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.

One of the reminders I keep coming back to this month is this simple truth. You are allowed to grow at your own pace. Not someone else’s timeline. Not the version you thought you would be by now. Just yours. Growth is not a race. It is not a checklist. Most of the time, it’s not visible. It’s uneven and happening beneath the surface. We often remind our children of this when they feel frustrated about their progress, but we seem to forget this grace when we reach adulthood. I think we forget how much is happening when things look calm on the outside. You might be learning something new. Letting go of an old habit. Practicing patience. Showing up differently than you used to. Those shifts matter, even if they are not obvious yet.

This new collection is my way of documenting the small steps we take at the start of a year, and the ways we keep going when real life does not look like a perfect reset.

The story behind the Growth and Renewal collection

When I started planning this scrapbook kit I kept coming back to three ideas.

• Growth that happens slowly

• Fresh starts that can happen any day

• Being kind to ourselves while we change

January feels like a good time to pay attention to the small things that are changing inside and outside of us. That’s why I chose Growth for this month’s theme. Growth can be big and visible. It can also be slow and quiet, showing up in ways you might not notice until you look back later. It might be something you’re learning, healing from, building, or even something you are letting go of. Looking for growth in photos helps me see what is happening that I might otherwise overlook.

Welcome to a brand new year! I always love the feeling of January. It’s a time that naturally invites a fresh start, renewed energy, and space to reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re headed. I hope you had a chance to read yesterday’s post about adding monthly themes to my memory keeping (and documenting) process. I’m really excited about this and today, I’ll be kicking it off by introducing January’s theme.

This year, I’m trying something new. Each month in 2026 will have a simple focus word. Think of it as an easy lens you can use for photos, journaling, and scrapbook pages. When you have a theme, you do not have to start from scratch. You can notice everyday moments more easily, then document them with less pressure.