Perfection Pending

By Meredith Ethington

  • My Books
    • The Mother Load
    • Mom Life: Perfection Pending – The Book
    • Free eBook: Sometimes Motherhood Sucks
    • How To Grow Your FB Following
  • Motherhood
    • Inspiration
    • Encouragement
    • Childhood
    • Humor
    • Parenting Memes
    • Friendship
    • Marriage
  • Kid Ideas
    • Recipes
    • Practical Tips
    • Babies & Toddlers
    • teens and tweens
    • The Elementary School Years
  • Mental Health
    • Mental Health
    • Anxiety
  • About
    • Favorite Posts
    • My Portfolio
    • Privacy & Disclosures

Christmas Humor Motherhood Parenting Perfection Uncategorized

Reality VS. Pinterest-A Holiday Home Tour of Sorts

0 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Recently, I started a part-time job. I’m loving it. And, it has to do with blogging. Get this…I work for another blogger! It’s really fun, and she is such a sweet person and has like 5 million more followers than me or something. So, I’ve learned a lot too! In the process though, I’ve also been looking at a lot of crafts, DIY projects, and holiday home tours. I can now say that looking at pinterest is part of my job. “Yeah, honey. I’m working.” wink wink.

So, when you spend a lot of time looking at pretty and perfect things all day, you can start to feel a little bit loser-ish. I’ve even been tempted at this insanely busy time of year to go to Michael’s and purchase items for crafts!! Ahem, I don’t do crafts, remember? Except for this time. And, this one. But, still, everyone makes it all look so simple! Sure, I can make a reindeer statue out of styrofoam. Really, I can.

One thing I’ve noticed right now is the trend toward holiday home tours. I love them. I’m one of those weird people that if you leave your blinds open with the lights on at night, I can’t help but look in. Creepy!! So, a holiday home tour to peek inside someone’s house is right up my alley. But, these homes are AMAZING. Don’t have a clue what I’m talking about? Search for holiday home tour on Pinterest. You’ll catch on quick. But, the amazingness of some of these homes might leave some of you feeling inadequate. If so, then this post is for you!

So, I thought I would do a little Perfection Pending holiday home tour. I’m going to title it, “I have 3 small children 7, 4, and 2 living here…what more can you expect?” K, so the title needs a little work, but anyway, you get the idea. And, get ready for some low quality photos too. Excited!?

Reality vs. Pinterest. A holiday home tour that will help you lower your holiday decorating expectations

Let’s start with our lights on our Christmas tree. Lovingly Hastily hung by my husband with care at 11 pm at night when I said I was too tired to help.P1050073

Next, I’ll take you to another fun corner of the house where I shove all the stuffed animals that make annoying noises. I hope the kids won’t notice them and drive me to insanity. There are only so many times you can hear jingle bells by a penguin puppet’s animated voice.

P1050081

From there, I’ll show you how we hung our stockings this year. We have an awesome wrap around fireplace, but no mantel, so they were hung on our fireplace screen. Talk about creative!

P1050078

There’s the gingerbread house we made. P1050075Candy has been eaten, and the roof is now missing, but you can use your imagination for that.

P1050074We’re really good at keeping track of how many days are left until Christmas, too.

P1050090I found this little treasure on my window sill in my bedroom. Oops! We’re missing two wheels. I guarantee you we’ll never see those again. But, we’ll still bring out this train from my husband’s childhood every year anyway. That’s how we roll. Or don’t, I should say.

P1050077Let’s not forget this wreath I threw in my kitchen window because I didn’t know where else to put it. Looks good with the other “decor” of fresh basil, pacifiers, tylenol, and hand sanitizer.

P1050082And, we definitely can’t forget the snowman nativity that got shoved into the cabinet of the end table. Sorry, baby Jesus. I think that’s you upside down in the back….

And, of course, the ornaments….P1050085 Cheerios may or may not have been eaten off of this one.

P1050088The snowman that used to say, “Ho, Ho”

P1050089And, the baby that isn’t mine.

I do love my nativity though. Although, I do wish my stocking hangers had a place to you know…hang stockings.P1050080

And, this banner I won on Emily Thomas Writes makes me “believe” that one day I’ll have a picture perfect home. Even if it’s not in this lifetime. There’s that annoying cute little elf.

P1050076But, my absolute favorite part, for real…..when I see my tree from the outside of my house. It truly does make me happy. Even if the bottom is a little heavy on the lights and looks like it’s about to catch fire…..

P1050091Have a realistic holiday season. It will make us all feel better.

