pictures on your phone and donating extra pens!!  There goes those pens again...you know you have too many.

30 Day Decluttering Challenge Printable by Keri at She Saved sets it up The KonMari Method way with a printable for you to add to your journal and check off as you go.

Good luck!  We're all going to need it!

Talk soon,
C

Week 3: RISE and MOVE

Hi All!

I hope your journals are filling up with great things all about YOU!  I hope you have some goals set up for 2017 and that your Word List is full of great positivity for you to pull from throughout the year!

It's time for your third task of the month!  If you need a reminder...

• your first task was to get a journal, 
• your second was to start getting acquainting with who you are and what you want,
• and this third task....it's time to make your body do what it was meant to do: 

RISE and MOVE!!!! 

Don't panic!  I'm not going to force you to exercise!!!  Or am I?  Ok, maybe I am!  ha!  Just a little. Fitness is my other passion.  I love art and crafts, planners/journals/stationery.  I am also a fitness and healthy eating guru (not that I always get it right, but well, that's another post for another day).

This week:

• We will RISE above our current fitness level (we are all different and are all at different levels, we don't need to compete with anyone but ourselves).  
• We will RISE above our excuses
• We will RISE above what is holding us back
• We will RISE above our own expectations
• We will RISE and MOVE as our bodies were intended to do

*Disclaimer:  I am not a Doctor, nor do I play one on the internet.  Please do not participate in this week's task if you have mobility and/or medical issues.  Please ask your doctor for exercises that may be appropriate for you to do.  

Benefits of exercising for just 30 minutes a day:

• Improves Mood (Hello Happy!)
• Fosters Creativity (For all your journal work)
• Lowers your risk of chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke (Great!)
• Keeps you regular (TMI?)
• Weight Loss (What a perk!)

Let's get down to the nitty gritty of this week's task. 

 Just follow these few steps:

1.  Set small achievable goals (in writing)

2.  Keep a log in your journal/Chart your progress

                                  3.  Journal about your thoughts and results

Setting Goals:  

Don't:  Aim to run a 5K if the only exercise you get is moving from your couch to the fridge and back!  We don't want to get hurt.  Do:  I am going to get up and dance to one song every day this week.  Next week, I will dance to two songs, etc, etc.

Keeping a Log:

Can be as simple as a little weekly or monthly calendar drawn in your journal (or glued in) and you just write in your mileage.  If you walked a mile, write in "1".  Maybe you have a Fitbit?  Log in your steps for the day.

Journal:

Do you hate it?  Are you enjoying it?  Does it effect your mood?  Maybe you'd like to try for more dancing?  Start a list of some songs to dance to.

That's it!!  Painless right?  Now, I know what you're thinking....dance?  I can't dance.  This is just one example, you don't have to dance.  You can come up with something else entirely.  But, dancing is fun and quick and an excellent start for someone who isn't moving at all.  If you are already moving, you'll have to come up with something a little harder.  Maybe YOU need to run that 5K I mentioned!

There is a very popular Couch to 5K Challenge...More info HERE.  (Personally, I can't run so I know that for me this won't work.  Please know your limits, I don't want anyone getting hurt by trying this week's task!!)

The main idea is to just move, or move MORE, depending on your current activity level.

Exercising our bodies releases feel good Endorphins. So basically, it makes us happy!  And that's what we're looking for, HAPPINESS!  If you're in a funk, exercise can help.  You can read more about it HERE.  

If your activity level really can't get any higher...well first, virtual high five, and second, Your task for this week will be to set specific goals and do some tracking.  Maybe it's just writing down what your current max squat weight is, or maybe it's a new race you want to train for.  Not only can you set that goal, but you can track it in your journal!  Track your progress (time and distance) or you can set up a race day countdown.  (Journals aren't just for Dear Diary type writing.  Trackers are fun and I do them all the time.)

RESOURCES:

The best resource for at home exercising:  YOUTUBE.  No joke.  You can find just about any workout you can think of! 

