Picture perfect

Working at a magazine is just as fun as you would imagine; there are babies and celebrities and fabulous shoes, the models are always gorgeous (P.S. Yeah, they really do look like that) and our bloggers are undeniably cool. But working with all the hippest products, fierce new fashions and top experts in the country can sometimes leave a girl feeling like she’s falling a little short of the gold standard. And since I recently welcomed my first son, Braxton, into our family just 16 months ago, I know first-hand about dealing with the pressures of trying to raise a child, and nurture a happy marriage, all while trying to maintain my identity as a journalist. It’s no wonder we can sometimes look at the snapshots of people’s lives and wonder how in the heck they manage to get a homemade dinner on the table while their hair and makeup still remain in perfect condition. Frankly, it’s exhausting. And that’s why I am ready to come clean about the truth. Even for a magazine editor—one who’s supposed to know a thing or two about this baby-raising thing—it’s not always rainbows and butterflies. We, as moms, need to remember that when we get a glimpse into someone’s life (like my own above) that it’s really just a collection of perfect moments. Life isn’t really like that every moment of every day. So, I’m not going to sugar coat it anymore; finding balance is tough. I love every second of being a mom to the sweetest, most amazing little man, but it’s safe to say, he has rocked my normally organized world and turned it upside down. Now I’m trying to figure it all out like a deer trapped in headlights. And the truth is, though I do still try to hold it all together at work, my home life is one big chaotic mess. So here it is, I’m ready to shake up the ideal and let you in on the untold story. You know those people with the perfectly photographed food pictures of their smiling tot trying new foods in their spotless outfits? Well, dinner at our house goes something like this:

When we are hanging at home, my child never wears clothes. (We’re like 21st century hippies!)

When he does where clothes, they rarely match. (Hey, it’s all about the comfort!)

And these are my current confessions: We ordered pizza for dinner because I knew I had to work on this blog and I had no idea how I would squeeze in cooking. My dog, CiCi, keeps trying to get me to throw his ball to him as I type. (P.S.S. It’s driving me crazy!) I have five piles of dirty laundry taking up residence on my guest room floor. Braxton has woken up three times since I started writing. I fully intend to fold clean towels before I go to sleep, but the truth is, I probably won’t. And this is an honest picture of what I looked like tonight before B went to bed (Can we say someone needs hair therapy?):

The moral of the story? Being a mom is tough and it’s A-OK if you feel like your life is more crazy than calm. Life isn’t supposed to look just like the magazines. If it did, no one would have anything left to strive for and that would be pretty boring. Today, take a step back from all the chaos, and I bet you’ll notice something beautiful has happened. You’re actually living life. And there’s nothing better than that.