Productive Pixie: February 2022

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I have been running this blog for four years now! When I started blogging, I never imagined that it would become such an important part of my life. I'm happy to have this little corner of the internet where I can share my ideas, tips, and everything else I'm learning on this crazy journey of life!

Side Note - This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you buy something from one of these links, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. For more information, you can read my privacy policy. Thank you for supporting my blog. :)

Updated for 2024

Since I've been blogging for four years now, I have a few other posts that you might want to read if you are interested in starting your own blog, or if you just want an inside look at the journey of being a blogger. You can read the other posts in this series below...

If you look back at my first post, I think it will be clear, just how much my writing has improved since I started! 😂 Now, let's get into the highlights of this year, and my most popular posts!

Blogging Milestones From This Past Year

Pageviews on my blog have more than doubled since last year. My articles have now been viewed almost half a million times, which to me is pretty exciting!

2024 update - now well over a million times!

This year, I also started making a consistent income with my blog, so thank you to all of you who support my little corner of the internet!

My most popular posts of all time are...

As a thank you to all of you who support my blog, I am going to be hosting a giveaway so make sure you scroll to the bottom of this post for the details!

Productive Pixie Blog Q+A

I have been blogging for four years now, and I have never answered your questions in a post! Today, I picked out some of the questions you have asked me to answer below. I know that I didn't get to all of your questions, but I didn't want this post to be too long. Thank you for submitting your questions! These questions are in no particular order. :)

1. What made you want to start this blog? How do you keep motivated to continue on with it?

To be totally honest, I started this blog entirely on a whim! 😂 A few years ago, I had an online shop, so one day I started this blog for the shop (which I have since closed because I realized that I like writing more than I liked running that shop). The direction of this blog has changed quite a bit since I started it, but I still love doing it!

To be 100% transparent, I do make money with this blog, so that definitely is a motivation to continue with it, but I also enjoy writing, and I genuinely want to help people improve their lives. If I can improve even just one person's life with what I write, then I'm doing a good job and it is worth it!

Sometimes, blogging can be discouraging, especially when I'm having a slow month for pageviews and engagement... but then I'll get a message like this... "I really appreciate what you do and you motivate us ❤️", and it really helps me to keep going with this blog. :)

2. What are some of your hobbies?

Ooo good question! I have a lot of hobbies so I'm just going to list them below. Let me know in the comments if we have any in common. :)

I've been doing ballet since I was 3 or 4 years old.
I did gymnastics for 6 years, and I participated in swim team.
Anything creative! (bullet journaling, painting, DIY crafts)
I do long-distance running.
Writing is super fun to me as long as I like the subject.
I play the piano and I sing.

When I'm just relaxing, I like to play games with my family, read, and watch movies.

3. What made you want to start being more organized? Were you stuck in a rut, moved into a new place, or just thought it was time to get more organized with your life?

I'm a very type-A, goal-oriented person so I've been using some sort of planner since fourth or fifth grade. As my life became busier (because it always does, doesn't it?), I started honing in on experimenting with different organization techniques.

Plus, I love being creative so trying out different methods of getting my life together is fun to me!

4. What's your favorite dessert?

I'm a huge fan of so many types of desserts! My favorite dessert would either have to be cake or orange rolls. I am whole-food plant-based though, so my desserts are probably made a little differently than yours lol.

5. Was it easy for you to get organized?

I had to include this question in this list! 😂 From my blog posts, it may seem like I am super organized and I have my whole life together, but I wouldn't say that I am really organized. Each day, I just work on improving a little bit.

I believe that becoming organized is a continuing process, so I wouldn't say that it is easy because I am still working on it!

6. What's your dream job? Are you going to continue with this blog and [keep on writing] inspirational posts?

My dream job has changed a little bit as I've gotten older. When I was younger, I wanted to be a professional dancer, and then I wanted to have my own dance studio. Then when I started this blog, I realized how much I love writing so I may want to go into freelance writing.

I have always been a very type-A, goal-oriented person so I definitely want to be an entrepreneur!

As for continuing with writing posts on this blog, I plan on doing it indefinitely into the future, but my posting schedule may change as I become older and my schedule becomes busier. I'm glad you think my posts are inspirational! :)

7. If you had an opportunity to go anywhere, where would it be?

My dream vacation would be to travel to Europe. Of course, I would have to go see the Eiffel Tower, and take some pictures in front of it!

