"Spring Cleaning"

I would like to let you know that my blog will be getting a bit of a "spring cleaning" as I am refocusing it back to my family and my girls. When I began blogging it was simply to journal and keep track of adorable memories. Since finding out that I had an opportunity to make money with my blog I changed it to make it more informational. I have been disappointed in it as it isn't at all why I started blogging and the tone of it has, indeed, changed. I haven't pursued making money with my blog because I don't want to be told what to write about even if it is harmless. This may make my blog less interesting to some and I'm ok with that.

After a long and honest talk with my husband about how I felt, he and I have decided to start a private blog that we will both write in, mostly life-lessons, information and research articles we will write about vaccines, birth, pregnancy, parenting and life in general that we would like to share with our girls when they're older and hopefully learn from. They can take from it what they want. Our hope is that they know we will support them if their decisions differ from ours, as long as they stay centered on their faith, which we pray for daily. We want to be very candid and open with them about struggles we have had, ranging from long-distance dating, wedding planning, many aspects of parenting and staying focused on Christ in a world that often shuns Him. We are are doing this privately so as to be very open and not offend anyone. However, if anyone would like to know our take on something, we are willing to copy and paste a post for others. I will be creating a page on here of articles we have written on our private blog that we are open to sharing upon request, but they will be emailed to you only! I will also post links to others' blogs if it is a topic we fully believe for our family but neither of us has written about. I will back these articles 100% or I will not post a link to them. I am doing this because I have a few friends who have asked for our advice and am willing to give it if someone asks, but after praying about it, I don't feel I am supposed to be putting advice out there unless it's asked for.

I hope you continue to enjoy reading about our lovely girls. They truly are a joy and a blessing!

For activities, mostly holiday-related, feel free to visit Picasso Was Once A Toddler Too, my other blog. I will most likely be updating it around holidays or sacraments. I want to focus on being with my girls and not getting all caught up in showing off everything we do, what an "amazing mom" I am (j/k, I try!), and feeling the need to prove to people that I am educated, independent and smart even if "just" a SAHM. I have confidence in myself and my mothering and only what my girls think and remember about their childhood matters to me.
Please don't take this the wrong way. I love reading blogs and I give moms a lot of credit who can be so educational while remaining centered on their children. Again, I hope you continue to enjoy our simple stories!

I'm sorry, but I just have to vent

It seems to me that some people have way too much time on their hands. I mean, if you're worrying about someone else and picking on them, then really you need to get a life.
I was recently criticized for copying another blog's ideas and phrases such as "Happy Reading". First of all, I never knew anyone had a copyright on that phrase and second of all, do you really think I remember what people say and think, "Oh my goodness, I'm in 2nd grade again so let's copy everything they do". Get real people. I have two kids, am pregnant, watch 2 other girls during the week and have a husband who travels. I truly do not have time for such ridiculousness.
Another point I would like to make is that the blog to which this person thinks I have been copying does have some similar things. But, I was working on some projects with Ruby Red for weeks beforehand so how was I supposed to know we'd post similar things within days of each other? Yeah, I'm not a mind-reader and obviously not a copy-cat if my very involved project was complete when I posted it!
I really wish that if someone had a problem they would confront me face to face, instead of anonymous, cowardly and completely immature putting insults out there for everyone to see, instead of talking to me privately. Grow up people!
I do have another blog, mainly because I didn't want this one so random and mumble-jumbled with different interests. I will keep it that way. There is nothing wrong with that and I never intentionally meant to upset anyone.
But really, the anonymously rude and cowardly comments could be done away with. If the blogger had a problem, she could have come to me privately and asked me my intentions. I obviously have nothing to hide since I went right to her to tell her of the situation (she may have already known, who knows!) because I wasn't guilty of anything.

For the future, if anyone has a problem with anyone, confrontation is uncomfortable but it's a lot better handling it in an adult fashion. Let's be respectful of each other. If you're going to criticize someone, make sure you're not being an idiotic fool in the process.

Blogging

I never thought I would become a blogger. My husband mocks blogs and often refers to one of those "inspirational" posters he saw that said something to the effect of "Blogging: People having a lot to say about nothing".  I don't remember the exact quote but you get the gist. In a sense that is what I am doing. This isn't intended with a particular theme in mind or to be a persuasion for religion, politics or a certain lifestyle. Honestly, I've started this because I have found myself out somewhere and thought "I have to remember to write this down when I get home".  But do I ever do that?  Of course not! I'm too darn busy and when I do remember, it's on a scrap piece of paper that inevitably gets lost or thrown out. This blog serves as an outlet where I can get both the important and even the meaningless things out- a sort of journal, if you will. I don't intend to become one of those obnoxious bloggers who has an opinion about everything and has to let everyone know I know something about everything. If I wanted to do that I would be pasting this on everything. The only way one would come upon this is maybe seeing the link on facebook or, more probably, happening upon it. If this bores you, you can pass it up. If you want to journey through lifes ups and downs and the frustrating and hysterical moments with me, then come along!