Thanks to a poll on my Twitter back in November, my wonderful
followers decided that I should publish a blog post and film a vlog every day
for the entirety of December!
So welcome to December 14th…
by Martin Baker
This post started out as a chat with Aimee about
her awesome blogmas/vlogmas extravaganza here at I’m NOT Disordered. The conversation went something like this:
“Marty, would you
like to contribute to the incredible amount of content I’m
going to need?!”
“I thought you’d
never ask! What would you be looking for?”
“I have no clue!! Something Christmassy though!
Could be like a wish list?”
“I can do that!”
And so, here it is:
Given that Fran and I blog at Gum on My
Shoe about mental health and supportive friendships, and Aimee’s blog
is also primarily about mental health, I thought I’d
focus on things that help me with my wellbeing, rather than just list a random
selection of “things I’d like
to have.”
Writing has always been an important part of my
life; so much so that it features
prominently in my Wellness
Recovery Action Plan. I use Moleskine journals for my daily diary,
and carry two Midori Traveler’s notebooks around with
me pretty much everywhere. My EDC (every day carry) also includes stickers,
stamps, and my collection of fountain pens. With this in
mind, I’ve chosen items that
I use in my journaling, or related items I’ve
wanted for ages! Links are to the items at Amazon or The Journal Shop.
Notebooks
I’m going to start with
the large (Standard) and small (Passport) Midori Traveler’s
Notebooks themselves. I already
have one of each, but it lets you see what I am talking about and hey, you
never know, maybe I could do with another one (or two) some time! They come in
a range of colours but the brown is my personal favourite. Note
that the photos are of my own notebooks with a
couple of years’ natural ageing and
customisation.
As I mentioned earlier, I use Moleskine
hardback ruled notebooks for my daily journaling. Each lasts around
three months so this is one item I can never have too many of!
Notebook Refills
I use a ruled notebook refill (refill 001) in my
Standard MTN to record details of work meetings relating to my role in the
Wellbeing and Mental Health team; and a blank (003) or lightweight blank (013)
refill for notes and blogging. The
lightweight refill has twice as many pages (128) as the regular, with extra
thin paper which nevertheless takes fountain pen ink with no bleeding through.
Extras of any of these are always good to have!
Traveler’s Notebook Refill 001 (Ruled)
Fountain Pens
My all-time favourite fountain pens are the Lamy
Safari range. I have four or five but they come in LOADS of colours so I’d never
say never to a few more! Hint: I don’t have
a red one. (Extra fine nib please, Santa!) And you can’t have a
fountain pen without ink, right?!
The Midori
brass fountain pen is something I have had my eye on for a while
now but haven’t quite got round to trying out … so far!
Extras
Midori “Star” Ferry Company Stamp
