What Made Birthday’s So Special Growing Up

Summary

---

The Jinger & Jeremy Podcast

Episode: What Made Birthday’s So Special Growing Up
Hosts: Jinger Vuolo, Jeremy Vuolo
Date: July 22, 2026

---

Episode Overview

In this warm and nostalgic episode, Jinger and Jeremy reflect on childhood birthday celebrations, the pressures and joys of making birthdays special for their own kids, and the little family rituals that make traditions meaningful. With plenty of playful banter and honest discussion about what truly matters on a birthday—cake or no cake, gifts or gestures—they reveal both their differences and how they compromise as parents.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Great Birthday Cake Debate

[00:30–09:44, 12:02–16:41]

• The episode kicks off with Jinger and Jeremy humorously confessing one of their closest “arguments” as a couple: whether cake is an essential birthday tradition.
• Jinger’s childhood: Birthdays did not always include cake—sometimes it was a block of ice cream or an ice cream sandwich “cake” in a casserole pan. (“We would make an ice cream cake out of, like, ice cream sandwiches...in a casserole pan...layers of ice cream sandwiches, Cool Whip, drizzles of caramel or chocolate, crushed up candy bars...not a cake.” – Jinger, 05:08)
• Jeremy’s perspective: Cake is a non-negotiable symbol; the ritual matters more than the taste. (“But you’ve got to have cake. It’s a birthday thing...It’s the symbolism.” – Jeremy, 12:43)
• They agree that while the taste of most birthday cakes is forgettable, it’s the ritual—singing happy birthday, candles, and that special moment—that counts.

2. Marital Compromise & Family Traditions

[16:41–19:21]

• Despite different upbringings, Jinger now orders cakes for their children to honor Jeremy’s nostalgia. (“I had to compromise and hear you out on it because...you are so proud of me, right, for ordering our daughter's...two-tiered cake.” – Jinger, 16:02)
• For Jeremy, it’s about recreating the special feeling he remembers from his childhood—like custom cakes his dad would design for him, the taste forgotten but the memory lasting.

3. Making Birthdays Special for Their Kids

[19:21–24:42]

• The Importance of Symbolism: Jeremy feels anxious birthdays won’t feel special enough, especially recalling how much it meant to him as a child.
• Traditions: They cover the importance of decorations and that moment their daughter looks forward to—walking into a decorated room.
• The Tooth Fairy Anecdote: The couple tells a story about forgetting the tooth fairy and Jeremy’s tradition of sketching custom drawings for each child’s lost tooth—underscoring the effort to make small moments magical.
• Jinger reflects: “There are only so many memories that they do hold on to from...when they’re really, really little. So I think that’s super sweet and cool that you make it such a point.” (23:43)

4. Practicalities and Gift Giving

[24:42–29:47]

• Jinger shares her December birthday realities: Christmas and birthday blending, outings to restaurants, go-kart rides at Locomotion, and the importance of exclusive “birthday kid” days in a big family.
• They discuss how much is “too much”—the risks of overspoiling and the trend among some families to alternate big/small birthday years.
• Each child’s personality affects the kind of birthday they want—some crave big parties, others prefer quiet celebrations with just a friend or two.

5. Building Memories & Special Traditions

[29:47–32:12]

• Jeremy recalls taking their daughter Felicity on a work trip for her 7th birthday—a spontaneous and unforgettable father-daughter adventure.
• They discuss the possibility of continuing travel traditions, but recognize not every year or child’s birthday will lend itself to something that big.

6. The Art & Theology of Gift Giving

[32:12–36:02]

• Jeremy introduces “giftology”—the idea that giving gifts thoughtfully is an art and even a spiritual practice, referencing Jesus’s words: “It’s more blessed to give than to receive.”
• Example: Their friend Barb gave Felicity a set of progressively shared gifts (for her siblings, for dad, for mom, and finally for herself), teaching the joy of giving as well as receiving. (“The smile on Felicity's face as she's handing that to you, it's like ear to ear...” – Jeremy, 33:28)
• The episode’s standout gift: A hand-carved cuckoo clock from Germany’s Black Forest, symbolizing sentimental, meaningful giving.

7. Parental Reflections

[36:02–38:12]

• Jinger admits she struggles with gift-giving anxiety, often paralyzed by wanting a gift to be "special enough.”
• Jeremy affirms her thoughtfulness and highlights how trying to see things from their kids’ perspectives brings empathy, especially during challenging moments.
• They close with gratitude for these sweet, fleeting family years.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "But you got to have cake. It’s a birthday thing.”
  Jeremy, on why he feels cake is essential even if it goes uneaten. [12:43]

• "It’s not the substance... it’s the ambiance."
  Jeremy, drawing parallels between birthday cake and the ritual of ‘having coffee’. [13:04]

• "I don’t remember how those cakes tasted. I don’t remember if they were disgusting. I don’t remember if they were yummy. But I remember the cake. And it was a special moment."
  Jeremy, reflecting on the power of tradition. [15:46]

• "You are so proud of me, right? For ordering our daughter’s cake ahead of time."
  Jinger, embracing compromise for family tradition. [16:18]

• "There are only so many memories they do hold onto from when they’re really, really little… I want to repeat that because my kids will remember it someday."
  Jinger, on the importance of intentionally crafting childhood memories. [23:43]

