I think social media has done some amazing things. We can share products, our own creations, we can promote affiliate products, and we can keep others informed on our lives.
But I don’t think my feed is the only feed that is full of perfect white houses, fancy cars, beach vacations, and designer matching clothes for children.
It’s starting to become overwhelming.
Am I the only one that feels guilty for cooking spaghetti tonight as I scroll through perfectly large white homes and a 5 course dinner perfectly cut on a cute plate for a toddler?
I’m lucky if I toss the noodles and sauce onto the plate before my toddler loses patience and throws it right back at me!
With inflation hitting at an all time high, my decorating has taken a back burner. My cute, handmade, high quality, designer wreaths have too. There are still empty walls in my house, and I am using a dresser as a TV stand at the moment. There are still a few rooms in my house that need rugs! And my pantry looks like a tetris game because I need to have some extras on hand with the ever-changing supply chain issues.
As I was scrolling through social media, I realized a good deal of this “cloud” of unhappiness was due to the fact that I was totally comparing myself. Currently in my pajamas, and day two makeup, with a messy apartment and pregnant body that sure isn’t holding back on the stretch marks.
Compare that to pregnant women body building in perfectly toned bodies with zero stretch marks, that have never been overweight, and their perfect gym was in their perfect house. Of course I feel discouraged.
I was comparing my business’s progress with the big time influencers who probably make at least a million a year.
I was feeling like a failure. My apartment isn’t the way I want it to be, I haven’t been decorating like usual, I am not selling tons of wreath, etc.
And then I realized. I am not trying to keep up with the Joneses. I’m doing okay.
Maybe with social media I am becoming so accustomed to the perfectly filtered lives portrayed that I am forgetting there is a real, raw part of motherhood and homemaking for many mommas that I don’t see on Instagram.
There is probably another mom on day two makeup who is still in her worn out pajamas from Wal-mart’s clearance section.
Maybe I am forgetting that even the most perfect social media influencers may yell at their spouse or children occasionally too. And maybe they’ve been through months and years of penny pinching before. Maybe they started from what felt like the bottom too.
As I thought about this, I realized that it’s okay for me to show that side too. The Kelsie that wants a perfectly decorated home is going to have a mismatched apartment for a while, and that’s okay. Maybe my pantry will be stuffed full and there may not be room for cute bins. But my pantry is full.
Perhaps it is okay to share that side of me, and still have a knack and a talent for decorating and making my houses feel like homes. Because homes are meant to be lived in and loved. Right?
So maybe I will be okay with my fridge that doesn’t have clear bins and cute labels. Because my fridge is full and I can still afford milk and butter.
Maybe underneath my kitchen sink will be a cluttered disaster but I’ve got dish soap for days and I won’t run out of trash bags if there’s a supply chain issue.
My laundry room won’t be decorated for a bit longer, maybe it never will be, but I can still make it clean and keep the hampers from overflowing. That is still part of making my house at home.
Maybe motherhood isn’t all glamorous and I don’t need to feel bad that I don’t get manicures with the seasons.
Maybe motherhood and homemaking is crying over spilled milk from exhaustion. Maybe Motherhood is wearing old pjs all day because you only have a few nice outfits for outings. Maybe this part of life is normal.
Perhaps I am not the only one using what I have and stretching budgets and pinching pennies.
And maybe that part of motherhood needs to be seen a bit more. Normalized. Perhaps even expected. The good, the bad, and the ugly. And realizing that just because we aren’t announcing to the world that we achieved a personal milestone, that we are still winners.
I am so thankful for my job, my business. The ability to speak freely and share the real-deal motherhood and homemaking that I am experiencing. The joy in decorating my apartment. The feeling of success in completing a room, and fully enjoying it without wondering if I will have a perfect house.
I am thankful for this little wake-up call, to live in the moment. Because truly, I am living my dream.
This was the life I dreamed. A cute, funny, loving husband and father, children, family. This is the life I dreamed of as a little girl. And I am here! And just because the world has shifted and motherhood is seemingly perfect, I can still be proud of living my humble dream. Living for these moments, and setting goals to achieve new visions and new goals, without letting my current life slip away.
If social media is making you compare, remember your childhood dreams. Remember where you started, and see the progress you are making. Celebrate the wins and the success you have achieved so far. Remember that there is no shame in living an unfiltered life and trying to figure out homemaking and motherhood for the first time. Because in all reality, we all are.
XOXO,
Kelsie Ann <3
