It was fun to crack open a little bit of our personal “stuff” last Tuesday for this post about the real $herdog (yes, I’m still patiently waiting for that nickname to catch on) and John’s J-Boom version. And a funny thing happened after sharing those. Not only did they receive over 1,200 amazingly awesome and encouraging comments (note to self: apparently you’re not a social pariah if you admit that you sometimes have strawberry cream cheese on your ear and are inclined to impersonate Cindy Lou Who) but we also got dozens of emails – not even exaggerating – asking about how to deal with criticism and respond to negative comments. And thus this post was born.
I guess by sharing all of our weird idiosyncrasies it encouraged people to write about something they’re struggling with and ask how we handle it? It also could have had something to do with this thread on the $herdog post. Either way, the emails mostly came from folks who run small blogs who have somehow fallen into larger readerships thanks to being pinned on Pinterest or otherwise thrust into the spotlight suddenly (like a feature on Apartment Therapy or Design Sponge). And the general gist of every single email was this: someone was blogging along about whatever they blog about (some of these people aren’t home bloggers at all) and then… zinger… it happened. A not-so-nice comment. And it stung.
With more readers definitely comes more “feedback” – both good and bad. And you know I’m happy to be that spunky little cheerleader on your shoulder shouting high-pitched overly-enthusiastic things like: “you can do it!” and “reach for the stars!” – so here’s my humble advice in a nutshell:
- It’s your blog.
- Be who you are. That is enough.
- Try to give the good feedback as much weight as the bad.
- Do all things with love.
Sounds corny huh? But I’ll explain how those four things have really helped us deal with the whole “you’re putting yourself out there and I’m anonymous so I’m going to tell you exactly how I feel” phenomenon. After all we’ve been told (both nicely and not so nicely) a few of the following things:
- I’m not really interested in posts about _____, so I vote you skip them
- I’m losing interest in big projects – do more little ones
- Do more big projects – the small ones are filler
- I want more Clara and Burger and everyday stuff
- I want less Clara and Burger and everyday stuff
- That paint color/art/room is ugly/not the right choice
- Stop using certain words/expressions because they make me cringe
- Stop being so cheap and spend some money
- Stop spending so much money and be more frugal
- Move faster, I’m bored
- Move slower so I can catch up
- I’m disappointed in this choice/this idea/you
- This blog used to be better because _________
- I will no longer read this blog because ________
See all the contradictions going on in there? Basically if we listened to every suggestion, well, we wouldn’t have a thing to blog about. Not a single thing. And after 2,000+ posts and over four years of doing this, we’ve definitely learned that some folks like things that others hate and some people have an opinion when it comes to how they’d run this blog if it were theirs. But here’s the thing. It’s not theirs.
Which brings us to…
Tip #1: It’s your blog. It might sound weird to point out, but your blog isn’t a magazine with a team of 30 people who poll their readers and try to please the largest group (at least I don’t think it is). The very definition of a blog is just an outlet to write whatever you want and share whatever part of your life that you’re passionate about in your own words and at your own pace and in whatever way feels natural to you. Whether you do it full time or as a hobby once a month, your only real task is to be who you are and share what you like and those who like it will drop in.
In our case, we’re just two people with a dog and a kid who happened to gain a following sharing our adventures on the home front. We just write about whatever’s going on in our lives and seems interesting to us, which has gotten us here (we’re not Facebook or Pinterest, but 5 million hits a month = crazytown to two kids like us). See, if you attempt to please every last commenter, as much as you love and value your readers, know that it’s Mission Impossible – and it could even lead to your blog’s downfall (it won’t be yours anymore). So trust yourself. Everyone else might have an opinion, but your voice really should be the loudest and your vote really should be the one that counts.
Tip #2: Be who you are. That is enough. I think most people are a little guilty of the whole wanting-more syndrome. When a show ends I immediately want the next episode to come on (and I want it to be even better than the last). When I get a magazine and it’s feeling a little thin I wish it were twice as thick. And I think boxes of Oreos should be bottomless (I expect them to refill themselves while I’m sleeping). So it’s no surprise that when it comes to blogging, well, readers are inclined to want more. They might say it not-so-nicely, or very kindly indeed. And either way it might make you feel sort of womp-womp. But it’s just human nature. And I can tell you from experience that you will be a happier person and a better blogger if you make peace with that completely normal phenomenon.