• If you're new:  I highly recommend Leslie Sansone
• If you're Beginner to Intermediate:  Fitness Blender or Pop Sugar
• If you're Intermediate to Advanced: Bodybuilding.com (not YouTube) Their YouTube Channel

If you're old school, here are some DVD's on Amazon:

Note:  If you make a purchase from Amazon through one of my links, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.  (No purchase is ever required, but I would TOTALLY appreciate the support!)

Leslie Sansone - Walk it Off in 30 Days




Zumba

Cize by BeachBody


PiYo by Beachbody



Jillian Michaels - Body Revolution



If you are interested in a Fitbit, check them out here:

NEW Fitbit Charge 2
Fitbit Blaze
Fitbit Flex
Fitbit Alta

Set your goals, RISE and MOVE your body, get those feel good endorphins flowing and meet me at The HOTI Club!  Have a great week!  Can't wait to hear about all the moving you did and all the progress you make this year.  I'm always available if you need some additional information or have any questions.  Just ask, don't be shy.

Talk soon,
C

Week 2: I Invite You To RISE

God hasn't invited us into a disorderly,

 unkempt life but into something holy and beautiful--

as beautiful on the inside as the outside.

1 Thessalonians 4:7 MSG

Sometimes with everything we have to do in our day to day lives, we get lost.  

We lose sight of what's a priority:  Ourselves.  

How good are we to others if we can't even be good to ourselves?  We run around doing everything for everyone else at full throttle.  By the end of the day, we are too exhausted to enjoy this gift of life. We are only here for a short time, but none of it matters if you can't enjoy yourself! 

In January, we will RISE above the hustle and bustle of carpooling, daycare, housekeeping, cooking, working, teenagers with attitudes, your husband's dirty socks, or your demanding bosses at work.  We will RISE above all the noise, quiet our thoughts and focus on what WE want for ourselves.  Not what others want from us. 

RISE with me!

The key to enjoying yourself is knowing what you want!  It's that easy!  What do you want in your day to day life?  Maybe it's a less cluttered work space? Some time for yourself for a pedicure or a massage?  A cruise to anywhere but here?  A new boyfriend?  Husband?  Promotion?  Weight Loss?Inner Peace?  Whatever it is....get ready to discover exercises that will help you get these things!  

Your Task for this week is to figure out who you are and what you want.  Sound complicated and impossible?  It's not, unless you make it so.  Whatever you think will happen, usually does.

There are tons of resources on the internet for this week's task.  Search for JOURNAL PROMPTS on Pinterest or Google and you will get tons of prompts and questions to choose from.  

PROMPTS TO GET YOU STARTED

What are my Top 3 goals for 2017?  (You can increase to 5 or more if you'd like) 

Don't just list them though!!  Jot down some action steps to achieve those goals!  If one of your goals is to lose some of that weight you gained over the holidays, don't just list "lose weight".  Be specific, and write the action steps needed to achieve that goal.  

EXAMPLE:

Goal--

Lose 10 pounds:  

• Throw away all the left over junk food (or donate to friend who doesn't have a sweet tooth/weight problem) 
• go to the gym 3 times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes per day 
• improve diet (only have starches with breakfast, salad and protein for lunch (no croutons!), and protein with veggies for dinner, no more ice cream!)
• make a progress chart in journal
• set up reward system at 5 lb increments (new earrings, new scarf)
• reintroduce ice cream treat after goal is met!!  (YESSSS!)

My wishes for 2017.

These can be a bit more "lofty" and not so goal oriented.  Maybe a vacation?  A new wardrobe? A new house?  Win the lottery maybe??  An expensive designer handbag perhaps?  A walk in closet? 5 minutes of peace and quiet?  Maybe just a little private time in the bathroom for once???!?!?  

Whatever you want...no specific steps needed.  This will be a place you can visit from time to time to see what your heart is desiring.  Maybe one day in the future, you can pick one and journal about it in further detail.  Or maybe you can make the decision to turn a wish or two into a reality and create an action plan to make your wishes come true!!  How great would that be?!?  

