I'm Not A Home Blogger (And I Need to Stop Trying)

As I mentioned on Monday and Wednesday, I started this blog with the intention of documenting the progress on decorating and organizing our new home. However, since I posted in a few weeks what took eight months to accomplish, I was setting myself up for failure. There was simply NO WAY I could keep up with that kind of pace.

I know that I blog about other things, so it's not like I was trying to be just a home blogger. If that was the case, I probably would have quit a long time ago. Maybe it was the kind of link parties I was participating in or maybe it was the types of blogs I enjoy reading (who doesn't love a good before & after or pretty room?), but in my mind I aspired to blog about decorating and organizing my home.


After several months of striving and discontentment, I finally acknowledged that being a "Home Blogger" is just not for me. It was hard for me to admit to myself that the vision I had developed for this blog was not compatible with reality, but at the same time I feel relieved.

I had to come to grips with reality, because what I was doing just wasn't working. After thinking it over, I came up with some reasons why I shouldn't be a home blogger:

I'm not a decorator by nature.  

As much as I like looking through pictures of beautifully decorated rooms, I don't have the skills or vision to effectively put a room together myself, at least not quickly.
In addition, I really don't enjoy browsing decor sites or catalogs. I hadn't even heard of Ballard Designs or West Elm until recently, and I only set foot in Anthropologie for the first time last summer.
One day I was admiring some amazingly creative knock-off designs at a link party and I thought, "I could do that. I need to start browsing home decor sites for ideas." But I didn't. It sounded overwhelming to add another thing to my to-do list. Plus, I didn't really want to. As quickly as design trends go in and out of style, I would rather spend my time on something else that matters more to me.

Decorating takes time.

I loved the way our last house was decorated, but it took us almost five years (four of which were kid-free) to get there. And as a full-time teacher, I was content to work at a slow pace. Projects were done on weekends and days off from school, and I could devote hours and days as needed without pint-size interruptions. Our house became our own, baby steps and big leaps at a time, depending on the project. Once we moved into this new home, I was conflicted between the urge to re-do our entire home and the reality of cost and time.

Blogging takes even more time than I imagined.

I might have been able to work on our home at a faster pace if I wasn't taking and editing pictures, writing & formatting posts, maintaining a site, participating in link parties, and trying to build a social media following. When I'm done with all that, I'm just not motivated to tackle DIY and decor.

Updating our house is not as simple as it seems on home blogs or HGTV.

Our old house was also a blank slate. It was all painted "builder's beige" by the previous owner, and after living in rental properties for two years, I was excited to make the space our own. Our current house is not exactly dated per se, but it's not really my style. After living in a house that was "us," it was hard to live in one that wasn't. Plus, because the former owners were very poor DIY-ers, painting a room isn't a simple task. It takes extra time to fix whatever they did wrong before we can even start painting.

I have decor commitment issues. 

I know that whatever I decide to do when it comes to decor, it will stay that way for quite some time. I want to make sure that I will love it, because I'll force myself to live with it. I just can't justify the expense of re-doing a room that I just spent a chunk of change to decorate. Because of that, I do a lot of planning and adjusting before I finally commit. All of that takes time.

I just won't spend a lot on decor. 

I'm very frugal and don't like to spend a lot of money (if any) on decor. Most of the furniture and decor gracing our home was probably a super deal, a gift, or a family heirloom. It's not necessarily that we don't have the money, it's just that I'd rather spend the money elsewhere. Since I don't want to spend a lot, it takes time to find something I'm looking for at the right price. This slow pace didn't bother me too much until I became a blogger.

Outdoor projects have come first.

Updating the house has not been high on our budget or time priorities. We're living on pretty much our dream property - 1.5 acres of fruit trees, berry bushes, space for a large vegetable garden, and enough land for chickens, but with serious need of some TLC. All of those things required money and time, which meant we didn't have a lot left over for the house itself. Since we moved in, we have purchased a tiller, riding mower, chainsaw, materials for two chicken coops, chickens, chicken food and supplies, fencing, and plants. Considering that we're not big spenders at all, it sometimes feels as if we were hemorrhaging money. In reality, though, we were able to pay cash for absolutely everything and we still are managing to put a decent amount into savings each month. The good news is, after we replace our falling-down shed (tentatively this fall), we should hopefully be done with the big outdoor expenses.

I spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

In our attempt to eat real food as much as possible on a budget, I spend a decent amount of time each week cooking and baking. In the summer, we add in canning and preserving produce.
Hence, instead of doing DIY or decor projects, you'll often find me in the kitchen, crafting something delicious.  It's not (usually) drudgery to me - I love experimenting in the kitchen and baking with Kiddo, and I find such joy and satisfaction in feeding my family.

I Need to Be Me. 

 After reading my reflections above, it's pretty clear what I should be blogging about. I should write about things I'm passionate about - what I love doing and want to do. With that in mind, you'll be seeing far less "home blog" stuff and much more of the following:

• Recipes
• Freezer cooking
• Gardening, Canning, and Preserving
• Keeping Chickens and other outdoors-y stuff (sometimes called Homesteading)
• Frugal living & Helpful tips
• My thoughts and reflections

That doesn't mean I won't be sharing home projects or organization. As the mood strikes, you will continue to see bits and snippets of our home, decor, and DIY projects. I'm just removing the pressure to regularly blog about it, and giving myself permission to not have a "Pinterest-perfect" home.

What have you liked about the posts here at Pinspired Home? Have you ever tried to be someone you're not? I'd love to hear from you!

I link up at these fabulous link parties.