Jess, Author at Bliss This Mess

In Family Fun

Love Grows Best in Little Houses Just Like This

December 15, 2021 No Comments

I remember walking into our house for the first time almost nine years ago. We had only Brody at the time, who wasn’t even a year old yet. We had been actively house hunting with our realtor for almost six months, writing up multiple offers and getting beat out by cash offers that were tens of thousands of dollars over asking price. It was so frustrating, but our realtor was determined to find us a great home to raise a family in. Something our realtor often told us was that we would just know when we walked into what was…

In Productive SAHM

Expert Advice on Maintaining a Clean Home

November 23, 2021 No Comments

Like most stay at home moms, I struggle with keeping a neat and orderly house. Our laundry has become a permanent accent piece on the living room couch and there are fingerprints on every wall, window, and furniture surface. Don’t get me started on the condition of my kids’ rooms either. Our house is lived in. It’s just the side effects of six people being at home all day long. In my defense, I do already have a small sign when you first walk in that says, “pardon the mess my children are making memories.” Consider yourself warned. Things have…

In Family Fun

Gifting Time, Not Toys, This Holiday Season

November 11, 2021 2 Comments

Lately, I’ve been finding myself stuck in the same scene as Cindy Lou Who in the movie, The Grinch. The one where she starts singing, “Where Are You, Christmas?” I usually love this time of year. Christmas is so much more fun after you have kids of your own. I love seeing the way their faces light up when they see us pull out the Christmas tree. Or when we spend time driving around while looking at all of the lights. But nothing beats Christmas morning! Being gathered around the tree, still in our PJs, watching the joy and excitement…

In Family Fun

Easy and Spooky Snacks to Make for Halloween

October 26, 2021 1 Comment

I have always loved the idea of serving fun and festive food on Halloween before the kids go trick or treating. But every year, I settle for ordering a quick pizza because we are rushing to get costumes on and kids out of the door as soon as the sun goes down. This year, my kids helped put together a Fall Bucket List. One of the activities on our list was to have a Hocus Pocus movie night. My daughter has been asking about it all month! Because I can never do anything half-assed, I put together a great spread…

In Productive SAHM

A Mom’s Guide to Beautiful Family Pictures

October 19, 2021 No Comments

I’ll go ahead and admit it, I’m terrible at updating pictures in my home. I have five kids, but according to our picture frames, I only have three. To add to the confusion, I’m not in hardly any of the pictures either. Like most moms, I’m really good at capturing cute pictures of my kids. But fail to get pictures of me with my kids unless it is a cheesy selfie. So I try to update our family pictures at least every other year. Family pictures can feel a little overwhelming, especially with a big group of kids. Coordinating outfits,…

In Productive SAHM

4 Failproof Ways to Comfort a Teething Baby

October 12, 2021 No Comments

I was compensated with free product in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own and not influenced by Nuby. I have a love-hate relationship with teething babies. After all, I love that big, toothy grin my kids give me after months of gummy smiles. But, I think breastfeeding teething babies is the worst form of torture. Just this week, I was jolted awake again after nursing my youngest back to sleep. It took everything I had to not scare everyone else awake with a loud shriek. Thankfully, my baby only has two teeth…

In Crafts & DIY

Fun and Festive Fall Gnome Wreath in 4 Simple Steps

October 5, 2021 No Comments

Our family has this odd tradition of passing around a gnome after we move into a new house. The idea is that our gnome, Charlie Gregorsen, will bring good luck to our new address. Weird, I know! But, Charlie, has traveled over a thousand miles between all of his stays. I already have a soft spot for all things gnomes and have loved how they quickly became so trendy. When I found these witch hat wreath forms at the Dollar Tree, I knew exactly what I was going to make with them. This fall gnome wreath was so much fun…

In Productive SAHM

How to Overcome Hopelessness During The Pandemic

September 28, 2021 4 Comments

During a conversation with my mom this week, I was expressing my frustrations with how isolating and lonely life can feel. As an extrovert, it is hard living in a world where most people are afraid to approach or have small conversations with others. A lot of people assume, because we were homeschooling before Covid, that there weren’t many challenges we had to overcome. And while our schooling didn’t change during Covid, like it did for others, everything else outside of homeschooling became a struggle with our kids. All of their favorite places to go during the week were forced…

In Family Fun

Importance of Family Communication and How to Improve It

September 21, 2021 2 Comments

With five kids, people are often surprised that my kids get along so well with each other. I’m extremely grateful that they often act more like good friends instead of sibling rivals. Since having kids, I have read A LOT of marriage and parenting books. A few years ago, I hit a wall, admitted I had no idea what I was doing (because I had never had kids before), and began learning new and effective ways to parent young children. There was always one common theme I read about; improve our communication with one another. From then on, I made…

In Family Fun

30 Fun Fall Activities to Put on Your Bucket List

September 14, 2021 1 Comment

On the off chance that you’re going to label me as basic, I’m just going to go ahead and say it. I LOVE fall! I love the crisp, chilly morning air, the leaves changing colors, and all things pumpkin spice. My kids can’t wait to go to all of the fall festivals and they know that this season also brings trick or treating and Thanksgiving. There are also so many fun, fall activities to do with your family. Where do you start? With help from my kids, we have compiled a list of our favorite seasonal things to do. I…