HSMom-Glad to help! I have learned a ton from this board and it’s nice to actually have something to share. 🙂 I got Hours in the Out of Doors used from a friend, and it’s very helpful! I also got the James Herriott treasury used. It is a great one! I believe they sell the individual stories separately, or at least they used to, but I like the big book. I’m pretty sure I got my copy from abebooks.com. We read it last summer, and are reading it again since DD3 doesn’t remember it and DS5 only remembers some of it. Also DD1 seems to enjoy it as she likes animals.
As for the notebook, we were using loose paper in a binder for awhile, and I really wanted the spiral ones to make it seem more “special.” I got sketchbooks from Hobby Lobby. They are thicker paper, so nice and sturdy. And of course unlined. I debated awhile about what size to get, and I think the ones I ended up with are about 9×12 or so. Big enough for my kids LARGE drawings, and for me to add some writing as well.