Productive Pixie

I'm all about using my bullet journal to be more productive, but there is a creative side to bullet journaling as well. It can be super fun to add a little flair to your bullet journal with a fancy font or a super cute doodle! On the flip side, it gets boring quick when you use the same hand lettering for every single header. It's time to change up your hand lettering! Here are quick and easy hand lettering ideas you can use in your bullet journal and beyond!

11 Beautiful + Easy Hand Lettering Ideas for Your BuJo

Side Note - This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you buy something from one of these links, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. For more information, you can read my privacy policy. Thank you for supporting my blog. :)

If you know me (shoutout to everyone who reads my blog regularly), then you will know that I am a huge fan of the minimalist bullet journal style so I like to keep my layouts quick and easy to make. The hand lettering styles in this post will reflect that. These header ideas are also perfect for beginners so everyone can achieve these looks!

I went through my bullet journal and picked out different hand lettering styles I have used over the years, but there were so many, that I will probably do a part two of this post!

By the way, if you are looking to improve your hand lettering (which I am kind of assuming because you clicked on this post), make sure you check out the following post as well!

Also, while we are talking about quick and easy, I just have to mention the hand-drawn printable stickers you can get in my shop! If you don't have time to make your bullet journal look cute, but you want it to, you can slap on a couple of these cute printable stickers and your bullet journal layout will be ready to go!

Are you ready to not use the same old hand lettering styles in your bullet journal anymore?

Okay, we'll get right into hand lettering ideas in a minute, but first, we are going to talk about supplies, and for good reason.

My Favorite Bullet Journal Supplies

Supplies can make or break whether you have a fun time bullet journaling! If you are using pens that are really scratchy (I have done this, and it was horrible) it's probably not going to be a very good experience. Below are some of my favorite supplies to date.

Besides my Scrivwell Dotted Notebook, here are some of my other favorite supplies...

Ecoline Brush Pens - The Ecoline brush pens are the newest addition to my stationery collection and I really like them, but they are on the pricey side. The ink is really smooth and juicy though. :)
Black Sharpie Pen - If you have read any of my other posts, then you will probably know that I always use a black Sharpie pen for writing in my bullet journal. These ones have smooth ink and they last for a fairly long time.
Tombow Fudesonuke Brush Pens - Another great option for beginners, the Tombow Fudesonuke brush pens come in a two-pack: one hard tip, and one soft tip. The hard-tip brush pen is better suited for beginners and smaller calligraphy, while the soft-tip brush pen is for calligraphy with thicker strokes.
Tombow Dual-Tip Brush Pens - Even though these ones are a little bit expensive, they are double-tipped: one side is a brush tip, and the other side has a regular pointed tip, making them good for multiple purposes.
White Gel Pen - I use a white gel pen to mark out any mistakes I make on my layouts, and while it is sometimes still a little bit noticeable, it doesn't bother me.
Mechanical Pencil - I sketch out my layouts in pencil before I add ink to help eliminate errors.
A Stencil - I don't know where I got mine, but it works as a ruler and it has mini symbols that I stencil onto my layouts sometimes.
Washi Tape - I use washi tape on some of my layouts for a cute touch. :) (These aren't the exact same ones I have, but I usually buy my washi tape from Michaels)

Enough about supplies... if you have a few pens you like using, then you are good to go! Let's dive right into these easy hand lettering ideas for your bullet journal!

10 Beautiful + Easy Hand Lettering Ideas for Your Bullet Journal

1. Use a Calligraphy Pen

One of the easiest ways to switch up your hand lettering is to use a calligraphy pen AKA a pen that has a bendable tip so you can create thick and thin strokes. Now before you say, "well, I can't do calligraphy", you might be surprised at how much it can change up other types of lettering as well. You don't have to do calligraphy for it to work.

If you don't have a calligraphy pen, you can create the look by making the downstrokes on letters thick and the upstrokes thin. (You can see this lettering style by looking at the top hand lettering idea in the first image above.)

2. Highlight + Underline Hand Lettering

If you are looking for a super simple way to change up the header on your bullet journal layout, you can underline your lettering and highlight it. I think this gives a smooth minimalist look to your lettering.

I prefer using this style with miniature capital letters, but it can be done with any lettering style.

3. Marker Splash

This one is so simple, I don't even know if I should include it on this list!

All you have to do is write your header in the hand lettering of your choice, and then use a marker behind it to make it look like a paint splash. (You can see an example of this header style in the first image of this post.)

The marker splash looks especially beautiful with calligraphy.

4. Duplicate Hand Lettering

Definitely a tad more complicated, duplicate lettering might take a little practice to master. First, you'll need to pick out two different pens from your collection. I would recommend picking pens that aren't too similar of a color.

Now, write out your lettering with one of the pens. Then you will write the lettering behind it slightly to the right with the other pen. If you are uncertain about how to do this, you can use a pencil for the second lettering before using actual ink.

5. Watercolor Splash

If you are getting bored with your bullet journal, then maybe it is time to take it to the next level by utilizing watercolors!

This header style is very similar to #3, but you use watercolor instead. If you have never used watercolors before, I would definitely recommend reading the post that I wrote about using watercolors in your bullet journal. I took painting lessons for nine years, so I should hope that I know a thing or two about watercolors! 😂

Recommended Post - How to Use Watercolors in Your Bullet Journal

There are so many ways you can use watercolors to change up your hand lettering!

6. Stretched Hand Lettering

This lettering style works only with cursive, so if you don't know/aren't interested in doing cursive in your bullet journal, then you can skip to the next hand lettering style.

For this type of lettering, all you have to do is s - t - r - e - t - c - h (stretch) out your lettering. To make this even easier to do, you can write out all of your letters beforehand with even spacing, and then just connect them afterward.

7. White on Black

If you have never tried this hand lettering style then you are missing out! Just make yourself a black background and then write over it in white. I usually use a white gel pen, and I have to apply a few applications for it to be light enough to stand out.

