Confession - I'm not a Pinterest mom

Confession - I am not a Pinterest mom. There is a trend going around social media right now about a different category of mom - Type C. It strikes a good balance between the structure and organization of Type A, blended with the chaos and freedom of Type B. When I talk to friends about decorating my home or organizing a space, they always tell me to look at Pinterest. Listen, when I look on Pinterest, I see plenty of beautiful styles and decor that I love, but my space doesn't look like that. I don't have a cookie-cutter home, and my brain is not wired to figure out what would work, versus what I need to pivot to make it work for my space. Typically, I just look at my space and verbalize that I don't like it, but I don't quite know what to do to change or update it to be something I do like. It takes a long time for me to figure out how to design my home in a way that I love. 

A couple of years ago, my husband called me from the dump to ask me if I wanted two school desks. They were clean and in perfect working order, so I said sure. I figured it would be the perfect functional and aesthetic thing for my kids to use for school. They had openings for their books and supplies, and were the perfect size for their little bodies. I bought two metal chairs that would match the style in my home. I set up their homeschool area and was excited for the new year. Then we did homeschool at the dining table, on the couch, on the trampoline, and basically anywhere other than the desks. Occasionally, they would sit and color at the desk, but most of the time they would sit at the dining table to do the puzzle or art or whatever it was they had planned to do, together. It was a good Pinterest plan, but it didn't work as intended for how our family functions.

The top priority is that my home feels peaceful, welcoming, and functions for our family. The last time I visited my brother and sister-in-law, I arrived at their house on a Friday in the afternoon. We had just made the drive in 5 hours, and they had recently gotten home from school and work. I hugged my sister-in-law and exclaimed, "Your home is so clean!". She immediately responded with grace, "Well, we have been gone all day." It seems silly to say that this moment really impacted me. Of course my house was going to have more clutter and mess because we are all here all day, every day. We live, play, work, and school here, so there is simply more evidence of life. When I switched my perspective to evidence of life instead of clutter and mess, it really helped me have more grace and joy in my home. 

I am currently living the life I always dreamed of. I have an incredibly good-looking, hilarious, strong, hard-working husband who loves and provides for me more than I could ask for. I have three miracle kiddos that each have extracurricular activities, toys, hobbies, and specific interests that sometimes come in tiny little pieces. We have two cute dogs that unfortunately shed every time they breathe. My job is a dream job for a company that I love. I get to homeschool my kids in partnership with an incredible homeschool co-op near me. The things in my home and life should serve and support my family, not burden and overwhelm us.

In my home, there is a lot of evidence of life, evidence of the miracle that is a ton of answered prayers. My home isn't a Pinterest home, but it is overflowing with love, laughter, and genuine connection. I'll share more of the journey as we update things - starting with getting rid of those desks!