🍃Reflections, Transitions, and *NSYNC!🍃 Cleaning out my childhood home!

[@heathergretton6827]

That foggy sunrise was SO Pride and Prejudice 2005!! Haha :D

[@MerediddyS]

Hehehe here comes Darcy!

[@JamieBaxter-rq2yy]

9:45 this is like a dramatised version of me with starkid lmfaoooo

[@hufflepuffwannabe]

I took a class in college about material culture and I decided to write my final project on childhood bedrooms and shelf displays more specifically, so I completely understand the strong connection you have to your childhood home! I'm so glad you documented your cleaning process not only to keep the memories of all those items, but also because I know I could really use the inspiration to clear out at least some of my old stuff. Also, those cranes are so majestic!

[@MerediddyS]

Yes, starting the process was the hardest part!! You'll get to it when you're ready!

[@traceynewman2308]

What a beautiful place to grow up.

[@MerediddyS]

Thank you! I agree!!

[@manja1714]

As someone who *published* One Direction fanfiction on the internet as a young young teenager I can definitely relate to the obsessive personality trait haha. Not a proud, but an important moment of my teenage years. Another cozy vlog from you is all I needed on this wednesday and I am so excited you get to do VHSCC again!! If I didn't live all the way in Europe I would be there 100%. Would defo love to hear more about the process as it is one of my fav SK things ever :D Also home is a fascinating concept to me because whenever I am at college I refer to my hometown as home but when I am in my hometown I refer to my college place as home. I guess home means wherever I feel most comfortable and get to embrace all the things I love. I am lucky enough that I get to visit both of my childhood homes still (since my parents are divorced and grew up in two places) and I absolutely love discovering and going through all the family lore that is hidden in the attic or basement.

[@MerediddyS]

Yes! It's amazing how our concepts of home change throughout our lives. I still think of my childhood home as "ultimate home" but it won't be forever! I need to accept that!

[@TheLaneyShow]

My parents finished building our home two months before I was born, so I've lived in the same house my entire life. I still live at home because I was helping my mom take care of my dad who was sick and he eventually passed away, and then the pandemic happened. We spent a lot of time during lockdown decluttering the house and going through my dad's things. It was hard, but also kind of cathartic to basically hold pieces of him in my hands and know that he'll always be with me. I realized that a home doesn't have to be a person or a building, it can just be a memory of someone special that you treasure with all your heart. By the way, I know exactly how you feel about that "diary". I have a letter that I wrote to Gore Verbinski in 2003, begging him to make another Pirates of the Caribbean movie, accompanied by a very crappy drawing of Jack Sparrow 🤣 I am SO glad that I had no way to send it to him back then 😂 Also YAAAAAY WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, IT'S MY FAVORITE SHOW

[@MerediddyS]

❤❤Thank you for sharing ❤❤ Your family sounds really special :)

[@smol.ang666]

I am HIGHLY intrigued by the NSYNC fan fic you wrote and suggest that (if you feel comfortable sharing it) you and Brian should do a dramatic reenactment of it

[@MerediddyS]

LOL we'll see... it may end up being way too cringey and I might need to incinerate it...

[@keikustar]

you're chris kirkpatrick obsession was so adorable omg lmaaoooo!! i agree; it's really nice for your own now-an-adult mental health that you didnt have the access to actually send him that diary. im super thankful that while i grew up online and in fandom spaces, i was able to understand the boundaries of parasocial relationships from a young age and never set foot in dms lol

[@MerediddyS]

LOL! Yeah I will appreciate this diary much more than Chris ever would have!

[@DeeKaySigne]

For me, home is people. I've lived in 3 different countries over the years and roughly 50 different places. We moved a lot when I was a kid, so home has always been the people and emotion I carry with me, less than physical spaces. I currently live in Canada, in my home, but I will also say "I'm visiting home" about my mom's place in Denmark. As well as my 2nd Denmark home being with my childhood best friend and his family. Home is where I'm comfortable.

[@MerediddyS]

Wow!! That's amazing. It's so cool to hear different perspectives!! Your experience is so wildly different than mine!!

