Epic Official Bullet Journal Notebook Review & Giveaway!

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Hello there!

Kara from Boho Berry and I are SUPER excited to announce that we have teamed up with Ryder Carroll, Inventor of the Bullet Journal, to give away FOUR Official Bullet Journal notebooks! 

Below you will find the story behind how the Official Bullet Journal Notebook came to be, features, my thoughts, and how to enter the giveaway! 

Also make sure to check our Kara's review on it, she goes over the differences between a regular Leuchtturm1917 and the official Bullet Journal Leuchtturm1917!

I used one of these beauties up in January to February and am on my second one right now! I love these notebooks, I honestly don't think I'll go back to the traditional Leuchtturm1917s, I'll walk you through the features and share why I think they're so awesome. 

The Bullet Journal Notebook Story...as far as I know it

In late 2014, about a year or so after Ryder Carroll shared the Bullet Journal system with the world, he launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund a limited edition of the Bullet Journal Leuchtturm1917 notebook. The Kickstarter was a massive success by reaching the funding goal in 8 hours and sold out in less than a full day. 

Demand was so high that Ryder and Leuchtturm1917 made an unlimited version which we will go over today. 

This sweet little notebook went through quite the epic adventure getting to fruition!

Features

Here's the official Bullet Journal video walk-through Ryder Carroll takes us through:

When you take a look at the official Bullet Journal notebook, the first thing that grabs your attention is that absolutely gorgeous logo on the cover! Swoon. You'll also spot 3 bookmarks, one is white, another gray, and the last black. These are handy to have one in your Future Log, another on the Monthly Log, and the last on your Daily Log. Another option is on your Monthly Log, Daily Log, and a current Collection you're working on. The possibilities are truly endless!

When you flip it open you're met with the very lovely Key and nice place to add your name and contact information such as your mailing address. Apparently Ryder once lost his Bullet Journal and it was returned to him, so make sure to fill this part out!

Once you open to the very first page, you're met with a handy Tips page. It's a really comforting and welcoming page to arrive at. It helps you acclimate with the simple, yet extremely useful nature of the system. With a gentle nudge, Ryder helps set you up for success with this page. 

Next up is the Index. There are two full spreads for the Index for a total of four pages. Ryder says he uses the first spread for regular entries and the second spread for work. That's pretty awesome to have a dedicated Index and having 4 luxurious pages makes the possibilities endless! You could have one for work meetings and another for projects.

The Future Log is similar to the Index in that there's also two full spreads/four full pages dedicated to it. This way you can add the future planning solution of your choice!

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Next up are the dotted pages. Ah, such loveliness, waiting to be filled with your dreams and aspirations and everyday tasks! It can handle most pens, it will most likely handle the one you have right now. The only ones I don't think it would handle are really wet inks, markers, and possibly Sharpie markers. 

The last ten pages are dedicated to a little Bullet Journal introduction guide. I find this to be an extremely useful resource. You should definitely pick up one of these notebooks to check out the contents of the guide for yourself!

This is a wonderful resource chock full of tips and more from Ryder! It's truly handy to get a refresher whenever you need one, when you feel you've gotten out of hand, when you feel lost, there's always Ryder's voice right there to help center you again.

The last feature is the final page next to the pocket sharing a little bit about the Bullet Journal community and how to keep updated on everything Bullet Journal! 

Pen Test

I did a little pen test with some of the pens I have that I think are commonly used in the Bullet Journal world. Yes, you can call me a recovering penaholic haha. To cut this test short: all of these performed well and there was no bleed-through with only minimal ghosting.

As you can see there's minimal ghosting and no bleed-through with all of these pens! 

Thoughts

This is a very special notebook to me. I couldn't believe it when Ryder sent me one. I was floored beyond belief that I did anything to deserve such a kind gesture. I share ideas because I love the system and am passionate about sharing ideas to help others improve their system. When Ryder sent me and Kara three of these official beauties recently, we knew that we wanted to pay it forward to the lovely members of the Bullet Journal community. So we have teamed up to give away a few of the Bullet Journals Ryder graciously sent us to make for FOUR happy winners!

I love Ryder's vision for the Bullet Journal and how his kind and thoughtful nature reveals itself in a subtle way throughout the notebook. He never mentions anything that is absolutely mandatory. He reiterates that the system is very flexible and how it conforms to its user with time. That said he makes it clear that the simpler you make your system, the more effective and happier you'll be. 

I completely agree and one of my favorite parts about this notebook is the logo at the front. It must be such an awesome feeling for him to see his creation in the wild. Not just the principles of the system, but the physical notebook itself! It doesn't get cooler than that. I like how it's a simple black cover with just the right amount of prep set in, but not too much to stifle you. The notebook only gives you the right amount of structure to set you up for success.

The Index and Future Log are set, now it's time for you to go out and craft those pages to reflect your life as it happens, however it happens. 

The biggest point I make whenever someone is deciding whether or not to grab the notebook is to go ahead and grab one. Get it as a way to thank Ryder for sharing this unparalleled system with us. Get another to give to a loved one who would benefit from organizing themselves in a better way. Grab a third because why not? You'll run out of pages eventually and you'll need to grab another at some point! 

Grab one because you love the system and everything it has brought into your life. 

Because we appreciate you being a part of this wonderful flourishing community, we're going to give you the opportunity to win one of FOUR official Bullet Journal notebooks! :)

Enter below for a chance to win!

Enter for a chance to win below and then head over to Kara's article for an awesome review of the features, her thoughts, and a video review of the Official Bullet Journal Notebook. 

Other ways to get updates on everything Bullet Journal related

Go buy yours today! 

(Click the photo below or here to grab yours!)