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?

~~~

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! 

~~~

Get outside today! Try journaling out under a tree, sketching at a park, or just open the windows a little wider and breathe in some fresh air. Check out our list of 5 Things To Do on Earth Day for more ideas for today! Happy Earth Day from everyone at EuropeanPaper.com!

And we have a special something for you all: a FREE downloadable stationery for Earth Day!

Here is what it looks like with “European Paper Company” used as a sample name:

It prints out on an 8.5- by 11-inch piece of paper and you can elect to print it borderless (if your printer has that capability) or with a border. The grey hairline down the center allows you to get two sheets of stationery out of one piece of paper. It folds in half and will fit into an A2-sized envelope.

You can type your name into one of the boxes and personalize the stationery as well! Just like how we show it above with European Paper Company! Download the FREE Earth Day Stationery here!

~~~

Meet the Stationery Designer: Cole Imperi is a business owner and a proponent of the handwritten word. When not at Doth Brands, a Branding & Identity firm catering to the health, wellness & deathcare professions where Cole works as Owner and Creative Director, you might find her on her yoga mat teaching yoga or behind a laptop writing for Simplicity Embellished, a letter-writing and lifestyle blog.

~~~

A favorite of our CEO, Creative Designer, and Lead Programmer, among others, the Moleskine Messenger Bag brings the personality of the legendary notebook to the classic over-the-shoulder urban carryall. Robust and flexible piece to accompany your travels, whether near or far, the interior is lined in ivory faux-suede with a soft, luxurious feel, and also includes an “In case of loss” label sewn inside. A rear divider creates a separate back section; the front of the divider is covered in black terry fabric that attaches to Moleskine multi-purpose cases (sold separately). It can be used to carry any laptop computer with a screen size of up to 15-inch.

What’s your favorite carryall?

Creativity never stops, even with summer fading into memory and fall approaching rapidly. While the weather is cooler it still doesn’t stop people from drawing inspiration from their daily lives. Whether you’re writing, sketching, or art journaling you can draw on your creativity at any moment. Many people have certain places where they are more creative than others, but sometimes you have those moments when you just draw a blank.

Well, what’s better than getting inspired from everything that is already around you? Based on my experiences, these are my top 5 areas for inspiration away from home:

Parks - Are you an outdoorsy type of person? Whether you flourish outside or need a little push, parks are a wonderful area to get inspired. People are constantly moving, you’re surrounded by nature, and the fresh air can all help to stir up some creative juices. Just take a few moments to capture snippets that you see because those snippets can develop into something more. The best part is you can always refer back to your observations for later use.

Malls/Restaurants - Do you enjoy a lot of active stimuli? Malls are great for that because you can observe a wide variety of people in a short amount of time. People are constantly walking by and engaging with friends or family. Take notice of the details of the situation as those people can be used as inspiration for your creativity. I put restaurants next to malls because they are in similar realms where you can observe several groups of people in a short amount of time. Whether you’re dining at a nice place or getting a quick lunch you can partially eavesdrop on conversations as something you hear could spark an idea.

Libraries - Besides the obvious (observing people around the library), you can read! Most people at the library probably already have their noses stuck in a book. When you’re out of creative juices, pull out a novel, magazine, or book that sounds interesting to you. Who knows, reading the literature and exploring it can lead to your own ideas. For those not in the mood to flip through a book, use a computer and just start browsing the web. The libraries where I live provide computers for research, you just need a library number which is free to obtain. (Computer availability may vary depending on your location.) If you’re still stuck you can always ask a librarian, they are always there to help you out.

Take a Walk - While you’re out and about shopping or getting some exercise, keep a piece of yourself alert to your local surroundings. If you’re taking a walk around your neighborhood you can let your mind wander or you might want to get to know the people who live near you. Your neighbors might have a quirk or a story that may inspire you. You might also gain a lifelong friend. If you live in a city, getting lost in it can be fun. You can observe the artistic architecture of various buildings or the meticulous landscapes surrounding them. Cities are usually bustling with activities, you just have to dive in and interact with them. Some of the greatest minds were inspired by their local surroundings.

