Why we chose not to share baby pictures online

This is an interesting thought.....and we have gotten thoughts in both ways as far as reactions. First let me say this: I do not judge anyone for making the choices to share their baby pictures online and I really in truly do enjoy looking at the ones you post.

That being said I also believe that we all need to make our own decisions based on what is best for our family.

For one thing my husband and I are over all pretty private people. If I know you and you ask I will be glad to share most anything with you, however I do not see the point in telling you unless you show honest interest.

While I am a Facebook user I also try not to say or post too much, we all have at least one person on our friends list guilty of sharing information  (or gossip) that is no one else's business and yet there it is for the Facebook world to see.  So here are a few reasons we decided that this was the bear choice for us and the privacy of our sweet girl.

1. Regardless of privacy settings facebook is not private. Shocker I know! But we had the feeling that even though we both cleared out our friends list and deleted anyone we didn't care to keep up with and that we didn't care if they even knew we had a baby facebook is not private. Part of this is while both my husband and I have only people on our friends list that we wouldn't mind showing pictures to it isn't private. We felt that us posting would make it ok for others to post and we didn't want to explain to people that we didn't want them posting without knowing their friends list and privacy settings. There is no reason distant friends of family that no one had seen in 15 years or even said more than happy birthday online to needs to know how cute and amazing my baby girl is.

2. The Internet is permanent. Yes there is a delete button but you don't know what happens between the time you post the picture and the time you delete it. Screen shots are possible for whatever reason, even accidently. A few months ago a friend posted a few pictures of herself with her young baby and I scrolled through them smiling. A few days later I was looking through my phone and saw I had somehow accidently saved one of those pictures to my phone. I deleted it but I am pretty sure I accidentally saved and deleted the phone without my friend ever knowing. If I can do that on accident what can someone do on purpose?

3. We want to respect her privacy. Growing up in a public world is so much different than when I was a kid. People...ANYONE can know much or little about her based on what I post. Facebook is like the tabloids of our friends list and we want to protect her from the limelight until she is old enough to make that decision on her own.

So there is our reasoning. We have gotten many mixed responses on this. From people asking what is wrong with her that we aren't posting pictures to the understanding friend that offered BEFORE taking our large group selfie to get one that didn't show baby E's face.

So as much as I would love to show her look of glee on her first Christmas or the confusing eating her first real food, or just the pure amazing perfect adorableness this is the decision we made and why.

Lace dresser

So before I start can I say how bummed I am to not have gotten a before picture? Argh. But no way I am undoing this great work to show you all. The last couple weeks have been crazy and I have neither successfully been running or doing many projects.

When we moved this little gem in the waiting was shoved into a corner of the garage,  I stacked some things on it and it waited for us. I should also let you know thst I started with a simple coat of milk paint but wasn't really feeling it and never got around to finishing it.

I was chatting with a friend and brainstorming what to do with a DIFFERENT project, when I decided to try it on this little piece. Now it is finally out of my garage and I can stack a zillion other things on an actual shelf and have a clean garage....amazing how this type of thing works!

For this project I decided to use spray paint. I figured if it didn't work the worst case was the little dresser would remain a lost cause.

I used the rustoleom 2x primer and paint for this one. I started painting the entire base in "summer squash" satin finish and then painted the drawers a simple grey color before running to the fabric store.

This is where great things happened,  I ran into the fabric store, grabbed a simple, cheap lace and some fabric to line the bottom of the drawers and headed to get it cut. During this process I see the fabric of the lady in front of me, also am lace fabric, much more durable and a lot more detail work, so I swapped my fabric when we got to the front. And I am so happy with how it turned out. This lace was part of the bridal collection so it was a little more expensive,  but it was also on sale....and on top of that I was able to use the same piece multiple times. Again I am insanely happy with it!

Still have to put a coat of poly over the entire top....and like all projects I am searching for perfect drawer pulls. ....but I love!!!!

Monterey kayaking

On Thursday ( yes this is delayed) we took advantage of the beautiful day and the fact thst we had company,  it was a great excuse to get out of town and head over to Monterey for the day. We went kayaking in the bay...best idea ever, but my abs still hurt! Not a single one of the 4 of us was brave enough to bring a phone or camera on the adventure, so all the amazing otters, seals, and sea lions that we saw will have to stay in your imagination.

Because I love you all I did include an image of an otter that we saw off of the wharf. Pretty great adventure. I can't believe all the trips we have taken over the years I have NEVER seen a wild otter. I saw dozens on Thursday,  it made my heart perfectly happy!

