Sweater (Similar) | Bracelet

I am so bummed that December is over! The holidays are always my favorite time of the year and each year I try to do more and more Christmas activities just to feel that magic ✨. I already have some more ideas for next year, but let's reflect on how December went for me. In all honesty, it started a little rough with finances and then car trouble! Boo. But then it turned out amazing!! I love all the gifts I got everyone as well as everything I received too. My family just spoils me and I'm always extremely grateful not just for what they get me, but the thoughtfulness of everyone and how there's always room in the Katsaris' household for others. Each year just gets better and better and now that our family is growing I already can't wait for next year!! 

This December I definitely filled my calendar. I went to a Christmas themed bar in DC with my cousin and boyfriend, did Secret Santa with my friends (shout out my Secret Santa Tony for my awesome gifts!) and had a girls Christmas night complete with a tacos (what else says Christmas better than tacos?), a gift exchange and a hot coco board. We did tons of festive things on the 24th and 25th including multiple dinners, gift exchanges and lots and lots of laughter. My boyfriend and I took some holiday family photos (with our fur babies of course) and decorating for the holidays was one of my favorite things. We had lots of Christmas nights at the house where we wrapped presents, watched movies and drank hot coco. We also  did the drive-thru light show and I took Oliver and wow. I just love making these holiday memories with my #1 guy. Oh which reminds me Oliver & I both had advent calendars this year (spoiler: his was way better than mine!). Just overall I had a great month filled with happiness, love and a lot of gratitude. 

Highs: These are minor highs, but highs nonetheless. I made my first sale on RewardStyle which is super exciting! And I got a part-time gig in marketing which is also great because I've got some big plans for 2021 and can use the extra cash!

Lows: The worst kind of low is car trouble. Why? Because it's super inconvenient and its money you did not plan on spending. I had car trouble in the beginning of the month and luckily it's all taken care of now, but it's just annoying🙄.

Favorites

Dog Advent Calendar // I got this in the middle of November because I instantly knew that Oliver (my dog) would love it. And he does! Everyday he gets so excited to open up his little treat for the day. I'm saving all the videos and will be compiling it into one whole video to show you later on 😍.

FRIENDS Key Holder // I got this as a birthday gift for my cousin and now I want one for myself. It's so detailed and cute and perfect!!

Tell Me A Story // I've been meaning to watch this show since Paul Wesley is in it, but I never got around to it. I finally binged watched Season 1 in less than a week. SO GOOD!! Now I'm on season 2 and I think I like it even more than season 1. 

Jersey Shore Family Reunion // My favorite fam is back together 😜!! I've been binge watching this show lately, but yeah it's not the same without Snooki.

YOU // I rewatched You on Netflix and forgot how good this show is. Except season two is trash, but I;m excited for season 3 to come out soon.

Hot Chocolate Cold Brew // I saw this on a TikTok and wanted to try it for myself and wow! I might have found my new favorite drink!

TikTok // I finally understand why everyone says this app is addicting...because it is. I have saved mostly TikTok videos to share with you as links I love this month because I used TikTok way more than I used Facebook and Twitter combined this month!

Links I Love

Bunny The Talking Dog // This dog has a mat that when he presses it certain words are spoken. He has learned how to communicate with his parents and it's so freaking cool!

Woody's Lunch Box // I noticed how detailed the Toy Story part of the Disney park was when we went, and I'm so glad I'm not the only one. This part is so detailed and it's ingenious how they put all this together.

Dog TikTok // I can't get enough of videos of dogs. I've watched this one more times than I can count, it's so funny and cute and perfect.

Funko House // This house in California always does large Funko's as Christmas decorations and it's better than those inflatable things! 

Harry Potter Book End // I thought this staircase bookend from Little Art Adventures is the most magical thing ever. 10/10! 

Loungefly Disney Princess Books Purse // I saw this purse on TikTok (duh) and just freaking loved it! It's the perfect Disney bag.

Bachelorette AirBnB // Again, saw it on TikTok first, but this is such a smart idea! I definitely would stay here for my Bachelorette weekend!!

