I think you will be happiest long term in the Pen & Gear. I think you are overlooking how annoying it will be to have something that you can't fold over. The bigger books will just get in the way. And, if you rip out pages now, you will be annoyed when you can't.
this video got me to start looking at A6 that has binder rings because I would also want to be able to insert pages too. Some of them are designed that you can still fold it over like a spiral.
I came on to say exactly this. I think using the Stalogy is going to send your brain west and ruin your peace. Today I ordered some notebooks like your Pen & Gear as I think it’s a great idea. And to always be able to rip a page out when I need a piece of paper- perfection 😅
Also, a Zequenz 360 notebook might be a good option. Pocket size is super portable, but binding can fully open and flip back like a spiral notebook. Paper quality is fine for this type of EDC. Tons of pages. All around very durable notebook that feels good in your hand. Worth a try at some point, IMO :)
For commonplacing, don’t worry about a “preferred size” - it just needs to be a notebook that you like and will use. A lot of people like smaller formats to make them portable, but one of my friends uses an A4 hard cover that lives on her desk & she *loves* the huge size.
From outside looking in it feels like Pen and Gear would still be your best option! Maybe having an a6 stalogy for common place/scripture as your 3rd book but as your on the go companion it sounds like the pen and gear ticks all the boxes. Maybe sticking a pencil board of some sort to the back cover of the pen and gear would help reinforce it a little bit too??
I went through the same thing you have with just wanting a journal that you can write messy random notes and doodles in. I have decided to try out my old passport sized TN. I love the leather and the small size fits so nicely in my hands. They have so many different choices for notebook inserts to choose from. I think I am going to be very happy. Last year I used the Target Greenroom in a tiny spiral for this purpose alongside my hobonichi weeks. I think whatever notebook you love the most, can fit this purpose.
I use a pen n gear spiral 4x6 notebook as a jotter too. I bought a piece of leather from Michaels and made a tn for it. U can make it wide enough to accommodate just the pen n gear or several notebooks. I love the paper as well. I use fountain pens and they work so well in the pen n gear. I know u don’t want to invest any money but they are very simple to make and very cheap especially with a coupon. I have made several. Some wide when I want to carry 3 notebooks and some less wide to only accommodate the pen n gear. I use a metal pen clip to clip on the leather and it’s just so convenient.
I’m here! I use a Pen & Gear 4x6 as my EDC. It’s the best for random notes, daily tasks, tear out pages, etc. I’ve been in mine since September, which means I will need to replace the notebook at least 3-4 times a year. I found a repurposed passport size LV cover, cut the back cover of the notebook about a quarter from the top and bottom and slid it in the cover. Regardless of a cover or not, the notebook still gets tattered. I love the pages because of how bold the lines are. I stay away from the Stalogy for this reason.
Sam I think you would like either the pen and gear or even a pocket moleskine booklet like the pack of three. You can tear out a few of those pages, can turn it on itself and it’s small. I have been watching you for years and from what I have seen, you prefer a small area with room to write a lot on one page, without having a lot of extra space to waste. If you choose to explore the pocket moleskine booklets, you will replace them fairly often so you don’t have to worry about not having enough room, just grab another one. They would also stick inside your planner cover without damaging it. You could also look into an A6 ton booklet to swap out through the year. I just don’t think you’d be happy in a bigger book for long. I carry around the pocket booklets and sometimes the pen and gear notebook myself and enjoy them both.
I also have a sidekick for my Weeks. And though a huge Stalogy fan but for portability I use the memo pads and a medium-sized post-it on the pencil board for really fleeting notes. (Post-its are slim enough to keep a small stack of 5-6 to peel from.)
So Create With Pen makes these great small notebooks (in pocket size and passport size I believe) with 200+ or up to 400-500 pp that can be ripped out. Beautiful paper. More expensive than your pen + gear but has a great hand feel. I have a chic sparrow cover for mine and I love it.
I have used a Pen & Gear as my side kick for more than a year and will continue in 2025. Works great for me. Please share your Weeks cover. Thanks for sharing your planners! 🧡
Pen and Gear since it’s been used so long and it’s very tried and true. If you want something bigger are you wanting a small portable size? A6 hobonichi memo books or the notebooks? The pocket size is great. Have you thought about field notes so that eliminates the spiral digging into your leathers? You can get them lined. Sterling ink has those mini booklets that may be looking into. I enjoy my lechtterm a6 pocket sizes to carry as my extras aside from my planner. The soft cover isn’t as thick since it has 122pages vs 187 in the hard cover. If you think your stsligy is too big and thick you can customize your own sizes by tearing out the pages and creating your own stapled or sewn booklet using stalogy paper. I did a bunch of pocket sizes from nice papers and they were great for on the go.
I know you don’t want to, but it still sounds like the pen and gear is the right fit for your sidekick. Use the B6 for common placing separately. You need to be able to rip out pages and not be precious and that will turn you off of the other books as your sidekick. Just my 2c! I’m sure you’ll pick a good one 😄
I’m still here!!!! 😂I love chatty! ❤❤❤ Just stick with what works. Simple. No fuss no worry notebook . I use a softcover moleskins 3.5x5.5 for 💩writings. (I date it if I need too) It fits in my smallish bag and/or purse. ( I carry both to work) I too use a Hobonichi weeks ( not mega) and it helps me keep my weeks clean and neat looking.
