…and then some..

We took a trip to Eastern Finland. We are staying in a cottage by a lake.  Too bad the weather is not good for us, it has been a really chilly summer 😦

But the views are gorgeous! You can really rest your soul here. The only noise is from the swans at the lake (they have 4 babies) and the wind bells at the porch.

Lots of fun things to do for the kids, we went rowing, fishing, built little boats from wood. Hunted down forest animals like frogs and other insects. They haven’t even asked for an ipad or tv. Perhaps later a proper sauna experience in wood heated sauna. The only proper sauna. Yesterday I was told that there are many types of “sauna” out there outside Finland. If you don’t trow water on to the sauna stove- it is not a sauna! And the temperature is above 80 celcius, always.

Some journaling and planner time for mamma, too. In my last post I was talking about the many many beautiful planning systems there are. I wish you could use all of them! At times this can be a little overwhelming.. but then again, your needs might chance, and we all change a little when we get older. And wiser 🙂 I also have a Hobonichi A5. Don’t you just love the paper quality! You can use all sorts of media on it. I love the way the paper gets a little crinkly when it gets wet. I started Jul-Dec book now and I have high hopes to keep journaling daily until December. My Traveller’s notebook and the Hobonichi will compete, which one will I grab daily? Maybe both? These are dilemmas only true planner addicts and planner enthusiasts will understand. Are you one of us? 🙂

What do you use to organize your daily to-do’ s and appointments? I have had a long relationship with Filofax (and other ring-system planners, I keep referring them as Filofax). I have a small collection of Filofaxes and I used to swap them from time to time. You  know, keep the inserts but change the covers. Fun! What is great about the rings is that you can add and remove papers as you wish. If the rings get in the way when you are writing, just make small slits to the paper where the holes are, that way you can remove the paper without opening the rings and write easily on the backside too.  I’ve always had a “problem” deciding what are notes and what are lists? How crazy is that?? Filofax comes with divers so you can section your papers accordingly. I’m giving Filofax another go and I’ll throw all the lists and notes in the same section. Will that solve my “problem”? 🙂 we’ll see!

My Filofax Malden in Ochre ❤️

Have a good day! -Outi

The current situation

Hello there! It has been a long while since my last post. Life happened, I suppose 🙂 With work and my two 6-year-olds to look after, time is limited. But now it’s summer holiday and nothing but time, I thought I’d write a post. Hopefully this will become a habit.

My analogue life has evolved quite a lot from the last posts. My Filofaxes have been used only a little and other systems have replaced the rings. May 2016 I tried bullet journaling. I bought a blank large Moleskine, watched many YouTube videos of this system and had a go. Well, it lasted ca. 2 months Don’t really know why.. because I’m not artistic enough? I’m not good at drawing and for the most part I’m not super keen on my handwriting. Even though you do not need to draw or decorate in any way if you don’t want to.

Then there is the Traveller’s Notebook (the original, there’s something special about the original). I just LOVE setting up a planner/planning system. But, the question is, will you use it? I’ve always wondered what the “it didn’t work for me” -sentence meant? Well, it means that even though the system you’ve built for yourself seems perfect, you just don’t use it! You don’t grab that book of yours and write down to-do’s and to-go’s. YouTube is really bad.. there’s so many ideas out there, it’s unbelievable! Once I was there.. happened to watch “bullet journal hacks” by Addicted to planning. Oh dear! She had some amazing, practical ideas that I immediately grabbed my old Moleskine and tried again. This was late December 2016. You know what? I’m still using it!! 7th month 😀 I’m so proud of myself. I’m not so worried about making a mess (I have!) and I like the Pigma Microns, my handwriting is satisfactory with them. The bullet journal is for my to-do’, appointments and important notes etc.

The Traveller’s notebook.. it’s mainly for journaling, writing down funny things the kids have said and done. I want to journal because I want to remember.. I want to remember the little things in life. I’ve even used some watercolour and acrylic paints on my pages! And washi tape, of course.  Just to add a pop of colour. And sometimes a picture tells a thousand words, I quite often add pictures printed from my phone.

Sometimes the old love for the Filofax (meaning ring-system planners) raises it’s head. I have learnt from myself that I like to use inserts made by me.. well, can’t take all the credit, I’ve used ideas I’ve seen and tweaked them further to fit my needs. I’ve recently used Excell a lot 🙂 – making my own ring-planner inserts. Just because it’s fun.

 

New every day carry..

Sooo, it’s been so long since my last post! Dear oh dear! There was Christmas and the New Year. How has the new year started for you? Hope all is well.

I have had some planner issues. There are so many different kinds of planners or planning systems out there. There is the Midori Traveller’s Notebook, the Filofax and other ring bound planners, the Hobonitchi to name but a few. I encountered ‘planxity’ (new word that I learned from IG 🙂 at the start of the year. What to use?? Which to take with me everyday (every day carry).  I wanted to use them all !! But.. It had to be such that it would fit into my smaller handbags. I didnt’t really find nice inserts for my pocket size Filofax. Theeeen, I discovered the Field Notes…

Enter a caption

I saw this in a youtube video and was instantly intrigued!! The grid is nice’n light, it’s rather thin and just very suitable. I had previously purchased a FoxyFix pocket size cover and the Field notes fit perfectly. I made some covers from scrapbook paper and laminated. They   work as covers and it’s a great place to keep your post it notes!

