Our house looks lived in. Even when it's clean, you can tell a family has torn it to shreds.

Our house is usually drop in ready with the exception of whatever we're doing at that moment. For example, if we just finished lunch there will be dishes on the counter. If we're coloring there will be books and crayons out on the floor or table. Things like that. We are strict about picking up after ourselves and have taught dd the same since a very young age. We put one thing away before getting out another - ALWAYS! DD knows this and will always put away one toy/game before starting another, usually without even being asked. It took a while to "train" her this way but it's so worth it. We also "put our house to bed" each night, though we don't use that term. Everything is picked up and put away, dishes are done and put away, or at least in the dishwasher, counters wiped off, and we (dh) vacuums every night after dinner. Our laundry never leaves the laundry room so we don't have that all over. Either I fold it right out of the dryer or put it in a basket and take it upstairs to fold. There are times where there is a basket full of clean clothes sitting in the laundry room or my bedroom, but they're never scattered about. That just bugs me. And we have cats so as soon as there are clothes laying out they are making a bed of them. DD picks up her room every night before her bath. It's usually not that bad because she's good at putting toys away as soon as she's done with them. The worst part of our house is usually my desk. I often have stacks of papers out for different reasons but otherwise our house is picked up and clean.

Now me and dd on the other hand - we're rarely drop-in ready. We don't always get dressed until we're ready to go outside or something. DD likes to be naked or in her undies and I often stay in my jammas. If we have no where to go and not planning on having guests, it's not unusual for us to still be in jammas or "nakie" until 1 or 2 pm. That is the ONE and ONLY reason I don't like drop in guests or the reason I won't answer the door.

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Jennifer
dd Sarah 1/4/02
ds Brady 1/15/07

I'm the same way. We have 5 kids, and it is very hard to keep everything picked up.

I hate drop-ins...and everyone in my family knows it ( Ineed at least 2 hours notice) ...But not fully b/c of the house...The house is always "Clean" just not always tidy... More so b/c i just don't like it....really, really, really, don't like drop-ins. I'm very much like Aliadam in that, if I don't see your car in my driveway....I'm not answering the door.

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my house is a mess. but if someone stops in, i'll give them a glass of tea. i have too much to do to "keep" house too. with two adults and two kids living in a two bedroom ranch with 7 large animals, it's no ritz-carleton. however, i try to keep the girls room organized so they can make the most of their play time. and when someone drops in, i'll shoo a cat or two off the couch so they can sit down.

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My house is king of the messes. Always looks like a tornado went right on through. But then my house is really small, 2 bdrm bungalo, lived in by 6 people. We added 2 bedrooms to the basement and put all the kids down there in order to alleviate the crowding and mess on the main floor but that didn't quite go the way we thought it would.

I do so hate drop ins, b/c they never come by when the house is clean, but I don't discourage it and I am not going to be a slave to every detail of a clean house. Instead, when people drop by I just politely tell them to excuse the mess.

My SIL told me several years ago when I use to say this to her that if people come into your home and don't like the way it looks, then they can just grab that dust rag or broom and do something about it. So that has just become my way of thinking. Did you come to see me or how I keep house?

On a funny note, several months ago a girlfriend came to babysit for me for a few hours and when I came home I found clean doors. My doors are all white in my house and with 4 kids get lots of dirt. This was driving her crazy to see so she actually washed my doors for me. Furthering my "if you don't like the way it looks, do something about it".

It is much better than it used to be, but still hit and miss. My best friend came by the other day and was amazed. She said , I can actually relax in your living room! It didn't bother me at all, cause we are like sisters and she has really helped me clean before. She's a cleanie and I'm a messie. She LOVES to clean. Me... not so much Although I do love clean house

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Claire 11/98
Carter 11/00
Caroline 08/03
Cale due Jan. 2007

"When you have kids, the days are LONG, but the years are SHORT.

I LOVE having a clean house, and after it's clean, I always vow I'm going to stay on top of it, and enjoy it...then reality hits. No matter what, I cant seem to keep up. I ALWAYS have laundry to do, and my bedroom seems to be the catchall. Have you ever seen the show clean-sweep? My laundry room/basemsnt and bedroom can rival some of the ones on that show. I HATE it. I dont know why I cant keep up. I'm not lazy, but I seem to pick up and clean ALL DAY and never catch up !!!!

I'm the same way. With a large dog in the house, and Aidan crawling, I'm constantly vacuuming. If the floor has been vacuumed, I at least feel like the house is a little cleaner. My problem areas are the desk and dining room table. Flat spots are catchalls for me.

Although we usually don't have a lot of drop-in guests, I still don't like it when someone just stops by without warning.

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Alicia

Mommy to Aidan 10-21-05 and Rori 7-3-07

I have this philosophy. If someone drops in to say hi or I invite someone over at the last minute, it doesn't matter what my house looks like. I'm just glad that I have people in my life that feel comfortable calling or dropping by. I once had a friend say, "Please DON'T clean your house for me. I'd feel better about my own house if you didn't!" That has kind of been the thought that has guided me. My friends have to take my house - and me too - AS IS... Imperfections and all.

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