Journaling for 365 Days

I have heard from a few people that they are not sure that they could find something to journal about for 365 days straight. It does seem daunting, but you need to remember, this is not about having a soul searching, epiphany story to tell each and everyday. Sometimes the mundane can be just as interesting as the not so mundane.

Think about it, if you had a quilt like this from your grandmother, wouldn’t you think it was so interesting to read about the plain everyday stuff just as much as the exciting big events? I’d love to know the name of the restaurants she went out to eat at, I’d love to hear all about her favorite radio programs, or which brand of peanut butter she adored. I think it would be fun to hear about the type of car she had or even the style of clothes she wore. These are things that we wouldn’t think about putting on a quilt, they don’t seem worthy of remembering for eternity, but they are. Trust me. When you look back on this quilt in 20 years, you will appreciate that you remembered all the small things just as much as the big ones.

I also scrapbook, and journaling is so important to me. I have taught classes on journaling in scrapbooks, of learning to look at a picture in a new way. And I think the same principals apply for this quilt. We can’t worry about making our lives sound Hollywood glamorous, because they are not. Our lives are interesting in all the small details, so don’t be afraid to share them!

For instance, yesterday my husband got a flat tire before he could go to work. So I asked him to write the block for yesterday and include that event. Then my 6 year old son wanted to get in on it, so he will write his name and age on a block now, and then probably again at the end to see the difference. These are the things that may not seem exciting now, but I am sure we will love reading about them later on in life.

Here are some ideas to get you started. I will also share the topics of some of my blocks as I go to give you some more ideas of where you can pull your journaling from.

– Children’s Handprints
– Pet paw prints
– Names of pets you own
– What meal you made for breakfast/lunch/dinner
– What Restaurant you ate at today
– Your favorite outfit
– Bring a block with you when you visit friends or family and have them sign the block
– What kind of vehicles you own
– Your favorite sport
– Your favorite TV show
– Your favorite internet site
– Your child’s nightly ritual
– Your child’s school teacher
– A hobby you or your family has
– A list of your daily chores
– Your exercise regimen
– A description of your neighborhood
– Where you work, how log you’ve been there etc…
– Unusual family traditions
– Ages and signatures of all family members
– Nicknames for you or your family members
– Quotes from funny things said during the day
– Your favorite food
– Where you buy your groceries
– How much something that you bought today costs (eggs, milk, clothing, TV, cell phone bill etc…)
– A news story from today

I could on forever! You just need to be creative and remember that it does not have to be extraordinary, just a slice of your family’s life in this great world we live in. No matter what you write, you will love it 10… 15 … 30 years from now, I can promise you that.

Leave some of your ideas for others if you have them. Having 365 things to say may not be easy, but it is a fun challenge to have!

Cheers!
Rachel