balancing

Note: This entry was reposted after mysteriously disappearing months ago. I added some new pictures, though ; )

Joanna Goddard's new series on balancing work, life and motherhood has me smitten.  Amazingly talented working mom's like Jordan Ferney of Oh Happy Day!, Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen, Jenny Komenda of Little Green Notebook, Elizabeth Antonia of The Littlest, Jenna Park of Sweet Fine Day and Amanda Hesser of Food 52, have beautifully and honestly described the good, the bad and the ugly sides of, as Joanna said, "the actual day-to-day of how they do it."

This year, I've felt more scattered and stretched than before, so finding this connection with other women + mom's has meant so very much to me.  Each morning I scramble to read the next post, soaking up the post and then re-read each one of them over again.  I feel like hugging Joanna for creating this series.  I think it's really wonderful when women are forthright about the hardships faced with trying to do it all.  It's easy to believe the little lies we tell ourselves; like every other mom has it together and we don't.

I love what Elizabeth of the littlest wrote:

"Every day I find myself thinking, 'If not the mama, then who?' Women really are extraordinary in their ability to do so much as caregivers, partners, sisters, friends. I think we innately just want to please and to help each other. However, it's of vital importance that we are authentic to ourselves and simply do our best, whatever that is. It's so easy to compare ourselves to other moms out there (especially online) thinking that they have it all, do it all. We can look to each other for inspiration and connection but at the end of the day, how we translate this into real living with our family and friends is the most important thing."

Whether you are a stay at home mom, a working mom or both, you won't regret reading this fantastic series.  

xo,

steph

need see the doctur?

Dylan is sick today and I am lucky enough to get to stay at home with him.  He is still a wild man, but now he is wild with a cough and green snot.  I am so happy that he can balance his level of extreme crazy with such sweetness. He put his hand on my belly this morning and said, "Mama, need see the doctur for a check-up?"  And then he gave me a kiss.

xo,
steph

Little Miss Perfect...

In my morning blog hop I ran across this hilarious post via Say Yes to Hoboken.  Please read.  It will make you laugh, I promise.  It totally made my morning.

I adore the blogs I read and come across on an daily basis.  I find so many blogs that are beautiful, that are inspiring, that make me feel connected to other creative people around the world.  But here's the thing: sometimes I find myself trying to keep up with the perfectly staged, beautifully created worlds I view on blogs.

Then Perfectionist Steph has an inner temper tantrum.  It goes something like this:

Perfectionist Steph:  "I can't dooooooo it!  I can't keep up!  My camera was stolen HOW will I properly document my baking post?

"Normal" Steph: "Wait, am I doing a baking post?"

Perfectionist Steph: "Of course you are!  Remember?  In support of your brand-new gluten-free, sugar-free lifestyle, you are going to do a step-by-step, perfectly staged post on how to cook the most delicious and fabulous gluten-free, sugar-free muffins.  And you won't even use flour!"

"Normal" Steph:  "Oh. I'm way behind."

Perfectionist Steph:  "Yes.  yes you are. And you gave your child a Chick-Fil-A egg and cheese muffin this morning.  And you didn't wipe the coffee stains off of the kitchen island when you left the house.    And your car is. disgusting. And have you seen how much laundry you have to do? And p.s. last night's rotisserie chicken and salad did not constitute making dinner.

"Normal" Steph:  {blank stare}

Perfectionist Steph can be a bi-otch.  I think that's why, when I started this blog a month ago, I ended up abandoning it for a few weeks.  I felt overwhelmed.

I fully support and admire the beautiful, the inspiring, the creative and the motivational of the blog-world.  That's why I started this blog--to post on the many amazing things I see each day.  To me, blogs are endless little archives of the best and most gorgeous life moments.  Recipes, photography, art, music, media, humor, self-reflection...I love reading about all of it.  But, I have to remind myself that life moments are funny regardless of the state of my house or the check-list of good mother deeds I complete before 7 am in the morning.

I thought about posting this funny picture of Dylan a few weeks ago, but didn't because of several factors I found too horrifying to expose.  I am now listing these embarrassments for your viewing pleasure.  You should know, despite these admissions, that I look really hot today.

True Life:  An un-staged, snap shot of Steph Meyer's child + living room:

1. Gross floor.  And, just to be brutally honest here, those spots were from a previous day.  Or week.

2a.-2b. Toddler art on non-toddler art home objects.  From a previous day.  Or week.

3. Fruit Loops.  I know.  And they were the real deal.  Not the "organic" brand.  I was probably having a bowl, too.

4. Gross coffee table spots.  And yes, I know there are more than three stains.  I just got tired of sizing/rotating the arrows.

5. Three foot curtain "pool".
Note:  Three feet is too much "pool" for curtains.  You probably already know this, but if you don't then remember: 
Don't leave measurements at home and then call husband for said measurements while at the fabric store. Should said incident happen again, subtract at least 36 inches from total measurement husband gives you.  
Disclaimer: after 21/2 years with curtains like this, we finally fixed them.  We are so on it.

6. I have no idea why this blanket was on our lovely college-esque excuse of a television stand, but I can tell you that instead of moving it I passed by it and looked at it a few times (weeks).

7. The cord situation is just....sigh.  And I can see how it could appear to certain people as a potential hazard for oh, I don't know, a two year old, but, as you can see, Dylan is clearly content in his rocking chair.  Thank God you can't see the stains on the seat.

xo,
little miss less than perfect

So busy...

Well it only took two years and nine months for Dylan to give me the official "mom shaft".  I took this video of him the other day.  He had just fallen down and ran up to me and said, "MOM! I hurt my body!" But the way he says it sounds more like, "Moooommmm.  Eye. hert. mye. bahdie!"
It was pretty funny and very adorable.  Of course, I hate whenever my little guy hurts himself, but most of the time he is a-ok and now I get to hear him say his new catch phrase in his cutest, tickle my heart kind of voice.

In my shameless attempt to capture this funny new saying on video, I got the shaft.  I guess I kinda deserved it...I had already taken two videos earlier that morning.

Watch + enjoy (I get the shaft at the very end).

xo,
steph