With December just around the corner, we've been thinking about a rather nice way to begin the new year: nature journaling. Not as another hobby to squeeze into an already busy week, but as a way to notice more of the changing seasons and enjoy what's happening around us. Nature journaling gives you a reason to look a little closer at what's happening around you throughout the year. And when something catches your attention, you can simply add it to your journal, in whatever way feels natural to you.

And that's what we particularly like about botanical artist Lara Call Gastinger's Perpetual Journal. There's no need to keep up or start over every January. You return to the same pages year after year, gradually collecting your observations of the changing seasons. And since we love gifts that are made to be kept, we rather like the thought of giving someone a journal for Christmas that they'll still be adding to years from now.

The art of noticing and experiencing a little more

One of the interesting things about nature journaling is how it changes what you pay attention to. You might have walked past the same tree hundreds of times without giving it much thought. And isn't it funny how often we don't even know the names of the plants growing around us?

But once you start keeping a nature journal, you begin to get to know what's growing right on your doorstep. Perhaps you notice the first buds appearing on that familiar tree and make a little sketch. A few weeks later, you find yourself checking on it again to see how much has changed.

And when you look back through your journal, you can see how the seasons have changed, week by week and year after year. All from things you've noticed during your everyday life.

A nature journal you can return to year after year

If you're new to nature journaling, it's simply a way of recording what you notice in nature. You can sketch, write, collect dates, or even add a pressed leaf. There's no particular way your pages need to look.

Lara Call Gastinger has been keeping her own perpetual nature journal for years, and her approach is surprisingly simple. The journal is organized into 52 weeks. Each year, you return to the same pages, adding new observations alongside the ones you've already made.

You might sketch a leaf, write down the name of a flower, or note when you first spotted a particular bird. And if you miss a few weeks? No problem. There's nothing to catch up on. You simply return to your journal when something interests you, whether that's next week or next year.

You don't need expensive materials or a collection of art supplies, either. A pencil and your journal will do just fine. And your sketches certainly don't have to be perfect. After all, you're keeping a record of what you've seen, not preparing an exhibition.

The gift of a year worth keeping

What we love most about nature journaling is imagining what your journal might look like a few years from now. Perhaps it's a little messy, with unfinished sketches, handwritten notes, and pressed flowers tucked between the pages. You might open it to find a leaf you collected on vacation, or a plant whose name you finally discovered.

And suddenly, you're remembering not just what you found, but where you were and what was happening at the time.

It's a little archive of your own life, seen through your eyes.

That's also why we've chosen Lara's Perpetual Journal for the Glimmery collection. We create paper goods to help people notice, capture, share, and keep more of everyday life. We call these little records Paper Moments™. And a nature journal is a wonderful place to collect them, while getting to know the seasons and the nature around you.

With Christmas approaching, we think it's a thoughtful gift for someone who enjoys nature, loves drawing, or might like to try something new in January. And there's something rather nice about giving a journal that doesn't have an ending. One they can keep returning to, filling with their own discoveries for years to come.