Coffee Talk With The Cajun Mamas
Hey friends! It's Koa and Sarah, the Cajun Mamas! Grab a cup of coffee and press play on our podcast! You may be familiar with our social media content, but now, we can have longer conversations. We are going to dive in to topics like life experiences, what it's like to be a mom these days, inspiration, encouragement and more. Thanks for subscribing!
Coffee Talk With The Cajun Mamas
Social Media Reality Check: Embracing Imperfections and Finding True Contentment
Ever found yourself lost in the highlight reels of social media, wondering how your life measures up? Join us as we unravel the "comparison trap," where reality blurs with the curated images we see online. We share personal stories of our own struggles with authenticity, shedding light on how easy it is to forget that real life is often messy and imperfect. By acknowledging the disconnect between the polished portrayals on platforms like Instagram and the everyday realities we all face, we empower you to embrace the imperfections and find solace in knowing that what you see isn't always the full picture—and that's perfectly okay.
As we navigate the pressure of living up to influencer standards and the impact of these unrealistic portrayals on our self-image, especially in the context of aging, we offer insights into fostering a sense of self-worth rooted in faith. Through candid discussions on parenting from a faith-based perspective, we explore the challenge of aligning our decisions with personal beliefs amidst societal pressures. This episode serves as a heartfelt reminder of the importance of prayer, spiritual reflection, and authentic connections, urging us all to seek contentment beyond the superficial trappings of our digital lives.
https://cajunmamas.com/
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Sara
https://www.facebook.com/lllippylady
https://www.instagram.com/lllippylady/#
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Koa
https://www.facebook.com/kgmelancon
https://www.tiktok.com/@koa.melancon
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Good day and welcome Good day. Good day, we are going to be talking about the comparison trap Social media versus reality.
Speaker 2:Social media because, believe it or not, everything you see on social media is not reality Is not what it looks like in the background.
Speaker 1:It's not. We're going in the background, it's not. We can talk about that today. I'm excited about this topic because so many times we fall into that trap Yep, so many times. And it doesn't matter who you are, you are doing it, you're doing it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, even if you try not to do it, your brain still goes there Right, still wants to go there, go we're going to talk a little bit about that today.
Speaker 1:Yes, all right, but first we're going to talk about long's products, our favorite janitorial company in out of alexandria. They are family owned and operated in louisiana since 1950 and they're in their third generation of operation. They have their very own special pelican brand chemicals that are made right there in Alexandria. They're so popular on Tik TOK Um and they are also on Amazon. You could find all of these on Amazon as well.
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Speaker 2:Absolutely Okay. So, yeah, this topic, I feel like in our world, like everything, we get our news first of all on social media, like I can't tell you the last time I've watched the news. So how kind of dangerous is that? You know, not to say that everything you see on the news is right or wrong, you know it's just, but like I feel it to be more credible it may be, more credible, but then you know, they could put their own spin on it too.
Speaker 1:They do and do.
Speaker 2:Okay, but now that we access our news on social media, how much of that is?
Speaker 1:accurate. The lines are so blurred. Yeah, um, doesn't matter what outlet you are watching on um, yeah, but not only in news, but just in, like, what people show you correct, correct. You know, as far as us, one of my favorite things we get from people that watch us, people that listen to us, is how we're real.
Speaker 2:Okay, but you know, even even in what we do there is there's real you know, and then there's things that you don't see you see, yeah, yeah, you know, even as much as we try to be uh, transparent and like, um, like you're not gonna see, my house is never fully picked up you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Like our kitchens are real, our, our kids are real. Like our appearances are real. Sometimes you're gonna see me with makeup. Sometimes you're not gonna see me with makeup. You, sometimes you're not going to see me with makeup. You know, hair doesn't matter. Um, if I think of something funny that I want to make a video about, I'm going to make it. You know, nine out of 10 times. You know, unless I feel like I'm really looking rough, then I might wait. But but see, that's part of it.
Speaker 1:Like you don't, you may not see I'm pretty sure I've seen you made a video in your gown before, though I have.
Speaker 2:I definitely have. You can't get more real than that. No, I threw a robe on, though, you know, so you couldn't see nothing. Now you know, but that's not that type of channel. We're not that type of channel, Correct? But this reminds me of a funny story. So I went to an engagement party and some people had recognized me. This man had recognized me, and so I see like he was kind of looking at me, like I could tell he was trying to place me but I didn't say anything.