What about using brown paper bag and wrapping it like we did our school books when we were kids? You could reinforce the spine area with tape. I think it would still allow you to close the book backwards if you needed it for a writing surface, like when you're at the grocery store. And it's cheap to replace
I say stick with the Pen and Gear for your on-the-go lists and ability to tear out pages, then pick a different notebook for your commonplace. That way you can jot something down while you're out and about, then tear out the page when you get home and transfer to your commonplace! I think trying to cram two different functions into one notebook may be what's messing with your brain. I would stop looking at the smaller notebook as something you _have_ to write in every day and just look at it as a place to capture fleeting thoughts or make quick lists. That's what I do with mine. I spent a couple more bucks and got the hardback pocket size Pen and Gear notebook for $5. I wanted something that will actually fit in a pocket as opposed to my purse because I want to get into the habit of reaching for the notebook more often than my phone, especially if I think of something I need to write down. I also wanted something that had a big enough spiral to hold a pen without needing a pen loop. I still prefer gel pens over ballpoints because I need something that doesn't require a lot of hand pressure. The only downside is the shape of the notebook is a tiny bit awkward at times. However, it's been great for my needs. It may be something to think about! Either way, my point is I would think about separating the two functions for the sidekick notebook. Who says you can't have two? One for on-the-go jotting and the other for commonplacing and/or journaling? Bottom line, do what works best with your brain. Hope this helps!
I am here cutting the binding off of my Aura Estelle A6 Weekly Catchall while watching your video. I will punch the mushroom holes into it to turn it into a discbound system so that I can take pages out or rearrange them. This allows me to break free from being bound to the bound 😂 system.
I have definitely had a similar quandry before, and I think my main question is: could the carry-around sidekick for grocery lists, random notes, etc not stay the pen and gear? If you are too worried about the coil damaging your leather, might you or someone close to you be able to sew a very simple slip-on cloth cover (you could even add a closure)? For the extra notebook, I think you could definitely get away with one of the bigger ones if you are ok with letting it stay at home when you do simple errands and only bringing it with you if you think you'll have something to brainstorm. It could also just be a landing place for the notes from the P+G that you want to keep long-term, which could make letting go of those notebooks easier.
I love a chatty video! I'm going to use a small notebook as a sidekick in the manner that Helen w/ TCMC did this year. I have the a6 free book that came with my Hobonichi order. Portable, cute & no spiral. Good luck with whatever you end up using. You have lots of options so give them each a trial run now before deciding on a choice for 2025.😊
If you are concerned that the Pen+Gear will not last the whole year, just consider how you have already used it in 2024. That’s probably about how much you will use it going forward. But, of course, I am also biased toward frugality. I think finding a perfectly suitable pen or notebook at a bargain price is #winning. Fran-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tock 🤷🏻♂️😂
Hi Sam. Remember you want to keep your sidekick small and portable. Personally i would go with the stalogy A6, either in the half year and decide you'll start a second book anyway mid year even if the first book isn't full( which will take away any pressure to fill it but it will also mean you can fill as much of it as you need to because you'll be starting a second book anyway). The half year will be more portable and keep the whole Weeks and sidekick idea really small and neat in your bag OR i would go with a full sized A6 Stalogy and look at it as your sidekick for the whole of 2025 and I'd keep it as is and decorate the cover with your stickers or put it in a leather cover and have the enjoyment of using a leather cover. A5 is too big to use on the go for what you need it for, just my thoughts on it all. Merry Christmas to you and your family. 😊
After listening to all your thoughts, My vote is for the B6 stalogy! Only because it checks everything in your list. The only reason you stopped is cuz you drew in the calendars and that kind of thing would stop me too. But the leather cover would give you a nice hard back to write on. You love the paper. You like the size. You like the cover. That’s the clear winner for me.
It sounds like the ability to tear pages is important to you, so why give it up? If the spiral binding is the only con, maybe you should consider a notebook with perforated pages?
Hi Sam! If you are wanting to just have a to do list notebook, I would stick with the Pen&Gear. That can easily be tossed when finished. If you start adding more lists to it, then you will be more apt to keep it. And you probably will have more to do lists in it, than the other lists. Maybe put the other items you want to get out of your head and keep in the back of the hobo weeks? But if you want to have the to do lists and other thoughts together, go with the A6 1/2 year. It has 190 pages. Create with Pen does make a smaller one that is nice too! Just a few thoughts. Merry Christmas!
Lol i did the same thing in my a6 stalogy randomly adding 2025 monthly calandar pages and feel frozen with what to do with the notebook now because it was a cool art journal before. I’m considering cutting them out but i don’t know . In your case i would suggest gluing the month pages together. Sometimes it just takes me a few weeks or months to get over it and be like “it’s a notebook, it’s not that serious” and then i continue using it how i want in the moment
The moleskine daily is super temping with it already being dated and the ability to kinda create some memory keeping in it but at the end of the day I think you will reach for that pen and gear as it's more of a casual notebook you can easily pickup and not worry about making it look nice and not worry about trashing it when you are done with it. I myself am a huge daily planner and can't go without my daily list but at the end of the day I just want to trash my list as I don't need to remember that I dusted the top of the fridge on March 4th lol
I think the Pen and Gear would be my first choice because you use it for lists and it is easy to use in stores. My second choice would be an A6 Stalogy in the full year. I love the Stalogy notebooks and ballpoint pens 😊
As soon as you flipped the pen & gear over (thanks to the spiral) I was sold! I think you’ll miss that, and the ability to easily tear pages out and not have to treat it like it’s too precious (which is what I think would happen with these other “specialer” notebooks) 😋 Looking forward to seeing what you decide!
