December Daily® 2026 | Ali's Reason Why + Starting Place Chatting

I'm so excited to be over here in my office dipping my toes into prepping some of my December Daily® pages for 2026.

I'm also over here rooting myself in the start of fall outside:

If you are new around here I often start working on some foundation pages (pages with stories I'm telling in advance or pages I'm setting up to be a home for my stories in December) for my December Daily® in late September/early October. Some years I do a bunch and other years I just make a few before December rolls around.

There's not a right or a wrong way!

In today's post I'm sharing a video of me doing a little organizing of my December supplies in the office and sharing some of my initial ideas as I move things around on my table and try not to get overwhelmed (it happens) AND sharing a look at how I put together my Reason Why for 2026.

That was fun!

Here are a couple links to organizing things mentioned in the above video:

• Bisley Containers

• Bisley Drawer Organizers

• Paper Organizers

• Rolling Cart

• Toyo Tool Box

• Page Flips

• Basics via Amazon Storefront

Now let's dive into creating my Reason Why page:

For a number of years I've been starting my project with a Reason Why. Sometimes it's a simple statement, sometimes it's a concept (like "joy"), sometimes it's simply a series of words I bring together to talk about the season I'm in and how I want to experience this project this year (because it's not always the same).

This year I'm leaning into the concept "it's all the same until it's not."

It's true and real and such a wonderful reminder to appreciate the good stuff right now. Here's what I wrote:

This year my reason why is rooted in the simple knowledge that life is the same until it isn't. My hope for 2026 is to express extra gratitude for the ways things are the same + the ways things are different. A lot has changed over the last year around here, including kids moving out + my parents moving to Eugene (+ my shifting role in their lives). I'm excited to experience the joys of the season through my Mom's eyes (+ Dad's too) and lean in to this special opportunity to celebrate being together.

Your reason why should be personal to you! It might be silly or serious or nostalgic or it might just be to have more fun.

Here's a look at how I'm starting my album this year:

This year I'm starting with this full page of pattern paper and adding a couple page flips in the center to create an interactive jumping off point.

I used the chipboard wreath circle to create a home for the "reason why" messy circle from the Main Kit with a stitched red rub on across the top. This piece is adhered to the "joy" card from the Specialty Journal Card set. The red puffy numbers from the Main Kit were added to the outside of the page flip.

When you flip it up you'll discover the December Daily® messy circle underneath (also with stitching on top) and then the gold foil sentiment card.

When you flip that one up you'll find another one of the specialty cards with a quote one top. I wrote up my journaling and printed it on sticker paper before adding it to the postage shape. I set up my journal block to be 2.25 inch x 3.25 inch.

I added a note to myself to add a photo once we get to December.

Yay! Thanks for being here! We have a little less than a week left of our boxing period - closes September 30th. We will begin shipping in early October!

SUPPLIES

• December Daily® Main Kit 2026

• December Daily® Specialty Journal Card Set

• December Daily® 6x8 Chipboard

• Page Flips Multi Pack

• Sticker Paper

• 6 Hole Punch

• Basics via Amazon (printer, trimer, etc)