FOMO: Why Social Media Makes You Feel Like A Loser

FOMO. If you haven't heard the term, it stands for Fear Of Missing Out, which many of us (heck, probably the majority of us, if we are honest) have experienced when cruising our social media platforms.

I have always had FOMO, but thankfully social media hadn't exploded when I was in high school. You see, I had a "friend" who constantly arranged fun outings within our group of friends and conveniently left me out each time. In random conversations, they would drop the fact that they all went to the mall together, carelessly tagging on, "Oh, so sorry, it was last minute!" when they noticed the crestfallen look upon my face. Thankfully, I didn't have social media to rub it in my face in real time back then when I was a lot less secure in who I was.

Fast forward...umm....a lot of years and I still get a twinge of FOMO when I see all the fabulous things my friends/acquaintances are doing on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter.

Post I recently saw: Out for amazing cocktails on a rooftop deck!!! (me- I am sitting at home on the couch in yoga pants, catching up on The Mindy Project after unsuccessfully struggling with my toddler to take a bath, knowing I will be in lala land long before my friends even consider their last cocktail).

My, how life has changed.

But you know what? I have learned, when reflecting upon my own posted images, that everything is an illusion, and also to count my blessings.

Here are some examples; if you had even an inkling of FOMO when I posted pics of moments in my life, I am giving you a behind-the-scenes tour.

You might have seen me post a pic of myself at the Time Out Chicago Eat Out Awards. Yeah, I had a good time, I was smiling in the photo, and I managed to put on a dress and brush my hair. Here's what you didn't know:
It took me over an hour and a half to get downtown in traffic.
It was pouring rain and I almost slipped and took a dive.
I went ALONE. Yes, alone. I asked a few friends to come with me but I got a last minute invite and no one could make it.
I was the OLDEST person in the room, with the exception of a prematurely grey silver fox cruising the crowd.

In spite of all this, I had a good time, met some new friends, and got to sample some great eats by up and coming restaurants. I feel lucky that I get to have interesting experiences, even if they don't always turn out how the pictures portray.

Rewind to last week. I posted a photo of my son and I at the beach. We look happy, smiling, tan, the picture of a blissful mother and son duo- ready to tackle the sun and sand.
Here's what you didn't see:
That was the one smile of my son's during a two hour melt down that resulted from too much action and not enough naps.

Now, I love my son whether he is screaming bloody murder or quietly whispering "I love you" before he nods off to sleep (although, I prefer the latter of course). I posted this photo to remind myself that yes, this too shall pass.

Now for the moral of the story.

If you find yourself suffering from a severe case of chronic FOMO, figure out how to dig yourself out of the hole you created.

• Change. If you truly feel that everyone else's life is more interesting than yours, well...plan something interesting to do!
• Retreat. Shut the computer, smart phone, iPad, etc... off. Step away from the electronic device. Go live in the real world.
• Post. Heck, post some of your own photos. If you can't beat 'em, join em! Post images that represent truly happy moments in your life that you are happy to share with your friends and family.
• Reconnect. Do you feel a little disconnected? Left out? If you want to join in the fun, just ask. Give that old college friend a call (haha, ok, a DM or at very most e-mail, right?). Make some memories of your own.
• Perspective. Do you really think people's lives are a montage of perfect moments? Are family Christmases a veritable Norman Rockwell painting? Wow, what stories I could tell you, but that is a tale for another time.

Traveling With A Toddler: A Survivor's Story

I recently took flight from Chicago to San Diego with my almost 2-year old and yes, I survived. I had nightmares for weeks...okay, months about this trip...agonizing over the extreme possibility that my little "angel" would go all Exorcist on me and freak out mid-flight.

Ya know what? It wasn't so bad. I made sure to keep a few tricks up my sleeve, ones that I am GLADLY sharing with you today!

Here is the recipe for a more successful trip with your toddler:

Lap Child- To Pay or Not To Pay?

