A new notebook can spend a surprisingly long time waiting for something worthy of its first page. You buy it because you like it, bring it home and then hesitate to write an ordinary shopping list in something so nice. Meanwhile, the shopping list goes on the back of an envelope, which promptly disappears.
The Full of Catitude notebook is quite happy to begin with milk, bread and cat food. You can save the brilliant ideas for page two. Or page seventeen, if it’s that sort of week.
This Oh Erik notebook has a soft cover, lined pages and a spiral binding that lets it lie flat on a surface. The listing gives its size as 10 × 14 cm, so it’s a small notebook you can carry in your bag or keep beside you for everyday notes. It brings a little feline personality to whatever you’re writing, even if today’s most pressing thought is that you must remember to buy bin bags.
Give It an Ordinary Job
The easiest way to start using a notebook is to put it somewhere you already need one. Beside the phone, perhaps, or in the bag you take to work. Keep a pen with it so you don’t have to go looking every time you want to write something down.
You could use it for the small jobs that tend to slip your mind: returning a library book, checking a birthday date or finding the name of that place a friend recommended. Write enough detail that the note will still make sense next week. A mysterious “Thursday, ask about thing” can become quite a puzzle once you’ve forgotten which thing seemed so obvious at the time.
If you like making daily lists, keep them manageable. Leave room to add something later, and don’t worry about crossed-out words or a change of plan. A notebook that gets used will look used. There may even be a cat hair between the pages, though that service is usually provided by your own household.
The lined pages lend themselves to written notes, but a few doodles can find their way in too. You don’t need to be good at drawing to put a little cat beside a particularly boring task. Two ears and some whiskers will get the point across.
Somewhere for the Bits You’d Like to Keep
A small notebook can also come along on days out. You might jot down the name of a café you liked, a book you spotted or somewhere you’d like to visit properly next time. A few words are enough; you can still enjoy your afternoon without recording every sandwich.
For readers, it could become a place for book titles and recommendations. Add who suggested each one, especially if you’ll want to talk about it afterwards. It saves that familiar conversation where you remember the cover was blue but have very little else to offer.
And yes, you could devote a few pages to the cat. Their many nicknames, their favourite places to sleep, the ridiculous thing they did that you keep trying to describe to people. These details feel unforgettable until another year goes by and you wish you’d written them down. Your furry little weirdo probably supplies plenty of material.
As a gift, the notebook suits someone who still reaches for paper when they have something to remember. Pair it with a pen if you know what they like to write with, or give it on its own with a note explaining why the cover made you think of them. “This seemed like you” is often a perfectly good reason to choose a present.
If they’re particular about their stationery, leave the first page for them and put your message in a separate card. Some people have plans for a new notebook before the wrapping is even off.
You can find the Full of Catitude notebook in the Oh Erik shop. Give it a home within reach and let it fill up gradually. Important nonsense is welcome, and the shopping list deserves a page too. Especially if you’re nearly out of treats.
