how to get it all done

so...
maybe you're not like me.

but, i'll tell you, this is the kind of thing that happens to me at this time of year.

i start scrolling through instagram...
or leafing through magazines...
or browsing through blogs...
and i see the crafts that she's doing...
and the meals that she's making...
and the goodies that she's baking...
and the holiday decor that she's already put up...
and the elaborate table settings...
and the intricate centerpieces, complete with coordinating place cards...
and...
and...
and.

and i begin to berate myself
and beat myself up
and ask myself, "how does she do it all?"
implying, of course, that the hypothetical "she" does do it all...
and i, of course, fall short, come up lacking, and do not do it all.

i try to always present an honest and open front, especially on social media.
i don't think i come across as a bright and shining example of how a perfect life looks, but that doesn't really matter, does it?
because when we're out to compare ourselves, anyone and everyone looks more "with it" than we do, right?

how do i do it all?

here's how...
this is what the rug by my back door looks like right now.
it rained this weekend.
and by "it rained this weekend," i mean it rained ALL weekend.
that is mud on the rug {and on the door, i'm noticing now}.  not dirt.
that rug is toast.  gone.  kaput.  garbage.
but i refuse to change it out until thursday morning.
i'll want a nice, clean one there for our thanksgiving company...
i'm not going to drive myself batty putting down a clean one now and trying to keep it clean until thursday.  no way, no how.
if you stop by my house between now and thursday, expect to be greeted at the back door by this sight.
sorry.
not really.

and this is what it looks like in my living room.
i'm sure the littles are playing incredibly educational games on those electronics, right?
hmmmmm...probably not.
judging from the, "addie!  don't burn my house down!" i just heard, i'd guess that they're "connected" on minecraft.
{not that i really have any clue what that means, mind you.  minecraft is above my pay grade, evidently.  i'm clueless.}

and those bags?
those are filled with supplies for the next batch of christmas tree trucks that i'm making.
i don't have a studio.
hey, i don't even have a dedicated craft table.
so my craft supplies end up here and there and everywhere...
until the project at hand is finished and i gather them up and stow them away.

and if you were standing and staring at that big pile of shopping bags and then turned to your left, this is what you'd see...
that's our fabulous vintage record player...
buried under packaging supplies, boots waiting to be listed on ebay, and an antique printer's drawer ready to be shipped to a friend.

the bathroom?
the bathroom is spotless.
i know that because i had to inspect it three times before it reached "spotless" status.
but still, eleven-year-olds aren't great at remembering to put away the vacuum.  or empty the mop-water bucket, for that matter.
so, while the bathroom is spotless, the vacuum sits in the middle of the hallway.

and since mommy had to work today {work at home, granted, but still work}, the littles occupied themselves for some of the day in their room.
and it shows.
they also spent over an hour outside in the wet, slushy snow.
i won't even show you the mound of laundry that created.
and in the interest of full disclosure, i should probably admit that all these photos were taken as i strolled through my house at 5:12.
in the evening.
in my pajama pants.
yes, i've made it a goal to get dressed daily.
like, ready-to-leave-the-house dressed.
but it didn't happen today.
it just didn't.

and eden...
eden dressed herself.
stripes match stripes, right?
seems like good logic to me.



you see, this is how i get it all done.
i. don't.
and neither does "she." and neither can you.

oh, you may never get to see her muddy back-door mat.
you might not get to see her five-in-the-afternoon pajama ensemble, or her stack of unruly shopping bags.
she may never show you her mis-matched toddler or her mis-placed vacuum, or her messy bedrooms.

but they're there.
they may manifest themselves differently.
but they're there.

we all have to choose what "gives"...

today, my rug and my bedrooms and my clothing choices and my clutter tolerance all had to "give"...
and because they "gave," i was able to ship several hundred dollars worth of merchandise.

i'm all for a pretty instagram feed.
there's enough negative in life...
i like instagram for the fact that it {mostly} showcases the nice, the pretty, the positive in our days.
but just remember, that's what social media is--the highlight reel.
i've heard it said before, and it's so, so true--you cannot take your life, complete with cuts and outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage, and compare it with someone else's highlight reel.

you already know most of this, right?
but sometimes it just takes someone saying, "see? my house has dirty spots, too.  and i have clutter piles, too.  and some days, i end up still in my jammies at dinnertime, too."
sometimes it just takes someone else admitting that they don't get it all done.
that's me. both hands in the air.
i'm admitting it.  i don't get it all done.  not even close.  
i'm that someone for you today.

my challenge for you?
go be that someone for somebody else.
you just never know who might breathe a sigh of relief at the thought that you don't actually do.it.all.
be real.
not real perfect.
just real.

xo





8 comments:

  1. Erin, Seriosuly..... Thanks you for this, even though I'm not a blogger or a creator for anyone other than myself, I work full time and I'm a doer to the core and I often feel that I come up short--I try not to compare as I do believe it is the thief of Joy, but alas, I am human and I do it... So, thanks girl for being so real, I live in AR and so wish I could have come and met you at Nat's get together. I visited her farm back in the summer for her canning workshop and instantly knew she was the real deal. Have a great rest of the week and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your fam.... Hugs for the post.... :)

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  2. I love that your home looks like my home.... full of love and crazy times.

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  3. Wonderful post! Some days I change back into jammies after school pick up! :)

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  4. Thanks for this~because I do wonder how makers do it all. Glad to see the real~and to know I'm not alone.

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  5. You + this post = Hero status ;) ~ I just loved this so much!! I was looking at the photos and reading along thinking, ME TOO!!! We have that rug and those boots and mud...red clay mud that stains and sticks to everything. And our house is tiny, so there are always bags and shoes and toys and clothes...sigh. {But I'm so deeply thankful for those people I'm constantly picking up after} This was so good and so appreciated :) ~ Hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

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  6. Love this post!! It is hard to keep a clean house!! Mine looks ok but know with a new dog (newfoundland) and nine people it seems to be overwhelming most days . I just cant seem to get together any more. Oh well life goes on right? Love love love the kids beds!!!! elma2179@yahoo.com

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