[@blowfishfellova]

I went home a few weeks ago and helped my Dad clean out our attic, and I'd left a folder of my INSANE art from my GCSEs/A Levels (high school diplomas) which was so terrible and funny (it felt soooo good to bin most of it). I also found a set, puppets and script I made with my sisters of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, which I remember performing for literally any relative that came to visit us that year, 8 year old me was absolutely UNHINGED and such a diva. I also remember previous attic cleanouts where as a teen I had printed out HUNDREDS of photos of The Corrs (Irish band) and glued them on a piece of cardboard that was bluetacked to my wall for years (y'know kind of like a serial killer would?!) I had lots of terrible art that I made whilst obsessively listening to The Corrs that was on my bedroom wall too, and everything I owned was COVERED in The Corrs lyrics, so I completely understand the obsessive nature of idolising a band that you don't fully begin to understand until you're much older, being a teenager in the 90s was WILD. But yes, I'm so so grateful that I had no way of getting in touch with The Corrs as a teen, that would've been very problematic 🤣

[@MerediddyS]

LOLOL yeah every single inch of my walls was covered in NSYNC stuff. My obsession only lasted from 7th grad-the beginning of 9th, and yet.... the abundance of NSYNC things available to me in magazines and stores really made me go off the deep end.

[@booknoser321]

You should write a book about your seasonal appreciation. They give me something to focus on for the week

[@MerediddyS]

Thank you! I do love my seasons :)

[@juliagray9219]

I’ve stayed by my college in the past two years after graduated and have shifted to calling where I live “home” and where I grew up “my parents home”. I had to help my parents clean out their basement last year because they needed to get a new heater installed. It was really hard going through everything but it was nice seeing the place not look like an episode of hoarders buried alive. It was really nice to be able to give a lot of my old school/craft supplies to my current roommate who’s a teacher! Then I didn’t have to part with everything as much because I knew where my things were going.

[@MerediddyS]

Omg yes the hoarders thing is very real. One step at a time!

[@Ibelieveinthedoctor]

All your NYNSC stuff had me dying 😂

[@MerediddyS]

I was one of those gals!!

[@NiffStral]

I've lived in a different state from my parents for a while now but my mom's been making me clean out my childhood bedroom every time I visit and it's so difficult getting rid of all my old things!! I definitely relate to what you're dealing with. Every time my parents talk about possibly moving I get so emotional and try to convince them to stay, even though I don't live there anymore and can't decide that for them. Thanks for the video!!

[@MerediddyS]

Yes the panic when my parents talk about moving is very real! But I know it's coming sooner rather than later. Saying goodbye to the "things" in the home is just the beginning!

[@BernieMVD]

Having your Elizabeth Bennet moment in that fog

[@MerediddyS]

"My hands are cold..."

[@rachelsinger1717]

That set list is awesome! I would love to hear you sing You Can Call Me Al. I also wish I could get up early but I'm not naturally an early riser. I just graduated college and now that I haven't moved back home I feel like I'm officially moved out. There's so much stuff in my childhood bedroom that I need to go through and get rid of but every time I go home I just want to have fun or there's other things for me to worry about. Doing it in smaller chunks is a good idea!

[@MerediddyS]

Don't be like me and leave all that stuff til you're 36! 🙃 I found old cleaning supplies from my dorm room!!!!! Like... stuff that could have easily been thrown out 14 years ago!

[@calebbreckon3643]

This video reminded me of all the Tables of Content I made in my youth.

[@MerediddyS]

Hehe omg!! Fun!!

[@micheleabercrombie]

Yay congratulations on your basement cleaning!!

[@MerediddyS]

Thank you!!

[@wiebki]

I still have boxes in my basement from cleaning out my childhood room over 10 years ago that i never lokked at again. Ill be moving soon so it may be time to finally deal with those 😅

[@MerediddyS]

Good luck!!

[@ChristinaElizabeth15]

Seeing you go through your *Nsync stuff brought back so many memories. They were a big part of our lives. I do remember Chris making eye contact with you 13 times. I believe Justin looked at me for an entire 5 seconds straight! 😂 Remember the yahoo chat rooms?? 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@MerediddyS]

LOLOLOL I'm so glad you watched this. I kept the NSYNC blanket!!! I had to!!! And my diary and the fanfic and my autobiography!! I wonder what our teachers thought of us having that as our theme on our major project!!!!! Like... did I lose integrity to them??