To make a black background for your lettering, you can paint your background black, glue on black craft paper, or use a black marker like I did in the picture above. It's your choice!

8. Highlighted Block With Rounded Edges

Can you tell I'm a big fan of highlighting my lettering with a pastel marker? If you can't tell yet, you will be able to soon! 😂

Simply highlight your lettering, but make the edges rounded like in the third hand lettering example in the photo above. I tried this out a couple weeks ago, and I love it. It creates quite a different look, from having square edges.

9. Lowercase + Capital Letters

If you want a cute and easy playful look, then try making some of your letters uppercase, and some of your letters lowercase. Make your lowercase letters larger than your uppercase letters so they all have the same height.

It looks cute and it is super easy to do! (You can see an example of this hand lettering idea in the photo above.)

10. Blended Hand Lettering

This is probably the hardest hand lettering style in this entire post, but once you get the hang of it, it will be a lot easier!

In the photo below, I did the top half of the word in one color, and the bottom half another color. You can also have each letter be a different color by blending horizontally instead of vertically.

To do this hand lettering style start with the lighter color and write out the entire word. Then quickly write the darker color where you want it. Then use the lighter color right where you want the two colors to blend together.

If it still isn't blended all the way, you can use a blender pen on top. In the photo below, I used this hand lettering style to create a beach waves effect!

10 Beautiful + Easy Hand Lettering Ideas for Your Bullet Journal

I hope you enjoy using these hand lettering styles in your bullet journal! If you don't have much time to bullet journal, but you still want to have a cute bullet journal, make sure you check out the goodies I have for you in my shop!

If you liked this post, make sure you don't stop here. Keep improving your bullet journal by reading the posts below...

Have a wonderful week and have fun using these bullet journal hand lettering ideas!

Thank you for reading this article! Make sure you share it with your friends if you enjoyed it. :)

10 Beautiful + Easy Hand Lettering Ideas for Your BuJo

March 19, 2022 No comments

Do you ever have one of those days where you feel like you are literally in a hamster wheel, and nothing ever seems to get done because your to-do list keeps getting longer? Whether it's just a to-do list in your head or a to-do list written on paper, it can be really overwhelming! Today, I'm going to show you how you can do a simple and effective brain dump in your bullet journal to clear your mind and increase your productivity!

How to do an Effective Brain Dump in Your BuJo

If you are stressed and overwhelmed, then doing a brain dump in your bullet journal might be the perfect thing for you! I did a brain dump yesterday, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much clarity you can get from doing a brain dump.

Brain dumps are SUPER SIMPLE too! You really can't go wrong when doing a brain dump. In fact, this article might be a little shorter than my usual articles because the entire process is so easy. I'm sure you will have it down in no time, and you'll be doing brain dumps like a pro.

Today, I'll show you how to do a brain dump in your bullet journal, but if you aren't a fan of bullet journaling, you can do a brain dump on any piece of paper.

But first of all, what exactly is a brain dump?

What is a Brain Dump?

Not surprisingly, a brain dump is exactly what it sounds like: a brain dump. You take everything in your brain, and everything that is worrying you, bothering you, stressing you... take all of that and throw it out on paper.

Then, you don't have to worry about forgetting anything because it is all down on paper. You can organize all of that information that used to be in your brain, and then you can plan your next steps.

A brain dump is perfect for when...

You are stressed.
You have little to no motivation.
You feel overwhelmed.
You don't know what your next steps are.
You feel like you have too much on your plate.
You are feeling uncreative.

Those are just a few of the reasons for doing a brain dump. If any of the above applies to you on a regular basis, you might want to consider doing brain dumps on a regular schedule, like once every month.

How to do an Effective Brain Dump in Your Bullet Journal

1. Grab Your Supplies + Find Somewhere Comfy to Sit

You need barely any supplies to do a brain dump, which is a huge plus if you want a quick way to figure out what's going on in your life!

All you need to do a brain dump is a piece of paper (I use my bullet journal), and a writing instrument. Everything else is unnecessary. But of course, it may help you think better if you doodle or decorate the page while you think.

Another option is to use sticky notes so you can actually physically rearrange your ideas afterward.

If it helps you to think, you might also choose to have some soft calming music in the background. Only have music playing though, if it isn't going to be a distraction for you.

Then find somewhere comfy to sit. If your environment is a distraction, you probably won't be able to get everything out of your head that is bothering you because your distracting environment will come first. I would also recommend turning off your technology.

2. Write Down What Comes to Your Mind

This is the real meat of doing a brain dump. I prefer making a list (like a bulleted list without the bullets for a reason you will find out later in this post), but you should figure out what works best for you.

Start writing down whatever comes to your mind. It might take around five minutes to really get going. You can set a timer for around fifteen minutes to start, and then take longer if you need to.

Here are some questions to help you get started.

What do I fall asleep thinking about?
What did I think about first when I woke up this morning?
What am I worried about?
What has been on my to-do list for a long time without getting done?
What am I stressed about?
What specific tasks am I overwhelmed by? How can I break up these tasks smaller?

If you are still having trouble doing a brain dump, you can go through each area of your life separately. I know what it is like when you sit down in front of a blank sheet of paper haha! All of a sudden, your mind can go blank!

Here are a few main areas of your life you might want to think about...

Fitness/Health
Finances
Career/Business
Religion/Faith
Goals
Free Time/Daily Life
Family Life/Relationships
Environment
Education
Personal Development
Mental Health

Keep going until you have written down everything you can think of. If you notice some things all relate to one thing, you may want to add columns to your page or draw lines between related ideas.

3. Repeat the Above Process a Few Times

I recommend repeating the above process over a couple of days, or at least a couple of times because you probably aren't going to think of everything in just one 15 minute brain dump session. You can have a ton on your mind without realizing it!

It might also be helpful to write down things during the day right as you think of them, so you may want to carry around your brain dump page and a writing instrument with you.

4. Organize Your Brain Dump

After you think you have a pretty good list it is time to start organizing it! If you think of more things to add to your list, you can, of course, add them later.