Purchases

The Vampire Diaries The Awakening & The Struggle Book | Pregnant Emma Roberts Cosmo Magazine | Yankee Candle Car Scents | Reptar Bars | Poo-Pouri | Men's Yellow Sweater Vest (Similar) | Saddlebreed Green Sweater Vest (Similar) | Sunburst Veggie Garden Hamster Treats | Bath & Body Works 'Tis The Season Candle | Bath & Body Works Crushed Candy Cane Candle | Bath & Body Works Crushed Candy Cane Hand Lotion | Bath & Body Works 'Tis The Season Hand Sanitizer | Hello Mello Nice Enough Pajama Shirt | Kim Rogers Blue Slip | Cabin Creek Men's Button-Up Shirt (Similar) | Bath & Body Works Mahogany Teakwood Candle | Bath & Body Works Frozen Lake Candle | Bath & Body Works Marshmallow Fireside Candle | Bath & Body Works 'Tis The Season Soap | UV Sanitizer Toothbrush Holder | Wrcibo Record Player | Higher Education Pre Req Face Wash | Higher Education Double Major Moisture Relief Gel | Higher Education Spring Break Sunscreen | Plaid Mini Coach Purse | Jessica Simpsons Burgundy Star Leggings | Calvin Klein Velour Sweatpants | Chaps Plaid Tweet Blazer

I hope you all had a great year and I look forward to sharing more in 2021!

xoxo, Michele

Follow Me     

I am super excited (as I always am) about this interview because I've been following Jeanine Amapola since like high school. So when she agreed to an interview I just knew it would be incredible. She is so sweet!!! Halfway through our recording completely went bizarre and we had to start the whole interview over and she was totally okay with it. Jeanine's story is so interesting and she's such a beautiful person (inside and out) and what a great role model for younger girls out there. Enjoy my interview with Jeanine and listen to our podcast episode by clicking the link here. Also check out the November Currents page by clicking the link here!

*Disclaimer: To start off, I work at Salvation Army National Headquarters in the publications department. The magazine I work on is called War Cry. I will be doing a post later on about my job and what it's like working for a non-profit, but that post will be later on. I do feel I need to add a disclaimer here, I am not a religious person so when I took this job I did my research and made sure that my personal values and opinions weren't being compromised. I can proudly say they are not (don't let one idiot skew your opinion of the millions of people who work for a company) and I'm pretty proud of the work and accomplishments I've made while working here. I am the Assistant to the Editorial Director, but I do so much more than an assistant's work. My managers have really entrusted me with a lot of responsibility and anything I can do to enhance my skill set and build my portfolio I take the opportunity to do so. Though I am not a religious person, the people I do interview are and the questions recall faith-inspired answers. 

Jeanine Amapola is a well-known millennial Christian influencer. Since the beginning of her YouTube career, Jeanine has shown her subscribers what it’s like to live a real and unedited life behind the cameras while also keeping God at the center of her days. 

WC: Tell us a bit about yourself.

Jeanine: My name is Jeanine Amapola. I’m from Dallas, Texas and I moved to Los Angeles, California two and a half years ago, and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I am a YouTuber, social media influencer, fitness aficionado and a new podcast creator.

WC: When did you start your career on YouTube?

Jeanine: When I was 16 years old, I started creating videos purely out of boredom. I was home-schooled most of my life and YouTube became a creative and social outlet for me. I loved editing, graphic design and being on camera and entertaining people. After I discovered YouTube, I decided to try it out for myself. I never in my life thought it would become what it is today. Then in my junior year of college at The University of Texas, my channel completely took off. I grew from 200,000 subscribers to a million subscribers in just a couple of months. My life had completely flipped upside down, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.

WC: Did you ever expect YouTube to become a full-time job?

Jeanine: No, I definitely did not. When I first started, it was just a hobby, a creative outlet for me. It was something I just completely did for fun. I actually thought about quitting a couple of times because I wasn’t sure how I was going to balance YouTube and college. But once it really took off, I realized that I wanted to do this full time. I started fully dedicating all my time to making sure I was uploading once a week, and before I knew it, I was being asked to participate in commercials and magazine interviews.