[@ewilliams4410]

So I've moved a lot and never really had a childhood home so I tend not to get super attached to anything because of them getting lost in moves. Idk what I would do in your situation but I think you handled it pretty well. What I can relate to is your NSYNC obsession. I remember during my HSM phase I ripped a picture of Corbin Bleu out of one of those preteen magazines and kept it folded up in my pajama pocket; went to science camp in 6th grade and everyone clowned me when they found out lol. (Then there was the time I met Lauren Lopez and was so excited my brain forgot how to form words but we don't talk about that haha).

[@MerediddyS]

Heheh awwww! A picture in your pocket is so much more tame than the countless pieces of jewelry I wore!!! They shouldn't have picked on you. That's so sweet though!

[@steff3279]

First of all, the Christmas Carols sound amazing! Are there going to be digital tickets? (I'm from Europe so I can't see it live.) And PLEASE make a vlog about producing it! Back to sorting and cleaning stuff out: I actually enjoy it. It's fun to find old stuff I had forgotten about. And I always feel so good when I'm done. Letting go of old stuff I feel lighter afterwards.

[@MerediddyS]

Yay!! Not sure about digital tickets yet but keep checking in!! And yes, I definitely feel lighter after getting those junk guys to come!

[@mariabay9299]

My family moved the summer before my senior year of high school. I remember the process of going through the bins of stuff from my entire childhood. It was kind of sad, but it was cool to see stuff that had sat in bins for a decade. Also, I would love to come see VHS Christmas Carol, but I'm away at college right now. I'm trying to convince my friend Charles to go see it, so I can be extremely jealous.

[@MerediddyS]

Yes!! It was such an emotional week but I had so many memories unlocked!!

[@rayr2497]

I looooove going through old memories, but I have such a hard time throwing things away! My mum will bring me boxes full of my stuff to sort through occasionally though, and having them in my house where I have absolutely zero storage space makes it a bit easier to be brutal about it 😅

[@MerediddyS]

Yes I'm the same way. This time I took photos of things like photos and letters from friends and sent them pics and a little message so that I felt better about throwing them away. It helped!

[@jenniferrichardson7790]

I think home for me is definitely more people than any particular place. I don’t live in my childhood home anymore, but I realised that when I visit there it’s not the place instead it’s my Mother that is home to me! Lovely beginning of autumn vlog, letting go of treasured memories can be very tough. I really appreciate the openness that you always have in your videos

[@MerediddyS]

Thank you for watching and for sharing! ❤

[@42by10]

It's so good to see Luna doing well with her training! My dog, Akela, is still not the best on walks, but he's improving ever so slightly when it comes to not freaking out at the mailman (although in Akela's defense, one of the couriers runs as he delivers the post and Akela finds that highly suspicious!). Moving out of my parents house was hard, but there were a lot of things going on at the time that I couldn't really focus on it. One of my siblings doesn't deal well with big changes, so to ease their anxiety I made a deal with them. Instead of calling my place "home" I'd call it The Magpie's Landing, or The Magpie for short. And whenever we talked about "home' it meant our parents place. And that seemed to help everyone involved, including me!

[@MerediddyS]

Oh I love that!!! Thank you for sharing!!

[@SiriuslyLoony7]

I had to clean out my stuff from my family’s house last year. It was time for them to sell the house. It was stressful and took a lot of time. We had junk haulers to help. Now I feel a weight lifted off my shoulders! And I have to try to not have so much junk in my current house! I don’t want to go through a massive junk pile again.

[@MerediddyS]

I feel the same way!! I can never let it get that bad again! Luckily my house is much smaller than the house I grew up in so there just isn't the same amount of room!

[@sarahhiggins52]

There was a time that my mom would give me a box of my stuff every time I went over to their house! I was kinda nice to go through my childhood things one box at a time.

[@MerediddyS]

That's so smart!!

[@omt28]

first of all, I just got my Christmas carols tickets and I can't wait! second, the way you obsessed over chris kirkpatrick is the exact same way I obsessed over starkid in the early years when I was a teenager😅 my twitter account got hacked in 2015 and I had to delete it and make a new one which was devastating to me at the time but honestly now knowing all the stuff I posted 2012-2014 is gone forever is a huge relief

[@MerediddyS]

OMG Yeah I'm embarrassed about the stuff I used to post on my friend's walls in early Facebook! It was so inappropriate!! But there were no adults and no "newsfeed" for other people to look at so it felt much more private!

