Whoreloween

Ahhhh!  Fall is in the air.

Bonfires, pumpkin spice, and sexy eskimo costumes for children ages 3-7.

I love Halloween.  It is one of the best holidays around.  And, what's not to like?  Your kids get to knock on your neighbor's door, say three words, and they give you candy while you stay on the sidewalk.  SOOO much better than having to make small talk with them, out of courtesy, on your way to the mailbox when the only thing they give you is the gift of shit from their dog's ass placed strategically in your mower path.

While I have always LOVED Halloween, we've really found a way of fucking it up.

It's not just because we decided pumpkin spice would taste amazing in tuna.

Or that the decorations go up in July.

While those things are annoying.  There are other offenses much worse.

I present to you, the 8 magical things we've done to fuck up Halloween.

1.  Leg Avenue
What happened to the days of kids/teens dressing like book characters and gum ball machines?  Seriously?  If you have children, you know what I'm talking about.  Everything is slutty as hell.  I was perusing the aisles of a Halloween store recently, and there was a tween costume for Amelia Earhart that featured fishnet stockings and a plunging neckline.  Like, WTF?  Does anyone truly believe that's what Ms. Earhart wore as she soared over that pond?  A woman who broke gender barriers clearly did not fly over the Atlantic with her who-ha out for world to see.  Of course, the package doesn't say "Amelia Earhart", it says "Sexy Bomber Pilot" however, the costume is ironically one that bares a striking throwback to the 20s and 30s.  But...Being the idiots we have come to be, clearly we can't put two and two together.  It's not just the sexy bomber.  It's sexy police, sexy firefighter, sexy Donkey Kong.  I had no idea fishnets and vinyl were so versatile...but apparently.

2.  Pinterest
Yes, dear neighbor, I freaking LOVE the way you used the the leftover yarn from the knitting of scarves for the homeless to macrame a spiderweb that features patterns that only exist in true nature.  However.  When you put that up with your up-cycled spider made of materials that aren't biodegradable because you are saving the planet, it makes my fucking rotting pumpkin look bad.  And it makes me feel worthless.  Remember school parties when we were young, and parents brought sugar cookies and we bobbed for apples?  Well, fuck that world.  That world no longer exists.  It has been stripped away and replaced with parents' need to one up the other room moms.  Yes, I'm sure every child wants to make a frankenstein out of homemade guacamole and organic black tortilla chips.  Because, well, who wouldn't?  And, I know I shouldn't be bitter, but I love the simplicity that my childhood supplied.  My costume was purchased at the local costume store, and we paraded around the neighborhood and then came back to school and laughed and made candy corn. People were forced to be creative, and didn't rely on a website to supply them with ideas.

And, that's if we even get to dress up...thank you, Common Core (I'm not really sure Common Core is to blame, but everyone loves to hate it, so...).

3.  Trunk-or-Treat
Seriously.  Yes, your Toyota Highlander looks so amazing with the hand cut teeth and vinyl tablecloth tongue in the backlight you have shining courtesy of your generator.  I think it's great that through STEM-based learning, your child crafted a robot to serve candy.  It  looks especially amazing next to my dented Kia, with missing interior lighting.  Yeah...  That spider web...not a decoration.  It's because my car can't fit in the garage, and so spiders actually choose to inhabit my vehicle.  Perhaps insects are attracted to smell of rotting body, which again, isn't part of the props, but rather some milk that I can't find because I've become used to the smell.  Do you see my conundrum?  One day of knocking on doors is enough.  Back then, I only had to clean my hallway.  Now I have to clean my damn car so I don't look like some shady freak luring children into my trunk.

