Monday, January 17, 2011

Out with the Old ... in with the New & a giveaway

I have always felt like keeping a journal has been important. However, other than scrapbooking, I haven't been the best at keeping an actual journal, until about 2009. For those of you that are somewhat new to my blog, click here to get the lo-down of what happened that year.

I have had so many feelings I needed to write down, so many appointments I needed to keep track of, and I was given this awesome product to use for a project for CK.It has a monthly calendar, and also breaks down each day with lines to record events. I started to record a few things here and there, Dr. Appointments, etc. then I started to write on the following empty sheets of journaling space details about things that month. It has been an awesome exercise for me! I just finished 2010 ... here is how it turned out (or at least a few of the pages):First is the cover. Each book comes with see-through covers and archival pockets at the front of each month. I chose to make a little list to tell the main events in my life from that month for the title page of each month. Each are exactly the same. I use the opposite side of the sheet protector to display a picture of me in that month. (It has been difficult, seeing that I take most of the pictures in our family. Last, each night I take a minute and record with bullets the happenings of each day. Following that, you have either the dates with lines, or in the journal you have a few pages of blank lines to record in better detail, some of the main events, or happenings from this month. (I have done both and like them both) In 2010 I used the Journal
I have loved this so much, that I decided to see if the makers of this AWESOME planner / journal would be willing to do a giveaway! They have been so generous, and I will be giving a few away!

Be sure to leave me a comment of how you think this would benefit you! I will be picking a few winners in a few days! Good luck!
M

60 comments:

Amanda said...

Wow how wonderful! I could really use this to organize my scrapbooking. I typically get around to scrapping pictures once every 2-3 months. I love the idea of recording thoughts in one book to then transfer to completed pages. Thanks for the giveaway!~

Anonymous said...

I began keeping a daily journal last year & it has been a valuable resource when DH & I needed to know when something happened or when I needed to record details on a project to keep myself organised. This little planner sounds ideal, not just a book for writing but also something attractive to keep pictures in.

Jude in Oz

Julie said...

I started doing a daily journal last year. It is beautiful to be able to remember the small "every day" moments. I love your take on the journal though! I love the simplicity of it and the inclusion of pictures and scrapbook paper! I'd love to have this calendar!

crazydaisygirl said...

I love this idea. I haven't been doing much scrapbooking lately, but I do want to still keep track of things that are happening. Plus I just started back to school, so I could use a planner to keep my life organized.
Your pages are so cute and fun. I love reading about all your great ideas.

Kim said...

I love this idea. I have two little girls that I keep wanting to start journals for, but never get around to doing it. This would be a great way to keep track of the everyday stuff in our lives that I don't want forget. The fact that it's a planner too is an added bonus...who can't use more organization. Thanks for the chance to win!

Erica Hettwer said...

I'd love this as I have two small children and I'd love to remember the details but caring for them sometimes takes up all the space in my head. :)

Angela said...

What a great way to track some of that everyday stuff.

Naomi Ockeman said...

I would love this just what I need. A place to keep me together. And my funny things that my kids say.

Lisa said...

I love this journal, calendar. This will help me so much to keep track of my daily thoughts. I am always about 6 months behind. What a great give away. Love your Blog.

Lisa P, WA

Unknown said...

I love the scrapbook/journal/calendar combo that this has! I would love to keep track of my family's adventures this year in this :)
Thank you for the chance to win one!

Anonymous said...

I would love the change to win one. Being a busy mom and full time third grade teacher, not to mention wife, I find that I am always doing the "I should write that down" and "I won't forget Isabelle said..." or Emma just read me her first book! I always have the best intentioned but nothing get recorded! What an easy way to stay organized and capture those precious moments forever!
Thanks for the opportunity!

Angel Rajewski

Anonymous said...

I'd love to stay more organized for the new year. I also love how pretty it is - it would brighten my day. Thanks for the chance to win.

Michele's Scrapy Creations said...

love it! I love to record moments plus other events that occurs during that month. I ususally have three different types of journals going and this would be perfect to combine them all together.

Bart and Cindy said...

I need this....it would make my year so much easier! Thanks for giving me a chance to win it!
Thanks,
Cindy

Kristyn said...

I would love to have one of these to document the milestones of our baby girl!
Thanks for the chance to win!

Ashley said...

That looks great. Maybe I could do that kind of scrapbooking! How nice of you to do a giveaway on your birthday.
Happy Birthday!!

Andrea said...

This would fit perfectly with my New Years Resolution. I'm trying to be more organized and to forget LESS. I also love that you can keep a journal in the same place as your schedule. Love your blog, and thanks for the chance to win such an awesome product.

