{"id":6061,"date":"2025-09-12T04:27:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T11:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/?p=6061"},"modified":"2025-09-11T16:28:58","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T23:28:58","slug":"my-notebook-secrets-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/2025\/09\/12\/my-notebook-secrets-revealed\/","title":{"rendered":"my notebook secrets revealed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">a quick peek into all the notebooks I currently use &amp; inspiration to start your own imperfect stack of notebooks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p><a href=\"https:\/\/embracinghome.substack.com\/p\/83222464-420d-4dcb-a2da-7e1aaf5900d4\"><strong>To see the video from this post go here. <\/strong><\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At the risk of you all thinking I am a bit frivolous, I decided to do a notebook stack tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a quick peek into all the notebooks I currently use. I will share some links, resources, and notes that were not in the video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hopefully this sparks you to start your own imperfect stack of super helpful notebooks. \ud83d\ude01<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udce8Send to a friend that loves lists &amp; notes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"%%share_url%%\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Let\u2019s jump into it!<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a class=\"image-link image2 is-viewable-img\" href=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!rU_5!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1553d22a-a8fa-4ed9-ba74-3058bec6ce84_3072x4080.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!rU_5!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1553d22a-a8fa-4ed9-ba74-3058bec6ce84_3072x4080.jpeg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>&#91;note: this post is NOT sponsored, I just want to share what I'm using and how]<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">My Digital Organization &#8211;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is a look into how I organize things digitally. My life is layered and there is always a lot going on, so digital organization is super helpful for me as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>{<em>If there isn\u2019t a plan, I\u2019ll probably make one anyway\u2026 just for fun.<\/em>\ud83d\ude09}<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/embracinghome.substack.com\/p\/my-new-digital-organization-system?r=1qjcbv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">My Digital Organization System<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Writing\/Homeschool Notebook &#8211;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I do have binders and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/embracinghome.substack.com\/p\/my-new-digital-organization-system?r=1qjcbv\">digital organization<\/a> for these areas but this is my messy lists of what I am currently working on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have a shut down ritual for both my jobs. Anytime I am done writing or teaching I clean up the area and then write a few notes about what I need to do tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>It is a kindness to my future self.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The next day when I show up to write or teach I can glance over my notes and I know what tasks need to be done and where to start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you peeked in my notebook you would find: posts to edit, SEO and tags to add, or papers to grade, history lessons to plan, and notes on Literature lessons to do that week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Here is more on that process: <a href=\"https:\/\/open.substack.com\/pub\/embracinghome\/p\/making-progress-in-your-writing?r=1qjcbv&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;showWelcomeOnShare=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Making Progress in Your Writing<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Idea Notebook &#8211;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I kept coming up with ideas to put into another book while writing my first book: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/a.co\/d\/8r4tSHN\">Subtle Resistance &#8211; Practical Tips to Live Deliberately &amp; Avoid Overwhelm<\/a>. To keep focused, I got this cute Idea Notebook and jotted down anything that popped in my mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It became a landing place for story ideas, tips, and practical things to include in my next book. I am still adding ideas there for now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>My writing process: <a href=\"https:\/\/embracinghome.substack.com\/p\/writing-tips-capturing-ideas?r=1qjcbv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Writing Tips: Capturing Ideas<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bullet Journal &#8211;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I have been using the Bullet Journal Method for over 8 years. It has given purpose to my random lists, post-its, and phone notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Usually my weekly spread includes stickers, a color theme, and detailed notes. But during busy seasons it\u2019s simple and compact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>{<em>Spontaneity is great, but have you tried writing it down first? <\/em>\ud83e\udd23}<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Resources:<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/embracinghome.substack.com\/p\/bullet-journaling-and-the-weekly?r=1qjcbv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bullet Journaling &amp; The Weekly Review<\/a> &#8211; my detailed post<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/fm15cmYU0IM?si=ptJtpUz9DdxPihs1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How to Bullet Journal<\/a> &#8211; the 4min. video that started my Bujo habit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/scribblesthatmatter.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Scribbles That Matter<\/a> are my absolute favorite notebooks to use for my Bullet Journal. They look so amazing on my shelf all completed and labeled! {<em>My favorite: B5 \/ Dotted \/ 120gsm \/ in Bottle Green <\/em>\ud83d\udcd7}<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Personal Journal \/ Morning Pages &#8211;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This journal is often like a best friend, therapist, and confidant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Taking 15 minutes with this notebook makes a huge difference in my outlook and ability to cope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>I have learned that when I am feeling overwhelmed it often comes from frustrations that I haven\u2019t put into words yet.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My journal helps me be honest and move forward with small action steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Check out this embarrassing story and what I discovered: <a href=\"https:\/\/embracinghome.substack.com\/p\/feeling-like-a-weirdo-journaling?r=1qjcbv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Feeling Like a Weirdo &#8211; Journaling in Public<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Church Notebook &#8211;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I like to take notes to remember what I have learned. This applies to all areas of my life but especially church because I am there often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I even have a special pencil pouch full of my favorite <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/mrpen.com\/collections\/highlighters\">highlighters<\/a>, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/mrpen.com\/collections\/pens-pencils-mechanical-pencils\">pens<\/a>, and washi tape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I love a \u201cfill in the blank\u201d, main takeaways, and Hebrew\/Greek translations of specific words in verses discussed. {<em>Yes, I am constantly in full nerd mode!