My style is also influenced by European fashions (mainly Parisian fashions), so I would want to go shopping!

4-Year Blog Anniversary Giveaway

Now, it's time for the giveaway! Woohoo! As some of you may already know, I am working on starting an Etsy shop so I can sell items that I design and create myself. I have decided to give away 9 products from my shop for free to 3 lucky winners! Each winner will receive 3 products of their choice.

Please note that all of the items in my shop currently are downloads so you will not be receiving any physical products if you win.

1. Giveaway Rules

1. Eligibility

You can participate in this giveaway as long as you are 13 years of age (if you are under the age of 13, you must have your parent's permission). I will need your email address to send you your prizes.

2. Sponsorship

This contest is sponsored by my new Etsy shop Productive Pixie Co! There aren't many products in the shop right now, but I will be adding more products throughout the year, and winners will be able to redeem their free products at any time throughout the year.

3. Agreement to Rules

By entering this giveaway, you are agreeing to all of the rules in this list.

4. Entry Period

This giveaway ends on March 12, 2022, at 12 PM Pacific Standard Time. No entries after that will be permitted.

5. Selection and Notification of the Winner

The winners will be notified the day after the giveaway by email. I will not be held responsible if winners do not receive the notification that they have won. Winners are selected at random.

6. Terms & Conditions

As the sponsor, I reserve the right to modify, suspend, cancel or terminate the giveaway in the event that non-authorized human intervention, a bug or virus, fraud, or other causes beyond my control impact or corrupt the security, fairness, proper conduct, or administration of the giveaway.

I also reserve the right to disqualify anyone who violates the terms, as well as my right to seek damages to the fullest extent permitted by law in cases where a participant has caused deliberate damage or undermined the legal operation of the giveaway.

7. Affirmation of Acceptance of and Agreement to All of the Official Rules

By entering the contest, you have affirmatively reviewed, accepted, and agreed to all of these rules. Good luck!

2. The Prizes

I am gifting three (3) lucky winners three (3) products each of their choice from my new Etsy shop! These products do not have to be redeemed all at once. They can be redeemed at any time throughout the year as new items are added to the shop. At the end of 2022, if you have not redeemed all 3 products, you forfeit them.

You have the chance to win 3 free items from my shop! You can enter multiple times a day so make sure you save this post and come back to it frequently! Good luck everyone and thank you for supporting my blog!

This giveaway has ended.

4 Years Blogging Q+A Plus a Giveaway

I am so grateful to have reached another milestone on this blog, and I hope that there are many more years of blogging to come!

If you liked this post, you will enjoy reading the ones below too!

You are awesome! Have a great week and keep on being productive!

Pin this post if you like reading my articles. Thank you! :)

February 26, 2022 2 comments

Have you ever wanted to quickly uplevel your life? Have you ever wanted to be more productive, be in better shape, better at time management, and overall healthier? I'm guessing that you have! I have too! What if I told you that there was an all-in-one solution to taking your life to the next level? Sounds crazy? A few months ago, I bought a Garmin smartwatch, and today, I'm going to be sharing how I use this watch to improve almost all aspects of my life!

How to Use a Garmin Smartwatch to Uplevel Your Life

Updated for 2024 - I still LOVE and use this watch daily!

If you've been reading my blog since almost the beginning of its existence, you'll probably know that I wear a Garmin fitness tracker. I got my first Garmin fitness tracker back in 2017 and I wore it all the time, minus sleeping. (I wore it some of the time when I slept too!). You might want to read my experience with that watch if you know nothing about Garmin watches, and you want to start running.

In 2021, I picked up the hobby of long-distance running. I ran a half-marathon just last Thursday! Anyway, at the end of last year, I obtained a Garmin Smartwatch, which is quite an upgrade from my old fitness tracker.