Another thing is usually the Bubba Gump bench is full of people so we can't take pictures on it, but Thursday no one was there so we got a little touristy and the hubby and I both took one. You know you are totally jealous!

The hubby on the bench. 

Life is like a box of chocolates,  oooooo do I love chocolate! 

Otter!

My beautiful little sea otter friend! 

Bike ride

For months my bike has been staring at me. We moved it with the tires off and I kept looking to put the tires on. The great hubby finally did it for both of us. Then I waited for the garage to get armed so we could park them in the garage. Then they stared at us another 2 weeks.

So embarassing! Cycling is something that I honestly love and enjoy, and I have let way too much of that stuff that I enjoy pass me up the last 6 months or so. Sad!

Anyways since we had the morning off together,  the weather was nice, and face it that I am sorta on a roll, the hubby and I rolled out yesterday morning to finally hit the road.

Next time I slack off for a few MONTHS will someone please remind me that I need to be out there more because getting started again is such a literal pain!?!??!

I hurt from my saddle a bit,  and did more pedaling than gliding but was still gliding a lot....I am working on that part friends!

On a side note I am getting ready to paint the living room. I will be back soon with colors for votes (I am not the best at picking these out) problem is we have to secure a ladder and get some sample paint to slap up on the wall next to the fireplace. If you know me you know thst it will be about 3 hours thst I can handle the samples being up before I go paint crazy and get everything. So I have to be prepped before actually picking a color. O man will I be happy to get those white walls gone!

I am also planning on doing a wall stencil on the back wall behind the couch. ...any ideas or opinions about that?

Exercise again

Since we moved in early February the extra large bike lanes and other runners have been out there taunting me, reminding me that I too should be out there running and riding.

Now thst we are at the 2.5 month mark our bike tires are finally aired up and put back together,  and today I hit the road. 

After a nice average length hike around Yosemite Monday with my family that came from Kansas I am feeling the hike. I can feel my muscles with the pain that reminds me that I need to get out there more and how good it feels to have been out and moving around. After a short jog Friday (I am actually embarrassed to say how short) I was feeling it a little....wayyyyyy more than I should have for a short jog, so the hike on Monday pushed me into gear.

I got a chance to use my handy little running belt from Groupon for the first time as well. It really does fit my keys and phone nicely for a run. I am not sure yet if I appreciate the fact that I can have my phone with me without looking or if I would kick my splits and speeds up a little bit if I were monitoring it a little closer.

Enjoy some pictures from the hike the other day. . . It has been a few years since I wondered around Mariposa grove and made the drive up to Glacier Point.

Big fallen old tree. 

Grizzly Giant

Bridelviel falls. 

Our family

Sometimes as I write I feel like I should include the two little puppy babies in our family.

There two, Molly the beagle basset mix, and Tiger,  the corgi mix, make my entire world. You will probably see regular updates about them. Currently Molly is in the dog bed in the corner and Tiger is sitting next to me and enjoying watching the news. He might not enjoy it as much if he understood it. Molly probably does understand it and that is why she isn't watching.

We got Molly when she was a puppy about 2.5 years ago,  she will be three in about July.

We just adopted Tiger from a different shelter about a month ago.....he is somewhere between 2.5 and 4. He is also missing a tooth in front, which we didn't notice until the vet showed me yesterday. He was probably abused somewhere along the line,  but he is the most loving and mellow little guy. When we first got him we separated him and Molly during the day, because you have to be safe and we were not home. He managed to destroy a few blinds as well as an entire door frame in our bathroom. I think he just didn't want to be alone and knew Molly was somewhere. Now they really are the best friends and totally love each other.

General Finishes Milk Paint

So we decided to go with the milk paint when redoing a small cabinet for our TV stuff for 2 reasons: 1. we just happened to be at the store so it was very convenient. 2. We were able to buy it by the pint and so we knew we wouldn't have a giant thing left over.

We got the paint in Basil, and it is a pretty good color. We were also able to use the same pint (every last ounce of it but didn't need another one) for a second shelf thst we forgot we had as we were cleaning out the garage. Now they match and make a very simple statement.

For the first one (cabinet) I finished it with the Annie Salon clear wax, because I loved the feeling of the wax and I already had it on hand.

For the second one I bought a quart of the finish glaze to cover it, the quart mostly for the project that I currently have in progress in the garage. Progress meaning one coat on one drawer.....so we will save thst for another day.

I also like the way that these turned out I love the soft green color, how easy it was, and that I could spend a little less on paint and not have some unused left over....it was a win win.