We were on the go the entire month of July! We had several road trips and spent several weeks with our daughter and her family. It was great to have so much grandbaby time! I love documenting everyday life, and the roundup process has given me the tools to keep it simple and meaningful. I've been doing monthly roundups since January 2006 and don't plan to quit now!

As July ends, it is a great time to reflect on the month's memories. I have been doing monthly roundups since 2006, and it has been one of the most helpful things I have ever done for my memory-keeping practice.

Here are some of the benefits of creating monthly roundups:

Hey there! I'm back from an unintended blog break. I had an explosion of life events all hit simultaneously, and it has been a crazy few months. It's all good stuff, but it has completely taken my mental and physical bandwidth to keep up with everything, so this blog had to take a backseat. I've been blogging since 2005 (18 years!), and I know this is just part of a writer's life cycle.

July has been full of projects for me and my family, and it has been difficult to find design time. I'm so happy to finish this collection finally. I already have several pages in my head that I know these supplies will be perfect for.

One of the things I love most about summer is eating outside. Picnics, barbecues, and meals on our deck are lovely ways to connect social activity with food. And that means more memories!

June had a bit of everything in it. We started it off with Covid and ended with amazing mountain views. Our getaway to Jackson Hole was a lot of fun. And of course, it was wonderful to have time with family and see our cute grandson! I love to tell the stories of our everyday lives, and my roundup prompts help me to remember to include the details that matter. So I hope you will take a few moments to reflect on June and pair your thoughts with photos to create something special!

As June ends, it is an excellent time to reflect on the month's memories. I began the practice of monthly roundups on my first blog in 2006 and have continued to do so ever since. Creating a quick summary of the month has been my most helpful memory-keeping tool, and it has made a significant difference in how I view my everyday life.

May was a wild month for us with some big happenings. We celebrated Mother's Day. We visited my brother Mike and his family in Nevada. We suddenly bought a new RZR as well as a new cabin. Jeff and I came down with Covid. Highs and lows and plenty of in-between times too. All part of our story.

I'm back! I'm finally on the mend after being sick with Covid for over two weeks. I still have a cough and feel pretty wiped out, but I'm grateful that I'm not any worse. I lost half a month to illness, but I'm counting my blessings. I don't want to sound overly dramatic, but I don't think I would have fared as well without being vaccinated and taking Paxlovid. I'm so glad to be back on my feet!

Thankfully, I started working on my June collections early in May, so I could finish them up this weekend and get them loaded in my shop. I'm excited about the themes for this month. Let's take a look at all the goodies!

We visited my brother's family in Nevada a few weeks ago, and I had every intention of getting right back into blogging, designing, and other creative activities. Instead, I came down with Covid. My husband got it a few days later. We are lucky that this is our first bout with Covid. Somehow, Alex has remained negative! We are trying to keep our distance from him but still take care of him. It's a tricky balance.

It’s the last day of May, and it's a great time to round up your memories of this month. I started the practice of monthly roundups on my first blog in 2006, and I have kept going strong ever since. Creating a quick recap of the month as it ends has been my most helpful memory-keeping tool and has made a huge difference (for the better) in how I view my everyday life.

April was a crazy busy month for us! I'm grateful we could have a month filled with family, celebrations, and travel. A few months ago, I wondered if I could handle such a schedule again. I'm still healing from my ankle surgery in December, but I can do a lot of things now. Yay!

I finally finished my March 2023 roundup! I usually try to work on my roundups within the first week of the following month, but I needed to catch up, and it seemed more complicated. It always seems hard until it's finished. But I love documenting everyday life, and the roundup process has given me the tools to keep it simple and meaningful. I've been doing roundups since January 2006 and don't plan to quit now!