2023 is just around the corner and that means it’s time for a new bullet journal! Can you tell that I am intensely excited? Because I am, genuinely.
I love new notebooks of any kind, but new bullet journals simply have a feel about them that is undeniably satisfying and filled with purpose. It’s a bright new tomorrow my friends, and the journey is only beginning.
Which Journal Am I Using?
So, which journal is going to be my companion for this upcoming year? The Yop and Tom Dot Grid Bullet Journal. I got one in charcoal grey with a cute hot air balloon on it, and one in teal green with a hummingbird on it.
These notebooks are just stunning to look at, and are designed to really invite the writer to create their best planner system. Something functional, productive, in keeping with the idea of creating collections and building memories.
Who is Yop and Tom?
Yop and Tom is a London based business created by two friends. Their mission statements says that they wanted to create the ideal journals and notebooks to make analogue life more functional and purposeful. I haven’t even used the journals yet, and I’m already getting all the good vibes.
I discovered this brand over my months of YouTube watching; the bujo community is extensive on there. Many popular creators have used them and reviewed them and I felt really confident in choosing this brand as my next experience with journaling.
What are the Features?
Like I said, these journals are designed to meet your bullet journal functionality and boost productivity. They are packed with useful features that offer just that.
1. Grid Spacing Guide – a foldable card stock grid spacing guide which you can store in the back pocket and pull out as needed. It shows various sizes of columns and rows, both with and without spacing, to make creating spreads and easier process.
2. Information page – the first page of the journal is the classic info page for name, and contact information. Along with a start and end date of the journal which is extremely convenient for keeping track of when your bullet journal served you.
3. Key page – the key element of the journal is divided into two convenient types; one is the bullet key and one is a colour code key. The bullet key is the traditional bullet journal signifier method where you take a bullet and turn it into a cross, a circle, or any other shape, depending on you task and key. The colour code section allows you to select colours for each task. I plan on using both systems this year and I’m so glad for the convenience.
4. Index page – the journal has three index pages for you to write down your collections with the accompanying page number. This is ideal for bullet journal use because it allows you to keep track of your journal content without flipping through lots of pages.
5. Dots to guide on the page – in the centre of each page, as well as the sides there are lines and dots which signify the half way point of the page, both across and down. This is extremely useful as it can allow you to create quick spreads by dividing the page in fourths or halves as needed.
6. Pen test page – the designated pen test page is extremely convenient and allows you to test out your pens on the 160GSM paper which has practically no ghosting. This journal is definitely ideal for arts and crafts if that’s your bullet journal approach.
7. Ribbon marker – the journal has a single ribbon marker to bookmark any important pages. Usually journals have more than one, but you can always use tabs, post its, or you own bookmark.
8. Back cover pocket – the grid spacing guide slips right into this pocket in the back, and it’s very handy for any extra stickers, notes, pictures that you may want to pop in.
9. Lay flat binding – if you’ve ever used a journal that doesn’t have lay flat binding then you know how inconvenient the experience is. You’re trying to write, the journal is flipping back on you, you’re crafting and the page isn’t flat; it’s a little chaotic. This a great feature to have from a convenience point of view.
10. Vegan leather cover – the cover of the journal is very nicely made, durable, and aesthetically pleasing.
Where Can I Buy Mine?
So if you’re looking for a new bullet journal or notebook for the year, and live in Europe or North America you can order the journals from the Yop and Tom website. All the pertinent information is on there and you can order accordingly.
For those of us on this side of the world, I do believe that they offer international delivery, but I don’t know if Pakistan is on that list. I ordered mine from Amazon Dubai over the summer and they came within a week. I’m adding the links below so you can order from there if you’re interested.
- Yop and Tom Charcoal Grey Journal with Hot Air Balloon
- Yop and Tom Teal Green Journal with Hummingbird
Final Thoughts
So now that we’ve gone through the whole journal breakdown, let’s sum up, with a quick touch on the price point. These journals retail at 20 pounds, and they cost me a little over 100 AED each. The price point is right up there with Notebook Therapy and Archer and Olive, or the original Bullet Journal by Leuchtturm1917. In fact, it might be slightly under.
This is definitely an investment, and if you calculate shipping to this side of the world, it may not bring you the value you’re looking for. That’s absolutely fine, for me this was something that I wanted to gift myself as the new year began.
I am eager to use them and look forward to the journey with the journals and the convenient features that have me thinking that I might be stuck on this brand for a while. We’ll see what the next few months have in store.
Have you ever used the Yop and Tom brand? What planner system are you using for 2023?
Check out my YouTube channel for a detailed flip through and pen test
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