You can’t control how every single person reacts to your blog, but you can control how you blog. And struggling to eke out more to the point of exhaustion or burnout (be it recipes, sewing tips, DIY stuff, photography pointers, craft ideas, or anything else you blog about) just isn’t the answer. At least not if – in the words of Claire Danes in Homeland – you’re playing the long game. Ideally your method of blogging should make you feel more inspired, creative, and enthusiastic about blogging – which in turn will shine through so your readers get just as giddy about it as you do. There’s a reason that your blog is attracting a readership and people are coming back. So just go at your own pace and concentrate on doing things well and not making yourself sick or neglecting your family because a few usually very well-intentioned folks want something that should take ten days to be done, photographed, and blogged about in five. Forgive people for being excited and impatient. We all do it.
Of course establishing these boundaries applies to other scenarios too, so if you have a family blog and folks want more photos/info about your kids than you’re comfortable sharing, know that whatever you want to share = enough. In blogging I generally think if it feels wrong (or makes you feel tired/sad/uninspired), it’s wrong. So don’t do it. As much as I hate being told to relax (seriously, ask John, it’s on his “do not ever say that to me unless you want me to go crazy on you” list), just try to relax and do your thing.
Tip #3: Try To Give The Good Feedback As Much Weight As The Bad. The funny thing is that everyone we talk to who is wrestling with comment criticism admits they still get waaaaay more positive comments than negative ones. I mean the ratio is usually astounding. We know it just takes one cutting comment to get under your skin, but when the vast majority of people love something, it sucks to let one commenter sink your battleship. Let’s do some light math (I don’t do heavy math, but light math is ok). If over the course of a week or two, 99 people take the time to say they like your blog/post/project/house/whatever and one person chimes in to say something’s not their cup of tea, that still adds up to a 99% success rate. And those are good odds my friend- so keep on keeping on! Heck, even if a ton of your readers don’t like something but you like it, I wholeheartedly think that you should keep blogging about it. Why? Because you like it and – once again, for the folks in the back – it’s your blog. Picture me up stage wearing a pant suit and a pocket protector saying “I can’t hear you!” and holding the mic out so you can shout that chorus with me. Or dancing around in this outfit chanting it with my lovely family while serving up a heaping portion of jazz hands (Burger’s clearly hiding because he doesn’t want to be seen in this getup).
Tip #4: Do everything with love. It’s admittedly extremely cheesy (and you might hear a tiny violin playing in the background) but my favorite advice is usually summed up in that phrase. It’s actually written on a post-it note that I’ve had stuck to my laptop for the longest time. When someone takes time out of their day to say something they’d most likely never say to anyone’s face (or would they…?) I’ve come to realize that spewing the same venom that they flung in my direction won’t make me feel any better (heck, it would probably make me feel significantly worse).
So I try to look at them from a place of love. Maybe they’ve had a terrible day. Maybe they’ve lost someone they love very much and they’re hurting. It may seem weird to try to have compassion for those who don’t seem to be very sensitive to your feelings, but I’m telling you that there’s something to it. It helps me respond with humor or a quick explanation from my point of view without getting too heated. Or even just with the words “Merry Christmas to you and your family!” like I did when someone said that decorating our family Christmas tree with paint chips was akin to decorating it with tampon wrappers. Growing up my mom always said that above being successful, popular, or athletic (all the things I worried about so much back then), being kind was the most important thing. And that’s something I’d love to pass down to Clara. Sing it with me: all ya need is love.
So there it is. My brain dump. I hope it helps at least one or two of you out there who might be struggling with growing and having more eyes on you. I know it sounds corny, but for us this blog is just about sharing our adventures and hopefully helping you guys along the way. That’s why we make videos about grouting and cabinet painting and take so many photos and share every last detail – in the hope of helping a handful of you guys at home. And it’s also why we love sharing behind the scenes blogging stuff like this (since so many of you are fellow bloggers these days). I am completely embarrassed to admit this, but we wrote the Thank You part of our book a few weeks ago, and it wasn’t the part about our family and friends that made me cry, it was the part about you, our lovely readers. Crying isn’t even the word. It wasn’t cute. I was weeping. There was smeared mascara and a runny nose. The whole nine yards.
