STATIONERY STREET

Since you tend to write more, A5 is appealing, but where you'll use it matters too. If it'll come along every day, A6's smaller size may be worth the tighter page; if it mostly stays at home, A5 seems easier to justify.

A note that you were laughing helps, but it only conveys your tone. If a line could read as a swipe, a few words explaining what the joke was about can preserve the context too.

There's a notebook in my small stash with a cover I really like, and I keep leaving it on the shelf while the plain one gets used for everyday notes. I tell myself I'll save it for something more worthwhile, but that occasion never seems to arrive. At this rate, ordinary notes are the only reason it'll ever get used.

Stickers and little bits of paper can make A6 feel cramped even when your writing fits. If you want room for both writing and decorating, I'd lean A5.

Yeah, blank space is more use to me too. One tracker for a habit I keep forgetting can help, but give me a whole row and I start ticking boxes for the sake of it, which tells me nothing.

When I'm looking at planners, a row of habit trackers feels less useful than a decent bit of blank space beside the weekly layout. I can use that space for changing plans, little reminders or the odd sticker, whereas empty tracker boxes just make the page feel cluttered. With a monthly budget, I'd rather pay for pages I'll actually use than extra sections that look good in the listing.

Since you tend to write more once you get going, try a few typical entries on page-sized mockups at your usual handwriting size. If A6 regularly makes you squeeze lines or cut details, A5 may be worth carrying; occasional overflow alone probably isn't.

If you're open to an alternative to a charm, an embroidered patch could add a personal touch without anything rubbing against the cover—though it would be a more permanent choice.

I'd go for fabric or cord. Even a rounded metal charm can swing against the cover, so keep any hard bit hanging clear of the leather.

I'm trying to keep a small record of ordinary weeks, and these two approaches ask different things of me. Writing-only gets a thought down quickly; adding a bit of colour or something I've kept can make the page more memorable, but takes extra time. I'm leaning towards plain pages unless there's something I actually want to stick in.