Instant Happy Journal

A review by Spencer

Breathe. Let it be what it is, rather than what you think it should be.

I instantly fell in love with this Instant Happy Journal!

I’ve enjoyed journaling since I was a child. Through my teen years my journals were mostly comprised of spiral notebooks, because store-bought diaries/journals were designed for daily writing, with the dates prominently displayed at the top of the page. This was intimidating, because sometimes, I simply didn’t have anything to say. The result was few entries in a book of mostly empty pages. Wasting all that space was discouraging.

View your life with Kindsight. Instead of slapping your forehead and asking, “What was I thinking?” pause and ask the kinder question: “What was I learning?”

Now, even though this book has “365 days of inspiration, gratitude, and joy” on the cover, I’m able to fill in whatever date I want at the top of each page. The first page can be September 22, and the next entry can be October 30. No skipped pages, no wasted space, no disappointment.

Reasons I love this journal:

     ·      Bright and colorful cover and page borders

     ·      Sturdy lined pages (it’s a thicker book than I’d imagined)

     ·       Each page gives a happy prompt

     ·      It’s as energizing as my morning coffee

     ·      Interactive and thought-provoking

     ·      It simply makes me happy. J

My favorite feature of this journal is that it also serves as a memory book, safekeeping a treasure trove of remembrances I can revisit through the years.

Reminder! Exhaustion should not be confused with calm. Give yourself time to truly relax.

Instant Happy Journal is such an appropriate title. It’s a great way to start each morning, finding joy, appreciation, and gratitude in every day life.

 Book Rating:

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BloggingForBooks has provided me a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

instant Happy journal by Karen Salmansohn

A review by Abi

"Weird is the new awesome. What's something weird about you—that you love?"

Who wouldn't love this book simply by reading that excerpt?

I don’t know about you, but, I certainly would like a bit of instant happiness. This journal makes one smile. How? By starting each day with what the author calls a "happiness prompter."

Here are a few examples:

"Within every challenge is a lesson to learn, a blessing to keep. Give it time, an open mind, and an open heart."

"It is what it is. But you have the power to turn it into an isn't so bad."

"Be a DJ of your thoughts. Play happy thoughts. And dance a happy dance."

And my favorite:

"A MESSAGE FROM YOUR FUTURE SELF: Pssst…It will all be okay. Breathe. Enjoy this quirky journey of life you are on."

Each page of this book reveals a new thought, encouragement, or prompt. There's ample space to expand on the prompt, or simply journal your day's journey.

I will certainly keep this journal beside my bed…or maybe in my purse, as the size is small enough to do so. That way I can write whenever I wish.

Disclosure of Material Connection in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: BloggingForBooks has provided me a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

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Q&A a day

Review by Abi

What motivated you today?~ Q&A a day

The last time I actually kept a consistent journal was…well, never. I have great intentions, and religiously fill it with my thoughts, adventures, and even boredom for the first month—maybe even two if I'm extra determined to do better than I did the year before. After the spurt of energetic I-will- write-every-single-day, the rest of the journal gathers dust instead of thoughts.

Q & A a Day by publisher Potter Style makes this task easy to complete —and I like easy because I'm basically lazy. It's a neat little five-year journal, with questions on each page. There's just enough room to write a couple of sentences each day. Tah-dah! Quick, easy and pretty dang fun! Every page has a spot for each year. Kind of a cool way to see your progress, huh?

Here are a few examples of the questions:

What can you live without now?

What is your favorite thing to do on a Sunday morning?

What can you smell right now?

If you could acquire a talent (without any effort), what would it be?

I believe I will actually keep consistent entries with this journal. The questions are a mixture of silly, serious and thought-nudging inspiration to prod at least a couple of sentences out of me.  

The compact size (approx. 6x4"), and gold-edged pages, (I like shiny) are a plus. I highly recommend this book to anyone who can't seem to fill a journal from front to back.

Book Rating:

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Publisher: Potter Style

Page count: 368

Disclosure of Material Connection in accordance with Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255: BloggingForBooks has provided me a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Q & A a Day

A review by Spencer

“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.”–Andy Warhol

Q & A a Day, by publisher Potter Style, is a really neat five-year journal. Yes, I said five-year. After making your way through the first year, you go back to the beginning of the book and begin filling out the entry slots for an entire new year! How cool will it be to compare who and where you are from year to year? Personally, I think really cool. A time capsule, so to speak.

I label this as an easy entry journal. Jot down 3 or 4 lines and voilà! you’re done for the day. I’ve owned many journals/diaries through the years and many of them consist of a few entries in January, m-a-y-b-e an entry in February, followed by a bunch of blank pages. Not with this one. There’s no need to wrack my brain trying to think of enough stuff to fill a complete page. (You guessed it. I lack discipline. And patience.)

With unique, fun to answer questions, you jot down a thought or two in less than a minute, making it more likely that you actually participate. In my quest for making life and home simpler and less congested, this little book is perfect for me.

Easy peasy = Happy me

Here are examples of journal question prompts:

Where do you want to travel to next?

What are you obsessively listening to?

How could today have been better?

If you could travel anywhere tomorrow, where would you go?

You want a new _______.

What do you always avoid?

Who was the last person to make you angry?

What is your favorite cereal?

This handy journal is approximately 4.5” x 6", and with 368 pages it’s over an inch thick. It’s simple in design, and even simpler in its concept. I recommend it to any writer, journal keeper, or office supply junkie. It’s the perfect coffee table book and conversation starter.

5 whopping hearts!

Publisher: Potter Style

Page Count: 368

Purchase Link: Amazon

Book Rating:

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Disclosure of Material Connection in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: BloggingForBooks has provided me a copy of this book in exchange for a review.