Today we’d like to introduce you to Lilly Gorman.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Lilly. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started blogging as a way to work through my dad’s diagnosis of terminal colon cancer. He was put on a strict diet, but I wanted him to still have delicious food while he underwent treatment. I started researching, reading, watching, studying, and planning meals that would be on his diet and also extremely yummy. It gave me purpose, and I’ve never looked back.
Now my blog is about food, family, and the many aspects of life that make us who we are. I strive to make recipes that are relatable, simple, and tasty. I also write about the moments that have shaped my life such as my dad’s death and the sudden loss of my younger brother. I try to find the good in every day no matter what the circumstances, and I hope to provide some positivity to my readers through my writing. Humor is also a big part of my life and my blog. Alan Simpson said it best at President H.W. Bush’s funeral: “Humor is the universal solvent against the abrasive elements of life.” I think if we can find the good, the funny, or the positive in every day, then we’re bound to life a fulfilled and happy life.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Absolutely not! I’ve rebranded my blog three times trying to “find” myself. I feel like Pineapple House Rules truly defines who I am and what my blog is about.
The pineapple has long been a symbol of welcome, joy, and celebration even in the midst of dark times. Sailors used to present their wives with pineapples as an extravagant gift after journeying south to the tropics. The wives would mount the pineapples on spikes on their fences to announce that their husbands had returned safely from a voyage and all were welcome in their home to celebrate.
I find so much hope in that symbol. It’s the calm after the storm, the rainbow promising that trouble is over. Once I finally found this symbol, I knew the path I wanted my blog to take. I want my writing to be a joyful, hopeful part of my readers’ lives. Defining myself and my blog in this way was the biggest struggle and obstacle I had to overcome.
Now, my struggles are balancing two tiny humans with my recipe development and writing. I think that’s why my recipes have become simpler since I had my kids. I want folks to know that getting a good meal on the table is doable (and delicious)!
Pineapple House Rules – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Pineapple House Rules is all about authenticity. I am as raw and real as they come when I write about my struggles, parenting, and even recipes. I want people to see my blog as an extension of who I am as a person. I love seeing pictures and blogs of beautiful families with perfectly decorated homes, coordinated outfits, and immaculate meals. BUT I don’t see that as reality. I like the messy, funny, and sometimes difficult parts of life. Sharing those stories are what sets my blog apart from others. I’m not afraid to “go there” and let it all hang out.
I’ve written about depression, anxiety, loss, parenting, and grief. All of those things have given me a connection with my readers that I could never have gotten had I painted a picture of perfection. It gives me purpose to write about the raw things in life and hear that others are comforted by my words. That’s why I do what I do!
The other aspect of the blog that I’m very proud of are my recipes. It brings me the greatest joy to know that someone has tried a recipe and to know it was a hit with their family. There’s so much that goes on for everyone every day. It’s a busy world! Being able to provide options for folks to get a good dinner on the table means a lot to me. I try to make my recipes easy, healthy, and as delicious as going to a restaurant. I also try to develop recipes that can be made in big batches and frozen for another busy night. It’s important to me to always be tweaking and improving my recipes, too. I spend hours reading and researching techniques and ideas on how to make food a beautiful part of everyone’s day!
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I’d say success is based on how positively a person impacts others. The quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson (below) is what I strive to live by. I think as long as we are doing our best to make others’ lives easier every day, then we are successful. In my blog, I hope to give folks a happy story, a feel good moment, an easy recipe, or a good laugh. Those are just some of the small ways I hope to positively impact others. It’s so easy to become wrapped up in our own situations and dilemmas and to completely miss out on the chance to help someone else – even in the smallest ways. Success means ultimately to have left a positive impression on the world you inhabit.
“What is success?
To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate the beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pineapplehouserules.com
- Email: pineapplehouserules@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pineapplehouserules/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PineappleHouseRules/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/PNAppleHouseRul
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
