Yogi Bear themed journal design.
Since July is National Picnic Month in the US, I decided to go with a Yogi Bear inspired design theme. Why? Because he loves his "pic-a-nic" baskets!
NOTE: While the pages are like those who setup their Bullet Journals (BuJo), I use this journal more as a memory keeper/diary. The BuJo-inspired pages encourage me to make note of the good things in life, even on the worst days.
In case it's helpful, below are the topics covered in this post:
Calendar Overview Pages
The calendar overview is where I note important dates I want to document in my journal.
The larger calendar fills much of both pages. I note events such as birthdays, appointments, and holidays within the appropriate block that represents a day in the month. During the month, I'll make a short note of something that happened.
On the left, I have a mini calendar for next month and another box where I'll note next month's events coming soon. I like being able to visually see ahead to things I may need to be aware of before those days come.
Productivity-related notes like to-do lists are managed in a separate and more simplistic Bullet Journal.
I have not watched a Yogi Bear cartoon in over thirty years, but I recalled three main characters: Yogi Bear, Boo Boo, and Ranger Smith. There is also the inanimate star of the episodes: Yogi's beloved "pic-a-nic" basket! I could not resist a Yogi Bear design theme!
I referenced images online to determine how and where to include the characters. I sketched them to overlap with parts of the calendars and boxes. Doing so adds some depth to the design. To fill-in a blank area towards the bottom-right, I included a picnic table with coffee pot and two stools/chairs.
I used watercolors in honor of July also being World Watercolor Month. The pages are not meant for watercolor paints, so I struggled to achieve smooth blends of colors to create shadows and highlights. However, it was a fun challenge to deal with and does not look too bad.
Highlights and Hobbies & Dogs' Pages
Every night, I write a line of text highlighting one good thing about that day on my highlights page. Usually, I write about a simple thing that made me happy. Even on the worst days, I try to think about a highlight of that day to write down. This page is intentionally left blank since I'll fill it in throughout the month.
On the hobbies & dogs page, I note when I complete my favorite hobbies. While many journal enthusiasts track their habits, tracking my favorite hobbies reminds me to dedicate time for myself and happiness. The hobbies I track are:
arts + crafts,
writing, and
gaming.
My dogs' care and happiness are equally important. I track the following for my dogs:
when they go for a joy ride,
when I've cared for their coat with a brush, leave-in shampoo, or bath,
when they received teeth care with brush chews or teeth brushing,
when they participated in extended, extra, or hyper playtime, and
when something unusual happens with my dogs (e.g., upset stomach).
Since much of both pages will be filled throughout the month of July, I kept the design simple along the bottoms. On the bottom of the highlights page, I included a log that Yogi Bear and Boo Boo often retreat to in the old cartoons. On the bottom of the other page, I included a wooden sign that read "DO NOT FEED THE BEARS" with the word "NOT" sawed out of the sign. A saw is also included in the design.
Mood Pages
I treat my mood tracker page as a coloring page of sorts. Each night, I'll color-in a part of an image that represents my overall mood for that day: awesome, meh/OK, sick, or bad/sad.
I really wanted to recreate an image I saw online of Yogi Bear and Boo Boo running away from Ranger Smith with a basket of food. In the original image, a variety of fruits fell out of the basket as they fled. I instead drew thirty-one apples falling from the basket. I will color-in an apple a day.
My Thoughts
While I could have kept the design more minimal with doodles of picnic-related items, I enjoyed recreating cartoon characters from my youth. I noticed some of my favorite designs include cartoon characters.
I loved using watercolor paints. The more I practice using watercolors, the easier it is to use. This does not mean my skills improved much. It just means I enjoy using it more than other coloring mediums for the time being.
What's Next?
I'm working on several crafty projects, so check back to see what project I share next and whether it was a success or failure!
Have you setup your July journal design? Comment below to share what theme you went with and what materials you used to create it.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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