Thanks, love!! ♥It is very pretty and simplistic. I definitely can't wait to share the spreads with you all as well! Thanks for coming to watch, Charmaine! 😘
I bought so many bujo from Notebook Therapy over the years since Covid…. 😂 so I still use them, as a journal, for book reviews, for transcribing chunks of books to use my pens and inks……BUT…… I have bought my first Hobonichi this time to use as a planner, habit tracker, tasks, waiting for….etc It’s a Weeks and the layout is similar to a book I have used this year so I am looking forward to using it. I also like to have a travelers notebook for cafe journaling and also one for memory keeping trips which I decorate with photos, drawings and stuff I pick up. I use washi and stickers to varying degrees in different notebooks. I also have a Hobonichi A6 notebook for ‘whatever’ … poems, quotes, random bits and pieces. It’s a lot but I don’t use them all each day. We’ll see how I get on with them all next year. Happy journaling 😍
I love all the beautiful journals you're using and excited for you to use the Hobonichi Weeks! You'll have to share with me how you enjoy it once you start using it next year :) I also have like 3-4 Traveler's Notebook (only one of them was an authentic TN cover, the rest are leather covers made by cheaper brands/companies and I enjoy them just the same, if not MORE than the original TN leather covers). I love TN's and the leather smell and the ease of traveling with them! I didn't share them haha! Because one of them is used for my Pens Wish List (which I already shared earlier this year) and the others are just for random writing that has no real purpose - I Just like using the TN for aesthetic purposes, but writing in those TN journals are hard because they don't lay flat. I love your A6 notebook for quotes and random bits and pieces. That's really great! A6 is a super cute and fun small journal for stuff like that, so I could see myself doing that, too. Thanks for sharing your journals for 2025, Jean! ♥
Thank you, Celia! Definitely very important to find the system that fits your individual needs. I'm super excited with my lineup of journals, paper, and planners :) Thanks so much for commenting and watching ♥
Your line up is fantastic. I am so glad you know what you like and went searching for what fits your writing and planning style. That is so important. I decided to go with the Sterling Ink planner for 2024 over the Hobonichi because of the dated dailies in the Hobo wasn't working for me. I use my daily pages for my journal. I don't always use one page for each day. Sometimes it's a half a page or less, sometimes it's more than one page. So the undated dailies with no extra quotes or shading was what I wanted. I will be using the SI CP for next year also. I am also trying the "Plans" by Just Scribble for my health planner. Plus I wanted to see how I liked the set up etc. It is a beautiful planner and excited to get into it next year. I'd like to see maybe a mid year flip through on how you have used your set ups.
That b6 journal is so stinkin cute!! You are inspiring me to think about my journal plans for next year. I am someone who likes the idea of decorating but find it stressful as well, I like that the our planner has some decoration but not ott, a nice balance
RIGHT?! I'm obsessed with how cute it is! The lovely marooney-red faux leather cover with beautiful texture all over is just such a beautiful journal cover. I can't do many red pens, but red notebook covers like these are always beautiful and welcome addition to my journals! :D I hope you'll find some fun journals and planners to try for 2025!
Very interesting minimalistic planner from Ours Studio. Thank you for sharing this, I didn’t even know they exist 😂 That might be something new to try for 2026 since I already have my planner for 2025.
Thanks, my friend! Yes, I love the minimalistic features in this planner. While Hobonichi isn't for me, that doesn't mean it's not good or that you would not love it. If you enjoy it, that's great :) And there's always next year to try something else that's interesting and fun.
From what you’ve said, I think you would love the Sterling Ink Common Planner if you haven’t heard of it or tried it out yet. It has the monthly and weekly spreads but it has 365 blank (well, grid) pages which you can use for anything! I’m swapping from a bullet journal to that next year.
Yes, I've seen a lot of people using the Sterling Ink planners and I still think it has a ton of pages I may not use, but would be nice to check them out. As much as bullet journaling is fun, it definitely is tough to keep up compared to these pre-made planners :) Great to see you also came from bullet journaling! ^_^ Thanks so much for watching my video.