WC: What has been your favorite collaboration or project that you have been a part of?

Jeanine: Oh, wow. I mean there has been so many awesome brands that I have got to work with over the years. I was featured in Teen Vogue magazine. I got to work with American Airlines and shoot a video in Dallas, Texas. I’ve worked with MTV, Fabletics and Starbucks! So, there have just been so many awesome things I have been blessed to do. I would say some of my most special moments though come from any type of meet-and-greet I get to do. Being able to connect my audience at events just brings me so much joy and reaffirms what I’m doing and the message I’m sharing.

WC: What advice would you give to anyone who is looking to start a career as an influencer?

Jeanine: I think a lot of people are worried that this market is just so saturated already. They feel like there really isn’t a place for them, which totally makes sense because it can be oversaturated at times. But I think something that people need to remember is that there really is only one of you. You bring your own unique story, experiences, past, personality, things that you enjoy, so I would just say find really what makes you unique and different and hone in on that. Everything else has already been done. So, the best thing you can do, and as cliche as it sounds, is just to be yourself.

From the very beginning, just be consistent, be yourself, find what you enjoy, post what you love. If you do not find yourself enjoying what you are posting then find something else to post and just keep showing up. Know that it will take time, but once you keep putting in the work and stay consistent, it will start paying off. The best joy you will get is when you realize that you are helping people. Just remember that the goal hopefully is to help people and to give back.

WC: You share a lot of about your very big and diverse family on your channel. Tell us a bit about them.

Jeanine: Yes, so, I am the youngest of seven kids, and my father is from Germany and my mother is from Guatemala. They have the classic love story where when they met, it was love at first sight. Six months later, they got married and raised a family in Texas. 

I grew up in a very diverse family. The European and Latin cultures are so different, but I would not trade them for the world because they both taught me such cool, unique things. I got to learn different languages growing up, and I got to learn from my mom how to dance and how to cook and how to just love on people but with my dad, I feel like I learned how to be like punctual and clean and orderly. I ate different types of foods growing up than most of my friends ate. I wore different things, learned a lot about art and different cultures and just had a different outlook on life while growing up. I have really learned to fully love myself and to be proud of my culture. I am just thankful for every experience I have had with my family.

WC: Do you speak German and Spanish?

Jeanine: I speak a little bit of both actually. We did not grow up learning them fluently but if my dad or my mom says something to me, I can understand it. I have also learned both those languages in school, and I try to keep up with them by using language apps and watching different movies and just speaking to my parents in those languages. It’s not fluent but it is definitely enough to get by.

WC: Do you ever receive any backlash due to being so open about your faith online?

Jeanine: Yes, I do because the more I open myself up and share my past and story, the more that it subjects me to criticism. I share most of my life online, and a big part of my life is my faith. My faith has changed me for the better. It has changed how I view the world, how I resolve situations and how I treat people. It’s almost inevitable that my faith will be something that I talk about quite often. I get a lot of comments saying that I’m “not relatable anymore,” or “I wish you would talk about other things.” On the other side, I get comments that may say, “If you’re a Christian, then why do you do or say certain things?” It’s definitely frustrating at first, but I think as a Christian-—and as a human—you will receive some sort of backlash in one way or another. There will always be someone out there who doesn’t 100% agree with you and your choices. You are going to receive criticism, as a YouTuber or not, and that is something that I have to be okay with. I want to share my life, and my faith is a part of it.

WC: When you do receive criticism, do you find that spending more time with God gives you clear answers on how to handle that criticism or backlash about your faith?

Jeanine: Yes. I have to find multiple ways to deal with it because I think anybody would be lying if they said that it did not affect or hurt them because it totally does. Especially when people don’t know the full picture and are making assumptions based off of one post or video. So, there are multiple ways I go about handling that backlash. First and foremost, I have to just surrender to the Lord. I have to say “God, like this is not my identity. What these people are saying about me is not true. Your praise and approval is what matters to me most.” I always try to remember that and remembering that human praise is not what I need—I need God’s.

