[DRUMROLL PLEASE…The winners of the two journals are: Jackie Tessnair and Amber Woodward. Congrats, gals! I put info for how to contact me in the comments below. And I want to thank all of you for the fabulous ideas for other journals! Some of the ones you suggested were already in the works and others we hadn’t thought of yet. In the next day or two, watch for two Sermon Notes journals, a more masculine-looking Prayer Journal, a Garden Journal, a Houseplant Journal, and many more to come! Thank you for your great enthusiasm for our little surprise line of books! You can see what’s available now HERE.]
Two weeks ago today I e-mailed my husband and said, “I would love to design [by which I meant I wanted him to design] a readers journal—a place to keep track of books I’ve read, with cute designed pages and a smashing cover…” Well, that man does not mess around! Ken e-mailed back, “Let’s do it!” (My office is upstairs and his is downstairs, so we communicate by e-mail quite a bit for two people who live and work in the same house. 😏 )
Anyway, we looked for some images and patterns that would make pretty covers and talked about what I’d want on the interior pages, and the more we talked, the more ideas we came up with. We are both list-makers and we realized that there are so many things people keep track of with lists, especially when it comes to our favorite hobbies and activities and the special moments in our lives. Wouldn’t it be cool to have a whole line of journals? And just like that, Raney Day Journals was born!
Over the last two weeks, we have created a line of journals, published them on amazon to sell for a very reasonable price, and now we want to let you know about them—and give away a couple of copies here on the blog.
We think these journals would make great gifts too! For not much more than the price of a fancy greeting card, you could give a gift instead! Most of the journals on this page are available for sale now [CLICK HERE] and others will be added to the line very soon! (Of course, there will be a Coffee Journal!)
The “Look Inside” feature isn’t active on amazon for these yet (and the basic journals are simply ruled pages) but here is a preview of some of the other interior pages.
I’m having a hard time deciding which is my favorite of these pretty journals! (But I think it might be this gorgeous Gratitude Journal.
I’d love to send a journal to two different Inspired by Life…and Fiction readers! To be entered in the drawing, simply tell me two things in the comments below: 1. Which one of these journals would you choose if your name is drawn? AND 2. Thinking about the type of things you like to keep track of in a journal, what new Raney Day Journal would like to see us—I mean Ken 😏—design?
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What a fabulous idea & beautiful designs! I would choose a book journal. My mom & I read a lot of books, share new authors, and try new genres together. It’s easy to lose track of our favorites when the list grows dramatically. 😜😍📚 Some of the main lists I’ve been creating each year are summer bucket lists and plans for current outings/trips…usually I try to keep them all in one notebook. Thanks for sharing your gifts with us!!!
Love the Journals! Tough one to choose just one but I think the Gratitude Journal will be my choice. We have so much to be grateful for. In this current climate with Covid restrictions and fallout, I’m needing to focus on the good rather than the negative. Having a gratitude journal would help with that I’m thinking!!🥰
Ideas for other journals … Dr visits to take notes and write questions, Journals designed for kids like the gratitude one to help them realize all the blessings that surround them or plain journals just for daily use but with kid covers. The camping one could be used by kids just as it is!
Another fabulous idea Deb and KW! You’ve got the team work down pat!!!
These are beautiful! I would love to have the prayer journal, although the gratitude journal is a very close second. A travel journal that isn’t specific to camping would be a nice addition. Once you’re established with these, making smaller versions of some (basic journal, prayer, gratitude) would be nice so they’d be easy to keep in a purse.
I love these! 1. I’d choose the camping journal. 2. I’d love a journal to keep track of information about people I correspond with (pen pals and sponsored children) – pages for each person with room for details like birthday and favorite things and then room for notes about what I’ve told them, asked them, etc.
What a great idea, Deb! I love the covers and especially like the one on the Gratitude Journal. I can’t wait to see all the journals you’ve (Ken) has made! Bravo! You two make a good team :-).