The enthusiasm, sweetness, and support that you folks send our way is nothing less than life-changing. I really mean that. The least we can do is crack open a little bit of ourselves in beyond-DIY posts like this from time to time (every once in a while we get the itch to overshare, like this and this along with our more recent J-Boom and $herdog posts). So lets get all sappy and share mom and dad quotes in the comments. Or any other older and wiser family member who said something while you were growing up that rings oh so true to you. My mom was also famous for saying “always wear nice underwear in case you end up in the emergency room” throughout my formative years. And let me tell you, she was right on the money about that too. It’s waaaaaaaay too embarrassing to go into, but I didn’t follow her advice and I royally regretted it. There were Care Bears involved. And I was 21. And I don’t think the doc grasped the concept of ironic underwear. I’ll leave the rest up to your imagination.
Update – Some of the most frequent requests that we get are for info about professionally blogging (how we made our site, how we grew our following, how we make money, etc) so we shared all of the details about how we started a blog, grew our traffic, and turned it into a full time job.
Leigh says
I love this. Like your mom, mine always said to be kind and wear clean underwear.
I am a deep south girl, born and raised in nowhere Alabama. We say (in thick southern drawl of course) “Bless her/his/their heart.” Any southerner knows it isn’t always meant as nice as it sounds, but it still falls into my family rule of “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”
Robin says
lol! I love the “Bless his/her heart” saying!
Marinn says
I think you guys are great, and I appreciate your taking the time to make this such a great blog. I’m not quite a homeowner yet, but it has made me see how much my husband and I can do on our own and how we can make things our own. I also think your little family is adorable and I love seeing a happy family!
colleen C says
You go guys!
Patti says
5,000,000 hits a month?!? That’s amazeballs! Now I’m gonna be nervous for you! Rock on YHLovers!
Kaysce says
I stalk your blog everyday. I check at 9am and 2pm everyday (except on Fridays) to see what’s new. I comment quite infrequently and the last time I was tempted to comment was when someone suggested that you weren’t doing enough project posts. I thought, how rude, but you handled it so graciously:) I appreciate that about you. A lot of us fall into the “Dude Get On That!” category (me), so I find some people’s expectation of HGTV turn around time quite crazy.
Sarah says
Great post! You know, I am ashamed, but I have to admit that when I first came across your blog, I looked at the pictures, but didn’t read the text because I thought some of it was annoyingly corny. Then one day, for no reason at all, it just hit me that you all weren’t trying to be cute, that you all are just lighthearted goofballs who say things like “prezies” because it’s fun and silly, so why not? And suddenly, I no longer found you annoyingly corny. I now reach each and every word and I feel encouraged at the end of it by how not seriously you take yourselves. I think we could all learn to take ourselves less seriously. There’s enough seriousness in life without adding more.
christina M says
oh bless y’all for writing this blog…what an encouragement for so many others. i LOVE LOVE LOVE what your mom said about kindness being most important. I try and teach my kiddos that very thing!
i am not sure what all the negative nancy’s are fussing about over on the nest…or any other site for that matter, but i can only assume that they must be pretty negative in lots of other aspects of their lives. let them be…
i love how cheerful, light, and simple this blog is. i LOVE how you share more about your life than just DIY projects. my friends and i talk about your blog pretty much daily…and we laugh because we feel like we know y’all and we are all bff!
anyhow…thanks again for the post and for all the daily musings!
Erin says
I used to serve and when I had a bad table (which would bring me down), I used to say to myself “Kill them with kindness.” I used to let those few bad table make my whole shift yucky. And like you said, I probably had more nice tables then bad.
Heather says
I just wanted to let you know that (along with so many others) I appreciate you guys for sharing your life with us. I love to watch your life unfold along side of my own family’s. I turned 30 at the same time as John, had a baby girl (Penelope) in 2010, and am now attempting my hand at prettying up this old (newer-to-me) house to surround myself with what I love. Needless to say, you guys are a constant source of inspiration and motivation for me…and I count your blog as some much needed “me” time (in between loads of laundry, frantically showering, and dishes) when baby girl is napping.
