Notebooks Untouched

Let's admit it, my fellow stationery enthusiasts: we all buy notebooks from time to time without knowing what for. It might be a limited edition or a location exclusive. It might be something you've always wanted to try, and you finally caved for one reason or another. We all probably have a stash of unused notebooks somewhere.

I recently dug mine out and placed them in a drawer near my desk in order for me to really think about which ones I was going to use and for what purpose. Here's my stash of notebooks untouched, and my thought process on what I'll be using them for.

Traveler's Notebook Inserts

Traveler's Company lightweight paper (left)

I was originally going to use this insert to replace the blank insert that came with my olive edition Traveler's Notebook, but I can also see it being useful as a morning pages journal. The pages are much thinner and the insert comes with 128 pages, which makes it very useful for long form writing.

Traveler's Company weekly vertical (middle)

I've never tried a vertical layout before because the space seemed too narrow for me to write anything substantial in the current version (019). This insert is an older version of the undated weekly vertical layout, which lets the week expand fully across the spread and groups Saturday and Sunday into one column.

I'm going to use this one as a travelogue. Having an hour-by-hour breakdown will help me make better travel plans and keep track of where I've been for travel journaling later. I've also seen many others use this layout to summarize their weeks and using the printed hours as a loose guideline for what happened during the day. Using it in that way allows for very interesting spreads, so I might try that, too.

Webster's Pages (right)

I mostly bought this pack because of one of the designs, which I've already used. The graphic on the front cover reads "today," so I can see myself using it as a daily gratitude journal. Otherwise, I should be able to make use of it as a scrapbook.

Field Notes

Lunacy and Black Ice (left and right)

As mentioned in a previous My Current Journal Lineup post, these will continue to be my go-to for short and sweet movie reviews. I have yet to expand them to cover other forms of media, but I expect that to change because I'm listening to a ton of podcasts during my commute.

Starbucks Roastery edition (middle)

The bigger size of these notebooks will probably be useful for junk journaling, which is something I've never tried before. I really enjoy the simple and elegant cover with the wooden pattern and rose gold lettering, so I think it'll be interesting to fill it with ordinary objects and experiment with a "messy" style.

Misc

Paper Hammer accordion journal

This journal will make a beautiful gift of love or friendship. I imagine I'll use it as a mini scrapbook and fill it with photos and memories before giving it to someone. Alternatively, it's the perfect size for a mini photo album that I can display on my desk or on top of my bookcase.

Yamamoto Paper Ro-Biki Note

I received this notebook as one of the items in The Stationery Selection's September subscription box. It's about the same length as a Traveler's Notebook insert, but is even narrower. The slim size makes it a perfect list-keeper for my to-dos or other daily logs (e.g. food intake, exercise routines, etc.)

Rifle Paper Co. pocket notebook

This notebook came in a set of two and I used one of them for doodling. I can't think of a specific use for this one, but I might use it as a Field Notes substitute and keep using it for media review.

All in All...

Creating this list has made me much feel better about my unused notebook stash. It also reminded me that I have more than enough to get me through next year without buying more. Every time I'm tempted to purchase a new one, I'll refer to this post and ask myself: "what am I going to use it for?" My goal is to minimize unnecessary journaling purchases next year, so wish me luck!