So...A Record

I am so thankful for this little blog 'o mine and the record that it has become.

My feelings about blogging are mixed.  I see the pros and cons of blogging and my feelings about whether or not I should continue blogging kinda ebbs and flows between the benefits and the harms of social media (blah blah blah). 

But I am always glad, when I go back and read past posts, that I have continued to blog regardless of how I felt at the time.  I am always glad I didn't stop for whatever fleeting moment may have led me to quit.  I am so glad for the record I have. 

And so I keep blogging.  I keep pushing through :)

I've been reading some old posts and wanted to share some of my favorites and some that are meaningful to me.  Regardless of what this blog is to anyone else, I am so glad for what it has been for me.  And if you are new to this blog (let's be honest though...you're all either related to me or might as well be :) ) these should get you caught up.

This blog is coming up on it's five year anniversary.
Here are some of the goodies from the last five years::
(there are a lot and they are in no particular order.)

200 Buttons

Just Breathe

Miracles

Remedies

Full Hands

Bandaids

I'm Thankful

I Am SO Thankful

I Love

Mental Health Day

Perspective

I Can Hardly Stand It

If I Could Change One Thing About My Life...

Seeing the Joy

Wimbledon Here I Come

A Selfish Debate

I Have to Admit

Amazing

Complete

Word of the Day

A Morning

A Summer Day

A Quiet Afternoon

It's Crazy Cold

We Made It

One Month

Photo Diary of the Past Decade

Ten Years

A Little Jiggle Never Hurt Anyone...Unless You're Watching :)

It's About Them

Scriptures

13.1...Done

Look At Me Go

An Honest Note to Self

Today Was A Great Day

Never Listen

TGIF

Large With Child

A Secret

A Clean House

This Time

Sweet Dream

I Really Love Life

I Want To Be

Acceptance

An Emotional Bathroom Break

Growing a Baby is Not Nothing

Things I'm Learning Through Motherhood::01

Things I'm Learning Through Motherhood::02

Things I'm Learning Through Motherhood::03

Things I'm Learning Through Motherhood::04

Things I'm Learning Through Motherhood::05

Things I'm Learning Through Motherhood::06

Things I'm Learning Through Motherhood::07

Being a Mom's the Best

And some of the posts I'm most thankful to have are::

Monday Memories

I'm pretty proud of this record I have accumulated here on So Buttons and look forward to adding to it.  This blog has really been a blessing to me and I'm thankful for the support I feel here.

Thanks for sticking around for the past five years.
Thanks for not being too bored with my life and what I have to say...or at least pretending not to be.
That really is so thoughtful of you. :)



So...you may also like::
::So...Happy Two To You (Or Me) blog birthday.
::So...2010 As Told On Facebook before i ran as far as i could.
::So...Let's Talk About the "F" Word social media is not my friend - but blogging isn't so bad.

Thanks for stopping by!

So...Writing and Fighting My Battles

One thing I've learned is that writing really helps me.
I write on my blog, I write in my journal, I write poems, I write letters...they all serve different purposes.

But all forms of writing share one purpose for me - to make sense of what is going on in my head and to express how I'm feeling.  Part of the emotional regularity I'm striving for :)

Sometimes I write to try and gain the perspective I am lacking. 
If I'm having a hard time it helps to write about things that I'm grateful for.
Writing about my family and how much I love them is a favorite topic that seems to always help.
Now, not every time I write about being grateful or loving my kids is motivated by a negative feeling or experience - most of the time it's not - but sometimes it is and choosing to focus on the good things in life and writing about it really does help.

This blog has been a blessing to me in that way.

My personal journal is full of all sorts of personal things. 
The good, the sacred, the bad, and the ugly. 
I just write it how it is without much of a filter. 
Most of it I want to keep to myself.
(I've actually gained an important perspective about this that I need to remember to write about sometime...)

My blog I've dedicated to the good - things I want to share and thoughts/experiences that could help me when I'm struggling.  And perhaps help someone else.
I want to make sure to document the good feelings I'm having, the things I love about life and motherhood, the blessings that I am so grateful for. 
Writing positive blog posts and rereading them later really can help me get out of a negative mindset.

I love having a compilation of the good.
Proof that I am not worthless, even when my mind is telling me otherwise.

And yes - my blog does have a filter.
I try to keep in mind that people will be reading what I'm writing. 
I try to protect the privacy (and dignity - lol) of our family and try not to post anything that I will later regret.