I know you don’t want to spend more money but what about a weeks sized notebook from Aura Estelle or Sterling Ink? Or- the Sterling Ink Weeks planner that has 365 notes pages. Undated. Or- buy the hobonichi 3 pack notebooks that are weeks sized . Or- use post its for you shopping lists. I would want my companion notebook to be the same size as my planner.
Oooh that Moleskine you found at Marshall's is a gem! I love the size of it and I bet it's so satsifying to hold. I recently purchased (probably too many) several 3-packs of Pen & Gear notebooks from Walmart, and got 12 total for just under $5.00 and they're about the same size as the spiral ones that you have, but they're the soft binding and are comparable to an A5 notebook. I actually keep them in a knock-off Traveler's Company passport leather cover and they fit perfectly! It's been so much fun to carry it around with me to jot down important info while I'm running errands, especially for tracking my spending and making lists for groceries, To Do's, etc. Best of luck as you go through your choices! Can't wait to see the next video. :-)
I love these length videos! (I love listening to these longer, chatty videos while I do rebounding.) I'm voting for B6 (if you don't think it will be too big, long-term) because you like the paper, you have a cover you love, and it will probably last the whole year. If you put a few sticky notes on the back, they can take the place of pages you ripped out for notes on your P&G. I think the larger books are going to possibly get annoying after a while... especially the dated Moleskine. For books with a hard cover or nicer/thicker paper, I always feel that they are too fancy/precious/long-term to use for lists, notes, ect. 🤦🏻♀️ Like what I put in them has to have the same "fanciness" as the paper. Stalogy is just this lovely in-between...good paper, but not "precious". I know you'll find a great solution, whatever you end up using! -Erin
I'd stick with the Pen and Gear or try the Stalogy because of the portability. The other ones are just too big for me to be carrying around in a daily bases. Can't wait to see what you will choose. Happy Holidays to you and your family! ❤
Have you considered using one of your personal ring binders as your notebook? Especially when trying a new system that may or may not work out for you- rings are great. If you “mess up” or change your mind about how you’re using it- you could remove the pages easily. If you wanted to expand on an idea that you wrote about earlier- you could just pop in the page where it makes sense. If you decide commonplacing is actually beneficial- you could always transition into a notebook. Doing it this way could help cut down on abandoned notebooks too. I don’t mean to add more confusion. I’ve enjoyed rings so much in 2024 (for various notebooks and morning pages) that I’m steadily moving most things over from bound books. I will keep my journal and planner (Cousin) bound for now. The Pen and Gear makes you happy. I’m not sure if the sizing, but could you just look through you a6 folio covers and fit it into one of those to protect your purse stuff from the coil?
This is a tough one but I enjoy listening to you process. I would say the A6 Stalogy because you like the paper, it isn’t spiral & it’s portable. But I love a B6 and Jenika’s covers so that would be my choice 1.5. My daughter (who was watching with me) says go for the B6.
I know you said you didn't want to buy anything new for 2025 but for future reference have you looked into Sterling Ink? They have horizontal versions of all of their planner sizes now, including A5 and B6, so if you want something bigger but not vertical, it's a good option. They also have both lined and dot grid notebooks.
Oh my stars I Love this video. I have zero advice for you but wanted to thank you for making me feel normal. Some of it made me feel like you were reading footnotes from my own brain. I did come from Annies video where she fave you a shout out! Cant wait to see what you decide on. Happy new year 🎆
Love this video! "Not planner planner drama," 😂 Love it and I have it all the time. Sigh... I have almost duplicate thoughts and issues. I have guilt when I don't use the dated planners, but I can't seem to use an undated planner. As far as my vote for you, I think that you will probably stick with the pen and gear notebook more than the others. For me, I've used a spiral notebook like that and it worked very well. But I stopped using it because it wasn't pretty, haha.
I was going to ask, what about the pocket Leuchtturm? They do lined and grid too I think. Ooh, and the port red pen loop exactly matches the new burgundy Filofax Malden, if folks need to know that 😅
The smaller stalogy with some sticky notes that you carry in the Weeks case. Anything bigger that the a6 stalogy is hard to carry around unless it is narrow like a standard TN. I get the issue with the spiral. I've had one tear the inside lining of a purse, especially the cheaper notebook spirals because they are thinner. For a common planner, that big notebook may be too big. In my opinion, I would do A5 or smaller. But, remember, what works for me may not work for you, so who cares what others think? Do what is best for you.
My go to for 3 years has been the weeks and B6 stalogy. They work great together. I don't personally like spirals so I say stalogy. I'm trying an A6 next year because I've been wanting to downsize. The stalogies fold over on themselves nicely with no damage. I use an A6 as a grocery shopping book right now and always have it folded over. Thank you for always inspiring me to try and be true to what works!!
My vote is stalogy a6 for to-dos; and use the back pages of weeks for those things you want to remember. Ultimately hobo weeks mega would be better: but if and when you run out of pages you could add something else. I feel the b6 stalogy is too big and you wouldn’t be happy having to haul it around. Also a simple rubberband, or I like a hair tie, would hold the pen and gear spiral closed. Hobo also makes a band ish thing with a rivet on it you could use, if you have a A6 one.
