It’s a known fact that if you are a blogger you need a million and one notebooks. Whether that’s for blog planning, bullet journaling, as a diary or just a notebook – in fact, we often keep at least five lying around entirely empty.

So in celebration of Notebook Day, I’ve decided to share some of the best notebooks for all bloggers that can be purchased right now.

Formidable Joy | UK Lifestyle Blog | Blogging | The best notebooks for bloggers | Notebook Day

THE BASIC ONE
The Blogger’s Journal from Paperchase is great for any starter blogger who might not know where exactly to begin when using a notebook for blogging. Some bloggers start with just jotting down their notes, whereas those who have been blogging a while may record their stats, social media, income, contacts and more. This notebook has just enough to get you started with space to plan your social media growing, put together your posts and reach your goals.

THE LIFE PLANNER
I absolutely love Ban.do products and treated myself to a planner for my last office job. It was pricey but well worth the price and was hands down one of the best planners I’ve ever owned. Not only are the daily entries very spacious (perfect for post ideas and to do lists), but the planner is also filled with inspirational quotes and gorgeous stickers! I had so many compliments on my planner and because there was so much space it could easily be decorated and personalized like a bullet journal.

THE PERSONALIZED ONE
A personalized planner is every bloggers dream, especially when it’s a life planner and whatever-you-want-planner in one. These super cute planners from Plum Paper are not only really pretty but you can choose a variety of add ons such as blog planning, fitness tracking and budgeting. You can use it simply for blogging or you can use it as a life planner too – the choice is yours. It’s rare to find a planner/notebook where you can pick and choose whats inside as well as the cover being personalized, and you can choose what month you want to start it from – so no buying a 2017/2018 planner and only using half of it…

THE SUPER SAVVY ONE
For the bloggers that love to plan ahead: this simple looking (but extremely detailed) planner Amazon does the job. EPIC BLOG is a year – yes, an entire year – long editorial planner. Which means you can really look ahead in terms of things like monthly posts, seasonal content and even writing based around certain days of the year (like this one!). The planner also includes a business plan, ideal reader survey, progress trackers and more. This one is definitely on my wish list.

THE PLAIN ONE
Finally, if you want a simple notebook for more than just blogging purposes, this one’s for you (or anyone from TK Maxx really!). It can be used for post ideas (a page a post), to do lists, tracking or even as a bullet journal. The opportunities really are endless.

It’s funny how blogging is entirely done online yet more and more of us find ourselves reverting back to pen and paper for the planning aspect of running a blog – it’s interesting, isn’t it?

Do you use a notebook to help run your blog or do you stick to an online system? Let me know!

 

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I love a good independent brand so when I got a little Twitter follow from Pic ‘n’ Mix, I knew I had to feature them on my blog. Pic ‘n’ Mix feature pre-made festival kits – offering all the basics and more – to stop you worrying about what to pack for your upcoming festival.

Some people (me) may say that shopping for a festival is half the fun – buying the mini 3-for-2 toiletries from Boots, purchasing beautiful accessories that you’ll probably never wear etc – but there’s always a guarantee that something will be forgotten.

Formidable Joy | UK Lifestyle Blog | Brand Crush | Pic 'n' Mix Festival Kit | Music Festival | Lifestyle | Pick 'n' Mix

Pic ‘n’ Mix takes this fear out of the equation and also provides you with a pre-made kit for half the price. What’s even better is that you can choose a fully eco kit with eco products such as biodegradable chewing gum, toilet seat covers (definitely a must which I’m surprised most people haven’t thought about until now!) and a stainless steel reusable straw!

I can’t tell you how cool I think it is that you can get your own reusable straw. Not only is this super great for the environment (so many festivals are choosing to get rid of plastic straws now), but it’s also great for safety reasons too. I daresay most people would keep an eye on their drink more if they’ll be reusing the straw, hopefully avoiding less instances of drinks being spiked.

Even the glitter is biodegradable!

Currently on the website are four pre-packed kits: a day festival kit, an essentials festival kit, a glam festival kit and a VIP festival kits.

Formidable Joy | UK Lifestyle Blog | Brand Crush | Pic 'n' Mix Festival Kit | Music Festival | Lifestyle | Pick 'n' Mix

Each kit is super affordable too. The VIP festival kit, for example, includes:

  • Anti-bacterial hand gel (30ml)
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste
  • Torch
  • Tissues (10 pack)
  • Ear plugs
  • Poncho (red or blue)
  • Toilet seat covers
  • Deodorant (50ml)
  • Toilet tissue wipes (42 pack)
  • Lip balm
  • Chewing gum (10 pack)
  • Wet wipes (12 pack)
  • Glow sticks x 2
  • TravelJohn resealable disposable urinal (3 pack)
  • UV face and body paint (Green)

And this is all for £25.45 – all in a cute bag too. This would cost you £50 upwards when buying separately!