You can organize your list however you want, but I'm going to tell you how I have organized my brain dump for this bullet journal layout just to help you out in case you have no idea where to start. Just a heads up, most of the ideas on my list ended up being tasks I want to complete or ideas for improvement/personal development.

Your list may look totally different and that is fine!

First, I picked out a color for each section of my life. I ended up using three different markers: pink for business, blue for school, and purple for organization/personal development ideas. A few things on my list didn't fit into those categories, so I just left them blank.

Above, I mentioned that I made a list, but without the bullets. Now, I went through my list and colored in the square (that would have had the bullet point) with the color that corresponded to the idea. (If the task related to school, I colored it blue, etc.)

If you write anything down more than once by accident, take note because it is probably bothering you, or it is important, and you don't want to forget about it.

Then, I went through my brain dump list and added symbols for bullet points. Below is the key I used.

Hollow Bullet Point - A fairly straightforward task that can be done in one sitting.
Square Bullet Point - A task that will take more than sitting to complete/needs to be broken up.
Question Mark - I'm not sure if I want to do this or not.
An Arrow - A task that will need more planning/needs to be researched.

Again, this is just for reference. You might do your brain dump entirely differently!

5. Figure Out Your Next Steps

After you have filled out your brain dump layout, where are you going from there? If you feel like you have a better grasp of your life now, you might not need to do anything further.

On the other hand, if you still feel stressed, overwhelmed, etc now would be the time to dive deeper into the ideas listed on your brain dump. You might group all of the tasks that can be done in one sitting onto a "Master To-Do" list.

The tasks that take more than one sitting to complete can be broken up on separate bullet journal layouts depending on how complicated each task is. The same goes for tasks with arrows.

You have now completed a brain dump in your bullet journal!

How to do an Effective Brain Dump in Your Bullet Journal

Those are the main steps for completing a successful brain dump. The next time you are stressed or overwhelmed, try spilling out and organizing your thoughts on paper! I hope that this post helped you successfully complete a brain dump in your bullet journal.

If you liked this post, make sure you check out these ones too!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post. :)

Make sure you save this post for bullet journal inspiration!

March 12, 2022 No comments

Imagine this. You just found the perfect planner to organize your whole life! At least that is what it feels like for the first few weeks. Then it dawns on you... maybe since your life is so complicated, you should have more than one bullet journal/planner to organize your life. It would be easier to stay organized if you had a separate planner for housekeeping and a separate journal for personal development, right?

How Many Journals/Planners do You Need to be Organized?

It can be so easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you will be more organized once you have a journal/planner for every area of your life.

If you have read some of my other articles, it may appear that I only have one journal, but that is incorrect. I actually have three! *surprise, surprise* I will get more into my reasons for having three separate journals later in this post.

You are probably here because you have fallen in love with bullet journaling or your current planner, but you can't decide whether you will be able to organize your entire life with just one notebook. You are probably in that planning phase it is so easy to get stuck in where you keep researching, and you can't decide how many planners you should have.

Well, today I'm going to help you out by giving you some key reasons why you should be and shouldn't be using multiple planners. Some people claim that using multiple planners is the key to organizing your whole life, but is it really?

Let's jump right in!

6 Reasons You May Want to Use More Than One Journal

1. You Want to Keep Areas of Your Life Separate

This is probably the most obvious benefit of using multiple journals. You can potentially be more organized when you have different areas of your life in different journals. Notice though that I say "potentially".

I already mentioned above that I use three journals. It is for this reason. I have my bullet journal strictly for planning and being organized, my diary for writing about my life, and a faith journal. Each one of these notebooks has a different format.

At one point, I considered having a separate bullet journal for collection layouts, or a separate bullet journal for my blog (oh hey, it's the one you are reading right now), but I decided that it didn't make sense for me.

2. You Want More Convenient Planning Tools

One large catch-all planner for your desk, a small planner in your purse, and a medium-sized one for everything in between. If this sounds like your thing, then great! Multiple journals might be perfect for you!

If you don't want to carry your main planner around because it is large, then having a smaller planner you carry around with you is a viable option. Keep in mind though, that you would have to spend extra time transferring information from one planner to the other one.

3. You Don't Want to Carry Around Private Information

You know that "password" layout in your bullet journal? Or what about your "when did I last..." bullet journal layout? Your journal might contain information that you don't want other people to see. Especially if, you do have a "when did I last..." layout, and the last time you changed your toothbrush was over a year ago...

The obvious solution is to not carry around that information (and to change your toothbrush more often)! 😂 Instead, you might use a digital planner on your phone, or a small notebook you can fit in a pocket.

4. You Want Planners for Different Activities (Different Formats Too!)

When it comes to planners there are so many options! You might want certain layouts for writing down your daily thoughts, and a separate one for keeping your workout calendar. You might want one notebook with lines, and another one with dots.

In this case, it is time to start looking for another planner, unless you can insert pages into your planner.

5. You Need More Room in Your Journal

This is one reason I considered buying a second bullet journal. This is also why some people have separate bullet journals for their collection layouts. It may save you more time in the long run, if you don't have to keep making the same bullet journal layouts over and over again.

6. You are a Stationery Addict!

I had to add this one to the list! You might just want another planner, so you are looking for excuses to splurge on that cute planner you don't really need. If you were looking for justification in this post, I'm sorry you aren't going to find it.

The Cons of Having More Than One Journal

1. You Have to Spend Extra Time Maintaining Your Planners

If you have trouble keeping up with one planner, how in the world do you think you are going to keep up with three?

The answer to becoming organized in your case is to make the planner you already have work for you, or buy a new planner to use instead of your current one.

If you have three planners, you are going to have to spend extra time sitting down reviewing, and keeping up with all of those planners.

On the flip side, maybe you just want a creative planner that you can use for hobbies (like storing knitting patterns). In this case, you won't need to keep up with it as often, and it might make sense to have a separate planner!

2. It's More Expensive

It's going to be expensive to buy those extra planners unless you are a stationery addict, and you already have bought them!

