Declutter & Chat // changes I’ve made, religion/beliefs, decluttering my makeup
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 ต.ค. 2024
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Help your family share their story this holiday season with StoryWorth. Go to StoryWorth.com/jessicab and save $10 on your first purchase!
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Jess I got both of them one, my dad and mother-in-law! So excited!!! I can't wait to have my dad's story's forever! I used to love to hear him tell the tells from the wild deer, crazy hunting trips and running from the forest rangers! Lol but Im ballin!!!
Hey Jessica, I wanted to pop in since you had mentioned feeling like you’re searching for ways to connect with God. During creation, he established a day for us to rest and connect with him, set it apart to a holy use. He gave it to Adam as a day of rest - as a gift for all of us for all time. He also wrote it into the 10 commandments because he knows that we need a day of connection with him ❤️
Ugh, both my husband and I are coffee cup whores we just bought central perks cups! Lol I need to store them, but I have no idea how.
Hi! I am going to get story worth - one for my mom and one for my in-laws. What do you suggest for a couple- does it work for them both to answer and share it?
Thank you and take care!
I lost my Mom Dec 23, 2021 and I have been cleaning out her house mostly alone...my 2 siblings have not helped. Under Mom's bed I found love letters my parents wrote to each other 2 months into their marriage when he was deployed for the Vietnam War. I never knew these letters existed! Heck didn't know my father was deployed either! I had talked to my Mom a few years ago about Story Worth but Mom did NOT do email and refused to let me create an email account for her and let me ask her the questions. I so wish I had pushed harder. Touching every item of my Moms this last year has been so hard and I have found so much that I wish I knew the story of and now it is simply too late. I cherish those love letters so very much! I never saw that side of my parents, they were not affectionate people in public. As the holidays are upon us and the 1 year anniversary of losing Mom is coming I have taken to reading 1 of those letters a night, I've read them all already, but I'm revisiting and re reading them. For those thinking about it and maybe have someone not tech savvy...push them...get those stories because when they are gone...so is part of your own story.
My condolences ❤ it is so special that you found those letters!
My mum passed 14 years ago and I cleaned out her house. My sister never helped. I found pics of my mums old boyfriend from before mum and dad married its hard cleaning out their houses. Keep the memories alive.
My mom passed two years ago and I did storyworth with my dad last year. I wish I had done it with her but I’m so incredibly grateful to have done it with my dad. We still haven’t managed to go through all my mom’s stuff and my heart is with you in that process. ❤️
I am so very sorry for the loss of your mother. Sending you comfort. I too am missing many loved ones that made the holidays so special.
I’m so glad you found those! My husband and I wrote a ton during OSUT and we have all of them. I’d love to have them laminated and bound one day.
I was raised religious and heavily encourage you to look into teaching your kids how to think rather than what to think. Letting them choose what they believe is the most valuable lesson for children to learn that people have different beliefs. I also think explaining to them why you believe what you do is good for both of you!
Jess I just have to thank you for talking about StoryWorth! We adopted our son last year and after hearing about StoryWorth in one of your videos we bought it for our son’s birth family to fill out each week. I am so thankful we will have this invaluable book of their life experiences and wisdom to give to him one day. So thank you again for sharing this! ❤
Oh my gosh that makes me so happy!! And what a treasure your son will have!!!
One thing my family does for memories: all the women in my family (aunts, cousins, cousins’ kids) get together once a year for a big family sleepover. We started doing this when we realized that holiday get-togethers a few times a year weren’t enough!
Everyone brings an air mattress and food to contribute (like a potluck) and we just spend time together laughing and talking about family stories. And then we make breakfast together the next morning. As my male cousins get married, their spouses join us too :). Very cheap, very fun experience!
Love this idea!
This sounds so fun! Love this ❤
I love this idea!!!
As someone who’s not Christian, I just always appreciate you talking about religion in an inclusive way and acknowledging that not everyone has the same beliefs or celebrates the same holidays. 😊 Thank you for being thoughtful of everyone!
So, I lost my mom way too early….she was 74, and it was the year you guys did your first Vlogmas.
If I could put into words how those videos helped me….they gave me something to look forward to.
I will forever be grateful for Vlogmas. ❤
I also grew up in Indiana and left after college. Leaving behind Christianity, which was so core to my identity for the first two decades of my life, has been a complex, challenging, and really beautiful journey. Life makes more sense when I look for less certainty and meaning it through this very specific, narrow worldview. It’s a relief to not have to walk backwards into biblical reasoning. But it took a long time to leave, slowly, part by part. To your question - “how do you know? Do you just know when you’ve found the truth?” I think it’s the opposite. you become more wise by recognizing you know less and less. It’s scary but freeing. Just here to be a person with all the other people.