4.  Adult-Themed Parties
This one won't make me friends.  However.  We are adults.  And no matter what you tell yourself, you are not a sexy eskimo.  I'm not saying you aren't sexy.  I'm saying, you don't need to put yourself in synthetic materials or require your guests to put themselves in synthetic materials just to enjoy each other's company.  I know getting dressed up in costume is fun.  If it wasn't, Fredrick's of Hollywood would not be in business.  We aren't the Real Housewives.  We are people who shouldn't feel like we need to spend $50 on a bustier and go-go boots to go hang with our friends. But, just because that is my viewpoint, I understand other people may really enjoy this.  But I urge you to look around the room.  How many women are banging down gender norms to dress in something that isn't deemed as sexy or pretty?  If you want to be Amelia Mother-Fucking Earhart, then give that woman the credit she deserves and dress like the badass she truly was, not the one Trump would grab by the flight-stick.  Nothing is as sexy as being smart.

5.  Almond Joy
Do I need to go further?

6.  Pumpkin Spice
Starbucks, you had me at Pumpkin Spice.  However.  Leave it to us as Americans to oversaturate the world with something that was once anticipated.  Pumpkin spice chewing gum?  Yup.  It exists.  Pumpkin spice dog food.  Check.  Pumpkin Spice M and M's.  Good news, those will soon be on clearance.  We have taken a good thing and Kardashian'ed the hell out of it.  I mean...Yes...much like Kim herself, it's spicy and fantastic.  But I'm so fucking sick of seeing it.  It's everywhere.  And, frankly, I'm over it.  I can't even drink my PSL this year, because it's been bastardized.

7.  Thank you
Seriously.  I can get over the fact that you are bringing your child who doesn't have teeth and is still nursing off the teet to my house, despite the fact that I know the butterfinger is going straight to you.  And, yes, I think it's adorable how you and your friends are driving around from house to house, sans costume, as door-to-door candy muggers.  But, say THANK YOU.  Seriously.  And no one has jokes anymore.  When you ask for one, they look at you as if you're dressed up as a sexy female version of Luigi.  Because, seriously, what's sexier than Luigi? It's as if me giving you something is an expected behavior.

8.  Global Warming
Yes, my friends, it's October.  And, I'm SWEATING.  A LOT!  And, when I think about pumpkins, I sweat even more.  Ugh...dragging my adorable thankless heathens to the pumpkin patch and having to lug the ugliest pumpkin in the patch just because it's the biggest.  It is not supposed to be this hot in October, however, on the flip side, no one will get cold in their fishnets.

I digress...

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to return to celebrating the dead rising out of their graves to wander home in a more classic sense.  The hoardes of hell deserve the right to celebrate death and darkness without feeling oversaturated by sexy Red-Ridinghood waving her pinteresting basket full of organic pumpkin-spice snacks in their wicked faces.

I know, I know...No one likes a hater.  So if you need me, I'll be in the corner, not wearing fishnets, waiting patiently for November 1st when Christmas Carols return to the radio.

Shake it off... Shake it off...

Dear Special Snowflake,

I think it's time we get a couple things straight.  Mommy is stressed out.  Mommy is so stressed out that sometimes she wants to drink.  At noon.  At work.  Sometimes mommy has had a rough time balancing life.  And, mommy especially has a hard time balancing the assholes.

Because they are out there.  A lot of them.

It started in grade school.  I was a little overweight.  And my nose was a little pug.  My mom used to tell me it would keep me looking young. But girls on the playground aren't that kind.  They called me "Piglet".  And it spread.  And then the boys started calling me "Piglet".  And then I called myself "Piglet" because, well, if you can't beat them, join them, right?

And then there was middle school.  I was funny.  And not all girls are accepting of that.  We had a neighborhood pool, and the girls at the pool started calling me "Wrinkles".  My stomach had wrinkles.  (Jesus, if they could see it now they'd have some serious fucking ammunition).

And then there was high school.  Where still I was funny, but no one noticed, because I was surrounded by beautiful people.  And people were mean, particularly girls, and my looks were criticized.  And I started to shut down.  And eventually I wasn't funny, because I was too insecure.

And that insecurity lived for a while.  Really, until I became a mother and I realized that NO ONE will ever make my daughter feel like that.  And if I don't teach her to stand up for herself and that she is enough, I'm afraid she, too, will be afraid to be who she is.

