blogging~ an open letter to my readers

To a lot of people, blogging is either: A: something they’ve never heard of B: something that “techies” do C: a lifestyle

To me, blogging is a lifestyle… and, despite what some may think- it’s not an easy one. Sure, you can decide your own “hours” – AKA when to post new content, and sure, you’re your own “boss” AKA you decide what to post.

But, what some people don’t know is.. it’s a never ending job. You can’t leave “the office” because “the office” is your life. And, I’m not talking about self-promotion-social-media-glued-to-the-computer life , either.

My “office” is my kitchen, my dining room, my adventures, my experiences and my opinions. It goes beyond making a recipe and sharing pictures. To be honest, I have to share more than that. Personally, I feel inauthentic if I just give a recipe. Some of y’all have followed me since my early blogspot days and cheered me on when a psycho-mom from the All Recipe forum got catty. You’ve watched me go from crappy pics to not-so-crappy pics. You’ve been there as my toddler grew into a child. And, my step-daughter went from a kid to a pre-teen. You encourage me through your interaction- be it comments, emails & facebook. If I vent about an issue, it’s you guys that offer insight. I may have not met many (if any) of you guys in person… but, I care about each and every one of you. I worry when I see fires and storms on the news.. my first thought is “I hope none of my readers are going through that”. I’ll see a new product at the store… my first thought? “Oooo, I want to share this with my readers” Whenever something happens… I want to share it, – the same way you’d share it with a friend. That’s why you’re no longer my readers once you visit… you’re a friend.

With that being said, there are times when I just can’t conjure up words to type.. or recipes to share- and that’s where my “job” gets tough, because it feels as if I am letting my friends down. I get discouraged just like everyone else gets at his or her own job… weather that job is being a parent, a doctor, a cashier, or a homemaker. I get discouraged when traffic is low, a photo is rejected, or another proposal goes un noticed. In addition, there’s the everyday life issues; laundry, cleaning, shopping, organizing…and, there are times when I wish I didn’t have a blog.. (really). There are times when I wish I could just delete my social media accounts and walk away. I get tired of feeling as if I have to defend myself, my actions and my life. I get tired of people judging how good a parent I am by how many or few photos I post of my daughter and stepdaughter.

But, I’m not going to let that ruin it for everyone else.

And, whether you’re a blogger, chef, homemaker or cashier…

Don’t let that one person or situation define who and what you are.

I’m a ex- health food store manager that uses Crisco on occasion.

I’m a step-mother and a mother.

I’m a girl that likes to catch frogs and snakes to show my kids.

I’m divorced because sometimes you have to kiss more than one frog to find your prince.

I’m not good at sports, and I won’t force my kids to be good at them, either.

The kitchen is my territory and I’ll defend it- however, feel free to clean it.

I will try new things and not give up if they don’t go as I wish.

I know that it’s not “why” is this happening, it’s “what” am I to learn from this…

I will continue to blog and be authentic, not perfect.