Plan With Me December 2019

Hi there! This month around, I didn't use printables so I don't have any to share. This will be a quick post because of it! Enjoy these pictures and use them as some inspiration for your own spreads.

December 2019

Theme: Christmas time; revolving around the colors dark blue-gray, red, and gold

I used the left side of the page for Thanksgiving, so I saved the strip from the monthly spread and taped it in for December's front page.

The monthly blurb is about the Christmas stocking and its origins.

The washi tape says, "It always seems impossible until it's done"! This motivational saying has the same gray color scheme matching my 'stickers' used throughout this theme.

So... I didn't actually use printables for this month! I'd been saving this very pretty Christmas card from a few years ago, which had shiny illustrations on the front card of various holiday-themed items. There were enough of them to use throughout my entire month of December.

Keeping up with the theme, the first week is all about the background behind Christmas ornaments.

The second week has little 'stickers of clothing, candy, and a wrapped present—I chose to dedicate this week's trivia about holiday gift-giving traditions.

The snowman's history is highlighted in the third week, befitting the adorable snowman 'sticker' I used this week.

The color most prominent in this week is Crayola Supertip's gold, which I also went over with a glittery gold pen over the month.

Honestly, I've been so crazy-busy with school this semester that I didn't want to invest too much time in the last week's trivia. You can see I used a very heart-warming quote instead of my usual few trivia paragraphs... I think it still looks rather nice.

Thanks for checking out my bullet journal. Happy holidays, and have a happy New Year~!☺︎

Plan With Me November 2019

November is here! Where has the year gone by? I can't believe 2019 is almost at its end—it seems like just yesterday it was just April... Anyhow, fall is now in full swing and the bounty that comes with this season is always something I look forward to. See how I've incorporated these things into my journal this month~

Download November 2019 Plan With Me Stickers

November 2019

Theme: Food, food, food! All about delicious meals, desserts, beverages.

My month's cover page talks all about the pinoy merienda. Merienda is a Spanish word introduced to the Philippines via colonization, but my people certainly practiced these little meal and rest breaks before Spain ever came to the archipelago—today many people in the Philippines still respect merienda breaks at work and school, and have several foods perfected for it.

The yummy illustrations featured are from @paatcreates on Instagram~!

This cute cafe-themed washi tape was perfect for the month's spread. Black and white washi tape never have to match with monochrome colors—here, I use dark and honey browns to represent coffee and some light, leafy greens to represent the little plants on the washi tape.

I open the month of November learning about Japanese food, with the first week focusing on desserts.  I was a bit envious of my cousin and one work colleague who both went to Japan last month, and I actually gave them a list of food and desserts to try while they were there.

Unfortunately, I can't remember where I found these illustrations from. If you happen to know, do share in the comments sections.

The second week goes over the Japanese fall favorite: a fresh, seasonal fish called the Pacific saury (also called a mackerel pike) that is grilled with a hint of salt, and served with citrus and grated radish. Grilled mackerel is really delicious, and I just had to write about it with the autumnal food-themed washi tape that features this specific type of fish.

The last two weeks of November I have brought back some of my beloved Animal Crossing pals! Here, we see Marshall, Merengue, Zucker, and Tia having a picnic... isn't it so cute that these animals are all food-themed, too?

This week's trivia is all about picnics from all over the world.

(via Gfycat)

To wrap up the month, I'm using my white cafe-themed washi tape and featured an absolutely adorable illustration of Brewster at The Roost Cafe.

In Animal Crossing: New Leaf, the player can work there part-time preparing to-go cups—you can learn about what beans the cafe uses. This weekly trivia all about those coffee beans~!

Thank you for planning with me this November. Happy holidays and be sure to eat lots of good food and spend time with your loved ones.

Review: Bamboo & Metal Straws

I was so excited to find large metal straws at Little Sweet on 9th Avenue (San Francisco)!!

San Francisco is establishing one of the widest plastic straw bans in 2020, prohibiting even compostable plastic straws (PLA) because they act like conventional plastic in our environment if littered. This means that single-use straws sold in San Francisco must be now biodegradable, which is fantastic by all means! Establishments all over the city are getting an early start, such as many boba places switching out plastic for bamboo fiber straws and also selling metal options.

