Pastel Stationary Supplies for Spring

Spring has sprung!! I know so many people say fall is their favorite season because it has sweaters and pumpkin spice lattes and whatnot, but hands down my favorite season is Spring!! Thankfully it's even starting to feel like spring here in Dallas and I couldn't be happier. To celebrate (or get you in the mood if you live up north where it's still freezing), I'm sharing some of my favorite spring-colored pastel supplies!

Pens

Staedtler really is a staple brand to have because their pens are just amazing! The colors are perfect and they don't bleed at all. The pastel Staedtler pens are great for either brightening up your notes or writing up your spring adventures in your planner.

Since retro is the new thing, let's throw it back to elementary school with some pastel gel pens! And you can totally be a ~signs legal document with a pastel pink gel pen~ kinda person with these.

Okay so these are technically "pens" but they're more like markers. If you're on the creative side, then these pastel art pens are perfect for everything from bullet journaling to practicing your calligraphy. 

Haha at this point I'm using the term "pens" very fast and loose here, but these pastel Sharpies were just too pretty not to include. But in my defense, they are fine point so at least they're close to being pens!

Highlighters

Allow me to introduce you to the iconic Zebra Mildliner highlighters, but in pastel. They will literally make your day as you're highlighting in your casebook because they're so bright and cheery!

Equally as iconic is the Stabilo BOSS wallet! They're so cute and chunky and now they're pretty in pink (and 5 other pastel colors as well!

I've been obsessed with Pilot FriXon highlighters ever since I saw them "in the wild" haha because they actually do erase themselves without smudging and leaving a residue! So of course, I had to include the pastel set of these erasable highlighters in this list. 

These pastel highlighters are super cute and chunky just like the Stabilo ones above, and are in some seriously gorgeous colors!

Okay last set of highlighters I swear! I just had to include these Monami pastel highlighters to the list because I like how there's actually a wide range of colors so you get a lot of options even though they're all pastel colors.

Related: My favorite highlighters and why

Paper products

I know it's the beginning of the semester, but now is a good time to grab some extra notebooks before you run out of room or stock up while it's off-season for school supplies. This set of pastel notebooks is absolutely adorable to go matching with your pastel pens and highlighters. 

Of course I would be a terrible law student if I didn't throw in some pastel legal pads! My 6th grade math teacher actually made us use these because she had read somewhere that colored paper is easier on your eyes or helps you concentrate better. I can't exactly remember what it was but I know we were the most colorful 6th grade class ever haha.

If legal pads aren't your thing, but you want to try out my math teacher's theory on colored paper, then maybe try these pastel notebooks. They have dotted lines which I think are pretty cool!

Lastly, are pastel pocket journals! These will be great to have at your internship but you can get some use out of them now by journaling or just jotting down thoughts in them.

Office Supplies

Tell me you don't get happy just looking at one of these pastel file folders! They come in lots of soft colors but also are great for keeping up with professor handouts or storing your résumés in a place where they won't get crumpled.

Page tabs are amazing because in your casebook they can help you easily find chapters and in your statute book they really help to quickly find a statute when you're on call. So you might as well make your book pretty with some pastel page tabs!

I use sticky notes for like everything because I'm a scatter brain, so I love the idea of having pastel Post-Its because I'm sure that I'll go through the whole pack before the end of spring. A great idea would be to write a little daily affirmation or motivational quote on them and stick them on your mirror for a pretty little pick me up :)

Washi tape is great because not only will it really step up your planner game, but it's great for around the house! I will tear off a small piece of tape and stick it on leftovers with the date I made it so that I don't accidentally eat something so old it went bad. With lots of colors in this pastel washi tape set, you can find lots of ways to use them!

Whoo okay I'm done!! Haha I hadn't originally meant for this post to be so long, but once I got started I just couldn't stop because I already love both stationary supplies and pastels. Do you like pastels too? Or what's your favorite part about Spring?! I'd love to know so tell me in the comments!

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The Best Law School Backpacks

Hi friends! So my first 1L year semester I just used my college backpack but it wasn't quite big enough so I ended up carrying more books in my hand than in my backpack, which led to me deciding to invest in a bigger and better backpack. I've had quite a few emails/comments asking what I'd suggest so here's my overall advice: it needs to be sturdy (so it won't rip under the weight of the books), spacious (so it can fit all your books), and strong (so it will be supporting the weight of your books instead of just your back). If you're looking for a new backpack, here's some great finds of what my friends and I actually use!

Related: 40 other law school must-haves

Jon Hart Large Backpack

I'm listing this first just because this is the exact backpack that I have. I really really like Jon Hart because it's coated canvas which means it's waterproof (okay so like technically water resistant, but still way better than normal material). True story my 1L year this girl and I both left the school at the same time and it was pouring, neither of us had umbrellas, our can were on the other side of the parking lot, and we had to make a run for it with no protection. Her books and notebooks got major water damage and she really lucky that her laptop didn't drown but everything in my backpack was perfectly dry. Once you've paid $400 for a book you really want to keep it safe. Plus, these come monogrammed and with a ton of color options so 😍 One downside to the coated canvas is that it isn't stretchy so you can't squeeze in anything that's too big. If you get this backpack their pouch makes the perfect pencil bag because it perfectly fits in the front zipper since it's flat and after school it makes a great makeup bag.

Related: What I keep in my law school backpack 

North Face Borealis Backpack

There's lots of great North Face backpacks, but I feel like the Borealis is definitely the one that I see the most people wearing. This backpack is great for law school because it's definitely roomy enough to fit your books and notebooks and everything else plus it has super thick straps to help with the heavy lifting. And when I was studying abroad, a lot of people had these as carry-on bags for their flights. I've even seen a lawyer wear a black version of this into court during trial because he had a lot of paperwork to bring in. Other good North Face options are the Jester backpack, Recon backpack, Vault backpack, and Pivoter backpack.

