A IG video (#truth) + What I learned from blogging each day

Nichole posted this video last week and it was everything I was thinking when I stopped using Instagram early on in May. It's a tool that we can unknowingly use as a measurement of comparison. I don't even know what I'm measuring half the time but it almost never fails to make me feel bad in some way. 

However, I was using Instagram in 2011 and that's long before the general population found it, right? 

I can overcome this first-world problem.

It's the same thing as Pinterest. I was using it long before the masses, therefore I just put on my basic-filter when I look at it and I have been finding some gems lately. 

Anyway.

But, I did learn a few things in my experiment of blogging every day for a month.

1. It's not that difficult. If you think about it, writing out a few sentences, adding a picture, and hitting publish isn't hard. I think the perfectionist in me wants to make the most of each post and I didn't have a chance to do that this month and that was good for me. 

2. I "talked" a lot more than I'm used to doing. I shared a lot of stuff that I'm not used to sharing. I won't say that my blog is a highlight reel because it's not that curated and it's not hiding anything (ahem, some Instagram users). But I usually only share what I deem worth it at that time. I got a lot less picky about that in May. 

3. I skipped one day by mistake. In my opinion, this was a good thing. It initially bothered me because, if you think about it, there's no true way to remedy that. I can't go back in time and insert a post for May 30th. Well, I could. But I won't. That's cheating.

4. I still held back. There were several things I could've said and I didn't. Or more I probably could've written about. Maybe 31 days wasn't actually long enough?

5. I'll probably just stick to a 5-day a week schedule from here on out. Posting on the weekends is stressful. No one reads it, so I had to link back to it. I don't understand this. The only time I really have to read blogs (if it's not summer) IS during the weekend. How are you all reading/commenting/writing during the week? If I don't prep and catch up by Sunday morning, it won't happen. 

You can read all the May posts by clicking on that link above. If you're so inclined. 

Blog Every Day In May: A Blogging Challenge

When I think about the blogs I love to read, they're blogs that capture the everyday details. Blogs that are kind of mundane really.  It's why I've been writing Currently posts for the last two months. I want to capture the everyday. That's what's interesting to me about blogs. Extra-meaningful posts are great, but that gets too heavy sometimes. I want to read nothingness because it just makes me happy. Some people watch reality t.v. (uh, sometimes I do too) and I like to read reality.

I started blogging to share life with the family we don't live close to. Family and friends always say they've read something on my blog that I've, quite honestly, forgotten that I'd written. And sometimes there's a moment of sheer panic and I think Uh, what did you see? 

And oftentimes, when I write semi-serious posts, that's not stuff I ever really say out loud; it just seems self-indulgent to hold someone hostage on the phone or in person, trying to explain how and why you chose your word for the year. I mean, holy eye roll. No one cares. Which is why I put it here. People can read what they choose to read and then silently judge me from afar if they so choose. It's like those long-complaining Facebook posts that scream of self-indulgence; those people need a blog.

I rarely share my blog with anyone I actually know. A few people read it, but I usually prefer to keep it separate from real life. I share at least 80% of real life on my blog, but I share my blog, maybe, 5% of the time with real life. It's a fine line.

All of this to say that I plan on blogging each day in May. That's right. EVERY DAY for 31 DAYS in a row. I bet you're wondering where the writing prompts are for this challenge.  Uh, there aren't any. I don't really have a plan. But what I learned about a year ago was that having a plan usually is setting myself up to fail. I overdo it much too easily. I tighten and then fail. There's no need to overthink things. So, outfits, house stuff, dog stuff, workouts, what I'm watching, what I'm reading, maybe even a recipe(!)...just life in general because I think the little posts about nothing actually tell the world the most about us. Less curation is my goal.

I'm just throwing this out there* in case you're interested in joining me. May can be a busy month, but since I'm not packing up a classroom and I'm staring down several more months of deployment, I suppose I might as well.  Look...I even made a graphic. Fun, right?

*I was supposed to post this last week in case anyone wanted to *plan* to join me. I obviously didn't meet that inner expectation. An example of plans going awry and all that.

Literary Ladies Book Club Challenge

I swear, I don't do book clubs and/or book challenges online because they just seem like a lot of work.

However, when I read this introductory post by Kristen at See You in a Porridge earlier this month, I thought it was interesting enough.  Then I was like, "No, you don't do this stuff, Kristin."

And then I kept scrolling and reading and I saw that she gave ME a shout-out as someone who would be competent of recommending a book if you're not sure what to read.

Well.

Now I have to do the challenge.

Notice I wrote in pencil because I've begun quite a few books lately that have been too dull for me to finish, so I don't want to punish myself.  It's summer vacation after all.  

The hardest one for me was #9 Book About Summer.  I just took one of Kristen's suggestions because I did some googling and found nothing interesting.  

The asterisks mean I would prefer to get those books in audio form.  I listened to an excerpt of Rob Lowe's memoir last year and loved it and have been meaning to read the rest ever since.  Also, any audiobook by Liane Moriarity, I'm sure, trumps the paper form.  #1 and #5 are books that I can never find at the library, so they've been on my list forever.  I've been trying to read #4 since 2011-ish and I'm hoping to find it on audiobook too.

Note: I've already changed some of this.  Here is the updated list.  I didn't feel like taking another picture.

YA book: Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Non-US Author: Three Wishes by Liane Moriarity OR One Plus One by Jojo Moyes (depending on which one I can get my hands on first...likely I'll read both this summer)

Book Recommended by a Blogger: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay (I can't find this anywhere...might have to buy it via Kindle)

Book on TBR list for a year: Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris (has been in my nightstand for 2 years...so has Dead Ever After) I'll likely read The Graveyard Book too, if I can find it.

Book with a kick-ass female character: All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin (YA book, can't find it anywhere...)

Book to movie: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Memoir: Stories I Tell Only My Friends by Rob Lowe

Book with One-Word Title: Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Book about Summer: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Suspenseful Book: My Friend the Enemy by Dan Smith

I'll be including these reviews in my monthly book round-ups and adding in others too.

Time to go to the library.

What do you think?  Are you willing to join in?

#bloggersgetsocial June Photo Challenge

I have a whole forthcoming post about why I've either succeeded or failed at the things I've attempted this year.  However, this #bloggersgetsocial challenge came at the perfect time because, when I was mapping out things I wanted to do this summer, a month of "photo a day" was on the list.

#15 is Sparkles

1. My goal was to not let Monday end until I had Colorado license plates. That meant two DMV trips.

2. I've been buying these at the commissary and they last for up to two weeks in the fridge.  Impressive.

3.  Bought at a craft fair in Missouri.

4. My wallet that I got in The Grand Cayman while on vacation.  I don't even remember what wallet I used before this one because that's how much I love it. 

5.  My coffee cup today. It was a wedding gift way back when. 

You can find my posts on Instagram if you want to follow along or join in. It's not too late to catch up!

Also, I'm aware that I owe two recipes for next week since I skipped this week and I should also be back to a regular blogging schedule next week.  Fingers crossed.