Do you have your house and yourself presentable all the time?

[jhschool]

OK, so another thread made me think of this.

 

It was in the context of unannounced visitors.

 

In my disorganized life, I have one house for visitors (things

picked up, bathrooms wiped, laundry done, floors vacuumed) and one self

for visitors (jeans/top, etc) and another set for just be at home

by ourselves all day (mess, mess, shorts & tank top, pyjamas, clutter,

unopened mail, piles of clothes, etc.)

 

Do normal people keep their houses and themselves presentable (ie.

ready for visitors) all the time? 

 

How else do people do these freerange neighborhoods where

kids (and possibly their parents looking for them) come in and out

all day unannounced?

 

 

[marbel]

I live in fear of unannounced visitors.   Fortunately they are rare, though I would like to be the sort of person who could welcome and encourage drop-ins.

 

Whether that is normal or not, I don't know.

 

 

[MeghanL]

Not all the time, but certainly most of the time. I try to keep the house comfortable for those of us who live here...not just visitors. I also like to have myself dressed & clean the vast majority of days. Even if I see no one else, my husband would still prefer I not stink when he comes home...and that works both ways really. :) I also like the kids to be dressed before breakfast, it seems weird to sit at the table in pjs and eat. 

 

However, I know lots of people who are perfectly happy wearing pjs all day and cleaning only when company comes over. It's not a "should be this way" issue, I don't think. If it works for you & yours, who cares what anyone else does?

[FaithManor]

I am presentable. My house is not. All three boys have science projects and pieces and parts going on every flat surface and I have everything out for our trip to Iceland and am beginning to look at what we might still need to pick up, what won't work, and how much is going to fit in the carry-ons. Oh, and I'm measuring every case, backpack, and tote we've got along with my parents' and brother's in the grim hope of coming up with three that are the right size. As it turns out, my rolling cases are all an inch or so too wide on some dimension and probably won't fit. I don't want surprises at the airport. So we have walking paths in the family room and dining room at the present time! LOL

[Angie in VA]

Since I haven't dressed for the day (but have cleaned up the kitchen, made the bed, packed DH's lunch and have the next 2 meals planned, this last one is a huge victory for me), I'm going to go w/ NO.

[Aura]

:lol:  No and No.

 

If I know I'm having company, I do make things presentable, both for my house and myself. Generally, though, I *try* not to live in a pig pen. Doesn't always work, though. But enough visits to others with kids at home all day has made me realize that my expectations for my house are too high.

[sunflowerlady]

Nope. I am working on making improvements in this area though.

[OneStepAtATime]

The downstairs is fairly reasonable most of the time.  Meaning, things are clean, although we do tend to pile up stuff as we walk in the door and it doesn't always get put away immediately (DH is really bad about this).  The upstairs is usually pretty clean, too, but also pretty darn cluttered.  We are, unfortunately, a family of clutterholics, going back generations, on both sides.  DH and I started our marriage with tons of stuff passed down by family and had already accumulated much on our own.  It has been an uphill battle ever since.  :)  In fact, every summer and winter I spend time sorting and giving away or selling or donating lots of stuff.  We still have a long way to go....

[kiana]

HAHAHAHA ... no.

[Miss Mousie]

:lol:   Um, the house?  Never.  DH and I work full-time-plus and have long commutes.  I have learned to have a higher tolerance for dirt & clutter - and I was never a neatnik anyway.

 

Myself, well, you'd have to catch me at the right time.  It's about a half-hour window.

 

I remember the last time I hosted Christmas dinner.  We had knocked ourselves out cleaning, etc., and finally I said to DS, "look, nobody's going to say I ruined Christmas because I didn't dust the ceiling fans."

 

And ... um ... they still haven't been dusted.

[Storygirl]

No. Sigh. I want my house to be presentable at all times, but it seems to be beyond my abilities.

 

But I'm always showered, dressed, and have my hair done, so I myself am presentable if someone rings the door. It's only a rare day that  I don't manage to put on make up as well. I shower the night before and minimize the rest of my routine, so it doesn't take more than 10-15 minutes. Otherwise it would not happen. I'm not a person who likes to spend a lot of time primping; it bores me.

[trulycrabby]

Yes, our house is usually presentable for visitors, but in accordance with Murphy's Law of Visitors, they only seem to come on the odd occasion when the house is not straight. :ack2:

[jhschool]

Clarification:

I don't stink!

