Murphy ‘Lives’ And Everyone Of Us Feels The Impact
Having the ability to create a warm and nurturing home environment is an underrated skill, in my humble opinion, especially within our society today. That saddens me as - minus those two elements - we lose the glue that mentors the soulful side pertinent to becoming and remaining a “human being”. Just look around you, folks. You can see the effects of this loss all over.
The callousness among people is concerning and growing, fueled by so much of what we’ve been led to believe is most valuable, but it’s not. Instead of nourishing each one of us on diets designed to foster creativity, caring, and compassion, we are, instead, leaching it out of our species as a whole. Just look at what we are doing to our school systems. We’ve already raped too many of them of the exact programs we need most.
Like me, women such as Anne Murphy also see the need to protect and foster the very same skills that make a “house”, a “home” and she does a great job of it through her blog Domesblissity. Fear not, everyone. Anne isn’t advocating that “the home” is the only place women should be found. She’s a working mom, herself, who’s been through a ton. What she’s doing is helping to right the imbalance that continues to grow the globe colder despite all of the global warming everyone keeps talking about.
Before you scream foul, I suggest you read her interview below:
What is your full name?
Anne Louise Murphy
What is your personal mantra?
"Feel the fear and do it anyway."
Four years ago, my marriage broke down and 3 months later, my mother passed away, suddenly, from a heart attack. I felt like I was at the lowest point of my life. Having gotten through it, two years later, I turned my life around by saying this mantra. I had to change my outlook on life and overcome situations that I found difficult. Saying this over and over in my mind made me able to do that. To this day I still say this when I find myself in a difficult situation. It could be confronting the school about a problem with my children or having the confidence to change something about what I do with my website.
Tell us about your life, including where you live, number of children and anything else you would like to share.
I was born and raised in Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland, a state of Australia. Queensland is known as the "Sunshine State" so I've always had a love of the sun and the beach. It's my dream one day to live by the beach and one that I know will happen. I currently live in a south eastern bayside suburb of Brisbane so I still have access to a small beach. I'm 52 years old now and have a nearly 12 year-old daughter and a nearly 10 year- old son. After marrying when I was 36, we tried for 4 years to get pregnant. Four miscarriages later, we finally were blessed with a daughter. Two years later my son arrived. I haven't felt out of place being an older Mum. In fact, I think it's the perfect time to have my children. I've had a great career, travelled and am at a comfortable time in my life to be devoted to my family. I also feel that I have learned a lot of life's lessons which I can pass onto my children.
Nearly 3 years ago, I met the man of my dreams. I know it sounds cliché but I certainly wasn't expecting to meet another man to settle down with. We just clicked right from the start. We were married in September 2015 and I couldn't be more happy with my life right now. He really is just perfect. He's a wonderful friend and step-dad to my children and after both of us have come through some adverse stages of life, we've learned to live one day at a time and to the fullest.
Do you believe you have a “life’s purpose?” If so, share it.
Growing up in my twenties, I think I was probably a little selfish and self-absorbed. The whole universe revolved around me and it wasn't until my father passed away from pancreatic cancer, when I was nearly 30, that I finally started seeking the meaning of life. It's only now that it's starting to make sense. I don't really think I have a purpose in life other than raising my children but I've learned that every single day of your life is taken-up with learning. Like the saying goes “Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” (J K Rowling) Life is meant to be full of “ups and downs”. Experiencing those low points in your life makes you appreciate the good times. If I can teach this one lesson to my children, I'll feel like I've done my job.
Finish this sentence, “The best part about being a mom is _____.”
"...hearing the words 'I love you' from my children". I'll never forget the first time either my daughter or my son said they hated me. It was all part of the journey of them discovering their voice and that they had an opinion but boy, did it hurt to hear that. I soon got over it and hear it all the time now but I know it's all about establishing boundaries, teaching the children there are rules and they need to abide by them. After they realise that and they still love me, at the end of the day, I know I've accomplished what I set out to do.
What is the name of your blog? When was it launched?
The name of my blog is Domesblissity. It was launched in 2011. It started out as a place to store recipes and home hints for my children when they eventually leave home. I wanted my blog to have a feeling of "domestic bliss". You know, where you achieve all your chores for the day, bake, cook everything from scratch, craft and make do. Well, it sounds good in theory. I really do try to achieve "domestic bliss" in my home but I don't worry if I don't. If we have a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs and food on the table, I'm happy. This is how the name Domesblissity came about. It's a state of being satisfied with your lot in life, making sure you have the basic necessities of life and achieving a happy, secure, loving home for your family.
