We're in New York in May from the UK. I'm the mad stationery addict so I've already got a visit planned 👍🏻Can't wait to get in your store and meet some of you then 😄 Am sure I'll find plenty to buy, haha.
Daisy you picked my joy journal as your #1. I've been using Midori journals for a number of years now. Incredible paper and a great value. I've recently downsized to their B6 Slim and I am thrilled with it The smaller size means I finish them quicker and I get to experience the joy of starting a new journal more often than I had with larger notebooks. Love your videos and I hope to make it to Yoseka one of these days and say hi to you all.
I started with composition notebooks and a good gel pen (eg. Pentel Energel, Uni-ball One, Zebra Sarasa.) for journaling, and highly recommend it for beginners. From there, you can branch out with pens, paper, and notebook size. The practice & habit are the most important matters in journaling.
I love my Leuchtturm1917, I just got a 120g, it's so lovely, I use it for collections. I love learning about what different people do for their journaling.
I journal in my Midori B6 slim and Midori A5, and i prettied up the covers with transfer stickers that look like they were printed directly on! Totally love these recommendations:)
Also, I am actually surprised one of them wasn't a Hobonichi of some kind (the day free or even a blank one), since y'all are kind of famous for loving your Hobonichis! These were fantastic options though!
I was surprised too! I love Hobonichi for the paper! I tried all the different notebooks last year and have decided to pick Hobonichi exclusively for 2025
I love using the blank Standard TC inserts as a journal! I’ve used it for two years straight now. I also love using an A6 1/2 year Stalogy for morning pages because it’s small and chunks up so cutely with all the deco I use.
I love these! I always forget about the larger Midori notebooks for journaling so this is a great reminder for my list. I also use an A5 Hobonichi as a creative writing journal of mine, as I really like having an excuse to use another cover 😂 (and also the locking mechanism on Hobonichi’s).
This was great! Although it makes me want to go buy more notebooks, which I *do not* need, haha. Well, maybe one more...And yes please, would love a video on different ways to journal, if y'all wanna make one!
Wonderful tour of some great notebooks. ❤ I like the little Sakae TP books of Tomoe River paper; not sure if they are released under new TR S paper, but I hope so!
I love the MD notebook with ruled lines. I am currently using that journal now as my every day journal. I fill up one of those journals in about a month. I write a LOT! I also really love Rhodia notebooks that are ruled. They also come in dot grid. They have beautiful Claire Fontaine paper and have vegan leather covers with all kinds of colors. I have filled up many of those notebooks! My next notebook is either going to be a Moleskin or a Leuchtturm notebook. I need something that has more pages since I write a lot and go through many notebooks. I would like something with many pages so I can be in the notebook for more than one month.
I love all of these! I use a Leuchtturm A5 for my daily journal (which stays at home). I have a traveler’s notebook set up for my planner this year and I also have an insert that I use for jotting things down throughout the day. I also have a Stalogy 365 that I use for a “creative” journal (collages, ink swatching, etc). I also have an A6 md notebook in another cover that I sometimes carry with me (when I don’t have my TN). I prefer lined paper for journaling which is why I stick with the Leuchtturm. The line size works well with my large -ish handwriting (whereas the Stalogy grid (and other grids) is too small.) I write almost exclusively with fountain pens so the paper in all of these notebooks is perfect for that! Thanks for this fun video!
I love my TN. As soon as I heard about them I knew it would be the perfect journal for me. I also keep a LEUCHTTURM1917 a6 as my pocket notebook when I'm out and about and don't want to carry my TN.
You definitely picked a lot of my favorite regular notebooks ahhh I personally also love a5 size books since I tend to write a lot. The tn in particular I love for writing outside since it's kind of the same size as those long wallets. Honestly with all the pocket stuff you can get for it, it can be your wallet too, which is what I do. I have heard from friends that the a5 size can be intimidating, but luckily these all also come in a6 or similar smaller sizes. The passport tn is a really cute size in my opinion.