Fairs/Museum - Another inspiring place where you are surrounded by many people or by culture are fairs or carnivals. You can observe people, enjoy the music/conversations, and eat good food – all wonderful inspirations! There is always something going on and it’s up to you to find out what it is and how you can use it for inspiration. Museums are wonderful to gain inspiration from because they contain works by some of the greatest creative minds. Surrounding yourself with their works can be an indirect way to get you to open your mind and allow it to imagine the impossibilities into possibilities.

Gathering inspiration from these places can be a cinch on good days. You might want to note that most of these places can get crowded. If you can’t handle large crowds you can always move to a more quiet area. You can find yourself a less traveled road for your observations if you’re a creative introvert who doesn’t enjoy large crowds or too much interaction.

I usually find an empty area or sit on a distant bench for observations. Of course, everyone has their own preferences and may dive into the experiences only to distance yourself later or vice versa. There is no wrong or right way to get inspired. As long as it works for you then you’re doing it right. Just don’t forget to take notes or you might forget! (You have a notebook or sketchbook on you, don’t you? If not go get one!) Now my friends, go forth and create!

Meet the Writer: Lis (Aisazia) Huey is a Notebook/Sketchbook/Comic/Manga lover. A swimmer and a dreamer. A story enthusiast with the dream of telling and sharing stories through art. She has been an avid fan of web comics, indie comics, and fantasy/sci fi novels since high school and since then has always wanted to create one of her own. She feels that everyone has at least one story to tell, but some may have more than one. She hopes to be able to share her hopefully fresh and original stories and entertain my audiences at the same time. To find more about Lis, find her at: aisazia.deviantart.com, twitter.com/aisazia, and etherealvoices.blogspot.com

~~~

When I think of timeless elegance, the first thing that always comes to mind is Cavallini. Excellent quality, sturdy, timeless and classic.  You’ll never forget Cavallini after you see the decorative calendars, stationery, and other paper products adorned with detailed images of vintage prints, maps, and iconic places from around the world. Each is striking and unique. When I want to write a letter to a dear friend, something out of the ordinary, I immediately pick up a Cavallini product.

While Cavallini is known for their gorgeous paper and notecards, they pride themselves on their wide selection of stunning calendars.  Each calendar is a unique collection of striking art prints.  As you flip through each month, you immediately get transported to old-world New York, Paris, and everywhere in between.  You can get sucked into their Garden prints; you can even go Around the World.

I remember a few years back to when I was gifted a Cavallini desk calendar from a friend.  The thickness of the paper between my fingers, the crisp colours and texture, would transport me every month to a different place.  As an added bonus, the prints were so beautiful, it looked like I had hung up professional art prints in my office!  After the year was done, I carefully cut the prints out and saved them. I still have them, tucked away in my art space.

After that gift, I began to seek out Cavallini products – the rounded paperclips that perfectly and elegantly hold your papers, plus many other calendars – they reminded me of times gone by, of old suitcases covered in travel stickers. Recently I gave a friend who loves to travel the Amalfi coast calendar. She was ecstatic, and told me she didn’t want to use it because it was so beautiful!

It is a reminder of the past the way it should be seen – worn and captured perfectly.

~~~

Meet the Writer: Akhila Jagdish is a writer and editor in the process of starting her own editorial services company, The Crafted Word. She loves making lists, collecting journals, reading, drinking wine and cooking. 

~~~

One of our most popular blog posts - Moleskine Laptop Cases – What Fits - deals with matching the right-sized Moleskine Laptop Case with your preferred laptop, tablet, or other electronic device.

However, the majority of people searching to connect the two are Apple users. It makes sense – both communities are packed with creatives and professionals, the products are sleek and iconic, and once you start using an Apple or Moleskine product, you tend to pick them all up. Therefore, this post is dedicated to (most) every Apple product in tablet or laptop form and the correct corresponding Moleskine Laptop Case.

