Tag Archives: Hobonichi Techo

March 2017 Favorites: Sakura Koi and Sad Robots

March 2017 Favorites Chic Pixel

Happy Easter! I hope you’re having a wonderful, chocolate-filled weekend if you celebrate. March was a relatively quiet but busy month for me, full of trying to juggle thesis work with playing all the hot new video game releases while also remembering to take some time away from electronics to decompress. Blasphemous, I know, but I’ve been finding it really helpful to my overall mood! Read on to learn about a few of my favorite things from this past month!

Holika Holika Gudetama Lazy & Easy Skin Peeling Gel [Amazon] – I’ve really started diving into the world of Korean skin care, and I’m loving all the affordable yet good quality options there are! I fully admit I bought this peeling gel due to the amazing Gudetama packaging (it looks like an actual egg!), but it does a great job removing dead skin and leaves my face feeling super fresh. You just need to use a small dollop once a week, so it’s sure to last a while, too. And it’s only $13! This is the second item I’ve purchased in the Holika Holika Gudetama range, and I’m itching to buy more.

Sakura Koi 24 Watercolor Field Sketch Set [Amazon] – In February I started using watercolors in my Hobonichi Techo, so I decided to upgrade from my dirt cheap set to something that would give me more vibrant colors for a reasonable price. I’d heard amazing things about the Sakura watercolor sets, so I sprung for the $14 24 color set on Amazon, and as I’ve gotten to use it more, I’ve found it totally lives up to the praise! It’s technically a travel set, so it’s super compact and easy to put away when I’m done, which I really appreciate since I only bring my paints out about once a week. The brush can be filled with water, too, so you don’t even need a separate water dish! Talk about convenient!

NieR Automata [Amazon] – As I’m sure you’re aware, March was a downright killer month for video game releases! With plenty of other things to play on my plate, I thought I would be able to wait to play NieR Automata until later in the year, but after seeing people start to talk about the game, I knew I had to experience it myself as soon as possible (and hopefully avoid any big spoilers!). So far, I’m utterly loving it, from the music to the questions it raises pretty much from the get-go regarding what it means to be human and more. Look for a review and spoiler-filled discussion of my final thoughts when I finish!

What were some of your personal highlights from this past March? Let me know in the comments!

Hobonichi Techo Flip Through Video: February 2017

Time sure does fly when you’re busy! Between putting the pedal to the metal on my thesis and the slew of video game releases that came out over the past couple weeks, it’s already nearly been a week since I posted my February Hobonichi Techo flip through video! But since I like to make sure everyone is able to see it, I’m going to take the opportunity to share it here:

As you’ll see in the video, in February I started using watercolors in my Hobonichi Techo! I was extremely impressed by how well watercolor worked with the paper. The paper in the Hobonichi Techo is by far the best I’ve ever seen in a planner – you really can’t tell until you see it for your yourself!

I started out with a cheap water color set I bought locally but was pretty unhappy with the colors, so I upgraded to the Sakura Koi set of 24 watercolors that I’ve heard tons of positive things about from both hobby and professional artists. The brush, which you actually store water in, is really amazing!

I hope you’re enjoying these videos as much as I’m enjoying making and sharing them! I would love to know how you fill out your monthly journal if you keep one, whether it’s a Hobonichi Techo or not!

January 2017 Favorites: Hobonichi and Ys

January 2017 Favorites

Well look at that! It’s nearly the end of February, but here I am posting about my January favorites. When I took on the (self-imposed) task of posting a 4-part guide to blogging every week for the month of February, I may have underestimated how much time would be involved… But I wouldn’t want to miss out on sharing my favorite things from last month! This month’s favorites will be short and sweet since my February favorites will go up in two weeks, but there’s still a lot to be excited about!

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Swooning Over the 2017 EarthBound Hobonichi Techo

2017 EarthBound Hobonichi Techo

It’s time to show off my very first Hobonichi Techo planner! Of course I had to get the Earthbound one… Gotta rep my nerd cred, right? Check out the video below to see the cover up close from all angles, as well as what the pages inside look like!

After holding off on getting a Hobonichi Techo for so long due to the cost, I’m really happy I decided to spring for one for 2017. I asked folks on Instagram and YouTube if they’d like to see monthly planner videos from me next year, and the answer was a resounding yes, so expect one in January! It’s good incentive for me to make sure my pages are extra cute, too… If you want to join the EarthBound Hobonichi Techo club, you can get one from their website! If you don’t want to deal with international shipping, Amazon also has just the books available.

 

We Heart Hobonichi Techo

For someone who loves planners to the point of having three separate planners for 2013 alone (no, I don’t use all of them, they just gravitate toward me naturally), I’m embarrassed to say I’d never heard of the Hobonichi Techo before it was announced that it would be getting an English version this year. I say this is embarrassing because the Hobonichi Techo has been somewhat of a phenomenon in its home country of Japan ever since it was first released in 2001. It also holds a special place in the hearts of gamers, as Hobonichi is the company founded by Mother creator Shigesato Itoi!

While I have my own personal yearly Rilakkuma planner tradition, there’s something very appealing about the community that has sprung up around the Hobonichi Techo due to its accessibility and quirkiness. The largest version of the planner has a page dedicated to each day, so people have started customizing their books in a wide variety of ways and posting their daily entries all over the place. It really is a joy to see what everyone is doing with theirs!

Still amazed at how popular Ted is in Japan… (source)
(source)

And now with the release of the English version, we’re not only seeing coverage of the planner on sites like Tiny Cartridge, but Tumblrs have sprung up to celebrate its greatness. I have to say, I just love the sense of creativity the community has and would love to be a part of it myself next year! If you’re interested in checking out more Hobonichi Techo pictures, I definitely suggest browsing the #ほぼ日手帳 tag on Instagram.