I have used the Stalogy last year and loved it so much, the Moleskine loved it years ago but now the paper is awful and breaks my heart because it was my favourite, I also tried Leuchtturm and was so nice too, I am currently using the Midori and I do like it but all my pens skip 😢 I thought it was the pen itself but tried on all my previous notebooks and they work well there… so I don’t think I will use a Midori anymore. The pens are: uni-ball one, uni-ball signo, pentel energel, zebra sarasa. The ones that work fine are fountain pens and ballpoint pens., so I am sticking to those. But is a shame, because I was excited to try such a gorgeous notebook but it let me down. 😅
Currently using the Stalogy as a morning pages journal. Its almost filled so im considering trying another brand book, but i really like the stalogy, do not sure what im going to do. Thanks for the video and yes would like to see a video on how to use. Thanks
Are there not covers available for the Midori and Stalogy notebooks? I am enjoying my DOTTED A5 Stalogy this year. They may not be as common, but they are available! I enjoyed hearing your thoughts on this
Hi, Daisy! Thanks for another interesting video. What writing utensils work best with these journals? Which are the most fountain pen friendly? Which lend themselves to pencil sketching? Which have paper that invites gel pens? Which have paper that persuades ink to dry quickly?
Hello, I would love know your insight on the best all in one planner/journal/notebook. I am a person that likes to have everything in one place. Would be the TN system the best for me ? I love your videos. And I love those where you show the inside of used notebook! Have a wonderful day.
@@BooksAndBigHairI agree 100%! I tried everything last year and Hobonichi Cousin ended up being the “winner”. Everything, everywhere, all at once! It’s got it all ❤
@@BooksAndBigHair Hello, Thank you for taking the time to write answers, I have tried the hobonichi weeks and day free. But at some point I had a problem with the thin paper, I totally went away from planning system, I began to use Midori MD paper notebooks, switching between B6 and A5. But this year I wanted to go back to something dated. And sometimes I feel to cramped in the B6 but sometimes taking a A5 everyday is too big. So that is the whole story ^^ Oh and I don't like white paper for some reason I don't understand. Have you ever tried the TN system?
@AgatheWiesner, Traveler’s Notebook & Midori are made by the same parent company, Design Phil. Many of the travelers notebook refills use MD papers, coming in a variety of paper types/rulings/layouts/colors. Their “Lightweight Paper” insert uses Tomoe River paper. The nice thing about TN inserts is that you can pick up refills individually to try out before getting to the whole cover set package. The standard paper inserts are 64 pages, so it’s not a big financial or number of pages to fill commitment. The smaller number of pages is something you would have to decide if you like. You get the satisfaction of completing a notebook sooner. If you are filling them too quickly, and have smaller notebooks to archive. It’s also a compact way to keep together and beyond the go with things you might want to keep separate, like a planner, journal, and sketchbook. Personally, I’ve used several TN inserts and like them for their compact portability. I’m hoping to score 🤞one of the new Tokyo sets when it’s released soon.
I keep trying to come up with some kind of mnemonic so that I’m not perpetually looking up all these designations. I’d find it helpful if we could be told both the code (X#) and the measurements.
Watching this makes me think that I am very picky about journalling notebooks. In 2022 I used Hobonichi A6 - I like the Hobonichi, but I don't journal everyday so I didnt love that it was dated In 2023 I used the Stalogy 365 A5 - I did really like the format and paper quality, but I use the Uni Jetstream 0.38 and the paper kept making the ink skip which was super annoying For 2024, I bought 3 Notebooks: Midori MD, Leuchtturm - Grid, and the Hobonichi (just the one with plain grid pages). I wanted a grid notebook where I could make my own yearly/monthly/tracking layouts, and also have enough pages that I could write more if I wanted to. Leuchtturm - The grid lines were so dark, and the grid size was too big, and I didn't love the paper quality Midori - I love the way the pages are 'framed', and I do love Midori paper, by the grid squares were way too big (I write small) Hobonichi - This is the one I went with. I like the Tomoe River (S?) paper, it had a decent number of pages, the grid size is smaller and the lines aren't as obtrusive. I also like that it's subtly 'split' into 4 sections with different coloured grid lines. I do wish it had more pages (but 192 is about as much as you can get without getting a stalogy), and that the pages were framed and numbered, but I guess you can't have it all lol. Aside: I'm thinking of getting a Stalogy 365 A6 to use as a 3/4/5 year gratitude journal - I'll pick a different pen to use with it.