I’m not a religious person but I do enjoy hearing about your journey, it’s very real and down to earth and helps me identify with my family and friends who are on their own journeys. Thank you for feeling comfortable enough to share something so important to you!
I feel you- I left the catholic church I grew up in but I'm still Christian. I just try my best to love people like Jesus loved them (the last commandment he left to us) and don't take vengeance into my own hands and know that when I mess up God has more than enough Grace for me. I don't think faith is meant to be complicated...religion maybe, but Jesus didn't come to start a religion, He made it simple for us!
Jesus started the Catholic Church.
So well said.
Very well said 😊
Amen
YES! it's not supposed to be that complicated!
Jess, this is one of my favorite videos you’ve ever made. I could care less about the makeup honestly, and I’ve been watching your videos for years 😂 I LOVE hearing your perspective on life. I wish more people could be open and vulnerable like this! You’re a beautiful human and I’m thankful for your existence ☺️
she’s also a better real life content creator than say like for example, sorry bout the comparison, the kardashians
I absolutely love how you talked about not totally feeling like an adult until now. This is a conversation I have been having lately with my therapist (I'm 27) About how you never really feel like you "arrive" as an adult. And when you're young it seems like once you're older that just happens at some point. But she related it to the fact that a lot of us were told things like "just wait until you're older" or "when you're older you'll understand". And now we are older looking around for someone to let us in on the secret and well, there is none! And that's why the transition can feel so strange for some us. Thanks for this amazing video♡
Jessica, the topics you chatted about are on a lot of our minds. It's so nice to watch a content creator who's so 'real', thoughtful, and relatable. Wishing you and your family a happy holiday season 😘❤️🎄
Jess, I am 57 and I just began not worrying about what others expect of me or think of me. It is wonderful!
Everything you said is so important! I lost one of my sisters last year and we did a monthly get together with the family for years- theme dinners, game nights, chit chat- girls day shopping etc. all of it and I cherish those times so much ♥️ those are the times that matter 🎉
I TOTALLY relate to you on “I don’t have to answer to anyone!” My beliefs have changed a lot over the last few years. And I am trying to care a little less about what people in my life think about that.
My sisters, mom, and I have a slumber party every year. It’s always a blast and we have so many memories. Dementia runs heavy in our family so my mom has always wanted to make as many memories as possible because she is so scared of losing them.
Congrats on realizing that you don't have to answer to anyone in your early 30's! It took me until 43 with the help of a therapist to realize that I could make decisions based on my own needs and desires, not in a selfish way, but more in a non-codepenent way.
After religious trauma, I am definitely agnostic lol. I’ve tried to go back to church on my own terms by myself with no biases and I just found myself not happy to be there. I found myself not agreeing with a lot of what was being talked about. I tried it for a year for those who are going to try and challenge me in the comments.
Anyways, the reason why I’m saying this is you can leave religion and come back to religion whenever you feel like. Don’t feel bad about it. Religion is tricky and it’ll challenge your thoughts and beliefs. How you integrate or don’t integrate it is completely up to you.
I wish I had a better relationship with my family. Unfortunately, I grew up in an abusive environment so family does not feel safe to me. I’d love to laugh and play games… that’s just not the case for me. Shout out to all those that feel lonely and struggle during the holidays. You’re not alone and we’re going to get through it together ❤️
When my parents started giving me an allowance part of it had to go into a charity account and a couple times a year I got to pick where that money would go. I think it was a great way to show kids how to regularly support different causes. Also part had to go into a savings account I could use for large things I wanted (like an American girl doll) and I think it's why I'm good at saving money to this day
10:42 such an important reminder ❤ think about what we're bringing into the house and if we can get a lot out of it over the years. i love this.. it's the perfect balance of less physical waste/clutter AND forming longer meaningful relationships with the things we take ownership of = more lasting, stronger appreciation and contentment 💝
I’m so glad you mentioned giving/charity! After all the talk last week from TH-camrs about what to buy for Black Friday sales and then no mention from anyone I follow about Giving Tuesday, it felt like the whole focus from everyone was buy buy buy, so I really appreciate the sentiment on giving! I help with a children’s charity in CT where we buy gifts for children in foster care. This year I bought gifts for 9 kids because I don’t really have anyone else to shop for and doing this is what I look forward to the most each year! From my desk I can see a huge pile of gifts my office has collected for these children and it makes my heart happy - more so than any gifts I receive! Giving back even in small ways is so important for our own wellbeing as well as for others! ❤
One way to teach your daughter about giving is to take her to pick out gifts for Tyler, Felicity, and other family members. Not just at Christmas but birthdays and other holidays, too!
