Link Love : February

Kayden + Rain from Nicole Byon on Vimeo. 

There were so many good links this month that my round-up is extra large! I hope you don't mind ;)

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Dear Clemintine via Clementine Daily
"Some of us follow a path and never wander off course no matter what beautiful adventures wait just beyond our route. I’ve come to terms with these sorts of people, but I am not one of them. I happen to love when a carnival pops up unexpectedly, and I’ll stop for birthday cake any day of the week."

Do Less by Chelsea Latimer {video}

One of my long-time favorite bloggers has created a video version of one of her old blog posts. I love this idea, and I hope she continues to make these videos!

Sometimes a Run Is Just a Run, but Sometimes It's a Prayer via The Necessary Wild
This post is just beautiful: "Sometimes the prayer is a request. For peace of mind. For an hour of clarity to see things as they really are. For the truth to be found in the confrontation with the physical self, a subtle reckoning that echoes on repeat. Right foot, left foot, breathe in, breathe out."

The Smarter Way to Shop J.Crew via Refinery29
"Thanks to these codes, over 50% of all J.Crew merchandise can be accessed at a deeper discount than the price listed on site. The average promotion offers 30% off the ticket price, but 40% off isn't unheard of, either. Promotions typically last six days — sort of like mini-flash sales."

44 Stock Photos That Hope to Change the Way We Look at Women via Buzzfeed
"Getty Images launched the “Lean In Collection” Monday in partnership with LeanIn.org, featuring more than 2,500 photos of female leadership in contemporary work and life."

The Questions That Will Save Your Relationships by Glennon Melton on HuffPo
"Through therapy, we learned to ask each other better questions. We learned that if we really want to know our people, if we really care to know them -- we need to ask them better questions and then really listen to their answers. We need to ask questions that carry along with them this message: "I'm not just checking the box here. I really care what you have to say and how you feel. I really want to know you." 

11 Easy Ways to Meditate (Even If It Seems Impossible) via Mind Body Green
"The trick is to do one thing a day with absolute mindfulness. Dwell completely in that moment. Feel everything, every physical sensation, and every subtle emotion that swells up inside. Breathe slowly, and smile at the stillness."

Getting Organized on Goodreads via So Obsessed With
A detailed post with tips and ideas for keeping your digital bookshelves organized. I especially love the tip about separating out your wishlist from your list of books to be read.

I Get By With a Little Help from My Friends (But Could Ask for More of It) via Greatest Escapist 
" I don't want to be an inconvenience to those who care about me, because in my mind, inconvenient > bothersome > needy > clingy > get the hell away from me. Yes, my mental slippery slope is apparently so slippery that I fear my friends will literally stop being my friends if I ask them to help me do something I can't do by myself."

State of the Blog Union via Design*Sponge   
"... today I’m sharing my own state of the union- the blog ‘union’- and how we’re doing as a community. This is my 10th year of blogging and this year in some way feels like the first all over again. I feel like bloggers are up against some of the biggest challenges ever, but after a year of trying to wrap my head around all the obstacles (and it really took me a full year), I’ve finally come down to one conclusion: these are changes that will make us better, stronger and more well rounded people. Not just bloggers, but people."  

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Happy Friday, friends, and Happy March!

Project Life : Week 6 & 7

Here is my belated combo spread for Week 6 and Week 7. Combining the two weeks worked quite well in terms of content, since the winter keeps dragging on and my plans keep getting canceled due to bad weather. So, I fill my spread with screen captures from the Olympics and a picture of us having a very sexy Valentine's day with takeout and House of Cards Season 2.

I'll probably continue to combine two weeks together whenever I'm short on content for a single week. However, I will have to remind myself to work on the album if I'm not doing it weekly; I did find myself less motivated and procrastinating more on this combined spread (thus the lazy and inconsistent title card, since the last thing I felt like doing this week was going through the hassle of running cards through my laser printer). But done is better than perfect, forever amen.

Items used: Midnight Edition Core Kit, Photo Pocket Pages variety pack, Dear Lizzy Polka Dot Party mini kit, generic black ink pad, Canon Selphy printer, vellum paper, Sharpie pen, Kelly Purkey acrylic stamps (from her December Daily 2012 kit and Simon Says, which are no longer for sale), Smash date stamp, Thickers (similar), and a small "Simply Happy" pad of 3x4" journaling cards from Target by We R Memory Keepers (looks like this).