The bamboo fiber straw is not to be mistaken for a bamboo straw. While both are biodegradable,
these babies are much more flexible and only meant for one-time use (via the Boba Guys)

Those who want to reduce this waste one step further by owning their own straw, one that's able to be washed and used multiple times. I only own two types, bamboo, and metal. Here are some thoughts on the two most popular options...

Bamboo Straws

(via Google)

Since bamboo is a plant that's incredibly fast-growing it's also a renewable resource. What's even better is that bamboo is fully biodegradable! and However, there are some downsides to this material.

Boba bamboo straws from
BambooStrawShop (via Etsy)

Bamboo straws are somewhat porous on the inside (but less so than wood). Some have experienced difficulty using a bamboo straw while drinking carbonated beverages. Because bamboo stalks are linear, it's not possible to find a bendy straw made from bamboo; this might hinder it from being useful for those who specifically need flexible bendy straws, such as those with disabilities or the elderly.

Another issue with bamboo is that they're generally not recommended for dishwasher. Bamboo's porosity and ability to biodegrade means being submerged or exposed to water or steam for long periods of time can compromise the longevity of the bamboo fiber. If washed in the dishwasher, it's best to skip the heat-drying function and let them air-dry.

Another thing I've noticed: my bamboo straw, and the ones I've come across in-store, have very small openings. This isn't ideal for boba, smoothie drinkers or any type of thickened beverage. Luckily, there are bamboo straws with wide openings if you look hard enough~

Metal Straws

FinalStraw is a collapsible metal option,
perfect for keychains (via CrowdOx)

Metal is much more resilient than bamboo, but it has its' drawbacks.

Because the hard material doesn't bend, it is a definite safety hazard and must be used carefully. Firstly, it can damage your teeth if you tend to bite or chew on your straws. They've also been proven to be deadly: in the UK it was the cause of one death when a woman fell while using it type of cup with a lid that fixed the metal straw in place (for example, the mason jar cups with holes for the straw to go through) and it impaled her through the eye.

Fall risks like children, those with epilepsy, and the inebriated are better off using different types of straw—perhaps the portable hybrid straw where the tips are made of soft silicone?

Paper, pasta, Twizzlers, oh my! Zero waste never looked so enticing (via afoodieworld.com)

There are quite a few different reusable straws like silicone and glass, which each have different and unique qualities. I highly recommend shopping around for a straw that works best for your needs... or just push for your local governments to ban plastic straws so businesses must provide biodegradable ones, like San Francisco~!☺︎

Plan With Me October 2019

Spooky season is here, and it's right here in my bullet journal! October 2019's spreads are extremely exciting for me; I love all things cryptic, supernatural, and magical and I was more than happy to include these vibes in this month. Please enjoy my journal and help yourself to the downloadable sticker printables.

Download October 2019 Plan With Me Stickers

September 2019

Theme: Supernatural and superstitious beliefs, places and beings from traditional folklore and fairytales.

Did you know that Sirens weren't always creatures of the sea? I didn't! Until I wanted to feature them as the monthly trivia! I write all about how they were originally winged women of the sky in The Odyssey, and how their reasons for seduction, along with their physical features, changed over time.

Unfortunately, these beautiful illustrations were found on Pinterest and I wasn't able to find the artists. If you know who they are, I'd love to give credit for them! I believe they are two separate artists, although the two artworks really complement each other.

The monthly spread's washi is a blue-green, mountainous rock formations in the sea. It reminded me of where you might find dangerous sea or sky creatures, like any of siren interpretations from the page before; I can imagine them waiting to lure in a lone, passing boat with promises of knowledge or sex—the grey, weeping skies make the tape look all the more haunted.

The word of the month, guileless, describes the exact type of victims that bogeys like; someone who is open and trustworthy; someone like this may often assume the best of others, trusting others easily as well.

The colors of a peacock are so beautiful and mesmerizing, as seen in this week's washi tape and sticker. Turns out that there's plenty of superstition about this animal across several cultures! I gladly wrote some examples why in the trivia.

Ghost town week! In my state, there's a State Park dedicated to the ghost town of Bodie (located near the California-Nevada border, a bit north from Yosemite) and I've dedicated this week's trivia to it.

The washi tape is of hills, similar to the ones surrounding Bodie.