I wanna hear more Jess faith/religion talks!! I feel like you feel maybe (not scared) but hesitant to talk about it more in detail because you’re afraid of offending someone. But I’ve love you talking about this more!! There is a moment where you are believing what your parents taught you and you realize you have to believe it for yourself. I’m thankful that I have found my way to the same beliefs but it’s challenging as you have that realization and you go through your faith walk on your own. God bless you and your family! Jesus loves you!! As a sister in Christ I will continue to pray that you and your family will continue to grow in this together!! Need more positive videos like this in my feed. 💙
My dad and stepmom live close to me. I literally one day every weekend go spend a couple hours with them. Bring a coffee or just show up. It's such a small thing but they appreciate it so much. It's just time that we spend together. Dont ever underestimate the value in a couple hours with a loved one. 💕
Jessica! I have a story. I was married to a high functioning drug addict for 5 years and we have a beautiful son together. I was trying to be a good wife and believe his lies and trust him every time I would confront him about his drug use and I finally got the courage to leave him 2 year ago. I left with nothing but our clothes, my son, and my car. I was 27 and had to move back in with my parents and I was almost done with nursing school but I had to take a break and started waitressing. I continued watching your videos because seeing you and your sweet family truly gave me hope for the future and helped me through a very bitter and sad time in my life. Fast forward to now. I met the love of my life at the restaurant I worked at. We got married in May and my son and I have a happy, safe, and stable home. We are so happy.
Thanks Jessica for being real and showing your life.
It helped me and I’m sure many others.
Thank you 😊 ❤️
One idea for gifting is to donate to World Vision. You can choose from options like buying a goat, chickens, mosquito nets, school supplies, etc. you can then print out a card that says a cow, or chickens were donated in your honor. These items help families around the world become more self sustaining and provides food and income for them. We get a catalog I the mail each year and it can be fun for kids to look through it and decide what item they want to donate in someone’s honor. This has been our teacher gift idea for years. And we did this for my parents one year as well.
This video was actually perfect. Such a different concept, as you said, but really resonated with me and, from what the comments are reading like, a lot of other folks too. I’ve been in a similar faith-based exploration for a while and am finding I am a bit stuck at the minute but will definitely have a look at those devotional as a way to help bring God into my space more frequently. I think that faith can become so difficult as you get older and form your own understanding of the world and your stances on certain topics. Even if the belief is there and the fundamental love of God is present, finding your flock and the “right” space for yourself, is so challenging. Lots of love to all of you that are on this journey too, I’m glad to know I’m not the only one ❤😂
Such a great concept for a talking topic! My husband and I are also going through that season, I have personally felt like an adult for quite a while, don’t feel the need to answer/please parents/people, don’t have to follow certain things that may have been done during childhood, etc, but my husband on the other hand hit that phase a little bit later and it’s just been the last 2-3 years where he’s had that realization you’re having of “holy crap, I’m an adult, I am my own person, I do not answer to anyone, I don’t have to please my parents”, etc! Such a huge important step in really embracing adulthood! Especially when you have kids of your own! We have our first baby on the way, due next month. 🥰♥️
My daughter had me share my stories through StoryWorth. It was so nice to be able to share my wisdom, stories, and best memories with her and my new grandson. I lost my dad at 17 and wished I had something like that from him.
Dang, hit me right in the feels, Jess. The last few holidays have been rough for me and my husband. We lost his dad last year in Nov, my mom had to go into memory care and my dad and brother both moved away. It has been emotional for me because everything just feels so different. But I love your perspective of making your own traditions and taking the reigns in your own life. Thank you for being the big sister we all need! 💕
Hey girl hey!! I'm so happy you posted I just started the video but girllllll I'm going through it right now so I needed this. I hope your day has been well.
Jessica, thank you for sharing all the things in your heart in this video. I’ve been watching your channel for years and this is definitely one of my favorite videos you’ve made!
I started watching your channel because of the makeup videos, but I genuinely enjoy listening to you talk about Christianity and your discernment/faith journey.
I went on a similar spiritual journey as you. I was a cradle Catholic and didn’t really have a personal connection to my faith that I grew up in.
However, I began asking those hard questions and genuinely seeking those answers from knowledgeable people (Fr. Mike Schmitz, Bishop Barron, Jimmy Akin, Trent Horn to name a few) and listened to podcasts (Pints with Aquinas, Abiding Together) as well as reading books. I would highly recommend reading the church fathers.
As you said, now I know that this is my faith because it was handed down to me, but also because I did the research and found it to be true and what I believe.
