Thursday, December 29, 2016

Setting Up My Bullet Journal - Part 8 Cover and Divider Tabs


DearREADERS,After mentioning the tabbed sticky  notes in my previous post, you are probably wondering about the cover and divider tabs Ol' Myrt found for her bullet journal.

I chose the Levenger Translucent Circa Covers, Letter Size- Set of 2 (ADS4285 LTR) from Amazon shown above. I wanted an inspiring graphic for my cover but didn't want to deal with sticky adhesives that might come loose over the next few months. I found an image I liked, and used PhotoShop to enlarge it to letter size. I think the result is marvelous, if I do say so myself.

 

Given this color palette, I was happy to find this translucent, pale-colored set of  Levenger Circa Wafer Tab Dividers (ADS8440 LTR). I haven't yet printed the stickers for the tabs. Here's how my bullet journal is arranged:
  • Translucent front cover
  • Cover design print out (embellished heart design above)
  • Pale turquoise blue divider tab
  • Index pages (Doris and I decided, it's really more of a table of contents, but we're going with the term "index" since that is what Ryder, the Bullet Journal guru calls it)
  • Next divider tab (pale fern green)
  • Important notes (setting up new hangouts is there now)
  • Next divider tab (pale blue)
  • January 2017 calendar page
  • About 100 blank, lined pages
  • Next divider tab (pale gray)
  • About 10 blank, lined pages (for a special project)
  • The rest of the divider tabs (I may need them later)
  • Feb-Dec 2017 Calendar pages
  • Translucent back cover
Are you planning to use divider tabs in your bujo?

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Hangouts: Pay what you want. So it's simple. If you value the work Ol' Myrt, +Cousin Russ and our beloved panelists do week in and week out on your behalf, please:

Check the DearMYRTLE Hangouts Calendar for upcoming study groups and hangouts. There you'll find links to the GeneaConference (in-person) and the GeneaWebinars Calendar with over over 200 hours of online genealogy classes, webinars, live streams and tweetchats from other hosts and presenters over the next 12 months.


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Setting Up My Bullet Journal - Part 7 Bullet Journal Codes





DearREADERS,
Earlier today, Ol' Myrt here mentioned I sure could use a stencil to draw more perfect "squares." It seems fitting to show what type of bullet journal codes I plan to use. When I create a bulleted item, I will not use a plain old bullet. The square will be my most used, denoting a to-do list item. As I start the task, I'll place a diagonal line through the square, and fill it in when the task is complete as shown in my reminder tab above.
  • Square = task
  • Circle = event
  • Triangle = appointment
  • Heart = cool idea
  • Dot = note
  • ! = deadline
  • * = important
  • ? = explore
  • -> a migrated task
  • strike through = no longer important, irrelevant

And those tabbed sticky notes? You can pick these Redi-Tag Divider Sticky Notes 60 Ruled Notes, 4 x 6", Assorted Neon Colors (29500) up at Amazon or your local office supply.

What codes have you decided you'll use in your bujo?


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Hangouts: Pay what you want. So it's simple. If you value the work Ol' Myrt, +Cousin Russ and our beloved panelists do week in and week out on your behalf, please:

Check the DearMYRTLE Hangouts Calendar for upcoming study groups and hangouts. There you'll find links to the GeneaConference (in-person) and the GeneaWebinars Calendar with over over 200 hours of online genealogy classes, webinars, live streams and tweetchats from other hosts and presenters over the next 12 months.


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Setting Up My Bullet Journal - Part 6 Future Page


 DearREADERS,
So what's on the backside of DearMYRTLE's bullet journal calendar pages? It is what Ryder calls a "future page." I've created it with four elements: 
  • Goals
  • Inspirational Quote
  • Fun Stuff
  • Notes (Not sure how I'll use this one, but I stuck it in there for good measure!)
Again, you can see Ol' Myrt's handwriting leaves much to be desired, but I'm making up for it by adding my first flourish. It's a sticker found in the scrapbooking department at WalMart no less. (Read that  as super cheap and super easy to insert.)
You'll find Ol' Myrt's Bullet Journal Calendar backpage with goals large.pdf file in DearMYRTLE's Facebook Group files area. I could do with a stencil to create my bullet journal boxes, couldn't I?



What is on your "Fun Stuff" list? Since Tam and I share a birthday, I'm thinking a girls' spa day is in order. I'll invite all three of my daughters and figure out how to have a light lunch catered.


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Hangouts: Pay what you want. So it's simple. If you value the work Ol' Myrt, +Cousin Russ and our beloved panelists do week in and week out on your behalf, please:

Check the DearMYRTLE Hangouts Calendar for upcoming study groups and hangouts. There you'll find links to the GeneaConference (in-person) and the GeneaWebinars Calendar with over over 200 hours of online genealogy classes, webinars, live streams and tweetchats from other hosts and presenters over the next 12 months.


