I Use Hashtags

When adoption became our destiny in this life, I immediately felt the need to be perfect.  I mean, how else would we EVER get chosen if we didn't prove that we traveled, loved each other more than air, and promised to be the best parents that ever graced the planet?

After becoming a mother that persona stayed right along with me.  I followed every book and every doctor very strictly.  I gushed on our blog about our happily every after.  In all honesty I was grateful and in love with my life.  I remember Gregg and I fighting over who got to get Emme out of bed.  I loved when Emme would lay her head on Gregg's shoulder and my heart would melt and my teeth would grind from getting the squeezies.  I valued myself as a mother.

It has almost been a year since Emme was diagnosed and we became a special needs family.  I stared into space all day that day wondering what it would mean.  How would people take the news?  How would Emme be treated?  How am I going to fix this?

My perfect family dream was shattered.  Even then I had no idea the obstacles ahead.  I thought with continued therapy everything would eventually work itself out and Emme would become the first female president.  I slowly learned how wrong I was.

Soon, things like holding still for two minutes and coloring without eating the whole crayon became a celebratory event.

Somewhere along the lines a cold bitterness set in.  I was always worried about being judged and I compared myself to other moms like crazy.

Then one day (with the help of Emme's therapist) I stopped caring so much.  That's when I started this blog.  A new fresh outlook on my life.  One that was full of truth and not so much fluff.  A blog that didn't sugar coat.  I'll admit, I did worry about what my family, friends, and Emme's birth family would think.  So far most have been supportive and have sent sweet messages after a stressed out post.  Emme's birth family has been so understanding.  That has meant the world to me.  They know we love Emme and are doing our best.

Maybe it's letting go of unrealistic ideas or maybe I'm just getting older or maybe I'm just too dang tired, but I love my new uncaring attitude.

People aren't going to like where I live, the pictures I post on Instagram, my crappy writing skills, my opinions of Doterra Oils, or how I parent.  I mean, heaven forbid, I use HASHTAGS!!!  There will always be trolls (thanks Megan for that term) and they will be ready and waiting to cut you down.

I love that I have met so many great people experiencing similar life challenges because I decided to open up.  I can laugh with them, cry with them, and share fears with them that no one else understands.  They have kept me sane.

My cute cousin's daughter recently received a prestigious award and was on the news.  When giving advice to other students she said "don't be afraid to be dorky."  I love that.  We can use that advice no matter what age we are. Don't let the fear of looking dumb keep you from sharing your story.  You never know who you will help or the friends you will meet while looking like an idiot.

How To::Must Need Apps For your Instagram Photos

I love Instagram right now.  It is by far my favorite social media network and I prefer it way over Facebook.  I even talked my mom into getting one because she kept missing out on all of her grandkid's photos.  I'm not in any way claiming I'm an expert, but I wanted to share some great apps that make an okay photo great!  Most are free and some are a couple bucks, but they are well worth it.  

1. PicTapGo   By far this app has my favorite filters.  You can layer filter upon filter to get your photo just right.  Plus, it lets you save combinations for future use.  It has a crop tool and easily lets you share to social networks.  Trust me, you will die with how awesome it makes your photos look!


2. Snapseed  I payed about $5 for this app, but word on the street is it's free now.  I use snapseed to straighten my photos if needed, their crop tool is my favorite, and most of all because they have a selective adjust tool that you can pick a specific area to fix.  Sometimes, if you're taking a photo of a group of people, someone's face always seems darker than the rest.  With Snapseed I can easily fix that problem.


3. Pic Stitch To be honest I haven't found a photo collage that I'm completely in love with.  Pic Stitch has been my favorite so far due to it being very user friendly.  To use you just choose a layout then double click in a square to add a photo.  Then you can zoom in or out or move the photo around.  It tends to cut off photos so if you want the full picture I wouldn't use it in a collage.  I always edit the photos first before adding them to a collage and with PicTapGo you can use the same filter so all the photos flow with each other.  Pic Stitch is even great if you just need a border around one photo.  


4. Beautiful Mess Such a cute app and very user friendly.  If I add text to a photo, nine times out of ten I use this app.  They have great borders, text, and doodle choices.  There are a lot of free ones to choose from, but I have been known to buy extras for .99.  



5. Rhonna Designs This is my new favorite right now.  I've seen a lot of giveaways lately that have used this app.  I will say, it's not as user friendly as Beautiful Mess, but the choices are endless.  You can easily waste hours adding all kinds fluff to your photos.  Darling fluff might I add.


Here's some before and afters

If your an Instagram buff like myself, these apps will change your life.  Or, at least your Instagram feed.