Just recently, one of my friends called me, and we discussed how easy it is to be sucked back into high school or middle school or grade school.  How being left out still hurts.  How it's hard not to compare ourselves to other people and their social media likes or comments.  We are mother-fucking adults.  Why is it still so hard?

And the reason it's still hard, is because mean girls still exist.  Even as we get older.  If you don't believe me, Google it.  I mean, there's actually a book out there called "Working with Bitches:  Identify the Eight Types of Office Mean Girls and Rise Above Workplace Nastiness".  And even worse, I've contemplated buying it.  MORE. THAN. ONCE.  And why?  Because, mean girls turn into meaner women and unfortunately they're everywhere...at my children's school, on the soccer field, at my job.

Fuck.  I like being liked.  I always have.  It drives me crazy when people don't like me.  But my adult self also realizes that some women can't handle their own insecurities.  So instead of doing something about it, they tear others down.  They gossip.  They manipulate.  They insult.  They public-shame.  My question is...Why can't they just fucking step up and take care of their own insecurities?  I know there's not an app for that.  And technically Pinterest can only help us so much.  But, we are grown ass women capable of doing so many things.  Why do we use our platform in a way that takes us back to a junior high dance?

I guess my optimism had me fooled into thinking that once I was done with school, I would trade my diploma for a world filled with nice women who build each other up.  Unfortunately, I was mistaken. The bitches with their gossip and betrayals have only been freed to roam the world at nauseam.

And.  I'm not going to stop them.  I'm not.  But I do need to do something.

As Lindsay Lohan states in the work of art Mean Girls..."Calling somebody else fat won't make you skinnier.  Calling someone stupid doesn't make you any smarter...  All you can do in life is try to solve the problem in front of you."

(Yes, I'm fucking 40 and I just quoted Lindsay Lohan.  So. What.)

So, how do we solve it?

Well, I don't have a magical solution.  I just know that if I don't brainstorm some constructive ways I will end up saying something really, really terrible that will potentially get me sued or fired or incarcerated.  So...  here goes...

Surround yourself with badass women who build you up rather than tear you down  
There are tons of great women out there doing great things.  Don't waste your time on the assholes with no originality, enthusiasm and/or drive whose only strength is tearing you down.  Find those women who are smart.  Who tell you you're pretty.  Who tell you your butt looks good in those jeans.

Disengage
Fuck it.  That bitch ain't worth your time.

Work harder
Sorry she sucks and is mad that you don't.  Don't waste time and energy telling other people how bad she sucks or you become the worst thing ever.  HER.  Instead, focus on continuing to kick ass like the mother fucking rhino you are.  She'll hate that.

Leave that bitch alone
She wants to know she's under your skin.  Remember.  She is a business transaction.  Take your emotion out.

Make eye contact
Your eyes are way prettier than those soulless pupils hiding behind the girl with the pretty face but the ugly heart.

If you witness it, step in
All too often, we get sucked in.  We rewind to the days on the playground and we crave fitting in.  But nothing feels as good as standing up for those who need it.  And there's plenty of women who get persecuted just for being good at what they do.  Stand up for those women.  Shut the mean girls down.

And if all else fails, in the words of one of the world's most esteemed philosophers...

Shake it off...  Shake it off...
Because you, my sweet, are a mother fucking tiger who has earned her stripes.

So, take those stones she throws at you and build something fantastic.  And make her REALLY mad by not even using Pinterest to create it.

We owe it to our girls to look these mean girls straight in the eye and give them a wink.

