I’ve been using the Happy Notes for a while so when MAMBI introduced the Journaling notebook I wanted to see what the differences were.

Quick facts

• Size: 7″ wide x 9.25″ high
• Discbound
• Laminated cardstock cover (no cover personalisation)
• 4 pre-designed bullet journal pages, rest of the notebook is pain dot grid paper
• Neutral dot grid pages inside
• Tabs

Let’s take a closer look!

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The notebook has the same sort of cover as all of the other MAMBI notebooks – laminated cardstock. There aren’t too many cover designs to choose from yet although I’m sure they’ll be adding plenty more in the future.

The cover is reversible with a different pattern on the back side so you can swap it out

Between 0.5 and 0.75″ thick

Inside there are 4 unlabelled tabs – behind each are some pre-designed pages (same designs behind all tabs)

My favorite of the pre-done pages

Apart from the functional page design ^above^ the rest of the pages are random and don’t really fit with one another

Do I actually need a page with a typewriter in the corner?  …. Definitely not

Dividers

There are 4 tabs with different dividers for each (and different designs on the front and back cover of each).

The tabs are cardstock and sturdy but you’ll need a label maker as they’re laminated (i.e. pen will just wipe off).

Pen Testing

The Happy Planner has one of the thickest (best) papers I’ve come across. There is really only ghosting (and a little bit of bleed through) for the marker pens.

Pros of the Planner

• Affordable
• Discbound
• Colorful
• Grey dot grid pages (which are yet to be available for purchase separately)

Cons of the Planner

• The pre-designed pages are random not functional – I don’t see the point of them

Comparison with the Happy Notes

Both notebooks are similar, with a few minor differences:

The Happy Notes have the option of graph or lined paper instead of the dot grid.

The Dot Journal is thicker

The main difference is there’s no pattern on the inside paper in the journal whereas there is in the happy notes

The dots are light grey in this notebook whereas the Happy Notes dots match the color of the pattern

Would I use this planner?

No.

I like discbound, but this is just a slightly more expensive version of the Happy Notes. I don’t like the pre-designed pages and would rather do my own …. i.e. the point of bullet journaling.

See my review of the Happy Notes in this post.

More planner reviews:

• Arcing my Plum Paper Planner – everything you need to know if you’d like to try it yourself! 
• The Perfect Notebook Review (Discbound Planner)
• Levenger Circa Discbound Planner Review

Planning Tips:

• Planner Inspiration: 10 Rainbow Weekly Spread Ideas
• Favorite color tools for making planner sticker kits (all are free tools!)
• How to use the monthly notes pages of your planner

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