Another great thing about having this list, is that in January 2018 (2019, 2020, 2021), you can look back and see if your heart is still wishing for the same things or if your wishes have changed.  Maybe your future self will realize some of your wishes have already come true??  How can that NOT make you happier???  But, you might forget what your heart was wishing for if you don't write it down, so write it down!  Take up to as many pages as you'd like!  Write big, write small, doodle some pictures, whatever you want...it's YOUR journal.  

Additional Resources:

This is a great resource for this week's task with questions to journal about.  You don't have to answer all of them, pick and choose the ones you'd like to write about.  

26 Questions to Get to Know Yourself Better - Pysch Central

A full month's worth of journal prompts: (again pick and choose the questions you like)

January Journal Prompts - Life of Lovely

So many prompts!!!  Don't get overwhelmed with this one, RISE above those fears and bookmark or Pin for future reference! It's really an amazing resource!  Look at all my exclamation points!!!  Do as little or as many as you wish.  This is your Happiness Journal, so do what makes you happy!

Daring To Live Fully

Further Reading, not mandatory, but highly recommended!

Start Creating Your Life! -Tiny Buddha

Back to your journal:

Now that you have some information about you, your goals and wishes, we're going to move on to our weekly set up.  I hope you've been checking out some layouts (spreads), watching some of those videos I posted in our Facebook Group, practicing some maybe?  If not, feel free to copy my set up until you can figure out your own.   Link to my post: Bullet Journal Fun

NOTE:  Before you start, leave 3 blank pages at the beginning of your book for your Index (or Table of Contents) and go ahead and start numbering the pages in your journal.

Essentially, you will need spaces to write in the following information:

• What would you like to focus on this week?
• How do I want to challenge myself?
• What do I need to practice more?
• What new thing can I try?
• Quote of the Week (a quote you'd like to read and read again all week long like a Mantra)
• Picture of the Week (leave a space on your page to add a favorite photo at the end of the week)
• Bible Verse of the Week (if you are religious, you can add a verse to study, memorize or research)

You can also add or replace with things like:

• Favorite Song (for the current week)
• Currently Reading
• Must Watch TV
• Movie of the Week
• Kids Say The Darndest Things (funny quote from one of your kids this week)
• I'm Grateful For...

If you are having fun with the weekly stuff and want to do something extra on a daily basis you can keep track of:

• Daily Moods
• Daily Weather
• Food you eat (not the food you wish you ate)
• Household Chores
• Work Schedule
• Tasks that need to be completed
• Habits (Habit Tracker)

How much you do is up to you.  You may like keeping track of all these different things, or it may feel like a chore.  You may need to ease into this if you've never done it before.  Also, if you find it doesn't work for you this month.  Try it again at a later date, it might stick at a different season of your life.  (I have found this to be true for myself).

The most important task for you to do this week is to get in touch with yourself and to create a place in your journal for your WEEKLY rest stop.  Meet here with yourself, maybe a little soothing music, and re-connect yourself with the things YOU want to do for YOU!  Write down the things YOU like. The song lyrics that made you happy, the sweet nothings your husband whispered, the extra squeeze your son gave you when he hugged you goodbye, the please and thank you's of your day.  Write them down, you'll be grateful you did.  You can even have your children draw in your journal once a week. Or glue in a coloring page for some Mommy Time.

Side Note:  Try not to make this a journal of gripes.  You can keep a separate journal for that (and that's actually a whole other assignment!!!).  Try to keep this a place of positive thoughts and happy dreams.  Only rainbows and unicorns allowed.  

Scroll Down for Inspiration:

Mood Tracker Doodles:

Source:  SheffKids UK

Weather Icons:

Source: @Craftyenginerd on Instagram

Habit Tracker: 

Source:  BohoBerry

My Pinterest Board Full of Planner Things:

Direct Link:  Planning to Plan

Index Page:  

Source:  Bulletjournal.com - Kara Benz Guest Post

Would You Rather Prompt:

Mom Prayers:

Source:  Susan Merrill

Inspirational Quotes for this week:

Source Unknown

Source Unknown

 Source: buzzfeed.com

Source:  I Should Be Mopping The Floor

Source:  Brene Brown

Source: Pinterest (link is lost, if you know artist, please comment!)

