My Favorite Journals (+ Pros and Cons)

I know a lot of people wonder what products I enjoy using aside from the obvious Hobonichi & Uniball pens, so I thought it would be cute if I went ahead and listed a bunch of things out for you, as well as what I use them for! I'm also including their pros and cons so everyone knows what they're signing up for ahead of time.

Please check back on this blog regularly, as I'm always on the lookout for new notebooks and will post them on this list if I enjoy them enough! 

Disclaimer: I have my own codes for some of the products I will mention. This does not alter my reviews of them in any way. :)

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-Hobonichi 

Pros: Their planner lines have everything you want. A5 and A6 sizes, beautiful covers, Tomoe River paper, and different variations as well (weeks, cousin, Techo, etc.) They really have everything we could ask for. Also, the grid sizes are SO perfect for me and my little font size. 

Cons: If you have a heavy hand, or you like using markers, paints, certain inks, etc., this may not be the planner for you. Their paper is very thin, and you will experience bleeding and ghosting depending on what you use. I'm lucky because my handwriting is tiny and I use an extra-fine nib pen, so the ghosting isn't too terrible for me, but even for me, sometimes it is noticeable. 

Price:  ★★★★☆
Quality:  ★★★★☆
Paper:  ★★★★☆

♡

-Hemlock & Oak 

Pros: The paper is SO thick and high-quality. You can use a variety of media and the chances of it showing on the other side of the paper is slim to none. I've personally used colored pencils, markers, my pens, and highlighters, and nothing ghosts. Their covers are also so beautiful, and it makes the books feel so nice in your hands. 

Cons: I really wish they had smaller grid sizes, but this is really all personal preference. Their blank grid notebooks have a smaller grid size than their planners, but even those are a big too large for me. I also wish the lines/grids were a little less saturated. I love journals that have very low opacity on their lines. 

Price: ★★★★★
Quality: ★★★★★
Paper: ★★★★★

Use code MNCHKO10 (for 10% off your order through Hemlockandoak.com)

♡

-Notebook Therapy 

Pros: The paper is thick, meaning you can again use whatever products you'd like on it and ensure that you will not have any problems on the other page. They also offer a huge variety of journals, like special editions and crazy unique covers, so you can be sure you'll find whatever it is you're looking for, and expect great quality. Also- some of their books have foiled edges, with designs on them, which is my personal favorite. So beautiful!

Cons: The con would be the same here- the grid sizes are just a bit too big for me. But I also understand that not everybody has microscopic handwriting! 

Price: ★★★★☆
Quality: ★★★★★
Paper: ★★★★★

♡

-Archer and Olive

Pros: This is the first company I discovered when I gained an interest in really stepping up my journaling game, so they set a high standard of what I expected good quality notebooks to feel like going forward. Their paper is thick and can hold almost anything you want to use on it! They have many journal sizes as well, with my favorite being the Traveler's. They also have a little pocket in the back of their books that can hold your favorite journaling items. 

Cons: They don't have many options as far as type of page layouts. They primarily do dot grid. I wish they offered a few more options in that sense, like regular grid or more blank variants. 

Price: ★★★★☆
Quality: ★★★★★
Paper: ★★★★★

Use code MUNCHIE (for 10% off your order through Archerandolive.com)

♡

-Pusheen Planner

Pros: It's a Pusheen planner. I mean, I think that can count as a pro all on its own. Each page has a different and unique design, with no repeating drawings, so you always have something new to look at. They also include a page of stickers! 

Cons: The paper, even though it is good quality, is TERRIBLE for gel pens or anything at all that you write with that's "wet". Ballpoint pens work a little better, but if you're not careful and don't let it dry fully, even that will smudge a little. Your ink will take a very long time to dry, and it makes writing uncomfortable.

Price: ★★★★★
Quality: ★★★★☆
Paper: ★★★☆☆