'Twas the Night After Christmas---Mom's Edition

'Twas the Night After Christmas, and all through the houses...
The women all sat, resenting their spouses.
The stockings were thrown on the floor without care.
In hopes that the relatives weren't all still there.
The children were high from the candy and crap.
While everyone feared that last gift they must wrap.
And daddy, hungover, and mommy still drunk.
Were trying to find a place for the junk.
When from the next room there arouse such a clatter.
I sprang from the couch to see what was the matter.
Away to the kitchen, I crawled like a turtle.
Stepping on legos, and toys I did hurdle.
The filth in the kitchen from the food I did bake.
Stood as clear evidence of bad choices I make.
When, what to my puffy, tired  eyes should appear
But the realization that there was no more beer.
And if that wasn't enough to make me upset.
There was also the Hatchimal that put me in debt.
And lots of other shit I had no place to store.
Were fucking up my French-cafe' kitchen decor.
The Pokemon, the Barbies, the Games, and puzzles.
The dolls and the clothing---unfortunately no muzzles.
Toys to the window, and toys to the wall.
Toys in the family room and even the hall!
As my paper cuts burned from the cheap Christmas wrapping.
My hibernating husband, in his man cave a-napping.
While I tried so hard and with all of my might.
To sell all our old shit on the Swap and Sell site.
Looking like a show, for people who hoard.
As my oldest then says, "Hey mommy, I'm bored".
A bundle of toys he had piled by his feet,
"Mom, I'm hungry.  Can I have a treat?"
His breath---how it smelled.  His fingers, so sticky.
How can someone so gross, be so fucking picky?
Not a vegetable all season, did anyone eat.
Only two food groups consumed...sugary and sweet.
Which probably explains my new rounded shape.
How many times can one fucking lose tape?
And in my many attempts to be so discreet,
I can't seem to find that one fucking receipt.
I've looked in the bags, I've looked on the shelf,
You know who probably took it?  That bastard, the elf.
But the good news is, he's gone till next year.
That immobile red fuck and his holiday cheer.
This two week break, leaves a truth that's well-known
I can't wait to use the bathroom alone.
And escape from the toys that are missing a piece.
While the family doth watch my patience decrease.
The laundry still piled, and the dishes still dirty.
And it's only 2 mother-fucking 30.
So I ain't going to whisper, instead I will shout.
Happy Christmas to all, mom's going out.

If Love Trumps Hate...

It's been a while.  I'm sure you missed me.  I've been incredibly busy deleting people off my social media sites for being a-holes.  There, I said it.  But if you're reading this, it's likely you made the cut.  So...I don't know whether to congratulate you or tell you how truly sorry I am.

I am not political.  This I will tell you.  Honestly, I wish I was.  But my interest in politics is almost equivalent to my interest in my boys' coach-pitched baseball games.  If you've seen me at one, you know I'm the one losing my other children on purpose so I don't have to endure the pain of seeing that one kid they have to bring the tee out for.  I hate that.  It's like the Scarlett Letter of little league.

I digress.

However, I can't help but watch the fucking disaster we call an election taking place before me.  I'm not a huge or yuuuuge fan of any of the current candidates.  I'm just slightly less appalled by one than the other.  With that being said, I can't help but watch other people and their reactions towards our future president.  Particularly women.

And...here's why.

Trump, at one point or another, has expressed the following viewpoints...

Women are aesthetically-pleasing, and that is their purpose
Sexual assault in the military is expected behavior
Women need to rely on sex appeal to win
As long as your significant other is hot, it doesn't matter who you are.
Ugly women shouldn't be on TV.
Breast feeding is a disgusting thing to do
Women trick men
Women should be blamed for their husband's actions
Women shouldn't date too much, it makes them unattractive
And that all women want him

Yes, that is appalling.  It truly is.  However, before you're all "I'm With Her", I think it's important for you to think, particularly if you're a woman, if your words and your actions are much different than Trump's.

Here's why I say that.

I made a career choice that has me surrounded by women on a daily basis.  When I'm not at work, I typically find myself in the mommy circle, once again surrounded by women.  And, on a daily basis, without fail, I see women...those that claim they're with her...treating each other no different than Trump.  I, myself, have been victim.  My co-workers have been victim.  My friends have been victim.    I've even seen my daughter fall victim.

It's true.

And, if you say it isn't, then I want to live on your amazing planet where, perhaps, rainbow-farting unicorns fly around, sprinkling drops of bullshit like rain in the Amazon.