Tina Bland says
AMEN AMEN AMEN!! I love you guys, I love your blog, and I feel like you two are our best friends, lol. It’s astounding to me that people take TIME out of their day to read your lovely blog and then comment negatively on it? I mean, HELLO??? WHO in the WORLD is forcing these people to read? As a counselor, it really baffles me that people take time to be awful to others. You hit the nail on the head (lol…like my DIY phrase?) with all your tips. Be you and whoever does not like it is not worth it! Yes, they may have a terrible loss or miserable life, but they shouldnt lash out at others for it. I try to tell this stuff to my students (I’m a school counselor) every day – they arent worth it right now….maybe one day, but not right now. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” I have it posted in my office and I believe it. Love those people, respect them, but don’t let them get ya down. Whew!
Katherine Victoria says
I come here twice a day not only to be inspired by your wonderful decor ideas but just to listen to the two of you chatting it up. Your wonderful, sparkly personalities come through in your blog. I think it’s wonderful that you don’t try to present your lives like a mag cover. You’re two hard-working, loving parents who are making a wonderful life and home for your family and it shows. I think I speak for most of your blog readers when I say we love that you keep it all in there – Clara, Burger, the opps, the embarrassing, and of course the “Jerseylishness”. We love you guys!
Coren says
One of my very favorite sayings is by Henry James:
“Three things are in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. The third is to be kind.”
It’s not easy, but it is so very important. Your post reminded me of that. Thanks for all you do with love — your blog is always a bright spot in my day. :)
YoungHouseLove says
I love it.
xo,
s
Erica says
During my adolescents, my dad always told me (and my two sisters) that “you can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time”. These are words I try to live by and it helps!
Riki says
This blog stands out because it’s natural and easy (well, reading it is easy) and you are being yourselves. Nothing is fake or forced and savvy readers can tell the difference.
That’s why you get 5 million hits a month. Sounds simple, but in reality it’s one of the hardest things to achieve.
Keep it up! My house will never be the same (in a good way) after reading this blog. <3<3<3
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Riki! Have fun!
xo,
s
Leah says
Thanks for keeping it transparent guys.
It’s so refreshing to read about young people like myself who have a realistic budget, make mistakes, schedule projects while real life still happens and manages to create wonderful things:-)
Such an inspiration for my husband and I with our first house(our own little 50’s rancher).
Thanks for being relatable, and pop culture literate. It makes decorating so much easier to understand;-)
monika says
A while ago, in a blogoversary post, you wondered why your blog grew so quickly. Well, folks, there you have it: the genuine enthusiasm–be it for grouting or sharing a not-so-clean house with a bra on (accidental) display. I don’t always read through comments but am genuinely stunned when I read a negative one–especially when it is very direct and ouvertly critical. Sheesh, people, you can’t have it all–not even on YHL–so take a seat and wait for tomorrow’s post; you might like it more. I also think the distance of the internet makes it easier for people to “say” things they’d never say in person, but that’s a different topic altogether. Keep grouting and listen to your inner voice because you ARE right on this one: if it doesn’t feel right, chances are, it isn’t.
Care bears, really, $herdog? $hee$h :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that moment was a $herdog fail.
xo,
s
Hesper says
I don’t understand why people feel the need to give their negative two cents all the time. We all know what they say about opinions… Besides, didn’t their mothers teach them that if they don’t have something nice to say, they shouldn’t say anything at all?
I imagine it would be tough to get a lot negative comments though, even if the good did outweigh the bad… but nobody really comments/ reads my blog, so I wouldn’t know. And I’m okay with that. LOL
bfish says
Very good and thought-provoking post! Your good humor and equanimity are always evident, which likely contributes to your great success as bloggers. I don’t blog, but often make written and oral presentations at work on a subject that many in the audience think is about as exciting as doing taxes. So while I realize it’s an unrealistic goal to wow everyone, I figure I’m a success if I’ve even helped one more person understand and appreciate the intricacies and implications. The analogy I see is to your explaining DIY projects — not everyone will be interested and not all of those who are will agree with your methods, but you always impart knowledge that some readers didn’t have before.
Liz says
I love everything! Especially Clara and Burger. They might need to get their own blog together once Clara can write.
Sarah says
Your writing always sends out positive vibes, even when things don’t quite go as planned, even when you are responding to naysayers in advance, even when you are acknowledging different points of view.
