My name is Kendra and I am a hot mess.

We all know "that girl". She is the one who seems to have it all together. She has a great career, the perfect Instagram feed and an adoring partner. Her kids look like they just fell out of a J. Crew catalog. She always looks immaculate. She has never had a zit. She always gets it right!
Want in on a secret? Chances are she has no clue what she is doing either, she is just much better at hiding it!

Full disclosure: I used both bribery and idol threats to achieve this completely forced picture.

My name is Kendra B. I am 27 years old, a wife and a mom of two. I live in a tiny town tucked into the corner of Northeast Oklahoma. I moved there into my husband's childhood home just shortly after we got married. 
My boy's names are Carter (age 4) and Bentley (age 8). I have often said that God decided not to give me a girl because He remembered me as a teenager. He wasn't going to subject the world to that insanity again. That is a long story for another blog post. I don't wan't to scare you away already!
I am the only female in my house other than Lucy, my golden doodle. I'm not sure if she counts since she is often involved in the shenanigans that my boys commit. No matter how many times I have questioned her, she has never ratted them out. So much for girl code!
I have owned two businesses. I started working for a multilevel marketing company in 2017. I honestly joined because I needed the socialization. I was a stay at home mom in a town where I knew no one. I enjoyed it and since I was selling makeup, I got to have that much needed "girl-time". 
I did that for about a year. 
Next, I opened a small boutique where I sold clothing online. I decided to go back to work full time in August of 2019. Trying to do both proved to be too much and I decided to close the store and focus on my day job as an affiliate manager. If you don't know what this is, you are not alone. Some days I feel like I'm honestly not even sure what I do! Haha. Essentially, I help companies find websites to market their online products through social media and the like. 
I can remember the first day after I was hired. It was summer time in the mid-west and absolutely gorgeous outside. I wore a pretty, pink, floral dress and strappy wedge heels. My make up was done and my hair looked great. Anyone who didn't know me might look at me and think I was "that girl". I wanted to put my best foot forward and to make sure that I made a great impression! I've been here for a while now and I consider it to be a successful morning if I have brushed my teeth and am wearing pants. My poor co-workers.
I honestly don't understand how women do it. I have struggled with the work-home balance for some time now. I even convinced my husband to go on Amazon and buy me the adorable "Mommy Planner" that is supposed to help me get my life together. I have managed to use it to house our grocery list and a random doodle of the Cat In The Hat. I'm still going to count it as progress, okay? It was a first step. So now I'm here to say this: If you are looking for a blog that has it all figured out and is going to give you foolproof advice that will transform you into the magical unicorn at the front of the carpool line, complete with a Pearl white Lincoln Navigator, themed snack bags and a positive parenting style; sadly, this might not be the best blog for you.If you want an honest and real peek behind the social media filter that everyone puts up, keep reading.
If you have ever shoved an ENTIRE (insert literally any gas station food) down your throat while driving alone in the car, just so you don't have to share with your kids: THIS IS YOUR TYPE OF BLOG!
If you have ever spun the clothing in the dryer 3 times, just so you can avoid folding it for a few more minutes: YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE! 
If you love your kids and are proud of them but secretly wonder what kinds of things they will tell their therapist about you when they get older: YOU HAVE FOUND YOUR HOME! DID WE JUST BECOME BEST FRIENDS? Yup!

My name is Kendra and I am a hot mess. I ADMIT IT! I have forgotten about something that I vowed I would not forget (and probably wrote down in my stupid planner). I have broken down in tears in Hobby Lobby's parking lot. I have yelled at my kids. I have prayed for sanity!
I do try though. I try really hard. I love my family, like a lot. Sometimes I sneak into my boy's rooms and just stare at them like a psychopath and thank God for giving me so many blessings. Life is messy. Life is hard as hell but man, is it a beautiful ride!So I will leave you with a quote from someone much smarter than I could ever hope to be:
"Comparison is the thief of joy." - Theodore Roosevelt.I am a true believer of this. As hard as it is, try not to worry about what "that girl" is doing. You will only drive yourself bonkers.
Besides, you don't really know her, know her. You have NO idea what she has overcome. Maybe she has learned to be organized because her childhood was chaos. Maybe she vows to be the best mom she can because she wishes she could have that with her own mom. Maybe she drives that gorgeous car somewhere hidden and bawls like a baby! You never truly know what somebody is going through. Maybe she is just tired of having to be perfect all the time! Here is a truly wild thought: You very well may be "that girl" to someone who is looking at YOUR life!
BOOM! MIND BLOWN!
Striving to be perfect is not only impossible, but it also sounds really exhausting! Let your freak flag fly! Come over to my totally trashed house! I have crappy, cheap wine. We can totally be hot messes
together! We can laugh at our own silly mistakes.
Seriously though, just do me one favor. Give yourself a little grace. You don't have to have it all figured out today. That is what google is for. Oh, and pro tip: I assigned a friend to delete my google history in case I die. I don't want everyone knowing what a complete weirdo I am. Don't ever say I have never taught you anything!
Xo,
Kendra B.