Hi Mary - I have the Stalogy in different sizes and noticed something funny... While the A5 has 4mm spacing, the B6 and A6 both have 5mm spacing, which you say is too big. I write small too, so I prefer the 4mm spacing. Amazing what a difference 1mm makes! Just so you're aware. :-)
Thank you! I'll double check the A6 sizing! And I do know about the day free thank you! I wasn't keen on the pre-done monthlies for this year - I spent way too much time browsing journal layouts and decided I could have the best of all worlds by just drawing out my own calendars/trackers 🙈
🙋♀️YES, please to video on different ways to journal! 🙋. You guys are so kind to ask what we would like to see!
We're in New York in May from the UK. I'm the mad stationery addict so I've already got a visit planned 👍🏻Can't wait to get in your store and meet some of you then 😄 Am sure I'll find plenty to buy, haha.
Daisy you picked my joy journal as your #1. I've been using Midori journals for a number of years now. Incredible paper and a great value. I've recently downsized to their B6 Slim and I am thrilled with it The smaller size means I finish them quicker and I get to experience the joy of starting a new journal more often than I had with larger notebooks. Love your videos and I hope to make it to Yoseka one of these days and say hi to you all.
I started with composition notebooks and a good gel pen (eg. Pentel Energel, Uni-ball One, Zebra Sarasa.) for journaling, and highly recommend it for beginners. From there, you can branch out with pens, paper, and notebook size. The practice & habit are the most important matters in journaling.
I love my Leuchtturm1917, I just got a 120g, it's so lovely, I use it for collections. I love learning about what different people do for their journaling.
Def would love to see different ways of journaling, love your content 🫶🏼
I journal in my Midori B6 slim and Midori A5, and i prettied up the covers with transfer stickers that look like they were printed directly on! Totally love these recommendations:)
My first thought w when I saw the Midori was that cover is perfect for stickers.
The Leuchtturm looks like it would be a great reading journal!
Also, I am actually surprised one of them wasn't a Hobonichi of some kind (the day free or even a blank one), since y'all are kind of famous for loving your Hobonichis! These were fantastic options though!
I was surprised too! I love Hobonichi for the paper! I tried all the different notebooks last year and have decided to pick Hobonichi exclusively for 2025
I love using the blank Standard TC inserts as a journal! I’ve used it for two years straight now. I also love using an A6 1/2 year Stalogy for morning pages because it’s small and chunks up so cutely with all the deco I use.
I love these! I always forget about the larger Midori notebooks for journaling so this is a great reminder for my list. I also use an A5 Hobonichi as a creative writing journal of mine, as I really like having an excuse to use another cover 😂 (and also the locking mechanism on Hobonichi’s).
This was great! Although it makes me want to go buy more notebooks, which I *do not* need, haha. Well, maybe one more...And yes please, would love a video on different ways to journal, if y'all wanna make one!
Wonderful tour of some great notebooks. ❤ I like the little Sakae TP books of Tomoe River paper; not sure if they are released under new TR S paper, but I hope so!
I love the MD notebook with ruled lines. I am currently using that journal now as my every day journal. I fill up one of those journals in about a month. I write a LOT! I also really love Rhodia notebooks that are ruled. They also come in dot grid. They have beautiful Claire Fontaine paper and have vegan leather covers with all kinds of colors. I have filled up many of those notebooks! My next notebook is either going to be a Moleskin or a Leuchtturm notebook. I need something that has more pages since I write a lot and go through many notebooks. I would like something with many pages so I can be in the notebook for more than one month.
