Currently and Thoughts on Reset

Social media and the blogging world can be a tough cookie.

A few weeks ago I decided that I just needed a little bit a reset, so I took a few weeks off of Instagram and Facebook. I deleted them from my phone and while I still planned to blog, I really haven’t been as consistent on here as I wish I could be.

It’s really hard for me to strike a balance on the internet. On one hand, I have worked really hard to grow and build this community, and writing and sharing about our life is such a fun passion/hobby of mine. I LOVE sharing with you all, and I do love the benefits that come from this as a “job”.

On the other hand, most people don’t get judged or reprimanded if they are spending daily time cooking or crafting or scrapbooking (does anyone do that anymore?), but if the job/hobby is on social media, it can quickly cross a line from fun to too much. Of course, we should all be checking in on our hearts and seeing if our hobbies are getting in the way of our lives, but for the most part hobbies like golfing and reading can be hidden from the public eye. Not so with blogging.

But then there is the factor of motivation. What is motivating me? Why am I posting/sharing? Is it for likes/comments/shares?  If it is, is that a bad thing? How do I decide what content to put out? Do I put out what gets the most views, what I want to write about, a mixture of both, or is that the same thing? How do I deal with it when I get a negative comment, negative feedback or negative interaction? How do I deal with it when I get positive feedback, positive feedback and positive interaction? Or what if I get no feedback at all? Nothing. No likes/comments/messages. What then?

How do I balance spending time enjoying social media and the community I have while still balancing time and attention to my family? When is too much? Is there a time or a season where I can be spending a little more time on my blog while my family kind of learns to fend for themselves, and learns that Mommy also has some things she likes to do to stay sane.

So basically, I took a little social media break to think through these questions and find my own answers to them. Spoiler alert: I didn’t figure it all out. But it was really, really nice to just be unburdened with all the voices and opinions that come at me through social media. I didn’t figure life out. I didn’t even really try. I just spent some time with my family and worked through how I want this space to look.

I want it to look real and authentic about things that really do matter while also sharing about the things that are not as important (like how I wash my dishes and menu plan). I want to share my family and write from my heart, and I want to do more of what I feel led to do and less of what “the people want”.

Anyways, that is all I have to say about that for today. If you feel like you got to end of this blog post and have no idea what I’m talking about, don’t worry. I’m just rambling. I’m just writing a post because my mind is full and I need a way to empty it. I’m just asking questions and hoping someone out there knows all the answers (LOL). And if that doesn’t satisfy you, I thought I would share a little bit of what we are doing currently in this month of October. Because, you know…the people want deep, AND the people want fluff!

Watching: We recently cancelled Netflix and Hulu, so we have been looking for things to watch on Amazon Prime. The kids are loving Shaun the Sheep, Theo is loving 24, and together we are watching Monk (again).

Reading: I just finished I Feel Bad About My Neck (meh.), am currently reading Dance, Stand, Run (LOVE it), and have Faith in the Spotlight up next!

Listening To: We have Seeds Family Worship playing almost constantly around here!

Making: A baby. Surely the world can’t expect much more from me. But some poppyseed muffins sure do sound good right about now.

Feeling: Exhausted, Blessed and Cold. If I say ‘in that order’ am I going to sound ungrateful for being more exhausted than blessed? Well, if you wanted real, you got it.

Planning: Baby #3! It’s amazing how little I’ve done to prep for this baby, but I guess it’s time to think about some important things. Like giving birth. And clothing a newborn. And diapering and burping and that type of thing. And feeding the rest of my family. Hm. I guess I have lots of planning to do!

Preschooling: This week we are working on letter T, we are talking lots about patterns and some basic addition, we are memorizing 1 John 1:5, and we are enjoying the colors and leaves of fall for crafts!

Loving: Not gonna lie…I love my evenings by myself. I put the kids to bed around 8, and then Theo doesn’t get home until 9:30, so that 1.5 hours is really good for my sanity. I usually read a book or watch Instagram stories!

Wearing: The only things left in my closet that fit me! Ha! I pulled out my winter/fall clothes the other day and was delighted to find that I had more maternity clothes that are long sleeved! Hallelujah!

On my Wish List: Does anyone else love finding things and adding them to your Amazon wishlist? I’m a pretty simple gal, but here are some things I wouldn’t mind ordering if I had a chance:

What are you up to lately?