By the way, I just wanted to let you know that this post is not sponsored or compensated by Garmin. I just wanted to write this post because the last post I wrote about my Garmin fitness tracker was quite popular (10,000+ views) so I wanted to update all of you on my fitness journey. :)

To be 100% upfront, Garmin smartwatches are pricey (like in hundreds of dollars pricey), but I think that the money spent was totally worth it. It's probably pretty obvious that I am now a running addict! 😂

I bought the Garmin Forerunner 245, which at the time of writing this post is around $300. There are many wonderful reviews for the watch, so I'm just going to give a brief overview of what I like about the watch, and then I'm going to get into how I use the watch to improve my life.

My Review of the Garmin Forerunner 245 Smartwatch

Garmin products are definitely built to last! I bought my last one in 2018, and it was still going strong when I got my new one, so I gave my old one to a friend, who is enjoying using it very much.

I'm getting around 2-4 days of use out of every charge. This is with using GPS connectivity for around 1 hour daily, and 2 more hours of fitness activities recorded.

Garmin smartwatches are mainly for fitness, but they do have smartwatch functions like notifications, music, alarms, calendars, and timers. Unlike Apple watches, a Garmin watch will not be a phone on your wrist. This in my opinion is beneficial for productivity.

Even though my watch does not have a touchscreen, the five-button navigation and interface were fairly easy to learn. Also, it may not be the most stylish watch on the market, but there are tons of different bands you can buy to make the watch look more formal/classy.

Here are some in-depth reviews you can read if you want to learn more about the Garmin Forerunner 245 running smartwatch.

Now, let's get into how you can use your Garmin smartwatch to uplevel your life, health, and productivity! The Connect IQ App Store has loads of widgets you can download onto your Garmin watch, very similar to downloading apps onto a phone.

How to Use a Garmin Smartwatch to Uplevel Your Life

1. Create Habits/Drop Habits

Where do I start? Garmin watches offer multiple ways to help you create and drop habits. I found this widget called the Habit Tree. Every time you don't do a habit you are trying to create, you reset the widget. Every day you do the habit you are trying to create, a little plant on the widget grows, and after around 30 days, it turns into a tree.

Personally, I think this widget works best for when you are trying to drop a habit because when you are tempted to do that habit, you will have to reset the tree and start all over again. I used this widget to stop eating a certain meal that I loved eating almost daily. Now, I eat healthier foods instead!

You can also set alarms on your watch to remind you to do habits. It will help keep you on track during your day to have reminders on your wrist!

I'll get more into these features later, but Garmin watches are mainly for fitness and health so it has a daily step tracker, move alerts, etc to help you stay active!

2. Daily Schedule/Calendar

My Garmin watch came with the calendar widget, and I'm pretty sure that most of the Garmin smartwatches do. All you have to do is log your activities onto your phone calendar, and it will sync right onto your watch!

If you use time-blocking, you can add an alarm to your calendar along with your appointments so you can be notified when it is time to move to the next task. You can also see your entire daily schedule, and sometimes tomorrow's schedule as well from your watch.

The app store offers multiple other calendars, but I have no complaints about the one that comes pre-installed.

If you are using a Garmin coaching plan, your workouts will also show up on your schedule.

Oh, and do I need to mention that you can get watch faces with the date on it? I hope I'm not the only one who is always forgetting what day it is! 😂

3. Inspirational Quotes

Who here needs a little dose of motivation every once in a while? Okay, to be honest, we might need a large dose of motivation every once in a while too. This widget can help!

I downloaded the Quote of the Day widget onto my smartwatch, and so far it is one of my favorite widgets. Every day, you get a new motivational quote.

My quote of the day for today is "Take chances, make mistakes. That's how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fall in order to practice being brave."- Mary Tyler Moore

Most people don't actively search for motivational quotes every day to get inspiration, so it is nice to just have inspirational words accessible right on your wrist.

4. Alarms

I'm just going to come out and say it. I kind of hate alarms, especially in the morning! But alarms can be super helpful. If alarms help you to be more productive, then you will not be disappointed with a Garmin smartwatch.

You can set alarms from the smartwatch, and label them so you know what you are supposed to be doing when the alarm goes off.

You'll never have to worry about being late again!

5. Pomodoro Timer

The Pomodoro method is a method used frequently to increase productivity so I downloaded the app (there are multiple ones, but this is the one I currently use) so I could test it out. If you haven't heard of it before, here is a quick rundown of what the method is...

The Pomodoro technique has two main parts.