• "Gift giving is an art. There’s a theology of gift giving… when you give, how you give, what you give, why you give."
  Jeremy, on the deeper meaning in how we give. [32:17]

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:30–04:50 – Jeremy & Jinger’s “argument” over cake, their different childhood traditions.
• 05:08–06:43 – Jinger’s nostalgic description of “ice cream cakes” and birthday choices.
• 12:02–13:04 – Symbolism behind the birthday cake ritual.
• 15:28–15:46 – Jeremy’s story of his dad’s creative cakes.
• 19:05–19:21 – The anticipation their daughter feels for birthday surprises.
• 20:13–21:00 – Tooth fairy storytelling & creative traditions.
• 24:50–26:30 – Jinger’s special birthday memories growing up in a big family.
• 29:47–31:04 – Creating special birthday trips and new traditions for their kids.
• 32:12–34:03 – “Giftology” and celebrating their daughter’s joy in giving and receiving.
• 34:05–35:04 – The memorable cuckoo clock gift.
• 36:02–36:41 – Jinger’s vulnerability about wanting to give perfect gifts.
• 37:00–38:08 – Parenting reflection: empathy and seeing through a child’s eyes.

---

Recap

This heartfelt episode is a gentle celebration of family, compromise, and tradition. Jinger and Jeremy’s open sharing about their different backgrounds and evolving family rituals offers relatable warmth and insight for listeners—whether you’re negotiating your own birthday rituals, seeking inspiration for memorable parenting, or just enjoying the joy found in nostalgia and small gestures.

---

For more episodes or to share your own birthday stories and traditions, connect with The Jinger & Jeremy Podcast on your favorite platform.

Transcript

[Christy]

Hey, it's Christy from Lululemon and I'm here at the office checking out the Shake it out shorts. These have been my go tos and I kind of think of them as a middle ground between a true run short and a more playful, athletic, sporty short. They have all the performance you want for running, so a comfy liner, our lightweight swift fabric, even a pocket for your keys. But what I really like is the flowy fit and layered hem. It gives it a little bit of volume, a little bit of fun, so they feel as good on a run as they do just at coffee afterwards. You can find the Shake it out shorts in store now or [e-mail] we

[Jeremy]

just celebrated one of our children's birthdays and I don't like that word fight, but if people said the closest thing you got to like an argument, this was it. This was an argument.

[Ginger]

This was.

[Jeremy]

We did not. We did not see it

[Ginger]

over a cake. Yes, because.

[Jeremy]

Explain your side.

[Ginger]

This is my side.

[Jeremy]

What's going on, guys? Welcome back to another episode of the Ginger and Jeremy podcast. And I'm glad to be sitting here across from my wife in our studio. This is a lot of fun doing this with you, Ginge.

[Ginger]

I enjoy doing it with you too, babe.

[Jeremy]

You're a great co host.

[Ginger]

Well, don't always feel like that. Sometimes I come in low on caffeine and you have to really pick up the slack for me. So let's.

[Jeremy]

So one thing about Ginger that I tell her often is, and it's really sweet, but when she hits a wall, she hits a wall.

[Ginger]

Like a serious wall.

[Jeremy]

Yeah, you will. And then. Have I ever said this to the people in the podcast world? In podcast land, when you get tired, if it's like real tired, you repeatedly, over and over and over tell me how tired you are.

[Ginger]

I'm tired. I'm so tired.

[Jeremy]

I'm so tired.

[Ginger]

I feel like we talked about that.

[Jeremy]

I'm sure we did, but your good energy today. You slept in today.

[Ginger]

Okay, I slept in till 8:30.

[Jeremy]

That's a sleep in for us.

[Ginger]

Goodness, that was. That was a serious sleep in. I'm usually. I mean, yesterday I was up at 6:30 with Finn. I was up at 6 the day before.

[Jeremy]

It's tough.

[Ginger]

I was so tired. And we did go to the beach yesterday. It was like a vacation day for us.

[Jeremy]

I'm a lobster, Ginge.

[Ginger]

Yeah. You can't even tell studio lighting. I think it's more like I am a lobster. Yeah, you can't tell lobster. Yeah. You got really somber. I don't think you realized how hot it was.

[Jeremy]

I didn't check the UV crazy. But you got a good sleeping, so you're. You're well rested.

[Ginger]

I'm feeling pretty well rested, aside from a sore throat, so hopefully that does not take away from today's podcast episode.

[Jeremy]

Sore throats are always the. They're always like, the wild card of sickness because you're like, either I'm dehydrated and tired, or I have strep, or I'm about to get the flu. Like, there's never. You kind of have to wait and see what happens.

[Ginger]

Exactly. Yeah. This is like, day two of it being like it was coming on a couple days ago, and I could feel it, and then now it kind of just hit me. And it's. Last night, it hit me kind of bad. It's pretty sore.

[Jeremy]

But you haven't gotten sick. Like, you don't feel sick.

[Ginger]

I've been using my beekeeper's natural spray, which is like a. I don't know, honey throat spray. And it also has, like, good things in it to help boost your immune system. So I've been using that every day, hoping that I can just kind of knock this sooner.

[Christy]

We'll see.

[Jeremy]

Yeah. Well, we just celebrated one of our children's birthdays, and that had me thinking about birthdays and gifts, and we. She. Our friends gave her a very, very, very special gift, which I think we should talk about, because I had no. They said, you're never going to guess in a million years what this is.