Speaker 2:So then I see him like he's showing his he's, he's got his phone in his hand and he's showing his wife or a lady next to him I'm assuming was his wife and she's looking, and I'm like, so I kind of wave, like yeah, like this is me, and she said, well, he showed me this video. But I told him no, that lady's a lot older than that lady over there and it was a video I did with. I had no makeup on.
Speaker 1:I was like, no, that's me, that's what I look like, just with no makeup. That's me. That's. That's a daily. That's what it is. Yeah, I don't always look like this.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I thought how funny like my husband lives with two different people, you know, like two different versions of me and he loves them both.
Speaker 1:He deals with them both. That's so, yeah, that's so interesting and that's something that I I like to you know, especially since we do the makeup you know, but most days it's not like that. I told her before I got if you're watching, you see this hair. It can't all be done at one time I said if you get the makeup or the hair.
Speaker 2:sometimes you get both, yeah sometimes when we love it, but you know when it don't work out that way, then you get what you get, you get what you get, and you don't pitch your feet or you keep on scrolling.
Speaker 1:And you don't pitch your feet or you keep on scrolling, it's okay too, um, but in my, in my videos, a lot of times I'll be like okay, you see this, if, just in case, you want to see, want to know what's in the background of my videos, it's a whole slew of stuff a bunch of clothes.
Speaker 1:I'm like, here's some a margarita one on one of them. I was like, uh, this is a margarita machine, this is a uh, you know, a big pile of clothes I've been needing to do for a couple of days. It just is what it is, but I feel like there's not enough people showing what's really going on. We see a lot of beautiful, beautiful kitchens and beautiful things and that's all nice, but y'all know y'all splattering stuff all over them.
Speaker 2:Kitchens- Y'all know they got. Your laundry baskets are overflowing, you know, and don't try to pretend like it's not. You know how exhausting I'm thinking like how exhausting to try to be put together all the time Like that's eventually going to catch up to you and you might just explode on somebody, you know.
Speaker 1:Oh, I can't like keeping it all together my house being clean, my kitchen being clean. My poor babysitter. I told her you got that one time I'll clean my house for you.
Speaker 2:That's it Just the intro, cause I didn't want you to look and run away the first time.
Speaker 1:Now you already know the deal, you know I got you, I got you now. So it just you know, and and it'll get done, you know. But there's sometimes other, more important things that need to be seen about, and there was, there was a post. I found my friend Kat I always call her Kat Kirkpatrick but she's. Kat Fall right now.
Speaker 1:And she posted a long time ago that stuck with me it was called Dust. If you Must and if you feel like your house needs to have, you know, vacuum lines and all that stuff, that's fine. One day my house will have vacuum lines, but at this point it's about, you know, being with my kids and spending as much time with them, and you know, it's just going to be seasons.
Speaker 1:It's going to be ugly and it's going to be gross, but you didn't come to my house to see how clean it was. You came to my house to visit me or bother me or whatever.
Speaker 2:That's it. You already, I already know what to expect, and I'm here for it.
Speaker 1:You know yeah.
Speaker 2:But there I don't know why they have. Well, I have a. I have an idea as to how some of this might've gotten started, and it's the filters you know, like, think about like back when. What COVID time when everybody was on Snapchat. And I feel like.
Speaker 1:Snapchat was the first ones that had. Maybe it wasn't but like heavy, pretty blurring filters. I had a. I did filters for a while.
Speaker 2:Yeah, back when they first came out, because I was very confused about Instagram.
Speaker 1:I'm like everything's so pretty on Instagram. Maybe people that watch Instagram only want to see the pretty things Only the pretty. And I sat on that for a while because I was like maybe that's what they want to see.
Speaker 2:Trying to give them what they want to see. Yeah.
Speaker 1:But that's not because when we started opening up what our content is about to Instagram, that's when it took off. People want to see what it's really like they do, so, um, there was a time that we you know, I filtered.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I used to do reels with filters on them, and now it's like especially in the makeup world that we're in. You know like we we represent a makeup company and how false to be doing your makeup or a video with filters.
Speaker 1:I don't, I don't believe in that no, honestly I don't, because I like that's false advertisement absolutely unreal expectations.
Speaker 2:You know we you look at a person's skin and like these filters have made us believe that people ain't supposed to have pores. No, people ain't supposed to have lines yeah, it's like why, that's our skin that's what, how god made us.