I added two pocket size Midori credit card inserst and voíla, I now have a wallet as well. It’s so light and portable. I still use my personal sized Malden in ochre but I often keep that at home. Planner problems  solved, right? 😬

 

 

 

 

Planner tools

Even the longest to-list or a tough week ahead can be made just a little bit fun and appealing, perhaps. Making your planner spiced up with something You like to look at may make you open your organiser again again and alas, stay on top of things. I remenber things better if I write them down (with pen and paper!). Sometimes I feel guilty for not accomplishing something on my list, as if someone else wrote it!

These are some of the items I use often:

Washi tape. This is not all 🙈 (Hiding my head in a pillow)

Acrylic diary stamps and regular wooden stamps. The acrylic stamps require a stamping block.

A few examples of inks. All bought locally in Finland. There are different types of inks available, some absorb into the paper and some stay on the surface. Thickness of the paper plays a big role here too. But, have you seen the Hobonichi paper? Super thin and takes many kinds of inks!!

 

Pens.

I have discovered pens. What a difference it is to write with a good pen! Below, there are just a few examples of different ones I favour – gel pens especially. The “normal” ball point pen just vanishes on paper, compared to the crisp sarasa gel pen.

This Filofax paper is 65 g/m2 normal copy paper is 80 g/m2. Most of these pens leave only a shadow on the reverse side, the staedler bleeds though a little. I would like to try a fountain pen. My husband will travel to SF soon, maybe he’d bring me one 🙂 if I had a chance to visit stores like Kinokuyua, I’d loose all my money. Just a tad addicted, eh 🙂

My planner journey

Why use a planner? Why did I started to use one? Here’s my story.

I’ve always been into organising and keeping things tidy and so on. I met my husband in 2006. We moved into our house a few years later. Just dumped our stuff into the rooms and closets and not really having time to organise them. That takes time and planning – where to store what and how. We were now 4 people (his sons included). A few years went by and somehow stuff accumulated in our small house. Then we had twins! and NO TIME for anything extra. In my hormone bursts I nearly cried about the mess and the feeling that your not in control of the surroundings. Nobody found what they were looking for because things did not have a proper place and there was just too-much-stuff. Every day all of us said: “Have you seen my….?”  Where to start in a “chaotic” situation?

One day, back in 2013, I remember googling about organising, how to organise your life and so on. I stumbled on to this lady’s blog where she also had links to her you tube pages. I was so intrigued! I could sense that I had found something that was so ME!!! I discovered the WORLD of organising. I discovered that there are people around the world who love to use a planner to organise their daily life. I was hooked, instantly.

Now, 2015, I have managed to get organised again with the help of a planner. My twins turn 5 in January. It has taken a while but I’ve made it!!

http://www.mypurpleylife.com/

Check her out, she is AMAZING!

/2.12.2015 outi

Can leather get any prettier than this?

These are my “autumnal” Filofaxes. I love the leather! I wish you could smell it 🙂 I use the month on 2 pages (upper right) to mark down the hours that I’ve done at work, appointments and other important things. On the lower left is the week on 2 pages. I use these pages to write down my to-do’s for the week/day and I usually write, with a few words, what happened that day. I’ve noticed that especially ever since having kids, the days just vanish… and I would like to remember the little things that happen.

FILOFAX Holborn wine, Malden Ochre

Nämä viinin ja lämpimän ruskean väriset kalenterikannet ovat lempparit syksyllä! Ne tuoksuvat aivan ihanalle nahkalle. Omistan “muutaman” tällaisen, näita voi vaihtaa aivan kuten laukkuja tai kenkiä – fiiliksen tai tilanteen mukaan. Tässä esimerkkejä, miten pelkistettyjä valkoisia sivuja voi vähän kaunistella teipeillä, tarroilla ja leimasimilla. Kuukausinäkymään kirjoitan tehdyt työtunnit, tapaamiset, lääkärikäynnit ym. Näet koko kuukauden yhdellä silmäyksellä. Viikkosivulle (ala vasen) kirjoitan tarkemmin päiväkohtaisia juttuja, mitä pitää tehdä ja mitä muistaa. Kirjoitan myös parilla sanalla mitä sinä päivänä on tapahtunut. Huomaan sen, että lasten syntymän jälkeen päivät vaan kuluvat mutta haluaisin muistaa myös niitä pieniä asioita.

Leftovers..

For once I thought that I’d knit something from leftovers and not buy a n y t h i n g ! Buying yard is so fun! Found instructions online so away I went! Lots of work afterwards though Still needs an elastic to the waist. Need to make another one for my girl 🙂

Kerrankin ajattelin käyttää jämälankoja! Löysin ohjeen netistä ja kaivelin varastoja ja löytyikin mieleisiä värejä. Enkä ostanut yhtään uutta lankaa! Päättelemistä oli hieman… Vielä kuminauha vyötärölle ja pakkaset saa tulla!

Yarn/Lanka: Novita Nalle

Ohje: http://villapallo.blogspot.fi/2014/01/villahousujen-ohje-raidakkaat.html

 

Colour knitting / kirjoneule

This colour knitting was done AGES ago. Fashion trends were a bit different back then and I think I wasn’t so concentrated on the size of the jumper 🙂 it’s huge! However, I can’t see myself just trowing it away.. Last week I had an idea .. Maybe I could make it smaller? The thought about cutting a knit sounds so terrifying! I found a blog where a lady explained how she cut her knitted top. I’m going to tackle this next weekend, wish me luck!

Tämä kirjoneule on kulkenut mukana jo vuosiakausia, en raaski heittää sitä poiskaan. Tämä on ensimmäisiä isompia kirjoneuletöitä, keskityin niin kuvioihin enkä kokoon, ihan hirveän iso tuli 🙂 En ole vielä ehtinyt yrittää kaventaa, vaatii uskallusta 🙂

Yarn: Novita 7-veljestä