A Special Post: The Blogging Life

Happy Saturday Sweet Friends! This post was originally going to be about something totally different related to Emerson + motherhood, but I'm saving that for another special post coming soon. I will warn you that this one is somewhat lengthy, so my apologies, but I promise it's worth the read. I told y'all I had a 'special post' for today and I was being dead serious. So serious in fact, that I obviously titled this post using those exact words.

I am honored to be a part of the blogging community. This community is quite large + full of variety. When I first started blogging to a more specific audience about 2 months ago, I never imagined it would explode like it has. Now, I'm no big name blog or anything like that, and there are millions of bloggers with FAR more followers than me, but that's not why I'm in it. I have told you before that I blog because I love writing + being honest about struggles + joys. I love helping and encouraging people to make their houses into homes on a very friendly budget. I enjoy helping people declutter and organize, and you know what's so crazy to me still, people read my blog and follow ME because they care about what I have to say. That is so humbling and I am so blessed by you guys. This has been the biggest encouragement for me since becoming a mother. I really feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be.

People, including my own husband, don't understand the effort and work that goes into blogging. Sure, it looks easy from the outside; all we're doing is posting lots of pictures and essentially writing a short essay, right? WRONG! My friend Shirri over at Stringfellow + Co Blog recently wrote a post titled "10 Things Non Bloggers Need to Know About Bloggers". It was SPOT ON and it would mean a lot not only to her, but to me if you would click that link back there + read over her post real quick. It will give you a better understanding of life behind the blog. Also, if you're a blogger you'll be saying "preach girl, preach" the entire time you read. I want my intentions to be clear and I want those of you who only see the "tons of posts" that I do on IG + my Alittlethriftychic FB page to see the 'behind the scenes". This endeavor, though still just a serious hobby, requires MUCH more time and effort than I'd originally planned. I am NOT complaining in the least because I absolutely love doing this! I can honestly say that this brings me more joy than teaching ever did.  Wow, I've never said that out loud. I love connecting with people and encouraging people. I love helping them find ideas and solutions that will work for their homes, while also encouraging and relating to others about the struggles and joys that I face as a mother, a wife, and a woman. I know that I am supported greatly because I have built a "tribe" that has my back and understands what it's like. Y'all have taken me from 300 followers to 1400+ followers on IG in 2 very short months {and I say that in shock not as a bragging statement}. I literally still don't know how it happened!! I am humbled daily by the kind comments, the encouraging words, and the sweet messages both from those I now consider friends and those of you that are complete strangers still. I really feel like I'm where I'm meant to be, both at home with my baby girl and pursuing something that I absolutely love with the hopes of one day making it into more. So, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU to each of you who read these posts, like or comment on my pictures, or even those of you that pray for me. It honestly means the world to me.

As if I haven't been honored enough just to be part of this community of ultra talented {mostly} women, I had the joy of being nominated for the Lobster Award recently. What the heck is that, you ask? Don't feel bad, I had no clue it even existed until a fellow blogger-friend, Katie nominated me for the award. Katie and I have collaborated on a project on Instagram recently, and she's so sweet and stylish. She's also a mama and follower of Christ, which makes her even more special. Basically, the Liebster award is an award given from one blogger to another. It's an awesome way to recognize up and coming smaller blogs. The way it works is that I post 5 facts about myself, and answer the 5 questions that Katie posed to me {see below}. Then, I nominate 5 other bloggers and give them 5 questions to answer. The purpose, again is to recognize those that work so hard to really make something of themselves and their blog in this big ole blogging world. Thank you SO, SO, SO much Katie for not only nominating me, but for supporting and encouraging me along the way. You are a gem. So, without further ado, here are 5 facts about me + my answers to Katie's questions.

F I V E  F A C T S about M E:

1} I have lived in the same city all of my life + have always been within 5 minutes of my parents. I love this because I'm VERY family-oriented.
2} I love fashion and make-up, but rarely know what I'm doing when it comes to either. I get lots of inspiration online thankfully. I would live in leggings and a graphic tee if I could.
3} I struggle with anxiety and I am constantly reminded of how much I need the saving grace of the  Father. Cleaning and organizing help me stay sane; it's usually also how you can tell I'm anxious about something.
4} I am an introverted extrovert. WHAT?! I am the ultimate homebody, which is why I love decorating our house so much. I am perfectly content staying home + time at home {alone} is where I recharge my batteries. BUT, I also like meeting and being around other people, especially if they can make me laugh. I strongly dislike small talk, though.
5} I still have the same best friends that I had in middle school. We all have kids + husbands now, but we group text on the regular + try to get together once a year. I love them VERY much, more than they probably know. Their support in this means so much to me.

