PleaseNotes Review: Affirmation Journals & Gifts
I do not believe a journal has to fix your life to deserve a place on your nightstand. Sometimes the right page, prompt, or sentence simply helps you hear yourself more clearly. PleaseNotes turns that gentle kind of support into beautiful stationery: affirmation-filled journals, planners, cards, and small desk tools that make a daily pause feel a little more inviting.
What is PleaseNotes?
PleaseNotes was founded by Cheryl Sutherland, a Canadian Black woman entrepreneur with a background in psychology and high-performance sales. The idea came from a relatable realization: success on the outside does not always come with clarity or confidence on the inside. What began with affirmation sticky notes has grown into a personal-growth stationery brand built around consistency, self-worth, and thoughtful reflection.
Founder:Cheryl Sutherland
Category:guided journals, planners, affirmation cards, and stationery
Values:personal growth, inclusive confidence, and ethically made recycled-paper products
Give-back:the brand says it gives 10% of proceeds to organizations supporting women
Did you know?Founder: Cheryl Sutherland—a detail that helps explain why PleaseNotes feels more purposeful than a generic category pick.
Guided affirmation journals
The signature Guided Affirmation Journal is listed at $39.95 and is designed to make reflection less blank-page intimidating. The CLARITY and GRATITUDE journals also sit at $39.95, offering a theme-based way to choose the feeling you want more of.
Price:$39.95 for select journals
Best use:daily reflection and mindful reset
Standout:affirmations paired with guided structure
Manifestation planner and card deck
For the person who likes a little more framework, the MANIFESTATION Planner is listed at $44.95 and the Aligned Guidance Affirmation Card Deck at $49.95. These are tools for turning “I should check in with myself” into an actual habit.
Price:$44.95 planner; $49.95 card deck
Best use:intentions, planning, and desk-side prompts
Standout:structured personal-growth formats
Small stationery gifts
The range is not all big commitments. A three-pack STICKY Notepad is listed at $6.95, and the BE Jotter Notebooks three-pack at $14.95. Those lower-cost pieces make lovely add-ons for a mom friend, teacher, coworker, or future self.
Price:from $6.95 for select stationery
Best use:gifting and everyday notes
Standout:accessible entry points
What Makes PleaseNotes Different
Affirmation-led design:the language inside the products is meant to support confidence, not just fill pages.
Psychology-informed roots:the brand connects reflection with repeatable habits and self-worth.
A gift with meaning:stationery becomes a warm nudge rather than another object to store.
Values in the details:recycled paper and a give-back commitment extend the brand’s purpose beyond the page.
The best products make a routine easier to repeat, not harder to keep up with. PleaseNotes earns attention because its point of view is specific: it is not trying to be everything to everyone. The result is a line that gives shoppers a clear reason to choose it, then enough range to find a practical entry point.
Who It’s Best For
Moms who want a thoughtful five-minute ritual
Women looking for a journal with more direction than a blank notebook
Gift buyers seeking personal, useful stationery
People building a mindfulness, gratitude, or planning habit
If you see yourself in more than one of these groups, begin with the product connected to your most frequent real-life use. The smartest purchase is not always the biggest kit or most advanced option; it is the one you will happily reach for again next week.
How I’d Start With PleaseNotes
A journal becomes meaningful when it is easy to come back to, not when every page is perfectly completed. I would choose one small window—a few minutes with morning coffee, the school-pickup pause, or a pre-bed reset—and pair it with the simplest prompt that feels welcoming. You do not need a dramatic breakthrough to make a consistent reflective practice worthwhile.
Pick one theme:clarity, gratitude, or planning is enough; let the product match what you actually need right now.
Keep the bar low:one honest sentence, a list of three things, or a card pull can be a full practice on a crowded day.
Gift with care:add a note explaining why the journal made you think of the recipient, then let them use it in their own way.
The most chic kind of self-care is not performative. It is a small, beautiful tool that supports the person you already are.
Why We Love PleaseNotes
PleaseNotes understands that a meaningful gift can be small enough to fit in a drawer. I love the mix of premium guided journals and easy add-ons because it lets you meet a person where they are. A full planner can be a beautiful commitment; a notepad with an affirming message can still shift the tone of a hectic afternoon. The visual polish makes these pieces display-worthy, but the emotional usefulness is what gives them staying power.
Worth Noting
Affirmations work best as invitations rather than obligations. If a certain prompt or phrase does not resonate, skip it and use the product in a way that feels honest. Also check the latest listing for page counts, exact prompts, and pricing before purchasing, especially when buying a gift.
FAQ
What does PleaseNotes sell?
PleaseNotes sells affirmation-based journals, planners, card decks, notebooks, stickers, pens, and related self-care stationery.
Who founded PleaseNotes?
The company was founded by Cheryl Sutherland, a Canadian Black woman entrepreneur.
How much is the Guided Affirmation Journal?
It has been listed at $39.95. Confirm the live price and availability before ordering.
Are there less expensive gift options?
Yes. Items such as sticky notepads and jotter notebook packs are listed from $6.95 and $14.95 respectively.
Is it only for journaling experts?
Not at all. The guided format is particularly helpful for people who want a gentle place to begin.
PleaseNotes is a lovely reminder that stationery can be practical and emotionally generous at the same time. If you are shopping for a mom, a friend, or your own more intentional morning routine, the brand’s guided, affirmation-forward approach feels genuinely special.
The bottom line: choose products that support the life you already have, then let the small rituals do their work. PleaseNotes has the focus and personality to make that choice feel considered rather than complicated.
Ready to Explore?
Make the everyday ritual a little better.If this sounds like your kind of everyday upgrade, take a closer look at PleaseNotes and choose the product that fits your routine. Start with the current collection and product details on the brand’s official site.
One or more of the links above are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a slight commission if you click through and make a purchase. Each of these products is chosen by a trusted member of our team