1. The Gratitude Journal
2. A Writing Journal would be a good idea. For those of us who write ‘”for ourselves” and trying to develop more consistent writing habit. I would write short stories or poems and prayers .
Deb, I love the idea of having a book journal to record books as I read them! Also, I love the gratitude journal…
These are so gorgeous!! My favorite is the Gratitude Journal and next would be the Books I’ve Read Journal. An idea for another might be a Guest Journal for friends to sign when they come to visit. I’ve always wanted to get one of those, but never have! Thanks for these beautiful books! God bless you!
1 – Of the journals listed, I would pick the prayer journal (or maybe the gratitude journal). I am wanting to do a list of prayers from our Sunday School class, and then keep track of the answers.
2 – I would love a travel journal. That is basically the only thing that I use a journal to record…everything else is digital. I would have loved the camping journal in the past, but we sold our camper this year due to my husband’s age and health. Now we have a nice little sum to use on hotels or AirBnBs.
I love them all! The one I know I would use is the Prayer Journal as I have several for different prayer groups. But the cover on that Gratitude Journal is beautiful! They are all wonderful.
No suggestions for another one, though. You’ve covered it well!
I would choose the Gratitude Journal, because I’ve almost finished my other one. Writing down some “gratefuls” every day has been a huge blessing to me.
And I think a Wildlife or a Wildflower Journal would be cool!
I would definitely love the Book Journal. I have tried to keep a list of all the books I have read…. BUT… I can never find that list🤪🤪. A Book Journal would be the perfect one for me. So often I start to read a book and then realize…OH NO….I read this one already! Great idea! Thank you!
What great ideas! Can I make a suggestion for future reference? I don’t know if it’s more complicated or expensive, but I much prefer this kind of thing as a spiral book. I like being able to open it and fold it back so only one side of the book is open at a time. Without the spiral, it’s hard to lay the book flat or write in it in away from a desk or table.
No need to enter me in the contest, but one idea for another journal is a commonplace book, where people write quotes from books, sermons, etc., that they want to remember. On the Literary Life podcast, the hosts each read one quote from their commonplace books each episode. I have not started one yet, but I have always thought it was a great idea. Another idea: a line-a-day journal to record just bits of what went on each day. I think they were started to encourage people who think journaling is more involved than it has to be. Usually they have space for more like 3-4 lines. Another idea would be a line-a-day devotional journal, when you don’t want to outline or write extensively about what you’ve read, but you’d like to record one or two main thoughts from your day’s reading.
Yes, I totally understand, Barbara. We prefer spiral-bound journals too, for all the reasons you said. Unfortunately, they are much more expensive to create, and our main goal with this project was to try to keep the price such that people could collect several (or even send them as gifts in lieu of expensive greeting cards). Thanks so much for your input! We take every suggestion very seriously!
I love these beautiful journals! What a great idea, Deb, and Ken is just the right one to design them! I’d love the prayer journal, if my name is chosen. Another idea for you would be a Sermon Notes Journal. I take notes each Sunday, and then we review the sermon in our small group on Wednesday nights. It helps me pay attention and then be able to look back at what I learned. And since my husband is the pastor, I can recall something I appreciated and tell him to encourage him.
I love the prayer journal. Although the coffee idea is pretty cute. As for one to develop I am not sure. I love writing down favorite quotes and scriptures. He did a great job on these. Thank you
I think I would like the gratitude journal. That way I can keep up with the good things that happen.
I LOVE this idea! I think “you” 😉 should design a cover inspired by your beautiful teal door! And I love to take notes in church, so I would enjoy a “church notes” or “sermon notes” journal. What a great idea!
Church or sermon notes are a great idea. Some of her covers ARE teal..
I love the Gratitude idea. I think “Letters to my Child/Grandchild” would be neat. To record the cute/meaningful things they say and do or write one’s hopes, dreams, and prayers for them.
This is a hard one! First would have to be the Prayer Journal. But the second one??? Maybe I would go with a plain journal?! I am constantly inspired by your creativity.
