Travel light

Tomorrow I am off to Spain for a few days and I am trying to travel as lightly as possible.

Considering that I haven't been using my Pocket Rasberi much, and concentrating more on my new Mini Green, she will be the only Filo I take with me this time.

So far so good, my euros and pounds are sorted, I have space for my two bank cards and my ID, and I have even stashed a few band aids (I tend to get blisters at the most inconvenient times!!).

The only thing I can't fit in there is my passport. Not even inside the wallet pocket (of course not, you silly kitten, it's a MINI, not a Pocket anymore!!). This makes me very sad. 

I will just have to be extra careful when I'm at the airport. 

Have a nice weekend all of you!!

May update: the notebook

The notebook is just a run of the mill type which I found at the first flat we lived in here. About two months ago, I was looking for an ordinary piece of paper to jot down a shopping list, and the only thing I found readily available was this notebook. After that I just left it in the kitchen for future reference.

Later that evening, I felt like doing some doodling, nothing serious, so I just grabbed the notebook while I watched TV.

A few weeks later, noticing that I was using it more often, I decided to practice my drawing in it. The first thing I did was cover up the hideous design (Tweety) it had on the hard covers with some kraft paper I had lying about.

Gradually I started using it not only for sketching, but also for writing lists of any sort and even watercolouring. 

My relationship with this notebook got serious when I trusted it with my MAIN TO DO LIST. I needed a place outside my filofax to write it, without thinking about the when and what of every task, more like a 'brain dump'.

And so I would get into the right mindset and little by little, take care of those pending tasks.  The list also began to grow as I would add new items as they came to my mind.

Two days ago, the space on the double spread ran out, so I had to relocate the undone items into a new list, which is also getting longer as I keep on adding more stuff to it.

The feeling of accomplishment I get whenever I look at my first list, with so many striked out tasks, is very rewarding and it motivates me to keep on track and not be lazy.

Even though I use different tools for it, my weapon of choice is my new Rhodia pencil.

May update: Moleskine 18 month weekly notebook

I started using the Moleskine just before the year's end, but only two weeks into it I put it down. Keeping up with my Filo and trying to use it at the same time, was time consuming, not to mention that the lack of space in the Mole wouldn't allow a complete switchover.

Nevertheless, I really liked it and tried to at least write one thing in it, maybe a thought or a note to myself on the page opposite to the calendar.

Gradually I noticed a few patterns emerging: on the top space above the calendar, I'd write a brief description of the week: "Rollercoaster hectic busy week" or "This has also been Problem Week!" Actually, on that particular week I had taken one day off work and was really glad I did, as it helped me unwind and see things from a different perspective. That is also when I started drawing, painting and glueing things on it.

 

And so it became an activity, to update it on the weekend, looking back at the week, write my thoughts down.

But I have avoided using it for appointments. That way it stays fun.

May update: Filofaxes

Filofaxes. Plural, as in two. My pocket Raspberry Finsbury (aka Rasberi), and my mini Urban. 

For a while I had been neglecting my Rasberi more and more in favour of my Moleskine. I thought the best was to simply stop using it. But I'd still find myself updating it weekly, because I missed the beautiful QV inserts and also because I didn't want to start using the Mole for my appointments yet.

So, my actual setup consists of W2P from QV and DPP. Notes, To Do and Financial are still in there, but inactive.

About a month ago, I decided I would go back to using one of my minis as a wallet, that way I get to leave the Rasberi at home and carry less weight. Inside it I carry a Week on One Page calendar, addresses and notes, as well as a Tube Map, not from Filofax, but from London Underground.
my writing instrument of choice is a small, aluminum mechanical pencil from MUJI (love!!).

May update

It has been a while without a proper update from my part; a lot has changed and honestly, I don't know where to start.

I could start yapping about the changes and the reasons behind them, but I thought I'd spare you the boredom, also this isn't the place for that.

So I will simply tell you about my current system/planner situation. Please take a seat, so you're sure you didn't misread the following.

I am using two Filofaxes, one Moleskine planner and one notebook. Simultaneously.

Three more posts will follow, in order to go more in depth into each one. Read on!