 


30 Comments

« The 5 Stages of CrazyTown When You Keep Your Kids Out Past Bedtime.
I Never Would Have…. »

Comments

  1. Lindsey says

    December 11, 2013 at 3:00 pm

    Can I just say I love you even more now? This made me laugh so hard and I needed that today.

    Reply
    • Lindsey says

      December 11, 2013 at 3:05 pm

      PS Can I just say I love that you have a frame for baby’s first Christmas with someone else’s kid. Bwahahaha.

      Reply
  2. Claudia Schmidt says

    December 11, 2013 at 4:49 pm

    Love this post, much more like my house than like all the beautiful, “perfect” Pinterest posts I’ve been seeing. When you have kids and a job, Christmas is never as picture perfect as the magazines. Thanks for a reality check 🙂

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      December 11, 2013 at 5:24 pm

      Thanks for the kind comment! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Amber says

    December 11, 2013 at 5:58 pm

    I love your decorations! They remind me a lot of ours. I think you did the same gingerbread house too!

    Reply
  4. Rachel Wagner says

    December 11, 2013 at 7:24 pm

    This is pretty hilarious. I especially like the baby photo that isn’t yours. So funny. I think that we are all chasing the Christmases of our childhood as adults and it isn’t possible.

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      December 11, 2013 at 10:12 pm

      Thanks Rachel!!

      Reply
  5. zeudytigre says

    December 12, 2013 at 1:18 am

    This made me smile – great post 🙂

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      December 12, 2013 at 8:45 am

      Thanks!

      Reply
  6. Kelly says

    December 12, 2013 at 8:14 am

    The ornament with the baby that isn’t yours. Classic. Half of the lights on my mantel are out, and I just haven’t had the motivation to try to fix them or get new ones. It is what it is 🙂

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      December 12, 2013 at 8:46 am

      Exactly. We can only do so much right? Getting my 83 Christmas cards sent out this year was a higher priority than making sure that the baby picture in the ornament was changed….

      Reply
  7. monk monk says

    December 12, 2013 at 12:43 pm

    I love this so much

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      December 12, 2013 at 1:49 pm

      Thanks!! How are you??

      Reply
  8. Sarah @ Bombshell Bling says

    December 12, 2013 at 2:00 pm

    I love this! Thanks for being real!! 🙂

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      December 12, 2013 at 2:02 pm

      Thanks for stopping by!! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Frantic Mama says

    December 13, 2013 at 9:19 am

    Hahahaha. I hope you “Have a realistic Christmas!” too! Especially love the Cheerios ornaments and the half-decorated Santa. This is SO much like every house with little kids. Not exactly what Pottery Barn depicts :).

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      December 13, 2013 at 10:45 am

      Thanks Julia! 🙂

      Reply
  10. Kerry says

    December 15, 2013 at 11:17 am

    This is awesome!! I think my favorite is your keeping track of the days til Christmas. haha!

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      December 16, 2013 at 9:53 am

      Yep. And since I wrote this post, we still haven’t added anymore cotton balls. :/

      Reply
  11. Lindsey @ sisterstosons.com says

    December 16, 2013 at 6:48 pm

    This post cracks me up! In the same boat with 3 kids…. people who do real holiday tours must lock their kids up!

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      December 16, 2013 at 8:04 pm

      Yes! Maybe that’s the key!! 😉

      Reply
  12. Suzanne @AndMyHouse says

    December 20, 2013 at 1:09 pm

    You are so right! I have yet to send out Christmas cards… 🙁

    Reply
  13. Morgan Molitor says

    December 22, 2013 at 10:10 am

    This is hilarious!! Love it.

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      December 27, 2013 at 6:48 pm

      Thank you! And, thanks for stopping by!! 🙂

      Reply
  14. Brittany says

    October 19, 2014 at 10:48 pm

    I love it, Meredith! You’re so cool. How are things these days? Sounds like you’re enjoying the job. I miss you! Is that weird since I haven’t actually met you?

    Brittany

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      October 20, 2014 at 2:41 pm

      Things are good…busy, but good. No, it’s not weird! I totally feel close to blogging friends. 🙂

      Reply
  15. Kay says

    November 16, 2016 at 8:05 am

    My most real Christmas was when my son was right after my baby started walking. The Christmas tree looked hilarious. The top half was crowded with lights and ornaments because I put ALL of them up there. That’s right. The entire bottom half of our tree was completely bare because I was so afraid he would either eat the ornaments, break them, or chew on the lights and shock himself. Every friend that came by just laughed at me but I didn’t care. My kid was safe and I could go to the bathroom with peace of mind! ?

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      November 16, 2016 at 9:16 am

      Haha. yes, I remember those days!