:)

I do take a shower every day.  But on a stay at home all day day, I

throw on short shorts and a tank top.  I put my hair in a hairclip and put

on deodorant!!

 

I do have breakfast in my pjs most days--and so does the rest of the family.

 

Just to be clear...

:)

 

 

[cjzimmer1]

Myself, if it's after 10ish I'm presentable.  Concerning the house it depends if you are my relative or anyone else.  Any of my relatives(parents/siblings that is, the rest don't even know where I live) are welcome to stop by at any time unannounced.  While my house is a mess, so is all of theirs so my mess doesn't bother them or embarrass me. My husbands relatives or anyone else, I need forewarning to do a cleanup.

[Laura Corin]

I have an area of my house reasonably presentable (there might be boots lying about in the porch and school bags in the front hall, but it has been cleaned in the last week and there are chairs to sit on).  The presentable area is the porch, front hall, sitting room, the public bathroom and (mostly) the kitchen.  I'm always happy to invite people in.

 

The rest of the house works by much more relaxed rules.

 

ETA: I shower every day, but anyone turning up at the weekend will find me in my gardening clothes - I'm not ashamed of that.

 

L

[elfgivas]

:lol:  :leaving:  :smilielol5:  :rofl:  :willy_nilly:  :rofl:  :smilielol5: 

[SproutMamaK]

lol.

 

no.

 

I have a 1 month old and am nursing. If someone pops by unexpectedly they may get to know me a little more personally than expected. (Translation: My boobs have mostly broken out of boob jail. ;) )

[Guest]

On both counts, fairly presentable; I don't want to live in a mess and I don't want to look a mess.

 

That said, I am very happy we don't have drop-in visitors. I would be consumed with anxiety if I thought at any moment someone might come interrupt what I was planning to do...even if I wasn't planning to do anything significant.

 

ETA: I really need to turn off this damn autocorrect.

[marbel]

I am presentable. My house is not. All three boys have science projects and pieces and parts going on every flat surface and I have everything out for our trip to Iceland and am beginning to look at what we might still need to pick up, what won't work, and how much is going to fit in the carry-ons. Oh, and I'm measuring every case, backpack, and tote we've got along with my parents' and brother's in the grim hope of coming up with three that are the right size. As it turns out, my rolling cases are all an inch or so too wide on some dimension and probably won't fit. I don't want surprises at the airport. So we have walking paths in the family room and dining room at the present time! LOL

 

Now see, I would consider that presentable.  Homeschooling stuff I'd expect to see.  Shoot, sometimes I deliberately leave the piles of books out when people are coming over, never know what conversation might start from that.  Sometimes we've had camping equipment in the living room while someone was getting ready to go away.  I wouldn't have a party during that, but if someone stopped in for a cup of coffee, no problem.  "Here, follow the path to the dining room and we'll clear a space for the coffee cups." 

 

The almost-overflowing trash can in the guest bathroom (which is also the kids' bathroom) and the mess of makeup and other grooming stuff on the counters, and the fluffs of dog hair all over the living room floor are a different story though. 

 

[mommymilkies]

Ummmm No.  Not even a little bit.  :lol:   I mean, if someone is bleeding to death, my house and person are clean enough to help save them, but certainly not "presentable" for proper company. I really, truly hate drop ins.

[LucyStoner]

My standards of presentable are lower than most. That helps.

[KungFuPanda]

As long as you don't drop in before noon, it's fine :-) I like to do my housework in the morning, then shower and get dressed. My house is rarely perfect, but I don't mind people seeing how we really live. I'm not great at clean-as-you-go, so there's usually at least one room waiting for attention.

 

I teach classes in my home studio twice a week, so it never really gets horrifically bad downstairs. I do have a dog and the need to vacuum is ever-present. My messy friends think my house is neat. I think it needs improvement. I'm sure my neat-freak friends could create a long-list of critiques, but they're too polite to say anything. They come back, so I guess it's OK.

 

Upstairs is a different story. My bedroom needs to be excavated because I have piles of things to deal with. It's livable, but not pretty right now. The bathrooms are all clean. My son's room is neat and clean right now. Teen daughter's room is a wreck. She'll clean it after finals.

 

My unfinished basement is the mouth of Hell. I dread going down there to do laundry. It's been on my summer to-do list for two years. I failed the 40-bags-in-40-days Lenten challenge. Maybe this will be the summer I deal with it.