Custom Touches: Nothing too special! I printed a corner of Taco Joint's menu for the bottom left, and searched for a few photos online of the Olympics opening ceremony. The heart was the padded insert from a box of Valentine's day chocolates that I put into a pocket with nothing behind it; this way, the following week's card shows through as the patterned background. The brush script "Love" card on the left side was cut from an advertisement in the most recent Yoga Journal magazine.

Going Natural : Resources, Brands & Online Shops

One of my goals for the year is to switch over from conventional to natural makeup and skincare products. So far, I've written about where my interest in this topic comes from, reviewed the book "No More Dirty Looks," and looked at what natural makeup and body products I already own.

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After surveying my current makeup drawer, I was surprised that I already had a handful of natural products. I think they just got pushed aside when I've bought regular drugstore products. A few of these products are embarrassingly old (like the Revlon foundation and Maybelline mascara), so I'm just going to toss those out and focus on the natural products for a while.

Based on the exposure and quantity theory from "No More Dirty Looks" --where the authors suggest prioritizing the transition to natural with the products that you use most frequently over a significant area of the body-- my priorities are skincare, hair and body cleansing products, and foundation/concealer. At the top of my list is finding a natural concealer, and I'd prefer a cream over a powder out of convenience. I've heard wonderful things about RMS Beauty's "Un" Cover-Up, but it's hella expensive, so I might be going with a concealer from 100% Pure or Juice Beauty.

I'd also like to see if there are any good options for non-toxic liquid foundations (since I have dry skin and sometimes mineral powders accentuate the dry patches), but liquid products tends to contain more preservatives than powder mineral foundations to keep them shelf-stable. It'll take some time to suss out which brands have good-quality liquid foundations with acceptable ingredients.

Over time, I want to phase out my Paula's Choice skincare products and switch over to the natural cleansers/treatments I already own, a few new products from natural Etsy shops, and some natural toners and face oils. At the bottom of the priority list is finding some natural eye shadows, eye liners, and lip products. Since I don't wear them everyday and they're applied in small quantities, I'm not in a rush to dump what I have (and may even be reluctant to do so, as with my Lorac palette!). Most likely, I'll add in a few eye and lip products throughout the year, especially if I happen to be placing an order for something else I need. And just to prove I'm not going to be fanatical or perfectionistic about this process, I still lust after an Urban Decay Naked2 palette-- though I may have found a resource for a natural dupe. It's about doing better, not being perfect!

Below, I have a collection of my favorite natural beauty and holistic health YouTubers, and a list of the brands that keep popping up when discussing natural and organic makeup. I actually think this a really important part of the process of going natural-- we're social creatures, and I know so many of us love to talk about beauty products with girlfriends and ask them what lipstick they're wearing. When you decide to do something different than the majority of of the people around you, it can feel isolating. But I believe there are good brands out there with natural products that are just as worthy of being talked about as the conventional stuff. Below are some gorgeous, relatable ladies who incorporate various natural products into their routines.



Natural Beauty/Holistic Health YouTubers:
- Shannon at GlamourWonderland : A recent find for me, but I think she'll become my new favorite beauty vlogger. She has a really nice balance of natural/organic and mainstream products. And she's adorable and Southern and seems super sweet.
- Cassie at Cloudy Apples : A mix of beauty and healthy lifestyle videos
- Sarah at HolisticHabits : She is a holistic nutritionist from Canada and does more lifestyle and food videos than makeup, but I really like her content overall
- Jess at EcoholicBeauty : Her makeup is always natural and tasteful, and quite similar to my own style. She uses entirely natural products and supports a lot of smaller online makeup shops.

Online Shops:
BeautySage.com : An online shop with many high-end natural brands (with great packaging-- yay!). They also do a monthly box sampler similar to Birchbox, and, even better, you can see what's in each box before purchasing. This is where I recently bought my RMS Beauty Lipshine and Ilia Lip Conditioner, and I was able to find an online coupon to use on the site.
Eco Diva Beauty : Another online shop with high-end brands, some which are totally new to me.
Herbivore Botanicals on Etsy : Soaps, facial oils and serums, bath salts, lip balms and butters.
Soapwalla on Etsy : Their deodorant comes highly recommended. They also sell soaps, oils, etc.
Fig + Yarrow on Etsy : Raw, organic, artisan skincare and cleansing products.
Pollen & Wax on Etsy : Organic small-batch skincare, masks and serums.