25 minutes of work
5 minutes of rest

For the fourth rest break, you do 20 minutes of rest, instead of just 5. If you find yourself being sedentary for long periods of time, then this can be a great way to get moving during the day, and it will give your brain a break!

If you don't like doing exercise, then just get yourself walking during those 5-minute breaks, and you might not have to do any planned exercise! Pretty good deal, am I right?

Are there any activities that the Pomorodo Technique is not useful for?

Well yes, but it is just my opinion. I think the Pomodoro Technique is not useful for when you want to get into "the zone". For writing, it takes a few minutes to get good ideas coming, and then once I've started writing, I want to get all of my ideas down on paper.

If I have to keep taking breaks, then it is simply a disruption to my writing and it is not helpful. Keep this in mind, whenever you use the Pomodoro Technique. It should be used to take breaks, but it should not be a disruption. Currently, I'm reading the book about the Pomodoro Technique written by the creator, so I can write an informed article about it sometime soon!

The Pomodoro Timer app is super straightforward and easy to use!

6. Timers

What a life-saver! Unlike alarms, I am a huge fan of timers. I use timers literally almost all day. I exercise for 2-3 hours, I use a timer when working on this blog. I use a timer when practicing the piano and singing. Having a timer going helps me focus and stay on task.

The timer app that comes on the watch can be used for multiple timers. Currently, I have a two-hour timer, a one-hour timer, and a fifteen-minute timer.

You can choose to set a new timer or pick one from your list of already set timers. One of my favorite things about this app is that you can pause and reset your timers at any time so you can always take a break and come back to what you are working on.

If your goal is to exercise for one hour a day, you can do it in parts, and if you have a goal of studying for two hours daily, you can take breaks!

7. Fitness Goals/Workout Schedule

As I said before, Garmin watches are mainly for fitness, so this is where the watch really excels, especially over other watches! I'm definitely not going to go in-depth or cover nearly all the features of the watch that I got because there are way too many of them. I'm just going to highlight some of my favorites!

I started using a Garmin coaching plan to run a half-marathon, and the experience so far has been great. Your watch customizes the plan to your fitness, and then the app gives you videos to watch, and articles to read as you progress towards reaching your goal. You can pick to do a 5K, a 10K, or a half-marathon, and then you have a choice of three different coaching styles.

My watch also gives me a daily suggested running workout to do so I don't have an excuse to not go running.

Every day, your watch will give you a step goal to reach, and your watch will alert you to move if you are too sedentary.

You can also control your music and podcasts from your watch!

You can set goals, create workouts, and work your way towards personal bests. To see all of the fitness features, I would recommend looking at the website.

8. Stress + Meditation

Most Garmin smartwatches come with stress tracking so you can see how stressed you are throughout the day. I think it is very helpful to see at a glance how stressed I am. You can use a Garmin watch to incorporate meditation into your life.

You have stress tracking, breathing exercises, a body energy monitor (body battery), and not to mention 24/7 heart rate monitoring.

If you want to get into meditation, then the breathwork on your watch is a great place to start!

How to Use a Garmin Smartwatch to Uplevel Your Life

I know that I just scratched the surface of what Garmin watches can do in this post, but I wanted to give you an overview of how you can use a smartwatch to uplevel your life and your health!

I haven't made any fitness-related bullet journal layouts this year because I'm tracking everything fitness and health-related on my watch and the Garmin app currently.

Here are a few other widgets and apps worth checking out... (some of them aren't available for my watch, but they might be for yours)

If you liked this post, you can read some of my other lifestyle/fitness posts below!

I hope you enjoyed reading this post, and that if you have a Garmin Smartwatch, you got some ideas on how to use it to improve your productivity and life! Thanks for reading. :)

If you enjoyed this post, please take a few moments to share it. Thank you!

February 19, 2022 No comments

I think you'll agree that technology is an amazing tool! You wouldn't be reading this post right now, without technology. The fact that you can read this post from wherever you are in the world is pretty amazing. I think the tips in this post are pretty good too! 😂 All jokes aside, technology does have its downsides, and it can be very very very (Okay, all that repetition probably wasn't necessary) time-consuming... which is why today, I am going to share with you ways to unplug from tech.

