Productive Pixie: August 2019

It is hard to be productive. It is hard to create habits. It is hard to reach your goals.

Atomic Habits by James Clear Book Review

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Updated for 2024 - This is still one of the best books I have ever read on creating habits.

Atomic Habits by James Clear Book Review

But... it doesn't have to be. In the book Atomic Habits by James Clear, he gives an easy approach to creating your habits in order to help you reach your goals.

I like how he adds examples in this book, to illustrate exactly how each approach works because he gives multiple approaches to creating habits.

He also tells how you can break habits one small step at a time.

The book has diagrams and charts in it, that can be referred back to when you are deciding on which approach to use when making a habit or quitting a bad habit.

Using a Habit Tracker to Create Habits

He talks about using a habit tracker, which I like because I use a habit tracker in my bullet journal, but he gives a few examples of when not to use a habit tracker.

He talks about making sure that you are accountable when starting habits, and how you can do that by writing it down, having an accountability partner, etc.

One of my favorite ideas, which is in the book, is habit stacking, which to me looks like an easy way to build upon habits and create new ones.

Habit stacking is probably something that I am going to try out soon! :)

There is also a Clear Habits Journal which can help you implement the instructions in the book on creating new habits.

Atomic Habits by James Clear Book Review

Overall, this book is very helpful, and it has some ideas in it, which I have never heard of before, like "habit stacking". I think that this book is a great book to read if you are looking for a new way to create habits that you actually stick to.

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Get this book from your local library, if you want to give the strategies in this book a try!

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August 31, 2019 No comments

With school starting again, you have to be organized and ready to go, or else you might end up with chaos.

Back to School Bullet Journal Layouts Part 1

Updated for 2024

Then you will be trying to figure out your first days of the school year and finding an organization system to organize your school stuff.

Today, I thought that I would put this post out there, so that you can (hopefully) get some ideas for your school organization in your bullet journal before school starts.

Back to School Bullet Journal Layouts Part 1

1. Classes List Bullet Journal Page

The first page I made for my school section is this index-type page. It has the names of all of my classes, and then a color for each one. This year I am trying color-coding! I hope that it works well. :)

I wanted my school bullet journal section to be sort of simple and minimalist, but with all of the colors, it turned out a little different than I thought it would, but I still really like the pages I made.

2. First Semester Overview Bullet Journal Page

My next pages are my first semester pages. This first one is like a year at a glance, except for it is for one semester instead of for the entire year. I really like how I did the header on this page and the mini calendars, even though the calendars were super hard to make because I had to figure out the spacing.

At the bottom of this page, I had some room, so I put a quote, but it would also be a great spot for color-coding or for notes too.

Something I did, which I am finding is really helpful, is shading in all of the school days, with a pencil, so you can see at a glance when your next day off is.

On the next page, there is a box for events, and on one side of the line, I add the date, and on the other side of the line, I put what the event is. Next to that box, at the top, I have a box with all of the school holidays on it, because it is helpful to know when you have a break from school. :)

Below the holiday box is a box for the midterms I have. I can put the day of the midterm, supplies I need for the midterm, or just general notes. In the midterms box, I put a sub-header for every class I have a midterm in.

3. Second Semester Overview Bullet Journal Page

My semester two pages are very similar, except for I used different headers for everything, I didn't add a quote, and I included a small box for every final so that I could have a little more room for information.

I love how I did the headers for the calendars and for the holidays' box on this layout.

4. Weekly Schedule Bullet Journal Page

After that, is my weekly schedule. I am so happy with how this one turned out. It is probably my favorite out of all of my layouts for school so far.

I have my schedule going from 5 AM to 10 PM, so it isn't all 24 hours in the day. I used my school color-coding, to show what time each class was at.

At the bottom, I have a weekly tasks section for things that I like to do on a certain day of the week, but I don't have to do them at a certain time. (I hope that I made the squares big enough to write down all of my weekly tasks!)