Andrea
purseshopper@aol.com

Anonymous said...

Wow, I love that journal! I'm working 2 jobs right now so it's important I stay organized, this planner looks like it could help with that. Thanks for the chance to win!

Unknown said...

Wow--I could really use this to get organized. I'm expecting baby #2 so it would be great to be able to have a spot to journal as well as have our appointments listed there as well.

Sarah said...

I am a working mom of a toddler with another baby on the way. I love this idea for helping to keep up to date on what my family is doing. Looks like a great product!

Michelle P said...

I am guilty of having a planner, a journal, a scrapbook, and little post its and pieces of paper with little memories everywhere! This looks like a perfect place to keep everything! Awesome idea, as usual :)

Unknown said...

That looks great. I have been wanting to start a journal for years. This would motivate me.

Thanks for the idea.

Briana said...

First, I am doing Project Life this year so it will help me remember which photos are for which day and why I took them! I easily forget! I love the planner and journaling pages- so nice to have it all together. And it's CUTE so I won't lose it!

smileynann said...

I am a mom to 4 1/2 kids, and I HAVE to be more organized this year - I'd love one!

Natalie, Springville, UT

Melissa said...

I LOVE the idea of this, and how it's laid out! I think it would help me keep journaling, and would also be a great way to keep track of the year.. something I've been meaning to do. Thanks for the chance!

kimi said...

The journal is amazing! Would love to have one for myself! BTW I am sad that you are leaving CK. I always look for your articles first. I am very happy that you will get to spend more time with those adorable boys of yours. Congrats!

Carly said...

OH, I ♥ this! I have been trying to do the P365 for a couple years now & never get around to it. I think this would be an awesome way of capturing the day to day moments that seem to not get scrapped but are so important and really represent who we are & how we live as a Mommy & as a family. I would just love to win won.

Brandi Cuan said...

Wow Mandy, I'm newer to your blog and just read your post from last year about your health scare, congrats from the bottom of my heart. I have been going through my own scare and my nightmare won't be over until March...hopefully. As you did, I dug myself into a giant hole emotionally and I think this would be very therapeutic. Thanks for sharing and a chance of winning.

Nancy K. said...

Oh that is really cool! I think that would actually force me to Journal about our everyday happenings. I've been trying to keep a little notebook of funny things my daughter says, because it's those things that really put the character in our lives.

kmom said...

I could really use this! I have one son in college, another graduating High School this year and daughter in middle school. Just to keep up with our daily activities is a challenge and I think this journal would be perfect. As soon as I saw it, I knew this was just what I have been looking for!

amyp said...

Love this idea! I think this would be great for my 5 year old. To be able to document all about him. His life now, his thoughts, routines, practices, his handwriting, things he says, etc. It would give him a chance to have a book all about him and that would be great to have many years from now!
Sounds like a great addition to his scrapbook I do for him!
Plus, it sounds like a great gift for my friend who is having a baby on Thursday!!
Also, sorry to read about you leaving CK, I understand your reasons, as I myself is a stay at home mom. Glad that I can still get ideas and inspiration from your blog!
Thanks Mandy!!

Laura T. said...

What a great journal ... Love the idea that you can create layouts to slide inside the pockets. What a great keepsake to have when the year is over too.

Jennifer DeWolfe said...

What a great concept! Love it! Thanks for the chance to get myself organized this year ;)

Rene said...

Very smart idea. I keep ideas, dates, things that happen in several different types of calendar....this would be place to do it all in one spot.

I love this idea. Thanks for sharing.

Val said...

I love this idea and your is SO CUTE! I'm always jotting things down here and there and then losing them. I love that there is a place for pics too.

Thanks for the chance to win!

Sarah said...

I am all aobut keeping life organized at the White House. Everyone has a different color in the calendar. We represent three different school systems with three different calendars. It makes for a very colorful claendar. I think it would be neat to add pictures as well.

Elizabeth B said...

Wow! This looks fantastic! I could definately use this, I return to work as a supply teacher in a few weeks (finishing up my maternity leave) and this would be fantastic for keeping organized as to where I need to go each day.

Janessa Cowan said...

Sweet! I would definitely use this to keep a journal of my crazy life. I love your idea. It would be fun to look back in 5-10-20 years to see how things have changed.

Mary S said...

Wow...Love this planner!!! Exactly what I am looking for. If I am not lucky enough to win please let me know where I can buy one :)

Jill Norwood said...

