The baby I was anxiously waiting for in my last newsletter is now almost 9 months old. (How did that happen?) He smells like milk and wool and my favorite feeling is his fuzzy little head against my cheek. Slowly, things are falling into a rhythm again. The baby goes to bed and sleeps through the night, provided I’ve passed the daily math test of calculating nap times and duration. The big kids go to bed and I sit on the couch and rewatch Laguna Beach (currently on season 3) and feel my brain melt. It’s started to feel less satisfying (although I’m committed to getting to the end), so I know it’s time to start doing ~something~ again.
After a weird few years (Covid, stressful pregnancy, newborn life, and burnout all around), I’m feeling more like myself. BUT I cannot bring myself to post on Instagram right now. The pace at which I’d have to post to stay relevant in people’s feeds is not one I’m capable of or want to attain right now. Admittedly I don’t even open up the app that much anymore. There’s too many reels, too many ads. I know I’m just saying the same things everyone else has already said. I’ve always missed LiveJournal; Substack is probably the closest thing to it. So here we are.
I’m still thinking through how I want to use this space, but right now I’m leaning towards at least a monthly check-in for discussing goals, habits, and creative projects (possibly in video format since I really liked making the video below), and maybe sharing some memoir writing (my creative writing muscles have atrophied, for sure, and I need some external obligations to get back to it). More to come.
2023 Planner and Jrnal Plans
For now, I’d love to share my planner and journal stack for 2023, in video and handy list format!
Hobonichi Cousin - This is my fourth or fifth year in a Hobonichi; it really does work for me. I did not utilize the daily pages as much in 2022 as I used to, so that’s a goal for 2023. I have recently started playing around with the daily pages more as notes pages.
Makse Life goal-setting companion notebook set - I’ve previously used Power Sheets but no longer feel comfortable supporting the company. Also, they never really worked that great for me and I’d fall off of using them mid-year. The companion notebooks are a set of four quarterly notebooks plus an instruction booklet.
Makse Life Daily Intentions and Evening Reflections + Gratitude - I’m hoping to work these into my morning and evening routines. After I bought these, Everday Explorers Co released some Make Space journals; if it’s not love at first sight with the Makse Life journals, I’ll probably try those next.
Freely Planned - This was a bit of an impulse purchase after seeing a review on YouTube; I knew I’d find a use for it. I’m using it to plan content and keep track of to-dos for Spine Label, a kidlit newsletter I’m (soft) launching in January (more on that at the end of this newsletter).
A6 Hibino - Another impulse purchase although I’ve always longed for a day on two pages. I’m wary of adding anything other than pen to this, I think it will get chunky fast. I’m planning to use this as some sort of daily noticing log— one thing that’s lacking in my writing life is the tiny details. This notebook will be an exercise in paying attention (this is all writing is, really).
Cycles Journal - My 2023 edition hasn’t come in yet, but this is how I track my cycle, self-care, and creativity (see also: Nicole Gulotta’s The Writing Cycle e-course).
Reclaim Journal - This is one time the algorithm worked in my favor; I discovered Little Dark Press on Instagram and immediately preordered a Reclaim journal and oracle. My inner child needs a lot of attention and healing and this is one way I can show up for her.
Inner Child Tarot (in an A6 2022 Hobonichi)- I took Susannah Conway’s course over the summer and have slowly been working on my journal for the course. Again, an exercise in showing up for my inner child.
Shorthand Press notebook - Journaling has been really hard, and then I feel sad about it being hard. One day I decided “eff it, I need a new notebook” (even though I had just started a new notebook…). I needed something that felt easy. I went to Paper + Craft Pantry and came home with a spiral-bound notebook, much like the ruled notebooks I journaled in throughout middle school and high school. It’s definitely taken some of the pressure off and I’ve been journaling more, even though my pages aren’t as “interesting” as they used to be when I was working in an Archer & Olive notebook.
Traveler’s Notebook Weekly refill x3 - (not mentioned in the video because I forgot to pull them for my stack!) I had a little freak out a couple of months ago, watching videos of my kids and feeling like I could remember so little of it. My middle kiddo just turned 5 and that is such a small length of time, especially in comparison to my life, that I am shocked I can’t recall all of it in great detail. Maybe some of it is the trauma of Covid (and before that, postpartum anxiety and postnatal depletion). Maybe it’s just my own lack of documenting. Either way, I decided to start keeping journals for my kids. Previously I attempted 5-year Hobonichi diaries for my older two and that was unsuccessful. This time, after some debate, I bought undated weekly Travelers Notebook inserts. I was very tempted by Hobonichi Weeks but didn’t really want to wait for the new year to get started. I’ve already fallen off of them a bit but that’s the beauty of undated, just pick back up where you left off! My plan is to buy a TN cover for each kid and have fun decorating it to match their personality.
In addition to trying out a new goal-setting system this year, I’m also planning to dive into HB90 for writing-specific goals. I’m really optimistic about this because it’s coming from someone who is a writer and a mother of young children— I just can’t take productivity or goal-setting advice from old white men anymore. I’m also planning on joining ClubMakse for group coaching and accountability. Setting goals and staying accountable to myself has been pretty far from my mind the last few years; it feels good and exciting to be back in that frame of mind. (Everything is cyclical!)
Spine Label
Back in the mid-to-late aughties (lol), I was in grad school studying library and information science. During that time I had a blog called Spine Label, which was mostly book reviews and occasionally other thoughts about library life. My husband has long said it’s his favorite thing I’ve ever written, and although I archived it many years ago, I’ve toyed, on and off, with the idea of bringing it back in some way. In fact, I set up a Substack for the next iteration of Spine Label over four (four!) years ago.
I still love reading and talking about children’s literature and now with three kids ranging in age from 0 to 9, it seemed like a good time to dive back into book blogging. I haven’t been this excited about a project in a while and I’m excited to share it with you! I’ll be sharing a kidlit recommendation daily, with additional posts for paid subscribers. You can get all signed up here; Spine Label officially launches on January 1, 2023.
That’s it from me. Instagram aside, I do miss connecting with people who like to talk about books and art and why Tomoe River paper is the very best. Feel free to say hi in the comments (maybe share your favorite read from 2022? Mine’s a three-way tie between Courtney Maum’s Year of the Horses, Ali Hazelwood’s Below Zero, and Little Panic by Amanda Stern).