Natural/Organic brands that seem to be frequently recommended:
Acure Organics
Alima Pure (I hear this brand raved about more than any other for mineral foundations, and their color range is fab. The also have a color quiz and foundation sampler kits at a great price.)
Dr. Haushka
Gabriel / Zuzu Luxe
Ilia Beauty
Jane Iredale
Josie Maran (some of her products are cleaner than others, but for being a Sephora-carried brand, it is pretty good. I have the whipped argan body butter and the coconut water cheek gelee on my wishlist) 
Juice Beauty (FYI: this brand is carried by Ulta. My local store doesn't carry it, but it is online.)
Mineral Fusion
Nourish Organic
Pacifica
RMS Beauty
Tata Harper 
100% Pure

If you have any natural brand recommendations (or eco/natural beauty YouTubers/bloggers) to share with me, please let me know!

Coveting // Sweet Nothings

Forgive me for the poorly timed post, for it is entirely too late to order any of these cards from Etsy for your Valentines, but I still wanted to share some of the amazing cards I've come across recently. I love the illustrated and hand-drawn look that seems to be so popular lately. Bookmark these shops for next year, friends!

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For the single ladies we love: Single on Valentine's Day card by Emily McDowell Draws

A guy-friendly sentiment: I Love Your Guts zombie card by Wit & Whistle

Cat-lovers of the world totally get it: I'm Into You Like a Cat's Into Boxes card by Able and Game

I can't be the only one smitten with narwhals: Narwaltz Valentine card by Georgia Dunn Studio

Straight to the point: You Me Rad Venn Diagram card by Milk and Cookies 

Simple and sweet: We're Better Together card by Little Low

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Going Natural : My Current Routine

One of my goals for the year is to switch over from conventional to natural makeup and skincare products. So far, I've written about where my interest in this topic comes from, and I've reviewed the book, "No More Dirty Looks."

***

During the process of switching over to natural cosmetics and body care products, I think it's important to set your own rules for what you will consider an acceptable part of your natural beauty routine. Much like the way many of us mindful eaters define our food philosophies differently-- vegetarian, vegan, locavore, etc., or some combination not easily fitting under one label-- it's important to think about what level of "naturalness" you'll accept. For some, Tarte may be natural enough to pass since they claim to avoid key dirty ingredients like parabens and phthalates, but for others, the company's use of BHT, talc, glycols, dimethicone, and synthetic colors seems like greenwashing. Ditto for bareMinerals.

Especially since learning how absorbent the skin is and how flawed cosmetic safety standards are, I am turned off by long lists of chemicals, even before considering their specific hazard ratings from the Environmental Working Group. To illustrate this with an example, I took a look at the Physician's Formula ConcealRx Concealer. The ingredients are:

WATER, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, ETHYLHEXYL PALMITATE, TRIMETHYLSILOXYSILICATE, POLYGLYCERYL-4, DIISOSTEARATE/POLYHYDROXYSTEARATE/SEBACATE, POLYGLYCERYL-3, DIISOSTEARATE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, CETYL PEG/PPG-10/1 DIMETHICONE, DISTEARDIMONIUM HECTORITE, CETYL DIMETHICONE, SODIUM CHLORIDE, ASCORBYL PALMITATE, COPERNICIA CERIFERA (CARNAUBA) WAX, DIMETHICONE, LAURETH-12, MAGNESIUM SULFATE, MICROCRYSTALLINE WAX, PANTHENOL, PEG-30 DIPOLYHYDROXYSTEARATE, POLYSILICONE-11, PROPYLENE CARBONATE, RETINYL PALMITATE, SILICA, SORBITAN SESQUIOLEATE, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, TRIDECETH-9PG-AMODIMETHICONE, TRIDECETH-12, DIAZOLIDINYL UREA, METHYLPARABEN, ISOPROPYLPARABEN, ISOBUTYLPARABEN, BUTYLPARABEN. MAY CONTAIN: TITANIUM DIOXIDE, IRON DIOXIDES, TALC, ULTRAMARINES, CHROMIUM HYDROXIDE GREEN.

First of all, it's seriously a pain to have to read through and decipher 34 ingredients if I'm standing in the makeup aisle of a drugstore. And when I checked the ingredients against the EWG's database, I found at least 14 moderate- to high-risk ingredients (which I've put in bold), the highest being an 8/10 on their warning scale (for the retinyl palmitate, if you're curious). Yikes.

