WONDEROAK

About

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Jess lives with her husband and four kids (Malachi 11, Scout 9, Oaklee, 7, Haven 5) in California. She’s passionate about family, community, and keepin’ it real. You may have seen her work on Love What Matters, The Huffington Post, Motherly, Scary Mommy, Today Parents, Her View From Home, ABC, and more. Her articles have been shared as one of Huff Post Parent’s best articles of 2016 and 2017 and she was Motherly’s Writer of the Year for 2016. Her article Dear Kids, When I fail set a personal record in 2017 with 1.5 million shares on Facebook.

To contact her about advertising, guest blogging, sponsored posts etc., please email her at jess@wonderoak.com for pricing and availability.

She is a contributor for Motherly and The Huffington Post. You can check out some of those articles here:

 Huffington Post

Motherly

Scary Mommy

She loves sharing laughs and tears with you here at Wonderoak, on Facebook, and @wonderoakblog on Instagram.

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37 responses to “About”

  1. nativetucsonan Avatar
    nativetucsonan

    You’re amazing and thank you for telling it how it is!! To all us mothers looking for sanity and assurance that we’re not (too) crazy – you’re blog is a blessing!

  2. wonderoak Avatar
    wonderoak

    Thank you! So good to hear!

  3. Loren Avatar
    Loren

    Thanks for the humor!! Love your blogs. You make my day!!:)

  4. Graham Avatar
    Graham

    You are awesome!

  5. Angela Guzman Avatar
    Angela Guzman

    You are effing amazing! Your gift of words and humor are nothing short from awesome. I have spent the last hour binge reading your posts and can’t stop laughing. You have a new reader. Thank you for sharing with us fellow mamas.

  6. wonderoak Avatar
    wonderoak

    Thank you Angela!!

  7. beeorganizedwithpamela Avatar
    beeorganizedwithpamela

    Wow you are amazing. I am so looking forward to reading more from you.

  8. Kim Avatar
    Kim

    Hello I was wondering if I could message you and ask some questions. My name is Kim and I’m new to blogging. I just recently found your blog and love it.

  9. Kim Avatar
    Kim

    Hello my name is Kim and I was wondering if I could ask you some questions? Can I message you? I just recently saw your blog and really like it. I am new to blogging.

  10. wonderoak Avatar
    wonderoak

    Hi Kim, thanks for asking 🙂 I’m not sure if I’ll be able to answer your questions- but yes, feel free :)! You can also email me at wonderoakblog@gmail.com.

  11. Hannah Hageman Avatar
    Hannah Hageman

    Hi, Jess! Fellow Montanan here. I found your blog from a link by another mom on my MOPS’s Facebook page. Just excited to meet another Montanan mom blogger and wanted to say hi! 🙂

  12. wonderoak Avatar
    wonderoak

    Hey Hannah, awesome to meet you!! I always love to hear from a fellow blogger! Speaking of Montana – how COLD ARE YOU RIGHT NOW?? Haha, so cold here today!

  13. Sahaj Kohli (@SahajKohli) Avatar
    Sahaj Kohli (@SahajKohli)

    We’d love to crosspost this to HuffPost. Please email me at sahaj.kohli@huffingtonpost.com if interested!

  14. wonderoak Avatar
    wonderoak

    Hi Sahaj! I emailed you :)!

  15. Jeiv Reyes Avatar
    Jeiv Reyes

    I love your blog 😉

  16. wonderoak Avatar
    wonderoak

    Thank you!

  17. Katie Avatar
    Katie

    Dear kids, when I fail

    You saw into my heart and turned all of my feelings into words in a way that I would have never been able to but it describes it all perfectly. I’m bawling but feel encouraged. I’m not the only one. This makes me feel less discouraged and feel like less of a failure. I have saved the link and will look back regularly so I am reminded. This was just amazing. I can’t describe the intensity but thank you. I needed to read this. You honestly have no idea how this is going to change me.

  18. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Today, as I struggle…. I read your words. You’re amazing. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and life…. imperfections and all.

  19. Tina Mcelrath Avatar
    Tina Mcelrath

    Your amazing. I feel the same about my daughter. All 3 of my kids. And my step-son. Love reafing your blogs.

    Grateful,
    Tina

  20. Jaime Randall Avatar
    Jaime Randall

    I LOVE your candor and your writing style. You literally make me laugh out loud and since I have two kids under 2, this is much appreciated. Who needs Zoloft when there’s your blog? I’m going to keep taking the zoloft though, just in case. 🙂 I wondered if you could speak to your writing habits. Specifically what they were like when your kids were babies. Maybe I just have to wait until they’re a little older before I can be a productive human being outside of laundry? Thanks so much for the inspiration.

