I am not talking about laptops, but a good ol’ notebook made out of paper.
I know this is kind of strange to be posting for a minimalist blog, but I thought:
Heck, if I had a problem with it, maybe someone out there did too.
And thus I shall save you the 5 years I’ve spent looking for a good, solid notebook, testing different varieties, types and brands until I have found the Holy Grail.
If this post does not seal me into organization and notetaking geekdom forever, I don’t know what will.
But why a .. NOTEBOOK?
As an IT consultant, you might expect me to be a huge fan of putting everything online, typing all the time and never putting anything on paper.
(Which I am.)
The problem is that it is impractical for being on projects and for the day-to-day.
You need to be able to:
- Not distract the client by your incessant typing on a computer (some get angry)
- Quickly sketch diagrams that would take more than a few clicks on a computer
- Jot down information v. quickly without pulling out a device to turn on & log on to
- Carry around the info in a compact piece rather than lugging your laptop around
And ergo, I have found a notebook and a pen highly useful at all times.
So the search began….
I know everyone is enamoured with Moleskines, pronounced: mol-a-skeen’-a — because of all these creative people who have stuck to their dear Moleskines throughout the ages.
I looked at a couple of different Moleskines, as they have been gaining popularity, and I quickly dismissed them because:
- It doesn’t lay open flat to any page I want without struggling with it
- The covers are not hard enough to use as a hard surface
So yes, Moleskines are very sexy, creative and oozing of history from every page your pen touches, but they are impractical for my daily purposes.
See? Doesn’t lay completely and utterly flat.
So what did I want?
- Good thick, but not too thick paper
- Clear lines (not too faded like some others)
- Just the Date: No extra stuff like “Name, Subject, bla bla bla”
- Perforated edges to be able to tear off without leaving those nasty bits in the spine
- Being able to write on it without any hard surface underneath
- Being able to fold and open it to any page without struggling with it
- Comes with a clear pocket for little slips of paper
- Wired binding but enclosed so the pages don’t snag on them, with a book-like feel
And I have found the Holy Grail of notebooks after years of frustration.
Enter…
NOTE PRO by BlueLine Inc.
LOVE!!!
I am thinking of even writing these guys a huge, gushy fan letter.
It is seriously the Holy Grail of notebooks.
It has exactly what I needed and more.
They even thought about coloured stickers to use as dividers or labels on the notebooks.
Where to buy them?
I got mine at Staples / Bureau en Gros.
I paid $7.99 for the small one, $11.99 for the large one.
Well. Worth. It.
I feel like buying a couple more to stock up JUST IN CASE the company stops making them.
But after my huge fan letter and blog post, how can they!?!? 
Thank goodness for Blue Line Inc’s Note Pro notebooks.
And no, I am not being paid for this at all. Unsponsored, blogging love fest with a notebook.
Charley @ You, Simplified
on Jan 6th, 2010
@ 7:58 am:
I’m really surprised at the reasonable price on these notebooks.
They look plenty interesting but….
Alas my bro-mance with my moleskines cannot be broken. I bought a box of them a decade ago and am still using them. I find that after a brief “taming” period the moleskines stay open for me but I can understand your frustration. I use the original 5×8 hardcovers so I have no problem with the hard surface.
- Charley
Charley @ You, Simplified´s last blog ..The Education of a (not so) Young Man
Mneiae
on Jan 6th, 2010
@ 11:01 am:
I’m a college student, so my needs are a tiny bit different from yours. I use a Livescribe pen to record because sometimes my hand cannot keep up with the speed at which my professor is lecturing. It’s expensive, I know, but you can print out dot paper on your own printer and you can convert your handwriting to text via MyScript. Plus, having images/diagrams/notes that are easy to share/send is a godsend. Having everything backed up digitally is also great for those times when you can’t find your notebook.
Shauna Stacy
on Jan 6th, 2010
@ 11:11 am:
Haha this is great! An old coworker of mine used these religiously but they are tough to find. Stocking up is a good idea! As far as the hunt goes, I had a similar experience finding planners every year until I finally gave up (is it so hard to make a planner that has the daily AND monthly view??) and switched to my Crackberry. Unfortunately, it’s just not as good. Oh well…
Shauna Stacy´s last blog ..A Hard Look at Success
Tweets that mention The Best Notebook to Use | The Everyday Minimalist -- Topsy.com
on Jan 6th, 2010
@ 11:30 am:
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Fabulously Broke, Eric Woodward. Eric Woodward said: Via everydayminimalist.com: The Best Notebook to Use – And it's not a Moleskine! http://is.gd/5OtnN [...]