I actually decided to stop using the Cousin this year because of the same reason. It’s a lot. I’m waiting for one more planner and I’ll post my 2025 Techo Kaigi too. But I love how you draw on your planners. I tried it in my early stages but I’m not as creative as you. So I’m sticking to my stickers and washi 😂 love the video!
Hey Freddy! Exactly, right? That Cousin is just so damn cluttery with all those extra bits. It's great for those who like reading a unique quote each day, but I can do without all those things on the side, bottom, and everywhere I could use for other things haha! I really enjoyed coming up with ideas and drawing/coloring/painting in my Bujo's for planning - it's super fun when I'm doing anime or game stuff with cool characters lol!! That's why I am always thinking about going back to it because it was the prettiest planner setup - but omg was it so time-consuming. I use washi/PET and stickers, too! HAHA! No shame in using those for planners! I suspect that will be 90% of my OURS journal layout haha. Excited to see your planner and journal lineup for 2025! Looking forward to that video. Thanks so much for watching and commenting :)
OOOOOOOOOO! the Ours planner looks awesome! I love the different note cards/postcards you get so you can constantly change the cover! And also, thank you for reminding me that I need to buy a new Hobonichi cover for my planner (new one every year!)
Yeah! The Ours planner is sooo nice!! The postcards are amazingly beautiful cardstock quality and the photography and art are so crisp and clean. And of course, I can slip in a printed picture of anything I want to stare at and place it right in the cover and it's protected by the waterproof cover! It's just awesome ^_^ And yessss get that new hobonichi cover! Excited for ya! What cover are you hoping to get?
@KenchanKrafts i really do love the Spy X Family cover (green is my favorite color). But I bought the LE One Piece cover last year and I like the designs they came out with this year so now I think that planner is going to get the One Piece covers every year!
Hey hey. I like your system. It is so simple but definitely you. I am so glad that I didn't get into hobonici. I don't like not being able to get what I want and the paper inconsistency would drive me mad. I have been going back to the drawing board with my lineup. I think that I am going back to a two book system lol
Thanks, Ayana! Indeed, I think this planner style is much more me and I can't wait to see how I utilize it. And true - the switch from old TR to sanzen TR and not being sure how well the paper works for every person makes it very difficult to wanna stay with Hobonichi's planner products. I hope the OURS journal paper is super beautiful with fountain pens! :D Great to see you're also doing a two book system!
I purchased the OURS journal too and am so excited to use it in 2025. Can’t wait to see how you will fill it. I’m hoping the simple layout and small space for journaling will keep me motivated to put an entry each day. 💖 🌸
YAY!! That's so awesome :) Super excited to use it for sure! I'll try to post spreads on my IG ^_^ The small space is definitely much less intimidating and easier to work with. We got this! Thanks for coming to watch =D
Thank you for sharing, Lao. I really enjoyed seeing your 2025 planners and journals. Your memory keeper looks so sweet! 😊 My experimental journey towards the ever-elusive planner peace is still underway. This year, I tried a single Hobonichi Cousin for all my needs but it was too disorganised for my tastes, so next year, I’ve swung the other way, and purchased a Weeks for work, another for health and wellbeing, and an A6 for baby journalling. I do suspect that’s too many books so I’ll have a better sense of what I’d like to reduce down to in 2026. The launch chaos, price hikes, and reports of faulty paper with Hobonichi have left a bad taste in my mouth. I’m going to explore Ours next year and consider trying them out 🙂.