So...the question then stands...
Is what I write on this blog real?
Is my blog just my portrayal of who I want to be?  Not really who I am?

Well, that's the thing about blogs.
Unless the reader knows the writer well, and has interactions outside of the blog to fill in the gaps, it's really up to the reader to decide, I guess.
There is lots of room for interpretation.
And honestly, I don't always feel comfortable with that...
Especially when I'm having one of those days when I'm sensitive to what people think of me.

But it is what it is.
And in a strange way I think it's good for me.
To be who I am and write what I want regardless of the interpretation/criticism/judgement that may follow.

In the end, it really doesn't matter what a reader may think about me based on my blog.
Each post is a little piece of me - something I did, something I thought, something I like, something I experienced, something I believe - a glimpse and not much more - but 100% true.
It is not a complete portrait of me or my life.
It is not my attempt to impress others.
It is not me hiding from the bad, or pretending it's not there.
It is actually part of my effort to fight off the negativity - me choosing to be happy and find the joy in life despite my struggles.
It is a place for me to document our little family's beautiful (imperfect) life.
It is a place for me to write about the good, express gratitude, and to help me fight my own daily battles.
Or at least that is what I hope for it to be.

Because writing really does help me.

And the possibility that something, anything, I write might inspire or help someone else with their own daily battle is one reason I share it publicly on my blog. 

But if my blog does the opposite for you - if it makes your daily battles harder to face - please oh please stop reading.  It really isn't worth it. 



So...you may also like::
::So...Where I Am so grateful for now.
::So...Just Breathe every little thing is gonna be alright.
::So...I Know Better yes i do.

Thanks for stopping by! 

So...Something New

Perhaps you've noticed, perhaps you haven't, but...
My little bloggy has a new look!

Thank you Summer for your design!
It was fun looking through all the different options and playing dress up with my blog.
It was hard to choose a favorite because I loved so many of them!
Needless to say, I am happy with my new look - it feels very me :)



So...you may also like::
::So...Buttons in the beginning.
::So...Happy Blog Birthday my blog baby turns one.
::So...Thank You to mrs. molly jones and my original header.  it served me well for a long time!

Thanks for stopping by!

So...You Know You're a Mother to Girls When...

...you find a family of pumpkins in your family room.

I suppose there is a mother of boys somewhere out there that is breaking up a game of pumpkin basketball (baseball or kickball) as we speak.





P.S. 701th post - woot woot!  Here's numba one.

So...I Have to Admit

...I have recently been turned off to social media and most forms of networking via the Internet. 
And when I say recently, I mean the past year or more.

I see so much good (a tremendous amount of good) that comes from technology and the Internet.
But the amount of thoughtlessness, self-indulgence, misuse, judgments, and offense (whether intentional or not) that can be displayed through these vehicles have been enough to turn me away. 
I am so turned off by the unnecessary drama that can occur from carelessness and impulsiveness on the Internet.

I could go on about my reasons, but there's not really any point of that.
My decision was personal and what I felt was best for me - not what I think everyone should do - and so there's no good reason for me to list why I've been turned off by social media.

Husband has pretty bluntly told me to step down from my soapbox on this matter - which is wise - and so the bottom line is:

The good has not outweighed the bad for me. 
And so I have distanced myself.
And it was such a relief.

I found myself searching for other things I could eliminate from my life to create the same feeling.
We watch way less TV (hardly any DVR-ed shows - which for me is a big deal).
I am more selective about the music I listen to.
I try to surround myself with things that uplift me and try to eliminate things that are unnecessary.
It feels like a decluttering of my mind and my spirit.
And it feels awesome.

Now, don't get me wrong...
I'm really not trying to tell you how awesome I am, or that you should follow me in my quest to unplug myself.
I'm really not.

My point is simply to share and explain a little why I have been significantly more absent from my blog and from the internet in general.
Also, to share what a good experience this has been for me.
It has almost been empowering.

My other reason for writing about this, is lately I have been feeling drawn to blogging again.
And I have been fighting it.
My goal lately has been to simplify, declutter, and disconnect from the Internet.
Blogging doesn't really seem to support those goals.
But still, the thought keeps coming...keep blogging.

And then yesterday I read this quote by Elder Quentin L. Cook:
"My challenge is that we join with people of all faiths who feel accountable to God in defending religious freedom so it can be a beacon for morality.  We caution you to be civil and responsible as you defend religious liberty and moral values.  We ask that you do this on the Internet and in your personal interactions in the neighborhoods and communities where you live.  Be an active participant, not a silent observer."

