How’s your planning and journaling going so far this year? If you’re anything like me, January can feel like a bit of a warm-up month – lots of good intentions, but not always a setup that’s fully settled yet. Now that we’re into February, I’ve finally got my planning and journaling flowing together in a way that feels supportive, and I wanted to share what I’m using right now.

Before I share an overview of my current setup, I want to come back to the heart of Journablend – The Blend Flow – because everything you’ll see here is really just supporting that gentle daily rhythm.

A Quick Reminder: What Journablend Really Is

Journablend is my way of describing a flexible mix of planning, journaling, reflection, and creativity.

It’s not one strict system.
It’s not about doing things “the right way.”
And it definitely doesn’t need to look the same for everyone.

It’s more like a rhythm you can return to – a gentle way of using paper to create a little more space and quiet in your day. You can learn more about Journablend and the Blend Flow in this post, where I dive deeper into how it all works.

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The Blend Flow: How My Notebooks Work Together

The Blend Flow is how my different notebooks and practices move together throughout the day.

Instead of forcing everything into one planner or one journal, I let each notebook have its own role – and then they naturally feed into each other.

This is what makes it feel sustainable for me.

And the best part is… you can create a flow that works for you too, even if your notebooks look totally different from mine.

To help me stay consistent, I use a simple reminder that always helps me return to the flow:

B.L.E.N.D.

The B.L.E.N.D. Acronym

B – Braindump

A place to get thoughts out of my head and onto paper, especially when I’m busy, overwhelmed, or haven’t journaled for a while.

L – List

Simple, practical lists that help me reflect and see what needs doing.

E – Engage

Checking in with my planner and Daily BlendBook each day – even for a few minutes – helps me stay calm and organized.

N – Nourish

This is where journaling becomes more than tasks. It’s where I support my wellbeing, process emotions, capture memories, set intentions, and create.

D – Daily

Showing up gently and capturing both the big and little moments of my day on paper.

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My Blend Flow Tools for 2026

Below is a simple overview of the tools I’m using this year and how they fit into my Blend Flow.

I’ve separated them into:

• Everyday Tools
• Supporting Tools
• Personal Markers

And just a reminder: this is completely flexible and customizable.

You’re welcome to use my setup exactly as it is if it suits you… or adapt it in whatever way supports your own rhythm.

Blend Flow: Everyday Tools

These are the things I use every day for planning, to-do lists, recording my day, and gentle tracking and reflection.

My Everyday Tools include:

• My dated planner
• My Daily BlendBook
• My current wellness logbook
• A refillable Parker pen
• A pastel-coloured brush pen for highlighting

How I use them (morning → day → evening)

In the morning, I check in with my dated planner and transfer any relevant to-dos, appointments, or events into my Daily BlendBook.

Throughout the day, I use my Daily BlendBook to engage with my to-do list, jot down brief notes, and capture what happens as the day unfolds.

In the evening, I reflect using my wellness logbook, noting moods, movement, sleep, and anything else that feels helpful. I finish by adding any final daily notes to my Daily BlendBook.

This is the part of the Blend Flow that helps me feel grounded and steady – even when life is busy.

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Blend Flow: Supporting Tools

These tools aren’t necessarily used daily, but they’re kept together and ready.

This includes:

• My Soul BlendBook (for deeper reflections and insights)
• A small dot grid notepad (for quick braindumping)
• Sticky notes (for anything I want to keep flexible)
• My Mini BlendBook (for occasional creative journaling and paper play)

These tools mainly support the:

B – Braindump
N – Nourish

They’re there for the moments when I need more space than a quick daily note… or when I want to go deeper, get creative, or gently process what’s going on.

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Blend Flow: Personal Markers

These are totally optional, but they make a big difference for me.

My Personal Markers are mostly:

• Planner icon stickers I use during setup and sometimes week to week

They speed up my planning process, help me recognize things at a glance, and make my planner feel familiar.

And personal markers can look different for everyone. Some examples are:

• Colour coding
• Page tabs
• Printable calendars
• Washi tape
• Pen types
• Hand-drawn signifiers

If it helps you find your place faster or makes you feel more “at home” in your notebook, it counts.

The Real Goal: A Setup That Supports You

If there’s one thing I hope you take from this, it’s this:

There’s no right way to do any of this.
Just what feels supportive for you right now.

If your flow is simple and messy and still coming together… that’s still a flow.
If you’re returning after a break… that’s still progress.

And if you’re starting fresh in February rather than January?
That’s actually one of my favorite ways to start – Journablend is designed to begin whenever it feels right for you.

💛 Let me know if you have any feedback or questions.
I’ll share a closer look at each of these sections in coming posts, but for now, I hope this gives you a starting point if you’d like to develop your own Blend Flow.

And if you’d like to go a little deeper, you’re welcome to join my free Journablend community, where I share closer looks at my pages and processes, journaling prompts, tips, and free printables to support your own flow.

And if anything here resonated, I’d love to hear:
What are you using (or returning to) in your planning and journaling this year?