The Witch's Cottage in the Woods is such a prevalent image across several cultures, so it's no surprise I chose this washi tape and an illustration by LinaForrester on Etsy. her award-winning art often has magical subjects. This painting is literally called Where the Witch Lives. And, although it is lacking some visible chicken feet, I can imagine they're hiding behind the sloping walkway—and Baba Yaga is just waiting for someone to knock on her door!

Baba Yaga is a famous figure from many Slavic folklore. I learned a little about her in my bogey-themed English class, she's such an interesting figure. It's so funny that Studio Ghibli has often inspired influence from Baba Yaga in both Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle.

Perhaps in your culture, too, butterflies are associated with ghosts and spirits. Filipino culture has many superstitions and plenty of spooky mythological creatures, and this happens to be one of the more well-known beliefs. I've featured it in my fourth week of October!

 I haven't experienced a situation where I 'met up' with a dead loved one via their visiting the mortal realm in a fluttery form, but I certainly think it can happen. You know, the world works in mysterious ways...

The ending week of October 2019 will not actually have a full moon but it's included here anyways á la washi tape, in the spirit of Halloween. I've paired it with this handsome werewolf illustration by @aprilsolomonart, and write about why they're associated with the full moon and then some.

The little excerpt on the bottom left corner felt so small to write it because I could go on and on about werewolves. I wrote an entire paper on werewolf iconography and portrayal for an English class, it's probably my most favorite paper I've written thus far! I readily included some of my own writings in this week's trivia.

(via Gfycat)

With spoopy season coming to a close, I get a little sad... Thankfully, my 2019 October pages embodies the spirit of all things spooky, I can be slightly less sad moving onto the next phase of Autumn, knowing I can look to this month's spreads for some supernatural vibes... for all eternity! Mwahahaha!

Review: Buffy Firm Cloud Pillow

It was time to replace my pillows. Since the beginning of this year, my extremely flattened and compressed one led to painful stiffness in my neck and shoulders... the quality of my rest decreased dramatically! After deliberating on which pillows to buy, I took a gamble on Buffy's Cloud Pillow via an Instagram ad, and it turned out to be a great purchase. Read more for general background information on Buffy and my review of their Firm Cloud Pillow.

My bed is a hot mess, so enjoy this picture of my décolletage and my new Cloud Pillow. Also peep my beautiful piece of flesh art by @catdaggers from Temperance Tattoo.

About the company

(via AngelList)

Buffy is a home goods company that aims to "[rediscover] the powers of combining plant-based materials and sustainable production innovations". Their first products are bedding-related: first a comforter, and now the Cloud Pillow... These type of goods are usually made from either cotton or down, both of which are environmentally and/or ethically harmful (cotton is water-wasteful and then some; down being reliant on plucking geese for their feathers).

(via buffy.co)

Buffy's comforter and Cloud Pillow outright reject unethical materials for the more eco-friendly, sustainable option: eucalyptus!

I'm familiar with the tree's blue gum variant because you see it everywhere in California, where it is a moderately invasive species. It was mistakenly planted as a timber substitute for building material during the Gold Rush, yet it proved not only unfit for that but extremely hard to get rid of, fast-growing, extremely thirsty, and most of all, an awful fire hazard. Having had one in my childhood home's front yard, I held a mixed opinion for it—liking its 'medicinal' scent while wrinkling my nose to its' constant shed of bark and leaves.

(via buffy.co)

As thirsty as eucalyptus is it still rates lower in water and land usage as cotton—and is much faster to grow. Other perks include better air-circulation: the material stays cool so you're less likely to overheat in the night.

Besides the naturally-derived eucalyptus, Buffy utilizes manmade materials too. They turned to one material most wouldn't normally relate to bedding: plastic water bottles. I recently bought Rothy's durable, flexible shoes also made out of plastic bottles... I didn't think one could make a soft, fluffy fabric out of them, but here we are. Here's what they say about it:

Rayon
We use eucalyptus fiber, also known as lyocell, a sustainable form of rayon. It’s sourced from the wood pulp of renewable eucalyptus trees, which consume 10x less water than cotton to cultivate, and transformed into fiber using a closed-loop system which reuses 99% of solvents to create little-to-no waste. 

Polyester
We do not use virgin polyester in our fill. Instead, we use 100% recycled BPA-free, PET plastic water bottles. These bottles are diverted from oceans and landfills, transformed, and given a second life as a soft, fluffy fiber.

