ohh caroline

Hey friends! Have you jumped on the bullet journal train? I tried it out for the first time last year, and really loved it (when I stuck to it). This year, I am using my bullet journal as my main method for tracking my lifestyle- personal finance, calendars, to do list, meal plans, all that jazz! I know that starting a bullet journal can be so intimidating. If you search ‘bullet journal’ on pinterest, instagram, or youtube, there are so many pages that look like absolute works of art. While I love to see these, I totally understand the hesitation to make your own when you don’t think it’s going to look that good. But here’s the thing- the whole point of bullet journaling is to have a notebook which makes organizing your life efficient. So, if for you that means lists alongside doodles and watercolors that’s okay, or if it means just writing a title and notes in whatever pen you have on hand- that’s totally okay too!

I personally like to use portions of my bullet journal (a fuchsia Leuchtterm1917)  as a creative outlet when I know that I have more time (my massive supply of stickers and pens have to go to use somewhere!), and this last week I had time to work on my 2019 setup and collections for the year. You might notice below that I’m O-B-S-E-S-S-E-D with journaling supplies as well, so I’ll be sure to link everything I use along with the photos!* So, if you need some ideas for trackers, collections, layouts, or are just curious about bullet journaling, check out my spreads below!

Inner Jacket & Contact Page

I really wanted to use my gold sharpie in my journal, but knew it would bleed through on other pages. So, I wanted to use it on the thick inside cover. I picked this quote by Henri Matisse because I love the optimism in it, and wrote everything in pencil first so that I could re-space as needed. For my black pens, I use Art-n-Fly fineliners.

The Key & At-a-Glance

My ruler is my best friend for bullet journaling! I love to use it anytime I need to draw a line because I personally have a pretty shaky hand and a tendency to veer off to who knows where with my pen. I used Pinterest as inspiration for the key, since my notebook last year already had one built in. You can put whatever you want in your key, and leave out anything you don’t! I love my at-a-glance page, but I’d be lying if I said it was a quick page to make! Definitely needed to take a break or two with all of those little numbers. I loved using the purple Pilot Frixion highlighter for some accents- it’s actually erasable which is so awesome for editing.

New Year Intentions

I knew I would be writing a lot on this page, so I wanted to keep it fairly simple. I like calling my resolutions ‘intentions’ because I find it to be more positive and it has a connotation of ‘plans’ and ‘aims’ as opposed to strict do’s and dont’s like resolutions. You can find similar washi tapes here.

Future Log

I really loved the way this spread turned out! By using 4 pages, I was able to give each month a good chunk of space to record future events. A future log is essentially where you can put any events that are not in the current month, like a future trip in May! Then, when you set up your monthly calendars, you can reference the dates in the future log rather than straining to remember what’s going on.

Personal Finance Roadmap

I made this spread after listening to the “How to Money” podcast where the hosts spoke about saving and anticipating recurring costs. On the left page, I have my annual/not monthly costs to record things that happen once a year or on an irregular basis- like my WordPress subscription! That way, I won’t be surprised when these costs hit my bank account, and I can be a #responsibleadult. Combined with the recurring expenses and savings page on the right, this spread makes an awesome reference for making my monthly budgets and planning for my financial future. I used my Stabilo highlighters to create a key for different expense categories, and the super cute stickers are from Ban.do and Pipsticks!

52 Hikes

Absolutely obsessed with these plant stickers from Amazon- I think they added the perfect minimal touch to this spread! I adore hiking, and last year I made a goal to go on 52 hikes. I didn’t quite reach the goal, but had so much fun working towards it last year that I wanted to do it again.

Books I’ve Read & Restaurants I’ve Eaten At & Concerts I’ve Seen

This spread is a ~just for fun~ memento collection. Essentially, I’m just going to list as I go! I just added my first book of 2019 tonight- and I hope I can fill at least 2/3 of the page before 2020.

Where I’ve Been & Instagram

Another memento page, this one has a tad more structure with the 3 column table addition. I believe I got this idea from AmandaRachLee’s youtube channel– her bullet journal is out of this world! The instagram tracker is also ~for funzies~ (ew) as I’d really like to grow my online presence this year. I tried to make each section look like a polaroid, but they kind of look more like an 80’s alarm clock…

Grid Spacing Guide & BuJo Ideas & Blog Ideas

Grid spacing sheet inspired by AmandaRachLee; #BUJOQUEEN. Colored pens are Tombow, and the stickers are Pipsticks!

Check It Out

I love this kawaii-mean girls spread. Basically, anytime I see or hear about something to read or watch or make that intrigues me, I’ll keep track of it here! I’d like to make a spread specific to Check It Out: Denver as well. 🙂

When Was the Last Time…

This page is going to come in so much handy! Essentially, I will just put a date next to each task each time it’s accomplished. Hopefully it will help me stay on top of things and not go another 10 months without getting my haircut or updating my resume #oops.

January Monthly Calendar

For upcoming events this month, tracking my health progress, and remembering the highlights! I especially wanted to include the highlights section to make sure I stay positive in what is honestly one of my least favorite months. Here are some similar washi tapes.

January Expenses & Habits

It’s soooo important for me to get my personal finances figured out this year- so what better way to start than tracking my spending! Physically having to write down each transaction and dollar amount that comes out of my pocket definitely makes more of an impact than sneaking a peak at my statement a few times a month. For the habit tracker- you can add as many or as little as you like! I love this as well, because it helps me zone in on areas of success (yay me!) and areas for improvement (I can do it!!).

Week One Spread

Below is my first weekly spread for 2019! You’ll notice it’s a little more minimal work-wise. It’s super important to me that my weekly spreads remain efficient- and don’t become a chore. So I’ll be using lots of stickers and washi tape to decorate so that I’m not hunkering down for hours each Sunday planning and drawing (unless, of course, I feel like it that week!). The stickers are Ban.do and I love to use a stencil to make my key shapes.

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So that’s what I have so far! I’m excited to keep up with my bullet journal this year, and to use it as my main organization tool in my personal life. Cause goodness knows I can use all the help I can get!

xo,

ohhcaroline

*P.S. most of the links in this article on Amazon affiliates. This means that if you purchase the product in the link, I will make a tiny bit of commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks so much for supporting ohhcaroline.com!