Traveler's Notebooks (or oftentimes heard on the street as T.N.'s) are wholly in vogue... but what exactly do you do with them?
We hear you asking and we respond with the following 10 ways to use Traveler's Notebooks.
Scroll down for more information on how to create each of these and to see photo/project examples!
Ways to Use Traveler's Notebooks
- Keeping Track of Big Projects
- Wedding or Party Guest Books
- Doodling and Zentangling
- Fun and Functional List Making
- Memory Keeping
- Collecting Inspirational Quotes
- Habit Tracking and Reinforcing
- As a Daily Journal
- For Planning
- As a Travel Journal
1. Keeping Track of Big Projects
Big projects have a tendency to take up even bigger amounts of brain power. Whether you're planning a wedding, a family reunion, building a house, or renovating, there are simply just too many things to remember! From measurements and contractors to invitees and dates... we can all admit that things slip through the cracks.
Use a traveler's notebook with a variety of inserts to organize your next big project. Many Traveler's Notebooks have pockets in the inner part of the cover (like in the above photo). Those are perfect for tucking in all of the business cards you need for your project (such as cake makers or hotel options). As for the inserts inside, each Traveler's Notebook insert can be a different "category." If you're building a house, those categories might be: Things to do before we move, measurements in the old place vs. the new, important dates, design options, etc.
Imagine how organized your next project is going to be... it's actually exciting!
2. Wedding or Party Guest Book
Whether it's a wedding, baby shower, or class reunion, we all want to have a way to remember the friends and family who came to attend! A Traveler's Notebook is a unique way to capture your attendees in the utmost style. Grab a Polaroid or Instax camera, some creative supplies like Washi Tape and Markers, and allow your attendees to add their photos and sign!
(Hint: This would be a wonderful surprise gift to a new bride, new mom, or VIP of a big event! Create the guest book in secret and give it to him or her at the end of the night!)
3. Doodling and Zentangling
Pens and Markers can be a bit addicting... and so can doodling. The two go hand in hand (pun intended). Traveler's Notebooks are very diverse in their wide variety of insert options (inserts are the removable and interchangeable booklets inside the Traveler's Notebook itself). Finding inserts with thick, blank pages is a breeze. If you like to doodle when you're on the phone, after dinner, or otherwise unwinding, grab up a few inserts, colorful pigments, and draw your way to creative paradise.
4. Fun and Functional List Making
Making lists is downright important. With the busy lives we all lead, there is always something needing to be jotted down and remembered. Imagine this: What if all of your lists were kept in one place and were never lost.
Hold onto your hats because the hope is possible and the dream becomes reality with Traveler's Notebooks! Create lists that range from fun to functional by adding different inserts with different themes.
Traveler's Notebooks List Making Ideas
Things You're Grateful For
What You Love About Being a Mom/Daughter/Sister/Etc.
Places You Want to Travel
Bucket List
Grocery List
5. Memory Keeping
Traditional scrapbooks will always hold a place in our hearts and on our bookshelves, but memory keeping in a Traveler's Notebook can be a quicker and arguably easier way to document our stories, particularly of the shorter variations - whether they're weekend getaways, science fairs, or day trips.
Traveler's Notebooks and their inserts vary in size, paper, and color, making them the perfect small canvases for sharing your life's stories with originality. Plus, with their removable nature (yes, inserts can easily be slipped in and out of "Traveler's Notebook shells/exteriors"), you can effortlessly mix, match, remove, and replace!
6. Collection of Inspirational Quotes
If you are finally ready to do that thing you've been meaning to do - lose weight, go on a big cruise, ask for that promotion, or whatever it may be, sometimes it's easier than we'd like to admit to get discouraged on the way to the top.
Inspirational and motivational quotes are amazing little reminders that the peak is worth the climb. There's a reason we all have more Pinterest boards than we'd care to admit.
Create a Traveler's Notebook brimful of quotes, songs, poems, scripture, and more to inspire you through the journeys of life and help you reach your goals - or even just make you smile!
7. Habit Tracker and Reinforcer
On the same line as #6, if you want to start or stop a habit, it helps to take note of it and be held accountable. Think about the gold stars on our children's chore charts. There's something satisfying about crossing off to-do's and adding highly-sought-after-accomplishment-stars to our charts.
Traveler's Notebooks can be the placeholder for your habit starting or breaking! Whether you want to drink more water, floss more, or quit smoking, giving yourself a figurative "Gold Star" everyday can be the extra incentive you need to get that habit wherever it needs to be!
Hint: In the creative world, the gold stars don't have to be symbolic. You can actually put stickers in it... and who doesn't want an excuse to collect more stickers?
Hint Hint: Most Traveler's Notebooks also have pockets in the front and back... or as we like to call them: sticker holders!
8. Daily Journal
You don't have to have a huge amount of time to "sit down and write" each day in order to journal or diary-keep. One sentence a day will help you remember the best of times and give you a moment of reflection. Traveler's Notebooks are a great way to do this.
Plus with their convenient size, your daily writer can ride right along with you. How handy is that?
9. Planning
The words Traveler's Notebooks and Planners are oftentimes used interchangeably in the papercrafting world, but it's important to note that the two are not the same thing - unless you want them to be.
Traveler's Notebooks can make really useful small planners. They're about the size of address books which makes them easy for on-the-go. If you're a planner and are looking for a new canvas to plan on, a Traveler's Notebook might be your next organizational adventure. There are a variety of notebook insert options with pre-printed calendars on them available for just that purpose.
10. Travel Journal
Alas, we come full circle. Traveler's Notebooks were originally created with the purpose of planning and documenting your travels and adventures. This is still a fun way to use your Traveler's Notebook!
Collect and store your postcards, ticket stubs, hotel menus, and any other piece of memorabilia that you can think of in your Traveler's Notebook to have a place to always look back and remember your unforgettable escapades!
Either Way...
Traveler's Notebooks have a delightful kaleidoscope of uses and functions! "Pretty" can be "practical" - why not?! Shop Traveler's Notebooks today and start your very own book for your dreams, memory keeping, projects, lists, guest books, and more!
Shop the Most Popular Traveler's Notebook Options
A big thank you to Layle Koncar of Simple Stories for sharing her Traveler's Notebooks with us and some of her innovative, helpful, and down-right inspirational uses!