The journey of conversion looks different for everyone. I will be praying for you and your family! 🙏🏻
I had the faith journey and came out so happy. I was raised Church of Christ/ Christian Church and had some real issues with those churches. My husband and I became Confessional Lutherans when I was around 30. It has been such a blessing for us and our children. Lutheranism is wonderful in that it's so much scripture, theologically deep, and lots of gospel without giving up all the beauty and richness of tradition. I listen to The Word of the Lord Endures Forever as a great short Bible study podcast. The beauty of vocation is that when we care for our family,we are serving God. When we clean the house, we are serving God. As a mom of littles, dont feel like you're not doing what you should if your not praying or reading your Bible for hours. Every season is to teach us something else about Christ. Being a mom is definitely the service and unconditional love parts.
My husband and I are on this same journey! I was raised non-denominational Christian (if I had to put a title, we usually went to a baptist church), and my husband was raised Catholic. Neither of us felt at peace with either of those churches. So now we are in the process of figuring out what fits us best. 🥰
What is a Confessional Lutheran?
@@AbbyMcGuire23 Confessional Lutheranism is a term for more conservative Lutherans. The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod is the largest and where we are members. More than likely there is one in your area. If you are interested, I would highly recommend Pastor Bryan Wolfmeuller’s TH-cam channel.
St Therese of Liseaux wrote that “There are many different stairways to Heaven”. I was raised Catholic and am still Catholic to this day and believe all the Church teachings, even the hard ones. But I do think and practice very differently than my parents. There was a level of rigidity in the practice of my childhood that quite honestly exasperated mental illness and OCD that runs through my family. As a child we went to Mass every day, said the rosary every day, were homeschooled and did not have cable. I kept the Homeschooling (lol) but my kids have Netflix and while we attend Mass on Sundays and all Holy Days we do not pray for hours every day. Not all spiritual practices are useful to every person. My parents continue with daily Mass and rosaries and find it useful and fulfilling. I have found personally that impromptu conversations with God much more meaningful to me. Thats my personal journey and we are still on it. My hope for you is that you continue to pray that God puts you where you need to be.
One of my favorite videos EVER!!!! Thank you for the authenticity and rawness! I love that you're talking about the "real stuff" of life! I also LOOOVE 'Jesus Calling' devo's! LOVE HEARING WHAT'S ON YOUR HEART!!!!!!
Waiting in the waiting room for my daughter to come out of surgery. So glad to find something to distract myself. She’s 16 and having tonsils out, so it’s worse at this age. Of course I’m worried sick. Happy to see this video!! Perfect timing. If you pray please pray for my daughter to have easy recovery.
🙏praying for easy recovery. As a mom I know it's stressful. My son just had surgery last week at age 3
🙏❤
Praying that your daughter is recovering well.
@@melaniesanchez2442 hope there aren’t any complications in your sons healing journey. Be well. Take care of yourself.
I have definitely been more into getting my family experiences for holidays these days. Even though its not as 'fun' to wrap or open on christmas, the experiences are a lot more memorable than another sweater. I just took my dad to a hockey game last night that I gave him for his 70th birthday and my sister and I got my mom tickets to shows for both her birthday in November and Christmas which will be fun time spent together.
This feels like talking with a sister. Thank you for this
Jess, thank you for sharing what’s on your heart. We are all so busy these days that we sometimes forget to cherish and savor the memories and blessings of our family. My family of 5 sisters and 2 younger brothers are very close and have our mom to thank for that. She raised us to be best friends and to always have each other’s back. We come from a large extended family and we have always cherished times together and sharing stories of the past. Several of us journal the stories and make sure to share at family gatherings where others can add their memories as well. We currently have 9 generations of history logged on Ancestry.
Jessica, we love you and appreciate you and your presence. Thank you for sharing your life with us!
Thank you for speaking on these things! I have been having so many of these same thoughts and feelings and it's great to see others in similar shoes. I am also getting story worth for my parents this year after hearing your recommendations for awhile!!!
My mum and I are always shopping, and it's mostly always for someone else. My mum LOVES giving gifts and it's one of the things I'm picking up from her now that I'm earning my own.
This really resonated with me. I have only celebrated Christmas with my husband for the last 8 years….this year we are trying no presents under the tree until Christmas Eve, because that’s how he grew up. It’s true it’s about growing YOUR family. Side note, we place a toilet paper 🧻 👼🏼 angel my daughter made in daycare atop our tree every year😂. She’s now 12….hoping it lasts for her to use in her traditions🥰
Loved your honesty. I think being a good parent is caring about what kind of family you are and how you will leave your mark on the world (via your kids often times!).