5. Classes Bullet Journal Pages

Then I have a layout for almost all of my classes, to help me make sure that I am on task and doing everything that I have to for the class. This type of page is great for putting down a class syllabus, the key assignments, reading list, and teacher information.

The one above is for exercise, so I have a box for semester one and two, a small fitness schedule, and a box for monthly fitness goals.

Back to School Bullet Journal Layouts Part 1

That is part 1 of the bullet journal layouts I am using for school. Pretty soon, after I have finished making the rest of my layouts, I will publish part two. Probably school goals pages, my ideal day (with routines), and a few other pages I am making.

You might also enjoy reading these posts.

I hope that you enjoyed reading this post! :)

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August 24, 2019 No comments

Did you just buy the Crayola Super Tip markers, and you are looking for ideas on how to use them?

Using Crayola Super Tips in my Bullet Journal

Updated for 2024

Or are you looking into buying some new pens for your bullet journal?

I was looking for pens that I could use for calligraphy, hand lettering, and in my bullet journal for decorations.

Using Crayola Super Tip Markers in My Bullet Journal + Review

I was originally thinking about buying the Zebra Mildliners, which are on the more expensive side when I read this post (no longer available) which talked about the Crayola Super Tips as an alternative to the Zebra Mildliners.

The Crayola Super Tips came with 50 markers for less money than the 3-packs of Zebra Mildliners I was planning on getting! The Crayola Super Tips also come in similar colors though most of the Crayola Super Tips are a little bit darker! :)

I looked into the Crayola Super Tips immediately and realized that a lot of other bullet journaling and planning bloggers liked them too. So those are the ones I decided to get, and I have been using them nonstop in my bullet journal binder to make new spreads.

I really like the colors that the Crayola Super Tips come in even though most of them are on the darker side than on the pastel side.

Using Crayola Super Tips for Calligraphy

They work well for calligraphy too. It didn't really seem like they have a brush tip. I have just been changing the angle (Like with a chisel tip calligraphy pen) depending on when I want a thin or a thick stroke.

They do have a watercolor/ombre effect when you write with them, so if you go over an area more than once, the area will become darker. It hasn't bothered me that much though.

The Crayola Super Tip Colors

I bought the 50-pack of Crayola Super Tips, and there are a lot of colors! Most of them are darker, but a few of them are more pastel.

Below is a picture of all of the Crayola Super Tip markers with a swatch page so you can see how the colors look on paper.

Some of the colors are hard to tell apart and the markers do not have names on them, just on the box. Once you mix them up, it is hard to tell which color is which.

The one thing about these markers which annoys me a little is that the color of the marker on paper is sometimes very different from the color of the cap.

Overall though the colors are super pretty and there are a lot of them to pick from for when you are making a new bullet journal spread.

Using Crayola Super Tips in my Bullet Journal

If you didn't know, I use a bullet journal in a binder, which is why the pages in the picture below are not in a book. (You can see a picture of my bullet journal at the top of this post in case you are wondering what it looks like.)

As you can see in the following image, the Crayola Super Tips can make thick and thin lines which is super helpful. They can be used in layouts for hand lettering, highlighting, and coloring.

I have been using these markers to color code my bullet journal pages and for making layouts for the new year and I am loving them!

They do bleed through the page on regular printer paper if you aren't careful, so I am using cardstock for the following layout because I am going to be using the layout for almost a whole year.

The colors are pretty, and they look beautiful on the page. :)

I used a sharpie pen and a pastel blue Crayola Super Tip in the following image.

Using Crayola Super Tip Markers in My Bullet Journal + Review

I really like the Crayola Super Tip Markers and I think that they were a really good purchase, since they were under $10 for 50 markers. :)

I may buy the Zebra Mildliners later to try them when these run out, but for now, I would say that the Crayola Super Tips are a perfect buy for someone who is looking to use them for hand lettering or bullet journaling.

If you liked this post, you might also like these too.

Would you like to see more of the pages I made using the Crayola Super Tips?

