Rita Templeton Lifts Our Buns And Spirits Through 'Fighting Off Frumpy'
Recently, a friend of mine had a face-lift. When I saw a photo of her, her entire face was in a cast (I kid you not) less a small breathing and eating hole in which too….well, keep from suffocating or starving. I was mortified and heartbroken for her! The idea that any woman would invite such torture onto herself merely to look a few years younger - in my opinion - is both tragic and sad.
No, I’m not out of touch or hardened to my friend’s inner-most pain or turmoil. But neither will I buy into or accept the misguided notion perpetuated by society that resulted in her present, uncomfortable state. I don’t believe that a woman’s beauty ends when she’s thirty.
Frankly, “beauty” takes years to develop and discover for any woman -- which is very different than being born with a good-looking face and equally matched body. And I, daresay, mom blogger Rita Templeton shared like views on the matter in her recent post describing her first experience wearing Spanx. The imagery Rita conjured up in my head while describing the incident that led to this post made me hysterical, leading me to think about my poor friend. Rita’s given birth four times but it was “trying to pee while test running a pair of Spanx” that made this mom blogger question her ability and her sanity.
Needless-to-say, The Perilous Pee-Hole is a “must read” as is Rita Templeton's blog Fighting Off Frumpy, but only after you indulge yourself in her interview below. It's a treat for both the body and the mind -- another wise and seemingly necessary reminder that “Age doesn’t matter. Attitude does!”
What is your full name?
Rita Jane Templeton
Where do you live?
Huron, Ohio. We’re brand new to the area, after having spent the past eight years in Davenport, Iowa.
How many children do you have?
Four amazing boys. (Amazingly tiring.)
If you were asked to describe yourself in one word, what would that word be?
Multifaceted, maybe? I don’t think one word can narrow it down. That’s really hard for a wordy person to do.
What is your personal mantra?
There’s a quote that I love – not sure who it’s by – that says, “He who would eat the fruit must climb the tree.” Giving up is easy, but there’s reward in putting effort into everything you do.
Do you believe you have a “life’s purpose?” If so, share it.
I think my life’s purpose is to be a positive force in the lives of those around me. I want to be the
kind of person who people feel good after being around.
Tell us about you and your life.
I’m just a girl trying to do her best. Trying to raise four sons to be the kind of men the world needs more of. Trying to take care of myself and those around me. Professionally, I write for several different websites and publications, and I teach Zumba. (Then I bake cupcakes and cookies,
because … balance.) At home, I clean stuff up all the time.
Finish this sentence, “The best part about being a mom is _____.”
Watching your children develop their own interests and preferences and hobbies. It’s fascinating
to see the people they’re becoming.
How long have you been blogging for? Do you blog for any group blogs or websites beyond your own?
I’m a blogging dinosaur. I blogged on a site called “Free Open Diary” waaaaay back in the day, then I blogged on my Myspace account (I KNOW!) and then I started my own blog. So I’d say I’ve been at it for at least a decade.
What is the name of your blog? When was it launched?
I started my blog, Fighting off Frumpy, in 2009.
Share with us the significance of the name of your blog to you. How did you come up with it?
When I started my blog, I was pregnant with my third son and feeling, well, frumpy. I had gained a lot of weight, never got out of my pajamas, felt horrible about myself – and this was kind of a sharp contrast for me, because I had always been meticulous about my appearance before. “Frumpy” to me seemed like some kind of darkness creeping up on me … so I was, in essence, trying to fight it off. Hence my blog name.
What is the primary focus of your blog?
It’s funny – that has kind of changed over the years. When I started it, all my kids were really little, so I mostly wrote about mothering babies and toddlers and all the poop stories that go along with that. But now they’re older and when something happens they’ll actually say, “Mom, don’t blog about this.” So I’ve kind of shifted my focus to more generalized parenting stuff and observations about life as a thirtysomething.
What makes your blog unique?
Well, I have four boys, which makes me kind of unique, I suppose. And I write like I talk, so reading my stuff is very much like having a conversation with me.
Tell us about your blog, including what you hope to accomplish through it.
I started my blog feeling kind of desperate, valiantly hoping to connect with other moms who were in the same boat as I was. And I did. What I’d like to accomplish with my blog is exactly that - to let people know that they’re not alone in their struggles and to share a laugh about it.
Are you a Brand Ambassador and if so, for which companies?
I do the occasional sponsored post or partnership, but no, I’m not an official Brand Ambassador for anything.
Beyond your blog, do you engage in other social media outlets such as Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, etc.?
Yes – all of those! My handle (is that the term? Handle?) is @fightingfrumpy everywhere.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to moms who may be interested in beginning a blog?
Be yourself. Write in your voice, about things you’re interested in. Find a “tribe” of other bloggers and interact with their blogs and social media accounts.
Are you an entrepreneur or professional beyond your blog (and outside of being a mom)? Please share.
I’m a freelance writer and group fitness instructor.
Do you support – either formally or informally – a particular social cause?
There are lots of worthy causes that I love to lend support to in some way. The one that
hits closest to home is probably ADHD awareness and understanding; one of my sons has ADHD, and before he was diagnosed I was laboring under many terrible misconceptions about it. Lots of people are.
When all is said and done, what is the one thing you hope your loved ones and those who knew you remember about you?
That I tried to touch people’s lives in a positive way, and how much I loved to make people laugh. Even if it’s at me.
I truly wish that my friend had experienced a Spanx moment similar to the one Rita did prior to placing her face in one (so to speak). Maybe instead of writhing in agony, frustration, and desparation leading to such a bold and permanent act, she’d be writing (or dancing) alongside Rita -- free from inhibition and the nonsensical idealism that we can no longer pass down to our kids (boys or girls).
“Beauty” isn’t perfection as society keeps telling us it is. It’s imperfection at its finest. It comes with age, enlightenment, experience and stories like Rita’s that demonstrate our mistakes and human frailties as well as our ability to laugh at them and ourselves. Embrace it as it truly is...and free yourself from the silliness and shackles that do more harm than good.
That, my dear, is the only "lift" in life that will never get old, wrinkled, worn out or in need of re-visiting for additional work...I assure you!