Social Media: What Not to Do

I confess, I love social media. I use Instagram as a blogging tool. I Facebook friends and family to stay connected, Pinterest keeps me stimulated creatively.  Twitter provides me with immediate sports scores, weather updates and news events.  I spend too much time on Social Media and am currently trying to place restrictions on my usage.

As much as I love it, there are things that make my skin crawl. All the taboo postings that make me want to leave a comment such as, "What the heck were you thinking? or "Delete that right now!"  You too, might be on the verge of posting one of the following and to you, I offer this advice: Don't Do It!  Here is my top 5 list of Social Media Dont's:

1. Open wounds or broken bones. A simple post about being in the ER is sufficient. We don't need to see the blood stained flesh, gnarly stitches or bone sticking out, we believe you.
2. Poop. I know the joys and stresses of potty training, I know it is exciting when your child goes poopoo in the potty for the very first time. Journal it, write it in their baby book. Take a picture if you must and put it in their scrapbook, but don't share it please.  Just don't.  The same goes for newborn baby diapers, stomach problems, toilets in the background of selfies and any other personal business that takes place in the bathroom.
3. Naked children. There is nothing sweeter than an innocent child in their birthday suit.  I love the newborn pics with the tiny baby tush. So precious. However, when the children get older this same innocence becomes a prime target for child predators. Disgusting, yes. Appaling, absolutely. Yet, so true.  My worst fear is that some creep finds a random picture of my children and uses it for things I could never imagine.
4. Tragedies.  My journalistic instinct is to report the news immediately.  But then I have to stop and remind myself there are real people involved. Real families that have just lost someone very precious and are still processing their grief.  They don't need to see a picture of the gruesome accident, their flattened or charred home or even the details before they have been released.  Respect the families. Give them time. Pray for them. Call or stop by. If you must send a publc post, wait until all parties have been notified.  
5. Copyrighted photos.  At this point, I will put on my librarian hat and play copyright police.  Taking a picture of a copyrighted photo and posting it is just bad judgment. School photos, wedding photos, family photos, it doesn't matter.  If the picture has a copyright, you can not use it without permission. Posting it on your page with the obvious watermark or logo could get you into big trouble. Photography is an art and way of life for many people.  It will make your photographer furious and could land you a lawsuit. Don't be "that guy."

Social media can be wonderful. It is also immediate and often, too fast for our minds to keep up.  We think it, we post it. Maybe if we just thought on it for a few more seconds or maybe even slept on it, the virtual world would be a better place. I teach elementary students Social Media safety and ettiquete in the fall. Most have no idea the things that could happen as a result of one post. Sometimes I think we, as adults, need that reminder as well.  I look forward to reading your posts, even if they make me twitch. :)  

Spring Break Makeover

     We have lived in our house for six years and have done little to no remodeling.  I had had enough. Enough of the dark mahogany cabinets, enough of the mismatched hardware, enough of the polished brass, broken light fixture. Enough!  Finally, Spring Break arrived and my list of to-dos was ready to go.  First on the list was a kitchen remodel.  I had been perusing Pinterest, Hometalk, Instagram and other social media sites for months trying to decide what my dream kitchen would look like.  We had our budget set, thanks to the IRS and a tax refund, and just needed time.
      Originally, I wanted all white with a black island.  However, the thought of tackling my kitchen cabinets with paint scared me to death.  I hate painting and am known to give up halfway through a job.  So, we decided to hire someone to refinish the cabinets.  I had seen a local small business on Facebook and decided to give them a call. After a brief consultation, we decided to paint the cabinets white with a black glaze and distressed black finish on bottom cabinets.  Cabinet doors were removed and taken away for painting.  We were then left with the job of destruction and removal.  We removed the smaller built-in oven and demolished the range and cabinet below.  This left us space to insert a new free-standing range and storage for my vintage collectible dishes.  My brother-in-law used scraps from the cabinet we removed to build the four-pane door where the built-in oven used to be. Love the result!
    Next was the hardware.  We purchased rubbed nickel hardware four years ago and had replaced some hinges and pulls here and there.  I read some blogs that insisted you could spray paint hardware and make it look store bought. So I did.  I found a can of Rubbed Oil Bronze spray paint at the Habitat for Humanity Restoration store for $1.75.  I spray painted all the kitchen hardware.  I decided I wanted bin pulls for the drawers and found a 10-pack on Amazon for $22 so we purchased those.
  My dream kitchen was almost complete and all for less than $4000.00.  I still have a few projects in mind, using old tin for a new backsplash and possibly DIY granite countertops. For now, I will just sit back and enjoy my beautiful new kitchen.

Blessed Perspective

In 2013, I hope to see my life through a more blessed perspective.  I want to be filled with joy and praise Him in all things.

May I never forget...

As I struggle with anxiety because we aren't able to invest much of our paychecks into savings, I know there are families just struggling to pay their bills.

As I beg my girls to "go to sleep" for the tenth time each night and grow more irritated by the minute, I remember there are parents that no longer have their children and would cherish hearing those little voices again.

As I fret over a headache or stomach bug, I can't imagine the pain another feels as her son awaits his second heart transplant.

As I compare my children to others and envy their talents, I reflect on a friend who was overjoyed when her son with Down syndrome started walking shortly before his third birthday.

As I complain about not having had a date night with my husband in over six weeks, I need to be reminded of the one who is apart from her husband for months while he is serving our country overseas.

As I let days go by without talking to my mom or dad, I listen to my husband speak with great sadness and longing for just one more conversation with his father.

As I counsel my children to ignore those who are mean or try to bring them down, I should heed my own advice.

As I read of Christ's love, mercy and grace, I pray that I can do the same.