I have been thinking about writing this post for a while, and I decided it was finally time to just do it. I have been in a bit of a blogging funk lately. I have so much to blog about, but just can't seem to find the words to write.
In a world bombarded with social media - Facebook, Twitter, and especially Pinterest, I find myself constantly comparing myself to others. And all of this comparison makes me feel like I just don't quite measure up. Measure up to these impossible standards I have set for myself and society has set on me. I cannot do it all.
I am a mom, first and foremost. That is my number one priority, but lately I have been feeling completely burnt out. I don't get a lot of time to myself and it is really starting to wear on me. I feel like my creative juices are gone, at least temporarily. I haven't had a chance to recharge my batteries. Then, I read other blogs and surf Pinterest to hopefully find some motivation and get my spark back, when really it just makes me feel like I am not enough. Like, how can all these other wives, moms, and crafters do all of these things and I feel like I am barely keeping it together most days?
But, really, this is completely unfair. Of course, the projects I look at all seem great. These are the "beauty shots" of these women's lives. What I am not seeing is the dishes not washed, the staying up late, way after the kids are in bed to finish the project for a deadline, the 2 days it actually took to finish a half hour project because the kids are running around and need something, and they come first.
I have posted before how 'comparison is the thief of joy' and it truly, truly is. If I really sit back and think about it, I love my life. I love being a mom. I love my home (even in it's completely unperfect state). I love my husband. I love being able to be home with my kids and not having to have a 'real' job. I love being able to have a hobby that can hopefully someday provide my family with extra income. But the minute I start looking at what others are doing, even those ladies I admire and aspire to be more like, all I can think about is how what I am doing is not enough.
I have been hesitant to show you all spaces in my home, because they will probably never be magazine worthy. Even though I can organize spaces with the best of them, I cannot (and do not always want to) spend a fortune on bins and perfectly coordinated baskets. Maybe at another time in my life I will be able to do that, but part of me will always be frugal. Even when we are doing great, financially. Part of me will always be earth-concious and I would rather re-use something we have then go buy something new.
And even though my house may never be featured in a glossy spread magazine, my home is my own. I love it and I love that I am able to organize and DIY it. And in reality, there are probably more of you that live in a home that looks like mine then there are those that live in a perfectly styled magazine ready home. So, I am vowing to myself to embrace my home. Embrace the fact that I love the heck out of it because we have poured blood, sweat and tears into it. Embrace my home because it is a home and not just a house. Embrace the imperfections and all it's little quirks. Embrace the fact that it isn't huge, but every square inch of it is used to it's fullest potential.
And what does that mean for this little blog of mine? It means you will be seeing a lot more of my home. A lot more of the projects I have completed, but didn't feel like they quite measured up.