I agree about dinner with siblings and/or parents. My moms was a single mom to me and my sis. It was always just the 3 of us. My sis had a baby at 16 and 12 years later we FINALLY just went to dinner my mom sis and me. It was an eye opening experience because I realized once there we haven’t done that in YEARS!
Love that you are unapologetically discussing your faith. Bless you and your family!
I’m Jewish and love to hear the way everyone thinks about faith. I personally think of God as the feeling inside of us that compels us to do better, so being curious about and honoring that feeling is one of the ways you can be with God every day. I was raised in an interfaith family but the questioning/curiosity inherent to Judaism is something everyone can benefit from.
Also thank you for maintaining a space on the internet where I can talk about being Jewish and not be nervous about it lol.
I discovered board game TikTok and it changed my life as far bringing more entertainment and enjoyment into my family's routine especially with the weather changing and being indoors more this season.
Games with the family are so important to me. So many of the funniest memories our family has are from playing a game together. I look forward to it every time we gather!
Jessica, thank you for this video. I’ve been in a very similar place in life lately especially with the holidays. I’ve jokingly called it my Cindy Lou Who phase where I’m looking for deeper meaning beyond gifts and cluttering other peoples lives with things. Though I love to give gifts, the gift of time is something that has been very prevalent on my mind and heart. I will be adding storyworth to my list of ways to capture those moments and pieces of those we love. Have a wonderful holiday season with your family!
My philosophy with my husband and our toddler is that we do what works for our family. I’m not interested in worrying about what other mothers/parents are doing. But I have to talk through with my husband that what his parents did isn’t necessarily what we should do. It was a totally different time back then.
We have discussed with our kid donating some of her toys before the holidays and why we do it.
My siblings and siblings in law purchased a subscription for my two remaining grandparents and my husbands two remaining grandparents. 3 of the 4 don’t use a computer really, so I called them or visited them once a week to type their stories for them. What a special time with each of them that I’ll treasure. 2 of the 4 books have arrived this month and the other 2 are on the way… I’m so excited to give the books to them for Christmas. Can’t wait to gift this to my parents next! It’s such an amazing gift for yourself honestly. And for your own children and future generations. What a treasure. A comment on your video last year made me bite the bullet and purchase. So now maybe I’ll convince someone else they need to do it!
I haven't even gotten into the video yet haha but the concept of storyworth has me about to bawl like a baby 😭 my parents have passed, my Mom's side still talks about her and I've gotten to hear stories over the years. However, my Dad's side doesn't talk about him much at all... It's such a shame because he had so many stories he loved to tell me as a kid. This is such a beautiful idea ❤
I feel you on embracing adulthood. As a result me, my husband and kids are moving to Germany from Syria!
Previously l, Id be burdened by the guilt of leaving my parents.
When I told them there was a huge blowout. I reminded them that I’m an adult with my own family to look out for. They can jump on the train or wave as we leave. It was so hard but that was the moment I felt like I became an adult; at 36, married 8 years and two kids.
Best wishes to you as you adjust to your new life as a family :) I feel what you’re saying- culture impacts family expectations and I remember feeling this guilt. But your first responsibility is to yourself and your immediate family- husband/kiddos. I wish you well.
@@MsChristineMina Thank you so much for the well wishes. Yes, my kids are definitely the top priority. Yet my parents were raised differently and to their dismay failed to raise me the same.
It’s all good now but it was a rough few weeks.
Now off to Germany in January!!
I started sobbing today while watching The Christmas Chronicles, and it took me awhile to figure out why. And the reason was that the only good holiday memories I have are of Christmas morning. By noon the day had turned sour, but that time sitting around the tree opening presents with my sisters and parents, it was really special to me. And now, I don't have that. So my boyfriend and I decided that we are going to be home for Christmas morning and do our own gift exchange then. I'm really looking forward to it.
I truly enjoyed this video. It is always helpful to me to hear others point of view.
Kudos on acknowledging that you don’t owe anyone an explanation. It is something that some of us learn well into our 30’s and even 40’s. I went through it both when I became an adult and when my daughter became an adult.
I also like that you are recognizing that it is ok to question the religion that we were raised in and to search for what rings true to us. I’m on the agnostic side now but made it a point to allow my daughter to explore religion and see if anything spoke to her. I decided it was more important to teach her to be kind and to espouse the values that make someone a good human.
My parents took me to catholic church until my first communion, and then we switched to Unitarian Universalist church (which I loved). One thing they taught us there is that spirituality is a journey an dyoir beliefs can change as you do. I've really held onto that over the years. Good luck with your journey!
