52 Weeks of Happier Homeschooling Week 12: Upgrade Your Pen

In general, buying something new isn’t the most effective way to boost your happiness. But we make an exception for new writing implements, which can make everything from making flashcards to taking notes to writing papers feel a lot more fun. These are some of our favorites:

• Lamy Safari fountain pens make you want to use your best handwriting—and you can probably find one in your favorite color.
• You don't have to save the budget-friendly Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pens for a special occasion.
• Doodlers will love the super-sharp points and fade-resistant ink of the Sakura Pigma Micron pens.
• Zebra Telescopic Brights fold down to a tiny size, so they're perfect for nature journaling and backseat script-writing sessions.
•  Mirado Black Warriors sharpen and erase beautifully, making them our favorite everyday pencils.
• Watermelon- and cinnamon-scented pencils may seem a little wacky, but Smencils are awesome.
• My friend Shelly turned me on to the Pilot G2, which is the perfect pen to use when you’re commenting on essays. (I like the green one.)
• The Lamy Logo Multi-Color Ballpoint pen is like the cool four-color pen you had in 4th grade but so, so much better.
• The Palomino Blackwing is probably our new favorite pencil. It’s not cheap but it lasts forever if your kids are out of the lose-all-the-pencils stage. Plus you can easily replace worn-out erasers!

What are your favorite writing implements? Please share in the comments!

Your mission this week: Buy a writing utensil that you really love. (If you want to set it aside to tuck into somebody’s stocking, we support that; otherwise, start using it today! Why do we so often set aside the nice stuff “for later” instead of enjoying it now?)

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