I compared that to a liquid concealer from 100% Pure, a natural and organic makeup company: 

Organic Green Tea*, Organic Rose Hydrosol*, Organic Green Coffee*, Organic Rice Powder*, May contain all or some of the following pigments : Organic Peach*, Organic Apricot*, Organic Carrot*, Organic Pomegranate*, Organic Cocoa Bean*, Organic Goji Berry* and Organic Tomato*, Aloe Vera, Organic Lavender*, Organic Chamomile*, Organic Rosehip Oil*, Candelilla Wax, Vitamin E (a-tocopherol), Vitamin C (ascorbyl palmitate), Extracts of Organic Rosemary*, Organic Oregano*, Organic Thyme*, Organic Grapefruit Seed* and Organic Goldenseal* (* denotes Certified Organic)

Some tea, some oil, some wax, fruit-derived coloring, and some vitamins and extracts. Four ingredients plus natural color. I can handle that, and I don't need an advanced degree in Chemistry to understand what I'm putting on my skin.

(Disclaimer: I have not tried these products, so I can't specifically comment on effectiveness of either one, but they are both products I have considered buying-- the former obviously before I'd committed to going more natural.)

My own guideposts for makeup and skincare boil down to being able to generally understand the ingredients in my products, and to have the majority of them be plant-derived (which, not surprisingly, is pretty close to my food philosophy too). I'm not anti-science and I don't think it's fair to assume that a chemical-sounding ingredient automatically equates it to being harmful. However, I am pro-knowledge, and for me to understand what is in the products I use, they inherently need to be more simple and streamlined. (Yep, I'm pretty sure I just insulted my own intelligence there.) I like that organic skin and beauty products have naturally-occurring vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants giving products antibacterial, anti-aging and healing properties. That seems like a better bet to me than using something potentially harmful or toxic. I know I'm generalizing some, but that's an easier place to start from than to try and learn chemistry (though the learning process WILL continue and over time I'm sure I'll start to understand which chemical-derived ingredients are not harmful).  The natural route has always been effective for me in the past, especially with food and healing-- i.e., giving up dairy to cure my digestive problems, sinus issues, and acne instead of turning to Lactaid and harsh acne treatments; using an apple cider vinegar drink to ward off colds; etc.-- and I'd like to continue down this path. At the same time, just because something is natural doesn't mean it's good for the skin, and I'll be doing equal research into the natural products I want to try as well.

Aside from ingredients, I'm a believer in supporting businesses that are trying to make a real difference, not just putting out one "green" product line to appear eco- or health-conscious. I want my money to support these smaller companies that have stringent standards and are upfront about their ingredients. As a bonus, natural products are very often cruelty-free (= not tested on animals). The same cannot be said for the majority of drugstore makeup.

So... let's look at the products I currently use (this isn't all of them, just the ones I use most often). Again, not all of these products are horrible just because they aren't natural, and I enjoy using most of them, but they don't fit in with my evolving philosophy and I will be phasing them out as I try to find some non-toxic products.

 
Current conventional/drugstore products:

SKIN/BODY
Soap - Oil of Olay bar soap
Cleanser - Paula's Choice Moisture Boost for dry skin
Toner/Exfoliant (morning) - Paula's Choice Clear Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution with Salicylic Acid
Moisturizer (morning) - Paula's Choice Resist Superlight Wrinkle Defense with SPF30
Exfoliant (evening) - Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Gel
Moisturizer (evening) - Paula's Choice Resist Anti-Aging Clear Skin Hydrator Skin Remodeling Complex
Perfume - Burberry Brit, Georgio Armani Emperio Armani for Her (I RARELY wear these because they give me almost immediate headaches.)

MAKEUP
Foundation - Revlon PhotoReady Liquid Foundation
Concealer - Maybelline Lumi stick
Blush - Sonia Kashuk Flamingo
Bronzer - NYC Sunny
Eyeshadow - Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze, LORAC Pro palette
Eyeliner - Rimmel black pencil liner
Mascara - Maybelline Mega Plush
Lips - Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie, Revlon Kissable Balm Stains in Honey and Romantic, Julep lip gloss
Nail Polish - mostly Julep (this brand is 4-free and I don't wear polish all that often, so this is one product category I won't be going out of my way to "go natural" with; I will try and cool it with the Maven monthly boxes though...)
Makeup Remover - Sephora waterproof eye makeup remover (for waterproof mascara only)



Current "cleaner" products:

