Sometimes it's Okay to Cheat by Bloom Guest Katy Dill

We love Katy Dill. We love the way she makes art of her life. And also how she keeps it real. We are thrilled to have her at Bloom today.

People tell me I look young.

I make many of my clothes.

I take Pilates on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I take treats to my children's classrooms on their birthdays.

I keep a tidy house.

I have 5 beautiful daughters.

You've already done it: labeled me and compared yourself. We all do it, especially in this time where almost everyone has a blog, and we get to peer in on stranger's lives without them even knowing. We see the photos of birthdays with coordinating cakes, decorations, and party favors. We see a family vacation full of smiles and exotic locales. We see perfectly arranged, spotless homes. And we assume. We assume that everyone else on this earth is living a more exciting, beautiful life without messes, tears, screaming, tantrums, heartache, frustration, and exhaustion.

I have a memory of my mom that she doesn't particularly like me to bring up--nothing horrible, but a less than flattering moment that one hopes all will forget. Yet, I haven't forgotten and don't want to forget because when I picture my mom, I picture someone close to perfect at parenting, and when I find myself getting angry with my children, and losing my temper, I recall the memory and am grateful to know my mom is human, too, despite all the things she did with perfection in raising 6 children.

We show only what we want the world to see in the world of blogs. It's a very lopsided view of anyone's life. So, we label others and we compare ourselves. We weigh our lives in their entirety with the creme de la creme of someone else's. It will never balance out. So, let's give each other a break. Give yourself a break. Most of the really good and worthwhile things we do will never make it to a blog or even be known by anyone on the earth but you. So, let's give ourselves a break. And while you're at it, make these easy-kind-of-cheating cheese or cinnamon-sugar puff pastry straws, because we don't have to make everything from scratch, have a perfectly clean house, with smiling happy children all the time.

People tell me I look young, probably because I'm still breaking out.

I make many of my own clothes, but I've been known to sew myself into my creations.

I take Pilates on Tuesdays and Thursdays from a senior citizen who goes right at my pace.

I take treats to my children's classrooms on their birthdays, usually some Krispy Kremes I pick up down the street.

I keep a tidy house, which sometimes includes mopping my walls.

I have 5 beautiful daughters. Well....I do.

You can get Puff Pastry--not Fillo Dough--in the frozen aisle of your grocery store.

Thaw one or both sheets at room temperature for 40 minutes (if you wait too long, the dough will just stick together and become a big, doughy, frustrating glob--trust me on this).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Unfold a sheet and lightly dust with flour on bottom side.

Brush top with a beaten egg.

Top with cinnamon/sugar or parmesan cheese.

Cut into 1/4-1/2" strips with pizza cutter.

Place on greased cookie sheet about 1/2" apart.

Twist 2-3 times if you'd like (the cinnamon work better as the topping is more likely to stay).

Bake 12-14 minutes. Cool. Serve in a wide glass/vase. Watch the ooohs and ahhhs come in.