I bought a book journal for a good friend a few years ago and she loved it! I know she’s purchased at least two others since then. This gives me a great idea for Christmas.
I love all the journals. So any would do. Good for Bible study notes. I’m not a list maker.
I love the Gratitude journal! I think a “keep in touch” journal would help me. I could record when I talked to someone on the phone, or when I received a letter so that I could have their contact information when needed. Snail mail and email addresses, phone numbers, birthdays, etc.
I love that prayer journal and gratitude journal. I’d like to see one for sermon notes 😀
No need to enter me in the giveaway but I wanted to say that I think this line of journals is a fabulous idea! They’re beautiful!!
Thanks, Becky. I’m pretty excited about it. It just kind of snowballed into something we never dreamed of! I love that amazon makes it possible to realize a dream in 2 weeks’ time! 😉
I would select the Prayer Journal. There is so much going on it the world today that prayer is an on-going necessity. These are all so beautiful. Thank you for sharing your wonderful creativity.
I love the cover of the Gratitude Journal. That Poppy is gorgeous. I used to go around the neighborhood when I was little selling the paper poppies with my grandma.
Idea for another journal? Cherished Memories.
Deb and Ken, what a wonderful idea! I might take one of each, except camping, which we no longer do. I have stacks of notebooks in which I write notes on writing, publishing, authors, and events of our lives, to remember for a memoir I hope to publish someday. (The cheap notebooks with thin paper I use, where the ink bleeds through.) I feel it’s luxury to write on nice paper in a lined journal, embellished with my colored inks. I’d find many uses.
I love journals! The gratitude one and a blank one would be my choices. How about a travel one? These are beautiful!
I would live the Books I’ve Read, or The Prayer Journal. I love this idea. I can’t wait to see what you come up with next.
I love them all, but would probably choose Books I’ve read & the Gratitude journal.
I think a new one “Trips Taken”.
I always enjoy your Raney Day Trippin’.
These are beautiful! I can’t resist a pretty journal, ever. I would choose the gratitude journal. My toddlers and I are walking through a difficult divorce situation, and the Lord has carried us through and protected us in so many ways! As for another topic for a journal, I would personally consider a recipe journal. I might have family members handwrite sentimental recipes in it, add my own, and gift it to one of my children when they are grown!
You guys are so amazing! What a fun idea and I love that you have them so reasonably priced. You know what I need? An ideas journal that I can keep by my bed at night…I have so many great thoughts at midnight! I do think the gratitude journal is beautiful and would like to get one for my mother. I personally don’t journal much but I would like to keep track of the many many many books I read. I don’t love putting my thoughts about books on a social media site…its just a little personal.
I have kept a list (from 4th grade) of all the books that I have read over the years and I am in my 70’s now. I have to admit that I wasn’t always a great reader, but I really enjoy good Christian literature as I get older. Now and then I even read non-fiction books. You can enter me in the journal giveaway. I will try to do better and begin to journal.
You two are such a talented couple! Nice work! I may order a few book journals for coworkers who are readers.
I wonder if you could make one for sermon notes? The page could list pastor name/church, sermon title and date. Then leave the rest blank. (Although…I use lined notebooks now, so they wouldn’t have to be specifically for sermons…)
These are beautiful! It is so hard to decide which I would like. But maybe the prayer, garden or book journal. Ordered some for gifts.
I’ve been looking for a great book journal. I’m also a list maker so I absolutely love the idea of these journals. I would like a Special Moments journal with date, place, who was there, and a few lines about what happened. This would be great for those of us who aren’t big on journaling but still want to capture memories.
I love all of these. I particularly love the cover of the Garden Journal, but I don’t garden much. I like to keep a list of Books I’ve Read, and also a list of books I want to read. I like to do the same for movies I’ve seen and movies I want to see. On a whole other level, how about a list of Recipes to Try.
These are beautiful! I especially love the gratitude journal. I’m so curious as to what a garden journal is for. I may have to google that. 😉 As for other ideas for journals, perhaps a “God-wink” journal…for when you see God at work in your life in a special way. I don’t know…you have covered the variety of journals well. I need to order some for gifts!