Planners are not cheap, especially ones that are ring-bound. On the other hand, if it helps you become more organized, it will be a good investment.

3. You May Have to Carry All of Them Around

If each planner covers a separate area of your life, you may need to have them all with you. If you remember something you need to add to your grocery list while you are at work, you will need to have your personal planner and your work planner with you.

4. Pages May Overlap

Should you add your to-do list to your work planner or your personal planner? Yep, it will probably end up in both!

Pages in one planner may also be necessary for your other planner, so you will have to keep up with two sets of pages instead of just one set. Your planners may end up being a hassle and consume more time than they are worth.

How Many Journals/Planners do You Need to be Organized?

So after all of that, what is my ultimate answer? Do you need to run out and buy some more planners and journals?

No, I think that having and using just one planner is very effective.

You are probably thinking, "Wait... didn't you say you use three journals?"

Well yes, I did, but I only use one journal for planning my week. Each of my journals has a very distinct purpose, and none of them overlap. My main bullet journal is for organizing and planning my entire life. My second journal is for writing about my daily life, and my third journal is for taking notes in church.

I don't only use one journal, because I want to be able to use my two other journals for longer than a year, and I only use my main journal for a year.

What is my advice if you do want to use multiple journals?

Keep your journals as separate as possible (if you have a notebook for your health, it is only for health, and none of your other journals contain health-related content)
Set up a schedule for when you use your journals (I use two of my journals daily, and the last one I use weekly)
Pick formats that make sense (If you want to carry it around with you all of the time, maybe you should try digital)
Keep these journals where you use them, and make it very easy to access them. (Keeping your main journal in the center of your desk along with your favorite pen)
Before buying another planner, try using your phone as the second planner first to see if another planner will actually be a worthwhile purchase.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post! If you did, you can read the below articles as well...

Thank you so much for reading this post! Make sure you check out the latest items added to my shop!

If you found this post helpful, make sure you share it! Thanks. :)

March 05, 2022 1 comments

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I have been running this blog for four years now! When I started blogging, I never imagined that it would become such an important part of my life. I'm happy to have this little corner of the internet where I can share my ideas, tips, and everything else I'm learning on this crazy journey of life!

Since I've been blogging for four years now, I have a few other posts that you might want to read if you are interested in starting your own blog, or if you just want an inside look at the journey of being a blogger. You can read the other posts in this series below...

If you look back at my first post, I think it will be clear, just how much my writing has improved since I started! 😂 Now, let's get into the highlights of this year, and my most popular posts!

Blogging Milestones From This Past Year

Pageviews on my blog have more than doubled since last year. My articles have now been viewed almost half a million times, which to me is pretty exciting!

This year, I also started making a consistent income with my blog, so thank you to all of you who support my little corner of the internet!

My most popular posts of all time are...

As a thank you to all of you who support my blog, I am going to be hosting a giveaway so make sure you scroll to the bottom of this post for the details!

Productive Pixie Blog Q+A

I have been blogging for four years now, and I have never answered your questions in a post! Today, I picked out some of the questions you have asked me to answer below. I know that I didn't get to all of your questions, but I didn't want this post to be too long. Thank you for submitting your questions! These questions are in no particular order. :)

1. What made you want to start this blog? How do you keep motivated to continue on with it?

To be totally honest, I started this blog entirely on a whim! 😂 A few years ago, I had an online shop, so one day I started this blog for the shop (which I have since closed because I realized that I like writing more than I liked running that shop). The direction of this blog has changed quite a bit since I started it, but I still love doing it!

To be 100% transparent, I do make money with this blog, so that definitely is a motivation to continue with it, but I also enjoy writing, and I genuinely want to help people improve their lives. If I can improve even just one person's life with what I write, then I'm doing a good job and it is worth it!

Sometimes, blogging can be discouraging, especially when I'm having a slow month for pageviews and engagement... but then I'll get a message like this... "I really appreciate what you do and you motivate us ❤️", and it really helps me to keep going with this blog. :)

2. What are some of your hobbies?

Ooo good question! I have a lot of hobbies so I'm just going to list them below. Let me know in the comments if we have any in common. :)

I've been doing ballet since I was 3 or 4 years old.
I did gymnastics for 6 years, and I participated in swim team.
Anything creative! (bullet journaling, painting, DIY crafts)
I do long-distance running.
Writing is super fun to me as long as I like the subject.
I play the piano and I sing.

When I'm just relaxing, I like to play games with my family, read, and watch movies.

3. What made you want to start being more organized? Were you stuck in a rut, moved into a new place, or just thought it was time to get more organized with your life?

I'm a very type-A, goal-oriented person so I've been using some sort of planner since fourth or fifth grade. As my life became busier (because it always does, doesn't it?), I started honing in on experimenting with different organization techniques.

Plus, I love being creative so trying out different methods of getting my life together is fun to me!

4. What's your favorite dessert?

I'm a huge fan of so many types of desserts! My favorite dessert would either have to be cake or orange rolls. I am whole-food plant-based though, so my desserts are probably made a little differently than yours lol.

5. Was it easy for you to get organized?

I had to include this question in this list! 😂 From my blog posts, it may seem like I am super organized and I have my whole life together, but I wouldn't say that I am really organized. Each day, I just work on improving a little bit.

I believe that becoming organized is a continuing process, so I wouldn't say that it is easy because I am still working on it!

6. What's your dream job? Are you going to continue with this blog and [keep on writing] inspirational posts?

My dream job has changed a little bit as I've gotten older. When I was younger, I wanted to be a professional dancer, and then I wanted to have my own dance studio. Then when I started this blog, I realized how much I love writing so I may want to go into freelance writing.

I have always been a very type-A, goal-oriented person so I definitely want to be an entrepreneur!

As for continuing with writing posts on this blog, I plan on doing it indefinitely into the future, but my posting schedule may change as I become older and my schedule becomes busier. I'm glad you think my posts are inspirational! :)

7. If you had an opportunity to go anywhere, where would it be?

My dream vacation would be to travel to Europe. Of course, I would have to go see the Eiffel Tower, and take some pictures in front of it!