E_Z
on Jan 6th, 2010
@ 11:51 am:
I’m sold! My only problem with those fancy notebooks (i.e. not very minimalist) is that they are hard to recycle because of the covers. Stenopads may not be pretty, or maybe as user-friendly – like those you reviewed – but at the end of the day, when the book is done, you rip out the papers for recycling and, well, maybe the metal spiral can be recycled too. *shrugs*
everydayminimalist
on Jan 6th, 2010
@ 3:03 pm:
Well to each her or his own!
I’ve found these to be the best for what I needed. And they have never failed me in being easy to carry, write on my lap with, and just plain practical.
tigerlily
on Jan 6th, 2010
@ 4:02 pm:
I use these too! I love that they lay flat! My old work had them as office supplies for lab books love. I wish they made them more pocket sized for everyday purse use.
Greg
on Jan 6th, 2010
@ 6:28 pm:
lol, I with Charley and the bro mance with moleskines, however am always curious as to what others are using?
I am in IT as well, and your right, there is this perception that with everything I do needs to have some sort of electronic device attached to me, however as its not the case, away from my desk I prefer to freehand diagrams, mind maps, ideas, meeting notes etc.
everydayminimalist
on Jan 6th, 2010
@ 7:02 pm:
That’s exactly it!
Mind maps, ideas.. I store it all in there for a quick reference, and then of course, anything relevant gets transferred into an actual document.
everydayminimalist
on Jan 6th, 2010
@ 7:03 pm:
I do too. :\ But the smaller one I pictured up there JUST fits into my slightly larger bags, so I am not kvetching.
I just love how sturdy they are.
everydayminimalist
on Jan 6th, 2010
@ 7:04 pm:
I have a Palm T|X PDA which I am attached to for Memos and contacts.
I thought about a Smartphone, but I don’t use my cellphone often. In fact, barely ever.. so I feel as though it’s a silly move to consolidate it all.
Still I might do it, if the screens get a tad bigger.
everydayminimalist
on Jan 6th, 2010
@ 7:05 pm:
I usually prefer having a covered wire ring on my notebooks, taming aside
But before finding these books I always used the ringed ones and despaired at how flimsily they stayed open (or didn’t).
I greedily wanted the best of both worlds!
Jean
on Jan 6th, 2010
@ 8:39 pm:
oooh stationery!! I was really obsessed in college and stressed at the beginning of each semester whether to use notebook or binder, depending on how many handouts i’d get per class, etc. I ended up with the perfect system of printing out my own lined paper (let me know if you want the template) that I create on Word, with super light lines, taking notes on them, and then later, hole punching and putting them in 3 ring binders. yeah…
now I have some moleskine cahiers (the bendy ones that are cheaper than the hard-cover ones) but you sort of need to write on a hard surface for them.
Carolyn
on Jan 7th, 2010
@ 11:05 pm:
How funny! An attorney at work loves these and gave them to us for some meeting! I love them but wish they came in pretty colors… like PINK!
evrydaymnmalist
on Jan 8th, 2010
@ 1:37 pm:
Can always paste some pretty paper or wallpaper over them
I'd cut out a Hello Kitty Face and plaster it on the front!
Amanda
on Jan 9th, 2010
@ 3:04 am:
But they do come in pink! At least they did last year. I'm not sure about wallpaper though. We use these at work and I love them, I actually have one on my desk right now full of travel notes. This post was very funny to me. As soon as you said a paper notebook these were what I thought of.
Marvelous Monday! : Wicked Whimsy
on Jan 11th, 2010
@ 8:05 am:
[...] These notebooks sound awesome…unfortunately I am all full up on notebooks right now. (Matt says if I own any more, I’ll be able to start a stationery store by myself!) But maybe you’ll find them of use? [...]
evrydaymnmalist
on Jan 11th, 2010
@ 9:39 pm:
WHAT?!
I haven't seen them in pink. If I did, I'd have purchased that instead.
They're really incredible notebooks.
Dallas Wilenkin
on Mar 6th, 2010
@ 3:05 pm:
I’ve recently started a blog, the information you provide on this site has helped me tremendously. Thank you for all of your time & work.
Layla
on Aug 7th, 2010
@ 9:18 am:
They probably aren't going to go out of business any time soon: I'm working for the government this summer, and we use those notebooks