I was going to suggest them too. You might get more than one day on a page but one notebook probably won’t last very long. It’s just their perfect Week’s size worked well for me.
Take a look at Just Scribble , Sterling ink have horizontal weeks sized books and Twines and Paper has a horizontal hybrid. I much prefer any of these to Hobonichi no quotes, cleaner layouts
Love chatty videos. And I don’t have a tik tok account either. I generally have chatty videos like yours and a few other creators on in the background while I’m doing my own journaling in the afternoons. I too love the Moleskine paper. I fail at keeping up with the large daily planner. But for the past few years I’ve been able to maintain a pocket moleskine daily in conjunction with my hobonichi weeks.
You’ve already had success with your B6 Stalogy, so maybe after learning what you don’t want (calendars) it would make the most sense. You can always go back to pen and gear if it doesn’t work out. I’m doing something similar in a TN size sterling ink notebook this year as a companion to my weeks size SI planner.
Nah, I'm not about short form anything either. Sure, I don't like hour long videos with no content, but I usually journal along or work, so I love listening to people unfold their thought process. I also try not to spend my free time scrolling through meaningless reels, shorts and tictocs, so I don't even have those installed. If I consume anything, it should add to my life not take (time) away.
Pocket Moleskine??? Idk. I think pen and gear is amazing. But pick what is best for you! ❤ I just cut down an outdated daily Moleskine to narrow. It takes off the dates on the daily page, and it’s great!
I’d go with the B6 Stalogy and just rip those calendar pages out and shred them! If they make you anxious then get rid of them. I feel like the big hardbacks are going to be too heavy and cumbersome to carry on a regular basis, and require a large bag to carry everything.
You can try to break up with the Pen and Gear, but... he'll come back. 🤣 How do I know, I've tried it. I think we think it's not worthy cause it's like $1.35. But it's practically perfect in every way. If I could change anything I'd ask for less branding on the front. They do have a small 3.5 x 5 hard cover Pen and Gear with a closure and a back pocket. It is good, but it is the spiral flip for me.
Well. Honestly I would definitely send back the moleskin. There is a lot of controversial going on with the paper quality. I bought mine months ago and starting noticing so many videos about the paper quality the fact that it is not user friendly to TomBow markers or any other for that matter. Bleeds through horribly and unfortunately the one I purchased months ago is part of that horrible paper and I am not able to send back. Also, I think you would be happier with the pen and Gear simply because it gives you the freedom you are looking for. And why not invest in a small cover? I love those small Walmart notebooks and that one stays with me. I want to invest in a small cover that I will love. A small thin one to protect the spiral and my bag essentials. Thanks for sharing your line up and hope I didn’t make it worse on you. ❤
Hi, Sam! Because you love the size and portability of the Pen and Gear, I am leaning towards the A6 Stalogy. I love the cover you have for the B6 Stalogy but it might get too heavy and not fit in your bag so easily. Do you have an A6 cover?
I think you should stay with the Pen & Gear. I am currently using an A6 Stalogy that I drew calendars in (for 2 years) and I have a week on two pages - simple set up - I just have a quick list of things to do for the week and then each day I sit down and make a daily list. If I skip a day, so be it. Different type of busy now that I’m retired! I use either a Field Notes book or a Moleskine cahier as my sidekick. They don’t last the full year, but they do last for quite awhile! Good luck and Merry Christmas to you and family!
I think you will be happiest long term in the Pen & Gear. I think you are overlooking how annoying it will be to have something that you can't fold over. The bigger books will just get in the way. And, if you rip out pages now, you will be annoyed when you can't.
I agree!
I agree too…I love my pen n gear too. It’s so practical.
this video got me to start looking at A6 that has binder rings because I would also want to be able to insert pages too. Some of them are designed that you can still fold it over like a spiral.
I came on to say exactly this. I think using the Stalogy is going to send your brain west and ruin your peace. Today I ordered some notebooks like your Pen & Gear as I think it’s a great idea. And to always be able to rip a page out when I need a piece of paper- perfection 😅
Agree! I feel like you have been using the pen and gear successfully, so why fix something that isn't broken.
"It's working so why question it?" Wow - that statement! Why are you attacking me?! Am I the drama? I'm not the drama - am I? I am the drama... LOL!!!
Also, a Zequenz 360 notebook might be a good option. Pocket size is super portable, but binding can fully open and flip back like a spiral notebook. Paper quality is fine for this type of EDC. Tons of pages. All around very durable notebook that feels good in your hand. Worth a try at some point, IMO :)
For commonplacing, don’t worry about a “preferred size” - it just needs to be a notebook that you like and will use. A lot of people like smaller formats to make them portable, but one of my friends uses an A4 hard cover that lives on her desk & she *loves* the huge size.
From outside looking in it feels like Pen and Gear would still be your best option! Maybe having an a6 stalogy for common place/scripture as your 3rd book but as your on the go companion it sounds like the pen and gear ticks all the boxes. Maybe sticking a pencil board of some sort to the back cover of the pen and gear would help reinforce it a little bit too??
I'm all for the B6 Stalogy. The way you talked about it so fondly and have a lovely cover for it already... give it a chance!
what i like about the pen and gear is that it's aesthetic, especially the spiral, reminds me of it's purpose and i won't overthink it!