Mini Bowknot Backpack Review

The mini bowknot backpack came in a box with plenty of airbags inside to keep it from being damaged and an airbag on the inside to keep it from being smashed.

It also came with a thank you card from the company, which can be seen in the picture above, and a packet of green tea scented air freshener to keep the mini backpack from smelling too much like new fabric.

The mini backpack is big enough to hold my planner (which can be seen in the above picture), a notebook of around the same size, a pair of sunglasses, and a few other small accessories like chapstick or pens.

The pockets on the side aren't really big enough to hold a water bottle, but they can hold other things like pens or business cards. There is also a zippered pocket on the back, which would probably be great for holding money because when it is on your back no one can get at it.

The pocket on the front with the bow on it is big enough for pens, cards, keys, or a small phone. It has a snap closure, but if you dumped the backpack upside down accidentally, I don't think anything would fall out.

The backpack also has two pockets on the inside. One pocket has a zipper, and one doesn't have a zipper.

In total, the mini backpack has...

A pocket on either side
A pocket in the front and on the back
2 pockets on the inside

A total of 6 pockets.

The material of the mini backpack seems thick, and the straps are adjustable.

Mini Bowknot Backpack for Under $20

So, to sum up this post, I am going to say that I really like this mini backpack and the bowknot is super cute detail. I can't wait to use it! :)

Overall, if I was putting a review on this super cute mini bowknot backpack, I would give it 5 stars because there is plenty of room in it and it has a lot of pockets!

If you liked this post, you might want to read these ones too...

Did you like this mini backpack with the bowknot? Do you have a mini backpack?

Thank you for reading! I would love it if you would pin this post. :)

August 10, 2019 No comments

Do you love hand lettering and want to find more ways to use it? Or do you love using your planner or bullet journal but want to make it more decorative?

How to Use Hand Lettering in Your Planner

Updated for 2024

Well, if you answered yes to one or both of the questions, then there is one answer to both questions. You need to figure out how to use hand lettering in your bullet journal or planner.

On a side note, I have been learning calligraphy for a few months now, and I get most of my calligraphy printables from ByDawnNicole and she puts out new calligraphy pages regularly with lots of different fonts. If you are looking to learn calligraphy, I would recommend going over to her site and printing out a few of her free pages. Both of the calligraphy practice pages in the photo above are from ByDawnNicole.

So if you want to learn how to do calligraphy before using it in your planner or bullet journal, you can click on one of the links above and do some practice sheets before coming back here to see how to use it in your planner.

If you already like hand lettering, then you can scroll down and check out some ways I like to use hand lettering and calligraphy in my planner.

How to Use Hand Lettering in Your Planner or Bullet Journal

1. Use Hand Lettering for Headers

Adding a fancy header in calligraphy to the top of the page is a simple, easy way to decorate your planner or bullet journal. It can take any page from plain to gorgeous and it can make you more likely to use that tracker or visit that page if you know that you have a page you really like on it.

2. Use Hand Lettering for Days/Weeks/Months

If you want to practice your hand lettering a lot, you can write out a new header every day and then you will be practicing your hand lettering at least once a week. Or every month, you can pick one or two fonts to master and then you can use those fonts all month to decorate your planner or bullet journal.

3. Add Quotes to Your Pages

Add a decorated quote to your page and you will have a super pretty page! It is great motivation too.

4. Use Hand Lettering on Your Dividers

If you use a planner or a bullet journal in a binder, then you most likely have dividers. What better way to decorate those dividers than with some fun fancy lettering? Making planner dividers is always a fun activity for the weekends.

5. Do a Calligraphy Challenge

Do a fun word-a-day challenge in your bullet journal, and see how much your handwriting improves. Plus you can have a pretty page in your planner to inspire you afterward.

How to Use Hand Lettering in Your Planner or Bullet Journal

These are the five ways that I thought of to use hand lettering in your bullet journal or planner. My favorite way is to use hand lettering for headers. How do you use hand lettering in your planner?

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Thanks for reading this article! Have a productive day!

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August 03, 2019 No comments