      Reply
  16. cracTpot says

    November 24, 2016 at 3:30 am

    Love the way you roll…or don’t roll. Whole Christmas memories are so much more important than broken Christmas ornaments. Enjoy all that the season has to offer. Merry realistic Christmas to you and yours

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The Holidays With Toddlers: Fantasy Vs. Reality - Perfection Pending says:
    December 16, 2017 at 9:01 pm

    […] of all, to survive, set your expectations low–Actually, don’t even have any expectations and you’ll stay […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Welcome! I’m Meredith.

Mom. Writer. Diet Coke connoisseur. Born and raised Texan. Lover of real talk and laughter with a hint of sarcasm mixed in.

The Mother Load

Perfection Pending on Instagram

perfectpending

Mom • Author • Mental Health Therapist In Training
Grab my new book, The Mother Load, available now. 👇👇

Meredith Ethington
Definitely true for me. ❤️ Definitely true for me. ❤️
"I don’t believe a growth mindset is bad all the "I don’t believe a growth mindset is bad all the time, or even most of the time for that matter. I think you can have a growth mindset and not gaslight yourself into always looking on the bright side and saying everything terrible that happens in life is an opportunity for growth.

There has to be a middle ground."

Read my latest. Link in profile.
I agree. 😂 @chasemit I agree. 😂 @chasemit
"I wonder sometimes if I'm two different mothers t "I wonder sometimes if I'm two different mothers to them like I am to myself. 
If I'm being honest - sometimes I feel like I'm 15 different mothers.

I'm patient, loving, and kind. I'm creative and dull.

I'm happy and dancing in the kitchen one minute, and begging for a nap and to be left alone the next minute. 

Sometimes, I wonder if they'll remember the tears I had for no reason at all. Sitting on the couch feeling empty and sad. They come and give me hugs unsolicited as I cry. I am depressed and overwhelmed. I wonder if they will remember that version of me?"

I hope you'll read my latest. ❤️
Here's what I know - I want my kids to learn this Here's what I know - I want my kids to learn this lesson too. 
Life is hard and we often make so many big decisions based on EMOTIONS. Instead we need to get curious about the why behind that emotion. Are we scared, sad, anxious, angry? Whatever it is - feeling and emotions are not "bad" or "good." In fact we control very little about them! 
So if we can learn to SLOW down when we feel them and get curious that's the first step to figuring out the why behind them. Then we move forward and act  AFTER we've felt. 
It's a lesson I'm still learning and hope my kids will learn a lot faster then me. 

If you like convos like these join me over on substack. 🙏

#emotionalintelligence #mentalhealthawareness #momlife #feelings #parentinglikewhoa
😂😂😂 It's me. 😂😂😂 It's me.
Read my latest on Substack. 🥰 #peoplepleaserpro Read my latest on Substack. 🥰 #peoplepleaserproblems #wallflowers #mentalhealth #growth #mindsetmatters
Yessss. So important. @banhass Yessss. So important. @banhass
Let's talk friendship 👇👇👇 "In 2018, Busin Let's talk friendship 👇👇👇
"In 2018, Business Insider published an article reporting that one study concluded that it took roughly 200 hours to make a close friend. Ouch.

And before you can consider someone even a casual friend? At least a 50 hour investment. YIKES.

Is it any wonder that making mom friends is so hard? Moms are busy. We’re exhausted. We’re overwhelmed. We have chores and jobs and responsibilities. Investing 200 hours into someone is, well, a lot.

Honestly at the end of a long day with kids, the last thing I want to do is invest time talking. I’ve talked all day. I just want silence.

But, it sounds like the return on our investment could come through in a big way (hello living longer and having a bitch buddy!) Those rewards are big if we can make the time and put in the effort.

Because close relationships have bigger rewards than casual ones."

Learn all about why making friends is important, why we all want them, and how it can actually lower our cortisol. Check out my latest on S U B S T A C K. :)
Here are three things everyone needs to know about Here are three things everyone needs to know about kindness that are important to your mental health. 

1. Kindness does not mean you don't have boundaries. So often we do things for the sake of being kind even when we don't want to. Kindness does not equal saying yes all the time. Learning to say no is like a muscle you need to exercise to get better at it. Saying no doesn't automatically mean you are unkind. 

2. Kindness doesn't look like self betrayal. Ever. If you do something that you don't want to do because you're afraid of exercising that saying no muscle - you'll end up struggling with your own mental health. Listen to your gut and trust when kindness feels meaningful to you and when it feels like an obligation. 

3. Kindness to yourself is just as important as any external kindness you are showing to the world. In fact - I would argue that it's the most important way to have balance and good mental health. 

