As well as writing my own blog I am an avid reader of blogs too. I love reading blogs, I love hearing people’s stories and it makes me feel connected to the greater world around me. However recently I have also realised that if I’m not careful I could get a bad case of “other peoples life envy!”
Take for example (and I hope I won’t embarrass anyone with a mention) Chris over at Thinly Spread. I have been reading her blog for a long time and it is full of wonderful crafts, cookery and idylic tales of her families life. I picture her frolicking in the woods with her children, then returning home to bake something yummy which her family will eat off her home carved kitchen table. To be honest I am a little in awe.
There is Adele at Circus Queen. She blogs about natural parenting, and her adventures breastfeeding, cloth nappying and babywearing. She writes beautifully and having met her I know she is true to her word.
There are some fabulous thrift bloggers. Jen at The Madhouse, Cass at Frugal Family to name but a few. They could feed, clothe, and entertain their family brilliantly for less than the average person spends on one meal. If I had their skills I might be able to save enough to buy my pixies their own car.
Honestly I am inspired by so many of the blogs that I read it would be impossible to name them all. However sometimes I feel like I have life envy. I read these wonderful blogs and they remind me of what I’m not doing.
I have never made anything beautiful with my hands, no hand made wreaths hang on my door this Christmas, and no hand painted lanterns sit on my mantlepiece. I bake but not with any regularity, and nothing more exciting than fairy cakes and gingerbread biscuits.I watch the pennies but I’m also prone to a sushi dinner splurge or much longed for shoe purchase. I try to parent my children gently but more often than not am to be found screeching at them like a fishwife, as the tales on this blog will attest.
So I read my favourite blogs and I worry, am I getting it wrong? Is my version of family life idylic enough? Will my children need a therapist to deal with a lack of needlework in their formative years?
Obviously I write this post tongue in cheek, and as a great opportunity to introduce you to some of my favourite blogs. I would love to hear what you think though, do you ever get life envy?
Look we do frolic occasionally.
Thanks for the lovely mention! Having met you in person, I am inspired by your parenting! I think you are very calm, gentle and sensible in your approach to your children. It’s very easy to blog about the nice bits of our lives. I find I tend to sit at my computer when I’m in a good mood rather than when I’ve lost it. This is a good reminder that blogging about tantrums and shortcomings and mess is important too! I love the honesty that always comes across in your blog.
aw shucks, thanks.
But what you do not see is the pile of ironing that is two weeks tall, the the boys have no clean underwear and that the crafting masks a scared and unhappy me. I am trying to make the most of the season as I am missing my mum. I think that often blogs just highlight the good stuff.
You are a great parent and the perfect parent for your children. You should hear me screaming st Mai to get off the XBox or I will give it away!
I’m sorry you’re missing your mum and I hope you can have a lovely Christmas x
Great choices of people to envy, I see Chris and Jen in the same way 🙂 it has reminded me to pop over to Cass’s more and well Circus Queen I envy her of her lovely youthful looks, goes deeper than forest green 😉
Glad I’m not the only one.
As I said over in Twitterland, I blog the highlights, I choose not to share the yukky bits because my children are older and wouldn’t appreciate it AT ALL! Also, I am 16 years down the line, my children are now all at school and I do get some time to myself to sort my head out! I enjoyed meeting you so much this year, you are such a lovely, welcoming person and I really hope we can get together again soon xxx
Thanks Chris
I know what you mean, I feel like that when I read Cherry Menlove blog! Seriously though, People do tend to blog about the nicer parts of life and the things that they are good at. I can crochet pretty well, but I struggle with baking. I wish I was nice and Slim, and I envy your approach to sugar (wish I could be like that). And hey, Ive seen you juggle apples in the middle of a Czech orchard! What Im saying is, we all have strengths and weaknesses, we are all good (and bad) at some things…and sad things that have happened to us, as well as great things. xxx
You’re right, and I am proud of my strengths, just wish they made nicer/pretty Pinterest type pictures.
I can relate to feeling in awe of other peoples’ lives after reading their blogs. I think I feel that way all the time. I really enjoy your blog, and just wanted to say, life is about rocking to your own beat, don’t worry too much, you may well find others look at you and feel the exact same way. 🙂
Thank you.
I constantly have life envy! Low self esteem and low self worth over here and a tad (read a lot) insecure and I have life envy to the nth degree. However, am learning we are all different, we do things differently and thats ok! Besides i had proper life envy when I met you 🙂 bxx
(as my friend often reminds me “life is not a boden catalogue)
Thanks Bianca, I think I wish my life was a Boden catalogue!
I completely relate. Its easy to see some of these blogs as portraying the writer’s life as perfect, but as a lot of the comments above state, they are just trying to focus on the good stuff.
When I started my own blog I wanted to keep it fairly non-negative as I had a tendency to “moan” on Facebook and get slated for it. But I do also want to be honest and get a balance between funny, honest, positive posts. Everyone needs a good moan sometimes.
I love your blog by the way. And if it makes you feel any better, I can’t sew, cook, I’m rubbish at housework (and often don’t even try to be good at it), I get bored when being made to “participate” in messy kids stuff (some of the time) and am far from the perfect parent.
Have a bit more faith in your own achievements xxx
It’s all about Camera angles and editing 🙂 I find crafting therpy, so I don’t become front page news and not in a good way 🙂
Fair enough, I wish it worked like that for me, think my writing is my therapy.