Current rotation of notebooks <3

The world may go to shit, but at least I have my lovely notebooks. Do I use handwriting as a way of coping? Hell yeah! My next two blog posts will most likely be serious or rant-y in nature, so why not have an intermission post with an innocent topic?

I urge you to also try out writing by hand, it's very soothing. Don't come at me with crap like "but my handwriting sucks" or some shit. That's because you have been typing on your phone and keyboard for way too long; years, mostly likely. Practice, practice! Don't judge your own handwriting too much, it's uniquely yours. Embrace it, own it.

With that said, here is my current rotation of notebooks that I write in daily to weekly. Let's go over them one by one.

Hobonichi Cousin

This is my main notebook for daily writing, and it mainly serves as my journal. There is a tremendous amount of space in this book. You get: year calendars, the year at a glance, monthly calendars, weekly overviews and a page per day!

I purchased a cover for it, it's the Tragen cover. It's nice because it comes with a built-in pen case, making it easy to take a couple of pens with you.

I started using Hobonichi notebooks in 2024, starting out with the Hon. That one was a little bit too small for me, so the Cousin was the right choice for this year. I only recommend it for people who write a lot and are not easily intimidated by the amount of space it provides.

Hobonichi Weeks

As if the Hobonichi Cousin wasn't enough, I also decided to get a Hobonichi Weeks for 2025. This is the opposite of the Cousin, it has the least amount of space for writing, but it's incredibly portable. (You can also get a Weeks Mega, it comes with extra blank pages in the back).

I take this book everywhere I go, and write small tidbits in it, like tracking which museums I'm visiting, how many big cycling tours I'm doing, and which books I'm reading. This all happens on the empty pages in the back. In the planner portion, I note down my main appointments and to-do's.

I also love the Weeks, almost as much as I love the Cousin. Hobonichi has really captured my heart this year. The only complaint I have is that the paper cannot handle every fountain pen or ink you throw at it. In the Weeks, I mainly use gel pens or ballpoint pens. I do use fountain pens exclusively in my Cousin, but I recommend you use pens with fine nibs.

Midori MD notebook

This notebook is for extra writing. I note down observations, blog post ideas, but I also journal in it when I'm running out of space in the Cousin (yes, that happens).

Midori MD 2025 planner

This is the meal planner for me and Oliver. We sit down once per week to figure out what we're going to be eating for the next 7 days. This habit started back in the covid days, and it stuck. We also write down shared and personal appointments in it that the other should know (although we also still use a digital calendar for those).

In the back of this book are lists of meals that we like, recipes, and a list of cute towns in the Netherlands that we still want to visit.

Traveler's Notebook

This is a gym journal. I also note down comments I have about my own workouts.

Leuchtturm 1917

However, this is my new gym journal. The Traveler's Notebook is a little too small for my liking, although I do adore the leather cover and the fact that it's so versatile.

This lovely purple journal was a gift from a gym buddy, whom I coached during his most recent powerlifting meet. I don't know how he figured out the perfect gift. This is my absolute favorite color at the moment, my last Leuchtturm book is almost full, and it's a notebook with lines (which I prefer for gym note-taking only!). Very happy with it! This will sort of shelve the Traveler's Notebook as a consequence.

Speaking of Leuchtturm, this is the one that is now almost full (one empty page remains). This has been a jack of all trades kind of notebook. I've tried out bullet journaling (that method isn't for me), I have written travel reports, planned out diets and workouts in it. It has served its purpose and will be shelved soon!

Rhodia Goalbook

I bought this notebook on a whim during my last trip to Japan. This one was intended as a gym journal, but the cover is flexible, and I prefer a solid cover for easier writing on the go. This will be my new jack of all trades notebook. I have made content calendars in it, and I'm testing out new fountain pens and inks in it. This paper behaves wonderfully with almost any fountain pen and ink combo.

It's for that reason that I have purchased a couple more Rhodia notebooks.

These dot pads are excellent to test inks in, and to write down small to-do lists or reminders.

If you're wondering whether I have edited this last photo, the answer is no. The purple hue is coming from my Philips Hue light. Ironically, photographing the light comes out weird. In reality, the light gives a solid purple glow.

These are all my notebooks, stacked on top of each other (pen for scale).

I hope writing by hand gives you as much joy as it gives me. And, if you're not already practicing, give it a try!

My tip would be to get either Rhodia or Midori paper, and a cheap fountain pen. I personally like the Lamy Safari, but as with all things pen, YMMV.

Whatever you do, don't buy Moleskine.