(via buffy.co)

Buffy's inventive use of eucalyptus fiber and recycled water bottles is a large part of what sold me on trying the Cloud Pillow. Likeminded individuals can rest well knowing their purchase does not fund animal cruelty or the conventional cotton industry.

As my partner and I suffered through our old pillows—which were on the more expensive side—I was hesitant to snatch up another so fast. My scant student budget didn't allow me to buy similarly-priced replacements, yet I also didn't want to settle on the cheapest pillows I could find... As a product I use every single night for hours at a time, quality is a very important factor! As far as household items to splurge on, it's your mattress and your pillows.

The Cloud is priced somewhat competitively to the nicer down-alternative pillows found in department stores but more expensive than the super-affordable options. They were cheaper than the brand we were using (forgetting which one specifically but they were from Bed, Bath & Beyond if I remember correctly).

At the time of my purchase, Buffy offered a sweet deal: $70.00 USD for two pillows (originally priced at $90.00 USD for two, or $45.00 USD for one pillow). The original sticker price isn't so bad but the deal made it even better! And if I really didn't like the pillows, I could easily return it within the 7-day trial period.

I bought it directly from the Instagram ad through an easy, straightforward process. Within a few days, it arrived; I wrestled it into our pillow protectors and used it the same day it arrived. Here's my honest review...

4.5 out of 5.0 stars

They're pillows, alright. They do exactly what they're supposed to: support my neck and head while I sleep. I don't have any complaints, which is probably a good thing. It stays puffed and fluffed during the night.

I've had these for about a ~month and a half and noticed that the eucalyptus-fabric-and-special-polyester fill gets a tad lumpy if you don't fluff it out each morning—doing so quickly fills it out nicely. Such a practice is something you should do each morning anyways to extend your pillow's life to the fullest.

Buffy touts their comforter as a breathable, cooling option for those who overheat easily during their REM cycle. Over this summer, we've had a few hot days in the Bay Area and the pillow cooled me down efficiently by turning it over just once during the night as opposed to several times with my past pillows. My partner, who runs really hot and only sleeps under just a single blanket (in comparison, I sleep with three) has mentioned that his head doesn't get as sweaty as it used to get with our old pillows. All in all, there is some small bit of truth regarding breathability and coolness to these pillows.

The only care instructions I've found is the
'Dry Clean Recommended' on its label!

Purchasing them was seamless, they give accurate shipping updates over email and the process could not have been smoother. Yet, as beautiful as it is, their website leaves some room for the Cloud Pillow's imagination when it comes to the FAQ page. They have care instructions for both their comforter and their eucalyptus sheets, but not the Cloud Pillow! Prospective buyers would probably want to know that the Cloud Pillow's only recommended instructions is dry cleaning. But honestly, who takes their pillows to the dry cleaners?

Although you can easily find instructions on how to wash your pillows by machine, some company-endorsed washing machine instructions would be helpful as well. Can we treat the Cloud Pillow, with its unique PET-bottle fill, the same as you would a synthetic-down pillow? I can only assume they're as delicate as down pillows and wash it accordingly.

As far as I'm concerned, these pillows get the job done while the customer service(?) leaves some to be desired. I wouldn't say this is the only pillow brand I'd ever use, but it is a good pillow for what it's worth and I like the eco-friendly alternative fabrics and fill they utilize. I expect that over time, other companies will develop and use eucalyptus fabric and other sustainable fibers for similar products... but perhaps I'd consider buying more Buffy's products, especially if they keep up their innovative ideas.

(via buffy.co)

Plan With Me September 2019

Hi everyone, here's another opportunity to see my bullet journal! Here are September's spreads, they've arrived a bit late because I just came back from vacation. As always, the printables are free available in the link below.

Download September 2019 Plan With Me Stickers

September 2019

Theme: Muted, secondary colors, transitioning from soft pinks to yellows and oranges.

September is the month of summer's end and autumn's beginning. Thus, the theme isn't exactly a concept but visually through the hues of the washi tape and "stickers" used.

What more the symbolize beginnings and ends featuring the adorable Hagu from Honey & Clover, along with an ethereal-looking washi of four-leaf clovers? These plants are also the highlight of the monthly page.

The Japanese-themed washi tape featuring adorable traditionally-dressed chibis have a peaceful, floral theme that can fit both summer and fall color schemes.

