Have Planner Will Travel

Hi Planner Friends! It’s Rachel and I’m on the blog sharing my travel planner setup for this summer using the Simple Stories Simple Vintage Traveler Collection ! It is never too early to start planning, right? We have two great trips coming up this summer and with a big move as well, I thought it would be a good idea to get this Aztec Traveler’s Notebook ready to go before all the moving and traveling begins!

For both trips, we will be traveling lite, so I wanted to try and prep this travelers notebook ahead time to limit the amount I am bringing on the trip.

To do this, I decided to not only decorate the covers of the inserts, but also a majority of the insert pages. I used the Combo Stickers, papers scraps from the decorated covers, washi, 4x6 stickers and the stamps. With pre-decorated pages, I will be better able to focus on documenting instead of decorating while I’m on my trips.

I have three inserts inside this travelers notebook cover. The first insert is a slimmed-down weekly insert with only the number of weeks I will need for my two trips. To do this, I simply removed the staples from a weekly insert and pulled out the pages I needed. I also added two dot grid insert pages and adhered June and July monthly printables to these pages. I am left with an insert that is totally customized to what I need, and a lot less bulky! I kept the Kraft paper cover and decorated directly on top. I used the Take Detours Paper from the collection and decorated with the Combo stickers and 3x4 card from the SN@P pack that I fussy cut to use as a big label to write the dates and places we will travel to.

One thing I love about this collection is the muted colors, that will easily match any kind of travel photos that I take, or memorabilia I collect. I am also a big fan of the vintage vibes along with the photo real elements. This collection is great for someone looking to just add photos and journaling. With the pre-made clustered elements so much of the decorating “guess work” is done for you, allowing you to focusing documenting the memories!

The second insert is the more “functional” insert . The cover was super simple to put together (again, this collection does the heavy lifting for you!) with a trimmed down piece of the Off the Grid Paper, Combo stickers and SN@P Cards, washi tape and 4x6 Stickers!

This lined insert will house all the logistics of our trips including our flights, accommodations, packing list, agendas, transportation and lists like things to do and places to eat. I have pre-decorated a few pages but, for the most part, this insert will be a lot of pen and paper. It is always nice to include one insert like this that you don’t mind looking a little messy. With very minimal trimming, I can also half letter size pages into the insert, or slip inside the elastic band.

The third insert is my memory keeping insert. This graph insert will be part journal, part scrapbook and part junk journal (for all those receipts, brochures, business cards, map I inevitably accumulate during my travels). On previous trips, I would have separate notebooks for each and would always come home with three, half-completed inserts. My goal is to fill one insert with all my travel memories from this summer, and not hold onto a bunch of items I think I will use later to document(and never do!)

To make it a little easier on myself, I have decided to prep a few pages outside the insert using the the 6x8 paper pad and from the Simple Basics Kit. Having a few unbound pages gives me dedicated spaces to create more scrapbook type layouts that I can adhere into the notebook once they are completed. This is especially helping if I plan on stamping, as it gives me a flat surface to stamp on. For two of the pages, I used the layered frames, removed the extra cardboard from the back and adhere only part of the frame so that I can slip my photos right inside. I will be able to add a little bit of journaling, and those memories will be documented!

We can’t talk about a planner setup without talking about the pocket! I used mostly elements from the bits and pieces and a few scraps of paper. When traveling, my goal is to have pockets that aren’t bulky, with decorated pieces I can add to my pages later. If my pockets are bare by the end of the trip, that is good, because it means I did some documenting on my trip!

I hope you enjoyed this look inside my travelers notebook! What are best tips for documenting your travels?