Hmm.
Now, the context of this quote isn't specifically directed toward my issue.
In fact, it is regarding political involvement and restoring moral values in society and government. 
But for some reason, it felt very applicable to me and these thoughts I've been having about blogging and the Internet.
"We caution you to be civil and responsible"
"Be an active participant, not a silent observer."

So, my thought and my goal, on this little blog of mine in my small little corner of the Internet, is to share my moral values by writing about my experiences and thoughts as a wife, mother, and LDS woman.

I want to keep things positive and uplifting - because heaven knows there's enough filth and negativity floating around there in cyberspace.

I get nervous about being vocal, especially virtually, because really...who am I?
I worry about being offensive or misunderstood - things can so easily be misread and misunderstood.
And I worry about being judged.

But this is me trying to be "an active participant" for good, "not a silent observer."
Because life really is so good.


And now I will go and try not to take myself so seriously...  :)
Hope you all have a fantastic day.
And for those of you actually made it through this lengthy and verbose post - congratulations!
Now you can get on with your life :)

So...Nevermind

So...I have to explain.

Since this blog began, I have referred to my daughters as First, Second, and Third.  When Baby Boy arrived, it was only natural that I would refer to him as Son.  It made sense.  But I felt a little awkward calling him Son, with a capital S, because of the only other capital S son is the Son of God.  It just felt a little weird.

So...

I decided to give them nicknames - which I thought about doing earlier on this blog, but never really was feeling it.  It made me feel like I was trying too hard or something.  But with all the Son awkwardness, I decided to give it a go.

Not that I've been using these nicknames for very long - like two posts or something - but they just feel weird.

It just feels weird!

So...

I'm going back to the beginning. 

Back to the way things were. 

Because I don't handle change well.

Here are the names with the faces, in case you didn't know.

(Who am I kidding.?  The few people that actually read this blog are my family and close friends - and you obviously know my kids!  But go ahead and humor me...)

 First Daughter - 7

Second Daughter - 5

Third Daughter - 3

 Son
or Baby Boy - 4 months

I'm gonna stick with "Son," even though it is a little weird.

I may throw in a "Baby Boy" to clarify that I'm talking about my child and not Jesus. 

In case somebody gets confused...

Ok...phew.
I'm glad I got that off my chest...

So...Cast of Characters

 First Daughter = Bear

We've called her "Bear" since birth. 

Not really sure where it came from, but it fit and it stuck.

Second Daughter = Bug

She's our cuddle bug.  Big time.

Cuddling might be her favorite past time.

Third Daughter = Cookie

Also, a nickname given at birth.  Actually, before.

It rhymes with her name, so it was an obvious choice. 

Plus, she's so sweet! :)

 Son = Cubby

He looks a lot like First Daughter to me.  She is Bear, he is Cubby.

I also think he looks like a little bear cub.  So cute and cuddly.

So...Express, Not Impress

I read this article today, and loved it.

Though I'm not really a writer, I'm a blogger, and I felt like this article would do every blogger good to read.  Blogging can very easily become self-indulgent.  It's easy to get caught up in the blogosphere and all the gimmicks that attract readers.  I try to keep things real over here, but there definitely have been phases when I'm blogging more to impress than to express. 

Of course, it feels great to know people like my blog, enjoy what I write, and comment on my posts.  And so sometimes that is a motivation.
But I want so badly for it not to be.

Today I saw that somebody unsubscribed to my blog.
The fact that I even looked at that number is silly.  Who really cares?
But I saw that someone unsubscribed and part of me thought, "what did I do wrong?"
It was a little embarrassing.

That is so not what I want out of blogging.
I want to blog whether people read it or not.
When I actually blog...

So it was a good read for me today.
I've been blogging on and off this year (mostly off) because of this issue. 
I love the idea of blogging to express, not to impress.  Love it.

In fact, I want everything I do to be to express, not to impress.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We went to the Thanksgiving Point Discovery Gardens today to enjoy the sunshine.
Look at this gorgeous rainbow garden!

They've added a bunch of new exhibits this year.  All encourage and inspire educational and imaginative play and exploration.  We had a blast checking it all out.  And we didn't even get lost in the garden maze this time!

Son enjoyed some time on the grass, looking up at the trees while his sisters played.

