I'll admit, I do not always put the whole truth on this blog. I don't think my entire life needs to be shared on the world wide web. I don't think intimate details of personal relationships should be revealed with such a large audience. I try to put my real life before my virtual one. The feelings of my family and friends come before entertaining my blog's audience.
I recieved an email and a couple formspring questions lately that have disturbed me. They all asked the same thing. One said, "How do you do it all? How do you keep a perfect home, cook perfect from scratch meals, wear perfect clothes, all while working AND blogging?"
Blogging is a funny little thing. It truly is. Bloggers show you what they want you to see. No matter what blog you read, you are viewing and reading what the author wants you to know. Remember this: when a blogger's life seems too good to be true, it probably is.
I wish I could back up from some of those food pictures I have taken. My kitchen is a mess in a lot of them. I've cleared the clutter from the camera's lens. I'm showing you what I want you to see, because frankly, showing you my dirty dishes would be embarrassing.
The truth? My kids whine. My husband and I disagree. My laundry is unfolded on my bed, again. I am NOT a morning person and am easily provoked before 8am. I ate a donut yesterday and made pesto from a packet. I take my kids to school while wearing sweats. My daughter has holes in EVERY pair of jeans she owns. I have way too many freckles. On Monday, I locked my son in his high chair in front of the tv with a packet of fruit snacks because I was at wits end. On Wednesday, I cried to my boss. My hair's current state, a wet bun, is not pretty. I am wearing maternity pants. (They are falling off, but I don't fit into my pre-preggo jeans yet.)
This isn't a pitty post. I am happy. I am extremely in love with my life and with my husband. But, I want you to know that I am real. I am human. I make mistakes, show up late, burn my food, get irritated, and could afford to lose 10 pounds. Unlike the blogger on House, I probably won't discuss every detail of my life. I want to keep it real, but I also believe in focusing on the positive, the pretty and the uplifting.
I hope this answered your questions. The truth is I DON'T do it all! I really, really don't. Something's gotta give, even in my life.
THIS post is wonderful. A must read.
Loved this post, Hannah! My bed hasn't been made all week!
ReplyDeleteYou're so cute! I like some of the posts people have been doing lately about keeping it real. However, I am with you...I think, at least with my blog, I want to keep it positive and fun. I don't want to share the sadness and bad days all the time...of course they are there. Who doesn't have them? I love my sweat pants and don't do my hair either, but do I need to post about that all the time? Nope. It's just assumed. I guess doing these posts make people connect better. So, thanks for sharing!!! xoxo
ReplyDeleteabsolutely fantastic post, thank you so so much!
ReplyDeleteLove it Hannah! The fact that bloggers show exactly what they want people to see is so very true of all of us. That's why blogland is magical!
ReplyDeleteThis is totally what I was thinking when I started my blog. Life happened and now I'm starting to be too real. I need to hold back again. Thanks for the insight!!
ReplyDeleteI know and love the real you, and I miss you! Get together? Soon?
ReplyDeleteI totally appreciate your post. Most of the time I feel like a total mess compared to my bloggy friends, even though I know they are showing the best of their lives and not the disasters. As I write this, my three year old with very dirty feet is sticking his toes in my mouth. On a bed surrounded with laundrey. Which has a church pew filled with clothes that need to be hung up on it. So thanks for the post!
ReplyDeleteVery refreshing, and wonderfully written. Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteLove this post Hannah. I stepped back from my personal blog because I was having a tough time and didn't want to write "Well today stunk" every.single.day. But after months and months away I think I'm ready to give it a go.
ReplyDeleteTrying to find a balance- in real life, on the blog, wherever- is such a challenge for me. Highlight the positive while remaining real.
Hi Hannah, thank you for sharing this post. I love it and I totally agree with you.In my own blog I try to focus in the sweets I make, even if sometimes I am so stress out that I just want to cry and tell the world that is so hard to have 3 jobs, being a mom, a wife and trying to get sometime for myself.I do love every minute of my life, but is not easy.
ReplyDeleteThank you for another reminder (like the fab blog post you referenced at the end) that puts life in perspective. I needed it!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I saw the blogger episode on House too. I had to think for a second, about what I blog. After looking back, I have nothing to think twice about. I blog about what I feel comfortable with. I'm not going to blog about my son peeing all over the toilet and the floor. But I will blog about the new shoes I bought or the great Disneyland trip we went on. Everyone has their limits. Sometimes, we chose to make our blogs about sunshines, rainbows, and unicorns. And that is OK!
ReplyDeleteLove. This. Post.
ReplyDeleteTotally relate - I don't make our bed...EVER. I don't think it's been made in 15 years - haaaa. And I do the same thing with pictures...I clean the area that I am taking the pictures of so that no one sees the dirty floor or the messy kitchen. Awesome.