It’s not just that your writing style is positive, it’s inclusive and so well written that it doesn’t come off as dishonest or like you’re trying too hard (cheezy sometimes yes, but you fully admit that in advance so it’s alright!) That’s why I keep coming back :)
Robin says
I read your blog daily and I get so much inspiration from the things you guys share. Thank ya’ll for just being yourselves and keeping it real. My mom actually worked in the ER and said the exact same thing about the underwear. So funny! My mother-in-law always tells my little girl, “Pretty is as pretty does.” She goes around the house repeating it to the rest of us when we need reminding some times, especially her older brother.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha – cute!
xo,
s
cjw says
I’m 30 and I still occasionally rock a pair of Care Bear underwear. No shame!
Anyway, love the advice and the sentiment. I don’t always love everything my favorite bloggers post, but why should they know that? I mean, I hate bell peppers, but it would never occur to me to tell Smitten Kitchen not to post recipes with bell peppers. And if every recipe WAS bell peppers, I wouldn’t read. It isn’t hard people!
My mom’s advice was “always have sex before marriage so you know what you’re in for”, but that’s a whole different bag of crazy…
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahaha. Bag of crazy = hilarious (along with the advice).
xo,
s
Jessica says
I’ve been reading for about a year (and I’ve read through ALL of the archives if you can believe it) but don’t usually comment. I just wanted to say thanks for sharing so much of your lives and home. I’ve snagged a few decorating ideas from you but mostly I now feel like I have some friends living in Richmond (which is hopefully not creepy!). Things in my life have been in transition which can be a stressful place to be and starting my day reading about your life is always a comfort. I love watching Clara grow and see the house change. Also, it’s made me realize that when you do something you love, rules and careful plans can be less important. It’s weird to think that a design blog could give be confidence to do what I love and risk a little failure but there you go. Thanks.
Keep on keeping on!
Deidre says
Love it!!!! So encouraging and uplifting!!
Joy Franks says
I love you guys and your blog, just the way you are! Keep doing what you’re doing.
heather says
I was hoping I’d never have to see that string of comments again haha(I’m really honestly totally okay with it). That said, it got me thinking and sort of spurred my own post on it a week or so ago (whenever that last one was)
http://www.likeacupoftea.com/i-choose-the-good/
YoungHouseLove says
Great post! And your pooch totally stole the show. Hilarious that he loves that!
xo,
s
heather says
Haha, Primrose steals the show wherever she goes. She’s a ham and a half.
Wendy says
I read your blog every day but don’t comment that often. This feels like the right post to say, I love your blog (obviously…I read it everyday!). I’ve gotten so much inspiration from your blog, and it’s helped me to see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel when I feel overwhelmed by all the love our house still needs. Plus, your tips are SO helpful.
I also love how your personality shines through, $herdog! I like to be a little cheesy myself. I call myself Wendizzle, dance like a fool wherever I go (since my singing voice makes babies cry), and I say LOL in real life (the whole word, not the individual letters). It keeps things fun, and I’d rather be fun than boring :)
Haterz gonna hate (see the cheese?). I love the “Do everything with love” idea – and you are obviously not a hater. Please, keep doing what you’re doing!
-alex says
This is my first time to post a comment (outside of the giveaways, Ha!) I admire your upbeat positive attitudes. You remind me of my mom and her relentlessly cheerful attitude. She died 15 years ago, but I can still hear her saying, “No red light ever stayed red forever.” Which was her way of telling me to persevere in the face of obstacles and criticism.
She kept her kindness and positive attitude throughout the many challenges of her life, including her terminal illness. I wish you many years of happiness and love going forward.
YoungHouseLove says
I’m so sorry for your loss. Your mother sounds like an amazing woman.
xo,
s
margaret says
Just wanted to say I’ve used so many of your tutorials to help me work on our (still in progress) ’62 mid-century modernish mountain home. Seriously, your cabinet painting (knotty pine cabinets, with cedar-panelled walls kitchen anyone?) and wood panelling painting tutorial saved me.
I am stoked that you guys found a low-VOC primer to use, because we’re getting ready to tackle the paneling in the soon-to-be nursery for our bean due in May.
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! Congrats!
xo,
s
Jenn says
There have been instances when I’ve been a Negative Nancy commenting on blog posts… not often, and not something I’m super proud of, but sometimes I’m strong on opinions and short on patience/foresight and I don’t think about how it’ll come across.