~~~

Moleskine Laptop Case - 10 inch - on EuropeanPaper.com

What fits in a  10-inch Moleskine Laptop Case:

Moleskine 10-inch Laptop Case dimensions: 10.25 (H) x 7.75 (W) x 1.25 (D) inches

• First generation iPad
• 9.56 inches (H) x 7.47 (W) x 0.5 (D) inches
• Second and third generation iPad
• 9.50 inches (H) x 7.31 (W) x 0.35 (D) inches

~~~

Moleskine Laptop Case - 13 inch - on EuropeanPaper.com

What fits in a 13-inch Moleskine Laptop Case:

Moleskine 13-inch Laptop Case dimensions: 13.0 (H) x 9.0 (W) x 1.25 (D) inches

• Original polycarbonate MacBook released in 2006
• 12.78 (H) x 8.92 (W) x 1.08 (D) inches
• Aluminum MacBook released in 2008
• 12.78 (H) x 8.94 (W) x 0.94 (D) inches
• MacBook Air 11″
• 11.8 (H) x 7.56 (W) x 0.68 (D) inches

~~~

Moleskine Laptop Case - 15 inch - on EuropeanPaper.com

What fits in a 15-inch Moleskine Laptop Case:

Moleskine 15-inch Laptop Case dimensions: 14.5 (H) x 10.5 (W) x 1.57 (D) inches

• Polycarbonate MacBook released in late 2009
• 13.00 (H) x 9.12 (W) x 1.09 (D) inches
• Same as the MacBook Air, this model is a bit of a tight squeeze in the 13-inch Moleskine Laptop Case, but perfect with the 15-inch.
• MacBook Air 13″
• 12.8 (H) x 8.94 (W) x 0.68 (D) inches
• Technically the MacBook Air 13-inch model should pair with the Moleskine 13-inch Laptop Case, but we’ve found it to be a tight fit. Plus, if you want to put a journal, notepad, or pretty much anything else in with it, you’ve got to have a little wiggle room. Thus the MacBook Air 13″ is paired with Moleskine’s 15-inch Laptop Case instead.
• MacBook Pro with Retina Display (third gen of the MacBook Pro)
• 14.13 (H) x 9.73 (W) x 0.71 (D) inches

We didn’t include the dimensions for the Apple Powerbook lines as we assumed there’s a good chance no one uses them anymore. If you’ve got a different Apple product than the ones listed above, let us know in the comments and we’ll add it to the list!

We’re also matching up the other Moleskine Digital Device Covers to their respective Apple iProducts in a future post. Don’t miss it! Subscribe to our blog or grab our RSS feed to stay in the loop.

Summertime is officially here – although you could have fooled us with the nearly 100-degree heat in Colorado lately! It’s the perfect time to try something new, particularly outside to spark the creative juices.

Before you go, grab a journal and write down your intentions for the day. What do you want to find on your journey: an emotion, an idea, or something else? Also consider bringing along a smaller pocket journal on your walk, bike ride, or hike to jot down your swirling thoughts during your breaks.

If you don’t journal before or during your wandering, the most important thing you can do is take a minute afterward to capture your thoughts. This serves to record the truth of the moment for you to reflect back on in the future. Gift your future self with a journal in the present.

Check out all journals, notebooks, and notepads on EuropeanPaper.com here!

With hectic home lives and crazy work schedules, planning a trip can seem like a daunting task. However, an academic planner can help you do all the legwork well in advance – so all that’s left to do is enjoy the journey! Plus, since an academic planner is built to accommodate summer, it’s the perfect planner to outline summer vacation plans.

Block Out Dates

The first step to using your academic planner to plan your travels is to pick the dates and block them out on your planner. Because you’re able to work far in advance with an 18-month planner, you can plot out all the trips you’re planning and prevent accidentally double booking yourself. Cross out the dates or highlight them in a specific color so that you don’t overlap commitments.