10 Easy + Efficient Ways to Unplug From Tech

Updated for 2024

Technology makes your life so much easier, but sometimes, you spend more time on technology than it is worth. Sometimes, tech takes away from other more enjoyable activities that you could be doing. Why does this happen?

Technology is an instant reward that takes no effort. Would you like to do that craft project you've been holding onto for some time? Of course, but you would have to go and find it, and then you would have to get some other supplies before you could finally start making it.

Instead, you can just pull out your phone, and get an instant reward by watching one YouTube video, which quickly turns into ten. Point taken. Technology is good when used in moderation. I've talked about technology before, and how you can be more productive online. (You can find those articles below.)

Today, we are going to look at this problem from the opposite side, and figure out how you can use less technology!

Easy + Efficient Ways to Unplug From Tech

1. Track Your Time Online

I like to take a scientific approach to improve my productivity so I knew I needed a baseline. Before you can improve, you need to know where you are so you can see if you are actually getting results. This is why scientific studies often have a control group.

Preparing for this article around two months ago, I started by creating a few different time tracking layouts in my bullet journal to see how much time I spend online.

I am not going to sugarcoat the facts. I spend a lot of time using tech because I have to use my laptop for school, and I use my laptop for work (AKA this blog), and I frequently use technology for exercise as well. Then, if I add in a few hours for miscellaneous activities, the hours add up super fast.

Tracking your time online can be really easy. You don't have to make it complicated by figuring out how much time you spend online for work, social media, etc separately. I just like to look at the amount of time as a whole, and I think that is the most helpful way to do it.

The easiest way to track your time online is to start a stopwatch every time you go online. Starting a timer every time you go online will definitely keep you accountable. For your phone, there are many free apps you can use that will keep track of your phone usage. I might try one of these apps myself in the future. Currently, I don't use my phone very much so I have no need for one.

Personally, I like to use a timer on my smartwatch (Yes, technically, this is technology. I just don't count it into my tech usage because I wear my smartwatch almost 24/7. More on this later).

2. Use Time-Blocking

So what did I do? I started utilizing time-blocking for my internet usage.

If you work in a traditional workspace for eight hours, then you know that you are going to be online for most of those eight hours. If you use a TV for fitness videos an hour a day, then that will be roughly nine hours. Let's say those are your main uses for technology, and everything over that is miscellaneous activities... and possibly time wasted.

As you can see in my bullet journal layouts, every time I do an activity online, I fill in how much time was consumed on the layout. I can see at a glance how much time I spent online each day.

This is my main method for spending less time online. Figure out how much time you need for certain activities you do online, and then list them down.

For example, I know that I work out 18-19 hours a week. For the majority of those hours, I will be using technology. That's around two hours every day. On top of that, I give myself two hours to work on this business every day. Other than that, I have school and miscellaneous activities that need to be done online.

I have a two-hour timer on my smartwatch for my business, and when the time is up, I am done working on my business for the day, unless there is an emergency. If you work from home, this is one way to manage your work/life balance. The timer I use can be paused and I can come back to it at any time during the day so I can break up my work into chunks.

3. Break Up Your Technology Usage

The Pomodoro Technique is a wonderful tool for time-blocking. Sometimes, it's not about spending less time online, it's just about not staring at a screen for extended periods of time. This is where the Pomodoro Technique comes in.

The Pomodoro technique has two main parts.

25 minutes of work
5 minutes of rest

If you don't like doing exercise, then just get yourself walking during those 5-minute breaks, and you might not have to do any planned exercise! Pretty good deal, am I right?

Are there any activities that the Pomorodo Technique is not useful for?

If I have to keep taking breaks, then it is simply a disruption to my writing and it is not helpful. Keep this in mind, whenever you use the Pomodoro Technique. It should be used to take breaks, but it should not be a disruption. I'm planning on writing a whole post on the Pomodoro Technique, so make sure you stay tuned for that!

Another way to break up your technology usage is to do one thing online, and then one thing offline until your to-do list is complete.

4. Set Yourself a Realistic Goal for Technology Use

My minimum amount of time online every day is roughly four hours because I spend two hours on my business and two hours using my phone or TV for exercise. I would not want to set the goal of only using tech an hour a day because it would be impossible!

I want to listen to music or a podcast when I run, and if that is not happening, then I will be much less likely to go for a run.

