I’ve been blogging for about 6 months now and I have learned so much. I’ve learned mind-blowing things about SEO, building backlinks, keyword research, and understanding Google Analytics. But I’ve also experienced a lot of frustrations, discouragements, and Pinterest fails.
Over the past 6 months, I’ve stayed up late to diligently write 2-3 articles each week. My page views hit 1,500 this past month. I’m starting to finally get some organic search hits, which means people are asking Google a question and when my articles show up in the search results, people click on them!
That in itself is a huge win.
Making money with the blog has been slow. In 6 months, I’ve made less than $20 with ads and affiliate links. I know in order to be successful, I have to be consistent and patient. But patience truly is a virtue.
My Pinterest Fail
This was not the article I planned to write today. I planned to show you how to create bunny cupcakes. But after my husband commented that my bunny looked a like a mouse, and a quick Facebook poll confirmed that 50% of people thought the bunny was a mouse, I had to chalk it up to a fail.
After spending the majority of the afternoon baking cupcakes, I ended up with a product that was not Pinterest perfect.
Not too many people are searching on Pinterest for how to make a bunny-mouse! Or a chinchilla cupcake. LOL
Despite my Pinterest fail, my kids had a great time.
I used the opportunity to teach my 9 year old daughter how to follow a cupcake recipe. I allowed her to do the measurements, mix the batter, and fill the cupcake holders with batter.
She made a plan of what she thought a bunny should look like. I made a few “picture perfect” iced cupcakes and allowed her to do the rest. I piped chocolate to harden for the ears/whiskers and allowed her to experiment with the leftovers. She told me that she had one of the most fun days ever.
When my 3 younger kids woke up from nap, I let them decorate with jellybeans and pipe some icing. They had a ton of fun. My children didn’t see a Pinterest Fail. They loved every minute of it.
Mom Fails
Similarly, I have days that are Mom Fails in my book. Days where my patience is worn thin. Times when I feel like I spent more time getting after the kids, than loving on them. Days when we are scraping the bottoms of drawers for clean clothes. Nights when we have frozen pizza instead of a home cooked meal.
My kids don’t see my Mom Fails. They see their favorite food, pizza for supper. They snuggle in close for bedtime stories and slip off to sleep in their cozy beds smiling from a goodnight kiss, unaware that it was a Mom Fail day.
We might see our life as a series of Pinterest Fails or Mom Fails. Days or years spent trying to accomplish something, only to look back and chalk it up to a failure.
There is no such thing as an Pinterest Perfect life. There are some perfect moments, but Life isn’t perfect. It’s messy.
Anything you see on Pinterest that is worth clicking on has been airbrushed to perfection. Those perfect pictures are stock photos. Most of us aren’t capable of both writing articles AND taking hundreds of perfect pictures.
Any time you see me post my own photos, you can guarantee I cropped the photo to perfection so you couldn’t see the shoes lying in the corner, the trash that needed taken out, or the random toys scattered on the floor. Social media is all about perfection.
Life is Messy
Our faith can get messy too. We all have highs and lows. Times when we are focused and times when we get lazy. Days when we trust God fully and days when doubt Him and feel like we are being tossed about like a wave of the ocean.
When I think about a Pinterest Fail, I think about an end product that I am striving toward, something perfect that I am trying to create, but it falls short.
The truth is that our life is going to be full of Pinterest Fails. Full of Mom Fails. We fall short.
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:23-24.
We are human.
We aren’t meant to be perfect.
If we can’t be perfect, does that give us permission to sin and do whatever we want? Definitely not.
But it does mean that our life is not going to be anything like we imagined it will be. We are going to find ourselves falling short. Disappointed. Constantly learning the hard way. Being molded and shaped by these life experiences that are less than perfect.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4
So, when the days are long, your patience is thin, and your bunny cupcakes look like mice, remember that you are being molded.
You’re not a failure. These experiences are shaping you, teaching you. You are being refined.
God’s not finished with you yet.
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This post is THE BEST!!! Me too!!! No more littles living at home but started my blog 7/20/19. I relate to alllll of it. Past, present and in between. Found you via someone’s tweet! Esther 4:14
This 2nd grade teacher/blogger is happy to have found your blog.
Thanks for the encouragement Kim! I appreciate that! Best wishes on your blogging journey as well!
The author’s candid storytelling and relatable anecdotes not only bring a smile to your face but also inspire a sense of camaraderie among moms who have experienced similar mishaps. It’s a wonderful reminder that life’s imperfections can lead to some of the most memorable and cherished moments. Kudos to Simply Full of Delight for sharing this positive and uplifting perspective on motherhood!
thanks so much for the encouraging words!