Happy Mother’s Day?

Okay, I am not one of those demanding customers, but  I couldn’t believe when this happened to me.  Here is what I ordered my mom for Mother’s Day:

And this is what they delivered:

I wish I were lying.

Peace

So I was asked what the most peaceful sound is to me.  Here’s what I came up with:

• The sound of my husband breathing in his sleep.  I sleep on his chest and when I can’t sleep I just close my eyes and hear his deep inhales and exhales.  He breathes quicker than me, but still calm and relaxed.
• The sound of the birds and wind as I sit on my front porch and read a good book.
• Rain
• Children’s laughter

Okay, so I think those are my favorite sounds.  Hope reading this sends you to your own calm place.  J

Monster Cheese

Mmmhmm.  I love some Monster Cheese.  How about you?

The Joys of Marriage

Michael: Babe, can you get me a sip of water?

KT: Sure, you can have a sip of mine. *hands Michael her glass…which he downs entirely. KT stares at him. Awkward silence. *

Michael: I sip big.

Honk if you love Jesus

Honk if you love Jesus

Social Media Depression

Image via CrunchBase

When it comes to playing on Facebook, I am guilty as charged.  I can’t get enough.  It is actually part of my current job description.  It says “Social Media Director” right there in black and white.  I can’t get away from the thing.  I have noticed myself slipping into this kind of funk lately, though.  There is something about checking my feed that causes me to get in a funk.

Image via CrunchBase

I did an ever so dangerous Google search to see if I am the only one out there and discovered that folks have actually coined the term, “social media depression.”  People are logging on and engaging less with people face to face.  (That can definitely get you depressed.)  Not to mention it cannot be healthy to constantly compare yourself to others.

We hear a lot of buzz about media’s effect on self-esteem.  We see young girls starve themselves to compete with airbrushed models.  How about the fact that most people don’t keep it real on social media?  What kind of effect does that have?  Think about what your friends post.  Do they post the picture where they look like they gained five pounds?  No way! You see them wearing a maxi dress, standing in a skinny angle, with the camera shooting down on them!  They share pictures of their cute new baby, but they sure didn’t tell you about the blow out they experienced five minutes before they needed to leave for work.  (If you don’t know what a blowout is, just ask a mommy…better yet don’t.  Just know that it’s messy and gross and use your imagination.)

So, what’s the cure for Social Media Depression?

Turn it off.

I’ve tried looking at social media and keeping in mind that it’s not a clear representation of people’s lives, but I can’t do it.  It’s not so easy.  So the next time you’re feeling a little blue, turn it off and come back in a couple of days.  It’s just what the doctor ordered.  J

Boundaries in Marriage

Image via CrunchBase

A counselor friend of mine recently told me about the correlation between Facebook use and divorce.  The majority of infidelity cases that they see are caused by people reconnecting via Facebook.  I can believe it.  Back in the day you would break up with someone and never see them again.  Now, you can find an old flame in less than minute.   This is why my husband and I have set a boundary of no chatting with the opposite gender.  We have a lot of boundaries actually, which some people think is weird.  I think we’re wise.  In four years of marriage we have not fought once about another person.  I’ll share with you all a list of our boundaries.

1.  We don’t call members of the opposite gender (with the exception of family and  co-workers)
2. We avoid meals with the opposite sex. We never eat dinner with someone of the opposite sex.  If we need to meet up with an old friend, we can do coffee in a public place or we bring along another friend.
3. We don’t use any online chatting.  (Exception-Skype for family members)
4. When we are required by work to have one on one meetings with a member of the opposite gender, we make the other aware of it including time frame.
5. We don’t ride alone in a car with a member of the opposite gender.

What do you think?  Are we wise or nuts?