I like the portability of the pen and gear.
I went through the same thing you have with just wanting a journal that you can write messy random notes and doodles in. I have decided to try out my old passport sized TN. I love the leather and the small size fits so nicely in my hands. They have so many different choices for notebook inserts to choose from. I think I am going to be very happy. Last year I used the Target Greenroom in a tiny spiral for this purpose alongside my hobonichi weeks. I think whatever notebook you love the most, can fit this purpose.
Metallica lyrics and Scripture side by side !!😂 yes please!
I use a pen n gear spiral 4x6 notebook as a jotter too. I bought a piece of leather from Michaels and made a tn for it. U can make it wide enough to accommodate just the pen n gear or several notebooks. I love the paper as well. I use fountain pens and they work so well in the pen n gear. I know u don’t want to invest any money but they are very simple to make and very cheap especially with a coupon. I have made several. Some wide when I want to carry 3 notebooks and some less wide to only accommodate the pen n gear. I use a metal pen clip to clip on the leather and it’s just so convenient.
I’m here! I use a Pen & Gear 4x6 as my EDC. It’s the best for random notes, daily tasks, tear out pages, etc. I’ve been in mine since September, which means I will need to replace the notebook at least 3-4 times a year. I found a repurposed passport size LV cover, cut the back cover of the notebook about a quarter from the top and bottom and slid it in the cover. Regardless of a cover or not, the notebook still gets tattered. I love the pages because of how bold the lines are. I stay away from the Stalogy for this reason.
Sam I think you would like either the pen and gear or even a pocket moleskine booklet like the pack of three. You can tear out a few of those pages, can turn it on itself and it’s small. I have been watching you for years and from what I have seen, you prefer a small area with room to write a lot on one page, without having a lot of extra space to waste. If you choose to explore the pocket moleskine booklets, you will replace them fairly often so you don’t have to worry about not having enough room, just grab another one. They would also stick inside your planner cover without damaging it. You could also look into an A6 ton booklet to swap out through the year. I just don’t think you’d be happy in a bigger book for long. I carry around the pocket booklets and sometimes the pen and gear notebook myself and enjoy them both.
I would suggest you use your A6 or B6 Stalogy with some blank sticky notes for the pages you used to tear out of your Pen & Gear.
I would use another pen & gear. It is a perfect fit and you are so comfortable with it. The complaints are minimal.
I also have a sidekick for my Weeks. And though a huge Stalogy fan but for portability I use the memo pads and a medium-sized post-it on the pencil board for really fleeting notes. (Post-its are slim enough to keep a small stack of 5-6 to peel from.)
Can I throw the little Hobonichi weeks notebooks in the mix? Will fit behind your weeks in the cover. You get 3 in a pack.
Baum & Kuchen has a really cute Standard Labour foiling cover that fits that Stalogy notebook. I think it would match your esthetic perfectly.
So Create With Pen makes these great small notebooks (in pocket size and passport size I believe) with 200+ or up to 400-500 pp that can be ripped out. Beautiful paper. More expensive than your pen + gear but has a great hand feel. I have a chic sparrow cover for mine and I love it.
I have used a Pen & Gear as my side kick for more than a year and will continue in 2025. Works great for me. Please share your Weeks cover. Thanks for sharing your planners! 🧡
Still here at the end! This is the perfect length planner video for me. ❤
Pen and Gear since it’s been used so long and it’s very tried and true. If you want something bigger are you wanting a small portable size? A6 hobonichi memo books or the notebooks? The pocket size is great. Have you thought about field notes so that eliminates the spiral digging into your leathers? You can get them lined. Sterling ink has those mini booklets that may be looking into. I enjoy my lechtterm a6 pocket sizes to carry as my extras aside from my planner. The soft cover isn’t as thick since it has 122pages vs 187 in the hard cover. If you think your stsligy is too big and thick you can customize your own sizes by tearing out the pages and creating your own stapled or sewn booklet using stalogy paper. I did a bunch of pocket sizes from nice papers and they were great for on the go.
I know you don’t want to, but it still sounds like the pen and gear is the right fit for your sidekick. Use the B6 for common placing separately. You need to be able to rip out pages and not be precious and that will turn you off of the other books as your sidekick. Just my 2c! I’m sure you’ll pick a good one 😄
I’m still here!!!! 😂I love chatty! ❤❤❤
Just stick with what works. Simple. No fuss no worry notebook .
I use a softcover moleskins 3.5x5.5 for 💩writings. (I date it if I need too) It fits in my smallish bag and/or purse. ( I carry both to work) I too use a Hobonichi weeks ( not mega) and it helps me keep my weeks clean and neat looking.
I recommend the Stalogy or sticking with the Pen and Gear. Do you already have a cover that you can use with the Pen and Gear?
Nope, no cover for the pen and gear.
What about using brown paper bag and wrapping it like we did our school books when we were kids? You could reinforce the spine area with tape. I think it would still allow you to close the book backwards if you needed it for a writing surface, like when you're at the grocery store. And it's cheap to replace
Core memory unlocked!
I say stick with the Pen and Gear for your on-the-go lists and ability to tear out pages, then pick a different notebook for your commonplace. That way you can jot something down while you're out and about, then tear out the page when you get home and transfer to your commonplace!
