2013 Calendar Journal (Free Printables)

The scrapbooking calendar I posted last year was very popular, and I’ve already had several requests for new 2013 pages, so here they are, downloadable in two batches: January-June and July-December.

Use these calendars for micro-journaling.

Every evening before bed, I record that day’s happenings in it’s allotted square: a child’s lost tooth, something funny my husband said, baby’s first steps, a field trip or outing our family enjoyed that day. On “boring” days, I comment on the weather, mention books we’re currently reading, or tell what we ate for dinner.

Since space is tight, I’m limited to writing only a sentence or two — it’s very doable and never feels daunting. I actually keep the as-I-go journal on my regular appointment calendar, then transfer it to the keepsake calendar at the end of the month.

Use these calendars for your children.

Check out this notebook version of a calendar journal I spotted on Pinterest this week. Micro-journaling makes a great homeschool assignment for reluctant writers.

Use these calendars to simplify your scrapbooking.

In lieu of writing the same detailed descriptions and explanations multiple times, I just glue colored copies of my completed calendar pages into each child’s scrapbook, along with photos and other mementos. They get the benefit of journaled comments written in their mother’s own hand, and I get a fast and easy way to stay on top of the dozen-plus scrapbooks I keep going at once.

As a bonus, whenever I’ve fallen behind in my scrapbooking, the calendars make it easy to put everything that’s piled up into chronological order before gluing it in.

Give micro-journaling a try at your house this year, and let me know what you think!