That's all for today!  See you at The Club!  The HOTI Club Facebook Group

Talk soon,

C

Bullet Journal Fun

I love planners!
I love stationery!
I love paper, and post its, and pens and markers, and washi tape and stickers!

I always have.  But, I kept going from one planner to the next.  Or I would abandon my planner because it just wasn't working for me.  I had post its and lists everywhere, I had Pinterest boards I never look at....And then, I was introduced to a different kind of planner.

The planner that you make yourself!  I was doing this before I actually ever found out about the official "Bullet Journal".  In fact, when I heard about it there was this talk of a "key" with symbols meaning different things and I was just like, yeah no...I can't remember all that nonsense.  I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing.  Little did I know that with just a few minor tweaks, I was keeping a bullet journal!  Surprise.

Though I was happy in my planner, I did feel like something was a little off.  I realized all I needed was an Index and Numbered Pages!!  Life changing moment right there.  I shook my head and laughed at the utter simplicity of it all.

The reason I am sharing this with you today is because my journal is more than a journal and more than a planner, it makes me happy.  Maybe it can make you happy too!  Plus, you will be required to make a weekly layout.  Surprise!!  Don't panic.  It will be easy and fun!!!  Promise!!

Every week, we will create a vision board of sorts for the week.  We will come check on it and update it daily.  So, I'd like you to have a little history behind it before we get started.

There are many, many on line resources for you to check out about Bullet Journals.  Here is a link to the original creator's site so you can see the main idea behind it all.
Ryder Caroll - Bullet Journal Creator

From there, you can make it as artsy and complicated as you want...or you can keep it as simple as you like.

Here are some other resources for examples on how you can personalize your Bullet Journal:
Creative Savings
Tiny Ray of Sunshine
Parker and Me
Gurl  (this one is a youthful page but a great resource!!)
Sublime Reflection (great tracker health & fitness resource)

I highly recommend that you check out Pinterest for a little while using "Weekly Planner Layouts" as your search words.  There will be lots of visual inspiration and you can do some further research on the ones you really like.  (Warning:  Set yourself a time limit, or you can be there all day!!  Wait, is that just me?)

Here is what my week's layout currently looks like.  (I say currently, because if at any time I'm no longer feeling it...I switch it up.  Try doing THAT in an Erin Condren!)

The blank space you see will be filled in later with a quote and a picture...I just haven't gotten to it yet.  I might even add two pictures.  If you notice...I didn't use a ruler.  Nothing on this spread is perfect.  And that's how I like it. It's not time consuming.  I recommend trying it out in pencil first just until you figure out if will all fit. 

Here's a closer look at my tracking page.  I add the weekly weather so I can plan ahead, I enter my meals, what I plan to make for the family (which is usually different than what I eat), my workout, and the household chores I need to do.  

This was last week.  As you see, I threw in a picture of the week and a quote that I re-read often throughout the week.  I was reminded of my focus for the week, the religious quote I wanted to work on, how I wanted to challenge myself, and what new thing I wanted to try for the week.  I wrote the directions in and some thoughts about how it all went since there was extra room.  So, as you see, this ends up becoming a Scrapbook/Memory book of sorts.  (But MUCH, MUCH cheaper!)  The Habit Tracker is an easy way to make sure you did everything you intended to for the week.  If you see a pattern where you're not doing what you should be doing, you can make the extra effort to get it done, or reassess your priorities.

That's it!  For the next couple of days, check out some layouts and practice some either in your journal or on scrap paper.  On Sunday, we begin!  See you at The Club!  Click here - The HOTI Club Facebook Group

Talk Soon,
C

Word of the Year

Hi All!

Today, you get another task!  I told you this would be a busy week, but it's going to be fun!!

I'm hoping you have your journal...you do have one, don't you?  Well, if you don't...you can think about this assignment, but hurry and get your journal because you're really going to need it!

There's this little craze out there in the big world where you pick a word that describes how you want your year to be.  Any word that reflects how you want to live your life.