I think trying to cram two different functions into one notebook may be what's messing with your brain. I would stop looking at the smaller notebook as something you _have_ to write in every day and just look at it as a place to capture fleeting thoughts or make quick lists. That's what I do with mine.
I spent a couple more bucks and got the hardback pocket size Pen and Gear notebook for $5. I wanted something that will actually fit in a pocket as opposed to my purse because I want to get into the habit of reaching for the notebook more often than my phone, especially if I think of something I need to write down. I also wanted something that had a big enough spiral to hold a pen without needing a pen loop. I still prefer gel pens over ballpoints because I need something that doesn't require a lot of hand pressure. The only downside is the shape of the notebook is a tiny bit awkward at times. However, it's been great for my needs. It may be something to think about!
Either way, my point is I would think about separating the two functions for the sidekick notebook. Who says you can't have two? One for on-the-go jotting and the other for commonplacing and/or journaling? Bottom line, do what works best with your brain. Hope this helps!
I am here cutting the binding off of my Aura Estelle A6 Weekly Catchall while watching your video. I will punch the mushroom holes into it to turn it into a discbound system so that I can take pages out or rearrange them. This allows me to break free from being bound to the bound 😂 system.
I have definitely had a similar quandry before, and I think my main question is: could the carry-around sidekick for grocery lists, random notes, etc not stay the pen and gear? If you are too worried about the coil damaging your leather, might you or someone close to you be able to sew a very simple slip-on cloth cover (you could even add a closure)?
For the extra notebook, I think you could definitely get away with one of the bigger ones if you are ok with letting it stay at home when you do simple errands and only bringing it with you if you think you'll have something to brainstorm. It could also just be a landing place for the notes from the P+G that you want to keep long-term, which could make letting go of those notebooks easier.
I love a chatty video! I'm going to use a small notebook as a sidekick in the manner that Helen w/ TCMC did this year. I have the a6 free book that came with my Hobonichi order. Portable, cute & no spiral. Good luck with whatever you end up using. You have lots of options so give them each a trial run now before deciding on a choice for 2025.😊
If you are concerned that the Pen+Gear will not last the whole year, just consider how you have already used it in 2024. That’s probably about how much you will use it going forward. But, of course, I am also biased toward frugality. I think finding a perfectly suitable pen or notebook at a bargain price is #winning. Fran-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tock 🤷🏻♂️😂
Hi Sam. Remember you want to keep your sidekick small and portable. Personally i would go with the stalogy A6, either in the half year and decide you'll start a second book anyway mid year even if the first book isn't full( which will take away any pressure to fill it but it will also mean you can fill as much of it as you need to because you'll be starting a second book anyway). The half year will be more portable and keep the whole Weeks and sidekick idea really small and neat in your bag OR i would go with a full sized A6 Stalogy and look at it as your sidekick for the whole of 2025 and I'd keep it as is and decorate the cover with your stickers or put it in a leather cover and have the enjoyment of using a leather cover. A5 is too big to use on the go for what you need it for, just my thoughts on it all. Merry Christmas to you and your family. 😊
After listening to all your thoughts, My vote is for the B6 stalogy! Only because it checks everything in your list. The only reason you stopped is cuz you drew in the calendars and that kind of thing would stop me too. But the leather cover would give you a nice hard back to write on. You love the paper. You like the size. You like the cover. That’s the clear winner for me.
It sounds like the ability to tear pages is important to you, so why give it up? If the spiral binding is the only con, maybe you should consider a notebook with perforated pages?
Hi Sam! If you are wanting to just have a to do list notebook, I would stick with the Pen&Gear. That can easily be tossed when finished. If you start adding more lists to it, then you will be more apt to keep it. And you probably will have more to do lists in it, than the other lists. Maybe put the other items you want to get out of your head and keep in the back of the hobo weeks? But if you want to have the to do lists and other thoughts together, go with the A6 1/2 year. It has 190 pages. Create with Pen does make a smaller one that is nice too! Just a few thoughts. Merry Christmas!
Lol i did the same thing in my a6 stalogy randomly adding 2025 monthly calandar pages and feel frozen with what to do with the notebook now because it was a cool art journal before. I’m considering cutting them out but i don’t know . In your case i would suggest gluing the month pages together.
Sometimes it just takes me a few weeks or months to get over it and be like “it’s a notebook, it’s not that serious” and then i continue using it how i want in the moment
The moleskine daily is super temping with it already being dated and the ability to kinda create some memory keeping in it but at the end of the day I think you will reach for that pen and gear as it's more of a casual notebook you can easily pickup and not worry about making it look nice and not worry about trashing it when you are done with it. I myself am a huge daily planner and can't go without my daily list but at the end of the day I just want to trash my list as I don't need to remember that I dusted the top of the fridge on March 4th lol
I think the Pen and Gear would be my first choice because you use it for lists and it is easy to use in stores. My second choice would be an A6 Stalogy in the full year. I love the Stalogy notebooks and ballpoint pens 😊
I stayed to the end! And I think the Pen & Gear would be the best choice for you.
Get a small TN - it's just for notes and it could fit in your weeks folder
As soon as you flipped the pen & gear over (thanks to the spiral) I was sold! I think you’ll miss that, and the ability to easily tear pages out and not have to treat it like it’s too precious (which is what I think would happen with these other “specialer” notebooks) 😋 Looking forward to seeing what you decide!
