Welcome to March. This month always feels like we are shifting into something new. Winter slowly steps back, the light changes a little, and everything starts to wake up again. It feels like the right time to think about renewal.

Renewal does not have to be a big thing. It often shows up quietly. It might be a small change in your routine, a little more energy in your day, or a moment when something finally feels lighter. Sometimes it is as simple as looking at a part of your life with fresh eyes.

I apologize for not posting the photo prompts earlier in the month. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I’ve been recovering from another surgery (my 4th in 4 years!) But its not too late to take some meaningful photos this month.

This month’s theme is Love and Connection, and one of my favorite ways to lean into a theme is through simple photo prompts.

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:

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.

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.

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.