How Pinterest awakened my inner Martha
I’ve always thought I’d make a great Oprah 2.0, but recently I’m thinking perhaps following in Martha Stewart’s footsteps is my calling (minus the felonies).
My “AH HA moment” came during my third hour of browsing Pinterest a couple weeks ago.
I was re-pinning left and right, impressed by all of these easy craft ideas I could recreate–fascinated by the amount of creative toddler activities I could be doing with my daughter.–Blown away by the amount of scrumptious food I could be cooking… If only I had the time.
I wouldn’t have been caught dead in the School of Family Life when I was at BYU. But now I have a sudden interest in everything home ec. It’s like a dormant Susie Homemaker from deep within is stirring.
Let my following Instagrams serve as examples.
My friend laughed when I told her this, and said it’s because I am lacking some serious balance in my life. Perhaps the work side of things seems to be overpowering my life so I have the desire to overcompensate on the other end of the spectrum.
I’ve been doing little experiments on my day off to see what my life could be like if I was a stay at home mom.
Last week I met up with some friends for an afternoon play date and brought a “homemade” keylime pie. I say homemade cause I made it at home, but truth is, the ingredients came in a box. The only thing the box didn’t have was a pan to bake it all in. I couldn’t find a pan at the store without crust in it, so I bought the pan with the pie crust but threw away the crust it came with (assuming it wouldn’t be as good) and proceeded to make the crust (and that went wrong too, I made it too mushy). So maybe I’m not a natural baker, but I can get better.
Next, I’ve wanted to take a stab at fun hair styles for Lil’ J. She has so much fun hair and I just want to dress it up!! And that glorious website allows me to save my favorite hairstyles to a cuts board fir her dos. After loading her up with tasty snacks, and popping a Disney movie in, she lets me go at it. She doesn’t care how long it takes so long as I call it her “princess hair.”
I’ve never learned how French braid or do anything cool with hair. But I want to dangit! I managed to do sorta-French braids and sorta-corn rows, each taking me about an hour. I’ll get better.
This week I had another play date and tried to plan time to craft but I’m realizing something… You can’t be Martha Stewart with kids at home. Or maybe you can, but I don’t know how. Why wasn’t Pinterest around when I was in college, so I old change my major to Family and Consumer Science Whatever?
I took Lil’ J to school for a few hours while I got some craft supplies for us, and worked on sewing her dress. When I picked her up I was refreshed from having a bit of “me time,” and we went to the park, painted, played with water balloons and made dinner. She “helped” me sew her dress some more before retiring to my bed to watch more Tangled. After she went to bed I stayed up finishing the dress, and this morning I got up and made a beef stew to cook in the good ol crock pot.
If you ask me, I’m on my way to being a bona fide homemaker. There’s one problem though. I’m under a disillusion that if only I was at home I could do Pinterest stuff all day. But I know how hard it is to get stuff done with ONE kid, much less two. And how much money would I spend completing that list of “50 awesome things to do with your toddler”? Or buying all the fun paints, feathers, and crafts, Popsicle sticks and glue… What have you?
It is also REALLY fun making the mess, but I don’t like cleaning it up. The cleaning part of the deal isn’t my thing at the moment.
And how long will this fascination of mine last? Does cooking and sewing and playing puppets get old? Would spending money feel way more awesome than making it? Or perhaps there’s a balance that I’ll find. Maybe I can be Oprah and Martha all wrapped into one.
So tell me my mom readers who don’t work outside the home at the moment, just exactly how much time do you have to do Pinterest things with/without kids?
I love being home with my girls (well one is in school and the other is on her way but that’s still called being home, right?!). I used to work and I couldn’t juggle it. I will say though, that the grass always looks greener on the other side. Everyone is different. The way I see it, my job wasn’t paying for anything more than what I could do at home; a cleaning lady, babysitter, and numerous dinners out. So I chose to give it up and do those things myself. I’m a homebody and I love it :o) I have plenty of time to scour Pinterest and do crafts because I am super organized. In the beginning I spent ALL my time cleaning and organizing. But once it’s done, the maintenance is very simple, I had a cleaning schedule for every day of the week and that gave me lots of free time for exercise and chilling. Now I need to get back to that schedule… hahaha!
I’m a SAHM of four, and the first thought that came to me is what Faigie said. . . the grass is always greener. I love being at home, and I do get to do a lot of fun stuff with my kids. But I also miss adult interaction, and am sometimes jealous of my husband and his career.
How much “time” you have for “fun” stuff definitely depends on how organized you are. And, let’s be honest. It’s much easier with one :).
I LOVE being a SAHM. I only have one at the moment, but she’s only one, so I’m taking my time for the second. I will say though I’ve been very blessed to have a little girl that loves to entertain herself and play with her interactive toys so I’m free to do my hair bow and graphic design on the side when I need to. I also LOVE to cook so pinterest recipes are so much fun and it’s great seeing the look on my husband’s face when he gets to come home to a different home made meal every night. I do have some help from my parents as far as helping pay for supplies. I, however, am a homebody, so I am more than happy to be home with my little girl all the time, we are also very involved in church so that helps me get the interaction with adults I need. All in all, I’d say follow your heart, my sister, for example, would go stir crazy being a SAHM, but she isn’t as crafty and doesn’t like to cook! I love it and wouldn’t trade it for the world even with the sacrifices my family has to make because of it.