Sherrinda, the Garden Journal is a place to keep track of what you’ve planted, date planted, when it blooms or when you harvest it, water and light needs, you can tuck the care tag from the nursery between the pages (or tape it to the pages). We are doing a similar one for houseplants too. I’ll use that one! I love keeping track of when I got a plant, who gave it to me, or where I bought it. If it was for a special occasion or a memorial from a funeral service, etc. That way, even if the plant eventually dies, I have a memory of it. (I LOVE plants, in case you can’t tell.) 🙂
Okay, that is super cool! I have never thought to do that for plants, but I love it! I have some plants I got last year from my mother’s funeral. What a great way to document them. 🙂
I LOVE the idea of the garden journal. I keep the tags on a shower curtain ring, but a journal to keep track if when and where planted and when it bloomed. I love flowers and have lots- and we grow tomatoes and peppers and my husband does watermelon too. Write on my calendar when the first tomato blooms but lose track of the perennials that don’t come back!
1. Definitely the book journal! I have a small notebook that I started a couple of years ago to keep track of the books I read. At first I just wanted the numbers – to see how many I could read in a year. But I also forget what I’ve read and which authors I like so it helps with that.
2. A journal for collectibles would be fun. I have a thimble collection (a couple hundred of them) and I have a small notebook that I write down where I got them, when, and whom they were from if it was a gift. I sketch a little picture of the thimble also. I started this in a lined paper notebook and then later decided the sketches would look better without lines so I started using an unlined journal. I’m hoping to recopy the whole thing into a nicer journal but so far haven’t gotten to it. Plus I am way behind in listing thimbles from the last few years. Life happens!
I love the covers on Gratitude, Prayer and Garden journals. I probably need the Gratitude Journal. I’ve started gratitude lists several times and end up not being consistent. Daily dates might be good in the Gratitude Journal. I make To Do lists more than anything so a To Do Journal might be helpful.
It’s so hard to choose, I would love the prayer, gratitude or book journal. These journals are so pretty.
I would like the Prayer Journal. I am currently looking for a Food Journal, somewhere I can log my daily foods & any specific feelings, thoughts, etc. that I had that day. Maybe include a place for water intake, etc. and with sunflowers on the cover.😉
1) Gratitude Journal. 2) something for thoughts on sermons. Not necessarily notes for the message,but applications, responses.
Deb, I love these journals. I plan to order lots for myself and friends!!
What a great idea and so pretty 🙂
They all are beautiful. I would probably choose the book journal or the gratitude journal . Have you thought about a weight loss journal maybe fit for life. My daughter is keeping one but just in a regular spiral paper book. Right now I would like to see for me a grief journal as I am trying to go on without my mom .
My name spelled wrong in my post above. It should say Jackie Tessnair
Hi Deb! These are beautiful. If.my name were chosen, I would want to have the Gratitude journal, as I have been struggling with a great deal of sadness and discouragement the last few weeks. I think it would help to bolster.my faith to keep a record of God’s faithfulness.
I would live to see either some kind if kitchen, or household journal, for keeping track of recipes and other important “running a household ” information. Or a fina challenge one, to keep good household records.
The journals are beautiful! Keep up the good work, Ken! 😉
Oooh, I love journals, been journaling since 1983. It’s a hard tie between the prayer and gratitude journal. Good luck with this!
I love them all, but I think I would find the “Books I’ve Read” journal the most useful. For certain authors where I want to read all of the books they’ve written, it would be helpful to have a page I could devote just to a particular author where I can write in all of her/his books and then check them off as I’ve read them.
Another idea for a journal: As a mother of 4 boys, I often wish I had written down all the cute things my boys have said over the years. I always thought I’d remember them, but, of course, I haven’t. So, a journal for parents called something like “Cute Things My Kids Say”!
I would like the book journal. I’m already keeping one, but the pages are filling up! The prayer journal would be a close second. This is such a wonderful idea! I’m going to Amazon now to check them out.
