Uglee pen

Like many of you I bet, this is my favorite time of year.  I love to go and check out all the new school supplies.  I look at all of the big box retailers of course, but I also consistently check out the college book store for the University of Iowa.  Iowa Book tends to carry some non-traditional items and they also have a good selection of  Clairefontaine items.

This pen is my most recent addition.  The UgLeePen is definitely a much different type of pen then what I tend to use as it has a 1.4mm tip.  I tend to favor the extremely fine point pens versus this type, although I do appreciate a wide point from time to time, if the ink flow is good.  For example, I had a real love for the old Zebra Tapali retractable pen.  (I couldn't find a great link for it, so this link is just meh.) 

I do a lot of writing/note taking for my job and with journaling, so I thought the comfort grip looked promising.  In the second picture here, notice the little shiny specks?  That is a glitter of sorts, so obviously I had to buy it because I'll buy anything if it comes with glitter.

One thing I will say about the grip is that it is really really squishy.  Now as you read this and think oh, so she means it is pretty squishy....go ahead and times that by about 50 and then you may be approaching the true squishy level of this pen. 

Ooooh Sparkles....

Overall, the pen wrote very nicely.  I thought it performed better than an average ballpoint pen, it certainly was smoother.  It might skip a tiny bit on occasion (see the "S" in sometimes) but overall it gives a consistent performance and the ink flows rather well.  I can see myself using this as my go to pen when I want to write with a wide tip or feel like I am experience some sort of hand fatigue due to too much writing. 

I would definitely recommend this pen for those who write a lot and don't mind a wide tip pen.  I think it is a very nice pen for the price.

My Dysfunctions Journal Review and Giveaway!

I know I do. I have an abundance of daily frustrations and issues, not to mention a strange fear of escalators. Which is a real problem during the holiday shopping season... But now I have something that will help me get over my escalator craziness...


I was excited to be contacted by KnockKnock to review the My Dysfunctions journal. This journal says it all on the cover. The first few pages are also a nice discussion of the transformative powers of journaling, but it is written with the little bit of snark found on many of KnockKnock's products.


The pages have great prompts to start you off if you can't think of anything dysfunctional to write about. (I truly don't have that problem.) I love the pictures at the bottom that asks "what would make it better today," they are a cute touch.

The prompts, drawings, and colors keep this journal from taking itself too seriously. It gives a fun place to write down your dysfunctions and I appreciate that it basically keeps you to one page per prompt. This is helpful for people who are new to journaling as well because there isn't a sea of blank pages to intimidate the writer.

I do want to talk about the overall quality of the book and paper. I wrote a short review with a Sailor Recruit Fountain pen (pictured above) I ordered from jetpens. You can click on the picture to see how the pen works and my initial stream of consciousness type thoughts on the book, but I am going to summarize them as well.
The book is well constructed with a sturdy, heavy cardboard cover and sewn in, bright white pages. It doesn't stay completely flat yet, but I think it would with use. The pages are thick. I don't know what type of paper is in here, but the fine point sailor fountain pen did not bleed or feather. I think it is a great gift idea! And lucky for you all, I have an extra one to giveaway!

Giveaway Rules:

Comment on this post by 11:59 PM Central time on 12-09. Make sure you include a way I can contact you to claim your prize. I use a random number generator either online or having my dog pick a number out of a hat. Probably the online number generator... I will post the winner on the blog and contact you on 12-10. You have until 12-16 to send me your address or I will pick a new winner. I will ship to anywhere in the world so everyone should sign up! Feel free to advertise this giveaway on your blog too! Also, please be kind enough to visit the link to KnockKnock and check out their other great items, they have something for everyone.

Uniball Signo DX 0.38

I noticed most of my pen reviews have been of Pilot. I thought I would review another line of pens that I love. I have several Uniball Signo DX 0.38 pens. This one happens to be in Bordeaux Black, which is basically maroon. I must say I am a sucker for any pen with two colors in their name, so in this pen I also have the green/black, brown/black and emerald. I have the blue/black in my shopping cart. :)

The writing sample is on Myndology paper, which is several steps above your average spiral bound notebook quality. Unlike some other pens with a narrow tip, I never encounter scratchiness, even on the lowest quality paper. I also do not get a lot of push through or pressure marking on the back side of the Myndology paper. Often I write very hard and with regular notebook paper it can be a problem. In general the ink flows so smoothly on this pen that I don't feel the need to use so much pressure when writing.

I feel this 0.38 writes more like a 0.4. It is great for journaling and doodles. I switch pens a lot so gauging how long the ink lasts can be difficult, but I think the ink life is average. The ink dries quickly and I have experienced very little smearing.

The pen body is lightweight and comfortable to use. I appreciate the rubberized grip and that there are not pronounced bumpy areas in the transition from grip to silver tip. When the pen is posted the balance also seems fine. I could write with this pen for hours and not experience any hand fatigue. That is one thing I always worry about when ordering fountain pens from the internet is the weight. I definitely prefer a light weight pen body in all pen types.

I really have nothing bad to say about this pen! I basically want one in every color imaginable.

Sharpie Accent Highlighters --Review

First order of business--if you click on the picture you can see the whole thing, Blogger keeps cropping it. I am sure it user error, but until I figure out what I am screwing up, click the pics for a better photo.

I purchased the 10 pack of Sharpie Accent Highlighters. I picked this up from Wal-Mart and I assume they can be found at any mass market department store. To assume I did not need ten highlighters would be a correct assumption, but I really wanted these because they came with "new colors!" The word "new" is basically a mandate to buy the product.

I compared the colors in the Piccadilly notebook. Keep in mind those pages are a light cream color. The new colors are the 2nd, 4th, and 8th. With the two purple colors, I couldn't really tell which was the traditional purple and which was different, I think it is the 10th color. In hindsight, I should have numbered these in the photo to make it easier. I'll remember for next time.


The 2nd color, is really a pure red. It can make things a little difficult to read at times and appears kind of like you are highlighting with a red crayola marker versus a highlighter. On regular paper, the second blue has a much different appearance than the pictures show. The 3rd color is the traditional highlighter orange, but the 4th color is my favorite. It is an unique mix of orange and pink that still allows for the writing to be read easily and is much prettier in real life than the picture shows.

The pen I used was a Uniball Jetstream, black 1.0 ballpoint. The liquidity of the Sharpies made this pen smudge easily in my opinion. Non liquid liners haven't been quite so rough on this pen. As I was taking a pen picture, I dropped it. Obviously Pepino the Chihuahua has a pen addiction as well.