My Big Happy Planner: Gratitude Journal

My Big Happy Planner: Gratitude Journal

• Jul 24, 2018

Back in December, I reflected on my favorite things of 2017 and noted that Happy Planner was at the top of the list. I bought my first one that May after seeing Lindsey from Bring My Books raving about them. And though I swore I wouldn't buy all the things, I should have known that I'd be so obsessed with it. It started with sticker books and soon spiraled into making my own printable pages. So, I thought it would be fun to spend this week talking about how I'm using them. Happy Planners come in three sizes: Big, Classic, and Mini. I have one of each, and they each serve a different function. Today, I'm talking about the Big. 

I mentioned in my post my motherhood journey so far that I keep a "Three Good Things" Journal. The name and inspiration came from one of my all-time favorite books, Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center, and you can check out that post if you want all the details. But the gist of it is that it's my gratitude journal. Every day, I write down three good things that happened. And that's how I'm using my Big Happy Planner!

This one stays next to my bed, and I love reflecting on my day before I go to sleep. It was initially a hard habit to start – I felt like I was repeating myself all the time or would forget for a few days and then struggle to remember enough to complete it. And that's why I keep this one super simple. There's no stickers or decoration, just plain black pen and one good thing in each box. I love looking back through it, and it's helped me develop a more positive attitude + see the good in my daily life. I'm particularly glad I had it after my thyroid cancer diagnosis. 

On the lefthand sidebar of the weekly spreads, I write my Top Three for the whole week. I started doing it because it was nice to spend a little time on Sundays reading through everything I'd written down for that week and choosing three favorites. It only takes a few minutes, but it's worth it. It often feels like the days are so slow but a week passes in a blur, so this helps me stop and pay attention to the details. I want to be more mindful!

And finally, my favorite part of my Big planner: the month-at-a-glance spreads. Since I'm not using this as a planner, I originally didn't intend to write anything on these pages. But I saw Linds share this idea, and I knew it was exactly what I needed. It's the perfect addition to the pages filled with memories! It brings me so much joy to flip through this journal and marvel at how much things change from month to month. 

I have so many photos on my phone that rarely get printed and still need to create photo books for 2016 and 2017. But somehow, I always find the time to do my little photo-a-day in this planner. I bought a Canon Selphy Wireless Photo Printer, and I love it so much. From the photo quality to the convenience, I highly recommend it! About once a week, I use the PicFrame app to create a collage of six squares, print it as a 4x6 photo, cut them out with my Fiskars large circle punch, and then use Tombow Mono Permanent Adhesive to glue them in. 

While I still hope to get around making photo books, it's nice to have at least one place where I can look at physical photos of my life. From adorable pictures of my son to silly things we did, it's a record of my life. I love all of my Happy Planners (and can't wait to talk more about them this week), but this one is the most meaningful to me. 

Do you keep a gratitude journal?

Check back tomorrow to see my daily planner!