[Ginger]

Yeah.

[Jeremy]

And they were right. And it was the coolest thing. But it has me thinking about birthdays and maybe some gifts that you got growing up. I'll try to think of some gifts I got growing up, but birthdays are special in our house, and it starts with you, because you are on it when it comes to birthdays. And I'm very nostalgic about birthdays.

[Ginger]

You are very nostalgic. I thought I cared about birthdays. And then I think that we have different opinions on birthdays, which is what we need to talk about, because.

[Jeremy]

Yes, we do.

[Ginger]

I remember for a couple of our kids birthdays, I didn't get him a cake.

[Jeremy]

Oh, that's ginger.

[Ginger]

This was like, I didn't get him a cake.

[Jeremy]

You wanna know what kind of marital tensions we have?

[Ginger]

And this is it.

[Jeremy]

This was. This was it. This was actually. I don't like that word fight, but if people said the closest thing you got to, like, an argument, this was it. This was an Argument.

[Ginger]

This was.

[Jeremy]

We did not.

[Ginger]

We.

[Jeremy]

We did not see it eye to eye

[Ginger]

over a cake. Yes, because.

[Jeremy]

Explain your side.

[Ginger]

This is my side. I did not grow up having a cake at my birthday all the time. I did have. Oh, yeah, sometimes.

[Jeremy]

But it was optional.

[Ginger]

But we did ice cream. Or we would make an ice cream cake out of, like, ice cream sandwiches. No, out of ice cream sandwich. It was not like. It didn't.

[Jeremy]

Oh, you.

[Ginger]

Like, it was in a pan, and you just, like, in, like, a casserole pan. And it wasn't even. It didn't.

[Jeremy]

You guys loved a casserole pan.

[Ginger]

He did love a casserole pan, but it was, like, layers of, like, ice cream sandwiches. Whipped cream, or, like, Cool Whip. It wasn't even real whipped cream.

[Jeremy]

Cool Whip.

[Ginger]

And then it had, like, drizzles of caramel or chocolate, whatever. You wanted your flavor. And then crushed up candy bars, and you do another layer. Another layer. And it was, like, stacked up one of those.

[Jeremy]

Yeah, that's not a cake. You're right.

[Ginger]

But we would also get, like, just a square block of ice cream. And it was like, you know, when they were in the paper. Most of you probably don't even remember this if you're younger, but, like, the square blocks of ice cream, what were they? What size was that? I don't even know. No, it wasn't a gallon and maybe like a quart of ice cream. And it was in those paper things that you fold up from, like, Aldi.

[Jeremy]

I don't remember.

[Ginger]

And it's a block of ice cream like this, and it's this tall. You would scoop it sometimes, but you could also just unfold it. And then there's a huge block of ice cream. And we would just cut it. My mom would just cut it with a big knife, and then we'd get scoops of that. Put toppings on it or put it in a cone. And it was a block of ice cream.

[Jeremy]

Really?

[Ginger]

And we'd just cut it with, like, a big butcher knife. And that was our cake. And you put, like, candles in it. Do whatever.

[Jeremy]

You put candles in it?

[Ginger]

Yes.

[Jeremy]

Wow.

[Ginger]

Cause it was our cake. Cause we did not prefer cake most of the time. I'm still, to this day, it has to be the right cake for me to eat it. Like, there was a party last night. I didn't eat the cake.

[Jeremy]

Okay. So, yes, I agree with you there. So we can come to some common ground at this point of. Of eating cake, of how the cake isn't usually delicious.

[Ginger]

Depends on where you get it from.

[Jeremy]

Yeah, but it's. It's. It's just kind of empty. It's. It can be tasteful, but it's pure sugar.

[Ginger]

So I also don't prefer cookies.

[Jeremy]

Sure. That's okay. That's another argument for another day.

[Ginger]

I really don't that much. I mean, if I was gonna choose between. Well, it depends on which kind of cookies. Okay, so it does depend. But I like sugar cookies or like snickerdoodles.

[Jeremy]

Oh, I hate it.

[Ginger]

It's weird. You know why? It's a childhood thing. It's because I remember when we would go to the store, we would go to Walmart, guys. Walmart. So many people hate on Walmart. I love Walmart. And we would go there and they would give you a sample. Every time you'd walk by the bakery, they had this dome thing.

[Jeremy]

Interesting.

[Ginger]

And they'd give you a sample. And it was almost always like a sugar cookie or like a snickerdoodle cookie. And it was so good. And that's my childhood memory. So, like, I have. I feel like that's what I would go for.

[Jeremy]

That's so. That's sweet. I. I can't stand a snickerdoodle.

[Ginger]

Oh, you can't stand it. You can't stand caramel?

[Jeremy]

No, but I like hot chocolate chip. Chocolate chip cookie. Fresh out the oven. Melting chocolate. That's me done. But to the cake point. I agree with you. Unless it's like red velvet. How do you feel about red velvet, really?

[Ginger]

Take it or leave it. It has to be super moist. Mine is carrot cake.

[Jeremy]

I like carrot cake.

[Ginger]

I like carrot cake pretty much because it's usually more. Well, it has to be done right. Again, because I'm not going to eat every single carrot cake that comes across the way. But at a Dodger game, I will go for a slice of carrot cake because it's so moist. It has like the. All the layers of cake with a thin icing and then it's super moist in between. So I can do that.