P.S you seem to be pretty good at making clothes, which a lot of people will pay good money for so if you wanted side income and be a SAHM you could easily sell some of those!
I SAH with my 26 month old, and I am due with another little girl any day now. I absolutely LOVE being at home and watching her learn and grow and develop. We are a part of several playgroups and a MOPS group so we are always out at playdates and hanging with other moms and kiddos. When we are home, I love doing crafts with her, and for her. I sew and bake adn cook and love PInterest. I recently revamped my sewing stuff in the office where we set up a little table fo rher to color/play at and a tv to watch movies while mommy works on office stuff or crafts, and its working out really nicely.
I think even if you have a lot of kids, there’s plenty of time to be crafty/creative as a SAHM. You’d have to MAKE time. Stay-at-home mommying can be draining, but there’s time to do fun things. You just have to be your own boss and make it happen! BUT … I switched from working full-time to being at home full-time and I definitely overcompensated! Having complete creative control of my day is cool and all (and was super exciting at first!)… but I miss a work environment where you feel a certain satisfaction in the work you’re doing and you feel productive and people recognize you for contributing. Doing crafts and cooking good meals can be super fun some of the time… but, for example – the food gets eaten so fast and if you didn’t take a picture of it there’s no evidence of all your hard work! Ha ha. I think maybe your nesting instincts are kicking in differently with this pregnancy. 😉 Everything should definitely be done in balance. I wouldn’t quit work all of a sudden or anything! Heh. You’ll never get to do all the best Pinterest ideas anyway, so staying home wouldn’t even make a dent in all the things that get pinned!
Looks like you’ve been having tons of fun!
I don’t know if I can really answer your question because I’m kind of a hybrid mom — staying at home but also working from home (as a freelance writer and music instructor). So I really don’t have much time for Pinterest things. Maybe an hour each week. BUT! When I do have time, I usually have other mom friends over so we can all craft together. And that is really fun.
Pinterest is fun but I usually exit my browser feeling kind of unskilled and uncreative. I have tried some things, though, and I made a separate board for my favorite recipes, crafts and tips.
http://pinterest.com/jennabohenna/tried-and-true/
An hour? She lets you do her hair for a FULL hour? If I even touch my daughters,hair she screams owie mammmmaaaaa ouch!
I am a SAHM of two and if I’m lucky I might be able to pin for an hour. The hour of course would be after they have gone to bed.
In some ways more kids is actually easier because they can entertain each other. You can be whatever kind of mom you want, you just have to figure out what works best for you and be realistic with your expectations. Yes you will spend money on crafts if that’s what you choose to do but if you make a list of all of your expenses that come with being a working mom and all of the money you would save being a SAHM you might be surprised and find that you actually save more money staying at home and cooking most of your meals yourself, not paying for daycare, less money on gas and car repairs, etc.
Being a SAHM is wonderful for those of us who don’t really want to do anything else, at least for now, but it’s not for everyone. Take your time, think it through, discuss it with your DH and pray, not only am I sure you’ll make the right decision but I’m sure that you’ll be very successful at whatever you decide to to.
I’ll admit that i’ve been a little miserable at my job since I’ve been pregnant, but I’ve been telling myself that I shouldn’t make any rash decisions while I’m pregnant. I’ve just been bored and time drags, no matter how much work I have to do. I just don’t feel motivated like I used to. But I know for a while that feeling like crap all day every day didn’t do me any favors. And now that that’s over, there’s a part of me that just wants to focus on the baby (and to some degree my four year old son, though I know that my time home with him would be limited anyway), but then I think it might just be hormones so now is not the time to quit and stay home (not that I could anyway) or quit and find something else. I also know that by the time my maternity leave was over last time I was ready to go back (not to leave my baby, but to get back to adult interaction and have a break), so I’m not sure I could stay home anyway. My dream is to work part time, but I don’t know if it will ever be possible financially. I think the nesting instinct is probably coming out extra strong in you right now. Maybe you could be awesome at it, but would you miss the satisfaction of what you do at work now? It’s pretty powerful to be on TV…you can make a difference! Would you miss that too much? Just something to think about 🙂
I have been a SAHM since right before our oldest was born over 5 years ago (I was a nanny before) We now have three (5,3,2) and I have found being a SAHM to be rewarding but really challenging! In the spring of next year we are going to have some major shifts in our family. We are moving to a different country and I will be the one working and my husband will pretty much be a SAHD with some home office hours in the afternoon. I have sort of felt like a bit of a failure as a SAHM because I’m not that great at keeping a clean house. I know I have for sure have some parts that I’m good (dare I say great?!) at but I always seem come back to my short comings and I’m hard on myself for it. People will always tell me I’m so crafty and my house must be full of really cute projects that I’ve done and I jokingly say “yes if half finished projects laying everywhere is cute…” lol
I have a love/hate relationship with pintrest. I love all the idea’s but it just sucks my in and because of it my housework suffers… I have really had to limit my time on it as in I will go on when I have laundry going so I’m still keeping up with things. I have found some really cute things that I have made from ideas on there but at this point I’m mostly pinning things to try once we are settled in Canada because we are limited on how much we can move with us. Mostly I just really wish that everything that I pinned just magically happened! Oh that would be the life!!! 😀
I have been a stay at home mom for over 9 years now. There are days that I love every minute of it and days that I wish for nothing more than to have a lunch break. You never ever get a day off. I was a photographer before I had kids and I still ocassionally freelance, but I am still truely glad I chose to stay home. Although my 21 month old challenges that on a daily basis lately. I barely have time to make pancakes, let alone be Martha Stewart. I spend a few days getting the chores done and on the days when there is no laundry to fold, we do Pinteresty stuff. Also, I have to warn you that there are also days that I am bored out of my everlovin’ mind! Even getting ojt of the house for a few hrs isnt enough some days. I hate sitting at home but sometimes, like when the kids are sick or you have a lot to do, there isnt a choice. Nothing is ever going to be 100% wonderful. Being a sahm has been the hardest job I have ever done. But also the most rewarding.
