Many of you may be surprised by this, but I am a lover of all things Christmas. In fact, though I love all the seasons and try my best to live as seasonally as possible, winter is where my heart lies. The snow, the coziness, the long nights and twinkling lights--I just can't get enough!
Last year was my first time participating in Vlogmas, and it added to the enjoyment in ways that still can't be expressed. The anxiety, strife, lack of family togetherness, and grief all seemed to melt away as soon as Laurence and I signed on to Vlogmas 2020. This year, with the reopening of lots of places and activities, as well as my commitment to host our family's Christmas gathering this year, my hope is that Vlogmas will add even further to the already much missed merriment of the past holiday seasons.
The unfortunate truth of the matter is that I am woefully unprepared for Vlogmas 2021! Because of lockdown last year, the only things to do were to sit around, play Animal Crossing, sit around some more, watch TV, bake cookies, clean, sit around even more--you get the picture--so there was lots of time to plan and prep the videos I made. This year Laurence and I have made up for lost time by travelling. A lot. I am also entrenched in a lot of projects that will eventually reveal themselves with time, but for now just know that things are becoming just as interesting offline as they are here on Old Fashioned AF but also very busy as a result.
There have been a few minor health issues that have also kept me occupied and unable to put out as much content this year as I would have liked. We moved for the second time in two years as well, which took months of planning, packing, unpacking, and settling in. Finally, we've also visited friends and family a lot, which has been wonderful! All of these things have left only a few minutes in the last few days to prepare for Vlogmas. That said, I knew I wanted to participate because it was too much fun! I suspect this year will be a similar experience, and I'm looking forward to it.
So to get us all in the mood (myself included), I wanted to share a few Vlogmas YouTubers I've watched and/or look forward to watching this year in no particular order.
Oh, and did I mention that I'll be sharing my own Vlogmas with all of you again this year? Be sure to subscribe to Old Fashioned AF on YouTube and and TikTok for all the festivities, and a few surprises throughout December too!
Zoe Sugg - reminds me of home
Thanks in large part to the pandemic we haven't been back to the UK since 2019, but watching Zoe's Vlogmas 2020 transported me back home last year--to Laurence's home, at least! Zoe is charming and easy-to-follow, and her vlogs are warm and inviting. I will definitely be watching her Vlogmas again this year if she participates. Last time she posted a video she was in her second trimester though, so your guess is as good as mine. At least there are years' past to binge and enjoy!
Marrica Evans - for the business-minded types
I only just discovered Marrica, but I am super excited to see what she puts out for what I can only assume is going to be her first ever Vlogmas. (If you're reading this Marrica, you're going to learn so much and have SUCH a blast!) She even posted some tips for having a successful Vlogmas, which were spot-on. So if you've thought of doing Vlogmas yourself or you're curious as to how creators get through it, watch her video here for inspiration and insight.
Jessica Kellgren-Fozard - Vintage and LGBTQ+ and Hidden Disabilities AND Family Vlogging--Oh My!
I watched a lot of Jessica's Vlogmas last year. As a longtime fan of hers, I appreciate her frankness and inclusivity no matter what she shares with us--and she shares a LOT, which is at times admirable, informative, entertaining, or all of the above. Jessica and her beautiful family will be back with two videos per week this year; here is her announcement video, full of Christmas tree adventures and new baby magic for your enjoyment. She is also a veteran Vlogmas participant, so there is much binge-worthiness to go around from years' past!
Ingrid Nislen - the OG Vlogmas Girl
As far as I am aware, Ingrid Nilsen was the first person to use the term "Vlogmas". I subscribed to her a few years later and watched her content weekly for years. My current binge watch? Her first ever Vlogmas, which was 10 years ago--and suddenly makes me feel very old and nostalgic. There isn't a playlist that I could find, so you're on your own when it comes to watching past day one. Along with JennaMarbles and Melanie Murphy, Ingrid was one of the first YouTubers I ever followed WAY WAY back when I was in my 20s. She's still on Instagram, but sadly she stopped uploading to YouTube last year, so all we can do is savor those memories of Vlogmas' past.
Tarah Cantrell - Wait, that's me! 😳
Last year was my first time ever participating in Vlogmas, and while I made a few mistakes and was certainly down to the wire on more than a few occasions, I had a great time and hopefully you will too starting tomorrow, December 1st, 2021. This year I've made it a goal to expand my content offerings to TikTok, which means I'll be hopping around on the various platforms all month long! My hope is to post either on OldFashionedAF.com, YouTube, or TikTok at least once a day until Christmas. Feel free to cheer me on by joining OldFashionedAF.com's email list, subscribing, or following on any of Old Fashioned AF's social media handles, or even just commenting below. Take a look at Old Fashioned AF's Vlogmas 2020 for those who want to start the binge a day early. Happy holidays!
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