After listening to your story of shopping with your sisters and mom, it reminds me of my family. It's a Christmas tradition to shopping with my aunts, my mom, and older cousins. We would drawn names, and spend the whole day shopping. At the end of the day, we all go out to eat to just talk about the day, what has been going on in our own lives, or whatever happens to pop in our heads. (I'm sure the restaurants get tired of us. We've spent at least two hours in the restaurants eating and chatting.) It's an all day thing, but there are so many memories that are made.
You are STILL the most relatable person I follow. Thank you for all you do with your platform, you are truly a beautiful soul! Blessings to your family ❤
Do you know how long it took me to realise you have a large free standing mirror behind you?!
I thought there was a weord Alice In Wonderland type door right behind you!
Lol! 🤣🤣
Great video Jessica! Thank you for sharing. Praying, reading the Bible and going to service is part of my faith. I was raised Baptist but my father was catholic. I know both sides. My son and I are Baptist today. Getting involved with church ministry and people is a big part of our lives too. As far as family, getting together is so great and we've added charades as well as other games, like hiding things for family members to find. The name escapes me but hopefully you get the drift.
I just turned 62 and I still don’t feel “grown up.” I don’t have children, so I’m sure I would have had to grow up if I had. I have a niece, a nephew and a great niece and nephew. I could have never done for them they way I have if I had children of my own. So I have had the best of both worlds….Kids that I love more than life, but I didn’t have to parent so I could be the fun adult who could listen to rap music and watch the crazy TV/movies with the kids. I wouldn’t trade that for the world plus I NEVER have to grow up. WIN WIN!!! I love this video and every video you do. We are so different in age but I have learned so much from you! Thanks for all of your hard work and I hope you and your beautiful family have a wonderful holiday season!!!❤❤❤
I feel like I could listen to you talk about these things all day, it's so relatable ❤️
Girl this was comforting to hear about marriage religion family work traditions time. I'm on the same boat navigating 3 new roles in a year.
Since my girls were very little, we have always purged toys/books etc in November. When they were much younger, they weren’t really involved but as they grew, they were involved. We’d dump every toy in the middle of the room, set up stations, keep, trash, donate. I always had a box for donate and told them that they had to fill the box in order for Santa/family to get them Christmas gifts. I said it was good to fill the box to share with families that need the items more than we did. Now they purge throughout the year without having to be asked. Feels good to help others but also to keep things moving out of the house that aren’t being used.
The brand MudPie makes these adorable bags called “give back sacks” and they have a really sweet Christmas poem on them about giving toys you don’t play with to other girls and boys. We’ve been using it with my kids (6 & 5) since they were toddlers. It’s a Christmas traditional I don’t see us ever stopping.
I have been watching your channel ever since I can remember. And even though I don’t comment, I watch every single video and Tyler’s. & I just want to thank you and tell you I appreciate you. You’re such a wonderful human. Explaining how you’ve impacted my life positively would literally turn into an essay so I’ll just leave it at that. 😂🥰😌❤️
My husband, my five year old, two year old, and I have been working on an advent calendar puzzle each night this holiday season. It comes with 42 pieces a day and we all sit together and spend 15 minutes putting together a small part of a 1,008 piece puzzle each night. It’s so satisfying to see it coming together and to carve out that dedicated time to sit together each day with a common goal. I’m surprised by how many memories we are making already.
Between my husband and myself we have lost everyone, literally everyone in our familes over the last ten years. Both his parents, and both his stepparents, Both my parents, my step father, and all three of my siblings. All of our grandparents as well. Our family consists of just us now. My husband, myself, our three children and our two daughter inlaws as well as our three beautiful grandchildren. We are both only 50 so it feels as though we have been robbed of so much by losing them all so soon and so close togehter. I implore everyone to embrace your life and your loved ones...right now. Today. Dont wait. I do not even recognize my life now as opposed to ten years ago because of all the grief and loss we have endured.
Why was I so relieved when you rescued your Disney puff from the Declutter pile? 😂
I am Agnostic and my husband is Christian. Finding a way to raise our son has been interesting. Thankfully we are both respectful and just want our son to be happy.
When my family get together, we do play games (highly recommend Poetry for Cavemen, Dixit, and Headbandz) and we also do puzzles together while chatting. We also have "potato parties" where we peel and chop potatoes while we chat, or make rolls, etc. Many hands make light work!
You’re SO funny…I did the same thing about the “here’s the church, here’s the steeple…”. You’re so down to earth and real, I love watching you and your family. ❤❤
I’m a cast member at Disney and I sang in my first candlelight processional at EPCOT last night! To me, music is one of the most important parts of the holiday season. My parents are/were both musicians (my dad passed in 2019), and it was always an insanely busy time for them both, with my dad working a lot of holiday gigs as a professional musician and my mom teaching while also directing the Christmas pageant at church every year. But those were and are some of the best holiday memories we ever made - there was always music.