Hi Helena, thanks for coming to watch my video ^_^ I am super excited to add to the memory keeper. I think the Weeks are great and very portable for those who find the weeks a perfect size for your planning. Excited for you! And yes, Planner Peace is so hard to achieve! I think we can always only get so close to it with all the new planners and choices that keep coming each year. But maybe we'll all find that peace someday! I'm sure it would have left a sour taste in my mouth, too, and especially when I found out that my Atlas discount code did not work for Hobonichi products - I was very upset because I wanted a lot of you guys, my audience, to save with Atlas if you weren't going to buy directly from the site. Hobonichi forcing Atlas to not discount hobonichi products was upsetting on top of their website being a hassle for everyone. I am very happy to have avoided that and continue to avoid it next year. Definitely do check out the OURS journal next year at end of September! :)
What's up Lau! I get it, there is a lot to the Hobonichi. I have found a great use for the monthly and the weekly spreads that do not involve planning. The daily is the size I use the most. That OURS layout looks nice too. It kinda reminds me of the PAL planner. I'm glad you got something Hobonichi though. I tried to quit Hobonichi once and they sent the boys to my house. I chose not to refuse their offer. 😬🤓Glad you found something you like for next year, I'll be watching for the updates. 💜
Thanks, Rob! :D Someone else mentioned the PAL planner, too, and it definitely looks similar to the OURS planner! But it has grids. I think I prefer dot grid more than graph/grid paper. And oo what Hobonichi boys came to your house lol! I still love the Hobonichi anime collaborations. One Piece is how I got into Hobonichi, but this year's products from OP wasn't as great. And yes, please look forward to updates on my planner spreads and journals! Check them on IG in case I showcase them there more. :P Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Lao, that is exactly what I have been looking for, and of course Yoseka is out of stock. Have you ever seen them on sale. $32 is not bad. And thanks for bringing this in the spotlight.
:D You're very welcome! I'm so glad to hear this is also exactly what you're looking for! You can also purchase it here, they still have some! www.ablanknote.com/products/ours-2025-research-project-journal-2025-ours Only a few stores seem to sell it, but if this works for you, you can save the Taiwanese website for next year and get it pre-order straight from Taiwan or pre-order early October next year through Yoseka :D Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and watching TBay! :)
This is my 4th year in Hobonichi first two were a A6 orignal techo and the 5 year diary, last two years has been the HON and the weeks. 2025 will again be a HON and a weeks with the addition of a TAKE-A-NOTE planner and the Ours Planner! ( both Taiwanese Companies!) So two additional planners! They both lured me in this year! I was thinking I could get down to just the Hon but then decided I use my weeks for a medical/health planner and like the portability of the weeks. Then I realized I wanted to track and remember more of my Joys etc. So I am using the T-A-N for A joy and hobbies planner and the OURS planner for a creativity journal. It already seems a little overwhelming to track more than I already do. Hopefully I will get clear on the things I want/need to track. I loved all your choices for journals and planners it will be fun to see what you do with the 2025!
I love your ideas for the TAN and OURS journals! Both are so great for those things - they're very versatile with how simplistic they are. I actually have not seen the TAN journal, but I would assume it is similar in simplicity compared to the hobonichis. I wanted to try a HON but I didn't think it would be worth it since I don't use Hobonichis to its fullest extent. Kudos to you for managing that many planners and journals :) I know I have 5, but only 2 will really be used for every day stuff. xD So I won't confuse myself with which planner/journal is for what purpose. Anyways, thank you so much for watching my video! ^_^
I have a Hobonichi five-year palnner precisely because i am spontaneous and do not EVER use planners for what they are for. The five year I bought is daily and has a grid pattern on both sides, but the left side has the month and day at the top left corner with the grid starting below that. It simply has some darker lines separating the page into five equal horizontal rectangles with the year in the upper left corner of each rectangle. The right side of the spread just has the grid on the entire page for you to do what you please. So I love it cuz if there's anything super important that I would like to have as a memory (like a wedding or just a really great day I had with friends) I can put it in the proper place on the left side and just draw or collage on the right! And I have it for five years!!!!
