Planning for November | Archer & Olive Review, November Setup, and Project Planning

It’s officially November! Last month, I wrote about my new journey with a traveler’s notebook. In a traveler’s notebook, there is a cover, notebook inserts, and an elastic band system to hold those notebooks. I got a chance to play around with my new system, and I tried out using four different inserts for the different parts of my life. I am keeping the traveler’s notebook system for the month of November, but I am adding in a different notebook insert that resembles more of the bullet journaling I have done in the past. This post shows you all of the different parts of my November planning, a review of my new Archer & Olive notebook insert, and some of the ways I am planning for big goals using project planners.

Favorite Journaling Materials This Month

• Chic Sparrow Oak Classic Pemberley Cover

• Chic Sparrow Oak Pemberley Pen Quiver

• Archer & Olive Traveler's Crescent Moon Dot Grid Notebook 4.33” X 8.25”

• Tombow 56170 Dual Brush Pen Art Markers, Portrait, 10-Pack. Blendable, Brush and Fine Tip Markers

• “Write On” Journal Pouch Out of Print Clothing//Out of Print Literary and Book-Themed Zipper Pouch for Book Lovers, Readers, and Bibliophiles

• Journaling Inspiration Book: For Everyone by Jason Reynolds

• Uniball Vision Elite Stick Bold Point Roller Ball Pens

• Colibri Charms Red Leaf Journal Charm
  

Archer & Olive Traveler’s Notebook Review

While I loved having four separate inserts for different parts of my life, my heart was missing my one journal where everything was in one spot. It was difficult to find one notebook that was in the traveler’s notebook size and would also go inside of my new Chic Sparrow cover. I found the Archer & Olive traveler’s notebook. I originally wanted to keep a couple of inserts on each side of the larger notebook as well, but it just fits better in my hand with just the one larger notebook on the elastics. I inserted the one notebook into my cover with one elastic around the front cover and one elastic around the back cover. I do not like how the elastic on the actual notebook lay down, but I am playing with some solutions. Here are some pros and cons of the Archer & Olive notebook for you to consider if you are looking into purchasing this notebook:

PROS

• The paper. Oh, the paper. This paper is 160 gsm. Nothing seems to bleed through or having any ghosting issues. It is wonderful to write on with a pen, pencil, or brush marker. Even sharpies do a great job on this paper. My Leuchtturm 1917 journals are only 80 gsm. I could tell the difference right away. My favorite part of this journal is the paper.

• It lays flat when writing. One of the things that made me not at peace with the four inserts was the lack of them laying flat when I was journaling. I love that this notebook lays flat when I am writing in the morning for my morning work.

• The size. It fits perfectly in my Chic Sparrow cover. I am loving the narrow size because it doesn’t take up as much space as my A5 notebooks. I can still journal, but it is far more compact.

• I love it has a pen loop. When I am not using my pen quiver, I can still tuck a writing utensil into the loop for being on-the-go.

• The pocket in the back is similar to my Leuchtturm 1917 journals and is a great spot to tuck some important papers.

• It comes in dot-grid. Dot-grid is by far my favorite paper style in a notebook or journal.

• it comes with two ribbon bookmarks to help keep track of the different parts of life.

CONS

• The linen cover gets very dirty easily. It does brush off, but it shows every single piece of hair, lint, or in this case, straw.

• The elastic band on the cover is awkward because it does not around the whole book anymore. I am thinking about taping it to the inside so it isn’t in the way.

• The price. $31.00 is something I am willing to pay for a great notebook, but many other people will want to stick in the price range of $15-20 or less for a single notebook. My Leuchtturm 1917 journals are $20 and can be picked up from my local independent bookstore. I definitely miss the ease of running to the store to grab a new notebook.

• The bookmark metal was slightly chipped when I took it out of the package. This did not bother me, but many people will want a $31 notebook to be perfect coming out of the box. I did look up their return policy, and I was certain they would have replaced the notebook if I had really been concerned about the bookmark defect.

Journaling Inspiration

I have reached for the book For Everyone by Jason Reynolds many times in the past. It is a poem or letter by Jason Reynolds that talks about dreams, goals, and a bit of encouragement if you need it. I always seem to come back to the words I put on my cover for the month of November. If you want to check out Jason Reynolds reading his poem and letter, click on the YouTube video below the photo. I also was drawn to the cover of my new Archer & Olive notebook because it has the gold foil imprint on the front cover. You can see the moons and starts theme throughout many of my layouts for this month.

November Planning Layouts

Future Log-I like to focus on only 6 months at a time. If I plan for longer than that, I tend to repeat this layout in new notebooks.

Goals by Quarter-I focus on the current quarter and the next quarter. I like to plan far, far ahead. I find if I focus on each quarter at a time, I become more focused. These goals include saving, blog goals, personal goals, and my professional work goals.

Previous Month’s Reflection- I find this layout to be one of the most important! I always find a take-a-way from the previous month. This helps move my mindset in the right direction for the current month.

Dream Goal Statements-I like to list my dreams like affirmations I have already achieved in life. If I write them as if they have already happened, they become mantras.

Project Planner Layout-I like to focus on three big projects at a time per month. This is across the board in all areas of life. If I focus on more than this, I get distracted and my to-do list gets overwhelming. This layout is repeated three times for the monthly layout.

Monthly Layout-I included the entire month-at-a-glance with work/personal goals at the bottom. I also include my larger projects here as reminders as to how to use my time.

Weekly Layouts-Each week has a different design. All four layouts have space for the same things I need for each week.

• Weekly Focus

• Daily Entries

• Tasks/To-Dos

• Gratitudes

• Affirmations

• Habit Tracker

Monthly Bills/Savings + Holiday Shopping-I like to slow down and make sure my finances are in order as we head into November and December. These layouts are simple, but they keep me on track in terms of spending, paying off debt, and buying gifts during the holiday season.

“Currently” Layout-This layout is different from the previous monthly reflection because it taps into my hobbies, feelings, and current state of mind. I like to use this layout to capture how I am feeling at the beginning of the month, and then I can go back and revisit it throughout the month.

Snapshots Layout- I am starting to include pictures in my traveler’s notebook! These are some of my favorite snapshots from fall. I also included little descriptions. I feel like these will help with refocusing as we head into winter and everything seems dull and gray. I ordered wallets from Walgreens with different photos I took from my phone.

Writing Mindset Reflection: What are your favorite layouts from this month’s plan-with-me? What do you have planned for November?