I know you don’t want to spend more money but what about a weeks sized notebook from Aura Estelle or Sterling Ink? Or- the Sterling Ink Weeks planner that has 365 notes pages. Undated. Or- buy the hobonichi 3 pack notebooks that are weeks sized . Or- use post its for you shopping lists. I would want my companion notebook to be the same size as my planner.
What about field notes? Nice paper and thin and simple. ❤
Oooh that Moleskine you found at Marshall's is a gem! I love the size of it and I bet it's so satsifying to hold.
I recently purchased (probably too many) several 3-packs of Pen & Gear notebooks from Walmart, and got 12 total for just under $5.00 and they're about the same size as the spiral ones that you have, but they're the soft binding and are comparable to an A5 notebook. I actually keep them in a knock-off Traveler's Company passport leather cover and they fit perfectly! It's been so much fun to carry it around with me to jot down important info while I'm running errands, especially for tracking my spending and making lists for groceries, To Do's, etc.
Best of luck as you go through your choices! Can't wait to see the next video. :-)
I love these length videos! (I love listening to these longer, chatty videos while I do rebounding.)
I'm voting for B6 (if you don't think it will be too big, long-term) because you like the paper, you have a cover you love, and it will probably last the whole year. If you put a few sticky notes on the back, they can take the place of pages you ripped out for notes on your P&G.
I think the larger books are going to possibly get annoying after a while... especially the dated Moleskine.
For books with a hard cover or nicer/thicker paper, I always feel that they are too fancy/precious/long-term to use for lists, notes, ect. 🤦🏻♀️ Like what I put in them has to have the same "fanciness" as the paper. Stalogy is just this lovely in-between...good paper, but not "precious".
I know you'll find a great solution, whatever you end up using!
-Erin
I'd stick with the Pen and Gear or try the Stalogy because of the portability. The other ones are just too big for me to be carrying around in a daily bases. Can't wait to see what you will choose. Happy Holidays to you and your family! ❤
Have you considered using one of your personal ring binders as your notebook? Especially when trying a new system that may or may not work out for you- rings are great. If you “mess up” or change your mind about how you’re using it- you could remove the pages easily. If you wanted to expand on an idea that you wrote about earlier- you could just pop in the page where it makes sense. If you decide commonplacing is actually beneficial- you could always transition into a notebook. Doing it this way could help cut down on abandoned notebooks too. I don’t mean to add more confusion.
I’ve enjoyed rings so much in 2024 (for various notebooks and morning pages) that I’m steadily moving most things over from bound books. I will keep my journal and planner (Cousin) bound for now.
The Pen and Gear makes you happy. I’m not sure if the sizing, but could you just look through you a6 folio covers and fit it into one of those to protect your purse stuff from the coil?
This is a tough one but I enjoy listening to you process. I would say the A6 Stalogy because you like the paper, it isn’t spiral & it’s portable. But I love a B6 and Jenika’s covers so that would be my choice 1.5. My daughter (who was watching with me) says go for the B6.
I know you said you didn't want to buy anything new for 2025 but for future reference have you looked into Sterling Ink? They have horizontal versions of all of their planner sizes now, including A5 and B6, so if you want something bigger but not vertical, it's a good option. They also have both lined and dot grid notebooks.
Oh my stars I Love this video. I have zero advice for you but wanted to thank you for making me feel normal. Some of it made me feel like you were reading footnotes from my own brain. I did come from Annies video where she fave you a shout out! Cant wait to see what you decide on. Happy new year 🎆
Love this video! "Not planner planner drama," 😂 Love it and I have it all the time. Sigh... I have almost duplicate thoughts and issues. I have guilt when I don't use the dated planners, but I can't seem to use an undated planner. As far as my vote for you, I think that you will probably stick with the pen and gear notebook more than the others. For me, I've used a spiral notebook like that and it worked very well. But I stopped using it because it wasn't pretty, haha.
I was going to ask, what about the pocket Leuchtturm? They do lined and grid too I think.
Ooh, and the port red pen loop exactly matches the new burgundy Filofax Malden, if folks need to know that 😅
The smaller stalogy with some sticky notes that you carry in the Weeks case. Anything bigger that the a6 stalogy is hard to carry around unless it is narrow like a standard TN. I get the issue with the spiral. I've had one tear the inside lining of a purse, especially the cheaper notebook spirals because they are thinner. For a common planner, that big notebook may be too big. In my opinion, I would do A5 or smaller. But, remember, what works for me may not work for you, so who cares what others think? Do what is best for you.
I ordered one of the leather covers like yours.Purple is my favorite color. I am so glad you showed yours.
My go to for 3 years has been the weeks and B6 stalogy. They work great together. I don't personally like spirals so I say stalogy. I'm trying an A6 next year because I've been wanting to downsize. The stalogies fold over on themselves nicely with no damage. I use an A6 as a grocery shopping book right now and always have it folded over. Thank you for always inspiring me to try and be true to what works!!
My vote is stalogy a6 for to-dos; and use the back pages of weeks for those things you want to remember. Ultimately hobo weeks mega would be better: but if and when you run out of pages you could add something else. I feel the b6 stalogy is too big and you wouldn’t be happy having to haul it around. Also a simple rubberband, or I like a hair tie, would hold the pen and gear spiral closed. Hobo also makes a band ish thing with a rivet on it you could use, if you have a A6 one.