I've always wanted to try the 5-year from hobonichi as well. It's interesting to return to the same day the year before and see what I did and what I wrote for that day. I like darker lines helping to separate spaces and those spaces are good to use for what I need. I like that you're able to utilize the right side of that 5-year journal for anything you need :) Thanks so much for sharing the layout and how you use it. I may revisit Hobonichi in the future or just take a look at the 5-year and end it there for Hobonichi books haha :D
I'm what's known in the writing community as a plantser, a mix of planning and pantsing (flying by the seat of one's pants), so I don't think I'd get much practical use out of a dedicated planner. My next journal will probably be a return to my tried and true 8x11.5" 5-subject college-ruled CVS notebook with 200 pages. It's not that other notebooks are bad (far from it), but it just doesn't feel quite like a journal that's authentic to who I am when I can fill it up in less than a year, with a smaller trim size and wider lines that necessarily hold me back from writing entries as long as I often did with the larger college-ruled notebooks. I'm used to being with a journal for at least a year and a half, if not more. From what I've heard, the CVS notebooks made in Vietnam are very fountain pen-friendly. I'll just be using my higher-quality notebooks for writing other things, like notes for radical rewrites of my older book drafts, notes for books requiring a lot of research, and answers to the tests at the end of each chapter of my Latin textbook. I also want to buy other notebooks for things like writing quotes (verified ones, not fake quotes a lot of people are fooled by), writing down my thoughts about my pens and inks, and perhaps some calligraphy practice with a larger nib.
That's very interesting that CVS has fountain pen friendly notebooks! I do get that after about 2 years, an old notebook would be too long and must move on to something fresh and new haha. A lot of times the easiest solution is just using notebooks and doing whatever you want with them and not needing to plan. And Plantster..that's such an interesting term! I feel that too with how I've used my first Hobonichi lol! :) Thanks for sharing your ideas and what you choose to use!
This is interesting for me, because this will be my first year (2025) of using Hobonichi Cousin after 5 years of bullet journaling because I found myself not having time to set up everything from scratch so I wae not using my bullet journal at all. I guess its important to have planner/journal/notebook that meet yours expectations
Hi Rozette :) Yes, It's important to use notebooks that serve the purposes you need and those needs might change from year to year (hopefully not too often if you find something that works really well for you). I was doing planner spreads and tracking things every other month because it got to be very time-consuming, exhausting, and not being able to find time to prepare everything a few days before the new month. It was super fun, but definitely needs a lot more inspiration, creativity, and dedication to keeping up with that style of planning. Just wanted to reiterate that my opinions on the cousin does not mean your experience will be the same! :D I do hope you enjoy using the cousin because it is a nice and fresh new beginning after using Bujos for a while. Thanks for coming by to watch and share your thoughts. Appreciate it!
I was this at Yoseka and it really intrigued me... is it fountain pen friendly? Do they every make other sizes? It's too late now as I alreadydecided on a simple passport planner set up, but maybe next year?
I believe it is very fountain pen friendly! I've seen Coco Plans on Instagram and she uses all types of fountain pens in her OURS journal to do spreads and journaling. :) I don't think they have any other size for this planner, but I think it would be a very nice addition. However, I think OURS studio isn't really a planner studio but moreso memory and research keeping type of studio with a lot of stationery/ephemera products. It would be a nice planner to check out, for sure, if you enjoy less structure.
I wanted a 5yr from Hobonichi, too. Let me know how you love it when you start using it ^_^ And oooh, PAL planner! That's pretty interesting - their layouts look similar except PAL has grids (unless there are other options). And it comes with stamps too :D Very nice. I hope that works well for you!
I’m not much of a planner either. I tried Bullet Journal and found it time consuming. I also found Hobonichi too cluttered. I finally concluded that I don’t need a planner and I just use a notebook with Tomoe River paper for different journaling needs.
There you go! Exactly! :) We don't all need to have a planner to be content with what we're getting out of the fountain pen and paper passion. Glad you have found your planner peace :P Which is just having a blank journal to do whatever your heart desires. :) Thank you for sharing your thoughts, too, Zathras.
I loved my OURS planner. I hope it works for your needs.