I also journal, and when I do journal, I will talk to the Lord through written words. I share things that hurt or affected me, or maybe a lesson I feel I need to learn. I am always open to constructive criticism and try to learn from it. Lastly, I go to my peers and mentors if I feel I need to talk through things more. They will give me their feedback as to whether I should or should not listen to some of the backlash. They aren’t afraid to tell me when I’m wrong and help me work through some of those issues. I have to process that a lot with my peers and that helps me out a lot, and when something really does affect me, I have friends pray over me or just kind of help me walk through it. I am really thankful for the circle of people I have.

WC: When did you find God, was it something you were raised with, or was there a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to Him?

Jeanine: I was raised in a Christian home. I grew up knowing about Jesus, going to church every Sunday and reading the Word. My dad would constantly read the Bible to us. My mom would pray over us every single night. I’m very thankful for all of that because I had awesome parents that have led and guided me. They are truly amazing examples of Godly parents. However, when you grow up in a Christian household, you can become numb to hearing the repeated stories. There has to be a point in your life where it becomes your own faith and you create your own relationship with God. When I was 14 years old, I went to this church camp called US for the Nations at the Church of Christ for the Nations in Dallas. I honestly didn’t want to go, but of course I ended up having the time of my life. I truly encountered the Holy Spirit and I knew at that moment that Jesus was there. I know He has changed my life and so at that moment, I fully surrendered my heart to the Lord.

I was really tested throughout the years. I was exposed to things as I got older, and for a time, I put my faith on the back burner. After college when I decided to move to California, God radically changed my life. He brought some incredible people back into my life. I got involved in a local church and a Bible study. I started meeting all these awesome Christians. I also got in a relationship that really called me higher and kind of called me out on some things that I was really unaware of. This is a whole other story—my whole testimony—but based upon all those factors, I started realizing I cannot be living a double life anymore. For the second time in my life, I had surrendered to Lord. I have been faithfully walking with the Lord for the past two years, and I am so thankful that God has changed my life. I would not say it was just one pivotal moment. I think the Christian walk is an up-and-down situation. It’s not going to be perfect, but I know God is walking with me faithfully, and now I am just trying to walk faithfully back with Him.

WC: When making big life decisions (such as moving to California), do you typically rely on your friends and family’s advice? Do you turn to God? Maybe all of the above?

Jeanine: All of the above for sure. I mean, for example, when I was making the California decision or even when I am dating somebody, I always seek the counsel of people around me because as you read through Proverbs, it always talks about seeking counsel, seeking wisdom, getting people around you to help you make decisions. So, for example, when I moved to California, I asked the Lord for peace. I asked God “if this is something you want me to do, I pray you to open the door. I pray—you confirm it. I pray—you give me peace.” And I felt like He did all of those things. My friends and family blessed my decisions and knew that God was going to take care of me. Once I started getting all the confirmations and the doors kept opening, I felt like it was a green light from the Lord. I felt so much peace, and to me, peace is like a compass for any decision I am making. It is so evident and clear why God brought me here because being here, my life has completely changed for the better. I know that God used that decision for His glory. So, yes definitely all the above, as you said.

WC: How has COVID-19 shifted your career as an influencer?

Jeanine: I can’t lie—it’s been very, very hard. I was in Texas for over a month just because COVID was pretty bad here and everything was shut down. I wanted to spend time with my family because I had not seen them in a while. I spent a lot of time with family, but it definitely revealed to me how important our jobs are and how much the internet would not fade away. It shows how much influencers do truly have an impact especially at a time like this. It just shows how important our voices are and how we need to lead by example. 

The hardest part has been facing a lot of different opinions. So many people were telling me how and what to do, while other people had completely different opinions. It definitely made me realize I absolutely love my job and I love what I do but also, again, people’s opinions make this job really, really hard because a lot of people assume things and they criticize you or they just want to get mad at you for a small reason. It made me realize this job is not going anywhere because of COVID-19. Everyone is on the internet—and even more so now, with people looking for influencers for entertainment. Everyone is on their phones, and people are shopping more. It made me realize that my job is needed, but then also made me realize everyone is watching my life under this microscope. Because of that, I need to take what I post ten times more seriously.