I vote stalogy!! I made a full year into a mini planner and it goes with me wherever I go!
Have you considered a weeks shaped notebook?
I think they may have that type on Amazon.
Have you ever considered the super thin Hobonichi notebooks? I have them in the weeks size. It could fit in your planner!
I was going to suggest them too. You might get more than one day on a page but one notebook probably won’t last very long. It’s just their perfect Week’s size worked well for me.
For the bigger books I would leave the Leuchtturm out of the mix. The paper sounds like a deal breaker for me.
I would love to know where you got the clear cover for your B6 Stalogy please!
Take a look at Just Scribble , Sterling ink have horizontal weeks sized books and Twines and Paper has a horizontal hybrid. I much prefer any of these to Hobonichi no quotes, cleaner layouts
Love chatty videos. And I don’t have a tik tok account either. I generally have chatty videos like yours and a few other creators on in the background while I’m doing my own journaling in the afternoons.
I too love the Moleskine paper. I fail at keeping up with the large daily planner. But for the past few years I’ve been able to maintain a pocket moleskine daily in conjunction with my hobonichi weeks.
So neat to hear you say how much you like ball points (currently) even more than fountain pens - the Pilot G-tec-C Maica 0.4 is so pretty
You’ve already had success with your B6 Stalogy, so maybe after learning what you don’t want (calendars) it would make the most sense. You can always go back to pen and gear if it doesn’t work out. I’m doing something similar in a TN size sterling ink notebook this year as a companion to my weeks size SI planner.
Nah, I'm not about short form anything either. Sure, I don't like hour long videos with no content, but I usually journal along or work, so I love listening to people unfold their thought process. I also try not to spend my free time scrolling through meaningless reels, shorts and tictocs, so I don't even have those installed. If I consume anything, it should add to my life not take (time) away.
Stick with what you’ve been doing. Otherwise, buy a pack of those Weeks thin notebooks as they can be tucked into your cover too. 3 in a pack.
Pocket Moleskine??? Idk. I think pen and gear is amazing. But pick what is best for you! ❤
I just cut down an outdated daily Moleskine to narrow. It takes off the dates on the daily page, and it’s great!
What about a kinbor weeks. Is similar size and comes in different setups and soft or hardcover.
By the way still here 😂 I love the longer video ramblings
I’d go with the B6 Stalogy and just rip those calendar pages out and shred them! If they make you anxious then get rid of them. I feel like the big hardbacks are going to be too heavy and cumbersome to carry on a regular basis, and require a large bag to carry everything.
Do you have a portland leather goods wrap journal? Put the pen and gear in that.
Or the passport cover?
I use a b6 slim for a sidekick from Sterling Ink. It’s the right size for me in a plastic cover.
I use a weeks sized planner and a A6 Stalogy for to do lists on the side. It works great!
A full-size A6 I’m guessing? 😊
@yes, I didn’t know they had a half year available!
You can try to break up with the Pen and Gear, but... he'll come back. 🤣 How do I know, I've tried it. I think we think it's not worthy cause it's like $1.35. But it's practically perfect in every way. If I could change anything I'd ask for less branding on the front.
They do have a small 3.5 x 5 hard cover Pen and Gear with a closure and a back pocket. It is good, but it is the spiral flip for me.
What do you think of a sneaker weeks so you’d have more pages but all in one book? Love your videos thank you
also: i think i'll be starting the year in personal rings! i got a sojourner cover....a moterm may also be on the way.
Have you tried the Apica notebooks?
Well. Honestly I would definitely send back the moleskin. There is a lot of controversial going on with the paper quality. I bought mine months ago and starting noticing so many videos about the paper quality the fact that it is not user friendly to TomBow markers or any other for that matter. Bleeds through horribly and unfortunately the one I purchased months ago is part of that horrible paper and I am not able to send back. Also, I think you would be happier with the pen and Gear simply because it gives you the freedom you are looking for. And why not invest in a small cover? I love those small Walmart notebooks and that one stays with me. I want to invest in a small cover that I will love. A small thin one to protect the spiral and my bag essentials. Thanks for sharing your line up and hope I didn’t make it worse on you. ❤
I think you should just stay with the pen n gear.
Hi, Sam! Because you love the size and portability of the Pen and Gear, I am leaning towards the A6 Stalogy. I love the cover you have for the B6 Stalogy but it might get too heavy and not fit in your bag so easily. Do you have an A6 cover?
Go for the B6 stalogy 🤩
Hey Sam, still here and also hate TikTok 😂
Love the cat stickers where did you get them😊
Stay at Home Club
Love chatty videos!!! ❤
TikTok stresses me out!!
Pan and gear
Every time you show the daily moleskine with its gorgeous chunkiness…. 😩 i need it. I’m not sure what for but I just DO 😂
B6 Stalogy
I think you should stay with the Pen & Gear. I am currently using an A6 Stalogy that I drew calendars in (for 2 years) and I have a week on two pages - simple set up - I just have a quick list of things to do for the week and then each day I sit down and make a daily list. If I skip a day, so be it. Different type of busy now that I’m retired!
I use either a Field Notes book or a Moleskine cahier as my sidekick. They don’t last the full year, but they do last for quite awhile!
Good luck and Merry Christmas to you and family!
I hate tiktok as well.
I still prefer UA-cam.
Team chatty.