This is why you need to have a baseline of how much tech you use so you don't set an unrealistic goal!

5. Don't Carry Your Phone Around With You

I am about to shock you. I don't usually carry my phone around with me. I've only put my phone in my pants pocket (maybe because my phone rarely fits) a couple of times. 😂

I only bring my phone somewhere if I know I am going to use it, or if there might be an emergency where no other devices are available. I certainly don't carry my phone around with me when I am in my house.

Now, with that being said, I do wear a smartwatch almost 24/7. You knew there was going to be a catch, didn't you?

Before you start thinking "Oh well, she wears a phone on her wrist so she doesn't need to carry her phone around", hear me out. I get notifications to my wrist, but I do not actually have the internet on my smartwatch.

Yes, I can see notifications from apps that I have notifications set up on my watch, and I can read and respond, but I cannot become distracted by the notifications because I can't start scrolling on some app, or click to a different app, and waste time. If they do become distracting, I can just turn notifications off.

I am notified, but not overloaded with information, ads, videos, and social media 24/7. Before I had a smartwatch, I didn't carry my phone around with me either. Maybe a little inconvenient, but it is extremely freeing. You don't want to be that person who becomes insecure when they don't have their phone!

Oh, and try turning off all your technology every night at a certain time too!

6. Choose Non-Technology Options When Possible

Technology makes life so convenient, but when you spend a ton of time using technology it can take away from your life so let's step back a little.

Instead of reading an e-book, listen to a podcast so you can do something else at the same time, or better yet, pick up a real book. I love reading real books!

Instead of texting a friend, why not call them or video chat? And let's not forget about dropping tech entirely and visiting them in person!

7. Make Distracting Apps or Websites Harder to Access

So tough, I know! Delete an app from your phone if it is very distracting. Then you actually have to search for the website every time you want to use it. Alternatively, you can log out so you have to sign back in every time.

Making the website harder to access will definitely make you less likely to use it because another activity will be more enjoyable and easier to access.

Also, it is a smart idea to put your phone on "do not disturb" as much as possible. If you can bear it, just turn your phone off. I haven't turned my phone on yet today, and it is 2:28 PM. I'm not going to turn my phone on until I actually need it.

8. Have Plans

What is more enjoyable? Practicing that instrument or painting that painting you've been wanting to do for like forever, or scrolling on social media for over an hour? This is your life, so live it!

Now, I'm not saying you need to have every. single. day. of your life planned down to the minute, but I do think that you should have set activities that you like to do that require a minimal amount of technology usage.

Make these activities extremely easy to do. Even easier than clicking over to social media if you can.

9. Schedule Your Tech Usage

Consider scheduling your tech usage. Maybe, you only check your emails twice every day at specific times. Maybe you only check social media for fifteen minutes while you are eating.

Figure out what works for you, and don't be afraid to try things that are out of the ordinary. I wouldn't recommend scheduling your tech usage for during dinner though! 😂

10. Have a No-Tech Day + a Splurge Day

Finally, try to have a no-tech day. I use to do this for an entire day each week, and it can open up so much of your day. You don't realize how much time technology takes up until you give it up.

You don't have to go no-tech all the way because going cold turkey is hard, but you can try to use technology less for one day of the week, every week.

You'll be surprised at how much time you'll have to do fun stuff!

On the flip side, you can also have a splurge day, where you catch up on everything. For example, you could only watch YouTube videos on one day where you catch up on all of your favorite YouTubers. You don't get to look at YouTube any other day of the week!

Notice how your splurge day makes you feel about technology. The purpose of your splurge day is to make you bored of your favorite apps and sites. It's worked for me!

Consider having these days right next to each other because, after your splurge day, you'll probably feel bored of your favorite sites for a day or two so it will be easier to use tech less the day after.

Easy + Efficient Ways to Unplug From Tech

There you have it! 10 ways you start taking control of your tech usage. Let technology make your life easier, but don't let it control your life.

If you liked this post, you may want to read these ones too!

Thank you for reading this article! I really appreciate that you took some time out of your day to read it. :)

Remember to save this post so you can implement more ways to unplug from tech!

