Make it Monday // Make a Blogging Kit for Travel or Moving

Being in a transition state, whether moving, remodeling, traveling, or in a place that's not quite home...blogging can become a little hard to do.  From experience, I know how a routine can get interrupted & lead to a blogging slump.  In September I felt like I had no idea what I was doing with the blog.  A lot of things got jumbled, new projects took the front seat, & blogging just fell into a chore.  And since blogging should be fun, whenever it becomes a chore I always re-evaluate.  I realized I needed some sort of familiar...thus came the Blogging Kit

Not having a desk means not having a place to coral all your bits & pieces, your inspiration, your favorite pens, etc.  Personally, blogging from the kitchen table, couch, assorted Starbucks tables makes things a lot harder to keep organized.  Instead of just throwing things in my purse all willy-nilly, I decided to try making a blogging packet with a little bit of everything I'd need if I were at my own desk.

 Blog Planner  - This is the most important part of my Blog Kit!  I used a planner with both a monthly & weekly calendar.  Right now I'm only filling in the monthly calendar but if I have a particularly busy week, filling in the weekly calendar helps me make sure I get everything done in the week that I need to.  If I didn't have my blog planner I'd be lost!

 Blogging Notebook  - Missing in this picture because I think I left it in Zach's car.  This is less important to my planning process so if I leave it in the car it's ok for a little while!  In this book I write down inspiration, ideas for features, sketch layouts or doodles, etc.  I guess you could call it a sketch book.  It also houses things for the various shops too.  I do have another smaller notebook to jot down things quickly & it's not as bulky as my bigger blogging book.

 Pens & Markers  - Because I like color & need to remember which things are the most important, markers, pens, & highlighters float around in my purse.  Putting them all together I spend less time digging in my purse (& pulling out tampons instead of markers in Starbucks is not cool! TMI?)  These markers have two tips - a fine & a broad tip - to highlight & to write.  Multi-purpose.  Score!

 Various Sticky Notes  - Also not pictured because I used all of mine.  I used to be the sticky not queen in high school & love the way Elsie & Emma of A Beautiful Mess organize their notebooks.  Kaelah of Little Chief Honeybee & Kaylah of The Dainty Squid use a similar method.  The best thing about sticky notes is that they aren't permanent & you can move them around.  If I'm fluid on when things need to be done or where something can go, it goes on a sticky note that way I can move it from week to week in the calendar or around in my blogging notebook.  I also use them to make divider tabs in my blogging notebooks.

 Kid Made Modern Tape  - Just because it's pretty & I like decorating things.  If a page seems like it needs a label, I slap some tape on there, couldn't hurt right?

 Tid Bits  - Currently the tid bits in the kit are from Art Prize, a cool art exhibition all over Grand Rapids where artists compete for a grand prize.  There were lot's of artists I found & eventually want to blog about them so I have a few of their cards/brochures so I can find examples, remember names, etc.  This is great for travel! Picking up little things along the way to remember can double for your scrap book & blog.

 Camera & iPhone  - Not only do I use my iPhone for responding to comments but I also use it for photographing day to day life.  If my phone battery dies or I don't want to pull out/don't have my DSLR my point & shot is the next best thing.  Capturing moments is important to blogging so I don't want to miss a thing!  I also believe the best camera for you is the one you'll use. (check this post for tips to improve your photog skills using your smart phone.)

 Storage  - The way I rangle all of the bits of my Blogging Kit is in a small clear bag with a zipper.  Mine is from Claire's & unfortunately you won't find these there any more.  When we discontinued them (I used to work at claire's!) I bought them all up.  They are great for things like this & for packing your toothbrushes when you're traveling.  Seriously, you'll find at least 3 of these when we travel! So handy!  You could also use any old pencil case but the plastic keeps it from getting dirty or wet if you spill something.

I am so happy that we'll be moving into our house sooooo soon! But until we build our awesome double desk, I may be blogging from couches & tables for a little while more.  This kit has helped me keep organized & gave me a bit more motivation to blog through October!

How do you stay organized while traveling? Do you blog on the road?

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