Subscription notebook service comes with unique designs, versatile for everyday carry

A look at Log + Jotter notebooks that are available only on a subscription basis. Here are the May through August 2023 editions.

by: Dave Burge

Posted: Aug 20, 2023 / 08:46 PM MDT

Updated: Aug 20, 2023 / 09:01 PM MDT

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – “Make a story + Tell a story”

That’s the motto for subscription-based pocket notebook Log + Jotter.

The Log + Jotter notebooks are small enough to fit into your shirt pocket or back pocket of your Dockers or jeans.

They’re sturdy enough to go out on camping trip or out on a hike with you, but professional enough to be used around the office.

Log + Jotter was started in 2017 and its notebooks are only available via subscription.

For $5 each month, you get a notebook in the mail with a unique cover that’s always a surprise. The $5 fee includes shipping and tax.

Subscribers usually get a notebook in the mail each month around the 15th.

Log + Jotter notebooks are 3.5 inches wide by 5.5 inches tall (the same size as the popular Field Notes Brand notebooks).

You have a choice of blank pages, graph paper or dot graph. And you can change which type of paper you want.

They are bound with a two-staple stich and the corners are rounded to avoid the “dog ear” look from putting them in and out of your pocket, according to the Log + Jotter website.

Each notebook is 40 pages, which you can use to take some notes, jot down a list of errands or a grocery list, make a sketch or anything else that comes to mind.

In fact, each month, the Log + Jotter notebook includes a list of “page prompts” for some suggested uses.

For the August notebook these are the suggested uses for filling those blank pages: “A story that needs to be told; an adventure with the family; sketch a topo (topography) map; weird things people say; idea for a song; I miss doing …; a family memory; and my one page bio.

In a world, where no one writes letters anymore and your mailbox is usually just bills, ads and junk, this is a refreshing change of pace, almost like getting some treasure in the mail each month.

“Designed and made here in the US, these notebooks include some small details that other companies leave out. Page numbers, a mix of page layouts, rulers, and thin grid lines help provide a well organized and handy tool,” according to a review on Original Content Books, a blog that offers “honest reviews of notebooks, pens and cases, without ads and paid affiliations.”

“They are also lightweight and sturdy which helps them hold up to hiking, camping, back-pocket carry,” the review continued.

Personally, I have found it to be a really great, budget friendly addition to my everyday carry.

As a journalist, I don’t want to have to look for a notebook to write down something I want to remember. I can keep one of these handy notebooks on me at all times, for whenever the need arises.

I’ve been a subscriber for four months now and have come to look forward to the arrival of my new Log + Jotter notebook each month.

I use one for daily tasks and around the house — to write down grocery lists, errands, jot down a story idea if I’m out and about.

I use another one for around the office. They are especially convenient for meetings where you don’t want or need a huge notebook, but want something to write down a few key ideas.

I especially enjoy their small size. As a journalist, I sometimes like to go incognito or not announce my presence too prominently, especially in this day and age when some people view the press as “the enemy.” A small, pocket-size notebook can be really advantageous, whether you are a journalist, an attorney, doctor or a contractor.

With my first notebook, I got an calendar insert for the entire year that can be moved from notebook to notebook after they get filled up. That calendar insert also has room for “transfer notes” – for things you want to remember but don’t want to get lost in a particular notebook after it’s filled up.

For more information about Log + Jotter, click here.