Yeah, I am cheap. I prefer the term frugal, but I will cop to being cheap. Since my son was 23 months old at the time of the trip, I thought it was a GREAT bargain that I didn't have to pay for his ticket. Ummm...here's the real deal- if your kid doesn't have a seat and the flight is longer than 2 hours, you WILL PAY one way or another. Luckily we conned the flight attendants into locating an extra seat and re-locating some passengers for us. Otherwise? Exorcist re-enactment for sure.

TIP: If you do not pay for an extra seat for your lap child, ask EVERY PERSON in a uniform you see to help you try and find an extra one, and explain that it would make everyone's life easier.

Entertainment

Here is my list of distractions:

iPad- fully loaded with apps that don't require Internet access
Headphones- sound-limiting so you don't damage their little ears
Laptop- including at least 5 DVDs that are favorites
Dollar Store Junk
Pen and paper
Stickers
Markers & coloring book (the magic kind that only write on special paper otherwise write clear)

TIP: Buy everything from the Dollar Store that your toddler won't choke on and don't show it to them prior to getting on the plane.

Accessories

Here are my must-haves:

Wipes, and not just for booties
Diapers- more than you think!
Changing pad (my plane had a changing table in the bathroom; amazed)
Paper towels or napkins
Plastic bag for trash or other issues
Empty sippy cup that won't leak (ever try to keep a cup of water on your tray with a toddler? Good luck!)
Snacks. Every snack imaginable, new, old, whatever...just try not to get anything liquid.

TIP: Re-pack your snacks in resealable containers when packing your carry on.

Car Seat and Stroller

Soooo....United told me that I could only check my car seat OR my stroller. Huh? Really? You want me to pay $25 extra each way to ship a stroller that costs $30? I decided to just to to Target when we got to our destination and buy a $15 stroller, however on the way back they let me gate check both for free.

TIP: When checking your car seat, purchase a case to put it in and then stack diapers, wipes, etc... in the bag as well. 

(If it won't fit through the conveyor belt/scanner, you will have to unpack it but whoops! Too late for them to do anything about all the extra supplies you brought).

Hope this helps, let me know if you have any extra travel tips!

Fabulous Fixes for Fine Hair

One huge plus about being pregnant: my normally fine and flat hair was full, luxurious and full of volume. Fast forward 2 years...eh, not so much.

There are two reasons your hair looks amazing when you are pregnant: first, those prenatal vitamins do wonders. Second, your body goes into "survival mode" and you shed less. You can still take those prenatal vitamins, but who wants to choke down a couple of horse pills every day if you don't have to?

Here are my fixes for fine hair!
Note: I was not compensated for this, I am just sick and tired of having bad hair days.

Product

Not all shampoos and conditioners are created equal. I have tried moisturizing brands, only to find that they OVER-moisturize, leaving my hair TOO soft and not at all able to hold style.

My solution? The John Frieda Luxurious Volume line. I tried the shampoo, conditioner and blow out spray and was fairly impressed with the results. These are the only products I have found that actually deliver results. I got suckered into buying some Aveda product at my salon and at TWENTY FOUR dollars, it didn't work as well as this (but as all Aveda products do, it smelled amazing which gets me every time).

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Line- $5.49-$8.99

Blow Dry

Two things people with fine hair tend to suffer from- frizziness/flyaways and limp, lifeless locks.

In order to combat the flyaways, hold your blow dryer parallel to your strands instead of perpendicular. Check out my 30Second Mom video for a demo.

Want to create some volume at your roots while blow drying? Take a round brush when your  hair is about 80% dry and wrap a section around, being careful not to get your hair permanently attached (yikes). Blast it with hot air, making sure to hit the roots. Let the hair cool before you unwrap the strands or hit it with a blast of cool air from your blow dryer. This allows the hair to maintain some of the height!

Style

If you want to create some long-lasing oomph at the roots, one of my fine haired friends shared this little miracle product with me. It is called Osis + Dust It Matifying Powder, and it might freak you out when you first use it. You sprinkle it directly onto your roots and massage it in a bit (which is key, because if you don't, you will look like you have major dandruff). It doesn't weight your hair down, just makes it kind of...stick up if that makes any sense.

Osis + Dust It- $10.59 on amazon.com

Any other tricks you know of?