Speaker 2:You know that is. And look, that's no. No judgment on you if you get procedures done or whatever. If you do, you know. But I'm just saying that, like there's an ex, there's an unspoken almost expectation and as women, we nobody's telling. I don't feel like nobody's telling us we have to look this way. But when you, when that's all you see and you compare yourself to that, like you start believing that, oh, yeah, and I fall into the trap too, and I'm like man.
Speaker 2:My forehead's so big, like well, I have a washboard up here with all these lines Like why? Like why forehead so big? Like why I'm? I have a washboard up here with all these lines like why?
Speaker 1:like. Why like I?
Speaker 2:need. I'm gonna. I need botox or I need something. You know.
Speaker 1:But you know, like, who says, who says that you know, yeah, because we have, we both have talked about it. Hey, you want to go, you know and then we're like our husbands are like no no no, no, no, no, no correct.
Speaker 2:And then we're like okay okay, we kind of got out of it whatever, but it's like that's because that's all we would see.
Speaker 1:So we were like okay, but again in the skincare and makeup business, you want it to be real, these are real results. This is what a real woman looks like, you know.
Speaker 2:Gracefully aging.
Speaker 1:Gracefully aging is what it's about, in the image and likeness of Jesus.
Speaker 2:That's what we're trying to do, but good makeup and skincare does help, that's right.
Speaker 1:Speaking of aging gracefully Aging gracefully yes, Renewed. Vitality offers a holistic approach to your health and wellness. She offers my cousin, Emily Alamo. She offers services from primary care to hormone replacement therapy and advanced functional lab testing. You could be well on your way to optimal health, naturally with Renewed Vitality. Don't forget to book an online appointment with her through Facebook and Instagram or her website. Renewed Vitality, revitalize your health and reclaim your life. Yes, I love that. I love that. So moving right along.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so yeah, we're talking about Instagram mainly.
Speaker 2:And it's I mean, it's Facebook too, you have to remember. You have to remember that most of what you see on social media is the highlight reel of people's lives. You know, um, sometimes you'll see and like I think that's what we try to do Like we try to highlight not just the good things, but uh, like when our kids do dumb stuff. Like we try to highlight not just the good things, but uh like when our kids do dumb stuff, like we we kind of share that, just so that other mamas know like you're not alone no kind of stuff you know or like.
Speaker 1:We let our things in the background because it is. I'm just thinking about that picture we took today with roz and the baby and like what a mess it was yeah, you know, there was nothing really posed about it except us and just life happening all around.
Speaker 2:Uh-huh, you know, but I feel like that's, you know, that's life.
Speaker 1:She was like well, what you want to do with the baby? I said, well, he's just going to be in the picture. I mean, you know, like he's just going to be a part of this Right. This is what it is.
Speaker 2:It's a whole chaotic mess all the time Um but you know what worries me most about um this whole unrealistic expectation of your life and and is our youth, like our think about our girls growing up? Like if we don't teach them and show them what real life is like. Like if we don't teach them and show them what real life is like, all they see in is their TikTok feed.
Speaker 2:All they see in is their Instagram feed or whatever, and if you and you, oh God, YouTube's a whole nother thing you know we have. We've heard stories, and especially for us being in the skincare and makeup world, we've heard stories of my 10 year old daughter has an eight step skincare routine because the tick tock influencer told her she needed an anti-aging eye cream. You, know sit well, she didn't tell her but you know what I'm saying, like they see that the next thing and you got to realize these influences are are pushing product.
Speaker 2:now, some of them I'm not saying that they they don't like it and they don't use it or whatever, but like, how many times you're going to have the best one ever of different brands? You know what I'm saying. Like, this eye cream is the best you know. Two weeks later, this eye cream is so good, it's the best you know. It's like you just sold me this one and now we're moving on to another one.
Speaker 2:And these youth that don't know what they don't know, they don't know what they don't know, so they're influenced so easily, unless we show them. It doesn't have to be like that, right and financially in the in the long run.
Speaker 1:They you. You can't keep up with influencers. You can't keep up Right. You know, and so we're inevitably raising people who don't know how to manage their money. You know, I mean there's just so many rabbit holes we can go down with this.
Speaker 2:I never thought of that Like how it could kind of kind of it could spin out, it could, it could reach down Right Into their life later you know always wanting the next best thing, right?
Speaker 1:You know Well, think about how hard it is with us. I mean, you know we, we know how to budget our money, we know how to do, you know when to use what, and it's like that if we don't teach them, you know, it could be a real problem in the future for them.