My style is also influenced by European fashions (mainly Parisian fashions), so I would want to go shopping!

4-Year Blog Anniversary Giveaway

Now, it's time for the giveaway! Woohoo! As some of you may already know, I am working on starting an Etsy shop so I can sell items that I design and create myself. I have decided to give away 9 products from my shop for free to 3 lucky winners! Each winner will receive 3 products of their choice.

Please note that all of the items in my shop currently are downloads so you will not be receiving any physical products if you win.

1. Giveaway Rules

1. Eligibility

You can participate in this giveaway as long as you are 13 years of age (if you are under the age of 13, you must have your parent's permission). I will need your email address to send you your prizes.

2. Sponsorship

This contest is sponsored by my new Etsy shop Productive Pixie Co! There aren't many products in the shop right now, but I will be adding more products throughout the year, and winners will be able to redeem their free products at any time throughout the year.

3. Agreement to Rules

By entering this giveaway, you are agreeing to all of the rules in this list.

4. Entry Period

This giveaway ends on March 12, 2022, at 12 PM Pacific Standard Time. No entries after that will be permitted.

5. Selection and Notification of the Winner

The winners will be notified the day after the giveaway by email. I will not be held responsible if winners do not receive the notification that they have won. Winners are selected at random.

6. Terms & Conditions

As the sponsor, I reserve the right to modify, suspend, cancel or terminate the giveaway in the event that non-authorized human intervention, a bug or virus, fraud, or other causes beyond my control impact or corrupt the security, fairness, proper conduct, or administration of the giveaway.

I also reserve the right to disqualify anyone who violates the terms, as well as my right to seek damages to the fullest extent permitted by law in cases where a participant has caused deliberate damage or undermined the legal operation of the giveaway.

7. Affirmation of Acceptance of and Agreement to All of the Official Rules

By entering the contest, you have affirmatively reviewed, accepted, and agreed to all of these rules. Good luck!

2. The Prizes

I am gifting three (3) lucky winners three (3) products each of their choice from my new Etsy shop! These products do not have to be redeemed all at once. They can be redeemed at any time throughout the year as new items are added to the shop. At the end of 2022, if you have not redeemed all 3 products, you forfeit them.

You have the chance to win 3 free items from my shop! You can enter multiple times a day so make sure you save this post and come back to it frequently! Good luck everyone and thank you for supporting my blog!

This giveaway has ended.

4 Years Blogging Q+A Plus a Giveaway

I am so grateful to have reached another milestone on this blog, and I hope that there are many more years of blogging to come!

If you liked this post, you will enjoy reading the ones below too!

You are awesome! Have a great week and keep on being productive!

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February 26, 2022 2 comments

Have you ever wanted to quickly uplevel your life? Have you ever wanted to be more productive, be in better shape, better at time management, and overall healthier? I'm guessing that you have! I have too! What if I told you that there was an all-in-one solution to taking your life to the next level? Sounds crazy? A few months ago, I bought a Garmin smartwatch, and today, I'm going to be sharing how I use this watch to improve almost all aspects of my life!

How to Use a Garmin Smartwatch to Uplevel Your Life

If you've been reading my blog since almost the beginning of its existence, you'll probably know that I wear a Garmin fitness tracker. I got my first Garmin fitness tracker back in 2017 and I wore it all the time, minus sleeping. (I wore it some of the time when I slept too!). You might want to read my experience with that watch if you know nothing about Garmin watches, and you want to start running.

In 2021, I picked up the hobby of long-distance running. I ran a half-marathon just last Thursday! Anyway, at the end of last year, I obtained a Garmin Smartwatch, which is quite an upgrade from my old fitness tracker.

By the way, I just wanted to let you know that this post is not sponsored or compensated by Garmin. I just wanted to write this post because the last post I wrote about my Garmin fitness tracker was quite popular (10,000+ views) so I wanted to update all of you on my fitness journey. :)

To be 100% upfront, Garmin smartwatches are pricey (like in hundreds of dollars pricey), but I think that the money spent was totally worth it. It's probably pretty obvious that I am now a running addict! 😂

I bought the Garmin Forerunner 245, which at the time of writing this post is around $300. There are many wonderful reviews for the watch, so I'm just going to give a brief overview of what I like about the watch, and then I'm going to get into how I use the watch to improve my life.

My Review of the Garmin Forerunner 245 Smartwatch

Garmin products are definitely built to last! I bought my last one in 2017, and it was still going strong when I got my new one, so I gave my old one to a friend, who is enjoying using it very much.

I'm getting around 2-4 days of use out of every charge. This is with using GPS connectivity for around 1 hour daily, and 2 more hours of fitness activities recorded.

Garmin smartwatches are mainly for fitness, but they do have smartwatch functions like notifications, music, alarms, calendars, and timers. Unlike Apple watches, a Garmin watch will not be a phone on your wrist. This in my opinion is beneficial for productivity.

Even though my watch does not have a touchscreen, the five-button navigation and interface were fairly easy to learn. Also, it may not be the most stylish watch on the market, but there are tons of different bands you can buy to make the watch look more formal/classy.

Here are some in-depth reviews you can read if you want to learn more about the Garmin Forerunner 245 running smartwatch.

Now, let's get into how you can use your Garmin smartwatch to uplevel your life, health, and productivity! The Connect IQ App Store has loads of widgets you can download onto your Garmin watch, very similar to downloading apps onto a phone.

How to Use a Garmin Smartwatch to Uplevel Your Life

1. Create Habits/Drop Habits

Where do I start? Garmin watches offer multiple ways to help you create and drop habits. I found this widget called the Habit Tree. Every time you don't do a habit you are trying to create, you reset the widget. Every day you do the habit you are trying to create, a little plant on the widget grows, and after around 30 days, it turns into a tree.

