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Be one of the first to grab the brand new Palomino Blackwing Pearl Graphite Pencils! This latest addition to the Blackwing family of pencils and notebooks is the perfect middle-child pencil as its graphite core is softer than the Palomino Blackwing 602 Pencils, but harder than the Palomino Blackwing Pencils.

Plus, the unique pearl white finish with black lettering on the sides makes for a strikingly beautiful pencil that you’ll never want to put down. Available in a box of 12 pearly pencils, pick up the Blackwing Pearl Pencil on EuropeanPaper.com today!

Notebook/Planner Reviews

Gourmet Pens: Review: @Exaclair G. Lalo Verge de France A5 Tablet – Blue

EdJelley: Clairefontaine Classic Notebook – Handwritten Review

These Beautiful Pens: More Paper Love: Le Typographe Writing Pad & Journal

Ink of me Fondly: Rhodia No.11 Notepad

Notebook Stories: Review: Piccadilly Softcover Notebook

Pens, Paper, Inks, Whatever: Clairefontaine Back to Basics 1951

Rants of the Archer: Review: Unlimited Notebook by Rhodia

Pen/Pencil Reviews

Comfortable Shoes Studio: Review: Palomino Blackwing Pencils

Well Appointed Desk: Ticonderoga Sensematic Mechanical Pencil  and Vintage Parker 21 Review

Ink of me Fondly: Lamy Raspberry Al-Star with J. Herbin Rouge Opera

Pencil Revolution: Review of Palomino Blackwing 602

Built from Ink and Tea: The Grand TWSBI Review – Part 2. A Review of the TWSBI Diamond 530 Fountain Pen

EdJelley: Lamy 2000 Fountain Pen – Handwritten Review

Pentorium: TWSBI VAC 700: Unboxing, First Impressions, and Writing Test! (Video) and TWSBI VAC 700 Long-term Review

On Fountain Pens: Review: Platinum Pocket Pen – from the 1970s!

Ink Reviews

EdJelley: J. Herbin – Terre de Feu – Handwritten Review

Ink of me Fondly: Tchaikovsky – De Atramentis Ink Review

Inkdependence: De Atramentis Moss Green and Noodler’s Gruene Cactus Eel

Inked Up & Happy: Requested review: Iroshizuku´s Ku-Jaku

FPGeeks: Inkcyclopedia: Cross Blue

Built from Ink & Tea: Review of Noodler’s Nightshade Ink

PenInkCillin: Private Reserve Invincible Aqua Blue

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Have a review you’d like included in the round-up? Post the link and title in the comments and we’ll add it here! Note that our comments are moderated, so if it doesn’t show immediately we’ll get to it soon.

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In this day and age, we all want a few shortcuts to make our lives easier – whether it’s chopping all the vegetables for the week on Sunday so we can just toss ingredients together to make healthy meals during the week, or packing our car with our workout gear so we can take that hot yoga class after work. Here are a few tips I use to create more time in my life:

1. I keep a yoga journal and a One Line a Day journal by my bed with a pen. That way I can always get at LEAST one line written, even if I am feeling uninspired or sick. I know that I can always write at least ONE line. It removes the pressure of having to write more and the feelings of disappointment if I can’t.
2. I prep my Thermos and tea bag and put it in my work tote the night before. All I have to do is grab my bag and head to the car! I get my hot water at the train station, but you can always set your coffee machine timer to start brewing your coffee or boiling the water in time for you to head out the door.
3. I keep a change of clothes – a pair of yoga pants and a top – in my car along with my yoga mat.  If I happen to have the time to squeeze in a class, I can!
4. I schedule a half hour in my afternoon to create and go through my To-Do list for work and for the stuff I have to do at home. I ensure that each task is manageable and if it is a long term goal, I break it down into smaller steps to achieve that goal. Right now, one of my long term goals is to write and illustrate a fairy tale for my daughter. My subtasks or steps include: buy notebook to scrawl out my ideas, search the web for fairy tales to read for inspiration, create the main character, create her best friend, etc. Checking off each step shows me I am coming closer and closer to my final goal.
5. My best friend, an aspiring chef and food blogger, preps a week’s worth of food on Sundays so she can have healthy meals on the go during the week.  It saves her time and money being able to grab a healthy packed lunch instead of heading to the cafeteria for greasy unidentifiable meat. If a week’s worth of food sounds like a lot, try to make a few snacks for the week instead and build up from there.
6. As I take the train to and from work, I use one of those hours to just meditate and have some Me Time; then I use the other hour to email myself lists of things I need to get done at home or at work.
7. I have found that carving out time for myself, actually putting it into my calendar like an appointment ensures I stick to it. Would you blow off a doctor’s appointment that was scheduled? No, so don’t feel like you can or should blow off time for yourself. Carve out time for YOU, whether that is indulging in a bubble bath or just taking a nap.
8. In my day planner - I use a traditional paper one – I keep track of everything: my work assignments, birthdays, meetings, yoga classes, etc. I find that having everything easily accessible allows me to get a good overview of my day or my week. That allows me to schedule my time appropriately. You can use a pad of paper and a pen or your smartphone, but make sure you carry your list of things to do with you so you can slowly take the steps towards fulfilling all the goals on it.
9. After each outing with my daughter, I replenish her diaper bag with all the essentials so it is ready to go the next time we go out. I don’t have to run around at the last minute and make sure she has bottles or a change of clothes; I know everything is in there.
10. Whenever I make homemade pesto, I make extra and freeze the unused portions in an empty ice tray.  I can easily pop one out and use it in soups or for a quick homemade pasta dish.
11. Whenever I find nice candles, or a cute tea towel, or a good bottle of wine for a decent price, I immediately pick it up. Having these small gifts on hand takes the pressure off going to someone’s house empty-handed whether it’s for a birthday, house-warming or another event.

These are just a few of things that I do!  What time saving techniques do you have?

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Meet the Writer: Akhila Jagdish is a writer and a senior editor at The Crafted Word, an editorial services company. She loves making lists, collecting journals, reading, drinking wine and cooking. She is always looking for a good book, a new pen or a yoga class! 

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Don’t forget: Mother’s Day is Monday, May 12! Check out the full curated selection of awesome Mother’s Day gifts on EuropeanPaper.com here. And if you love what you see above, you can find each one below.

Dreamer: Rhodia Rhodiarama Notebook
Virtuoso: Cretacolor Teacher’s Choice Advanced Tin Set (27 pieces)
Sentimentalist: G. Lalo Mode de Paris Boxed Stationery
Novelist: Fisher Translucent Bullet Space Pen
Busy Bee: Fabriano Bouquet Notepad Set (Set of 7)
Scrapbooker:  Midori B6 Bee Side Spiral Bound Envelope Notebook

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