Looked at Dear Lizzy blog to see if there was sneak peeks

Same. It's one reason I unfollowed her and a few others a while back. SaveSave

The first question is answered. So, Night Owl, let's talk about why if you're on a spending freeze, you're looking at the new lines?

Quelle surprise... I love anecdotes like these that reveal the true nature of the industry. I wouldn't have dared admitting I hadn't seen the finished product, especially in front of fans. And, hopefully, I would have insisted on seeing the kit before starting a promo tour for it. But then again, I don't see Elizabeth K. as a very aware person anyway. Her empire relies on her projected image solely these days.

She is most definitely of a type. I cannot imagine how exhausting it is to try to live such a carefully curated Instagrammed life. It's so very modern Stepford with cold shoulders, skinny jeans, shooties, and cocker spaniel hair.

She's probably a lovely person. My perception of her life is based solely on her public output.

I've never looked at her Instagram so I hopped over to take a peek...I had to chuckle at the picture of the "messy" (pristine, all-white) nursery/playroom with a few wooden toys carefully scattered on the floor. Complete with a caption about how no one is perfect.

My daughter's nursery currently has bottles and burp cloths on the floor, complete with an ancient, chewed-up travel mattress next to the bassinet so I can camp out, along with a perpetually stinky diaper genie and a nice plastic Fisher Price jungle gym. #blessed #sloblife

So my question is, who is taking these pictures? Does she walk around with a personal photographer all day?

I've thought this about several popular bloggers. They aren't posting selfies!

No, no, you misunderstood! She only tagged Russell Athletics in that post because she genuinely was thankful to have one of their caps on hand the one day she was too busy being a mother to put on makeup before going to one of the kids' games. Oh wait.

Kerri W A lot of these bloggers earn enough to be able to afford to hire one of their friends as a part-time (or full-time even) assistant most of the time. Some of them are powerhouse couples even if only one spouse is a social media celebrity while the other one works behind the scenes to take the photos and help maintain the blog/YouTube/social media accounts. You'll often see them go as a romantic couple or duo of friends to conventions and workshops. You don't even need to be some major social media celebrity to be able to afford having both your significant other and a close friend working for you. Sponsored posts can very quickly become a means of earning a living... #InfluencerBusiness

ETA: don't be fooled. Major brands don't only pay for sponsored posts *coughadscough* but also for gifts which often include high end material to make even prettier posts. They do not care that the bloggers will also use that expensive camera and big money zoom to make photos for other sponsors as well. The purpose is to influence the influencer (there's no chance they'll stray and ever be honest about the business ties linking them to said brand or consider stop being employed by them for moral reasons if you buy them expensive holidays, Cartier bracelets and enviable Canon Eos equipment) and to make sure the influencer is also as equipped and qualified as possible to influence their followers.

I know this is not fair, but I secretly judge all of the LDS mom bloggers like Dear Lizzy. I know taking care of a family is a huge responsibility, but for the working moms out there (not that I am one, but I will be in the future), life is a lot tougher, I have to say.

I know it's a choice people make, but the examples of family life you often see on IG or in blogs are stay-at-home moms who can take great pictures throughout the day, work on projects, etc. If you followed me throughout the day, I'd be at the office most of the time.

All my photos are pretty much with terrible lighting because it's either before or after work.

I guess my point is: It's not easy to find "inspirational" people to relate to these days online.

I'd consider her to be a work-at-home mom. More power to her if she can make money while staying home with her kids - I would do that in a heartbeat. I used to work from home and I loved every minute of it - but now I work outside of the home and I really miss those days that I was home with my son and had the flexibility to work around his schedule. I sometimes think of quitting my job to freelance so that I can be home again. It doesn't seem like she has a bad gig at all.

Me too. It's the perfect visual.

This gets me down at times too. I'd love to be a stay-at-home mum, and I guess some part of me always hoped there would be a period where that's what I would do. But that's just not how things have worked out. Instead, I'm working part-time, studying part-time, taking care of a toddler (and a fiancé!) full time and currently also growing a new baby. My dance card is very very full. So when I look at these blogs and Instagram feeds I have to admit that I do get pretty envious of the time they get to spend doing the things that I would love to be doing. But I do try to remind myself that I would probably be able to do all of those things as well if I had none of the commitments that I have.

I remember when she was a Garden Girl at Two Peas. She must have had it in her contract that she would never, ever, ever post anything on the message board, or have anything to do with the website, except to post an very occasional project video. I was quickly turned off by them when every video was:

"and now I am using the thickers from my Bumble Bee line. I am adding washi from my Candy Cane line. I just love the chip board stickers from my Dripping with sunshine line."

I have never heard anyone else that has their own line do that.


(those lines are made up for the purpose of my post)

I just checked out the blog and it looks really fake and staged to me, but what really got me was the picture titled Unicorn Magic where she's hawking some memory card. Look at the death grip she has on that poor child's arm.