Techo Kaigi: My 2024 in planners and journals

I used a variety of different notebooks, planners and journals throughout the year, but some became great favorites. I pretty much abandoned my other collage journals in the course of the year, and made most of my creative journaling collages in my MD Paper 1Day1Page Diary (A6). I love the compact format and the layout of the daily pages. At first, I only made collages on the right-hand page, and wrote something on the left-hand side. But as the year went on and I got more comfortable with the format, I began making double spreads. I even used the monthly spreads to record daily prompts

for various journaling challenges, like Februllage in February and @thesoulofhope December challenge. I did not manage daily collages, more often just few times a week, but by October-November the diary was getting very chunky :) At the end of the year, I made collages on separate substrates and glued it into the journal, because the chonk was getting a bit difficult to manage. I enjoy flipping through the journal and seeing all the different styles I experimented with. I like having all my collages in one place. I am continueing with a 1D1P A6 in 2025 :) MD Paper 1 Day 1Page is made to order, and no restock is planned. Find yours at our shop here.

Another great favorite for years has been the Hobonichi A6 Planner. I have used the Techo Planner A6 for years to document the growing up of my daughter. In 2024, I wanted to try the A6 Original in English. It is almost the same as the English Techo Planner, but with more special pages (that I forgot to use) and the grid of daily pages is in different colour for each month.  The daily grid is black in Techo Planner, only Sundays are red. 

And I must say, I hated the colorful grids of the Original... It was a lovely planner otherwise. Due to the thin Tomoe River paper it is not too chunky even after including photos and other daily ephemera. This year I will log the good and bad of my daughter's days in MD Paper A6 Grid, supplemented by Hobonichi Weekly booklet. This new system is working suprisingly well. I use the Weekly booklet to log allergy/menu/health related stuff and appointments. The A6 Grid is for writing longer entries, storing drawings, photos and funny quotes. It might even be better than the Hobonichi Planner, since now I do not have to write daily long entries, but when I need to, I can even write two pages and add lots of photos and deco :)

Third favorite was my EDC (everyday-carry) and book journal in Hobonichi Weeks. It was my first time trying out the Weeks format, and I loved it so much, I got 2 last year. One as an EDC in a Tragen cover with all my favorite pens, and another as book journal. In my book journal, I logged  books read, date started/completed and memorable quotes. I love a good structure for a reading journal. This year, I will be logging my books in Black Gingham Paper Hobonichi Weeks.

My EDC came everywhere with me and I often felt I'd like to live in the planner (yes, weird, I know). But I often felt like I had too little space for writing, even despite the 75 grid pages at the back. I missed the daily pages... I was in agony from Oct to Dec and so unsure what to take for my EDC right up til Christmas! At first I tried the Sterling Ink N2 Common Planner but it did not fit well with my journaling habit, so I will use the Common Planner for planning and logging Jonna Studio this year.  So, after months of denial and trying not to... (you know, the Hobonichi paper issues, pricing controversy, etc),  I got the Hobonichi A6 Techo Planner for my EDC for 2025 :) I was using the A6 Planner before I had children, and after I became I mother, I used the A6 to document my daughter... So I kind of felt I wanted to have more room for myself this year. And it feels so good to have the whole page to myself again!

In addition, as I write A LOT, I used countless MD Paper, Leuchtturm1917, Field Notes and Trolls Paper notebooks for drafting and commonplacing.... Traveler's Notebook Passport for my PhD journey and research diary; Trolls Paper Free Planner for logging Jonna Studio. I had dreams of downsizing and fitting my life into 1-2 planners this year, but that did not happen. The only way to do it would be with a ring planner, but I am still saving up for a Plotter folio....

Thanks so much for being here with me.

Until next time,

Marianne

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Read more how I used my Hobonichi Techo Planner here.

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