[Jeremy]

Okay, so there is. Here's. See, it's a deeper conversation. Ginge. This is so good we're getting into this. This is helpful. I feel like they're going to really be helping the cake. If you're talking about like a proper cake. Yes. There's layers to. Pun intended. A good cake. Moist, flavorful. You've got to have the right. What would you call it? Like, percentage of icing. Icing.

[Ginger]

To cake.

[Jeremy]

To cake.

[Ginger]

To icing and not being too much icing.

[Jeremy]

Yeah. To fruit not being too sweet. Yes. So that's talking about a high end cake. So you're out for a dinner and you go, would you like this cake?

[Ginger]

I'm judging. I'd actually prefer the muffin over the cake.

[Jeremy]

Sure.

[Ginger]

Because it's usually lesser.

[Jeremy]

I'm judging it based on quality of the cake.

[Ginger]

We want to take a break from this episode to tell you about Brooklyn Bedding.

[Jeremy]

So Ginger and I, we stay active. We work out every day. I really see our mattress as part of the recovery because your body is pressed down to the max, push to the limits, and it needs to relax. And how your spine recovers when you sleep. You're not fighting to get comfortable at night. You're not trying to get in the right position. You're not feeling like waking up and feeling like your body's out of contortion. It's really important how you sleep.

[Ginger]

It is. We were like that for many years before we had our Brooklyn bed. Because we would get into bed and we would wake up and be like, oh, this thing just sinks in. It's not high quality.

[Jeremy]

Yeah.

[Ginger]

And we didn't know where to go until we heard about Brooklyn Bedding. We got our bed and it totally has changed the game. I do not want to get out of bed in the morning.

[Jeremy]

I know. Which now is another problem.

[Ginger]

It's another problem.

[Jeremy]

But a good sleep in is helpful here or there. So Brooklyn betting, you're going to want to check it out. Go to BrooklynBetting.com use our promo code JJ at checkout to get 30% off site wide. So whatever price you see for these mattresses, just take a third of it off, Basically using code jj. It's a great deal. And these beds are reliable. They're fantastic. That's BrooklynBedding.com promo code JJ for 30% off. Sitewide exclusive with our code programbedding.com, promo code JJ. You'll love it. You won't be disappointed, and you'll sleep tight.

[Ginger]

We wanna take a break from this episode to tell you about Nutrafol.

[Jeremy]

A lot of people are skeptical when it comes to improved hair growth methods. Were you?

[Ginger]

Yeah, I definitely was.

[Jeremy]

Which one did you start taking?

[Ginger]

Well, Nutrafol. I actually heard about it from a friend who started taking it postpartum because they had the postpartum capsules that you can take, which are super easy to take. And after having babies, I lost a ton of hair. I had a lot of hair loss and it felt like it was just very frustrating until I found Nutrafol.

[Jeremy]

I was gonna say I'm not the only one in the family dealing with male pattern balding.

[Ginger]

I'm not dealing with male pattern balding.

[Jeremy]

Oh, it's a little different. Did you. It helped, right?

[Ginger]

Yeah, it definitely helped. It's amazing because you can see the little baby hairs coming through, which is just so wild. So great.

[Jeremy]

All right, so here's the call to action. Let your hair become one less thing taking up space in your head.

[Ginger]

I like that.

[Jeremy]

And see thicker, stronger, faster, growing hair with less shedding in just three to six months with Nutrafol, that's M u t R a F O L. For a limited time, Nutrafol is offering our listeners $10 off your first month's subscription and free shipping when you visit nutrafol.com and enter promo code J A N D J J N J. That's Nutrafol.com spelled N U T R A F O L.com promo code JNJ. My issue with the birthday is it's the symbolism, which I don't know what it stands for. I don't know why anybody has cake on their birthday, but.

[Ginger]

Or why anybody doesn't have cake.

[Jeremy]

But you've got to have cake. It's a birthday thing. So it's like, where's the birthday cake? And you blow out the candles and you make a wish.

[Ginger]

But can you do the same with a block of ice cream?

[Jeremy]

Nope. No.

[Ginger]

That looks like a cake.

[Jeremy]

Categorically not.

[Ginger]

I mean, ours never looks like a cake.

[Jeremy]

You could do ice cream cake if it was a cake made out of ice cream.

[Ginger]

Has to have cake inside it.

[Jeremy]

Yeah, you could have ice cream cake. But it's like. So when Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld are talking about coffee, I agree with Larry when he said, like, if I say, hey, let's have a cup of coffee, let's go sit and have a coffee. It's not the substance. It's the substance. Creates the ambiance, creates the mood. And so if you all of a sudden say, no, I'm going to have a glass of water, you and I are not sitting and having a coffee together. We've got to sit back, have a coffee together. If you say, well, I'm going to have some tea, and you're dipping your tea, it destroys the vibe. It destroys. So I think the person walking in with the cake, everybody knows this cake is going to be disgusting. It's been sitting in the refrigerator. They bought it for $12.99 at Ralph's. It has pure sugar. That just says Happy birthday, Ginger.

[Ginger]

With your name spelled wrong? Yes, with a G instead of a

[Jeremy]

G. It's the whole walking in and then you gotta cue everybody happy birth. And everybody starts singing and the person

[Ginger]

starts, you can do that with a bowl of ice cream.