K A T I E ' S  Q U E S T I O N S  to M E:
1} What is your guilty pleasure as a parent?
My guilty pleasure is watching reality television while Emerson naps. I obviously don't do it everyday, but usually about twice a week I catch up on all of my shows while she naps. It's ME time and I love it. I'm not going to lie to y'all, I really look forward to nap time everyday. I can't be the only one...

2} What does your "mom uniform" consist of?
Ha, I kind of already answered this above. I wear black leggings and long graphic tees a lot with a fun necklace, a watch, and 5-6 bracelets {simple silver + gold}. I prefer leggings to jeans for comfort purposes, plus they're more forgiving when I eat a lot, but honestly I probably wear jeans more regularly in public than I do leggings. At home, I'm usually always in leggings {or pajamas-haha}.

3} How did your marriage change after becoming a parent?
Man, more like how didn't it change! I quit teaching right before Emerson was born {summer baby} and as a result, my husband picked up a second job to cover some of the financial difference. His primary job is a firefighter/paramedic working 24 hour shifts 3 days a week, with a four day break after the 3 shifts are completed. He started working as a part-time as a paramedic on the children's hospital transport team shortly after Emerson was born. We RARELY saw one another for the first 8-12 months of her life because when he was home he was usually sleeping. We lived like this until just a few months ago. Our marriage struggled a lot because of this schedule change. Not to mention I went from working full time to staying home full time + having a baby to care for 24-7. I struggled with Post-partum depression for a while and this really took a toll on us too. Finally, his schedule has started to even out and we are spending a lot more time together + are able to do more as a family,

Through having a baby, I have learned how selfish I really was before children. I have learned to take into consideration the needs of others {especially my husband} before my own. I have learned how independent I really am and how headstrong I can be. I have learned that I am NOT always the boss, even though I think I am. Trey and I have really had to learn to communicate more effectively since having Emerson. I am so grateful to him for being so supportive. He works harder than most people I know and never complains about it. He works long hours and often goes days without seeing us. It's easy for me to complain about this, but I really am grateful for his sacrifice so that I can be at home raising our daughter. :) Did I answer that question? I think I may have strayed on a tangent. Whoops!

4} Who is your favorite person to follow on Instagram?
I have a couple favorites, but if I had to choose one, I would say MaLyn @malyn.logic. I had the honor of collaborating with her recently also.  MaLyn is so relatable and she can make light of any situation. I seriously stalk her page, but in a non-creepy way. She is one of those people that really makes you feel like you are not alone in your emotions and/or your struggles. Aside from all of that, she is truly hilarious and so supportive of other women/bloggers. AND she's GIRL BOSS because she runs her own t-shirt business, has 3 young children + a husband. I admire her so, so much!

5} What is your favorite beverage?
My favorite beverage is Coke Zero or coffee. I love both so very much. I don't drink soda very much anymore though, so when I do it's a real treat. I drink a lot of water, though I wouldn't consider it a "favorite".

I am so honored to have been "awarded" this and I want to nominate 5 women who inspire me and have been an encouragement to me along the way. THANK YOU to these ladies for bringing a smile to my face on a daily basis. You deserve this award!! Don't forget to give 5 facts about yourself + answer the questions below. :) XO!

* Bree because she's my insta-bestie + my soul sister. We are so similar it's scary AND she inspires me with her beautiful home decor on a budget.
* MaLyn  {visit her business page too} because of all of the reasons I listed above. :)
* Christina because we live like 40 minutes from each other and because she's seriously one of the funniest people ever + she is full of wisdom in this big blogging world.
* Tricia {who just wrote her first book, so I'm linking that website}was the very first person I reached out to about expanding my audience on IG. She gave me some great advice + she has continued to support + encourage me and I'm very grateful to her for that. Plus, she's sweet as pie + has adorable children. Oh, and she loves living clutter-free like me! Visit her blog Clean House With Kids.
* Abbie because she's also quite funny and I love her blog series that she's about to start called "whatmomsgoogle". She holds my attention and she's supportive of me too!

M Y  Q U E S T I O N S  T O  M Y  N O M I N E E S:
1} What's been the biggest challenge you've faced in the blogging world since you started blogging?
2} What originally made you start blogging in the first place, and have you kept that passion or veered in a different direction?
3} What is the hardest part of motherhood for you? How about the easiest?
4} What do you hope to be doing in 3-5 years from now?
5} If you make money blogging, how did you go from strictly having it as a hobby to now having it as a hobby + business? What's your advice for bloggers wanting to turn it into a hobby + business venture?