Thank you! I think it should meet most of my needs for sure! Will update sometime at end of Quarter 1 about how its going! :)
Beautiful line up! I’ve always thought the Ours planner is so pretty! I hope to show us how your spreads look in the future ❤
Thanks, love!! ♥It is very pretty and simplistic. I definitely can't wait to share the spreads with you all as well! Thanks for coming to watch, Charmaine! 😘
I bought so many bujo from Notebook Therapy over the years since Covid…. 😂 so I still use them, as a journal, for book reviews, for transcribing chunks of books to use my pens and inks……BUT…… I have bought my first Hobonichi this time to use as a planner, habit tracker, tasks, waiting for….etc It’s a Weeks and the layout is similar to a book I have used this year so I am looking forward to using it. I also like to have a travelers notebook for cafe journaling and also one for memory keeping trips which I decorate with photos, drawings and stuff I pick up. I use washi and stickers to varying degrees in different notebooks. I also have a Hobonichi A6 notebook for ‘whatever’ … poems, quotes, random bits and pieces.
It’s a lot but I don’t use them all each day. We’ll see how I get on with them all next year.
Happy journaling 😍
I love all the beautiful journals you're using and excited for you to use the Hobonichi Weeks! You'll have to share with me how you enjoy it once you start using it next year :) I also have like 3-4 Traveler's Notebook (only one of them was an authentic TN cover, the rest are leather covers made by cheaper brands/companies and I enjoy them just the same, if not MORE than the original TN leather covers). I love TN's and the leather smell and the ease of traveling with them! I didn't share them haha! Because one of them is used for my Pens Wish List (which I already shared earlier this year) and the others are just for random writing that has no real purpose - I Just like using the TN for aesthetic purposes, but writing in those TN journals are hard because they don't lay flat.
I love your A6 notebook for quotes and random bits and pieces. That's really great! A6 is a super cute and fun small journal for stuff like that, so I could see myself doing that, too. Thanks for sharing your journals for 2025, Jean! ♥
It’s important to have a planning system that works for you. I have tried a variety through the years. Love seeing all your notebooks!
Thank you, Celia! Definitely very important to find the system that fits your individual needs. I'm super excited with my lineup of journals, paper, and planners :) Thanks so much for commenting and watching ♥
Your line up is fantastic. I am so glad you know what you like and went searching for what fits your writing and planning style. That is so important.
I decided to go with the Sterling Ink planner for 2024 over the Hobonichi because of the dated dailies in the Hobo wasn't working for me. I use my daily pages for my journal. I don't always use one page for each day. Sometimes it's a half a page or less, sometimes it's more than one page. So the undated dailies with no extra quotes or shading was what I wanted. I will be using the SI CP for next year also. I am also trying the "Plans" by Just Scribble for my health planner. Plus I wanted to see how I liked the set up etc. It is a beautiful planner and excited to get into it next year. I'd like to see maybe a mid year flip through on how you have used your set ups.
That b6 journal is so stinkin cute!! You are inspiring me to think about my journal plans for next year. I am someone who likes the idea of decorating but find it stressful as well, I like that the our planner has some decoration but not ott, a nice balance
RIGHT?! I'm obsessed with how cute it is! The lovely marooney-red faux leather cover with beautiful texture all over is just such a beautiful journal cover. I can't do many red pens, but red notebook covers like these are always beautiful and welcome addition to my journals! :D I hope you'll find some fun journals and planners to try for 2025!
Very interesting minimalistic planner from Ours Studio. Thank you for sharing this, I didn’t even know they exist 😂 That might be something new to try for 2026 since I already have my planner for 2025.
Thanks, my friend! Yes, I love the minimalistic features in this planner. While Hobonichi isn't for me, that doesn't mean it's not good or that you would not love it. If you enjoy it, that's great :) And there's always next year to try something else that's interesting and fun.
@ yea, absolutely. This one looks nice honestly.
From what you’ve said, I think you would love the Sterling Ink Common Planner if you haven’t heard of it or tried it out yet. It has the monthly and weekly spreads but it has 365 blank (well, grid) pages which you can use for anything! I’m swapping from a bullet journal to that next year.