February 12, 2022 No comments

Dutch door bullet journal layouts have been so popular recently! You are probably wondering how you can level up your bullet journal by creating dutch door bullet journal layouts like the ones you see on social media. Well, don't worry because today, I'll be dishing out the tips and tricks on how you can create dutch door bullet journal layouts like the best of them in an easy-to-follow step-by-step manner!

How to Create a Dutch Door Bullet Journal Layout Step-by-Step

Updated for 2024

I took the dive and started making more dutch door bullet journal layouts recently so I wanted to share what I've learned along the way so you can create super cute dutch door bullet journal layouts too!

I made a few mistakes when making some of my dutch door bullet journal layouts, and I don't want you to make these same mistakes!

But first of all, why should you even create a dutch door bullet journal layout?

The Purpose of a Dutch Door Bullet Journal Layout

Do you ever wish you could have more space on your bullet journal layout? Or that you didn't have to rewrite the same information over and over again on related pages? Or how about having those adorable doodles you drew on one page, be visible on multiple pages?

This is where a dutch door bullet journal layout can help!

With a dutch door layout, you can have that cute design show on multiple pages, you can have important information on multiple pages without having to rewrite it over and over and over again, and you can add a little extra flair to your bullet journal.

I know it might seem ridiculous to cut off part of a page in your notebook to make extra room to write, but it truly works. It can be scary to cut up your bullet journal for the first time though so I'm going to walk you through the process step-by-step to help you eliminate errors!

Let's get right into how you can create a dutch door layout in your bullet journal!

How to Create a Dutch Door Bullet Journal Layout Step-by-Step

1. Find Some Inspiration

I know, I know. This tip is soooo cliche. Honestly, you see it every single time you read a blog post about bullet journaling, but that is because it really works!

Especially, if you don't understand fully what a dutch door bullet journal layout is, finding inspiration will be an important step. You can get a feeling of all the different things you can do with a dutch door bullet journal layout by looking at what other people are doing. I definitely haven't tried all the different dutch door layout styles myself!

Along with the above advice, it is important for me to add: don't feel overwhelmed if you see a lot of amazing dutch door bullet journal layouts.

The cover page of my 2022 bullet journal took me around two hours to draw so please don't think it was easy to do! Creating dutch door layouts that look like that is going to take some practice unless you already have art skills. Even I have seen some dutch door bullet journal layouts that look intimidating and I took art lessons for nine years!

I recommend starting out with a very simple dutch door layout if this is your first time making a dutch door layout. For example, just cutting off a vertical part of the page. If you are just starting a new bullet journal, making a dutch door layout right off the bat will help get rid of the fear of making mistakes!

2. Figure Out the Purpose of Your Dutch Door Bullet Journal Layout

If you want to add a dutch door bullet journal layout to your bullet journal just to add it, then I wouldn't necessarily recommend doing that because when you make a dutch door page, you are removing space from the page that could be used for something else.

Here are a few purposes for creating a dutch door layout in your bullet journal...

Using the dutch door to bookmark a page
Using the dutch door to hide personal information
Using the dutch door to keep important information visible on multiple pages
Using the dutch door for convenience
Using the dutch door to create more space for a layout
Using the dutch door as decoration

On the layout before, I wanted space to write down notes about each of my goals for the year, but I didn't want to have to draw the header on each page. My solution was to utilize a dutch door bullet journal layout.

After you decide what the purpose of your dutch door layout will be, it is time to start making it!

3. Draw the Page + Check Your Measurements Twice

If you don't use a pencil regularly in your bullet journal, now is for sure the time to grab one! Open up your bullet journal, and decide how you want your layout to look. Design it out with a pencil, and count out how many pages you will need.

You can even make a dutch door by simply folding the page in half.

Once you have your design drawn with a pencil, you have a choice. You can either cut first or you can finish the design first. Personally, if it is art, I do the design first, and then I cut the page, but if the dutch door is mainly for function and convenience, then I cut first.

Before you grab your scissors or Exacto knife, I recommend checking your measurements twice or even three times because if you mess up, it will be harder to fix.

4. Cut it Up

Now, it is actually time to cut up your bullet journal! 😱 This is where I have made mistakes. Due to trial and error, I have found that I prefer using scissors over an Exacto knife.

Even though an Exacto knife is more "exact", it is also sharper and harder to control how many pages you cut through. Eek!

