1.27.2009

Just Keepin' It Real...

Behold, the cabinet underneath my kitchen sink!

Blogging is an interesting thing. I've enjoyed using it to journal our family's life. My husband is going to make a hard copy one of these days so we can have it to cherish in book form. Won't that be fun?

I also enjoy "blog surfing" to peek into the lives of others and see what's going on in their homes. One of the things I've realized about blogging, is that people do it for different reasons. I find myself drawn to blogs that present life in a positive light. I feel the same way about visiting with my friends face-to-face. I much prefer visiting with friends who don't gripe and complain about their husbands and children, but encourage me spiritually. None of us are perfect or live in perfect homes, but getting together to chat about all the negative things going on in our lives does nothing to improve matters.

Another thing about blogging is that it's very easy to post what you want people to know about your life. I choose to write about the positive things that go on in my home. I realize it gives the impression that I have it all together as a mom. But the truth is, I don't! And that's not what I set out to do when I post here on my blog. When I look back on my years as mom, I want to remember the good times. I want to remember my kids doing craft projects with me, not the fact that almost everything I do with them backfires on me when they start arguing about paint colors, or who gets to sit on the stools, or who gets the pink sprinkles, etc. Just so you know my kids do fight. They argue all the time. They gripe, complain, hang onto me and whine, throw themselves on the floor and cry, and I do get upset. I also lack organizational skills, and the evidence around my home haunts me daily. I just don't want to focus on all of that here on my blog. Writing about it would only remind me of it later.

Last night I told my friend, Jenny, that I would post a few pictures here to confirm that I don't have it all together. :) So, without further adieu, here's the proof.

Enjoy...

Here's my sewing stuff. I know I'm really going to embarrass myself here. Not only do you see an unorganized mess, but there are 3-4 unfinished sewing projects stashed in that corner...

One of my kitchen counters...

My pantry closet--no rhyme or reason to the placement of anything in here...

My purse--not such a mess, but, I confess, that's bribery candy you see in there...

My bathroom cabinet...

My kids' closet...

Our boots and coats by the back door....

And here's the biggie. I saved the best for last...my bedroom closet and this morning's laundry. I was so tempted to straighten up the closet before taking this picture, but I restrained myself. As I took this picture, I asked myself,

Does it always look this bad?

So, there you have it! It's kind of refreshing to post pictures of my closets. Now I feel motivated to do something about the mess!

15 comments:

Cottage Mommy said...

Thanks for sharing your "realness". I am one of those people who have to have everything perfect before people come over but my day to day life is a total mess! I think that most of us don't live with the perfectness we post on our blogs but I do agree that I would rather be uplifted and inspired by others blogs than otherwise...have a great day!

Danielle said...

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I always wonder about other people...where do you put all those boots and jackets...doesn't anyone else have a paper pile...how are you suppposed to organize shoes in your closet...am I the only one that always has a pile of laundry in my room!?!?!?

Ha! I'm glad I'm in good company:-) Now I am going to try to clean something up before supper!

Diane said...

Thank you for showing your "real" house! You're right about seeing what others want us to see on their blogs and how that can make us feel alone on our island of a mess. We are not alone! We're "real" moms all together.

Just today, I thrifted some organizing baskets for my messy pantry... I may just have to post my where's-the-rice? 'before' and starting-to-look-better 'after' photos. Thanks again, Jen!

the wild raspberry said...

thanks for keeping it real. we all have our "dirty little secrets". mine is the den. wowsa. it is a disaster right now with buttons on the floor, the ironing board STILL out, books piled high... we still think you are great. :)

Monica Wilkinson said...

Love this! I'm always telling my hubby that I want to be real on my blog. When someone meets me I want them to feel that I am the same person they thought I was!

By the way, your new (or am I just slow?) header is darling - very cute!

Monica

~nanashouse~ said...

Umm, I'm sorry ~~ is there something wrong with those pictures? Looks like happy normal living to me. Now if everything was in "perfect" order I might worry about your stress level :-{

java girl said...

Oh HOW I feel at home here in this blog ;O) Thank you for your honesty AND sharing your home with us!! If you could only see my house! However since I live with my parents that would through me out in the snow if I posted the remodeling mess on my blog!!

I now have to finish nosing around in blog world because my little one is crying for me at 9:30 in the evening because we thought she had dropped her binky and she hadn't :O)

American Homemaker said...

LOL... we all have areas in our house like that. My biggie is my garage. Yike.

Rebekah said...

It's so refreshing to be real! Like you, I want to look back and remember the good times too. There's a very big reason that I am driven to dwell on the beautiful and it goes back to many years ago, but I believe that it is good and right to seek out the good and beautiful and to focus on it. Just as Philippians 4:8 says to do, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is LOVELY, whatever is admirable; if anything is excellent or praisworthy, think about such things." We aren't ignoring or covering up the not so pretty, we are just choosing to think on the things that God tells us to. I am drawn to blogs and people who encourage me to do this. So thank you sweet friend!

Christian - Modobject@Home said...

It is important to be real! The truth is, none of us are superwomen.

Bevy @ Treasured Up and Pondered said...

Thanks for sharing this post...
I love reading your blog, almost every day.

I'm fairly new to the blog world myself and I really appreciate 'blogs' and fellow blogee's who are REAL and honest. Thank you for being just that. You're certainly not alone in the whole "catching" up on clutter and keeping it that way.

Jessica said...

You're so funny! Thanks for being candid with us. I have moments of mess too. It just seems like certain areas of the house just build up until it bursts and then we shove it back in there with more stuff. ;) Just decluttered our bedroom because it wasn't a haven at all. Looked like our laundry room threw up in it. Glad that's clean, now on to the coat closet.

Meegan said...

You are too funny! I appreciate this post of yours. I find myself comparing my parenting, housekeeping, etc to other blogs so often, and it can make me feel so anxious about things. But you are right - we are real moms, with real piles of things that should be organized, with real kids that seem to fight and whine all day long! You just proved to me what my husband keeps trying to tell me - I'm normal and I'm doing things just fine!!

Traci @ The Bakery said...

Thank GOD!!! There are others like me out there.....I'm currently typing this as I'm sitting in a chair that is setting on last month's bills...ba haaaaa. I'm still trying to figure out what to do w/ my office...and most stuff is just ON THE FLOOR!!! Thank you for the great post!!!

Carrie said...

Love this post. :) I always remind myself that if the house was always clean and perfect it would mean that no one would actually being living there.