The first week of September is still technically summer, and our trivia ties into the color scheme by wanting to hang on to summer's flavors with cocktail ideas. Flamingos are a classic summer aesthetic, fitting well with the refreshing glasses that are pasted on the page.

Even though cherry blossoms are typically spring-related, I supplemented a beautiful muted magenta washi with a painting by (artist) in relation to the phenomenon which occurred last year: Japan's cherry blossoms bloomed for a second time within a year! Due to unusually warm weather where regions normally became colder, cherry blossom trees were subsequently triggered to release their blooms and seeds in the fall.

The artwork is by the famous 20th-century painter, Hiroshi Yoshida.

Losing the 'blossoms' from last week, the following has several cherries suspended throughout the page in a cherry-and-lemon dessert theme. My partner and I have been watching quite a lot of the Great British Baking Show and this dessert made its appearance... I included a recipe for it in this week's spread.

The art is from illustrator Enya Todd's Instagram page!

(via gfycat.com)

Our third week brings us to this beautiful ginkgo washi tape. Did you know that ginkgo nuts are edible? I didn't either, so I wrote all about it in this week's trivia section.

Artwork featured here is by Anna Mason.

That's all, folks! I can't wait to show you my October spreads, they'll be especially spooky this time around. Thanks for looking, happy journaling, and see you next time!

Plan With Me August 2019

Hi lovelies, the next month draws near so it's time to Plan with Me again! I had a bit of fun with these spreads, so I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Here are the 'stickers' used. As always, They're available to download. When printed at 100% the dimensions will be the same as they appear in my own A5 journal.

Download August 2019 Plan With Me Stickers

Check out how they're used in my journal below!

AUGUST 2019

Theme: Fresh greenery—flowers and fruits, nature, cute girls & summery vibes

Greenhouses are the feature for this month's trivia. Recognize the artwork? It's from one of Hayao Miyazaki's visual masterpieces, Howl's Moving Castle. Well, all of his works are stunning and a couple feature greenhouse-type sceneries... but this one from Howl's has always taken my breath away and gave me more tropical feeling than that of Kiki's Delivery Service.

Click here to access Howl's Moving Castle's art booklet where I found these beautiful illustrations of Madame Suliman's gorgeous greenhouse (the one with 5.1M after the date marker).

The monthly utilizes a fun parade-themed washi which is from Amazon, I believe. Several animals prance along sporting their colorful outfits, streamers, banners, and confetti. Looking at this tape, I can almost hear their little fanfare.

It's a homage to all the special events such as the County Fair, Pride Parade, and several other street festivals that happen in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The first week of August features sea creatures and some adorable mermaids. They're sitting among the reefs and all the fishes are bright and colorful, so one can assume they are in warm, tropical waters.

The week's trivia is related to the sea, asking what the difference is between temperate and tropical oceans! The oceanography class I'd just taken didn't go over this question, so it was fun supplementing what I learned last semester with this~!

Watermelons... Those who've seen my February-March Plan with Me are already familiar with this washi tape. Since I've switched over to a new journal, I thought it was OK for me to use this design again so soon.

Since in my last journal I hadn't actually written trivia (just an inspirational quote) I ended up writing down some health benefits to eating watermelon.

Kero, kero~! It's Tsuyu from My Hero Academia. I featured our favorite froggy hero with this lovely water lily pond washi tape. It was a miracle I found such a fitting artwork that matched.

Obviously, my trivia was about why frogs are happiest in the rain. Afterall, Froppy is the Rainy Season Hero and it is known that Tsuyu loves the rain.

I usually mention the artist name in my journal, but I couldn't locate it since I'd found this on Pinterest and the website it referred me to also didn't have it. If you know who created such an adorable piece of Froppy fanart, please post it in the comments below!

The last week of August is reserved for one of my newer favorite Disney Princesses, Moana! I featured the watercolor speed painting by Crazysheeppp SN on YouTube. It fits nicely with the leafy washi tape I have with what looks like large hibiscus flowers.

There you have it, my spreads for August. Again, I don't deviate from the standard monthly and weekly layout... so, I change it up a bit by using beautiful washi tape and 'stickers' I've curated online. Hope that seeing my spreads inspires your own journaling experience.

Thanks for visiting and see you next time~! 

(via We Heart It)