I would like a Book journal. As far as a type I would like to see; a Style journal and a vacation/ trip journal would be fun. A page of ideas for each, on adding pockets and envelopes, would be nice.
They’re all beautiful.
I would love the Gratitude journal! And a suggestion for another type of journal would be a, “Cute grandkids Sayings journal”!
My book journal! A nature journal for all the wildlife I see in our yard.
Love all of them but the prayer and reading journals are my favorite.
Definitely the Gratitude Journal. Everyone needs to have a written visual reminder of the blessings & even the trials that come in our lives. The other journal I would suggest is writing out your personal testimony. I actually self-published a book called ‘Sharing Your Faith Journey’ which takes you through the steps of developing your spiritual journey or ‘resume’ if you will. It allows you to remember the times & seasons in your life you can draw on when talking to someone about God, or if given the opportunity to write out your testimony, making sure to edit or distill your thoughts to have the strongest & most impactful things in your life recorded. Can also be a legacy book for your family. Thanks Deborah!
I love the cover of Gratitude and the Have Read book. I have read/still reading, many books and would like one that would give me room to add all my have read books and the author.
These are so nice!! I would choose either the Raney Day Journal Two ~ beige or the fancy cover Gratitude Journal that “pops” right out there.
I would suggest an “I Spy Moment” journal reflecting God’s immediate happening for you. An example, when my middle daughter was little, after Bible study I took her by McD’s for fries. At the drive-in window, I was short a dime or so, and the person said to drive up a little way, that the person ahead of me had dropped their change. I remember exclaiming, “This is an I Spy Moment!” We had just studied about God’s seemingly small inserts into our daily lives.
The gratitude journal is lovely; the prayer journal even more so. I’d probably get the prayer journal…or maybe the book journal (I don’t like either of those covers quite as well, though). I’d love to see you make a prayer journal with a less flowery cover…one that could be a gift for a man. (Not that men can’t like flowers, but not all men would like the current cover.) A new product… In my bullet journal is a section where I’ve been keeping track of engagements/ marriages, pregnancies/ births, and deaths. (Or, as a friend of mine used to call them, matches, hatches, and dispatches.) If you make a journal for those three things, you’ll want to include space for family information, and for wedding and baby showers, and funeral info, and (come to think of it) cards or gifts given/ sent. My “deaths” pages help me keep track of whether people from my hometown (whom I don’t see, in any case) are still living. I currently put people whose deaths I mourn (e.g. father-in-law) and deaths of people I’ve never met (e.g. friend’s father) all in the same list, with stars of varying sizes by the names of the people I knew personally. But I could see separating those lists. I did, this year, separate famous people (e.g. John Lewis) into a separate list.
Oh my goodness, what a great idea and such gorgeous final products! I love a list, and love a journal, so these are just amazing 🙂 I would personally love a book and prayer journal. I’m a pretty avid reader (just completed book 79 for the year, and updated my Excel spreadsheet and planner, LOL!) and would love to jot them down in a journal. I have a couple of prayer journals, but none as pretty as yours. I think a travelogue journal or a tv/movie tracker journal would be cool too! Have a blessed day, Wade family!
I really like the gratitude journal! I currently write things I am thankful for on slips of paper and stick them in an envelope. A gratitude journal would be a nice upgrade.
An idea for a future journal is cute or funny or otherwise memorable things children say or do. I see those things shared on social media, but wonder if there couldn’t be a more permanent and personal option.
The Prayer Journal popped out first because I like to list prayer requests and scripture but I’m like you The Gratitude Journal is gorgeous so if I win that’s the one I would pick. I can journal what I am thankful for plus scripture and prayer requests. Thanks for the opportunity to win!
I love the garden journal! Of course I also like the book one, but that garden one is just beautiful! I can’t wait to see the inside of it.
I know this might be goofy, but what about a journal for coffee and tea? There are SO many available!
These are beautiful, Deborah! I have some for the other categories, but I would love a garden journal! Great work!