It was a wonderful afternoon.

We love Thanksgiving Point and are looking forward to many more trips there this summer.

Anyone wanna come?

So...2011 Buttons

So... I missed my bloggy birthday back in December.
I normally would have done a recap of the previous year - a "best of" if you will.

Looking back at the posts of 2011, I was on quite a roll until it all just stopped. Pretty abruptly.
Most of it was the move, and the pregnancy, then the miscarriage, then the next pregnancy, and just the craziness of life with young kids.

Blogging definitely took a backseat for the second half of 2011.
And though it hasn't quite found itself quite back in the front seat, it's starting to pop its little head up here and there.

So...in the spirit of blog celebration, here are some of my favorite posts from 2011.


January 2011:: I kicked off the New Year playing Bananagram with First Daughter, got some priceless portraits from my mom, made some MLK donuts, thought about blogging, and had a slumber party in the living room.
February 2011:: I spent most of February participating in the free joy of LOVE photography class, I wrote away about writing, I had a strong desire, a selfish debate, and a secret, celebrated my birthday valentine, and had a waterfall in our freezer.
March 2011:: We moved!, the kiddos played Magic Treehouse, I shared the best mix ever, what's in my bag, our love story in a guest post, and a thing I'm learning through motherhood.
April 2011:: I blogged about seeing the joy, shared a good news minute, discovered that I am the mother, shared more thoughts on motherhood here and here along with a disclaimer, and spent a spring morning on the trail.
May 2011:: I learned that writing helps, started training for another half marathon, celebrated mothers' day, and lost a lot of pictures, poems, and writing.

Which made me lose a lot of blogging momentum.

After that I posted twice in June.
Once in August.
And then shared a few things I was thankful for in November.

Even though 2011 was really only half full of blogging, there were quite a few good ones while the streak lasted.
Here's to another year of blogging and looking forward to more to come!

Thanks for reading this little blog 'o mine.
I'm gonna keep lettin it shine.



So...you may also like:
::So...Happy Two to You (or Me)
::So...Happy Blog Birthday
::So...Photo Diary of the Past Decade

Thanks for stopping by!

So...A Time and A Season

Well, hello again.
Is anybody still there?

I know it has been quite a long time since my last post, and my blogging has been on and off for a year or so. I know, I know.
But I haven't completely forgotten this little blog 'o mine. It hovers in the back of my mind, waiting for a little inspiration and motivation, and recently has been lacking results. I just haven't really had much to say - or much motivation to say it - in a while. To be honest, I'm not really sure why. I have some ideas, but not exactly sure what flipped my blogging switch off.

My best explanation is, I just haven't needed blogging as I have needed it in the past. Blogging, at times, has been a very positive thing for me (as I mentioned here and here). It has been a creative outlet, a way to connect with people, a way to "speak" my mind, a way to process things I'm going through, a way to document my going-on, a place to write. All good things.

At different times and different seasons, blogging has served different purposes. And for the past year or so, I have been in an off-season of blogging. I haven't really felt the need or desire to blog, and so I haven't.

Will I ever blog like I used to? I don't know.
Will I ever quit blogging completely? Most likely no.

Do any of you really care? Probably not. :)

But don't be surprised if you see me pop in and out of bloggy-land.
I may drop in every once and a while to share my thoughts when I feel like it.
I may go through blogging feasts, and blogging famines.
Because like everything, there is a time and a season.
Even blogging.

And seasons come and seasons go.
{{cue music}}

And while you're sitting around waiting for me to post something (because I know that's totally what you do...) check out my friend Hannah's new blog Majoring in Me and Christina's Bee a Little Better.



So...you may also like:
::So...Buttons
::So...Happy Blog Birthday
::So...Happy Two to You (or Me)

Thanks for stopping by!

So...Stylish Blogger

So...anyone miss me?
Ya - sorry about the lack of blogging.
Not really sure what that's all about, except that I have just been doing other things and life seems to just keep on going.

During my short blogging sabbatical, my dear friend Ginger awarded me a Stylish Blogger Award over at her blog Ginger Unplugged.

Thank you Ginger! I have mentioned her blog before and how much I love it, but have I mention how much I love her? Ginger is one of the most amazing people I know. She is an incredibly talented writer (whose published, by the way), inspiring mother, great friend, and pretty much good at everything she does. I look up to her in so many ways and feel lucky to call her my friend.