However you can also choose bespoke kits or just pick and mix products too, meaning you can mix essentials with some glam bits like glitter, gems and hair chalk. I’ve spent a good hour or so trawling through and there really is everything you can think of. I couldn’t think of one thing I’d take to a festival that is missing from the website!

Overall I simply had to write a post about Pic ‘n’ Mix because I love the idea behind it all – even if I am surprised no one has done anything like this before! But the best bit is how green and eco this company is and pretty much everything you buy from the website is good for the environment.

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I’ve really been trying to save my pennies lately, but a girl can still lust after things, am I right? So I’ve put together a Wednesday wish list of homeware items I really cannot wait to get my hands on. I figured if I put them in a list, I can keep an eye on them and buy them when they go on sale or a discount code pops up, therefore saving me money! Smart, eh?

Formidable Joy | UK Lifestyle Blog | Lifestyle | Wednesday Wish list

First of all, I’ve got my eye on one of these adorable vegan lunch bags. I actually have a really cool, um, My Little Pony lunchbox (I use it ironically and because it’s vintage, alright?!) but it’s pretty small and I actually need a bag to put it in. So when I spotted these I thought they were perfect! The bags also use recycled cotton and eco friendly ink, so you know as well as your lunch being vegan, the bag itself is super great for the environment.

I love this edgy but glam skull cup and saucer set. I mean it is pricey at £38 so I probably won’t end up parting with my hard earned cash for it but it is on my wish list now meaning hopefully someone will buy it for me as a flat warming/moving in gift. Plus all my plates and bowls are black (excellent choice from my brother) so this set would totally match everything else.

How cool is this bath mat?! I spotted it on the Urban Outfitters website (the last place I’d expect to find cool homeware) and fell in love with it immediately. I don’t even know if it would fit into my tiny bathroom but god help me if there’s a way I will find it, even if it means trimming/cutting the bathmat down. Plus I do actually honestly need a bathmat. I swear. My nan would totally hate it. But that’s the benefit of having your own place!

These tall moroccan candle holders are really edgy and cool. I’ve blogged about my love for Little Lies before but have yet had the chance to buy something from their website. They’re only £9 each which makes them a total steal, and I know a tall black candle from Tiger would look ace in one of these. I say this because I always buy black candles from Tiger (it’s the only place I know that does black candles) but never buy the tall black ones as I never have any holders to put them in. Problem solved.

Finally, I’ve had my eye on these milo deer heads for what seems like years now, ever since I spotted one for sale during a trip to Amsterdam. I love them and think they’re so funky – they’re really pretty and the fact that they’re cardboard and not actual deer heads is even better! They come in so many beautiful designs (and sizes) I kinda want them all. I think I’ll get this one first and stick it above my bed..

What do you think of my wish list? Would you buy anything from it for your own place?

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At my new job, there’s a lovely lady who runs a pantry on our estate. She offers a vegan menu, does food plans on the side and also dabbles in numerology.

Fascinated by discovering this hobby of hers, I swiftly expressed my interest and she offered me a quick reading. I don’t know much about numerology but things like horoscopes really interest me so I was intrigued to find out what she had to say by adding up my birthdate and creating my number, which was the number 8.

Formidable Joy | UK Lifestyle Blog | Lifestyle | My numerology reading | Numerology

So the number 8 is all to do with karma and what goes around comes around. This is reflected in the shape of the number 8 which is almost like a ying-yang infinity sign. The number 8 is a balancer but it’s also a very powerful number.

An 8 can easily get what it wants in life through a number of different ways. A top eight – like me – gets what it wants with love and working hard, ie making friends, staying determined and passionate. A lower eight gets what it wants by taking. These are the kind of people that walk into a room and are very powerful and intimidating. Luckily I’m a top 8!

An 8 can also be very emotional – and that is me all over. I take things to heart and I am easily swayed. For example, I could be having an amazing day but then I can burst into tears if I see a sad advert on the TV!

I also take on a lot of other people’s problems and worries and this is a typical thing for an eight to do. I will agree to do this thing for one person and another thing for another because I want to help and cannot say no – until it gets too much for me and brings me down.

In terms of my life right now and what is coming up: the last year or so was a time for suffering for me which sort of makes sense with me. I was very lost last year before I met my boyfriend at the time and didn’t see my life going anywhere. I wasn’t in a great place. This improved when I met Vincent, but when we broke up, I took it super hard and felt like I was back at square one again.