[@LunarWanderer17]

Spent the summer sorting the house before my sister went to New Zealand. Luckily not our childhood home so no attachment issues. Just sorting to prepare for sale in the future

[@MerediddyS]

That sounds healthy and maybe a little easier! Good luck!

[@joannadreamer]

My parents separated when I was 19 and sold the family home a year or so later, so I had to make a somewhat rushed decision about what to keep, store, or get rid of. Definitely think I made some weird choices in my haste and it’s also made me hang onto things I definitely don’t need (think year 1 school reports) in the absence of other things!

[@MerediddyS]

Awww that's so hard. I'm sorry!! That's why I'm starting now- so that I don't rush through later!

[@joannadreamer]

@@MerediddyS never considered you actually seeing this ha! It’s not that depressing I promise ❤️ btw your vlogs are my happy place every week! Love from the UK xx

[@Lex-ms6em]

OMG I just did "You Can't Take it With You" last spring!! I played Ed and it was soooo fun.

[@MerediddyS]

That's so fun! I loved doing it!

[@Ministf]

I definitely have an obsessive personality and sent multiple physical letters to celebrities..... It's just so mad how we think in the moment that's cool and they will 'understand' us. Mine wasn't horrible I think but I wouldn't say simply sweet haha Also very sentimental about my stuff at my mum's house, and she's also sentimental about her, but also our grandparents so it will be one heck of a job for my brother and me coming up 😄

[@MerediddyS]

Aww best of luck! Yeah there's a lot of my grandparent's stuff in our house too! I'm guessing it will end up at our house one day!

[@bowtiepotato554]

Was JUST marathoning your videos so YAY for a new upload

[@MerediddyS]

Thank you!! Thank you for marathoning too!!! That's so nice!!

[@MariaEverlasting]

i feel like I'm in a very weird transitional stage of having left my childhood home that still feels like home but Different and living somewhere that doesn't really feel like home but is becoming so familiar and "mine". I still have stuff at my parents' house but most of it is with me and I'm seeing my room change. It's very weird! The fog was sooooo pretty that one morning, I looove foggy mornings. I have a question for you :D (well two, but one is more important than then other): How do you find/make the time to read? I really struggle reading in my free time, I mostly read on my commute to work but I want to get better at reading at home. Do you have any advice on that? I'm so jealous of how cozy and relaxed you always seem reading in the glimpses in your vlogs but I find I just gravitate to watching videos online instead. (And the tiny question, if you have a reading goal for the year what is it? Whether it be books read, time spent reading, whatever!)

[@MerediddyS]

Finding time to read is all about shifting habits/ritual! I also LOVE watching videos, but I try to limit my screen time! Especially in bed. I also bring books on my long commutes to work- a physical book for reading on the train and an audiobook for listening to when walking/driving anywhere. Also Brian and I always have an audiobook we are listening to together! I typically finish about 6 books per month, but I don't have a specific goal. I'm also reading a lot more lately because this year has come with a lot of changes and I use it as an escape from reality! So it's just getting into a habit when you need it. :)

[@CartoonJessie]

You asked about writing embarrasing things to actors. How about saying embarrassing things to them? Cause boy oh boy... I got a story. At a Once Upon a Time convention I was getting autographs with most of the main cast. I also had an autograph of Robert Carlyle planned in. However, the organisation (in France) was not great and there was simply not enough time for the actors to sign. (They did this A LOT. Very bad time management.) Anyways, when queuing it becomes obvious that we get like 5 seconds or so with the actor before it's time for the next person. So I had wanted to say how I loved Rumplestiltskin and I thought he did a fantastic job at portraying him and how I could relate to the character and stuff like that. But that's WAY more than 5 seconds! So I reach him before I know it. I go "I love you!" - turn red - he chuckles, like "oh that's all she has to say apparantly", asks me my name, signs, and I just walk away, completely embarrassed. Ironically I wasn't even the one with the biggest Robert Carlyle crush in my friend group. They mocked me. Good times were had by all but me. XD

[@MerediddyS]

hehe that's cute!!! I'll bet he loved that!!

[@christinar7267]

I’m so glad I’m not the only person that had a Chris Kirkpatrick phase. I literally had dreams of us getting married, and I’d have to apologize to Justin because he wanted to marry me too 😂 I was like 8 years old

[@MerediddyS]

LOVE THIS!

[@Steven-wx3ox]

🎉 Promo-SM