I love all of these! I use a Leuchtturm A5 for my daily journal (which stays at home). I have a traveler’s notebook set up for my planner this year and I also have an insert that I use for jotting things down throughout the day. I also have a Stalogy 365 that I use for a “creative” journal (collages, ink swatching, etc). I also have an A6 md notebook in another cover that I sometimes carry with me (when I don’t have my TN).
I prefer lined paper for journaling which is why I stick with the Leuchtturm. The line size works well with my large -ish handwriting (whereas the Stalogy grid (and other grids) is too small.)
I write almost exclusively with fountain pens so the paper in all of these notebooks is perfect for that!
Thanks for this fun video!
Great video! Of these choices Stalogy is definitely my favorite. I love the high page count and faint grid.
Great recommendations😀
I love my TN. As soon as I heard about them I knew it would be the perfect journal for me. I also keep a LEUCHTTURM1917 a6 as my pocket notebook when I'm out and about and don't want to carry my TN.
You definitely picked a lot of my favorite regular notebooks ahhh
I personally also love a5 size books since I tend to write a lot. The tn in particular I love for writing outside since it's kind of the same size as those long wallets. Honestly with all the pocket stuff you can get for it, it can be your wallet too, which is what I do.
I have heard from friends that the a5 size can be intimidating, but luckily these all also come in a6 or similar smaller sizes. The passport tn is a really cute size in my opinion.
these sound amazing ☺☺☺
11:01 not me smiling at the fact I also have the same Ame brass charm on my TN, though its on my passport size :D
Midori MD A5 & A6, Stalogy B5/B6/A6, and Traveler’s passport are my favorites. 😀
I have used the Stalogy last year and loved it so much, the Moleskine loved it years ago but now the paper is awful and breaks my heart because it was my favourite, I also tried Leuchtturm and was so nice too, I am currently using the Midori and I do like it but all my pens skip 😢 I thought it was the pen itself but tried on all my previous notebooks and they work well there… so I don’t think I will use a Midori anymore. The pens are: uni-ball one, uni-ball signo, pentel energel, zebra sarasa. The ones that work fine are fountain pens and ballpoint pens., so I am sticking to those. But is a shame, because I was excited to try such a gorgeous notebook but it let me down. 😅
Currently using the Stalogy as a morning pages journal. Its almost filled so im considering trying another brand book, but i really like the stalogy, do not sure what im going to do. Thanks for the video and yes would like to see a video on how to use. Thanks
Great video! Would love a video on journaling.
I've been loving #2 I may give #1 a try.
Are there not covers available for the Midori and Stalogy notebooks?
I am enjoying my DOTTED A5 Stalogy this year. They may not be as common, but they are available!
I enjoyed hearing your thoughts on this
Hi, Daisy!
Thanks for another interesting video.
What writing utensils work best with these journals? Which are the most fountain pen friendly? Which lend themselves to pencil sketching? Which have paper that invites gel pens? Which have paper that persuades ink to dry quickly?
Hello, I would love know your insight on the best all in one planner/journal/notebook. I am a person that likes to have everything in one place. Would be the TN system the best for me ?
I love your videos. And I love those where you show the inside of used notebook! Have a wonderful day.
Hello! I’m not with Yoseka but it sounds like the Hobonichi Cousin is right for you. Monthly and weekly layouts and a page for every single day!
@@BooksAndBigHairI agree 100%! I tried everything last year and Hobonichi Cousin ended up being the “winner”. Everything, everywhere, all at once! It’s got it all ❤
@@BooksAndBigHair Hello, Thank you for taking the time to write answers, I have tried the hobonichi weeks and day free. But at some point I had a problem with the thin paper, I totally went away from planning system, I began to use Midori MD paper notebooks, switching between B6 and A5.
