Monday, August 13, 2012

the anti-blog, and how pintrest and social media in general is ruining my life

Ok, to say that pintrest, as well as the whole gamatte of social, let's call it, "mom media"  is ruining my life may be a bit dramatic. Let's just say it's ruining my marriage.....................ok again, bit dramatic I know. So nothing is currently ruining my life, or my marriage. However, there is some bit of truth to the title of this post, which will eventually lead us to the title for which I am calling this blog, the anti-blog.
A few weeks ago we celebrated my son Gabe's third birthday. I LOVE LOVE birthdays. He is such a special boy and I am so proud of the little guy he is becoming. I show love by planning things and by baking. So I planned and I baked. I planned a train birthday for Gabe, train games, train cake, and train decorations.  And I baked. Cupcakes, cakes, bought color coordinating candy, and all his favorite party foods. The day went well enough. Gabe, I believe, felt very loved and special, and I have many good memories and pictures of his special day. Which at the end of the day is what I want, that smile on his face and him knowing he is so well loved. However, I am learning that there are times where as a special day or event or time is happening, I will be writing my blog post or facebook update in my head. (Does anyone else do this?) Which is NOT always a bad thing, but what I'm getting at is that sometimes I am going after those blog-worthy picture moments, and forgetting that the journey in which I am getting there, the moments that wont actually last forever on a blog are far more important, priceless even and then often missed. Here is the post I would normally have put up about Gabe's birthday party:
 Birthday Breakfast!
 Birthday Shirt (Thanks Grammie!)
 Birthday Train created by Daddy
"Coal Toss" or bean bag toss 
 Yay it's party time!
 Thanks Pinterest ;)



 Presents!
Friends and cheese puffs, life is good. 

This is what I would have normally posted along with some cute stories about how perfect the day was. And let me just say, there is nothing wrong with these kinds of posts- in fact I am going to continue to post pictures and stories of special events and memories. Blogging is an awesome way to document all these special things. What I am getting at, and taking a very long time to do so, is that the rest of this day, the parts not captured by pictures, was actually not that fun. I had planned this great party for Gabe, but somewhere in the planning forgot that I have THREE kids, one of whom is still a baby. The night before the party Josh, Uncle Garret, Carlee and I were working on cupcakes, candy and cakes till 11pm. And then the day of the party I spent most of the day cutting out paper decorations and arguing with my husband. (Not his fault at all either- we were all a bit overwhelmed and I was very unwilling to give up any aspect of my meticulously planned party). About an hour before the party I actually felt like I woke up from a pinterest induced coma and went "whoa! I can't believe I did this again!" I didnt even realize I was overdoing it until right then.  
     As I wrap up, I will finally get to the point. I say pinterest is ruining my life, and sometimes blogging too, because when we blog, we only show our very best. And when we peruse the meriad of blogs on pinterest we only see everybody else's perfect. And again, I'm ok with preserving good memories, as well as showcasing the great, cute, fun, supermom things we all do. I will continue to bragblog.......I just feel a need to also share the not-so-perfect. I feel a need to share this because it makes me feel bad when it appears as though EVERY other mother has got it all together WAY more than I do. On this blog you may see the snapshots and stories from a great day we had, something special, something cute. But I promise you will also see pictures of my messy house, my dinners of pbnj and perhaps even confessions to my not so perfectness as a woman, friend, mother and wife.
I will also note, that I don't want this blog to become a place of discouragment. I will not scoff at those of you who's floors are clean, cupcakes are pretty, and children are well behaved. I've been there too. I just want, maybe need, for myself, to break the illusion that anyone has it totally together, and that if we share our roses with our needs/faults and misteps we create a place to encourge each other. What do you think? Anyone with me?


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