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Setting Up My Bullet Journal - Part 5 Monthly Calendar




DearREADERS,
Some people like to spend hours designing a two-page, multi-color calendar spread, but Ol' Myrt here opted to use a MS Word Template for easy printing (shown above). It is your bujo. Do what you want. Although I like to doodle, I don't have much time for it.

IMAGE: Screen shot of a search for
Bullet Journal Calendars on Pinterest.
Ol' Myrt here printed one all 12 months, hole punched them, inserted January 2017 page after the index. The rest go at the end of my existing bujo and I'll move each up as I draw toward the close of a month and need to plan bullet items for the next month.

My handwriting leaves a lot to be desired, but here's what the beginning of my January calendar looks like. I inserted a green sheet of paper behind the calendar page, so you can see what the edge of the paper looks like with the Levenger holes punched. "MwM" is short for Mondays with Myrt, our flagship hangout. As you can see we will be resuming then on Monday, 2 Jan 2017.


You'll find my Bullet Journal Calendar 2017 large.pdf file in DearMYRTLE's Facebook Group files area.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR YOUR CALENDAR PAGES? 

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Hangouts: Pay what you want. So it's simple. If you value the work Ol' Myrt, +Cousin Russ and our beloved panelists do week in and week out on your behalf, please:

Check the DearMYRTLE Hangouts Calendar for upcoming study groups and hangouts. There you'll find links to the GeneaConference (in-person) and the GeneaWebinars Calendar with over over 200 hours of online genealogy classes, webinars, live streams and tweetchats from other hosts and presenters over the next 12 months.


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Setting Up My Bullet Journal - Part 4 The Hole Punch




DearREADERS,
Linda Stufflebean and I have been having a conversation on Facebook about the rings getting in the way of left-handed writers. The right-handed folks have had the same problems for decades but on the opposite page. One thing I like about the Levenger Rings is that one uses eleven instead of the usual 3-ring binders that as school girls we used for our paperwork.
IMAGES:
Courtesy of Amazon.

Either way the pages can be written on and then added to the Levenger Rings just as we did with our paperwork in school.

However, 11 rings hold the paper instead of a measley 3. How many times did you have to use those old-fashioned reinforcement labels because top loading sheet protectors hadn't been invented yet? A young grandchild once tried to eat these "flat Cheerios" but I digress.

So to go with the program, I ordered a Levenger paper punch. There are several models:  
And this isn't just any hole punch since the resulting punch-outs look like this:
 
IMAGE: The author's rendering.

SO WHAT DID LINDA AND I DECIDE TO DO?
Being the smart gal that she is, Linda suggested writing on the page and then inserting it into the Levenger Ring binder we've made. We both like the idea that we can move pages around using this ring binder system.

What are the plans for your bullet journal?


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See you at RootsTech 2017. Register here.

Hangouts: Pay what you want. So it's simple. If you value the work Ol' Myrt, +Cousin Russ and our beloved panelists do week in and week out on your behalf, please:

Check the DearMYRTLE Hangouts Calendar for upcoming study groups and hangouts. There you'll find links to the GeneaConference (in-person) and the GeneaWebinars Calendar with over over 200 hours of online genealogy classes, webinars, live streams and tweetchats from other hosts and presenters over the next 12 months.


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Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Setting Up My Bullet Journal - Part 3 The Levenger Rings




DearREADERS,
One may create a bullet journal with any sort of notebook, spiral or three-ring. You could even purchase the coveted  Leuchtturm 1917, but it's $19 for 269 numbered, thread bound 5x8 pages. Ol' Myrt here would prefer the large 8.5 " x 11"  and I like the idea of a "ring" binder of sorts as there's a likelihood I'll "mess up" and want to rip out a page or two. This beautiful book just doesn't make sense to me. It would make me nervous, and that just stifles creativity if you ask me. So I've opted to:
  • Print my own bujo pages using 20 pound, bright white paper.
  • Use a Levenger hole punch. More about this in the next post.
  • Insert my custom printed bujo pages on my set of Levenger Rings.
I'm thinking you could do the same thing with a three-ring binder. Maybe I like the Levenger Rings because they are different, they are solid in the middle. This change represents my turning over a new leaf and all that.

IMAGE: Courtesy of Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Levenger-Circa-Office-ADS5225-RSGD/dp/B01CIHTS32


What are you planning to use for your bujo?


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See you at RootsTech 2017. Register here.

Hangouts: Pay what you want. So it's simple. If you value the work Ol' Myrt, +Cousin Russ and our beloved panelists do week in and week out on your behalf, please:

Check the DearMYRTLE Hangouts Calendar for upcoming study groups and hangouts. There you'll find links to the GeneaConference (in-person) and the GeneaWebinars Calendar with over over 200 hours of online genealogy classes, webinars, live streams and tweetchats from other hosts and presenters over the next 12 months.


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Setting Up My Bullet Journal - Part 2 Why Analog in a Digital World?


DearREADERS,
When Tami Mize explained about her bullet journal, we discovered a bujo is not particularly a diary, more an organizational book where pages can be inserted, rearranged and handwritten with embellishments as you wish.Scholarly research indicates with handwritten notes, we absorb information more readily compared to using a computer to take notes.