Because, whether you want to believe it or not, most women are guilty.

I've been accused by other women of not having a brain, only sexuality.
I've been told that my outgoing personality has me asking for attention.
I've been blamed for the actions of my significant other.
I've been told I'm "too-much" because I have opinions.

And, unfortunately, I too, am guilty.

I've called women ugly because I was pissed about how they treated me.
I've said that women shouldn't be sportscasters, because they haven't played the sport.
I've said I'd rather be friends with guys because women are moody and judgmental.

Yet I'm pissed, because someone who has a pretty significant platform, is saying and doing the things that I have found myself doing.

I suck.  And, not in the way Bill Clinton wishes.

And, it's not just in what we say, it's also in our actions.  I look at social media and we are in the land of Me-me's.  Not "Memes" (Well, those, too).  I mean the land of me-me, where anything and everything is about me, me.  I love many of you so much, but some of our social media life is about as fake as my eyelashes on any given Saturday night.  And, why?

It's okay to not have your shit in a pile.
It's okay if you didn't breastfeed.
It's okay if you're in a sexless marriage.
It's okay if you can't find half of your children.

It's not okay to pretend.

There.  I said it.

Our game of imaginary land of puppies and chocolate covered asparagus is only making those around us feel like they, too, have to up their social media game.  And it becomes this fucked up twist on keeping up with the Joneses, where people feel the need to make everything look pretty on the outside to protect what's happening on the inside.  Isn't that exactly what Trump says of us, that things should be aesthetically pleasing, because that is our purpose?

We are all fucked up.

And if you think you aren't, well, you're more fucked up than I thought.

But, if Love Trumps Hate, we need to act like it.

My shoes may not be your style.
I may be louder than you like.
Perhaps my boobs are bigger than yours.

But, regardless.

I'm a woman, and I'm one of you.

So, don't just be with her.

Be with me.

L'eggo my Lego

Screw gun control...if you want to lobby for a real cause it's Lego control.

Yes, you read that right.

Those f'ing rectangular prisms are what is wrong with the world.

If you are wondering what I'm talking about, you obviously don't allow children to exist in your realm.

Have you ever stepped on one of those interlocking blocks of hell?  If so, you know exactly what I'm talking about.  I would compare it to birthing a porcupine dripping in hot sauce.  It's a fucking nightmare.

At least with needles and swords, kids know to keep those bastards off the floor.  Not that I let my kids play with needles and swords...anymore.  But with Legos, they always seem to be right where you don't want them.  And those hell blocks are virtually indestructible.  Somehow they manage to find their way to the sweet spot on your foot.  Every.  Fucking. Time.

I know, I know...  They cultivate thought and creativity.  But, fuck, truly what difference do smart kids make...really?  Honestly, if you ask any grown adult what they remember about legos from their childhood, odds are, they aren't going to recall the amazing buildings or rummaging through the box to find the perfect piece.  They are going to remember stepping on one of those inanimate pieces of HADES.

Besides stepping on them, let's discuss the many other ways Legos ruin my life.

Whenever my kids get them out to play, it means I'm going to have to help.  As much as I love my five-year-olds, those heathens can't build a fire breathing dragon out of 10 mm blocks no matter how wonderful the pictorial instructions are.  So, I am forced to take the book out and help them locate the pieces.  Building things isn't my favorite thing.  Building things with a child with junkyard breath telling me I'm not building it fast enough is DEFINITELY not my favorite thing.

And, there's always a missing piece.

The average LEGO owner has 84 pieces.  That's 84 possibilities for my children to lose something.  My kids have been known to lose jackets, shoes, each other...  so the odds are clearly stacked against me with something the size of a lego.

I truly think they should ban those bitches.

I'm okay with Duplo.  If only we could find a way to get Taylor Swift to endorse them...

Until then...

Perhaps they could make them glow in the dark.

Or maybe put an age limit.  Like 21.  Because, frankly, I'd almost rather my kids have whiskey than a lego gas station.

