February’s theme is Love and Connection, and this month I’ve been thinking a lot about how love actually shows up in real life. Not the big, dramatic, movie-scene kind. The quiet kind. The kind that is part of everyday life.

The kind that looks like this:

I wasn’t sure how to tackle my January roundup layouts, because we had a pretty uneventful month, and a lot of what did happen, wasn’t anything that I wanted to publicly blog about. I know a lot of you can relate to this, so I hope it’s helpful to see how I approached it.

This collection is my way of documenting the relationships that shape our days. The quiet moments, the everyday care, and the ways we stay connected even when life feels busy or imperfect.

At the start of the year, I shared my monthly themes for 2026 as a way to guide memory keeping, journaling, and creative projects throughout the year. I noticed last night after I sent out my newsletter (are you a subscriber?) that I had made a slight error.

Welcome to a new month. February always feels like a good time to slow down and pay attention to the relationships in our lives. While this month often gets framed around big romantic gestures, I love using it to notice the smaller, more meaningful ways love and connection show up in everyday life.

This month’s theme is Love and Connection, and it’s one of my favorites because it weaves its way through so many of our stories.

Goodbye, January! The first month of the year always feels like a reset—new routines, cozy winter days, and that “fresh start” energy (even if it shows up in tiny ways). As we head into February, it’s the perfect time to pause and capture the moments that made January what it was.

A monthly roundup is one of the simplest and most meaningful ways to reflect on your life. You gather a few favorite memories, add some photos, and spend a few minutes recording the highlights. Before you know it, you’ve created a snapshot of your month, and a little time capsule you’ll love revisiting later.

Do you pick a word for the year? I’ve been doing this every year since 2008, thanks to Ali Edwards’ "One Little Word" project. It’s a tradition I’ve grown to love—a simple way to set intentions and stay focused throughout the year. What makes it even more fun is that my whole family gets involved. Everyone picks their own word, and it’s something we talk about and cheer each other on for all year long. This year, we all “unveiled” our words as part of our family New Year’s weekend celebration.

I love it when I finally get the chance to scrapbook with one of my new collections. I always visualize layouts when I’m creating papers, cards, and templates and it’s fun to see it all come together with my own photographs. Here’s a layout about my grandson’s 3rd birthday using the Clues Crew solid and patterned papers, pocket cards, and template set.

As the end of the month gets closer (just a week left!), I always like to take a quick pause and do a little prep for my roundup. Nothing fancy. Just a few small steps that make the actual documenting feel easier and more enjoyable when the time comes.

If you have ever sat down to do a roundup and felt like your mind went blank, this post is for you. A little bit of noticing now can save you a lot of frustration later.