And I absolutely love her blog. She always makes me laugh.

So, thank you Ginger, for awarding me the Stylish Blogger Award, even though my blog really isn't that stylish :)

Along with the award comes a few responsibilities:

1. Thank and link to the person who nominated you.
2. Share seven random facts about yourself.
3. Pass the award along to five blogging buddies.
4. Contact those buddies to congratulate them.

Since it's been awhile since I've shared random facts about me, this should be a little fun.

#1) Once I heard that a sobriety test was to sing the alphabet backward. I practiced and practiced just in case I ever was pulled over and accused of drunk driving. I wasn't confident that I would pass the test sober.

#2) My favorite candy bar is a Strawberry Charleston Chew. They're hard to find, so whenever I come across one I feel the need to buy it. Just in case.

#3) I do not like cats. I have a strange feeling that they are plotting to take over the world and I am not comfortable with that.

#4) I have been hypnotized. In fact, the hypnotist convinced me that I was Britney Spears and succeeded to get me to sing and dance on stage in front of my high school student body. This is proof that I was in fact hypnotized.

#5) I can play all of the string instruments. I can only play one well.

#6) When I was a kid, and asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always said an architect (?). Not really sure why, but that was my profession of choice until high school. Then I wanted to be a professional athlete. Seems a bit backwards, no?

#7) I tried out for my high school girls' ice hockey team. After the first day, I realized that not knowing how to ice skate was a huge problem and decided to go with indoor lacrosse instead.

So...that's it. I know they are a bit random, but I was trying to think of things not on my list of 200 things. I was too lazy to read through them all again, so I'm not sure if I repeated or not. Either way, it was fun to dig up so random facts.

And the five blogs I'm passing this award on to are:

At Full Capacity
Who Dub It
Copper Kettles
Kel's Version of it All
Farmer Freitas' Wife

...and anyone else who feels like participating! If you do, put a link in the comments!

So...you may also like:
::So...200 Buttons
::So...It's Been Awhile Since I've Been "It"
::So...25 Random Things About Me

Thanks for stopping by!

So...welcome

Lately I've been wondering what draws readers to this blog. Most of my readers are friends and family, but I have a few that I don't know. How did you find me? Why do you keep reading? (For the record, I love that you're here.)

For curiosity's sake, I looked up the keyword analysis for this blog and guess what I found? The post that has had the most views, and the highest keyword search is "Little Einstein's Birthday Party."

Who knew?

Apparently if you are interested in throwing a Little Einsteins Party, So Buttons is a great resource. And if you do, let me know! We love Little Einsteins!

I like to think I have a little more to offer than Little Einsteins tips (although we, alone, might be keeping that show on the air) but hey, I'll take what I can get.

So...whatever the reason you may have stumbled upon this little blog 'o mine,
Thanks for stopping by!
And please, don't be shy to let me know you were here.

So...been thinking about blogging

Some of the people I admire and respect the most are private, thoughtful, and careful with their words. They bare challenges with grace and faith, and share accomplishments and joys with humility and gratitude. I think I am not this way.

At a recent forum/discussion on facebook and blogging, the thought was presented that perhaps we, as a society, are losing our filters. We no longer know what is appropriate and inappropriate to share. With a loaded keyboard at our fingertips and no face at the other end of our words, we find ourselves saying things online that we would never say in person - about others and about ourselves.

I have been thinking about this a lot.

Blogging is an interesting beast. It serves as a creative outlet; a community to share your common interests, excitements, dreams, goals, and accomplishments; a blank slate in which to document the things you never want to forget; a secret corner of the internet where you can share your deepest darkest secrets; a place where you can just be whatever and whoever you want to be. This is a wonderful thing. This is a dangerous thing.

A blog can be a journal. It can be a scapbook. It can be a best friend. It can be a business. It can just be. But whatever it is, it is not private. Even private blogs are not private (unless, of course, you do not invite anyone to read your blog). I think sometimes I forget this. I think I don't ever want to forget this again.

Yes, I try to be as open and honest as I can on this blog. No, I do not post everything I'm thinking or everything that's going on in my life. Even though I may want to, I don't. For that, I have a closed and bound journal, stashed discreetly beside my bed.