WC: Do you find that you have lost or gained subscribers because you are a Christian influencer?

Jeanine: It has actually been pretty even I would say. Some people don’t want to follow Christian influencers; it’s not their thing, so yes, I’ve lost some in that aspect. But I’ve also gained a whole new audience—people that are so passionate about it, that are just eager to learn and eager to grow.

During quarantine, I started doing the Bible challenge. I did the 21-day Bible challenge with the Book of John. I also did the 31-day Bible challenge with the Book of Proverbs. I do weekly Bible studies and formed a Facebook group called the Abide Tribe. I formed this community online for people who are really seeking the Lord and seeking a community. It is really bringing to light that people do care and do want to hear what I have to say. During COVID, I gained a really loyal, faithful audience that shows up every single day. Yes, it is hard to definitely lose people but at the same time, I would rather have my most loyal followers who aren’t nitpicking my life apart.

WC: How has your content changed since transitioning to a more faith-based influencer?

Jeanine: I try to think a little bit more before I post a picture or write a caption. I definitely make my posts more centered on the Lord. I used to do more videos that maybe did not fully represent Christ, but as I have developed my relationship with Him, I want to make my content more focused on the Lord. I want to be a light to people and always try to leave somebody with something to benefit from. Most importantly, I want to help people grow in their faith. I work with a lot more Christian brands now, and I have participated in several Christian speaking engagements and conferences. It has been such a blessing to work with so many different Christian influencers and brands the past few years. It has opened up so many doors, and I’m very thankful for it because this is what I want to do. I ultimately want people to know the Lord, and I want people to see how great He really is.

WC: You share with your audience the good and the bad. You’ve shared breakups and failures and show how life is messy and not perfect, but how do you keep some of your private life private?

Jeanine: That is something that, as I have gotten older, I have had to learn to think before I speak. I try to be very open with my audience, but I have also learned that once it’s on the Internet, it’s there forever. Sometimes when I am too open, I have seen how people have used my own life choices against me or how they have criticized me. I try to always find the balance now. I want to be helpful and relate to others which is why I share a lot. I want this story or this pain that I went through to help someone in a similar situation. 

I always go back to God though. I wait for him to heal me through something and he helps me realize what I should or should not say. There are definitely times where what I share is awkward or weird as it may be, I am still going to share it because I know that it will help somebody.

WC: What advice would you give to others who might be shy or scared to share their faith online?

Jeanine: My biggest piece of advice is, if it could save someone, if it could change their life or if it could set someone free, why not share the message in your heart. If your story could possibly set someone free from the exact same thing you are going through, then I say it is worth it. Once you start seeing how God will change your life and how he will set you free, you can’t help but share it.

I think of Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel.” I don’t want to be ashamed of it because it is this gospel that has set me free. It has changed my life. I want people to see the gospel like that. It should not be something you shouldn’t be embarrassed about sharing, but rather something that you are proud of and you shout from the rooftops. Once you start looking at it from that perspective, you start to slowly open up and share what God has done in your life. You should not feel shameful of opening up, because sometimes people might try to make you feel small. Just start sharing what is in your heart because you never know what your life or your testimony could do to change someone else’s life. If it changes at least one person’s life, then it is worth it.

WC: What is your favorite Bible verse, and why?

Jeanine: My Abide Tribe girls know that my favorite is John 15. The whole chapter actually is my favorite. It is what I have based my life and my platform around. John 15 talks about how we are the vines on his branch and how he wants us to grow into healthy fruit. If we remain in Him, if we abide in Him and we abide in His love then our lives will be more fruitful. If you abide in God and you abide in Jesus in anything you do, in any decision you make, you cannot go wrong. The reason why I started Abide Tribe is because I want us to be a unity of people that abide in the Lord. We chase the Lord together and so whenever I am making a decision, I think, “Okay, how can I abide in the Lord in this decision? Does this honor the Lord? Does this help me bear more fruit or does this pull me away from God more?” John 15 is just a beautiful example of just got your life and how He wants to prune us. He wants to grow us. He wants to make us closer to Him, and apart from him, we really cannot do life well. So, I want to always constantly remain a part of his true vine and be a branch that grows healthy fruit.

