Rumi Life Factory Outlet in Bushwick for Kawaii Shopping

Rumi Life Factory Outlet has opened at 368 Knickerbocker Avenue in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. It's self-described as an "Asian household goods store." I'd describe it as a Five Below, if Five Below focused on Japanese かわいい (kawaii), or "cute style."

My main interest in checking it out was to see what adorable, low-cost stationery products it sells. But I glanced at everything.

The layout is incredibly spacious for Bushwick. The one perk of "corporate" stores (as opposed to mom-and-pop stores) is that they are designed to be wheelchair accessible.

The gifts and children's items are adorable and budget-friendly. If I were one of the hundreds of parents walking by this shop every day, I know I'd be begged to go inside.

You can see that there are nice purses and other accessories for adults.

The pens! I purchased he three-ink model on the right. It uses gel inks and writes well. I have yet to attempt dismantling it, but when I held it next to my Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto, it looked like the entirety of each ink stick (include the plastic clicker at the top) is the same size as a Coleto refill. If this is the case, I could get colored Coleto refills for only 50 cents each ($1.39 pen, $1.51 with tax). Maybe I'll make a post in the future about frugal ways of refilling the Coleto!

The inexpensive hair extensions caught my eye. They're only $1.39, much cheaper than at the beauty supply stores in the area. But will people buying these extensions think to look in this Rumi store?

The kitchen items and lunch boxes are delightfully twee.

Shovels are $1.39 and bathroom mats are $3.39.

Like at Muji, small humidifiers are a feature. However, I didn't notice Rumi selling assorted scents for their humidifiers.

A lot of the hair accessories appeared to be sized for adults as well as children.

Snacks! Rumi sells both cold beverages and dry snacks. At $1.29, the drinks are a steal in Bushwick, since they're definitely not that low-cost in bodegas.

Overall, I'll definitely check this place out if I'm shopping for a kid's birthday. If I were in the market for kitchen storage or a lunch container for work, I'd also look in here. But as it is, I'm full up on kitchen stuff.

So for me, the real gems here are the stationery supplies. I'm making a full-throttle effort to use only my Coletos, but I am weak when it comes to a cute multicolor pen, despite knowing I genuinely don't need another one, especially considering I have several refillable Coletos. But if I can deconstruct the Rumi pens for use in my Coletos, it may change things. 

Chinese-made Jinhao Fountain Pens and Cartidges Under Trump's Tariffs

The U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports are impacting our ability to buy inexpensive stationery like Jinhao fountain pens and ink cartridges in a few ways, though the extent depends on the specific tariff categories and enforcement. It is difficult to understand what is going on, since no one seems to know the details on the president's import taxes. Here's how they might affect us:

1. Price Increases

• If Jinhao pens or ink cartridges fall under tariffed categories, U.S. importers (or retailers) may pass the added cost on to consumers.
• Even if the base price of the items remains low, shipping or bulk purchasing costs may rise.

2. Reduced Availability

• Retailers may scale back imports of lower-margin items like inexpensive pens if tariffs make them less profitable.
• Some suppliers might stop selling certain products to U.S. customers altogether, especially on platforms like AliExpress or eBay.

3. Shift to Other Brands or Sources

• U.S. sellers might switch to sourcing similar items from other countries like India, Vietnam, or Taiwan, which could offer alternatives—though potentially at slightly higher prices or different quality levels.

4. Delay in Deliveries

• Customs processes can slow down due to additional paperwork or inspections on tariffed goods, leading to longer wait times, especially for international orders.

What You Can Do:

• Buy direct from non-U.S. platforms like AliExpress, but note that shipping may be slower or slightly more expensive.
• Stock up on your favorite items now if they’re still at pre-tariff prices.

Personally, I have enough pens to last quite a while before the nibs start getting wonky. As for ink cartridges, I'm really glad that I have converters!

I'll save my cartridges for when I'm out and about. That is, I'll keep them in my pen case in case my converter runs out of ink when I'm away from home. But as much as possible, I'll refill converters using bottled ink.

The issue with refilling? My beloved J. Herbin inks are imported from France! So their price is also going up! I enjoy some U.S. ink companies, like Noodler's Ink and Levenger. The issue with tariffs, though, is that by raising the cost of imports, in-country producers are tempted to raise their prices (or simply offer fewer sales), since their foreign competition is suddenly less competitive.

Flashing Police Cars

I have no idea what these police cars were doing. Corner of West 33rd Street and 12th Avenue, New York, NY.

Union Square Park

Disc Planner Sizes for Levenger Circa, Staples Arc, and Happy Planner

Disc-bound planner systems like Levenger Circa, Staples Arc, and Happy Planner are a versatile and customizable alternative to traditional notebooks. They use a set of discs to bind pages, allowing users to easily add, remove, or rearrange sheets without damaging them.

Junior, or half-letter size, uses paper that's half the size (5 1/2" x 8.5") of standard U.S. copy paper. It uses eight discs. 

Midway is the name given to Levenger's competitor to the popular Happy Planner system. Levenger Circa Midway paper is 7 3/4" x 9 3/8", slightly larger than Happy Planner paper which is 7" x 9 1/4". Both use nine discs. Because Planner covers are bigger than the paper, you can use either company's paper in the competitor's binder, without it being a big deal.

Full size is equivalent to standard American printer paper, 8 1/2" x 11", also called letter size. It uses eleven discs.

International paper comparisons: Depending on the size of your planner cover, you may be able to get away with using quality yet budget-friendly international paper. For example, you may cut out the paper from a $2 Muji A5 notebook, and punch it to use in your junior planner. But you should be aware of the size differences.

A5 paper is 5.83" x 8.27", so it's similar to U.S. junior/half-letter. But it will appear slightly taller and slightly thinner.

B5 paper is 6.9" x 9.8", making it similar to Levenger Circa Midway and Happy Planner papers. But it will appear slightly more narrow and taller.

A4 paper is 8.27" x 11.69", so it is similar to U.S. full- or letter-sized paper. But it is slightly more narrow and taller.

This disc-bound system combines the flexibility of a binder with the compact feel of a notebook. Pages are typically punched with a special mushroom-shaped hole that snaps onto the discs.

Popular among students, professionals, and creatives, disc-bound planners support various inserts—calendars, to-do lists, habit trackers, and more. Brands like Levenger, ARC, and Happy Planner offer a wide range of disc sizes and accessories to personalize each planner.