According to my reading, what is coming up for me is a year which will be a bit more spiritual (makes sense as I’m planning to do some travelling!) and after my next birthday I’ll also become quite focused or obsessed on something. This can be anything from food, travel and even sex, but the lady recommended I try to become focused on something more positive such as exercise.

This is quite an interesting look at my possible future. I’ve been told to focus on myself right now whilst I’m still young and single again and hopefully this will go hand in hand with wanting to become a bit more fit and healthy. Although she also said to me that if I do end up becoming obsessed with sex, it’s going to be some real nitty-gritty out there sex, which is…interesting!

Overall I found it really interesting and the qualities behind a number eight really resonated with me. I don’t think I’m a powerful person – I’m definitely not the type of person to stand tall and walk into a room to demand something – but I do believe I’ve gotten where I am in life by being headstrong, approachable and friendly. Many jobs – and amazing opportunities – I’ve gotten in the past have been through friends, so that’s an interesting comparison.

Of course, not everyone believes in numerology but considering I am fascinated by most things like astrology, I think I would definitely look into going along for an actual reading with this lady. The taster was beyond interesting to me.

Have you ever looked into the numerology behind your birth date? Let me know!

 

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I finally traded in my iPhone for an Android phone; in fact a Google Pixel 2 to be exact. I was constantly frustrated with my iphone battery never lasting and my phone space always running out so I thought it was time to make a change. I’m happy with my decision – once you get your head around it, the Google Pixel 2 is super easy to use and the camera is amazing. Because I have more space, I’ve been downloading tons of cool apps too.

Here’s some helpful apps I’m really loving at the moment.

Formidable Joy | UK Lifestyle Blog | Tech | 6 apps to help you get your sh*t together

FOREST
This sweet little app is to help you stop being on your phone so much, whether that’s to help you work/study or to just stop relying on your phone. Yes it’s kind of weird and ironic that it’s an actual phone app that helps you but it really does the job. You set a timer for how long you want to to be away from your phone and on screen, shrubs, bushes and trees go. The longer the timer, the more advanced the greenery. If you pick up your phone and use it, the plant dies. At the end of the day you end up with a cute virtual garden and a sum up of how long you’ve been focused for. The more you use the app the more coins you get too to buy other types of flowers and trees. And, even better, if you upgrade to a paid version, each tree you plant ensures a tree is planted somewhere in real life too.

HABITICA
I’m still getting my head around this one but it’s a really niche way to keep up with your to-do lists, habit tracking and the like. Each time you complete a task or a daily habit, you have a little character that levels up and you can essentially then add battle gear and defeat monsters. It takes a while to get into and I still don’t fully understand it, but it’s uber cool and ideal for gamers too.

YEAR IN PIXELS
This app is a really simple way to get hold of your emotions and it’s been a lifesaver for me lately with so much going on. You simply pick a colour based on how happy/sad you are and can add tags for actual feelings like happiness or excitement etc. A grid is filled in and at the end of the year you’ll have a whole year of colour. It’s actually really interesting to look back on – at the time, you might feel like you’re struggling day to day but when you look at the bigger picture, you’ll see that there are still happy times/days too.

FLO
I have no idea how I survived without this app, considering my period is somewhat regular but also often not. This discreet app reminds you when you’re coming up to that time of the month and the interface is really simple and sophisticated too (so many period apps end up being unnecessarily overly feminine). I love that you can tag your moods and stuff also. The main thing is to remember to use this app though. Don’t do what I did and forget to use it then panic and think you’re pregnant when your period is uber late. I can’t be the only one that thinks PMS symptoms and pregnancy symptoms (cravings/tiredness and being over emotional) are waaaaaay too similar…

GOOGLE CALENDAR
Oh I’ve waited years to find a decent and easy to use calendar that sync’s up with everything. This has synced up with a calendar on my laptop and I can create different calendars for work, blogging, events and bills. Y’know, cause I’m an adult now and have SO MANY BILLS now that I live alone. I mean I’m sure all different calendar’s do this too but in the meantime, I’m happy as larry with this one.

DUOLINGO
Yeah, yeah, everyone and their dog uses this app and I’ve used it on and off for years now but right now I am loving it. I may no longer be with my ex boyfriend but I’m still hellbent on learning Romanian, just to say that I can. I’m currently on a 27 day streak BOOYA. And I can string a couple of sentences together now too, not just insults and basic words like the Romanian translation of milk/tea/juice and thank you. Haha. I am a genius in the making.

These are just six apps I am loving right now and they’ve really helped me get my sh*t together – which we all know is one of the best benefits of modern technology.

Can you recommend any apps ideal for productivity? Let me know with a comment below!

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