Patagonia Yerba Backpack

Patagonia is another sporty/outdoorsy brand so their backpacks are made to hold everything plus some. The Yerba backpack is really deep so if you have really tall books or a legal pad, they'll easily fit. Plus the padding on the straps and the entire back of this are super thick so it will be super comfortable carrying around a huge load of books.  Another great option is the Blackhole backpack because the name says it all. The Refugio backpack is another option if you'd rather have more than one zipper (like the North Face one I was just talking about).

Swiss Gear Laptop Backpack 

Swiss backpacks are super iconic for a reason and this one has a spot in the back for your laptop so it can't be damaged by you taking your books in and out a thousand times. I personally like a backpack sectioned off into compartments so I can have one for electronics, one for books, and one for notebooks so if you're like me you'll like this backpack. If you are always having a lot of books to take with you, a larger backpack like the Victorinox is a bigger option so it can hold more. But my advice is just because your backpack can hold all of your books doesn't mean you should load it down. What I try to do is carry whichever book is for the class I'm going to next in my hands just to lighten the load on my back and shoulders. 

Samsonite Business Backpack

Lol at this point I just noticed that the bags are going from cute and colorful to kinda boring, but this backpack is a good investment because let's be real in the legal world boring = professional so you would be fine wearing this to work if you had a lot of walking in your future. It's also great for carrying your books from your car to your class every day because it's really large and has a lot of padding. If you're into rolling backpacks, they also make this wheeled backpack for you to pull all your books in. And since it's Samsonite, you know it's a great brand that'll last you.

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What's in My Law School Backpack

I officially start my last day of school on Monday 😱 but that hasn't stopped me from getting all packed and ready now (I'm that person who is completely packed 3 days before the flight). As I was running around my apartment trying to find all of my supplies and pack them just right, I just was so giddy I figured I should write a post about it!

The big things

Every single morning, I make sure to throw my laptop in my bag. I've had my MacBook Air since college and it's my whole world. It has my notes on Evernote and my case briefs on Quimbee. I love how light and thin it is so it doesn't take up much room in my backpack.

Related: How I Take Notes in Law School and How I Use Quimbee 

The next important thing that every law student always needs is your books! I seriously can't stress this enough because I know in undergrad I rarely took my book to class, but in law school if you don't have your book then you might get kicked out of class. To save my back, I only keep the books for my next one or two classes. My 1L year I kept my spare books in my car and made a quick trip between classes, and my 2L year I kept the extra books in my study carrel.

Related: Decorating My Study Carrel and How to find law school books for cheap

I personally prefer to take notes on my laptop, but I've come to find out that it's common for law professors to ban all electronics for their classes. If I get more of my notes information from class than my book, I'll bring a Cornell Method notebook and usually I'll write down the black letter law on the small side and the rest of the class notes on the big side. If I get more of my notes information from my book than my class, I'll just bring my padfolio because it's just enough paper for me to keep my quick notes and has slots for handouts.

And of course I always have my planner in my backpack. Law school has seriously turned me into a planner addict and I'm always finding new ways to use it to keep my life organized. TBH, sometimes when a fellow student is going on a long-winded rant, I'll get out it out and start writing down to-do's that I need to get done after class!

Related: Law School Planner Reviews Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 (was not kidding about the planner addict part)

The little things

One thing that I use the most in every single class is my pencil bag. I always keep a set of pens in there, a few pencils with a giant eraser and extra lead, a small set of highlighters, page markers, a flash drive and of course an EOS egg. Truly I think this is all you need and I definitely use all of these at least once a week.

Related: 40 other law school must-have supplies

Because I always end up referencing my book in class, I'm extra and keep this bookstand in my backpack at all times. It actually frees up a lot of space on your desk and really helps your neck. The one I use folds up completely flat and takes up practically no room in my backpack.

I also keep a GridIt full of chargers for my laptop, iPad, and phone, and a pair of earbuds. This is sooo handy to keep everything from falling to the bottom of my bag and I've noticed that a few of my classmates have gotten some mid-semester after they ask about mine.

I always bring a water bottle to class because True Life: I'm Addicted to Water. It's not uncommon for me to go through 24 ounces in one class, so I have to have a reusable water bottle that's big enough to keep me from having to leave class to refill it. My favorites are Tervis, S'well, and CamelBak.

I have a keychain wallet that is on me constantly that keeps my car, apartment, and carrel keys, student ID, driver's license, and debit card all together in one place. Since I have my whole life in one place, it'd be absolutely terrible if I lost this so I make sure that there's a Tile on there.

I used to keep a little makeup bag in my backpack, but once I got a carrel it just made sense to keep it in there since I usually don't touch up my makeup mid-class. I have this makeup bag that I keep full of ColourPop lip stain, Better Than Sex travel mascara, a few hair ties, a travel hairbrush, travel lotion, a Tide to-go pen, and Advil. I also keep a minimergency kit in my carrel just in case I need something quick.

The backpack

One thing I learned my 1L year is that you will need more room in your backpack than in college. I actually had to buy a bigger backpack in the middle of my first year because my undergrad one could only fit one or two books and that just wasn't cutting it for me. I don't worry about having a "professional" backpack because the only people who see my backpack are other law students and idc about impressing them. I've seen some people use a small backpack for their notebooks/laptops and a tote bag for their books, but I just can't do this because putting the weight of 5 books on one shoulder kills me. Another big plus for my backpack is that it's waterproof. Literally the worst thing that could possibly happen to you as a law student would be that your books and laptop get water damaged. I can't stress this enough to consider rain when getting a backpack. 

Related: The top 5 law school backpacks under $100