daily slice-of-life photo blog of a Gen-X dad
As I get ready to start my very first Hobonichi Techo, I asked Mariko if she happened to have any stamps I could borrow. I was hoping to find an airplane stamp to use next to my travel plans. She casually told me she had a bunch of stamps, plus washi tape, highlighters, and a whole pile of other journaling goodies. Wow, she was not kidding. I hit the stationery jackpot!
Today my 2026 Hobonichi Techo finally arrived, and I am ridiculously excited about it. This is my very first Hobonichi, and I already have big ideas for how I want to use it. Of course, I have no idea how those plans will actually shake out, but that is part of the fun. I am really looking forward to discovering my own rhythm with it.
My goal is to use it more as a journal than a forward-looking planner. I want it to become a record of my days, a place for memories, thoughts, and little notes rather than just a list of future tasks.
To go along with it, I also picked up a Pilot Frixion pen with erasable ink. I have a feeling that is going to be a lifesaver while I am still figuring out how I like to use the Hobonichi. Now I just have to wait for 2026 to arrive. I cannot wait to begin.
I finally filled up my little A6-sized Muji notebook that I bought years ago! I’d just finished another one I’d been using for my morning pages, so I grabbed the Muji next – turns out it only had a few pages left. A couple of days later, done! That makes two notebooks finished (and out of my life) in one week. I still have a few more blank ones waiting for their turn, but I’m definitely making progress on my notebook decluttering mission!
Enjoying the morning sunlight as I do my morning pages.
I recently bought a monthly paper planner to explore the world of non-digital planning. Right now, I’m figuring out how it integrates with my digital planning and journaling. To start, I plan to use it for tracking upcoming vacations and noting small wins throughout the day. While researching, I found it interesting that many people use paper planners as a logbook for reflection, while digital planners focus on future events. That approach makes sense to me, so I’m curious to see how my system evolves!