[Jeremy]

No, you can't.

[Ginger]

No, you can't.

[Jeremy]

Categorically.

[Ginger]

So I. Yeah, I hear you. I hear you. I think that's actually fair. Especially for kids and adults like Jeremy.

[Jeremy]

Especially for everybody.

[Ginger]

Especially for adults like Jeremy. Then I think that it makes sense. Like kids. There is, there can be something very special. I also have this thought. So a couple of the times when I did not buy a cake for our kids, it was because they were so young and I thought, they don't even want to eat the cake.

[Jeremy]

Again though, Ginger, you're so hyper focused on the goodness of the cake itself.

[Ginger]

That's true. Because I'm not gonna eat it.

[Jeremy]

You don't have to eat the cake. It's kinda like cake at a wedding. I went to a wedding the other day. They didn't serve the cake.

[Ginger]

Felicity was very bothered by that.

[Jeremy]

She was really bothered.

[Ginger]

She was like, wait, actually, where's the cake? She said, why are the cakes so small? Where's the cake for everybody?

[Jeremy]

But it's the symbolism of cut your first piece. Feed it to each other, right?

[Ginger]

Yeah. At the wedding. For sure.

[Jeremy]

At the wedding. So I feel that way about. And I think it was probably because of how I grew up. My dad would always make with my mom a special cake.

[Ginger]

Yeah.

[Jeremy]

And he would like do these little art creations on it.

[Ginger]

They were actually very impressive. I saw pictures of a few and I was so impressed by the level of creativity and work that went into making that cake and all the designs they made over the years for you guys.

[Jeremy]

So it held. And I don't remember how those cakes tasted. I don't remember if they were disgusting. I don't remember if they were yummy. But I remember the cake. Wow. And it was a special moment.

[Ginger]

No, it does make sense. It really does. I think that I had to just realize that from your perspective, marriage, compromise. Yeah. I had to compromise and hear you out on it because I was like, oh, my goodness. I just don't understand. I don't get it. And you are so proud of me, right? For ordering our daughter's tale ahead of time.

[Jeremy]

And it's two tiered.

[Ginger]

Two tiered cake.

[Jeremy]

It's impressive.

[Ginger]

It looks so beautiful. And it was an art themed birthday. So all the things that you need to make it look like an art. Art Theme. And I. I ordered the cake, like,

[Jeremy]

four days in advance, and she's very excited about it.

[Ginger]

Very excited. So there you go.

[Jeremy]

Yeah. It's special. You're. You're sweet to acquiesce to my cake wishes, I just think. So here's the. Here's another aspect of birthday for me is I'm bad at planning. You do phenomenal planning. So you've got gifts, you've got decorations and all that. And yet when it comes to day of, I become very nostalgic, I think is what's driving it. And very, like, anxious that it's not going to be special. Mm.

[Ginger]

And I don't know why Christmas, birthdays, anything like that. You're very, very concerned that it's not special enough.

[Jeremy]

Yeah.

[Ginger]

You actually do better gift giving in all of that. I can be a little bit more like, oh, what's necessary, what's needed. But knowing that you care more about, like, making sure we spend enough on the kids, like, have special little things for them, have enough for them to open. I end up spending more now because I know it matters to you. And ultimately, like, for the kids, I'm not gonna, like, not get them gifts. But I think that because that's been a priority with you, then, now it actually propels me in that I'm like, okay, I need to plan for the party. I need to have things together. Cause I know it does stress you out when we get to the morning of and there's nothing for the kids, you know, or it feels like it. There's just a few things, or there

[Jeremy]

just hasn't been as thought, as much thought put into it. And I think what it is, is I had. It's not like, childhood stuff because our birthdays were really special. But maybe it's the positive experience of that that I want to make sure we give to our kids, because I don't want that. Like, I know they're not going to remember every gift, but they are going to remember that euphoric feeling. And like Felicity said her is a day before her birthday. And she said something about, oh, we could do this in the morning of her birthday. But then she's like, no, I can't do that. Because when I come downstairs, I'm gonna see all the decorations. So I can't come downstairs before the celebration. And so in her mind, she knows, like, when it's my birthday, I walk downstairs and the house is decked. Or that one room is decked out.

[Ginger]

Yeah, the dining room.

[Jeremy]

And so that's a euphoric. Like, it's in her mind. This is really special. So I know what to look forward to on my birthday. And I think the fear that I have, I wonder if other parents can relate to this is her walking down and it not being that.

[Ginger]

Well, it's like the tooth fairy. Like when we forgot once one of our kids lost a tooth and. And the tooth fairy didn't come. Which, by the way, is complicated because

[Jeremy]

I think knew at that time that daddy was the tooth fairy. And so it's so cute when they're in this tension of six or seven years old where they know what is real, but they're still enjoying the idea,

[Ginger]

want it to continue.

[Jeremy]

So in her maturity, she walks downstairs

[Ginger]

and goes, it's actually for sister.

[Jeremy]

Oh, that's right. It was for Evie. So Felicity, on Evie's behalf, walked down, went, oh, there wasn't a tooth fairy this morning. Because I think she checked. And I think it was like, Evie's first tooth or something.

[Ginger]

Yeah, or second. It was her second.