But this year I wanted to go back to something dated. And sometimes I feel to cramped in the B6 but sometimes taking a A5 everyday is too big. So that is the whole story ^^ Oh and I don't like white paper for some reason I don't understand. Have you ever tried the TN system?
@AgatheWiesner, Traveler’s Notebook & Midori are made by the same parent company, Design Phil. Many of the travelers notebook refills use MD papers, coming in a variety of paper types/rulings/layouts/colors. Their “Lightweight Paper” insert uses Tomoe River paper. The nice thing about TN inserts is that you can pick up refills individually to try out before getting to the whole cover set package. The standard paper inserts are 64 pages, so it’s not a big financial or number of pages to fill commitment. The smaller number of pages is something you would have to decide if you like. You get the satisfaction of completing a notebook sooner. If you are filling them too quickly, and have smaller notebooks to archive. It’s also a compact way to keep together and beyond the go with things you might want to keep separate, like a planner, journal, and sketchbook. Personally, I’ve used several TN inserts and like them for their compact portability. I’m hoping to score 🤞one of the new Tokyo sets when it’s released soon.
@@LarkBirdBee thank you very much for your reply, I will try out inserts before buying the whole thing thank you again. have a good day
Traveler's 💙
Does the MD notebook come in BLANK...which is the ONLY format I want for a journal!
Sold out. Sold out. Sold out...
For a newbie like myself..is there a resource to better understand the sizes of given journals?
Daisy gives a pretty good demonstration of size classifications in her video "How To Find Your Perfect Notebook" from March 2023. Hope that helps! ❤
@@lynettedyck7327 TYSM!
You're on the internet.
I keep trying to come up with some kind of mnemonic so that I’m not perpetually looking up all these designations. I’d find it helpful if we could be told both the code (X#) and the measurements.
@@ruthfeiertag yes, that would be great!
A discussion of each notebook's ability to handle fountain pen ink would have been helpful.
They're all fountain pen friendly. The Stalogy has thinner paper, so just don't over-saturate the page.
Watching this makes me think that I am very picky about journalling notebooks.
In 2022 I used Hobonichi A6 - I like the Hobonichi, but I don't journal everyday so I didnt love that it was dated
In 2023 I used the Stalogy 365 A5 - I did really like the format and paper quality, but I use the Uni Jetstream 0.38 and the paper kept making the ink skip which was super annoying
For 2024, I bought 3 Notebooks: Midori MD, Leuchtturm - Grid, and the Hobonichi (just the one with plain grid pages). I wanted a grid notebook where I could make my own yearly/monthly/tracking layouts, and also have enough pages that I could write more if I wanted to.
Leuchtturm - The grid lines were so dark, and the grid size was too big, and I didn't love the paper quality
Midori - I love the way the pages are 'framed', and I do love Midori paper, by the grid squares were way too big (I write small)
Hobonichi - This is the one I went with. I like the Tomoe River (S?) paper, it had a decent number of pages, the grid size is smaller and the lines aren't as obtrusive. I also like that it's subtly 'split' into 4 sections with different coloured grid lines. I do wish it had more pages (but 192 is about as much as you can get without getting a stalogy), and that the pages were framed and numbered, but I guess you can't have it all lol.
Aside: I'm thinking of getting a Stalogy 365 A6 to use as a 3/4/5 year gratitude journal - I'll pick a different pen to use with it.
Hi Mary - I have the Stalogy in different sizes and noticed something funny... While the A5 has 4mm spacing, the B6 and A6 both have 5mm spacing, which you say is too big. I write small too, so I prefer the 4mm spacing. Amazing what a difference 1mm makes! Just so you're aware. :-)
Hi Mary, Hobonichi also make an undated journal (that still has the monthlies in the front) - look up the Day-Free.
Thank you! I'll double check the A6 sizing!
And I do know about the day free thank you! I wasn't keen on the pre-done monthlies for this year - I spent way too much time browsing journal layouts and decided I could have the best of all worlds by just drawing out my own calendars/trackers 🙈