Having to finish my music degree during covid was a struggle, not only because online learning was hard, but because we couldn’t have live performances or even make music with our peers in the same room together - these are things that sustained me as a musician and having them taken away truly crushed me, especially at Christmas. Needless to say, having the opportunity to sing in the cast choir with the Voices of Liberty this season in my favorite park truly fills my heart up to the tippy-top. I’ve struggled with my religion in recent years, especially since my dad’s passing, but these are the times when I feel closest to my spiritual and religious roots and am reminded of what’s important. That’s what’s sacred to me❤
Are you familiar with the Morning Offering prayer? I keep it on my window by my kitchen sink and start my day with it every day. It's simple and quick but has been very fruitful!
I was on a spiritual journey in high school and early college that started with me being very confused about how my emerging beliefs and values began to clash with some of the teachings of my religious leaders and mentors. Specifically, issues regarding LGBTQ+ rights, women's reproductive rights, mental health, and others. I struggled with what my heart told me about my religion (i loved it and felt fully secure in it) and my social values (i could not support the oppression or judgement against whole groups of people); i just could not seem to make them coincide. UNTIL i realized that the basis of my religion was actually very much in line with my social values, and it was only the misinterpretation of some of the issues by humans that conflicted with what i felt was right. I could absolutely stay with my religion, where my soul felt truly at home, and still fight for the social issues that were important to me. I no longer needed to be bound by the erroneous interpretations of my religion; i no longer had to feel like i needed to have a certain opinion of LGBTQ+ rights or reproductive rights in order to be a "Good" person of my religion. Since this realization, i have arrived at an understanding i can follow my heart in both my faith as well as in my social convictions. It is truly the most wonderful feeling. It is a big part of what freedom of religion really means.
Yes! Jesus Calling! Sitting beside me right now!
Board games are the best! All sides of my family love games, that’s what our holidays are all about. Jackbox is a good one if you have a lot of people and all you need is a tv and a phone/tablet and you can play!
I am wrapping up my grandma's year of Storyworth and it has been such a treat reading her entries every week. So excited to see the finished product. 🥰
My mom just died November 5. My dad died 1year ago. They raise seven kids. We are a very close family due to my parents having family game night, devotions and Bible reading together. Lots of family traditions during the holidays. Talent shows on Christmas Eve… Etc. It’s not about anything materialistic but about the quality time you spend with your family. We know it without a shadow of a doubt of my parents are in heaven. They love the Lord with all their heart, and put him first in their lives, and their family second. All of those links you posted for the family games I just sent to my family members. This was a great video Jessica! Really makes you think.
I loved this video. Life is shirt and its so easy to get caught up in life and forget the important things like family and friends and creating those memories not just for ourselves but our children to carry on!! So many times it takes loosing someone to realize all the time we could have done things and shared things and didn’t! .
Jessica I tell you this: we have decided years ago to stop cluttering our life, our brains and our heart with "THINGS". We now give gifts of "experiences". Whether it's show, sports event, trip, museum. Etc.. I feel these are memories that last forever , much more than "items". We are lucky we have everything we need and most of what we want. I try to teach the kids that time is the best gift we can give one another.
My family didn’t attend church. In elementary school, I began attending a non denominational church with one of my best friends. By high school, partying with my other friends was way more fun!! I chose to put my kids in one of the two private schools in my town. One of my kids needed more structure so I chose the Catholic. I converted a couple years in. Decades later, they were all grown and living their own lives. In 2017, after tons of research, investigation, so forth. Dec 23rd 2017, my 43rd birthday, I was baptized into the Mormon Church. It took me 43 years to finally find the faith I’d been looking for!! I was just like so many others by making negative comments and judging anyone who was or spoke of Mormonism. For me and my personal relationship with God, this is what works for me!! I love the structure, the appreciation for everything we have, the closeness we have for each other, how we help each other with so much, how we help those who aren’t our faith, how we don’t judge anyone’s choices, how we don’t talk negatively or gossip about anyone, how happy we are, etc. My kids have always been so happy to see me happy!! I’m no longer negative, judgement, etc!! I’m always grateful to have found the place for me. I hope not only your family but anyone else who’s trying to find their place too is successful and happy!!