Or they could make them squishy.

Or each set could come with thick-ass slippers.

Or perhaps I could just rid of my children.

But, then, who would pick up the swords and needles?

Happy holidays!

F your Elf

I have been dreading Thanksgiving.

And, not just because can-shaped cranberry sauce gives me anxiety.

I have been dreading Thanksgiving because it means the return of that damn two-legged bastard the Elf on the Shelf.

Seriously.  I hate him.

Okay, to be fair, I can't even find him.  That asshole spent the last year on a shelf judging me for not moving him.  And now...suddenly...I can't find his creepy ass.

Perhaps you are wondering where he might have gone.  Obviously he didn't move himself.  Lord knows, if he was capable of that, I wouldn't hate him so damn much.  The truth is, I let my kids touch the elf.  Why, you ask?  Because, it beats having to listen to them bitch about not touching the elf.

Last year, my son became obsessed with the elf.  So much so, that all he wanted for Christmas was elf things.  He wanted clothes and books and pets for the elf.  He wanted to dress like an elf.  Essentially, he wanted to be an elf.  I don't blame him, I guess.  That elf has a more exciting life than other people claim they have on Facebook.

Snow angels in sugar...check
Fishing for goldfish in the toilet...check
Zip-lining on the drapes...check

So...why do I hate such an AMAZING specimen?  Well, the truth is, I don't necessarily hate him.  I hate what he stands for.  He stands for the bastardizing of a tradition for the sake of money and fame. Exactly what I hate about society.

Remember when people used to take pictures so they could remember a moment?  That was a lovely time.  Now people take pictures so they can Snapchat that shit, and we can all see how wonderful their lives are.

And, after Thanksgiving, it only gets worse.

Because before Thanksgiving, people were only sensationalizing their own lives...  Now, they are also sensationalizing the lives of their elves.

My elf is clearly better than your elf.  Because my elf has elf donuts and your elf just sits on the shelf.

My elf dresses in Lululemon, because pilled-felt just doesn't cut it in this house.

My elf drives Barbie's car, and yours just drives a stuffed reindeer.  Take that, bitches.

What the fuck?  And if you think I'm exaggerating, get on Etsy.  Check out what they are currently selling for that creepy fucker.  They sell EVERYTHING.  Clothes, masks, food, games.  And worst of all, people actually buy them.  I would love to think these purchases are for the children.  Maybe they are.  But it seems that many are using said props to make the other elves feel insecure about their own lives.

Speaking of insecure, I am incredibly not creative when it comes to my elf.  Again, the most creative thing I have done thus far is lose him.  However, I'm a creative person, so, many people have asked me about the fun ideas I've had for my elf.  So, I'm forced to admit that I place him on one shelf and then move him to another shelf.  And then I feel judged.  So, it's not bad enough that I have some freaky ass elf sitting on a shelf judging me one month out of the year.  Now, humans are judging me, as well.

What do I want to say to said judgers?  It's the Elf on the FUCKING shelf.  Not the Elf on the Train, or the Elf on the Moon or the Elf in the Jeep.

Let's discuss something else about the elf.  That bastard is EXPENSIVE.  $30.  That's, like 4 months of Netflix.  I'm actually paying a dollar a day to house that creepster.

I digress.

I love turkey.

I love mashed potatoes.

I love pumpkin pie.

But, honestly...  I hate that media-whore the elf.

And, with any luck, he will continue his game of hide-and-seek in my household and yours.

That's Pinteresting...

I have a love/hate relationship with Pinterest.

I love it because I can be a total voyeur.  There's no pressure to be witty or beautiful.  And if someone doesn't like my post, it's okay, because it wasn't mine to begin with.  That's kinda nice.

I also love that in my "Oh, shit!" moments, I have a place I can go to aid in my complete and utter love of procrastination.

However, I hate that it has turned our world into a fucking Stepford society.