Very nice
I would definitely pick the camping journal. Wish I would have had one 11 years ago when we got out camper.
An idea for a journal would be a grandparent journal. You could write down ideas of things to do with your grandchildren. Or cute things they said. Or little life lessons you want to teach them. Also, a space to write prayers for them.
I only have three grandchildren, so I would probably get one for each and then give it to them as a gift for high school graduation.
I would choose a prayer journal. I kept a prayer journal for years until it filled up. I never found another one that suited my needs. I would also suggest a journal for inspirational quotes. I think someone already suggested that. But I love finding worthwhile quotes and writing them down.
Great idea! I would like the Books I Read if there is space for several on a page. Can’t see the image close enough to know. They are all special and much nicer than putting them in a spiral.
Ohhh I would love the regular journal that’s kind of brown. And I woulD LOVE a Scripture writing journal since I use one nearly every day! Love journals!
Great idea! I’d choose the one to keep track of books I’ve read. I currently use the back of my daily planner, on the pages designed for names and addresses which is quite dumb to include in this day and age methinks, and I’d rather just see some blank pages back there but the planner came free and I really shouldn’t look a gift planner in the mouth. (Yours will be perfect, free or not.)
Wow. These are really lovely. Great teamwork. Great idea. I use composition books and decorate the front. Having a beautiful Gratitude journal would be wonderful. It’s beautifully designed. I think something for kiddos would be wonderful. Something to help inspire them to journal and see how much there is to be thankful for. Then a beach scene fir all of us whose happy place is the ocean 😁
I would love a prayer journal to keep track of prayer requests and answers.
How about a journal to list your favorite authors.
Or one to list the British TV shows you want to watch.
Movie list want to watch.
Owned DVDs.
Craft or sewing projects.
Wardrobe inventory so you can mix and match.
Address book/ Christmas Card list
These journals are so beautiful! I’ve been wanting to start journaling and this would be a perfect start!
You obviously hit a sweet spot with all of us, judging from the comments! Clever you…and Ken, too. The covers are just beautiful, particularly that Gratitude journal! I think I’ll head over to Amazon now…
Add to the overwhelming response: These are gorgeous! Plan to order some.
I think I would choose the Prayer journal. Did I see a vacation journal? Or a favorite recipes journal?
I would pick the journal that says Books I Have Read. This one would be the only one I would actually use so I would love for it to be designed in all kinds of purple. A lot of deep purples on the cover. They are all beautiful though and would be proud to own one.
I LOVE journals and these are gorgeous!! I keep a bullet journal and it has a bunch of trackers, including the books I’ve read. But sometimes I think I’d like to keep that list in a separate journal, so I’m especially interested in the Books I’ve Read journal.
I think a Trip/Vacation Planning journal would be really helpful, as well as a Sermon Notes journal. I always take notes at church and love filling up beautiful journals with my scribbling.
What a marvelous “accident,” you two! I love the garden journal. Most of us gardeners keep notes, but I never considered writing them any place so pretty. Great idea! –Kim Peterson
Oooops, I didn’t read the instructions below the photo. I only said what I loved. How about a finance journal? I dread recording such things. Perhaps a pretty place to document important purchases and decisions *and* God’s abundant blessings? That would eliminate the dread and remind me to focus on the joy of God’s provision. –Kim Peterson
DRUMROLL PLEASE…The winners of the two journals are:
1. Jackie Tessnair
2. Amber Woodward
If you two will e-mail your snail-mail addresses to me at debraney@mac.com, and let me know which journal you choose, I’ll get them to you ASAP. You may choose any of those pictured here. And there are also: new Prayer Journal, two Sermon Notes journals, and Garden Journal and Houseplant Journal coming SOON!
Wonderful to learn about your upcoming journals!
Did I miss who is the winner of the journal???
See the comment she made right above yours for the two winners.
Definitely my choice would be the gratitude journal! So pretty. As for other types, I like goal-setting journals. It must be fun to design this way!