Personally, I think this widget works best for when you are trying to drop a habit because when you are tempted to do that habit, you will have to reset the tree and start all over again. I used this widget to stop eating a certain meal that I loved eating almost daily. Now, I eat healthier foods instead!

You can also set alarms on your watch to remind you to do habits. It will help keep you on track during your day to have reminders on your wrist!

I'll get more into these features later, but Garmin watches are mainly for fitness and health so it has a daily step tracker, move alerts, etc to help you stay active!

2. Daily Schedule/Calendar

My Garmin watch came with the calendar widget, and I'm pretty sure that most of the Garmin smartwatches do. All you have to do is log your activities onto your phone calendar, and it will sync right onto your watch!

If you use time-blocking, you can add an alarm to your calendar along with your appointments so you can be notified when it is time to move to the next task. You can also see your entire daily schedule, and sometimes tomorrow's schedule as well from your watch.

The app store offers multiple other calendars, but I have no complaints about the one that comes pre-installed.

If you are using a Garmin coaching plan, your workouts will also show up on your schedule.

Oh, and do I need to mention that you can get watch faces with the date on it? I hope I'm not the only one who is always forgetting what day it is! 😂

3. Inspirational Quotes

Who here needs a little dose of motivation every once in a while? Okay, to be honest, we might need a large dose of motivation every once in a while too. This widget can help!

I downloaded the Quote of the Day widget onto my smartwatch, and so far it is one of my favorite widgets. Every day, you get a new motivational quote.

My quote of the day for today is "Take chances, make mistakes. That's how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fall in order to practice being brave."- Mary Tyler Moore

Most people don't actively search for motivational quotes every day to get inspiration, so it is nice to just have inspirational words accessible right on your wrist.

4. Alarms

I'm just going to come out and say it. I kind of hate alarms, especially in the morning! But alarms can be super helpful. If alarms help you to be more productive, then you will not be disappointed with a Garmin smartwatch.

You can set alarms from the smartwatch, and label them so you know what you are supposed to be doing when the alarm goes off.

You'll never have to worry about being late again!

5. Pomodoro Timer

The Pomodoro method is a method used frequently to increase productivity so I downloaded the app (there are multiple ones, but this is the one I currently use) so I could test it out. If you haven't heard of it before, here is a quick rundown of what the method is...

The Pomodoro technique has two main parts.

25 minutes of work
5 minutes of rest

For the fourth rest break, you do 20 minutes of rest, instead of just 5. If you find yourself being sedentary for long periods of time, then this can be a great way to get moving during the day, and it will give your brain a break!

If you don't like doing exercise, then just get yourself walking during those 5-minute breaks, and you might not have to do any planned exercise! Pretty good deal, am I right?

Are there any activities that the Pomorodo Technique is not useful for?

Well yes, but it is just my opinion. I think the Pomodoro Technique is not useful for when you want to get into "the zone". For writing, it takes a few minutes to get good ideas coming, and then once I've started writing, I want to get all of my ideas down on paper.

If I have to keep taking breaks, then it is simply a disruption to my writing and it is not helpful. Keep this in mind, whenever you use the Pomodoro Technique. It should be used to take breaks, but it should not be a disruption. Currently, I'm reading the book about the Pomodoro Technique written by the creator, so I can write an informed article about it sometime soon!

The Pomodoro Timer app is super straightforward and easy to use!

6. Timers

What a life-saver! Unlike alarms, I am a huge fan of timers. I use timers literally almost all day. I exercise for 2-3 hours, I use a timer when working on this blog. I use a timer when practicing the piano and singing. Having a timer going helps me focus and stay on task.

The timer app that comes on the watch can be used for multiple timers. Currently, I have a two-hour timer, a one-hour timer, and a fifteen-minute timer.

You can choose to set a new timer or pick one from your list of already set timers. One of my favorite things about this app is that you can pause and reset your timers at any time so you can always take a break and come back to what you are working on.

If your goal is to exercise for one hour a day, you can do it in parts, and if you have a goal of studying for two hours daily, you can take breaks!

7. Fitness Goals/Workout Schedule

As I said before, Garmin watches are mainly for fitness, so this is where the watch really excels, especially over other watches! I'm definitely not going to go in-depth or cover nearly all the features of the watch that I got because there are way too many of them. I'm just going to highlight some of my favorites!

I started using a Garmin coaching plan to run a half-marathon, and the experience so far has been great. Your watch customizes the plan to your fitness, and then the app gives you videos to watch, and articles to read as you progress towards reaching your goal. You can pick to do a 5K, a 10K, or a half-marathon, and then you have a choice of three different coaching styles.

My watch also gives me a daily suggested running workout to do so I don't have an excuse to not go running.

Every day, your watch will give you a step goal to reach, and your watch will alert you to move if you are too sedentary.

You can also control your music and podcasts from your watch!

You can set goals, create workouts, and work your way towards personal bests. To see all of the fitness features, I would recommend looking at the website.

8. Stress + Meditation

Most Garmin smartwatches come with stress tracking so you can see how stressed you are throughout the day. I think it is very helpful to see at a glance how stressed I am. You can use a Garmin watch to incorporate meditation into your life.

You have stress tracking, breathing exercises, a body energy monitor (body battery), and not to mention 24/7 heart rate monitoring.

If you want to get into meditation, then the breathwork on your watch is a great place to start!

How to Use a Garmin Smartwatch to Uplevel Your Life

I know that I just scratched the surface of what Garmin watches can do in this post, but I wanted to give you an overview of how you can use a smartwatch to uplevel your life and your health!

I haven't made any fitness-related bullet journal layouts this year because I'm tracking everything fitness and health-related on my watch and the Garmin app currently.

Here are a few other widgets and apps worth checking out... (some of them aren't available for my watch, but they might be for yours)

If you liked this post, you can read some of my other lifestyle/fitness posts below!

I hope you enjoyed reading this post, and that if you have a Garmin Smartwatch, you got some ideas on how to use it to improve your productivity and life! Thanks for reading. :)

If you enjoyed this post, please take a few moments to share it. Thank you!

