moleskine: journaling with a first grader

well, i have still been plunking along in my little mokeskine.  sometimes i get way behind and think about ignoring it, forgetting about it, putting it aside . . .

i was at work contemplating taking the "travel" out of my travel journal (aka taking it out of my purse and stashing it in a dark corner somewhere) when much to my delight i discovered my little first grader had a travel journal too.  my enthusiasm for the project was instantly rejuvenated it.  it's like that sometimes, isn't it?  finding a like minded soul is often just what is needed to make life exciting once more.  i immediately pulled mine out so we could "ooh" and "aah" over each others work and then set out to add a fresh page in each . . .

mine and hers, side by side . . .

she journals with both pictures and words.  hey!  i do that too!

does this look familiar?

 she journals about her family . . . 

hey!  i do that too!  g skiing . . .

pepito . . .

chichi . . .

we also both journal about the holidays and other random things . . .

cocoa daisy treats and outback with friends . . .

a birthday celebration at work . . .

a gift from a student and a really good book . . .

i am still puttering along through february.  it's a fun little project and a treat to look back on, especially when i can share it with friends like her and you.  :)

moleskine: highlights

in the last few days of 2014, i began chatting with my friends over at get it scrapped! about "intentions" for the new year.  i was intrigued by a link on bullet journaling that was shared and thought i might give it a try.  i then impulsively stopped at books a million on the way to our new year's eve party for my very first moleskine travel journal with the intention of bullet journaling on its pages.  i just couldn't do it.  the pages were too pretty and the journal too cute.  i just couldn't sully it with random messy lists. 

i was then faced with this adorable new journal with absolutely no intentions for it.  i pondered its fate all day long on new year's day.  i finally had a "eureka!" moment late that night after my football team lost its bowl game.  it's now my "highlights" playbook.  each day i simply write a few highlights, sketch a little picture, and color it in with watercolor pencils.  no back handed compliments and no disclaimers allowed.  only highlights.

semantics are funny.  i've tried this sort of thing before.  gratitude journals, reflections on my day, joys.  sometimes it all just seemed too profound when i was having a shallow sort of day.  highlights, though, highlights i can handle.  just a few little things that have made me happy each day.  no pressure.  just fill a tiny page with a few moments that have made me smile.  it's surprisingly easy and not so surprisingly uplifting.

it's also been not so hard to keep up with.  i try to write every day or at least every other day.  then i make the sketches and color them as i have time.  very relaxing.  give it a try!  i know it's been adding an extra smile or two to each of my days so far this year.