It's okay to let things go.

All over Facebook I see people saying, "Please ignore the mess!" when they post a cute picture of their children, or latest craft project, or their sleeping husband who has accidentally maliciously had his fingernails painted.  They feel like millions of judgmental eyes are poring over their picture to pick out every little thing wrong.  The dog hair on the cushion, the stain on the shirt, the spaghetti all over the walls.  If your house, clothes, hair, face, children, and pets aren't perfect, you're positive someone out there is judging you for not being perfect.

And they might be.

But should you really care?

I'm one of those people who will take an adorable photo and then say, "Oh, no.  Please don't judge me by the mess/the state of my child's hair/the fact that my dog looks like it rolled around in the mud!" when I want to share it, even with my closest friends.  I know they won't judge, but it's just ingrained habit.  And it's kind of silly.

I'm guilty of saying, "Please don't mind my son's dirty feet, I was just playing around with a camera."  And I was.  But I shouldn't have to have everything perfect just to document a little moment, or cute baby feet.  There's crumbs on the floor, and probably some dog fur (it's impossible to keep dog fur off the floor -- impossible!), and my son's feet have a coating of what I can only assume is dirt.  And that's okay.

Bottom line?

It's okay for your house to be a little dirty, for clutter to pile up on your table or counters, for your children to have grass in their hair, for your dog fur to show up on your shirt.  It's okay.  You don't have to be perfect to share your life with your friends and family.  Let some things go and just concentrate on what's important.

Concentrate on laughter, hugs, cuddles, kisses, wagging tails, delicious food, memories.

Concentrate on love, happiness, joy, amusement, and even maybe a little malicious intent mixed into your antics.

If your family is happy, healthy, and slightly less than hygienic -- you're doing pretty well in my book.