What is the primary focus of your blog and what do you hope to accomplish through it?
The primary focus of my blog is homemaking, organizing and making do. Even when I was a well paid career woman, I never bought more than I needed. Sure, I could afford more expensive things but I didn't buy them new. I always tried to buy those expensive things second-hand. I want to share with people from all walks of life just how easy it is to live on very little while still having those small luxuries in life and cooking good, nutritious, seasonal food. I believe in making do with what you already have, recycling, upcycling and never having more than you need. I hope to produce more educational material on my blog teaching these very basic functions of life to people who may not know them.
List any awards you have won.
A couple of years ago, I competed in a cooking competition at Australia's premier food and wine show. I won my round and was a finalist. The final cook-off took place in a resort town of Queensland and all finalists were lucky enough to experience some really nice "foodie" experiences. Unfortunately I didn't win the final but I was very grateful for the experience.
Are you a Brand Ambassador and if so, for which companies?
I'm not a Brand Ambassador for any particular brand but I do endorse brands that are
"family friendly" and products that I would normally buy. I have had the opportunity to work with some well established Australian brands for which I'm grateful.
Do you blog for other blogs or sites?
No, I don't blog for other blogs or sites. I have had the opportunity to "guest post" on other blogs a couple of times over the years but it's been busy trying to balance blogging and family life so I do what I can to keep my own blog ticking over.
Which social media outlet (such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, etc) do you find most useful?
I really can't be bothered with Facebook at all. Sometimes I feel it's a 'thorn in my side'. So much effort for very little return. I've had great success with Pinterest and after Google, Pinterest is my highest source of traffic to the blog. I also have rekindled my love of Instagram for developing new relationships with like minded bloggers and keeping in touch with people. It's a brief snippet into other people's lives and it's not too time consuming.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to those who may be interested in beginning a blog?
The biggest piece of advice I could give to anyone wanting to start a blog would be to not expect to be a number one blogger from the start. Be consistent with your blogging schedule and social media sharing. Like minded people will eventually find you. Do it for yourself and not others.
Are you an entrepreneur or professional beyond your blog (and outside of being a mom)? Please share.
I am the third week into a brand new, full time day job. I was always in two minds about returning to work or at least until both of my children were in high school. My daughter starts high school next year and I thought I'd look at the job market in my area. A job, 5 minutes from home with a lot of variety and one that sounded really great was advertised so I sent off my application. Two days later I found out I was successful. It's been great being back in the workforce and I've found the transition really easy. I haven't found the home life to be as easy even with a detailed schedule. I think "mummy guilt" is playing hard on my mind but I keep reminding myself that so many other mothers work full-time. I just make sure I spend all my free time with the children and make sure it's quality time. I haven't been posting as frequently as I normally would on my blog but I'm sure, as things settle back into a routine, I'll be back to my normal blogging schedule. There are so many tools on the internet to help schedule posts and manage your social media accounts.
Do you support – either formally or informally – a particular social cause?
Next to my husband and my children, the two greatest loves in my life are my dogs. I have a 16 year-old miniature fox terrier named Bonnie and a 14 year-old miniature Pinscher named Willy. Through all the bad times in my life, my dogs have been there supporting me in their own way. My husband is also a huge dog lover and has fallen in love with my dogs as they have with him. We would have 100 dogs if we could. We like to support dog shelters and organizations who rescue abused animals.
When all is said and done, how do you want to be remembered?
My husband and I often discuss this and as much as we don't like to talk about life without each other, we talk about how we'd like to be remembered and what legacy we'd like to leave behind. I'd just like to be remembered as someone who always had a kind word to say and was generous with their time and advice. I also hope that I have been a good role model for my children. My late mother was my role model and I'm sure she'd be pleased to know that. I'm sure she does.
Did you ever think that basics become basics because years of experience has taught us the necessity of that element to overall, continued success? Well, look where our society and this globe is sitting, currently? We are progressing, alright, resembling more and more like the technology fused to our fingertips daily. I believe there is something to be said for re-evaluating the critical nature of homemaking and domesticity in all our lives today. If Murphy truly “lives”, I opt for Anne Murphy's version as opposed to the tale that is, presently, unraveling at the hands of the other.