Schedule To-dos

Once you have your trip dates blocked out, use your planner to schedule the entire trip’s to dos. Start with the date of the trip and back up. For example, if you want to start pricing flights four weeks before you travel, flip four weeks before your departure date and write, “Price out flights.” If you want to wait to book the flight until two weeks before (for enough time to check for that last-minute screaming deal), flip two weeks after you put the pricing note and write, “Book flights.” Follow these same steps for each task – booking a hotel, renewing your passport, buying traveler’s insurance, and so on.

Track Your Budget

You know how much you have budgeted for your trip. Jot that amount down on the day you depart. Each time you spend money on the trip – paying for the flight, buying a new bathing suit, or picking up sunscreen – subtract that amount from the total. You can even calculate estimates for your expenses as you plan the trip. For example, back up to the date you decided to start pricing flights. Use that page to write notes on how much the flight will be on various airlines so that when you go to purchase the tickets, you have a budget reference. Bonus: If you don’t spend as much as you anticipated in the planning stages, you’ll have a balance to use for extra souvenirs!

Create Lists

In addition to planning your dates, to dos, and budget, you can use your academic planner to create lists for each aspect of your trip. If you jot the lists on the day you need to do them, you’ll stay organized and won’t forget crucial information. On your planner page for the day before you depart, start a packing list. Even if the trip is eight months away, if you think of something – don’t forget extra camera batteries – write it down.

Get Creative

Use the notes pages in your planner to get creative. Paste images of your destination on the notes pages to motivate and inspire you. During your trip, use the pages to journal or scrapbook about your adventures. And when the trip is through, add your favorite pictures from the trip and archive the planner.

Using your 12 or 18-month planner can help you plan your trip down to the details in advance. You won’t be scrambling around the night before your flight leaves, trying to remember everything you wanted to bring!

~~~

 Meet the Writer:Maggie Marton is a freelance writer who lives in Bloomington, Indiana, with her husband and their three darling dogs. View more of Maggie’s work at MaggieMarton.com

~~~

Moleskine Messenger Bag

• Our Price…..129.95
• Sale Price…..$110.00

Moleskine Messenger Bag : The Bag That Tells Your Story

 Moleskine Utility Bag

• Our Price…..149.95
• Sale Price…..$125.00

Moleskine Utility Bag : Travelling Collection

Moleskine Reporter Bag

• Our Price…..99.95
• Sale Price…..$84.95

Moleskine Reporter Bag

 See all Moleskine bags in their Travel Collection here!

The Moleskine New Collections include pieces that focus on writing, travelling, and reading. Designed by Giulio Iacchetti, they specifically incorporate signature Moleskine function and aesthetics: the elastic band, the rounded corners, the black color, the simple design.

Impeccable detailing and stitching makes this a durable piece that will last. The resilient, water-repellent exterior is made from matte black polyurethane on a woven support. The interior is completely lined in ivory faux-suede with a soft, luxe feel, and includes an “In case of loss” label sewn inside. The sides and bottom are made from stretch fabric with light padding to protect your laptop and ensure the best fit.

Available in three sizes to fit laptops with 10-inch, 13-inch, and 15-inch sized screens, one question always comes up with the laptop cases: What actually fits?

Moleskine's 10-inch Laptop Case is ideal for netbooks like Samsung's NF310, or the iPad 1 & 2.

The Moleskine 13-inch Laptop Case can fit such laptops as the MacBook Air, Toshiba Portege R835, and Samsung's Series 9.

And Moleskine's 15-inch laptop case can handle the MacBook Pro, HP Envy 14, and the Dell Inspiron 15.

These are but a small sampling of what you can fit into the Moleskine Laptop Cases. Not to mention adding in a journal, notepad, pen or other small item. So we want to turn the question to you: What actually fits?

Hot on the heels of our newsletter giveaway winner for October, we wanted to announce what we’re giving away for November!

(Drumroll please … ) Molekine’s New Collections Laptop Case! Available in 3 sizes – 10-inch, 13-inch, or 15-inch – the winner of our November newsletter giveaway will get to choose which size they want.

Want to enter our monthly newsletter giveaway? Simply subscribe to our newsletter emails (from the footer on our homepage) and you’re automatically entered each month! Good luck!