Midori MD Diary A5, 2020 Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

I've raved about the Midori MD line several times. Really, anytime anyone brings up paper. ("Can I have a tissue?" "Tissues have their purpose, but have you tried Midori MD paper???") I've tried just about every variety they offer, but I hadn't yet tried their planners and diaries. Now I have, and here I go raving again.

The A5 planner comes wrapped in a waxed paper cover, with a set of stickers that you can use to label your planner with the dates and contents. I usually discard the wax paper, but if you want to use a spine sticker, you should hold onto it for storage purposes, at least. The stickers won't stick to the texture of the spine beneath the cover. The book itself has a cream-colored, soft, cardstock cover, its spine reinforced with a fabric tape that holds the ribbon bookmark to the spine.

Inside, the book greets you with "The story of 2020" which I thought was delightful. After that is a monthly date spread for the year, for reference. Past that, the monthly planner pages. The squares for each day are very small, and then there are wide margins around the grid for making notes. I think I'd prefer larger squares and smaller margins, myself, but I tend to use the monthly spread more than other pages in a planner, and I don't think that's typical.

After the monthly pages, there are undated weekly spreads. There are eight sections per spread, so one can be used for notes/lists, etc. After the weekly spreads, there is a generous chunk of totally blank pages, ready for all sorts of shenanigans. Sketches, scrapbooking, notes ... I love that this planner has so much room for creative play.

At the end, the book closes with, "To be continued, 2021" which delighted me even more than the first page. I appreciate your optimism, planner.

So, all the necessities are there, without too many extras and no clutter. The build is great. And of course, best of all is the Midori MD paper.

As in past experiences, its performance is superb. The only thing it doesn't like is alcohol-based markers like Sharpies. Everything else did well, even big, juicy fountain pens. There is show-through, but no trace of bleeding or feathering. All told, there are 175 pages of awesomeness, here. 113 lined, 32 blank, plus the calendars.

I could easily see myself using the monthly pages as my planner, then the lined pages as more of a diary or journal. I hadn't yet selected a planner for 2020--I was still spinning my head at all the fancy options. What I like best about this planner/diary is that it isn't too fancy, but I still feel spoiled with the great construction and snazzy paper. Best of all, I can stop thinking about 2020 planners, now!

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Zebra Sarasa Clip 0.5mm Neon 5 Color Set Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Fall is officially here, and that means that we're in store for the lovely autumn colors that change during this time of year. The rich browns, reds, oranges, and yellows is such a welcome treat after the long, hot summer months.

But, let's say you want to freshen up the mood with some colors that are a bit more electric. If that's the case, there are many, many options, but a great starter set is this Zebra Sarasa Clip 0.5mm Neon 5 Color Set (what a name!). In this set, you get a handful of neon fluorescent refills packed in matching Sarasa Clip bodies. The colors range from yellow, pink, green, purple, and orange.

We've done so many various reviews on the Zebra Sarasa Clip pens over the years, and this variant is no surprise. Aside from the shockingly bright colors, these pens are exactly what you know and love from the Sarasa Clip. The refills are extremely smooth when writing and lay down a vibrant, crisp 0.5mm line on the page.

Where these pens differ is in the ink color area, and they are more than capable of exceeding your expectations if you're in the mood for some bright, happy, fun colors.

My personal favorite out of this bunch is the green. It's not quite as fluorescent as the others, but it's such a cheery and happy light green with plenty of oomph behind it. The other colors are a bit lighter but have no problem bringing on the cheer.

I did have some complaints with the yellow color in particular since it's so light. It's practically a highlighter, but that's entirely due to the base color. Yellow is a really light color to begin with, and it's difficult to use it as anything but a highlight in most cases.

Despite my own frustrations with the yellow ink on white paper, it quickly dawned on me that this is the perfect ink for a dark paper. So, you can imagine my despair when I was unable to find any dark paper in the stationery drawers. I have some on order, but I made due with some darker poster-board that we had in the garage. It wasn't a smooth writing surface, but the yellow, pink, and orange colors popped like crazy off the dark gray background. It was incredibly enjoyable to make squiggly lines on this scrap poster-board, and that's the entire purpose of this set of pens. They are pure fun and worth every penny. You can't help but be delighted when you see them, and using them is even more satisfying.

I've had a lot of fun using these pens over the last couple of weeks, and I'm sure many of you will too. The long, dreary winter months are ahead of us, and these pens are a great way to boost your spirits when you're stuck inside the house.

My only serious complaint is that this set doesn't include a blue! I think Zebra really missed an opportunity by not including a blue. It wouldn't have been difficult to make this a 6-pen set!

The 5-pen set only sets you back eight bucks, and I think that's a great value for the amount of cheer these colors provide. If you're only in the mood for certain colors instead of the full set, you can purchase them separately as well (green, orange, pink, purple, yellow).

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Waldmann Eco Ballpoint Pen Giveaway

In conjunction with yesterday’s Waldmann fountain pen review, I have a great Waldmann ballpoint pen to give away today. The Eco Barley features a sterling silver barrel with a classic barley pattern, rhodium-plated accents, and a medium blue ballpoint refill. It’s a traditional design that I love, and I have one to give away. Read the rules below and enter away!

Waldmann Eco Ballpoint Pen Giveaway