February 19, 2022 No comments

I think you'll agree that technology is an amazing tool! You wouldn't be reading this post right now, without technology. The fact that you can read this post from wherever you are in the world is pretty amazing. I think the tips in this post are pretty good too! 😂 All jokes aside, technology does have its downsides, and it can be very very very (Okay, all that repetition probably wasn't necessary) time-consuming... which is why today, I am going to share with you ways to unplug from tech.

10 Easy + Efficient Ways to Unplug From Tech

Technology makes your life so much easier, but sometimes, you spend more time on technology than it is worth. Sometimes, tech takes away from other more enjoyable activities that you could be doing. Why does this happen?

Technology is an instant reward that takes no effort. Would you like to do that craft project you've been holding onto for some time? Of course, but you would have to go and find it, and then you would have to get some other supplies before you could finally start making it.

Instead, you can just pull out your phone, and get an instant reward by watching one YouTube video, which quickly turns into ten. Point taken. Technology is good when used in moderation. I've talked about technology before, and how you can be more productive online. (You can find those articles below.)

Today, we are going to look at this problem from the opposite side, and figure out how you can use less technology!

Easy + Efficient Ways to Unplug From Tech

1. Track Your Time Online

I like to take a scientific approach to improve my productivity so I knew I needed a baseline. Before you can improve, you need to know where you are so you can see if you are actually getting results. This is why scientific studies often have a control group.

Preparing for this article around two months ago, I started by creating a few different time tracking layouts in my bullet journal to see how much time I spend online.

I am not going to sugarcoat the facts. I spend a lot of time using tech because I have to use my laptop for school, and I use my laptop for work (AKA this blog), and I frequently use technology for exercise as well. Then, if I add in a few hours for miscellaneous activities, the hours add up super fast.

Tracking your time online can be really easy. You don't have to make it complicated by figuring out how much time you spend online for work, social media, etc separately. I just like to look at the amount of time as a whole, and I think that is the most helpful way to do it.

The easiest way to track your time online is to start a stopwatch every time you go online. Starting a timer every time you go online will definitely keep you accountable. For your phone, there are many free apps you can use that will keep track of your phone usage. I might try one of these apps myself in the future. Currently, I don't use my phone very much so I have no need for one.

Personally, I like to use a timer on my smartwatch (Yes, technically, this is technology. I just don't count it into my tech usage because I wear my smartwatch almost 24/7. More on this later).

2. Use Time-Blocking

So what did I do? I started utilizing time-blocking for my internet usage.

If you work in a traditional workspace for eight hours, then you know that you are going to be online for most of those eight hours. If you use a TV for fitness videos an hour a day, then that will be roughly nine hours. Let's say those are your main uses for technology, and everything over that is miscellaneous activities... and possibly time wasted.

As you can see in my bullet journal layouts, every time I do an activity online, I fill in how much time was consumed on the layout. I can see at a glance how much time I spent online each day.

This is my main method for spending less time online. Figure out how much time you need for certain activities you do online, and then list them down.

For example, I know that I work out 18-19 hours a week. For the majority of those hours, I will be using technology. That's around two hours every day. On top of that, I give myself two hours to work on this business every day. Other than that, I have school and miscellaneous activities that need to be done online.

I have a two-hour timer on my smartwatch for my business, and when the time is up, I am done working on my business for the day, unless there is an emergency. If you work from home, this is one way to manage your work/life balance. The timer I use can be paused and I can come back to it at any time during the day so I can break up my work into chunks.

3. Break Up Your Technology Usage

The Pomodoro Technique is a wonderful tool for time-blocking. Sometimes, it's not about spending less time online, it's just about not staring at a screen for extended periods of time. This is where the Pomodoro Technique comes in.

The Pomodoro technique has two main parts.

25 minutes of work
5 minutes of rest

If you don't like doing exercise, then just get yourself walking during those 5-minute breaks, and you might not have to do any planned exercise! Pretty good deal, am I right?

Are there any activities that the Pomorodo Technique is not useful for?

If I have to keep taking breaks, then it is simply a disruption to my writing and it is not helpful. Keep this in mind, whenever you use the Pomodoro Technique. It should be used to take breaks, but it should not be a disruption. I'm planning on writing a whole post on the Pomodoro Technique, so make sure you stay tuned for that!

Another way to break up your technology usage is to do one thing online, and then one thing offline until your to-do list is complete.

4. Set Yourself a Realistic Goal for Technology Use

My minimum amount of time online every day is roughly four hours because I spend two hours on my business and two hours using my phone or TV for exercise. I would not want to set the goal of only using tech an hour a day because it would be impossible!

I want to listen to music or a podcast when I run, and if that is not happening, then I will be much less likely to go for a run.

This is why you need to have a baseline of how much tech you use so you don't set an unrealistic goal!

5. Don't Carry Your Phone Around With You

I am about to shock you. I don't usually carry my phone around with me. I've only put my phone in my pants pocket (maybe because my phone rarely fits) a couple of times. 😂

I only bring my phone somewhere if I know I am going to use it, or if there might be an emergency where no other devices are available. I certainly don't carry my phone around with me when I am in my house.

Now, with that being said, I do wear a smartwatch almost 24/7. You knew there was going to be a catch, didn't you?

Before you start thinking "Oh well, she wears a phone on her wrist so she doesn't need to carry her phone around", hear me out. I get notifications to my wrist, but I do not actually have the internet on my smartwatch.

Yes, I can see notifications from apps that I have notifications set up on my watch, and I can read and respond, but I cannot become distracted by the notifications because I can't start scrolling on some app, or click to a different app, and waste time. If they do become distracting, I can just turn notifications off.

I am notified, but not overloaded with information, ads, videos, and social media 24/7. Before I had a smartwatch, I didn't carry my phone around with me either. Maybe a little inconvenient, but it is extremely freeing. You don't want to be that person who becomes insecure when they don't have their phone!

Oh, and try turning off all your technology every night at a certain time too!