Speaker 2:Or even us, you know even the people you know. Yeah, that's comparison, us too. It's comparison, exactly, it's all a form of comparison which I've heard this quote many times, that comparison is the thief of joy. Thief of joy, you know, and we even find I mean, you can compare godly things too you know, like, why does she have that spiritual gift that I don't have? Why? Why can she pray so good and I can't? Why, can she sing so beautifully?
Speaker 1:And I can't like why does she get to? Why why I must not be as good as her? Because she goes on retreats and she goes.
Speaker 2:You know she goes to all these um well, look, she don't let her kids watch YouTube, and I do. You know what?
Speaker 1:does that say about me? I probably don't. You know, I'm probably not supposed to do that. I'm a bad mom, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so yeah, it's not just social media, it's, it's everything you know everything that's why, like you have to.
Speaker 2:You have to know who you are. And the only way to know who you are and be confident in who you are as a child of God is to have that relationship with Jesus. And I'm talking, like you know, daily, daily time, because it's so easy to get caught up in what you think life should be like and can you imagine all the marriages, all the relationships between mom and kids, and that you think, like you don't know your example. Okay, you see a couple doing this, doing that, and you like, oh, you admire that. But then you start thinking, like, why don't we do that? You know, like our marriage is not as good as theirs because they go on a date every Friday night.
Speaker 1:But you don't see, but you don't see what's behind closed doors. You got to remember that. They might be dating each other every Friday night because that's the only time they get. Or you know, because they're working on their relationship.
Speaker 2:You just don't know.
Speaker 1:That's what you don't see. There's no reason to be comparing to others.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying. Yeah, and it's hard, it's a choice, you know, even when you have a strong relationship with the Lord you feel? Like our minds still go to that. I want to go to that.
Speaker 1:Mm, hmm, mm, hmm, but OK, I want to go to that place, but okay.
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Speaker 1:Wonderful, I love it. Okay, so let's talk about this comparison as far as moms. Okay, mom comparison and the mom guilt, and the mom guilt yeah, um, that, that's, that's a tough one it's really hard.
Speaker 2:yeah, it's really hard. You, at the end of the day, have to. And see, and I'll go to this like my little girl wanted to download this app on her iPad and I was not about it and I told her no, and she was not happy about it. Um, and she, you know, she's 10 or almost 10. So there was a little tantrum and whatnot and an attitude and I was like, look, this is what it comes down to at the end of my life, when I go to heaven. I have to answer for every decision I made on your behalf. My responsibility is to do what I believe is best for you and what I believe God tells me is best for you. And this you're not getting this because I believe you should not have this. You know, I'm not doing it to be mean, whatever. And I heard my mama's voice in my head Don't you hear your mama's voice?
Speaker 1:And because I used to hate when she would tell me that you know. But it's true, like, at the end of the day, what's right for your kids is what's right for your kids in your eyes and you're responsible family yes, not everybody else's family.
Speaker 2:No, and and that's a hard, hard thing to learn that like there's gonna be things you can't do that your friends can do. But that's good for them, but that's. But that's good for them, but that's not good for us. You know, that's not good for you, but it is hard. It is hard as a mama because you like you want your kids to have what they want and be happy and you're like, well, if she's lit, maybe I should lit you know, but how far is that going to go?
Speaker 1:Oh man. And listen, it can go and it can go. And we, we were uh, we were brought up in a different world. Like I could go spend a night.
Speaker 2:I could do all these things and go ride your bike down the road to the house.
Speaker 1:And listen, my sister-in-law said said something about spending the night. I don't, I don't like that. There's only a few people that I will let that go, okay. And I said we doing that. She was like we not doing that and I'm like we don't have to do that and she was like absolutely not. And I'm just like it was kind of validating, yeah, because I was like everybody, everybody else is doing it. But then you know, I have my own reasons why I don't want my kids spending the night, but it's just like.
Speaker 1:You don't have to do that, you don't have to.
Speaker 2:I had a revelation.
Speaker 1:Thank you, Brittany.
Speaker 1:But I had a revelation. I was like we don't have to do that. You know, I don't have to do what everybody else is doing as a parent and I want to this we we gonna compare ourselves to other people, but we also have to, but we never and we never going to be totally happy with we could be. I spent so much time with my kids and let me totally happy with the. I think I spend the. The best of my time was spent with my kids today. We got the most out of it.
Speaker 1:You know that's just not reality. You know reality is um, I will be and I'll never be content. I'll never be content because contentment is for heaven. You won't be content until you get to heaven, and then that is where your happiness will be, and, and so I have to do my best on earth. Now let me tell you what. Like I said, I fall short, and I know this. I am a sinner. I'm a sinner, but you know, there's some things that I just I don't want to be accountable for when I get there, you know. But contentment is for him.