[Jeremy]

And I just go boom. And dart out.

[Ginger]

Because you always do a sketch for the kids. Like, it's really impressive, actually. He does like a whole sketch of the kid who lost their tooth, does a sketch of them in, like, a little character form. And then they're holding onto, like a. Like walking a dog or, like, holding a stuffy or something really fun that they're into. So that's been amazing. And then you put, like, you know, Felicity's second tooth or Evie Jo's first or whatever it is. And so that's super fun and sweet. So they have that to look forward to. But it also takes time for you to sketch that out. And so that's part of where you can't just run. And, like, it's not about just money in there.

[Jeremy]

It is about that feeling of, like, knowing. And again, that was something I had in my child. So I just think. I don't know. I'm not trying to recreate my childhood for the kids, but I'm also maybe

[Ginger]

are a little bit.

[Jeremy]

Maybe a little bit.

[Ginger]

We wanna take a break from this episode to tell you about Cozy Earth.

[Jeremy]

One thing I need this summer, and I think you do too, is a set of beach towels.

[Ginger]

100%.

[Jeremy]

That's where cozy Earth comes in. You thought Cozy Earth was just for the bedroom, Just some comfy clothes? No, no, no. They've got everything. They're in every part of the game. And now they've got these beach towels, which are phenomenal.

[Ginger]

Incredible. And their bamboo sheet sets are amazing. Which is what I want to talk about. Because they keep you, they're temperature regulating, keeping you cool and they're buttery soft. So in the summer, it's ideal. In the winter, it's perfect.

[Christy]

Perfect.

[Ginger]

You climb into bed and you literally do not want to get out of bed because they're so comfortable. All of our guests who we've had them on the guest bed, they always ask us, what are those sheets?

[Jeremy]

Yeah. So whether it's their sheets, whether it's their beach towels, whether it's their slippers, Cozy Earth, it's an upgrade for your life. It's comfortable, made from viscose from bamboo, breathable, soft, built for summer. Head to cozyearth.com use our code ginger for an exclusive. Exclusive 20 off. That's code ginger for an exclusive 20 off ginger with a J. And if you see a post purchase survey mention that you heard about Cozy Earth right here on the podcast.

[Ginger]

We want to take a break from this episode to tell you about Function health.

[Jeremy]

Yeah, and I actually want to talk to you about heavy metals. Not heavy metal like Metallica. I mean, heavy metals. A lot of what shapes your health isn't anything you can see, taste or feel. And now heavy metals and toxins are just part of modern life. And most of us have never actually measured where we stand with that. Here's what's worth knowing. Exposure is normal. Now, things like BPA from plastics and receipts and PFAs from water resistant fabrics and food packaging show up in everyday life for almost everyone. The good news is that exposure is also measurable. And once you can see it, you can do something about it. So here's what function Health is going to do. Two markers give you a clear starting point. Lead, which reflects exposure to a common neurotoxin, and mercury, which shows whether fish or environmental sources are adding up. Knowing your level turns guesswork into simple, informed choices. And that's why we use Function Health.

[Ginger]

Yeah, it's incredible because you can test for over 160 biomarkers to know what's happening inside your body.

[Jeremy]

So check your health the way that we do. Function provides, like Ginger said, 160 plus lab tests for $1 a day. It's $365 for the year. It's a buck a day and member pricing on advanced imaging. [e-mail] ginger and use code ginger25 for $25 credit. So go to functionhealth.com use code jinger j I n g e r25.

[Ginger]

Now back to the episode. It's Sweet, though. I think it's meaningful because you have these things that are so etched in your mind. And I think that as adults, when you look back on the things that you actually remember, that says a lot. And as a parent, you're like, oh, wait, I actually remembered that. And I was super young. I want to repeat that because my kids will remember it someday, because there are only so many memories that they do hold onto from, like, when they're really, really little. And so I think that's super sweet and cool that you make it such a point to do all that, even if it is with the cake. And your tooth fairy drawings are really cool. The thing that stresses me out about the tooth fairy is we never have cash, and so we'll.

[Jeremy]

So they either end up getting, like, a dollar or, like, $20, $25.

[Ginger]

I'm like, wait, why do we have, like, why is this. Why is this so much money?

[Jeremy]

It's a big bill.

[Ginger]

Yeah, it's one big bill. Yeah.

[Jeremy]

It's fun. That's fun. So do you remember any gifts you got as a kid for your birthdays?

[Ginger]