6. Choose Non-Technology Options When Possible

Technology makes life so convenient, but when you spend a ton of time using technology it can take away from your life so let's step back a little.

Instead of reading an e-book, listen to a podcast so you can do something else at the same time, or better yet, pick up a real book. I love reading real books!

Instead of texting a friend, why not call them or video chat? And let's not forget about dropping tech entirely and visiting them in person!

7. Make Distracting Apps or Websites Harder to Access

So tough, I know! Delete an app from your phone if it is very distracting. Then you actually have to search for the website every time you want to use it. Alternatively, you can log out so you have to sign back in every time.

Making the website harder to access will definitely make you less likely to use it because another activity will be more enjoyable and easier to access.

Also, it is a smart idea to put your phone on "do not disturb" as much as possible. If you can bear it, just turn your phone off. I haven't turned my phone on yet today, and it is 2:28 PM. I'm not going to turn my phone on until I actually need it.

8. Have Plans

What is more enjoyable? Practicing that instrument or painting that painting you've been wanting to do for like forever, or scrolling on social media for over an hour? This is your life, so live it!

Now, I'm not saying you need to have every. single. day. of your life planned down to the minute, but I do think that you should have set activities that you like to do that require a minimal amount of technology usage.

Make these activities extremely easy to do. Even easier than clicking over to social media if you can.

9. Schedule Your Tech Usage

Consider scheduling your tech usage. Maybe, you only check your emails twice every day at specific times. Maybe you only check social media for fifteen minutes while you are eating.

Figure out what works for you, and don't be afraid to try things that are out of the ordinary. I wouldn't recommend scheduling your tech usage for during dinner though! 😂

10. Have a No-Tech Day + a Splurge Day

Finally, try to have a no-tech day. I use to do this for an entire day each week, and it can open up so much of your day. You don't realize how much time technology takes up until you give it up.

You don't have to go no-tech all the way because going cold turkey is hard, but you can try to use technology less for one day of the week, every week.

You'll be surprised at how much time you'll have to do fun stuff!

On the flip side, you can also have a splurge day, where you catch up on everything. For example, you could only watch YouTube videos on one day where you catch up on all of your favorite YouTubers. You don't get to look at YouTube any other day of the week!

Notice how your splurge day makes you feel about technology. The purpose of your splurge day is to make you bored of your favorite apps and sites. It's worked for me!

Consider having these days right next to each other because, after your splurge day, you'll probably feel bored of your favorite sites for a day or two so it will be easier to use tech less the day after.

Easy + Efficient Ways to Unplug From Tech

There you have it! 10 ways you start taking control of your tech usage. Let technology make your life easier, but don't let it control your life.

As always, don't forget to check out my shop Productive Pixie Co for planning and personal development tools to improve your life!

If you liked this post, you may want to read these ones too!

Thank you for reading this article! I really appreciate that you took some time out of your day to read it. :)

Remember to save this post so you can implement more ways to unplug from tech!

February 12, 2022 No comments

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My Favorite Bullet Journal Supplies

10 Beautiful + Easy Hand Lettering Ideas for Your Bullet Journal

1. Use a Calligraphy Pen

2. Highlight + Underline Hand Lettering

3. Marker Splash

4. Duplicate Hand Lettering

5. Watercolor Splash

6. Stretched Hand Lettering

7. White on Black

8. Highlighted Block With Rounded Edges

9. Lowercase + Capital Letters

10. Blended Hand Lettering

10 Beautiful + Easy Hand Lettering Ideas for Your Bullet Journal

What is a Brain Dump?

How to do an Effective Brain Dump in Your Bullet Journal

1. Grab Your Supplies + Find Somewhere Comfy to Sit

2. Write Down What Comes to Your Mind

3. Repeat the Above Process a Few Times

4. Organize Your Brain Dump

5. Figure Out Your Next Steps

How to do an Effective Brain Dump in Your Bullet Journal

6 Reasons You May Want to Use More Than One Journal

1. You Want to Keep Areas of Your Life Separate

2. You Want More Convenient Planning Tools

3. You Don't Want to Carry Around Private Information

4. You Want Planners for Different Activities (Different Formats Too!)

5. You Need More Room in Your Journal

6. You are a Stationery Addict!

The Cons of Having More Than One Journal

1. You Have to Spend Extra Time Maintaining Your Planners

2. It's More Expensive

3. You May Have to Carry All of Them Around

4. Pages May Overlap

How Many Journals/Planners do You Need to be Organized?

Blogging Milestones From This Past Year

Productive Pixie Blog Q+A

1. What made you want to start this blog? How do you keep motivated to continue on with it?

2. What are some of your hobbies?

3. What made you want to start being more organized? Were you stuck in a rut, moved into a new place, or just thought it was time to get more organized with your life?

4. What's your favorite dessert?

5. Was it easy for you to get organized?

6. What's your dream job? Are you going to continue with this blog and [keep on writing] inspirational posts?

7. If you had an opportunity to go anywhere, where would it be?

4-Year Blog Anniversary Giveaway

1. Giveaway Rules

2. The Prizes

4 Years Blogging Q+A Plus a Giveaway

My Review of the Garmin Forerunner 245 Smartwatch

How to Use a Garmin Smartwatch to Uplevel Your Life

1. Create Habits/Drop Habits

2. Daily Schedule/Calendar

3. Inspirational Quotes

4. Alarms

5. Pomodoro Timer

6. Timers

7. Fitness Goals/Workout Schedule

8. Stress + Meditation

How to Use a Garmin Smartwatch to Uplevel Your Life

Easy + Efficient Ways to Unplug From Tech

1. Track Your Time Online

2. Use Time-Blocking

3. Break Up Your Technology Usage

4. Set Yourself a Realistic Goal for Technology Use

5. Don't Carry Your Phone Around With You

6. Choose Non-Technology Options When Possible

7. Make Distracting Apps or Websites Harder to Access

8. Have Plans

9. Schedule Your Tech Usage

10. Have a No-Tech Day + a Splurge Day

Easy + Efficient Ways to Unplug From Tech

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