It's called, the WORD OF THE YEAR.

Take a few minutes to sit quietly...no distractions, take some deep breaths...what comes to you?  Anything?  Write it down.  Make it your motto!  Like Hakuna Matata! It means no worries, for the rest of your liiiiiiife.  Ok, where was I?  Ah, yes, your WORD of the year.  The idea is to revisit that word on a daily basis, perhaps until it actually comes true?  I don't know, I've never tried it!  😉 Let's FOCUS....hey that's a popular word choice!

According to Google Search the choice for 2017's Word of the Year is, drum roll please: FLOURISH. It's a good one.  I will probably use it once or twice.

But, for our purposes, one word for the entire year is just too much of a commitment!  
I can't choose just one and neither should you!!  

Your Task: 

Start a list of words for your use throughout the year. Your Word Bank if you will. Every week you will go to this bank and make your withdrawal.

Looking Ahead:

We will move beyond just a word though, so if you can start a collection of phrases, quotes, bible verses (if you are religious) or maybe some wise words a family member always says?  Song lyrics are an excellent choice.

Pinterest is a great resource for this.  I have an unbelievable obsession with Pinterest but am such an old school pen and paper person that I will sit down and write all my excellent pinned quotes down in my journal during commercial breaks.

When was the last time you checked your Pinterest Board of Excellent Quotes and Song Lyrics???? Hmmmm....when you're down and feeling small....(Bridge Over Troubled Water).  My first inclination when I'm upset is not to go on Pinterest, it is to grab my journal.  Do you know how many times you'll be checking your journal?  A LOT!  So put what you need where you need it.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

An important distinction between what our HOTI Club will be doing and what other self improvement planners/books/groups might do to increase our inner happiness:

I will GUIDE you through the year.
I will bring you a little help and nudge you a bit.
I will gather some ideas, prompts, and resources.

Here's what I will NOT do:
Tell you what to do, take it or leave it.
That is why, I am not assigning you a word.
I will never assign you a word.
I can help you find your word.
I can give you a virtual hug until you find your word, but I won't give you one.
(Unless you ask me to)!

 Also, I might ask you to share pictures of your journals (I will be doing so).  I might ask you to share some content in your journal.  This is not a requirement, but would be very appreciated.  This Club can only FLOURISH (see what I did there?) if we support each other.  Maybe one of us is having a hard time coming up with some words and quotes and would love ideas for their own journal.

Sharing is caring, y'all.  And, last I checked we get happy when we make others happy....(I should write that down for a future task...where's my journal)?

So, please share your words and quotes and phrases with us!  Please feel free to comment below or check in with us in our Facebook group. Invite your friends!  Share my blog posts!  We are in this together, let me know if you need help.  I'll be at the casino today with my family blowing the family fortune, but hey, I'll be back!!!  Maybe...Wish us luck!

Talk soon,
C

Getting Happy On The Inside Starts Now!!

Welcome 2017!  

My planner and I 

have been 

eagerly awaiting 

your arrival!! 

You may be wondering just how we will be starting our year long Happy On The Inside challenge.

The answer to that is short and sweet:  Slowly.  

This first week of the year will be a busy one.  In fact, most of you will probably be sleeping in today...Good Morning and Happy New Year!  Welcome to our year of getting and staying Happy on The Inside!  Since I expect things to be a bit hectic I want to break up our first week into two different assignments, with each having one or two parts.  You'll see what I mean as you keep reading.  

So let's get started!  JOURNAL SELECTION

Before we get into all the different journals, let me show you my set up. This is what I am currently using.  This is not what I've always used.  I am constantly trying new planners, journals, notebooks.  This is my hobby.  This makes me happy.  Buying the new stuff, trying the new stuff, trying some old stuff...it all makes me happy on the inside!! :) 

 This is a Traveler's Notebook that I bought in December from an Artisan on Etsy. 

 You can visit her store HERE if you are interested.

(As a side note, taking these pictures made me realize my craft desk needs a little refreshing).  Moving on!