Case in point, when is the last time you attended a child's birthday party where there wasn't something inspired (plagiarized) from Pinterest?  I mean, really...think about it.  From the over-the-top invites to the 3-dimensional cake to the overly ambitions favors, all of these things were likely pilfered straight from the the virtual one-upping bulletin board.

And while the intentions are amazing, the execution has taken away the need for any creative thought and/or genuine intentions.  What the fuck happened to store bought invitations, hot dogs from the skating rink, and cookie cake with red icing?  These things have been replaced with themed bullshit and lots and lots of craft glue.  And why?  You really think your kids give a shit about the amazing snack stand you created at midnight in coordinating hand-blown glass bowls?  No.  It's not for them.  Admit it.  It's for us.  It's so when we post pictures on social media, people think we've got our shit together.

There are some things craft glue just can't fix.

Most recently I went with one of my girlfriends to a winery.  While there, every single female had the same plaid shirt with the same puffer vest with the same jeans and the same boots.  It was so fucking boring.  And, where do you think this inspiration came from?  Pinterest.  I've seen it 1,000 times myself.  It's fucked up.  It's like we can't even dress ourselves.  All the sudden, we need someone else's ideas for putting a shirt and pants together...I mean, how did we ever survive without this?  It's amazing more people weren't arrested for public indecency in the early 2000s...before we had a website that told us what to wear.

I know I sound bitter.  I totally am.

I spend most of my time trying to keep my head above water and simply survive, and meanwhile, other people have time to mold rice-crispy treats into statues of David while creating birthday cakes that actually talk.

I fear that Pinterest is creating the long for a reality that distracts from what's important.  Life shouldn't be all about what is esthetically beautiful, but rather what happens behind the scenes.  The chances...the failures...these are the things we ultimately learn from.  Not the step-by-step manual to building your own garden gnome out of real humans.

Fuck.  Yes.  I saw that amazing tutorial on the waterfall braid.  However, my daughter won't even sit still for fucking pigtails.  That's why they're crooked.  And I don't give a fuck.  Because, ultimately, she just wanted to watch Umizoomi before school, and she didn't give a crap about her hair, and that's okay.  If you are going to judge who I am as a parent based on my child's hair...you may as well slap a "Mommy-Dearest" sticker on my dirt-encrusted mini-van.

Did you know that the average Pinterest user spends 98 minutes per month pinning?  It's true.  98 minutes per month pinning other people's shit onto their own shit so they can feel disappointed that someone else's reality is only a fantasy.  Because truth be told, you can't possibly have enough time to carry out the work behind those 98 minutes of pinning.  You can't.  And if you do, well, you need to find something to do.  Like get a job.  Or find a hobby.  Of your own.  Not from someone else's pin-board.

I'm not trying to throw shade or hate on you if you're one of those people who see Pinterest as life's bible.  I get it.  There's some cool shit out there.  What I'm saying is...it doesn't have to be that way.  We put way too much pressure on ourselves to be Martha Stewart in Everyday Living and not enough pressure to be Martha Stewart in prison.  Seriously.  Do you think Martha grew more from her crafts or from her mistakes?

I love the internet, but sometimes I wish it didn't exist.  Because I know there's a lot of other moms like me who would feel better about showing up to a birthday party with a child with one shoe on if the birthday party didn't look like it was being thrown by one of the Real Housewives.

I miss the world of store bought invitations.  When I get one, I ultimately like the mom a lot better because she's relatable.

I miss the world of roller-skating parties, because without them, I feel the need to clean my house.

I miss cookie cake.

I wish you all could have seen me preparing for my last party.  I was up making cake balls at 11:00 pm.  I was literally melting the chocolate and crafting the balls (yes...I giggled as I typed that), and all of the sudden I looked around and thought...who the fuck am I trying to be?  And...WHY?  So, after I licked the bowl, I threw away my creations.  Because, let's be real, I more of a Zebra Cake kinda girl.

And I went to bed.

And, that's when I promised to never compare my reality to someone else's fantasy.

And, you know what, that was 98 minutes I had to concentrate on the things that really matter.