December Daily Drop Out!

Hello, my name is Cara and I’m a December Daily drop out.

I’ve tried, I really have. I have a few albums where I’ve documented my December, but mostly, my albums sit half finished. I’ve tried to finish them in January and that did work… a bit. For two years now, I just haven’t been able to finish. 

I want to do it! I LOVE the look of a pretty December album, but most importantly, I want to have all those wonderful December memories documented. There are so many wonderful things going on in this fabulous time of the year and it all seems to rush by in a split second, so documenting it has helped me not only savour it more in the moment, but also to relive it again as I document it and then again whenever I look back at the album. 

However, it’s  A LOT OF WORK. Because there is a lot that goes on in December, it leaves little time for playing with stickers. In a perfect world I’d have prepared all the pages in November, but November is almost as jam packed with activities. That… and I’m a procrastinator ;)

So, the best alternative that I’ve found for me this year is to simplify, and here is what I’ve come up with. I’ve added an extra insert to my Dream TN (check out my last post HERE to find out more about that TN and the other inserts). This new insert is basically a fancy journal that magically takes away my December-Daily-dropout guilt and also takes away the pressure to make it perfect. Also without having to remember to take photos, editing, printing and sticking everyday, the process is quicker and so much less daunting. I can always use the photos I do take… or not. I love that there is no pressure or obligation.

Don’t think that it’s too late to start! There are still more than 10 days before Christmas, that’s a lot of memories you could record. So let’s get to it! I'll use the same simple design for each of the 25 days. Some pages have 2 days in the 2 page spread. I know we will have more going on some days, so I left the 2 pages of the spread for that one day. Regardless, the design is similar. Use a design that suits you and feels easy for you.

I started with the big round numbers from the Numbers Sticker Tablet, then I added a strip or two of Christmas washi, either a die cut (from the free printables, I’ll talk about those in a sec!) or a large sticker from the Seasons Sticker Tablet. Then, I layered smaller stickers from all the Sticker Tablets. I also added a cluster either next to the number sticker or in another corner or both! This design is quick for me to make, looks adorable and still leaves lots of room for writing, it’s simple and perfect for me this year!

I decorated the cover with patterned papers from Simple Stories along with some of the free printables…

Let’s just take a second here to talk about how stinkin’ awesome these printables are! Every month there is a set of cute printables that match that month’s page in the Seasons sticker tablet, you have A5, personal and TN options, plus you can resize before printing to fit your needs. Did I mention they are super cute, and FREE?! Amazing, right? There is also a bonus set this month for Christmas, You can find both of those sets HERE!

Ok, let’s get back to that cover! Washi and stickers from the tablets give the cover a finished, polished look.

I used some of the full page printables to fill some of the leftover pages. Simple and quick and that’s just what I’m looking for, creating this TN.

My printer messed up (or I set it wrong, more likely) and I had two that were printed on opposite sides of the same page, but one was upside down, so I used some washi to attach it to the top so that it could flip up, making it right side up!

If things get busy, and, come on it’s December, so being busy is pretty much a given! I’ll take notes either on my phone or on a sitcky note until I get a chance to write it in. And these ones from the Bloom collection are sooo pretty and they actually stick! Don’t you hate it when you’ve bought pretty stickies only to have them fall out of your planner and get lost? Not with these Carpe Diem sticky notes! 

I’m going to be doing a live flip through of my December journal today at 10am EST, so whether you are a December Daily dropout or not, join me at the link here: Cara's YouTube Channel - The replay will be at that same link. Happy planning and happy holidays!