Hannah, you are totaly right. I love that post. Thanks for being real =)
ReplyDeleteLove REAL blog post~ I also love your blog:)
ReplyDeletelove this post, hannah! it's so easy to forget that behind these pretty pictures and poetic words, everyone has a real life. thanks for the reminder, and for sharing a glimpse into the not-so-glamorous side of yours!
ReplyDeleteSo well said :) I actually like that I can put my best foot forward on my blog, and occasionally complain a little bit. I publish my entries into a book each year, and I get excited to think that my children will get to read my daily thoughts. I am sure you are not perfect, but you inspire me. And the fact that you are human, is inspiring all the more.
ReplyDeleteYou're still an inspiration and a very fun blog to read! Keep up the good,hard work.
ReplyDeleteGood on you for sharing this. But you know , we all want to see and show the pretty bits most of the time. Why not? You don't want to hear about me sweeping up piles of dog hair everyday or my very messy mud room (cause stuff has to go somewhere). But I hope everybody knows we all have a mudroom somewhere in our lives.
ReplyDeletelove this post. :D
ReplyDeleteWell said Hannah! I think we look at people's blogs sometimes and think their life is perfect or that they have it all. We forget that it's not a true glimpse into their life but rather bits and pieces, usually the happier ones. I once found myself in that trap feeling hopelessly inadequate. Everyone wants to portray a good image but we all have trials and struggles we are dealing with. Thanks for writing something real and that we can all relate to!
ReplyDeleteSo true! In July 2006 my scrapbook room was published in a National Mag (not the one you work for). The text described it as 'perfectly organized' and I got TONS of e-mails etc. from women wishing they had what I had. I felt SO GUILTY that I couldn't enjoy the room anymore.
ReplyDeleteYou see, it only looked perfect in the photos because they staged the room and I had spent DAYS cleaning it. No one saw the 4 boxes of mess outside the door or the trainwreck the rest of my house was since I'd spent all my time organizing that room for the photo shoot. The room never LOOKED like that when I was actually using it.
I felt so guilty that a lot of women saw those photos and felt less-than themselves for failing to live up to the 'ideal' the article represented. In reality, I couldn't live up to it either. I ended up taking apart the room and repurposing everything. I couldn't hack the guilt. I'm no good at fake perfect.
I get the whole keeping it real thing and bloggers posting what they want you to see...
ReplyDeleteYa know though there are so many kind of negative whiny blogs out there...I honestly on my blog just want it to be positive and show that I really love being with my kids.
I still think you can keep it real and do that! Blogging happy/nice things keeps me remembering why I am a mama!
Perfect people are over-rated. I'm more impressed when flawed people live good lives. (I'm flawed, so I know how hard it is.) But this is a perfect post.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! My blog is for my kids to remember what we did while they were growing up and I want it to focus on the postiive! I do include some things about health and such - but that's all part of it - I certainly don't want to put my entire life out there!!!!
ReplyDeleteJust found your blog through JennaCole's recommendation. Love your recipes and crafts!
ReplyDeleteLovely post! I also get people asking me how do I do it all. But I only want to share the fun, exciting, great things, not the sinks full of dirty dishes. You said exactly what I was thinking! Thanks!
ReplyDeletep.s. sent your package on Saturday :)
Well said!!
ReplyDeleteI wish my sink looked that good when it was full! No, mine is splattered up every side with grape juice, spaghetti sauce, flecks of hamburger meat, and hardened macaroni noodles. And the dishes aren't a nice display of black and white and clear like that one. No, mostly rainbow shades of plastic. Sigh....I wish I could be messy in better style.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this, Hannah. I get that question often as well, "How do you do it all?" And I answer it the same way you do... "I don't. And I'm really sorry if I led you to believe otherwise." :)
ReplyDeleteSo often ppl paint a picture of WHO you are based on what you blog... and it's just not right. It's convenient, but not right. And furthermore, people like to compare themselves to what they read on blogs instead of just being happy with their own lives. It's just not healthy.... Anyway, *stepping off of my soap box*
Keep sharing pretty pictures of food! I'd never try a recipe if I saw stuff smeared all over the counter and junk all around the "sample" photo...LOL!
Cheers to that! SO true, I have to try to remember that when I frequent all of the blogs that provoke the "how do you DO it!?" thoughts!
ReplyDeleteAmen! I 100% agree... just like in life, in blogging, we let people see what is comfortable (and not too personal) for them to see.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I love that blog by Marta. She is so talented!
I love this post. You made me feel better.
ReplyDeletehttp://bakingdivakcl.wordpress.com/