<\/em> \ud83d\ude1c}<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Watercolor Sketchbook &#8211;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is one of my newer hobbies that I started last year. I don\u2019t try to create life-like stuff, I enjoy the cartoon and kid-ish style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s just something I do for me and it is fun. \ud83d\ude01<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Resource:<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.adreamoradayart.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Andrea Nelson<\/a> has been an amazing source of inspiration for me!\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Check out her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@andrea.nelson.art\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TikTok <\/a>and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCHQLjMh1FiY1W3oHhsnOxoA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">YouTube<\/a> channels.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Drawing &amp; Nature Sketchbook &#8211;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>More on this topic coming soon!!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But for now I will just note that I am learning how to draw in new ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>{\ud83d\ude09<em>spoiler: I am terrible at it<\/em>\u2026}<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I am enjoying working through these books:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sdionbaker.com\/books\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Draw Your Day by Samantha Dion Baker<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/a.co\/d\/c84y6k2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Keeping a Nature Journal by Leslie Roth<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Commonplace Notebook &#8211;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Someday I will probably create a digital system where I could search up specific topics or phrases. But I just can\u2019t get away from the ascetic of writing with a nice pen in a beautiful notebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I enjoy looking over my underlines and highlights in a hardback book then rewriting them in my Commonplace book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This process keeps the ideas in my memory longer and gives me a myriad of ideas for my own writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More about that here: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/embracinghome.substack.com\/p\/my-commonplace-notes-on-learning?r=1qjcbv\">My Commonplace &#8211; Notes On Learning<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a class=\"image-link image2 is-viewable-img\" href=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!JsLk!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F85590fcb-7739-408d-92c8-98dd63377ed5_3953x2769.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!JsLk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F85590fcb-7739-408d-92c8-98dd63377ed5_3953x2769.jpeg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Meal Planning Notebook &amp; Clipboard &#8211;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This notebook is the most utilitarian and boing of them all but my family appreciates the creativity and time I take here. I often thumb through a cookbook or browse my online folders to gather ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>I try to save myself from decision fatigue by doing the thinking all at once.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>About every week or two I clean out the fridge, make a grocery list, and do my meal planning (not always in that order).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Check out my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Book-Guide-Subtle-Resistance-v.3.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">free planning pages in my book guide<\/a> (p.28-31).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>also lot of meal planning ideas in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Subtle-Resistance-Practical-Deliberately-Overwhelm\/dp\/B0F8YNRLQS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chapter 8 of Subtle Resistance<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udc99 <em>Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video.<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p><strong>I would love to hear from you!<\/strong><br>\ud83d\udd8a\ufe0f<em>Are you more of a digital note-taker, a paper person, or a mix of both?<\/em><br>\u270f\ufe0f<em>Do you have a favorite pen, notebook, or journaling tool you can\u2019t live without?<\/em><br><a href=\"%%half_magic_comments_url%%\">Leave a comment<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Every notebook in my stack brings me peace and clarity in a different way.<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I believe that it is never too late in this very digital age to return to the practices of journaling and notebooking!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Especially with a set of stickers and a favorite pen. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>\ud83d\udcd2 Happy Notebooking!<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a class=\"image-link image2\" href=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!UYwY!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46aeea83-c9fd-404e-b8cf-376ef7a23031_1344x256.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!UYwY!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46aeea83-c9fd-404e-b8cf-376ef7a23031_1344x256.png\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>a quick peek into all the notebooks I currently use &amp; inspiration to start your own imperfect stack of notebooks To see the video from this post go here. At the risk of you all thinking I am a bit frivolous, I decided to do a notebook stack tour. This is a quick peek into&hellip; <\/p>\n<div class=\"readmore-wrapper\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/2025\/09\/12\/my-notebook-secrets-revealed\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read <\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_stc_notifier_status":"sent","_stc_notifier_sent_time":"2025-09-12 04:39:59","_stc_notifier_request":false,"_stc_notifier_prevent":false,"_stc_subscriber_keywords":"","_stc_subscriber_search_areas":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[692],"tags":[561,482,592,47,700,698,57,30],"class_list":["post-6061","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-intellectually-alive","tag-bullet-journaling","tag-journal","tag-journaling-tips","tag-mom-life","tag-nature-notebok","tag-notebooking","tag-productivity","tag-productivity-for-moms"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6061","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6061"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6061\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6062,"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6061\/revisions\/6062"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}