Wow I really like the idea of having this with me during the day but also as the last thing to do at night. My husband was diagnosed with brain cancer on July 30th 2010 and so much is happening with his health and my little boy starting kindergarten and I want to remember each moment. I have a blog but find that I end up not making entries this year because of all of the doctor's appointments and running to and from my son's school etc. I think this might be my answer - I so want to remember all the special moments we share each month! More than ever I know that Each day is a GIFT! That is actually our family motto this year and my word for the year is HOPE! I hope I win one but if not I think I will try to order one anyway - it looks absolutely perfect for my needs! Thanks for sharing! You are an inspiration!

Eric and Jodi Eames said...

Duds! happy birthday a day late!!! Hope you had a good one with lots of chocolate cake!

My new years resolution is to live in the moment and to simplify life I am always looking for something new to try and even if I don't win this giveaway is there a way I can buy it somewhere??

Love u tonz
Jake

Unknown said...

This would help out a lot with my project 365. I don't always have time to keep up with my journaling at the end of the day, so this would be a great way to keep on top of that project :)

debbi said...

This looks like such a great planner! I try to write down the funny/profound things that my grandchildren say and this would be such a beautiful way to keep up with them.

Jeannie said...

what an awesome idea!! i really need help on my journaling and this would be wonderful!

Jingle said...

I love all the room for notes! Planners often lack room for that and this is so nice because you can really remember it all and have it to record on layouts later!

Bridget Morelli said...

What a great journal - I just informed my 7year old that she needed to start an agenda/journal for school (working on handwriting and organizational skills). I would use this as the Mommy version. We could both sit down and write each night and at the end I'd have something pretty special. Thanks for the chance!

Suzi said...

This looks like a lot of fun. I would love to create one. Thanks for the opportunity!

Suzi

Tracy said...

This looks like a perfect opportunity to do something for my dad. I would love to have one Thanks for the giveaway!

Annette said...

This would be a wonderful tool for our new life. #1: I become unemployed and have been helping with the grandkids.(Yes, this means free babysitting for my son). #2 My Husband has had a change with work and will be training with a new company. This would be a wonderful planner to keep track of us all (11) and keep record of this big change in our lives. Thanks!

dlredford said...

I think journaling is soo... important and I'm absolutely terrible at it. This seems like a great system to keep me organized and motivated. Thanks for the giveaway!

Becky said...

I love this planner/journal! I also end up behind the camera in most of our pictures and this would give me an opportunity to make this journal about my journey through the year!

Stephanie said...

I love that! I am doing Project Life and that would be a great way to keep up with journaling. Thanks for the chance.

Angie Ulseth said...

Wow! That would be a great way to keep track of the little details that happen each day, so that they can be remembered when I finally get around to scrapping them. What a neat journal/planner - great giveaway!

Unknown said...

Wow this looks like a great idea!! I am a college student and avid scrapbooker, who could use a fun and innovative way to get motivated to journal more. I could really benefit from a planner that I can add pictures, journaling, etc. too as a way to spice up recording my busy schedule. I also recently became an aunt and it would also be a nice way to remember some of the milestones of my nephew.

Wendy said...

I think this would help me with my Project Life...give me a place to record what happened each day and I just wanted to say that I think you're amazing...to keep going day after day with such a great attitude! I didn't know about your disease before this and I wish you the best.

Carrie said...

That is such a great idea. I too have had issues keeping up with Journaling. I have wanted to do it and I start out doing it faithfully and then a day will get away from me and then two days, etc. This is a fun way to journal but not really think of it as a journal.

Unknown said...

Why didn't I think of this? Crazy how that works. This is an awesome idea and it would work well to keep those multiple calendar notes, planners, journal, bazillions of photos organized so you can easily put together a year in review. I'm all about this!! Thanks for the give-away opportunity!

CindeeQ said...

I love this idea! I think this would help so much with our busy family of 4. Our kids are active in sports, school and theatre. This would helps keep us organized!!

Karen Foster said...

I am agenda junkie. I never seem to com across exactly what I am looking for..........this is IT!
Oh, I love to keep track of events, appointments,diets and journal about the day,!!!!
WOULD LOVE THIS!

Dyan Euler said...

I found you through tip junkie~ isn't she awesome? if it wasn't for her I wouldn't of found your blog and I looked through a few of your past posts and I think you are truly a special person and a gift from God, as a mother of 3 boys (16,13,&11) my 13 year old is bipolar, I am always on the go, always a day late and a dollar short and so I love blogs that breathe a fresh of breathe air with ideas, yet still personal (love the pictures of your babies) they grow so quick, so I think this planner/journal/life savor would be great for any mom. I hope I win. Good Luck to all. Love your blog & am now a follower. Thanks Dyan
dyan.euler5@yahoo.com