Yes, I've seen a lot of people using the Sterling Ink planners and I still think it has a ton of pages I may not use, but would be nice to check them out. As much as bullet journaling is fun, it definitely is tough to keep up compared to these pre-made planners :) Great to see you also came from bullet journaling! ^_^ Thanks so much for watching my video.
I actually decided to stop using the Cousin this year because of the same reason. It’s a lot. I’m waiting for one more planner and I’ll post my 2025 Techo Kaigi too. But I love how you draw on your planners. I tried it in my early stages but I’m not as creative as you. So I’m sticking to my stickers and washi 😂 love the video!
Hey Freddy! Exactly, right? That Cousin is just so damn cluttery with all those extra bits. It's great for those who like reading a unique quote each day, but I can do without all those things on the side, bottom, and everywhere I could use for other things haha!
I really enjoyed coming up with ideas and drawing/coloring/painting in my Bujo's for planning - it's super fun when I'm doing anime or game stuff with cool characters lol!! That's why I am always thinking about going back to it because it was the prettiest planner setup - but omg was it so time-consuming. I use washi/PET and stickers, too! HAHA! No shame in using those for planners! I suspect that will be 90% of my OURS journal layout haha.
Excited to see your planner and journal lineup for 2025! Looking forward to that video. Thanks so much for watching and commenting :)
OOOOOOOOOO! the Ours planner looks awesome! I love the different note cards/postcards you get so you can constantly change the cover! And also, thank you for reminding me that I need to buy a new Hobonichi cover for my planner (new one every year!)
Yeah! The Ours planner is sooo nice!! The postcards are amazingly beautiful cardstock quality and the photography and art are so crisp and clean. And of course, I can slip in a printed picture of anything I want to stare at and place it right in the cover and it's protected by the waterproof cover! It's just awesome ^_^ And yessss get that new hobonichi cover! Excited for ya! What cover are you hoping to get?
@KenchanKrafts i really do love the Spy X Family cover (green is my favorite color). But I bought the LE One Piece cover last year and I like the designs they came out with this year so now I think that planner is going to get the One Piece covers every year!
Hey hey. I like your system. It is so simple but definitely you. I am so glad that I didn't get into hobonici. I don't like not being able to get what I want and the paper inconsistency would drive me mad. I have been going back to the drawing board with my lineup. I think that I am going back to a two book system lol
Thanks, Ayana! Indeed, I think this planner style is much more me and I can't wait to see how I utilize it. And true - the switch from old TR to sanzen TR and not being sure how well the paper works for every person makes it very difficult to wanna stay with Hobonichi's planner products. I hope the OURS journal paper is super beautiful with fountain pens! :D Great to see you're also doing a two book system!
@ you will have to let me know how you like the OURS books. They are set at a great price.
I purchased the OURS journal too and am so excited to use it in 2025. Can’t wait to see how you will fill it. I’m hoping the simple layout and small space for journaling will keep me motivated to put an entry each day. 💖 🌸
YAY!! That's so awesome :) Super excited to use it for sure! I'll try to post spreads on my IG ^_^ The small space is definitely much less intimidating and easier to work with. We got this! Thanks for coming to watch =D
Thank you for sharing, Lao. I really enjoyed seeing your 2025 planners and journals. Your memory keeper looks so sweet! 😊
My experimental journey towards the ever-elusive planner peace is still underway. This year, I tried a single Hobonichi Cousin for all my needs but it was too disorganised for my tastes, so next year, I’ve swung the other way, and purchased a Weeks for work, another for health and wellbeing, and an A6 for baby journalling. I do suspect that’s too many books so I’ll have a better sense of what I’d like to reduce down to in 2026.
The launch chaos, price hikes, and reports of faulty paper with Hobonichi have left a bad taste in my mouth. I’m going to explore Ours next year and consider trying them out 🙂.