If I am removing part of the page near the notebook spine, I find it is actually easier to just rip the page right there. If you do want to use an Exacto knife though, I recommend using a ruler to keep your knife cutting straight. You may also want to just cut halfway through the edge of the paper and then rip it afterward.

Also, it is a good idea to have a sheet of something hard like plastic underneath the page you are cutting with an Exacto knife so you don't accidentally cut through too many pages.

5. Finishing Your Dutch Door Bullet Journal Layout

Your layout is almost done! All you have to do now is finish decorating your layout if you want to. Some people may add a strip of washi tape along the edge of the layout as decoration.

If you cut the page before you finished your design, now is the time to finish it up!

Fixing Errors You Made on Your Dutch Door Bullet Journal Layout

I already wrote a whole blog post on how to fix bullet journal mistakes so if you do make an error in your bullet journal, you may find that post helpful. There are a few errors though that are specific to making dutch door bullet journal layouts.

The biggest error would probably be cutting too near the spine of your notebook, so another page starts coming out. Unfortunately, one of the only ways to fix this is to put a piece of regular tape or washi tape across the page that is falling out and the page next to it to connect them back together.

If you accidentally cut off a tab, you can use a sticker or washi tape to make a new one. If you accidentally cut a page too small, you can add a strip of washi tape folded along the edge to make the page a little wider.

Hopefully, it won't, but if worst comes to worst, you can cut the whole page out, glue another page on top to make it a full page again, or you can glue the page in front and behind the dutch door together.

Mistakes happen all the time! Don't be worried if you make a mistake on your dutch door bullet journal page! You can always improve next time.

How to Create a Dutch Door Bullet Journal Layout Step-by-Step

Take the leap and make that dutch door bullet journal layout! The worst that can happen is that you'll make a mistake. When you make a mistake, you learn, so it is not going to be a loss, and most people only use a bullet journal notebook for a year anyway.

If your notebook starts falling apart, you can hold it together with tape until the end of the year! 😂

Make sure you read these posts too!

I hope these tips help you create your first or next dutch door bullet journal layout! Have a productive week!

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February 05, 2022 No comments

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Productive Pixie Blog Q+A

1. What made you want to start this blog? How do you keep motivated to continue on with it?

2. What are some of your hobbies?

3. What made you want to start being more organized? Were you stuck in a rut, moved into a new place, or just thought it was time to get more organized with your life?

4. What's your favorite dessert?

5. Was it easy for you to get organized?

6. What's your dream job? Are you going to continue with this blog and [keep on writing] inspirational posts?

7. If you had an opportunity to go anywhere, where would it be?

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1. Giveaway Rules

2. The Prizes

4 Years Blogging Q+A Plus a Giveaway

My Review of the Garmin Forerunner 245 Smartwatch

How to Use a Garmin Smartwatch to Uplevel Your Life

1. Create Habits/Drop Habits

2. Daily Schedule/Calendar

3. Inspirational Quotes

4. Alarms

5. Pomodoro Timer

6. Timers

7. Fitness Goals/Workout Schedule

8. Stress + Meditation

How to Use a Garmin Smartwatch to Uplevel Your Life

Easy + Efficient Ways to Unplug From Tech

1. Track Your Time Online

2. Use Time-Blocking

3. Break Up Your Technology Usage

4. Set Yourself a Realistic Goal for Technology Use

5. Don't Carry Your Phone Around With You

6. Choose Non-Technology Options When Possible

7. Make Distracting Apps or Websites Harder to Access

8. Have Plans

9. Schedule Your Tech Usage

10. Have a No-Tech Day + a Splurge Day

Easy + Efficient Ways to Unplug From Tech

The Purpose of a Dutch Door Bullet Journal Layout

How to Create a Dutch Door Bullet Journal Layout Step-by-Step

1. Find Some Inspiration

2. Figure Out the Purpose of Your Dutch Door Bullet Journal Layout

3. Draw the Page + Check Your Measurements Twice

4. Cut it Up

5. Finishing Your Dutch Door Bullet Journal Layout

Fixing Errors You Made on Your Dutch Door Bullet Journal Layout

How to Create a Dutch Door Bullet Journal Layout Step-by-Step

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