SKIN/BODY
Soap - Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile Soap in Almond (this is a little too drying for my skin when used alone, so I mix it with a few drops of coconut oil before using it on my skin)
Shampoo - Burt's Bees Super Shiny* (I HATE IT; see note below), Giovanni Root 66
Conditioner - Burt's Bees Super Shiny* (I HATE IT; see note below), Giovanni Root 66
Deodorant - Trader Joe's unscented deodorant with cotton* (I HATE IT; see note below)
Face Wash - UltraPure AHA exfoliating mint cleanser (my mom just gave this to me, so I've only used it for about two weeks in the evenings, but so far I like it)
Moisturizer - Sea Chi creme (this was my very first natural product, and I've used it off-and-on for about four years. It is pretty expensive, at least to me, but the jar lasts a long time. It's made up of natural oils and extracts, including kombucha tea. It's pretty creamy in consistency, but I use it on my face and have never broken out. Apparently, it's a product often used by spas and massage therapists.)

*FYI: I HATE the Burt's Bees shampoo/conditioner and the TJ's deodorant. I couldn't even use up the Burt's Bees (it would not wash out of my hair no matter how much I rinsed, so my hair never really felt like it dried after use. The texture of my hair also became very rough to the touch). The TJ's deodorant will get used up but I'm already jumping to trying something else, likely this Soapwalla deodorant cream, which I have heard good things about.

MAKEUP
Foundation - bareMinerals powder foundation
Powder - bareMinerals Mineral Veil
Blush/Bronzer - Mineral Fusion blush in Impact
Mascara - Physician's Formula Organic Wear mascara
Lips - Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Watermelon, RMS Lip Shine in Sublime, Ilia Lip Conditioner in Arabian Knights, Green By Nature's lip butters in beeswax and coconut
Makeup Remover - Coconut oil using this method

Next week, I'll talk a little bit about which products I'll be replacing first. I'll also share my new-found favorite resources for natural beauty product information and a list of natural brands I'm looking into. Stay tuned... This is where it gets fun, because SHOPPING!

Coveting // Spring Fever

I CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT SPRING, YOU GUYS. Add my voice to the choir, but I've had enough with winter. Several inches of snow are currently falling on top of the 14" or so already on the ground. There are snow mountains taller than me in our parking lot, which has made for more than one frustrating episode of trying to maneuver our car from its parking space-- it involved a lot of bodies smashing against the back of the vehicle repeatedly. Let me tell you, Priuses (Prii?) were not made to be snow cars. But I'm not complaining too much; I know many people who have had it a lot worse this winter. Heck, our condo is so well-insulated that our heat has only needed to kick on ONCE, and that was because the windchill hit -45°F that day. So, really, not complaining.

In the spirit of the warm seasons currently occupying my fantasies, here are a few of my recent Etsy favorites. I can't wait for the days to come that will be full of fresh flowers, visits to the farmer's market, and walking to yoga class across town.

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Ain't that the truth: I'm just here for the savasana T-shirt by Inner Fire Apparel

A beautiful bouquet of flowers painted by MaiAutumn

Wood Inspiration's hand carved maple wood bowl

A to-the-point Groceries & Shit tote from Emily McDowell Draws

(currently sold out, but her "I'm a grown-ass lady" tote is pretty great too.)

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Project Life : Week 5 / How and Why I Use InDesign for PL

I had a super boring, snowed-in week, but such is life sometimes. Nonetheless, I still ended up loving this week's spread. I focused on just 7 4x6" photos, and filled the middle row with random cards and journaling. It's probably an approach I'll continue with moving forward, and then if I happen to have more photos for that week, they can migrate to the middle row.

Speaking of moving forward, I'm likely going to combine weeks for February and only do 2 spreads for the month. The winter isn't exactly exciting around here, and while I like to have some "normal life" photos, it feels slightly boring after a while. All we have on the calendar is one wedding and Mark's birthday. As a bonus, that means my blog doesn't have to be so Project Life-centric, which hass probably been a bit overwhelming/boring/annoying for any of you who don't do the project.

PS- That scary photo of Mark depicts not his side job as a burglar, but how he dressed to commute to work in -15°F temperatures (he walks to the train and to work everyday). I'd love to have seen how other people on the street reacted to his somewhat creeper attire ;)

Items used: Midnight Edition Core Kit, Photo Pocket Pages variety pack, generic black ink pad, Canon Selphy printer, gold doily (opposite side used) from Kelly Purkey's December Daily 2012 kit, vellum paper, "You Are Here stamp" and quote card via Elise Blaha Cripe.