I remember a specific birthday because my birthday was in December. So often, everybody, like, the house is always decorated for Christmas. I love Christmas so much. I get really nostalgic over, like, Christmas things, too. I do. And I want it to be special. I want it to have a certain feeling for the kids. But, yeah. Anyhow, with my birthday being so close to Christmas, my family, I think that they probably felt bad for me because it's, you know, the 21st and then the 25th is Christmas. So they would often be out shopping and would get me extra gifts or a couple of little things throughout that time when they were Christmas shopping, because my birthday was just right there, and it could get totally overlooked if you weren't careful. But I remember on birthdays we would go out to, like, a restaurant. So we could choose whatever restaurant we wanted to go to for lunch, and then we could choose, like, an activity we wanted to do. So often I would go over to Locomotion and I would go, like, ride the goodness. The. What are they called? I keep. Want to call them Golf Carts. Golf World Go Karts. We would drive these Go Karts, and they had, like, the tiny single one where you could drive it if you were, like, four. And then there was the next level up. So every year, the fun thing was is I would choose to go back there multiple years in a row, and I often was not old enough to drive the next one up because the next one up was like, you know, a big jump and it was a two seater. So you were then driving your parent, like in the seat beside you. So that was super fun. And so every year I would like age out of something, you know, every couple years into the next phase. And that was something I look forward to. And then at night at like 7pm, we would always have an ice cream party. And so whoever was around, friends, family could come over on the birthday person's day. And then we would have the ice cream, we'd open gifts, all the things like that. And so yeah, usually somewhere in there would be like a little bit of shopping or whatever. So, yeah, I think it was really sweet. Special. And birthdays definitely, like on the birthday person's day, it would take up the entire day. So you were out doing something almost all day, which I think was perfect. Especially being in a large family, it kind of had like a different effect because you, you don't always, you know, I mean, we would get one on one time, but like, that was just focused on celebrating you. And yeah, I was really thankful for that because it made it just like such a big deal. And I don't know, I think it's tricky to know how much you should do for your kids because then every year. Oh, I know, like, you almost have to build on it. So I don't. I kind of feel like the families who choose a year and then they say, like, okay, this year we're gonna do a big party, then the next year it's gonna be a smaller thing, then the next year it's big, the next year small. A lot of families do that or they'll do just only like family in

[Jeremy]

a couple of places. Families like with tons of kids or is it.

[Ginger]

No, no, just families here that I've talked to have done that and they've said that they have an off year where they don't do a party and they go out and do something. Like do, you know, like go on a little trip or like not even a trip, but like do something out. Like go to the aquarium and do a bigger family.

[Jeremy]

Or you can do a party and go to the aquarium. You know what I mean?

[Ginger]

I don't think that. I don't think that you would let the kids not have a party.

[Jeremy]

No, I don't think on one year

[Ginger]

I don't think that would ever happen.

[Jeremy]

Well, I don't know. It depends on the kiddos too, because

[Ginger]

some enjoy it, some don't. We have one who is very social, another one who's not very social.

[Jeremy]

We'll find out with Finn.

[Ginger]

And so. Yeah, but I think that's been interesting. So. Yeah, our oldest is very outgoing, wants everybody to come to her party. And then our middle wants like two people there, max. And then Finn, I think, like, you know, he really. He's probably gonna be more like outgoing. As far as we know right now, that's what it's looking like. So we'll see.

[Jeremy]

Yeah, I think so. Yeah. That's good. I've thought about like the spoiling and building on top of. Because you do feel like you don't want to. If you get a nice gift, do you have to top it?

[Ginger]

Yeah.

[Jeremy]

And then you feel this pressure, you know, do we have to get more or. You know, and making sure the kid remembers. Hey, this is a really sweet celebration to enjoy. Yes. Celebration of your life, but with the people you care about and your friends and not making it about the.

[Ginger]

So that's true. Something I just thought about too though is last year you took our oldest on a trip with you and because you were already going to go to this camp and it was kind of like, yeah, work, but I mean, ministry. But you.

[Jeremy]

Well, looking at our schedule, it was, hey, I've been invited to preach at this camp.

[Ginger]

Would it work?

[Jeremy]

But it's over Felicity's birthday and so it's like, I'm definitely not going to do that over Felicity's birthday. But then I think you said, why

[Ginger]

did you just take her? And then it's like a fun kids

[Jeremy]

like, oh, it was the. She was turning seven.

[Ginger]

Loved it.

[Jeremy]

We stayed up till 12, 1am every night watching Star Wars. I introduced her to Star Wars. I feel like that was a good age for that, you know, at 7

[Ginger]

years old and watch Star wars. Because I don't want to watch Star Wars.

[Jeremy]

Ging. You refuse to watch Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Dune. But she. So we stably. She brushed her teeth every night for sure.

[Ginger]

Had her hair fixed perfectly.

[Jeremy]

She did have cake at midnight on her birthday.

[Ginger]

That's special.

[Jeremy]

And so a bunch of the kids, like camp counselors and stuff came by and brought her cake and balloons.

[Ginger]

So sweet.

[Jeremy]

So she had the time of her life. I mean, it was like the best. And pretty irresponsible parenting for like a couple days.

[Ginger]

Great memories.

[Jeremy]

Great memories.

[Ginger]

So even this year she gets to go on a trip and it's so much fun. And I think that she's just been talking about it. Everybody that she sees, she talks about her trip. So then I'm thinking if next year, she doesn't get to go on a trip. What's going to happen?

[Jeremy]

Yeah, so. But that's a tradition. I don't mind. We've known some families who will have a yearly tradition on the birthday of like, hey, we go on a trip.

[Ginger]

Well, it's usually like at the age of 10, I will take you on a trip for your birthday and then each of the siblings get one age that they can all look forward to. But I just, I mean, it's fine. Yeah, we just have three kids.

[Jeremy]

Felicity works out because it's in the middle of summer.

[Ginger]

Yeah.

[Jeremy]

Whereas, yeah, you can't be leaving with three kids all the time. But yeah, we'll figure it out. I think the importance is like making, letting her know that she's. I think that for me as a parent, I'm thinking letting her know that she's valued and this is so important 100%.