Speaker 2:That's great. I never really thought of that, but it's going to be content, but it's true In this world, like there's always going to be something to strive for or to change, or to compare or to like. Yeah, it's like a hamster wheel you know, Um thank God that he does allow us moments of contentment and joy you know, and we have those moments of contentment, small moments. Yeah, you know small moments, but the striving is because it's because our souls long for heaven you know man, where did I read that?
Speaker 2:recently, that's so good where I read this somewhere and I always want to be better and it was like why, yeah, it? Was like why do people go through like depression and like turn to drugs and alcohol and all this stuff? And it's because our souls were not made to be apart from the Lord. And, like our inner struggle, our inner, nothing can satisfy us, because we long to be with him. Do y'all hear this?
Speaker 1:I know this is good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but it made me think like oh my God.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean.
Speaker 2:I always knew. Like you know, it's so sad when people turn to those other ways and they go down the wrong path in life with drugs, alcohol, that type of stuff, and I always knew that. It's because I always say well they, they just need Jesus. You know, they just need Jesus. One touch from Jesus will heal all that you know, Um, but deeper than that is. That's why. It's because we were created to be with the Lord and a sinful nature has separated us you know, and thank God we have through Jesus.
Speaker 2:We can have that relationship still, but it's it's not the same. You know, it's like one day we will be utterly just content.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, just absolutely content. Yeah, and what a day that will be. But you know, and it also makes me think, you know, we ought to be praying for these people who can't pray for themselves. You know what I'm saying. Um, they might not be able to have that, but you know, it's always good to remember to pray for them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you're right, absolutely Right All right. Let's talk about renewed vitality. Okay, renewed vitality. Um Emily Alamont, um she. She offers you a more um natural and holistic approach to wellness. So we went and met with her and I. What I loved about our meeting with her was that she asked so many questions that your normal doctor is not going to ask.
Speaker 2:Okay, and she really tries to get to the root cause of like why are you having these mood swings? Why are you feeling this way? Why you have no drive, why you have no get up and go. You know what I'm saying and after looking at your blood work, she has so many answers. Yes, and and and we turn, she turns first to, you know, natural supplements and vitamins and diet changes and things like that before, if medicine needs to be introduced, that's always an option.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:But um, it's a more natural and holistic approach to your health and wellness. So if that type of thing interests you, go ahead and check out Renewed Vitality on Facebook and Instagram and revitalize your health and reclaim your life. Yes, renewed Vitality. Renewed Vitality With Emily, with.
Speaker 1:Emily, all right. Well, I mean, this was an interesting. Yeah, this was an interesting conversation that took a lot of different detours.
Speaker 2:It did. Yeah, we went a whole lot of places. We were just going to talk about social media, but it's so much more than that. It really is you can compare and contrast everything if you let your brain go there. Oh yeah, but you just have to uh, and hopefully you know I pray that you have a friend. That like cause. I feel like we reign each other in a lot of times.
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely so I just I pray that you have that type of person in your life that will reign you in when you start to spiral out of that and and just know that, like if any of this resonated with you, you're not crazy, you're not alone. Like this happens even when you have the best of the best. I'm not saying we have the best relationship with Jesus, but like you can be a. What I'm saying is you can be a Christian and try your best not to do it and still fall into it.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, but you can choose whether or not you entertain it, you can choose whether or not you elaborate and you let it spin out of control. And or do you recognize those thoughts coming from the enemy, those fiery darts, and you have to hold up your shield of faith against that.
Speaker 1:Yes. So you are just so much goodness today. I love it. Oh man, this is some good stuff. I feel like we can do a whole nother episode on this.
Speaker 2:Maybe we will. It's time for the altar call. I mean, let's do it.
Speaker 1:All right. Well, thank y'all for hanging out with us. We're going to go ahead and mention Long's products. They are our grand sponsor this month. Thank you so much, long's, for um, for trusting us to get the word out for you. Yes, um, they are. For trusting us to get the word out for you.
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Speaker 2:It don't.
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Speaker 2:It was a long time ago.
Speaker 1:It was a long time and I'm still working on my pine oil and you know I use that all the time and you do.
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Speaker 2:Products. Well, thank y'all for listening again to another episode of Coffee Talk with the Cajun Mamas, and we're going to see y'all next time, yeah.