Hi Helena, thanks for coming to watch my video ^_^ I am super excited to add to the memory keeper. I think the Weeks are great and very portable for those who find the weeks a perfect size for your planning. Excited for you! And yes, Planner Peace is so hard to achieve! I think we can always only get so close to it with all the new planners and choices that keep coming each year. But maybe we'll all find that peace someday! I'm sure it would have left a sour taste in my mouth, too, and especially when I found out that my Atlas discount code did not work for Hobonichi products - I was very upset because I wanted a lot of you guys, my audience, to save with Atlas if you weren't going to buy directly from the site. Hobonichi forcing Atlas to not discount hobonichi products was upsetting on top of their website being a hassle for everyone. I am very happy to have avoided that and continue to avoid it next year. Definitely do check out the OURS journal next year at end of September! :)
What's up Lau! I get it, there is a lot to the Hobonichi. I have found a great use for the monthly and the weekly spreads that do not involve planning. The daily is the size I use the most. That OURS layout looks nice too. It kinda reminds me of the PAL planner. I'm glad you got something Hobonichi though. I tried to quit Hobonichi once and they sent the boys to my house. I chose not to refuse their offer. 😬🤓Glad you found something you like for next year, I'll be watching for the updates. 💜
Thanks, Rob! :D Someone else mentioned the PAL planner, too, and it definitely looks similar to the OURS planner! But it has grids. I think I prefer dot grid more than graph/grid paper. And oo what Hobonichi boys came to your house lol! I still love the Hobonichi anime collaborations. One Piece is how I got into Hobonichi, but this year's products from OP wasn't as great. And yes, please look forward to updates on my planner spreads and journals! Check them on IG in case I showcase them there more. :P Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Lao, that is exactly what I have been looking for, and of course Yoseka is out of stock. Have you ever seen them on sale. $32 is not bad. And thanks for bringing this in the spotlight.
:D You're very welcome! I'm so glad to hear this is also exactly what you're looking for! You can also purchase it here, they still have some! www.ablanknote.com/products/ours-2025-research-project-journal-2025-ours
Only a few stores seem to sell it, but if this works for you, you can save the Taiwanese website for next year and get it pre-order straight from Taiwan or pre-order early October next year through Yoseka :D
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and watching TBay! :)
This is my 4th year in Hobonichi first two were a A6 orignal techo and the 5 year diary, last two years has been the HON and the weeks. 2025 will again be a HON and a weeks with the addition of a TAKE-A-NOTE planner and the Ours Planner! ( both Taiwanese Companies!) So two additional planners! They both lured me in this year! I was thinking I could get down to just the Hon but then decided I use my weeks for a medical/health planner and like the portability of the weeks. Then I realized I wanted to track and remember more of my Joys etc. So I am using the T-A-N for A joy and hobbies planner and the OURS planner for a creativity journal. It already seems a little overwhelming to track more than I already do. Hopefully I will get clear on the things I want/need to track. I loved all your choices for journals and planners it will be fun to see what you do with the 2025!
I love your ideas for the TAN and OURS journals! Both are so great for those things - they're very versatile with how simplistic they are. I actually have not seen the TAN journal, but I would assume it is similar in simplicity compared to the hobonichis. I wanted to try a HON but I didn't think it would be worth it since I don't use Hobonichis to its fullest extent. Kudos to you for managing that many planners and journals :) I know I have 5, but only 2 will really be used for every day stuff. xD So I won't confuse myself with which planner/journal is for what purpose. Anyways, thank you so much for watching my video! ^_^
I have a Hobonichi five-year palnner precisely because i am spontaneous and do not EVER use planners for what they are for. The five year I bought is daily and has a grid pattern on both sides, but the left side has the month and day at the top left corner with the grid starting below that. It simply has some darker lines separating the page into five equal horizontal rectangles with the year in the upper left corner of each rectangle. The right side of the spread just has the grid on the entire page for you to do what you please. So I love it cuz if there's anything super important that I would like to have as a memory (like a wedding or just a really great day I had with friends) I can put it in the proper place on the left side and just draw or collage on the right! And I have it for five years!!!!
