The intention to keep a journal is a beautiful thing! Personal feelings, daily moments and milestone memories, dreams and goals put into handwriting. A practise that is so therapeutic while documenting life. Dedicating the time to journal keeping can sometimes be challenging - so, here are some tips to help keep your journal and motivation!
PREGNANCY JOURNALS
Such a special time with so many details, emotions and feelings that can change with every week. We recommend taking the time to keep your weekly journal. Perhaps taking time daily before bed or blocking half an hour on the weekend to journal about the whole week. Life is busy so schedule in the time to document this momentous adventure. Take weekly bump photos and perhaps to save time, print them altogether and stick them in to complete your journal at the end of your pregnancy.
BABY JOURNALS
Having a baby makes you busy and really tired with not a lot of extra time left over to do other things. We get it. We also understand that documenting the milestones that pass as quick as the new changes come along is important to so many parents. So here are our tips to keeping our baby journals:
- Schedule - Schedule in time once a month to sit with a cup of tea, some music or Netflix and spend time on your journal. Keep it on a visible shelf that will also remind you to fill it out for that month.
- Phone Notes - Keep notes on your phone and transfer the information when you have time. This is also handy to remember things you think you will, and then hot damn, you don't.
- Post It Notes - Post it notes are also a quick way of saving the details. Keep them nearby and stick them in as you scrawl detail. When you are feeling like you have more time you can transfer all the information.
- Photos - ‘Heart’ your favourite photos in your phone so that you can easily find the ones you want to print without having to scrawl through the 3,500 you have taken. Send them to print online once a month and having them delivered home makes the process of printing photos less of a chore.
- Supplies - Keep your pen, tape, notes, photos and journal altogether so filling out your journal becomes a stress free enjoyable time of reflection and documenting special memories to one day pass down.
CHILD JOURNALS
Our biggest advice is don’t put them away out of sight! Use our tips on printing photos, keeping quick notes and scheduling in time. A letter a year, a snippet of writing about raising them, noting the funny things they say, documenting birthdays year on year, or writing about their school years and achievements – so many moments that can be collected as time flashes before your eyes and they grow into adults!
Commonly asked questions;
- What pen should I use? We simply recommend a good old fashioned ball point pen. Make sure you can get the same pen or refills if you want the ink to stay consistent throughout.
- Where should I print my pictures? Google keywords like 'print square photos' or 'photo printing business' or 'online photo ordering' and you will find a business online to print your images and deliver to your door.
- How should I stick photos in my journal? We recommend acid free washi tape, double sided tape or photo corners. Your choice will come down to personal preference on how you want your journal to look.
- How do I fit in journaling?!
- Phone notes Keep notes on your phone and transfer the information when you have time. This is also handy to remember things you think you will, and then hot damn, you don't.
- Post it notes This is a quick way of saving the details. Keep post it notes nearby and stick them in as you scrawl detail. When you are feeling like you have more time you can transfer all the information.
- Set reminders Schedule in time once a month to sit with a cup oftea, some music or Netflix and spend time on your journal.
- Print your photos Once a month choose your favourite photos and send them to print. Ordering your prints online for delivery saves so much time.
- Keep it out Keep your journal on a shelf or coffee table so it is in eyes site. If you put it away it may get forgotten about or make it harder to prioritise filling it out.
We hope these tips help bring your journal vision to life.
*this post has been adapted from the Write to Me website, you can read the original post HERE.