For the first time in my life, I am a SAHM. I wish I could have done this with my other two, I realize how much I missed out on, working. As far as Pinterest and crafting, cooking…there are not enough hours in the day to do EVERYTHING! Right now it is 10 p.m. And I am getting a little me time. Of course there is always my little guys nap time…so I don’t get too much time to do Pinterest…even though I really enjoy it. By the look of things I would have to say you have the whole Martha Stewart thing down! That dress is just too cute!
I was a stay-at-home mom with 4 children for 20 years. After 20 years of marriage, I was faced with a divorce and no work experience. Thankfully, I had a degree in education and was able to get a job teaching third grade. I am now in my fifth year of teaching, and while it is probably one of the most kid-friendly jobs there is, I would give anything to still be a stay-at-home mom. My youngest is almost 10, and I feel like I am missing out on so much with her. Not to mention the fact that I am so stinking tired after teaching all day. Then I have all the stuff to do that I used to be able to get done while my older children were in school. By the time we finally get home, the thought of cooking dinner totally depresses me. I loved being a sham. I found that the days had a beautiful ebb and flow to them. I even homeschooled for awhile when my youngest was just a baby. That time at home with my middle-school aged kiddos and a baby were the happiest days of my adult life. Like I said, I would give anything to go back to that!!!!!
I don’t know if I qualify as a sahm. I’m more of a wahm/student and it depends on how much attention you’d like to give to your child. Somedays I feel so guilty because I am trying to crank out my orders so she gets a lot of tv time and then theirs fatigue days and then there are good mommy days. But honestly if you use time blocks and stick to your schedule (flexible around your little one) it is possible but yes, not making money gets old and stressful. Trust me.
I love that dress! Its BEAUTIFUL! Will definitely be coming back to your site to get ideas for after mine arrives.
Sounds to me like you’re getting some energy back!
I love staying home with HP, but I’m not able to accomplish a lot of crafty things during the day. I do cook a from-scratch dinner every night, but I’m sure you do more sewing/crafts with a full-time job than I do staying at home. That may just be because crafts are really my thing, though I have started knitting. I definitely have less time than I thought I would, but could also be because HP likes to take four short naps instead of two long ones, which leaves me feeling like I spend my whole day trying to get him to go to sleep. I’m sure that will change as he finds his sleeping rhythm and I find my groove as a mom. My next big project: starting the garden. As you can see, my interests revolve around food! Good luck finding the balance that’s right for you and your family!
I might get to check out pinterest for 30 minutes or so during the day, but I definitely cant be productive with it until after my little one is in bed for the night. Maybe I just havent found the balance yet, but I feel like I cant get anything done while little one is up and going. I get bits and pieces of cleaning dones when she naps.
Your post brought this to mind: http://revolutionfromhome.com/2012/04/lets-all-compare-our-perfect-lives-then-try-to-enjoy-our-day/
Cute post! I spend far too much time on pinterest haha!
I think that you’ll find the balance. They’ll be days when you’re Oprah 2.0 and days when you’re Martha 2.0. Love J’s Halloween dress. My sewing machine died on me. Crossing my fingers that Santa will leave one under the tree for Christmas though.
Pinterest makes me feel inspired and a looser mom all at the same time! Darn you pinterest! Lol. Oh, you inspired my Woman of the Year post last week! I’m glad you and lil J or having so much fun and you will definitely find a balance.
Thanks for every other informative site. Where else could I am getting that type of info written in such a perfect approach? I have a mission that I am simply now working on, and I’ve been at the glance out for such information.