"[...] there are two hypotheses to why note-taking is beneficial in the first place. The first idea is called the encoding hypothesis, which says that when a person is taking notes, "the processing that occurs" will improve "learning and retention." The second, called the external-storage hypothesis, is that you learn by being able to look back at your notes, or even the notes of other people." Source: Attention, Students: Put Your Laptops Away http://www.npr.org/2016/04/17/474525392/attention-students-put-your-laptops-away
 "Students who took handwritten notes generally outperformed students who typed their notes via computer, researchers at Princeton University and the University of California at Los Angeles found." Source: Can Handwriting Make You Smarter? http://www.wsj.com/articles/can-handwriting-make-you-smarter-1459784659
"Young students are often considered “digital natives,” with technology integrated into every aspect of their lives. While this can be an advantage in some situations, research has shown that the impact is not entirely positive." Source: The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard https://journalistsresource.org/studies/society/education/longhand-versus-laptop-note-taking

Tami's  Bullet Journal Ideas Pinterest Board
https://www.pinterest.com/tamiglatz/bullet-journal-ideas




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Hangouts: Pay what you want. So it's simple. If you value the work Ol' Myrt, +Cousin Russ and our beloved panelists do week in and week out on your behalf, please:

Check the DearMYRTLE Hangouts Calendar for upcoming study groups and hangouts. There you'll find links to the GeneaConference (in-person) and the GeneaWebinars Calendar with over over 200 hours of online genealogy classes, webinars, live streams and tweetchats from other hosts and presenters over the next 12 months.


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Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Setting Up My Bullet Journal - Part 1



DearREADERS,
Clearly the pic above represents the "before" in my disorganized life. Missing is my Franklin Covey planner, buried under a sea of old clipboards and school girl composition books. So where's the "after" shot? Right here:

This image speaks to my intention - doing everything with love, so I enlarged it for the cover page of my personal bullet journal

WHAT'S A BULLET JOURNAL?
Ryder, the guy who dreamed up the concept of a bullet journal describes this notebook system as  "The analog system for the digital age." Find out more at: http://bulletjournal.com
 



No, I didn't write everything out like Ryder did. In a future blog post, I'll share how I used MS Word to create the core modules for my bullet journal pages:
  • index
  • future log
  • monthly calendars for the year
  • notes (for daily log)  
  • Blank pages (for collections)
Some people go off the deep end when it comes to drawing up and decorating bullet journal pages. Pinterest is full of suggestions.
I realized that my show notes, study group planning, and the notes made when planning projects, family gatherings and writing projects are actually a big slice of my life, so why not pretty things up?
Ol' Myrt here isn't particularly a scrapbooker, though scraps of papers and sticky notes liter my office desk. Here are random thoughts about why bullet journaling appeals to me:
  • My calender-oriented planner didn't have enough blank pages for me to dream and create.
  • I make at least four pages of handwritten notes in the green room before any hangout, more if it is a study group. Yes, I use Trello for the "big picture" with links to share. But handwritten notes work for last minute inspiration, and tallying the points panel participants wish to make.
  • A clipboard worked, except all those pages just got messy and the stack gets of order. I sometimes like to refer back to those notes for inspiration.
  • My composition books worked better, lots of blank pages. But the cover was boring, and there was no calendar. Yes, I use the Cozi app on my smart phones, bringing in several Google Calendars and coordinating activities with Mr. Myrt.
  • Composition books worked fine this year except: the paper quality was poor so the ink could be seen from both sides of the page. I couldn't insert a page, and tearing one out spoiled the integrity of the book.
  • I've chosen 8.5' by 11" since I've noticed the 9.75" by 7.5" page of my composition books weren't quite long enough.
Mr. Myrt and I have spent energy creating our beautiful home, though my brother Mike says "It's good, in a grandparent sort of way." Why shouldn't Ol' Myrt's writing and journaling look well? After all, it's an extension of me and I'd like it to be inspiring for me and for anyone who runs across it when I pass away.
I'm envious of people who've inherited their mother or grandmother's calendars. Those little daily notes provide a quick view of daily life in the "olden days."

IT'S ALL TAMI'S FAULT
Tami Mize inspired us to get organized and have fun doing it! Her ideas helped me understand I could customize my bullet journal to suit my needs.






HOW ABOUT YOU?
Does the idea of a bullet journal appeal to you? Let's have fun sharing sample journal pages and get the ball rolling in the organization department for 2017.

See you at RootsTech 2017. Register here.

Hangouts: Pay what you want. So it's simple. If you value the work Ol' Myrt, +Cousin Russ and our beloved panelists do week in and week out on your behalf, please:

Check the DearMYRTLE Hangouts Calendar for upcoming study groups and hangouts. There you'll find links to the GeneaConference (in-person) and the GeneaWebinars Calendar with over over 200 hours of online genealogy classes, webinars, live streams and tweetchats from other hosts and presenters over the next 12 months.


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