I usually avoid commenting on your blog, with the snippet I read a while back about how you like to read ALL of your comments, and I usually feel bad about the idea of adding to your work day with my trifling two cents! But on a subject like this, I really did want to take the time–I’m guilty of getting EXTREMELY downtrodden by criticism, and I know the wealth of glowing praise. I love love love love love lovelovelovelove the blog, you both are super fun and silly and adorable and the little’uns are adorbs, too. And you’ve inspired me on a myriad of home projects. I love the dashes of “hey, we’re not perfect” that you toss in every here and again, in various ways. It makes me feel like the kind of fabulosity you accomplish is achievable for me, too, and that’s really exciting because you guys are SO fabulous. And your home is gorgeous and only getting gorgeouser! The kitchen overhaul is AMAZING. I would never have been able to squint hard enough at the old one to visualize what it’s becoming. You’re superhuman!
<3<3<3<3
Jenn
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Jenn! So sweet of you to say.
xo,
s
Courtney says
Your blog is too long… it sucks. Just kidding. I actually never comment but I really like your blogging “rules” or advice. I blog when I’m inspired but I am never consistent. You make me feel better about my blog being my blog. Also, I use your DIY projects as inspiration all the time when decorating our house. Please keep blogging YOUR way. As long as you do I will continue to look to your blog for inspiration! Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha thanks Courtney!
xo,
s
Ivy says
Gosh I really wish we were neighbors!!! Any interest in moving to S. FL? There’s lots of good “project” houses for you… Maybe YHL can go on the road…I’m totally kidding, but damn you guys are cool! And I find your words inspiring! Do I love everything you do, no! But the good news is, if we were neighbors, you wouldn’t love everything I do either! So it’s okay!!! My song lyrics to you…keep on truckin! (Did I really just quote the Grateful Dead? My hubby would be so proud!)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, we would love the weather there!
xo,
s
Randi says
Keep being YOU. We obviously like it. At least some (or thousands)of us do. And thanks for the great advice, it’s applicable to all of us, not just bloggers.
Katie V. says
This is such awesome life advice, not just blogging. You have to wonder if the people who write negative comments also talk, out loud, the same way. And do they talk this way in front of kids? And then those kids think it’s okay to act that way and wham, you have a bully. Love and compassion is really the best way to create more love and compassion. I love your approach to comments and to blogging in general. It’s your blog and you do what you want with it. You are going to help so many people with this blog post. :-)
Annie says
I just read every last comment and they were all so positive. What an awesome lovefest on a Friday. Woohoo! Have a fabulous weekend, you two!
YoungHouseLove says
I know, right? We have the best readers ever. I truly believe that!
xo,
s
Kate says
Excellent post. Mureen Dowd wrote a great piece (I tried to find it quickly but I’m up against a deadline, I’ll send it along if I can track it down) last year about how the digital age leads us to say things online that we would never be inclined to say face-to-face. It’s leading to a whole new realm of communication, or miscommunication, that can cause SO many new problems, particularly for the next generation. People aren’t thinking over what they write before hitting “send” or especially thinking about the face behind the words who will read them.
I just want to tell you both that in the year that I’ve been reading your blog I’ve become a very devoted reader and it’s now something I most look forward to every day at work. I’m DIY-ing small projects everywhere I can in my rental and planning my house when I get out of the city, because of your blog. Don’t let the haters get ya down, there are so many of us who you continually inspire. Thank you!
Kate says
Aha! Found the article. http://nyti.ms/yUkLOD
YoungHouseLove says
So interesting! Thanks for the link!
xo,
s
Carla says
“…someone said that decorating our family Christmas tree with paint chips was akin to decorating it with tampon wrappers.”
I don’t believe this. Well actually I do. Haters gonna hate. They see me groutin’ they hatin’. Ok Carla, stop. Just keep doing what you’re doing, 5 million hits it’s the perfect proof that all you need is [young house] love ;)
Madeleine says
As a young pastor’s wife myself a retired pastor’s wife related this analogy about trying to please all the parishioners. When her husband saw one person taking off their jacket and another putting theirs on he knew the temperature was just right.
“You can’t please all of the people all of the time.”
Deidre says
You know what this post made me do? Run up and down the hallway streaming sparklers behind me. That’s how much I applaud it. I have a kid who’s a month younger than Clara and I fully back the idea of teaching the kids kindness above all else. I adore your project gallery, and it’s been a great source for Hubs and me while we do a bit of work on our home. Thanks for keeping us entertained and informed :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha I love that visual of you with the streaming sparklers. Nice.
xo,
s
Erika says
I’m surprised that people leave such nasty comments. If I don’t agree or don’t like a particular post (on any site), then I just don’t leave a comment. Or I try to phrase it along the lines of “that’s not my style, but…”
I, for one, think you do a fabulous job with your blog, and I really appreciate how often you update with new posts. Reading blogs is kind of my little escape throughout the day, and I always enjoy seeing what the Petersik family is up to.