I've always wanted to try the 5-year from hobonichi as well. It's interesting to return to the same day the year before and see what I did and what I wrote for that day. I like darker lines helping to separate spaces and those spaces are good to use for what I need. I like that you're able to utilize the right side of that 5-year journal for anything you need :) Thanks so much for sharing the layout and how you use it. I may revisit Hobonichi in the future or just take a look at the 5-year and end it there for Hobonichi books haha :D
I'm what's known in the writing community as a plantser, a mix of planning and pantsing (flying by the seat of one's pants), so I don't think I'd get much practical use out of a dedicated planner. My next journal will probably be a return to my tried and true 8x11.5" 5-subject college-ruled CVS notebook with 200 pages. It's not that other notebooks are bad (far from it), but it just doesn't feel quite like a journal that's authentic to who I am when I can fill it up in less than a year, with a smaller trim size and wider lines that necessarily hold me back from writing entries as long as I often did with the larger college-ruled notebooks. I'm used to being with a journal for at least a year and a half, if not more. From what I've heard, the CVS notebooks made in Vietnam are very fountain pen-friendly.
I'll just be using my higher-quality notebooks for writing other things, like notes for radical rewrites of my older book drafts, notes for books requiring a lot of research, and answers to the tests at the end of each chapter of my Latin textbook. I also want to buy other notebooks for things like writing quotes (verified ones, not fake quotes a lot of people are fooled by), writing down my thoughts about my pens and inks, and perhaps some calligraphy practice with a larger nib.
That's very interesting that CVS has fountain pen friendly notebooks! I do get that after about 2 years, an old notebook would be too long and must move on to something fresh and new haha. A lot of times the easiest solution is just using notebooks and doing whatever you want with them and not needing to plan. And Plantster..that's such an interesting term! I feel that too with how I've used my first Hobonichi lol! :) Thanks for sharing your ideas and what you choose to use!
This is interesting for me, because this will be my first year (2025) of using Hobonichi Cousin after 5 years of bullet journaling because I found myself not having time to set up everything from scratch so I wae not using my bullet journal at all. I guess its important to have planner/journal/notebook that meet yours expectations
Hi Rozette :) Yes, It's important to use notebooks that serve the purposes you need and those needs might change from year to year (hopefully not too often if you find something that works really well for you). I was doing planner spreads and tracking things every other month because it got to be very time-consuming, exhausting, and not being able to find time to prepare everything a few days before the new month. It was super fun, but definitely needs a lot more inspiration, creativity, and dedication to keeping up with that style of planning. Just wanted to reiterate that my opinions on the cousin does not mean your experience will be the same! :D I do hope you enjoy using the cousin because it is a nice and fresh new beginning after using Bujos for a while. Thanks for coming by to watch and share your thoughts. Appreciate it!
I was this at Yoseka and it really intrigued me... is it fountain pen friendly? Do they every make other sizes? It's too late now as I alreadydecided on a simple passport planner set up, but maybe next year?
I believe it is very fountain pen friendly! I've seen Coco Plans on Instagram and she uses all types of fountain pens in her OURS journal to do spreads and journaling. :) I don't think they have any other size for this planner, but I think it would be a very nice addition. However, I think OURS studio isn't really a planner studio but moreso memory and research keeping type of studio with a lot of stationery/ephemera products. It would be a nice planner to check out, for sure, if you enjoy less structure.
I’m trying a PAL planner this year and I did get a 5 yr hobo to try.
I wanted a 5yr from Hobonichi, too. Let me know how you love it when you start using it ^_^ And oooh, PAL planner! That's pretty interesting - their layouts look similar except PAL has grids (unless there are other options). And it comes with stamps too :D Very nice. I hope that works well for you!
I’m not much of a planner either. I tried Bullet Journal and found it time consuming. I also found Hobonichi too cluttered. I finally concluded that I don’t need a planner and I just use a notebook with Tomoe River paper for different journaling needs.
There you go! Exactly! :) We don't all need to have a planner to be content with what we're getting out of the fountain pen and paper passion. Glad you have found your planner peace :P Which is just having a blank journal to do whatever your heart desires. :) Thank you for sharing your thoughts, too, Zathras.