You know those people who can entertain at the drop of a hat? Their house is always picked up. The house looks like someone actually thought about the decor. There's always something to serve, even if it's baby carrots and coffee ...
Yeah. I don't have one of those houses. I grew up like that (my mom's actually a very good entertainer), so I know it's not that the house is uncomfortable for the people who live there. I'm just too lazy. Even before I had the baby, I wasn't good at picking up - much less vacuuming, etc. Sometimes I notice cobwebs in the corners. Rarer still, I do something about them.
And sometimes it bothers me. This weekend I have a group of friends coming for breakfast. Luckily, they're laid-back friends who care more about the company than the actual house - and I'll make bacon, which means it will be a winner. Hailey's birthday party is in a few weeks. That's the type of event with mothers and grandmothers in attendance, so I'll probably tidy up for that and serve food out of serving dishes (thanks to my previous job, I have them in extreme abundance).
And someday, I probably will get in the habit of regularly doing just a little bit of maintenance to add up to a nice home. But for now, we finally have a couch that matches and isn't broken - so that's enough for me today. If you come to my house, pay attention to my delightfulness rather than my messiness.
First I have to say I followed you over from that other blog - you know the one. :)
ReplyDeleteI am like you ... one of those people who wants to have the entertaining ready house and who doesn't. I'm getting closer tho. One of the things I do that really works is to set a timer (I use the microwave timer) for 15 mins every day. And for those 15 mins I do something to pick up my house. I don't make myself do more than 15 mins and I don't freak out if I don't finish whatever task I've assigned when the timer goes off. But more and more all the little piddly things that I put off every day are getting done and I'm finding that while my house is not Better Homes & Gardens clean, it's to the point that I don't feel the need to apologize (much) if someone drops by. :)
I have very low standards of cleanliness, and my house is always a mess. I'd be embarrassed - if I cared. But there's a million things I care about more than having a spotlessly clean house. No one is going to look back on your life and discuss how messy you were, but we will certainly rave about your delightfulness!
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