Keep up the good work.
Kathy says
“There is a marvelous peace in not publishing. It’s peaceful….I love to write. But I write just for myself & my own pleasure.” #Salinger
Lauren M. says
This was a great post! I guess it’s just so hard to deal with negative criticism in life in general because humans just want to be accepted and liked. You gave great tips though especially about loving (kind of reminds me of my “Love. That’s all.” Print- http://www.lrnmdesign.com/product/that-s-all). Killing with kindness is a sure way to take the high road!
As everyone continues to say, keep up the great work!
Leah E-H says
And this (and your keepin’ it real posts–okay, all your posts) is why I love your blog. Thank you! I truly appreciate all your honesty and humor. The kindness and love with which you do things shows! Sometimes (and I know that’s probably not their intention) a blog can show the “perfect” tableaus of every day life so incessantly that you get an inferiority complex just scrolling down. Keepin’ it real is awesome.
As a parent, I also love love love this “Growing up my mom always said that above being successful, popular, or athletic (all the things I worried about so much back then), being kind was the most important thing. And that’s something I’d love to pass down to Clara. Sing it with me: all ya need is love.” I may post that on our fridge :)
Have a great weekend!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Leah! You have a great weekend too!
xo,
s
Carrie C says
My mom always said “All is brighter in the morning”. It reminds me that when something doesn’t go my way or someone hurts my feelings I just need to sleep on it before I act on it. Life goes on, and if you screw up today, there is always tomorrow.
I look forward to your blog posts everyday. It is a routine of mine to check in during my lunch break. I’ve been reading your blog for over 2 years now. Keep it coming!
Sarah says
Oh brother, why do people even take the time to write negative (personal opinions) comments on blogs like this? It’s not like anyone is forcing them to read your blog! I love younghouselove and you guys are great at both the blogging and the home stuff! Plus you let us peak into your world enough that we can see you’re human, just like us. My sis-in law is a celeb and people do the same nonsense on her blog too. Glad you don’t let it get you down!
Erika says
I read your blog every day and absolutely love it! I have never commented before but this post warranted a shout-out. You guys are incredible and so inspirational. Keep doing what you’re doing. Thank you!
P.S. I hope this helped your success rate! :)
Rachel says
I just want to say that I love your blog! I read it every day and look forward to it. I just bought an apartment in NYC and already have some projects on my to-do list inspired by you!
Jake's a Girl says
I love you guys just the way you are! Clara preciousness just makes me laugh out loud. The click-a-ty clack of Burger’s tootsies trying to outrun whatever it is he runs from is just too funny.
You guys are as real as it gets and hard workers to boot and I loved reading/watching it all come together.
Besides my Mom always said, If you can’t say anything nice, Don’t say anything at all. Some people just never listened to my Mom nor theirs either apparently. ;)
Jake’s a Girl.
Christa Mae says
I just want to say that I think your blog is perfect the way it is. PERFECT. Sure, sometimes I’m hoping to see more small projects, but that’s my problem. Not yours. I have literally looked forward to reading your posts every single day since the first time I stumbled upon your little corner of the interwebs. It makes my work days bearable, gives me a good laugh, and lets me know that there are people in the world just as quirky as myself.
I’m glad you just be who you are. Thank you!
Allison says
Another great post Sherry! Your blog drew the redership it did because you were doing something exactly right, and you weren’t even trying to get noticed when it hit! That means that you always were and continue to be exactly “who you are” and I’m sure that is why you got and how you maintain the readsership you do. Sure, there is a post here and there that I may not be as interested in, so I just scan it and move on… It’s not like I am going to take the time to bash on you guys about it in the comments when I am interested in 99% of your other posts. It is amazing what people will do and say with that online persona they have…
Also, I can’t beleive someone made a comment like that about your tree! I know when I read about your tree I was so in awe of your ability to use something so ordinary and give it a new, beautiful life. Not to mention the way it represents your family and hobbies. That person was just ticked they couldn’t come up with such an awesome idea :)