I try to keep it positive over here at So Buttons. I try to filter out things that nobody really wants or needs to know. Sometimes I am good at this. Sometimes I am not. Believe me, I have my share of challenges and struggles. I have bad days and I have days when I just want to complain or vent about this or that. I sometimes say really stupid things. I am a person who likes to talk. I am a person who likes to share. Everything. I try to keep most things to myself or share only with my closest circle of friends and family. I try.

Sometimes I am good at this.
Sometimes I am not.

However blogging serves you in your life, I keep coming to the same conclusion - for me it is good. I have a love/hate, on/off relationship with blogging, but I've realized that as long as I'm blogging for positive reasons, it will have a positive affect on my life.

The trick is to keep remembering why I choose to blog. For me.

So...Happy Two to You (or me)

So...this little blog celebrated it's 2nd birthday this month.
In honor of that and the close of 2010, and for those of you who may be new to So Buttons, I thought it appropriate to highlight some of my favorite posts from the past year:

January 2010 I kicked off 2010 with a photo diary of the past decade (possibly my favorite post ever) and introduced Notes to Self. Oh, and I can't forget the Thai Chicken Pizza...
February 2010 I was thankful, returned to the gym, and was OK with my place in the blogging community.
March 2010 I shared some remedies for being in a winter funk, threw a Little Einsteins Party, and transformed my family room.
April 2010 I shared some things that make me happy, First Daughter became old enough to play April Fool's jokes on me, I had my proudest mommy moment, and we did my favorite letter craft.
May 2010 Was an eventful blogging month for me. I discussed craziness and silent treatments in motherhood, celebrated being a mama, wrote some six word memoirs on motherhood, enjoyed some family time by our new fire pit, jiggled through some sprints, and had a summer mix giveaway (which ended up being quite the hit with the neighbors).
June 2010 My blog was barely alive.
July 2010 I got in touch with my inner teeny-bopper and went to the midnight show of Eclipse, ran my first half marathon, played with my new camera, fell in love with The Hunger Games, celebrated Pioneer Day here and here, and shared one of my favorite videos.
August 2010 We went to the happiest place on earth, I got excited about photoshop, and I felt complete dusting off the violin.
September 2010 I shared some things I love including this picture, I started my six week plan, got a headache, worked on budgetting, and grew some "pumpkin".
October 2010 Crazy Dog drove me crazy, and had a big scare.
November 2010 I trotted myself to Boston Town and never quite made it back (to blogland).
December 2010 I shared two very different Christmas stories - one spiritual and one technical, made some wonderful Christmas memories, and documented 2010 as told on facebook.

Thanks for sharing another year with me on this little blog 'o mine.
It still surprises me that anyone actually reads it.
Thanks for stopping by.
It really makes my day when you let me know you did.

So...if you want a button: tutorial

If you want to add the So Buttons button to your blog, here's a little tutorial.

1. On the bottom of my right sidebar, there is html code that you can add to your blog code, so that the So Buttons button appears on your blog, where you want it.

Highlight the code (everything in that little box), right click and Copy. Or, hit Ctrl+S.

2. Open your blogger dashboard.
Click on the "Layout" tab on the top of the blog you want to add the button to.
Click "Add a Gadget."

3. A little window will pop up that looks like this:

Click on "HTML/JavaScript."

4. Another window will pop up that looks like this:

This is where you paste the code that you copied from my blog, but either right clicking and clicking "Paste" or by pressing Ctrl+V. You can title it whatever you want, or leave it blank. Don't forget to press SAVE.

5. You can then move your new Gadget you have created, to any place you want it to show on your blog. Just click on the box, drag it, and drop it where you want it to stay.

6. You will also need to press SAVE on the "Layout" to save the changes you have made to your blog.

And it's as easy as that.
You can use these instruction to add all sorts of things to your blog, as long as you have the html code.

Good luck, and have fun experimenting.

Oh, and let me know if you've added my button. Don't be shy.

So...it's ok

Thinking a lot about this little blog of mine. (What's new?) Wondering and questioning if I have anything original, creative, inspiring to offer this world of blogging? Sometimes I'm not sure. And then I try to remember why I started blogging in the first place? Oh right. For me, not for them. But that doesn't stop me from thinking (and dreaming) about what could possibly become of this little blog, what direction I want to go with it, who might be reading it, or what pieces of myself I want to put out there for the world to read. Do I really want to pour out my heart and soul? Do I want to share ideas or is this just a place for me to file thoughts and ideas for the future? Perhaps it's a little bit of both.