WC: Anything else you want to share?

Jeanine: I think a lot of people may look at my platform and assume that I’m trying to shove my beliefs down their throats, but that is never my goal. I want people to be happy and healthy in all aspects of life. I am here to love and help people. Hopefully, they get that from my page. Just remember to always abide in the Lord in anything you do.

Follow Jeanine on Instagram and Twitter @jeanineamapola, and you can find her on YouTube at Jeanine Amapola or Jeanine TV Vlogs. Her podcast is called “Happy & Healthy with Jeanine Amapola,” now streaming anywhere you get your podcasts!

I did this post last year and I just had to do it again. I love sharing what I got for Christmas, but I love sharing what I bought everyone else for Christmas even more. Especially now that I have an adorable niece on the way. I may have gone overboard, but it was so worth it. I tried to find as many items as possible, but I am a good shopper which means thrifting and online deals. I then broke it down into separate categories down below! Enjoy 😉.

I take pride in being a creative gift giver, but I very rarely actually make handmade gifts. I'm just not a super artistic person. But this year I made not one, not two, but THREE handmade gifts. Look, they're not perfect, but it's the thought that counts and also pretty proud of myself for thinking of something this creative and artistic. 

1. The Thrift Flip

This project started when I found this Disney Cinderella jewelry box at the thrift store for less than $3. I thought it was super cute and girly, but needed some work. I decided to strip it, paint it and add my niece-to-be's name on it. This sounds easy enough, but it was not. The wood was completely falling apart and the mirror portion had fallen off. I had to super glue it and when I pained it I had to paint in the cracks for extra support. Then when I left it outside to dry over night it rained (of course) and some of the pink and reds got mixed up. Another little flaw, is that the paint made the drawers thicker so you really have to push it to close it. However, I think overall for a $3 thrift flip, it turned out pretty cute! I found these pink and red stickers and flowers and used those to personalize the jewelry box and on the bottom, using the same stickers put "Love, Aunt Sissy." It was super fun to make it and since it was so inexpensive my feelings won't be hurt if her parents hate it 😂.

2. The Christmas Ornament

I have always seen a DIY Christmas ornament as a gift idea, but as I said before I am not artistic and sometimes I think those ornaments look tacky (I'm just being honest–don't attack me). I saw these little "mason jar-esque" ornaments at the dollar store and just had this ah-ha moment. I made three ornaments for three of my friends who I knew would like them. All products were found at the dollar store so this project only cost me $8 total (for all 3 ornaments)! First I glue one mini Christmas tree to the the lid, so when the ornament was hung the tree would be standing up right. Then I added "fake snow glitter" to the ornament and these silver and white glitter balls. I put some glue on the side of the ornament, so when you shake it some snow would be on the ornament and look like snow flurries. Next thing I did was print some mini photos of my friends and their boyfriends and threw them in there. So when you shake it you see snow, glitter balls and pictures of the couples. This was such a great little add-on gift and I'm pretty stoked at how they turned out!

3. The Tooth Fairy Kit

So I saw that Target had a tooth fairy kit complete with tooth fairy glitter and little notecards. I thought this was super cute considers I'm having a niece in just a few months. Here's the thing though...that ONE tooth fairy kit was $8. So I decided to make a multiple tooth fairy kits for less than $6. Again, all products are from the dollar store. I first saw these mini jars and bought every pack I could. Then I filled them up with glitter (bought a 6-pack of glitter from the dollar store) and left over "fake snow" glitter from the ornaments. Then I found this sparkle tape to tape these paper print outs (made on Microsoft Word and printed at home) that says "Fairy Glitter." I then had some stickers leftover from another project (but you can find more at craft or dollar stores) and cut out ones that I thought went well with the theme. I put all the glitter jars, stickers, glitter tape and "fairy glitter" paper cut-outs in this cardboard box (also from dollar store) for a complete tooth fairy kit for my brother and SIL to use in the future. I am so stoked about this and I know that my brother and SIL are going to love this creative gift.