[Ginger]

And I think it's. I'd rather go like err on the side of that than on them not feeling special and not feeling cared about. But there's also a line to where it's like being spoiled.

[Jeremy]

So. Well, here's one thing that could mitigate the spoiling. And it was one of our friends. Barb is the sweetest gift giver in the world. And gift giving is an art. There's a theology of gift giving, you know, giftology, when you give, how you give, what you give, why you give. And Jesus even said it's more blessed to give than to receive. And so wanting to cultivate in Felicity's little heart and Evies and eventually Finn's, that when you're, it's time for you to receive gifts, it's actually more blessed to give. And it's okay to receive gifts and enjoy that. But Barb the shearer for Felicity went through, gave her a gift. And it first started with, okay, you get to share with your siblings. So she gave her a gift that she was able to share and then she gave her a gift that she was able to share with her dad. And so she gave her. Gave me and Felicity a pen and notepads and we can learn calligraphy together. So share this with your dad. And a little note explaining it. Then she gave a gift for you and said this is just a gift for your mom. And it was Starbucks, right, Starbucks.

[Ginger]

And then like a Chipotle gift card. Cause she said that way mom doesn't have to cook and she can get a coffee and share this with your mom.

[Jeremy]

Felicity is going through as she's Being handed these gifts. This is like, okay, you get to share it with your siblings. So she's giving gifts to her siblings and then enjoying a little piece herself. Or, okay, you get to give this to dad. Give it to Mom. And so the smile on Felicity's face as she's handing that to you, it's like ear to ear, you know, like, here, mom, this is for you. And so then the last one was some things for Felicity for her art and for her room. Little decorations, and that was for her. But it went through this process of, like, you receive something that you get to share with others.

[Ginger]

And then what was the big gift at the end?

[Jeremy]

Oh, the big gift was remarkable. So they told us. Pete and Barb said, you're never gonna guess what this is. And there was a big box on the counter. Felicity's all giddy. And they were right. We could not have guessed what it was. But our friend Pete, who's like family to us, he's from Germany. And they found, from the Black Forest, which is where Little Red Riding Hood, the story, the fable is from in Germany, a handmade cuckoo clock that has these little dancers that go around once the cuckoo bird coos or whatever. And it's this beautiful wooden, amazing. And Felicity loves Over the moon because there's nothing she loves more than designing her room with little pieces. And she puts things on the wall and sets everything exactly where it needs to go. And this little cuckoo clock is gonna go in her room.

[Ginger]

It's so special. It's incredible, really. It's ornate. It's legit. It's not just, like a remake. So that's part of the thing that, you know, I mean, it has the writing, like, it's all in German on the side. So that was, I think, that really intentional gift giving. It doesn't have to be about the money that you spend on everything, you know, it doesn't have to be like, whatever, so big. But then I think that when it's meaningful, it goes a long way.

[Jeremy]

Yeah.

[Ginger]

And I'm not really, really great at gift giving. I feel like that's one of my areas that I. I don't know. I just. I don't know. I don't think outside the box half the time, and I want to, like. I want to be able to give really sweet, meaningful gifts to you, but half the time, I end up almost doing nothing because I'm like, oh, no, it's not special enough.

[Jeremy]

Well, you are. Paralysis by analysis defines so much of. Because you care so deeply, even if it's like communicating via text or sending an email or giving a gift. You think, okay, this has to be really special and really well done, that you end up not doing anything, not doing it because you're going, well, that's not good enough, or that's not nice enough, or that's not thoughtful enough. And sometimes, you know, yeah, it's like,

[Ginger]

yeah, I just need to send a message.

[Jeremy]

You do give great gifts. You give very thoughtful gifts, and I love your gifts.

[Ginger]

That's very sweet.

[Jeremy]

But, yeah, it's sweet. It's a sweet time. And it's a sweet time to remember our childhood. I remember someone saying recently that in these seasons of parenting, where it's difficult, or not even just difficult, it's just a lot. And there's a lot going on to try to remember what you were thinking at their age. And it just happened the other night. Felicity came down out of bed and was, you know, fussing because she didn't want to. Want to go to bed. And I remember thinking, like, that's frustrating. Like, come on, kiddo, go to bed. But then it hit me, like, okay, what is she thinking right now? She's had a really long day. She's in bed, wants to cuddle. Let me hold her hand and walk her up to bed, Give her a kiss, pray with her. And that's not always going to happen, but it was a moment where I thought, how can I step into her world and see it from her perspective rather than from mine? Okay, this kiddo just will not go to bed. We're trying to spend some time together. Come on, get. Get your butt up to bed and let's be done with it. It's. Now, let me think. Okay, She's. She's having some anxiety and she. Whatever. I just think for moments like this, trying to put ourselves in their shoes and think what they're experiencing. Yeah, for sure, but a lot of fun. These are fun days. These are sweet days. I hope your throat feels better, babe.

[Ginger]

Me, too. I hope I don't get sick.

[Jeremy]

Gives you a nice kind of raspy voice.

[Ginger]

Thank you.

[Jeremy]

You see, Matt Damon, for his character in the Odyssey, would scream at the top of his lungs so that as his character aged, his voice would be raspier.

[Ginger]

That's what I did last night, preparing

[Jeremy]

for this podcast dedication. You're dedicated to your craft. Grateful for you guys. Thanks for hanging out. We'll see.