"Be kind" is a mantra these days and it's a good one. But know what kindness is. It's when you're moved to do something for someone else but that doesn't mean you abandon yourself in the process. 

If anything - true kindness to others should help you feel more connected to yourself ❤️ 

#kindness #bekindtoyourself #mentalhealth #selfcare
Yup. 😂 Yup. 😂
I wrote the book! It’s on sale right now too. 😎
If you feel over-freaking-whelmed by parenting, your mental health is suffering and you find social media so NOT relatable because your parenting journey feels and looks WAAY messier - you need this book in your life. 😍 #themotherload #mentalhealthadvocate #thementalload #momlifebelike #anxietyanddepression #maternalmentalhealth
Ooof. This hit hard. Ooof. This hit hard.
"We are parenting in an age full of information th "We are parenting in an age full of information thrown at us on how to be the best parent.
We’re constantly told to do more with our kids. Educate faster and earlier. Get them in sports by three or they won’t make the team when they get to high school.

How could we possibly accomplish all that and NOT helicopter? Do preschoolers know how to research the best preschools and sign up for T-ball on their own all while making a free range chicken dinner (that you don’t heat up in a plastic container, btw)?

And, what about the worries we have of keeping them safe from school shootings, pornography, social media, and too much screen time?

I’m told not to take my child his homework when he forgets it, but I’m also told to make sure he has enough AP classes and good grades to get into a good college. 

I’m told not to let them roam freely outside because the world is a scary place and for sure someone could kidnap them, but I’m also told that kids today need more fresh air.

So, when exactly am I supposed to get housework done and my job done, too if I have to sit outside watching my kids ride their bikes up and down the sidewalk?

The demands on mothers today are confusing to say the least. We get mixed messages constantly.

The truth is — I’m stressed out.

I don’t want to be a helicopter parent, but I also don’t know how NOT to be and get everything done that parents today are expected to do." 

Read my latest on substack (link always in my profile)
Sometimes breaking cycles looks like this. Being Sometimes breaking cycles looks like this. 
Being proud of calm days because you know you’re calming your kids’ nervous systems by being calm yourself. 
Hang in there mamas. We’re doing it. 
#cyclebreakers #calm #peacefulparenting #momlife #mentalhealth
Yesssss. Yesssss.
I’m allll about this power move at this stage of I’m allll about this power move at this stage of my life. People are having their own experience independent of me and are going to have their own assumptions, feelings, and actions about me. That’s just life. My advice? Just keep doing your thing and the people that know the real you and get to be in your safe space are the lucky ones. 
Make sure to check out my post from yesterday about self betrayal too in case you missed it. #selflove #selfvalidation #peaceofmind #safespace
"My pattern of self-betrayal has most often looked "My pattern of self-betrayal has most often looked like ignoring my intuition or quieting my own voice.
For you, it might look like “being nice” even when you’re being walked all over. Even when you’re mad at yourself afterward. For someone else, it might look like conforming. This happens in situations like the time one of my kids participated in something she told me ahead of time she didn’t want to do and then she fell apart afterward.

What self-betrayal looks like can be different for everyone.

Sometimes it’s a conscious thing we do and other times it might be a subtle habit we do to keep others around us happier than we are ourselves because of a trauma response.

It could look like being the people pleaser, or the peacemaker because that’s the role we had to play in a volatile household growing up.

The cost of self-betrayal is high though.
The cost of self-betrayal is that we no longer belong to ourselves. And if we first don’t belong to ourselves, we certainly can’t truly belong anywhere else."

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. What self-betrayal means. I hope you'll read it. New post in my substack.
Snow was falling this morning on my walk and it ca Snow was falling this morning on my walk and it calmed my heart. B R E A T H E mamas.
This is something I’ve been working on this past This is something I’ve been working on this past year. It’s amazing to me how little I truly belonged to myself for so long. 
These things are not selfish. 
They are how you return home to yourself.
Swipe right to see what I’ve been working on and how you can start belonging to yourself again. 
Which one resonates? Which one do you struggle with?
Load More Follow on Instagram

You might also like

Dad holding tired girl after trick or treating during Halloween in the 80's

Halloween in The 80’s Was the Best Ever

mom forcing a smile with fingers and blue background

Stop Complaining About Motherhood. Here Are 21 Reasons You Shouldn’t

Here’s How to Deal With Hating Being a Parent

Am I real? Mom holding newborn baby

Am I Real? The Question That Started “Mommy Blogging”

Mom holding crying baby I yelled at my baby and feel horrible

I Yelled At My Baby And Feel Horrible. What should I Do Now?

Copyright © 2023 · Perfection Pending · Designed by Krizzy Designs

Copyright © 2023 · Divine Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

0 shares