Of course, every blogger wants readers. If they didn't, blogging doesn't make any sense to me. If you don't want readers, just write your thoughts and experiences in a journal or type away at your computer and click save. The reason bloggers blog is because they want somebody to read what they have to say.

And I am no different.

Yes, I hope that someone, somewhere out there (beneath the pale moonlight) reads what I post and in someway is connected to it, uplifted by it, motivated, or maybe even entertained a bit. I like knowing that someone appreciates what I have to say. I like feeling connected to people. I like feeling like someone cares about what I think. Who doesn't?

But I can also feel (like I think many other blogger do) a bit self conscience. I find myself getting too caught up in what people might think when they read what I write. I find myself formulating posts based on what might get more readers or more comments. I find myself comparing myself to other bloggers I follow; which, like any form of comparison, usually doesn't do any good. (Is that a proper use of a semi-colon?) I can easily get overwhelmed with the incredibly talented and truly gifted bloggers out there. And I don't think that does me any good.

I then go back and rethink why I even blog in the first place.
It's something that is mine. It's something that I have complete control over. It is a way for me to express myself exactly the way I want to. It is an outlet for me to say whatever it is that I just have to say. It feels like a friend I can turn to when I just want to talk. About anything.

What do I have to offer blogland? I don't know.
All I know is that I like to put myself into whatever it is I'm doing. I like feeling like it's mine. I like feeling proud of whatever it is that I have created. This blog is no different. And so I hope to stay true to that. I want this blog to be me - entirely and completely - and if all I have to offer this world is me, than I think that is ok.

So...buttons

In case you were wondering what the heck "So Buttons" means,
I've explained things here

and a little more clearly over there

(on my sidebar)

Thanks for stopping by.

So...sorry for the lack of posts

I like to pretend sometimes that people actually care whether I post or not and that people actually read this little blog. Today I'm pretending and so I'm apologizing for the lack of good posts - to those of you who actually care.

I've been experiencing some sort of bloggers' block. I haven't had much time to sit down and put my thoughts into coherent sentences. Maybe I just haven't made the time. Or maybe I just haven't had many thoughts that are worth sharing, or maybe I'm wishing I was having different thoughts than I am. I think the most likely culprit is my list of things to do that is growing faster than my list of things done.

Whatever the reason, I felt like I needed to post something.
So here I am.

Consider this a sorry excuse for a post.

So...notes to self

I'm adding the category "Notes to Self" on the sidebar.
I have been thinking + hearing a lot of great advice lately that I am in serious need of documenting.
Projects ideas + future goals may also be included.

So...Happy Blog Birthday

Today So Buttons is 1 year old.
Here are some highlights from the past year:

December 2008: I broke off from my family blog and posted my first So Buttons post. I also told you a little about me.
January 2009: I made some resolutions for 2009 and started WSMGS Pick of the Weeks.
February 2009: The nesting phase of pregnancy kicked in and I began my quest of cleaning my house in 5 weeks before the baby came.
March 2009: I explained why I went on a crazy cleaning spree and then I gave birth to Third Daughter
April 2009: I discovered Poetic Asides and participated in the April PAD Challenge. I also began doing letter projects with the Daughters in an attempt to spend quality time with them, and talked a little bit about life in the fast lane.
May 2009: Nan came into my life, and by the way she's doing great. I also talked a little about lists and being sleepy. Oh, and who could forget my glorious "green" drink?
June 2009: I realized (again) that I wouldn't change anything about my life if I could and talked about figuring things out. I also had an incident with a barking garbage can.
July 2009: I visited the Goonie House and got philosophical about tennis and motherhood.
August 2009: I grew a child-sized zucchini, I had an unfortunate incident while Husband was away working, wrote about why I write, and I confessed of the realities and struggles of being a mother.
September 2009: It happened on my birthday, I spent way too much time on my 200th post, I fell in love with this yummy salad, and went here with Husband.
October 2009: I shared some Husbandly insights into my soul, talked about prayer and parenthood, shared an apology slip free of charge, talked about why I blog, jumped on the photoshop bandwagon, and shared some thoughts about my day job.
November 2009: I sported the Doc Martins, got sentimental about a certain sleeping baby, had an awesome girls night out, and wrote this for the Poetic Asides PAD Chapbook Challenge.
December 2009: I started Monday Memories, Write Away prompts, and shared some Christmas Picks from WSMGS.


Thank you to those of you who actually read this little blog 'o mine.

I'm gonna let it shine :)