 It holds 4 Journals inside it.  Each are approximately 8x5 in size (A5).  The picture above shows it opened to the middle of my books with my small insert on the left (which I decorated myself) and my Leuchttrum 1917 Slim on the right (my 2017 planner).

Here are a couple sample spreads, basically 

the kind of stuff I do inside my planner.  

The freedom to throw in some random list that I feel like making, 

or a page for coloring throughout the week 

(a great mindless de-stressor I might add) is liberating! 

 The plain notebook is actually my favorite kind of planner.  

I get to make of it whatever I want, so it always makes me happy.  

Always functions how I want it to...if it's not working I can change it without having to switch into a different planner.  

I like to treat my planner as a keeper of all the memories...I will write in little notes, put my recently acquired washi collection, add photos, celebrity deaths is new addition.

This weekly spread below is one of the things that motivated me to start this blog!  I started gathering all the little things that were about me, or my family.  For me.  Not a list of tasks I needed to accomplish for the day, not errands to run, or bills to pay, or appointments to keep.  But, things I wanted to do during the week to make my soul happy. (Happy On The Inside).  

And I thought, maybe others are looking for that too?

Now that I let you look at my planner (that's generally what I call it though it's much, much, MUCH more than that), we will move on to the big question...what are you going to use?

The general requirement for the journal you choose will be: freedom.  It must allow you the freedom to do whatever you want in it!  There will be projects, journal work, assignments and just so much variety going on all year long.  You will want to record, preserve and remember this year because it's going to be awesome!  You may already know what you like and don't like and can probably run out and grab one right now...great! 

But, if you're unsure, read on my friend.  The right journal can increase your happiness.  The wrong journal can increase your frustration and UNhappiness. We don't want that!  So, I recommend you go to Target (they're pretty much everywhere right?).  They have really cute journals to choose from. They also carry the higher end Moleskine (which I LOVE!).  

This is a Moleskine, in the Extra Large size. (approx $20)

 I bought this to take notes on how to start a blog.  (hahaha) 

 Hope to fill it soon!!! 

I saw this budget notebook too! (of course I bought it) Isn't it cute? 

 It is standard size and lined.  I bought it for future note taking.  

 Really it was just too cute to leave behind and cost $2.99.

Once you're at Target you can touch all the journals, smell them, hug them, rub your cheek on the paper....okay, maybe not that last part.  But, you get my drift.  You can also go nuts and try a Barnes & Noble.  I will not be held responsible for what happens there (Journal Heaven!).  They also carry Moleskines!!!! But, they don't carry composition notebooks.  Note: Moleskines come shrink wrapped, you cannot open them...but trust me, once you do you'll love that paper.  Creamy, soft, light lines...oh my.  

You'll just have to choose the right pen for the Moleskine or the Leuchttrum notebooks. There will be ghosting and bleedthrough with some pens, the planner community will generally do a "pen test" page at the back of the book so you can see how much ink transfers to the other side of the page. That way you'll know which pen NOT to use in your brand new, beautiful journal.   Whooops, that's almost like two assignments this week!!  You can do this!!!  

For my planning/journaling/doodling/list making I prefer grid or dots to lined pages or even blank pages.  I also prefer the A5 size.  It's not too big and not too small, it's just right! Too big can feel overwhelming to fill in and too small just isn't enough room.  If your budget is tight, I suggest going for a regular composition notebook (lined). I don't recommend spiral.  They are just a pain in the you know what!  But, in the end, your journal choice will be a personal one and you should choose whatever YOU like!

If you 'd like a suggestion, I highly recommend the large Moleskine (A5 size) or the Leuchttrum 1917 Medium (A5).  Links can be found below.  (Please note these are Affiliate Links and I do get a commission when a purchase is made.  I love these notebooks and only recommend products I use and love).

I am passionate about my journals!  I hope you become passionate about yours too.  

So, that's it.  

That's your FIRST ASSIGNMENT. 

This first week, 

you must choose your journal 
(uh, and pens). 

If you have any questions please drop a comment below or head over to the Facebook Group and ask away! The Happy On The Inside Club Group

Talk soon!

C