May 14, 2015

"Company Ready"


Do you have a "company ready" house?  You know the kind that looks "lived in" but not really.  The one where you dust, vacuum, pick up all the toys, make the beds, wipe down the table and make sure there are no dishes in the sink.  Company ready.

I do and it's exhausting.

Whenever someone texts and wants to have a play-date I secretly hope that they offer to host or want to meet at a park, the zoo, rec center, anywhere but my house.  Please don't come to my house.

Even though it would be easier to do it at my house, no driving required, I can lay James down for a nap when he's ready, it's baby-proof, it's free.  I always prefer to go somewhere else and, usually, so do my kids.

It's not that I'm ashamed of our house.  I'm not embarrassed.  Our house is never "dirty", by any means.  There might be finger prints on every surface and I couldn't tell you the last time I wiped down our baseboards or walls but, for the most part, our house is tidy.  I actually quite like our house.  It's an older home so it has character.  The layout works great for having company.  Our yard is bigger than any of our friends, perfect for playing.

So why wouldn't I want to show it off to our friends?  Because I hate the hustle and bustle of picking up everything, making sure there are no dishes in the sink, vacuuming up the dust bunnies, and making our house look lived in but not messy.

It's exhausting, keeping up with Pinterest.

Yep, that's right, I blame Pinterest for this manic state of keeping a company ready house.  Was this even a thing when our parents were young, stay-at-home-parents?  Doubtful.

We browse Pinterest for recipes, outfit ideas, tips on how to handle The Terrible Twos, and you can't miss the gorgeous, beautifully-staged, clean, crisp home interiors that are more than company ready.  Somehow Pinterest has set the standard for how to live in your house and what it should look like.  I blame Pinterest because I have never walked into any of my friends homes to see what I see there.  When I go to other's houses I see the same thing I see at my house.  Toys, shoes, stacks of mail, sippy cups everywhere and even a dust bunny or two.

So why stress out?  God forbid people actually know that we use our house for what it was intended?  We live here.  Two little kids run around here.  Two dogs lounge around lazily all day {I wish!}. Four people eat, sleep and play here.  And that, to me, is way more important than fresh vacuum lines on the carpets.

So, be warned, if you come to my house you may see home that is actually lived in.  I can't promise you won't step on a toy  and there might be a sippy cup hidden in the couch cushion but I can promise we have fun here.  Oh and I'll always clean the toilets before you arrive.

9 comments:

  1. An interesting post my friend - I have to admit, I have a company ready house but it is done more for me than for anyone else. I am not a fan of mess or clutter so I clean up as I go - all day, every day. It's become a habit for me... x

    ReplyDelete
  2. I try to pick up the house when I know people are coming over, but honestly? It's the last thing on my mind. I have 8 billion things on my to do list, so chances are there will be dishes in the sink, dog hair everywhere, and now cheerios hidden all over the place. It's life. There's some people I care about seeing my house messy more than others. But chances are if you are one of my close people, you'll see the house a mess. It just means I love you more. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. My house is not company ready....ever. When people say they are coming over, more cleaning occurs in the 20 minutes before they get there, then happens all month. I'm planning to change this when I move. Yes. I'll be like you...and pinterest :-P

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm totally guilty of this! I drive myself crazy cleaning and worrying about everything looking nice! I know it's not necessary, but I like my house to look nice when people come over! I'm trying to teach myself that it doesn't need to be perfect, especially with hurricane Weston running around, but it's hard! HAHAHA

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nope, not anymore. I used to be that way, but I got burned out and have learned to let it go. My house is anything but company ready. After that third baby came along, our house is no longer company ready, it is not a museum, and it certainly not perfect. There are dishes in the sink, laundry on the couches, books scattered all over the place, art supplies on the floor, toys and pacifiers in the middle of the living room, the dining room table is full of stuff, and unfinished recipes on the kitchen counters. Between a baby, two kids that I homeschool and running from one place to another as a single mom, I do not have time to keep up with the perfect little family on Pinterest. Personally, I find it super uncomfortable to walk into someone's house and it is perfect Pinterest picture. Seriously. I wonder, "Gosh, do you even live here and should I have paid you before I walked in?" I LOVE seeing homes that are messy and that moms and children are living in their homes ... it makes it real AND fun!!! I learned a long time ago, Shannon, to let it go...

    ReplyDelete
  6. because while you are busy worrying and caring about what that other person thinks about whether your home is perfect or not, the other person really could care less. And, this holds more true if that person is truly a friend ... my friends always tell me, "Jenn, we are here to visit with you and the kids ... not do a house inspection...hahahaha!"

    ReplyDelete
  7. I keep things picked up but scrubbed is another story. I am not saying I don't clean but if I have the opportunity to go out and play with my kids over scrubbing toilets it will get pushed off. But if you just drop in my house will be picked up, dished done and surfaces wiped down. I have had to learn to let my OCD, pinterest clean, company ready house go and allow my family to live in it. Maybe when I am retired and the kids are out of the house will I have my company ready home back.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh mercy! My house is a straight up mess and have been since we've moved. I thought bigger would be easier to keep clean but it just means more room for toys to migrate. It stresses me out but then I just pour a glass of wine and say I'll tackle that tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete
  9. That's right Jen Watts! That's what I'm talking about!!

    ReplyDelete