Custom Touches: The weekly title uses paper from the "You are My Fave" digital paper pack by Paislee Press. I created the floral and stripe card by cutting out some flowers from an old Papaya weekly planner. Like January, the monthly calendar card came from Oh The Lovely Things and was scaled down to fit the 3x4" pocket in Photoshop. Three cards contain a vellum overlay with text printed on top.

If you're interested in reading about why and how I use InDesign for Project Life, pleas scroll down...



How & Why I Use InDesign

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I switched from working in Photoshop for my weekly spreads to using InDesign, and I had a few people express interest in the how and why. Rather than write up a separate post about it and clutter the blog with more Project Life content, I thought I'd include a few thoughts down here.

Since I am taking a hybrid approach to Project Life, using a mix of digital elements, typed text, and photos, InDesign is a natural tool to visualize my weekly spreads, and then print and add any physical elements. InDesign was created for the purpose of page layout (think: brochures, advertisements, magazines, etc), whereas Photoshop's main purpose is photo editing, so I find InDesign far easier to work with than Photoshop for layout. I do still use Photoshop to edit my photos-- mainly getting rid of imperfections/distractions and adding an action (which is basically equivalent to an Instagram filter). 

I agree with everything Pink Ronnie wrote about InDesign in this post. In a former life I was also a print designer, so I am already very fluent with InDesign, and I know a lot of keyboard shortcuts that makes the Project Life layout process very quick. I think it's quite easy to learn the basics, though, so if you have access to the program and the desire to learn I highly recommend it, especially if you are interested in creating your own photobooks or going hybrid/digital with Project Life at any point.

I generally work on my weekly Project Life spread throughout the whole week in tiny chunks of time. This means I import photos from my camera on several occasions, often when I have other photos on my camera that I need for blog posts.

Like Ronnie, I started with a template in InDesign-- it looked just like a page protector, with correctly-sized individual blank spaces where the photos and cards go (basically like this, but created in InDesign). Whenever I import photos from my camera and have a few minutes, I'll glance through the photos and start to place them into the template layout. This allows me to quickly visualize how my photos look together and what placement looks best. I'm SUPER visual, so I really need this overview of my spread. As the week goes on, I always have a good idea of how many blank spaces I have to fill and how many more photos I need. I obviously leave some places blank where I know I'll add a journaling card from my PL kit.

At the end of the week when I have the layout filled in, I will quickly edit the 5-10 specific photos I've chosen by opening them in Photoshop-- brightening/color correcting, removing spots, and adding an action. These are certainly optional steps; if you've taken a good photo in the first place, you shouldn't need to edit it too much. Then I update my InDesign layout with the edited photo. If I want text on my photo, I'll add it at this point in a text box on top of the image.

When I'm ready to print, I open a new temporary document sized at 6x4" (the correct size for my printer), and then copy each 6x4" image in my Project Life layout (or two 3x4" image side by side), paste it into this new document, and print. Then I delete the image I just printed and copy and paste the next image for printing. And repeat. Boom, boom, done. It usually takes me about 5-10 minutes to print at the most. 

When I'm ready for the next week, I can just duplicate the previous week's spread if I know I won't be changing too much, or I can add a fresh, blank template spread to fill in. Since InDesign is made for the design of multiple page documents, you keep all your spreads in one working file (as opposed to Photoshop, where you'd work on one very large file at a time and need to save each one individually). If you were doing an entirely digital Project Life, you'd be able to neatly build this single file week after week and then print it as a photobook at the end of the year.

I hope this helped give some insight into how I use InDesign for Project Life. If you have any questions please feel free to ask! I actually taught InDesign and Photoshop for three years when I was in college and graduate school (and I created the InDesign curriculum to be taught to undergraduates at my grad school), so I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have!

Update:
I thought I'd link to a few resources if you'd like some hands-on learning with InDesign!

• Skillshare offers a "Learn InDesign: Layout, Type, and Images" taught by designer Anna Ditmeyer for $19, which would be a great intro into the program. And you can get $10 off your first class if you sign up through my referral link. I've taken two Skillshare classes before and enjoyed them both!

• Nicole's Classes offers a 4-week, online "InDesign 101" course, which I'd assume would be slightly more in depth, though I don't have any personal experience with Nicole's Classes.