50 Fun and Creative Ways to Fill Your Empty Notebook: Quick Reference for Busy Moms

Do you need some ideas for empty notebooks?

I remember picking up some super beautiful journals from amazon (thinking I was going to organize my stay at home mom life… again), but after they arrived, I realized there was one journal that I had no idea how to fill.  

Coming up with ways to fill an empty journal can be frustrating. At least it was for me. I checked Google for ideas for empty notebooks, but I couldn’t find anything useful for me as a mom.  

Isn’t that cute?! 

Now you understand why I didn’t want to plop it on the shelf for 6 months or more. It seemed like such a waste of this beautiful notebook. I ended up spending (or wasting) a lot of time brainstorming how I could use it. I love colorful journals and always want to make good use of them.

Eventually, I did use it as a gardening journal and planner.

Instead of scouring the Internet and losing precious mom time (and brain cells!) seeking out ideas for empty notebooks, I made you a quick reference. This post will give you 50 fabulous ideas for empty notebooks, the mom edition.

What Do You Write in a Notebook?

So what do you fill empty notebooks with? Try to imagine an empty notebook as a blank canvas, full of potential to get your tasks done and be creative in your home. You can use it, just like a journal, to organize your thoughts, track home goals, or hold memories. If you have never journaled before, you should read my easy guide on how to journal. You may be surprised at how beneficial and empowering it is!

Here are some examples of things to do with an empty notebook.

1. Daily to-do list
2. Master to-do list
3. Book reviews
4. Dreams
5. Meal planning
6. Fitness and health tracker
7. Car maintenance log
8. Household inventory keeper
9. Grocery list
10. Grocery/Pantry staples
11. Kids’ things to do (when bored) list
12. Cleaning schedules
13. Prayer journal
14. Bible reflections notebook
15. Party planner

Fun Things To Do with an Empty Notebook

Now let’s explore some fun ways you can use a notebook. Many of the following ideas could be used by anyone, but it’s no secret that moms usually are the driver of family fun. There are endless possibilities for creatively using a notebook to make your and your family’s lives more enjoyable.

Here are some fun ideas for empty notebooks. It might sound so fun you’ll want to go out and buy a new notebook!

1. Bucket lists: family bucket lists, summer bucket lists
2. Song lyrics.
3. Childhood memory books
4. Inspiration/Visual board
5. Family vacation planner or wishlist
6. Family scrapbook
7. Hobby journal
8. Craft and DIY project planner
9. Home improvement project planner
10. Nature/Outdoor adventure journal
11. Pet name options
12. Collectors journal
13. Laugh journal with jokes, puns and silly things
14. Wish list (one for each family member)
15. Birthday/Special Day gift list (for each family member)

Creative Ways to Fill a Notebook

Thinking outside of the box is a normal occurrence for a mother. She is always trying to figure out how to make something work, how to fix things, how to calm kids, and how to fit another task or activity into an already packed schedule.  

Why? We love our families! We want to see them supported, provided for, and reach their own goals.  

The following ideas for empty-lined or unlined notebooks will get your creative juices going.  

1. Love notes. You can make some for your spouse or fun ones for the kids!
2. Lunchbox notes. Encouragement for tough days.
3. Sketchbook
4. Gratitude journal 
5. Life lessons
6. Health symptoms log 
7. Baby log
8. Family history keeper
9. Parenting tips and advice journal
10. ‘When I was a kid’ journal to give to your kids
11. Home organization and decluttering planner
12. Lettering/Handwriting notebook. Work alongside your kids and improve together.
13. Food stockpile planner
14. Garden planning
15. Honey-do notebook
16. Places you’ve visited
17. Places you’d like to visit
18. Favorite family snacks
19. Family night ideas
20. Childhood milestones

A mom has a lot of tasks and it’s hard to keep them all in your head. Here, I can quote David Allen from his book, Getting Things Done, “Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.”  

I hope these ideas for empty notebooks will get you to write things down, making more space for coming up with new ideas and solutions for old ones. It’ll make you a better homemaker and a more creative mom.