  21. wonderoak Avatar
    wonderoak

    Thank you so much!! I will have to talk more about my writing habits for sure! There was definitely a season in my life where I wanted to write, but I had NO IDEA how that was going to happen haha. When my littlest was one I started writing for a vacation rental company in my free time doing descriptions and travel blogging for extra money. Even though that wasn’t my topic of choice, it was honestly my gateway to blogging because it forced me to write consistently.I eventually got more creative ideas like my first post on wonderoak Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom. So I guess I’d say make a little time (even if it’s a half an hour) and just write. Keep doing it and doing it. Don’t try to accomplish a lot at first, just make the time. Good luck and thanks so much for the encouragement!

  22. Michael Avatar
    Michael

    You probably don’t get a lot guys/husband’s replying but I read your “Dear Husband” letter in the Guttman Inst newsletter and just wanted to say thank you. It was such a lovely missive to read. If my wife felt the way you feel even once we wouldn’t be at the end. But alas….My faith is restored if only for a moment. Thank you.

  23. Proscovia Mudanyi Avatar
    Proscovia Mudanyi

    The title caught my attention, immediately I called my first borne so that I could read it to her and at some point ,I had to stop for us to wipe off our tears, thankfully I managed to complete, so real, so sweet, so inspiring, thank you dear.

  24. wonderoak Avatar
    wonderoak

    Awe thank you for sharing that with me!

  25. It's Just Jes Avatar
    It’s Just Jes

    I love your work! I love your blog. I am new to wordpress and I stumbled upon your account and instantly fell in love. Your letters to the kids really hits home for me. Puts in so many emotions that I just can’t seem to put together. Your posts put them together perfectly and it just makes sense. And they make me feel better when I’m struggling with my mom guilt. Thank you so much for what you do!

  26. Heidi Avatar
    Heidi

    Hi, I just want to thank you, as many mothers before me have done haha my oldest is 15 and she is struggling a lot with some of my past ‘failures’ as a mother. She has chosen to move in with her father (we’re now divorced) and I’ve really been having a hard time coming up with the right words to say to her in this time of difficulty. I came across ‘dear kids, when I fail’ and it brought tears to my eyes bcuz it was like you had the very words my soul was trying to form. I’m going to have her read it, and pray that some day (soon) she can see that neither I, or any mom out there is perfect but our love is undying and unshakable. Thank you so much for using your gift of words for something so wonderful and I pray that God continues to bless you and your family.

  27. wonderoak Avatar
    wonderoak

    Thanks so much for sharing this, I pray your daughter will see your heart.

  28. becky Avatar
    becky

    Thank you for sharing your heart. I’ve read my kids two of your posts and my 7 year old strong bull was brought to tears. When I read your posts they are like a window into my soul. Last night, as I lay in bed awake and guilting over the, what seemed like 23151335 times I raised my voice; I prayed that god would help me to control my frustration. The battles are frequent and test me daily. Reading your heart is so comforting. Thank you.

  29. Vivian Aguilar Avatar
    Vivian Aguilar

    Thank you for sharing this with us. I’ve read this a couple of times and every time I’d read it, I would tear up. Every word resonates with my soul. The truthfulness inspires. Reading it has blessed me tremendously. Thank you.

    Love from a mom of 3, all the way from the Philippines.

  30. wonderoak Avatar
    wonderoak

    ❤️❤️❤️❤️Much love to you Vivian!

  31. MiriamOClifford Avatar
    MiriamOClifford

    Beautiful! Your words speak so clearly with mothers everywhere-thank you for capturing such complicated feelings in your writing!

  32. Jeannie D Avatar
    Jeannie D

    I’m so thankful that I came across your blog! I can’t tell you how much it helps me, especially on a tough day. Thank you, thank you!

  33. Jen Bailey Avatar
    Jen Bailey

    Jess I absolutely love reading your blogs and feeling Your heart. There are so many times I feel connected to the story! I’m curious, how did you find the name Wonderoak? Thanks for sharing, Jen

  34. wonderoak Avatar
    wonderoak

    Hey Jen, thank you so much! Wonderoak honestly came from
    Me writing down a bunch of words that I loved and spoke to me and then putting two together. I also didn’t want to be pegged as a certain type of writer in case it changed someday (for example putting “mom” in my name). One of my daughters names is oaklee too so that’s kinda in there 🙂

  35. Robyn Corson Avatar
    Robyn Corson

    You’re Doing a great job. I want to say so much! But just to one point parents have every right to bring a child on planes. If they scream it’s commonly an ear issue or that they aren’t used to sitting still for sometimes 24hours. They are not trying to bother others. Parents should do all they can to help the child. But you can’t expect. A parent to leave them at home or sedate them

  36. wonderoak Avatar
    wonderoak

    I totally agree!

  37. Mr Mark Harries Avatar
    Mr Mark Harries

    I read something by you recently entitled ‘I’m with you’. It is exactly what I wanted to say to my wife but couldn’t articulate well enough. So thank you, I don’t know if the sentiment landed but I’m glad you wrote it.

    Good health,
    Mark

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