My family does an advent calendar where we do acts of service/gratitude each day. We create 24 days of activities. Then each day we open them up and do the services. We all do it. They are simple acts of services like writing a thank you note to someone who did something for you that meant something to you throughout the year. It could be as simple as thanking them for just meeting up for coffee and just chatting. Another activity is putting five dollars on a few car windows with a simple note of happy holidays. Then sitting there and watching how they react. Baking something for a neighbor. Doing a chore that your family member hates doing like cleaning out their car. Donating to the food bank. Dropping off a small gift like flowers or a ballon or a teddy bear to the hospital to give a patient randomly. Buying ten dollars worth of eye glass cheaters to the nursing home. Calling a friend or family member that you haven’t talked to in awhile. It doesn’t matter what you do it that each day during December you do something for someone else. Wrapping gifts for someone. Watch someone’s children for a few hours to let them do whatever they want. You be amazed what small acts do for not only those receiving it but how it makes you feel. Just keep them simple so not to overwhelm you but something you look forward to doing each day.
What a vulnerable and honest video. One of my favs on your channel ever!
27:37 in the background is the cutest 💗
PLEASE don't worry about or apologize for talking about mortality. Our society tends to avoid it even when someone is literally dying in front of our faces. It's that silence on something we will ALL face that makes it hard to cope with. Yes, loss and grief are hard, but when we feel like we can't talk about it or when we feel like we're not allowed to talk about death in general we get stuck in denial and struggle (harder than necessary) to come to acceptance. Also, it's completely normal to think about mortality more the older we get. We logically know we're closing in on death, and we start to know more people who are dying. We should talk about it more, not less, and candidly at that.
Jess! Thank you so much for talking about all of this.. I’ve been in the same space for years now regarding spending my time meaningfully and exploring my beliefs. Life is so SO short and it doesn’t slow down for anything or anyone.
I been watching you for years and years and I just love you and your family. It always feels like I’m spending time with a best friend every time i watch your videos so thank you for all you do and all you put into your videos. ❤️
is this the life i want to create & does whatever I’m thinking & doing support the life i want to create-totally relatable! you are not alone! ❤
This rang so true to me as well as a fellow 33 year old!! Thanks for making me (and my husband) feel not so alone in this phase of life!
Keeping your family's stories is so important. I am at the age that I have lost my grandparents, mom & most of my aunts & uncles. Luckily there a bunch of us cousins. Keeping family recipes is important too. We are constantly messaging each other asking how so and so made this or that. I kept the tradition that my mom did of wrapping one of each of our gifts in white tissue paper then writing our name on it with glue and sprinkling gold glitter on it, so we all had a pretty package with our name on it. Other than that we have made our own traditions. One thing I do is try to use dishes, serving items etc from my grandmother, mom & aunts at holiday dinners so they are with us. Merry Christmas!
Jessie I just love your heart!!! I just appreciate videos like this.
Gaining wisdom is the best part of accumulating years!
Love you , Jess ❤❤❤ thanks for being so open with us, I’m happy after following you for all these years you have still desire to connect to us your viewers and chat like we’re friends while Decluttering makeup - such a great combination I truly enjoyed it
Pinocchio in the back is my favorite part of this video haha he's too cute!!!
I grew up in a Pentecostal church and my husband grew up in a Catholic Church. (Talk about extreme differences) It took us a few years to find a church we were both comfortable with and where our kids would enjoy going. And we did. We found a great church to raise our girls in. But now that they are grown they have found what works for them. :)
You’ve talked about Storyworth in the past and I always told myself I would do it and never did. My uncle passed this year on my birthday (also right before me wedding) and I regret not doing this with him because he had such an amazing and fulfilled life that I wish I had his perspective on. Thank you for sharing this video. It was a delight to hear you suggest Storyworth, but to also hear about family time and the struggle of realizing you’re a “real” adult. Lol I still feel like I have imposter syndrome when it comes to being an adult. Thanks “big sister” Jessie☺️
Such a great topic! I am 100% in this place as well. Have been for quite some time. I was raised catholic, but started going to a Christian church. A lot has happened for my husband and I to stop going. Since then, we have had a baby and I quit my job to be a stay at home mama. All because of TIME. It’s so short. And I don’t want to miss it. Learning and getting to figure out what works for us and our little family now is our focus. I ask myself the same question. Will we ever feel like “yes, this is it.” Who knows. But we’ll keep instilling the values important to us by example. And I think this is will be our foundation! ❤️ thank you for being so open and honest!
Of course, you can chat with all of us about such things. Everyone has sat down with coffee or water with a friend and had this EXACT conversation. It's called life. You have community who are your age and those who are older, like me (probably your Mom's age). All I can say is keep talking and communicating with Tyler (you guys do this well!) about it all. And feel free to bounce it off all of us. It's both freeing and a little scary when you realize the adult in the house is you, whether you have children or not. Now over to watch Vlogmas!