[ajfries]

I aim to have my house 15 minutes away from 'guest ready'. That means not having to feel embarrassed or apologize for the state of affairs, but this mostly applies to the kitchen & bathroom. My desk is almost always cluttered, there's toys scattered, my current sewing project is out. Bedroom and laundry room doors are shut :) This counts as presentable to me for drop by visitors. It's different if we're having company for dinner or what not.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I don't have a presentable house 24/7.  Nor am I.  It usually isn't filthy, but it is typically somewhat to terribly messy (there are always places to sit and the floor is usually devoid of tripping hazards, but I have clutter on counters and tables.)  I don't like unannounced guests, but I do let friends in because if they will just have to accept me as I am.  I grew up in a house where it was company ready all the time.  But, all of my memories of interactions with my mom growing up were of her being angry with me.  She always seemed stressed out about the house not looking great - so much so that she didn't really notice when things weren't OK with me.  (That said, she was also dealing with my much older siblings who were teens in the late 60s, early 70s.) 

 

I have to say that part of why I am like this is a reaction to the way I was raised.  I simply don't have the energy to put into my home when I'd much rather put it toward my kids.  Also, I simply don't have the "organization gene."  Too much of our stuff doesn't have a place.  I resist rigid schedules (which is why I am a flylady drop out.) 

 

I try not to leave the house without looking presentable (but I am getting lazier and lazier about getting in the shower.) 

[Laura Corin]

My standards of presentable are lower than most. That helps.

 

I suspect that's the case with me too.  My tidy is probably as messy as my mother in law's house ever was.

 

L

[*Lulu*]

HAHAHAHA ... no.

Exactly my thought on the matter.

[Sun]

For the most part, yes and yes. My house may not be spotless by my standards, but I've learned over the years that my idea of really bad is most people's idea of pretty good. I vacuum most days because I hate dirty floors, so at most you'd find two days' worth of dust, pet fur, and kid crumbs. If I can see mess, I clean it up right away. Since I keep things up as we go along, it doesn't take me long to do. However, all bets are off if I'm sick or have been out of town!

 

If you really poked around in my house, at any given time you will find small areas of mess. It's almost 10 a.m. here, and my bed's not yet made. There's a basket of dirty laundry in the hall upstairs waiting to be taken down to the laundry room. My office is half torn apart because I've been in the middle of an organizing project in there for a couple of weeks. Living room, entry, kitchen, and bathrooms are all presentable, though, so a casual drop-in visitor wouldn't see the areas that are bugging me!

[myfunnybunch]

Do normal people keep their houses and themselves presentable (ie.

ready for visitors) all the time? 

 

How else do people do these freerange neighborhoods where

kids (and possibly their parents looking for them) come in and out

all day unannounced?

 

:lol: :lol: :lol: Nope.

 

We've got a triangle of boy houses on our street.

 

I answer the door in my pajamas or sweaty and dirty from the garden or sticky with strawberry mess and jam. Sometimes my floor is not the most presentable or there is kid mess scattered around BECAUSE the boys have been in and out all afternoon. But it's the same at the neighbor's houses. We're pretty comfortable with one another after all that. :D

 

I figure, Who Cares? I'm living my life, not worrying about how my neighbor is perceiving how I live my life. The boys are all happy and safe, that's what matters.

 

Cat

[Jean in Newcastle]

:smilielol5:     No.

 

I do try to clean and tidy my house but half the time it looks like a tornado has gone through it.  We're busy, I have a chronic illness, dh works two jobs, and it shows.  

 

I do keep up on personal hygiene.  So I suppose it depends on what you mean by "presentable".  I haven't made small children run away in terror but I'm not dressing to impress either.  

 

If someone comes over I figure they are here to see us not the house.  If they give me some lead time I will try to clean up.  If not, then "oh well".  

[Susan in TN]

No, to both. Though, I will say that I do keep in mind needing to be out of my PJs in case neighbor kids or workmen come knocking at the door. I rarely wear much makeup, so that's not such an issue.

[*Lulu*]

Here is my philosophy of housekeeping: we live here. It will not look magazine perfect because it is being lived in and there are 2 dogs plus we homeschool so there is never a lack of someone undoing whatever I've done.

 

The only people I'd let in my house if they dropped by are people who I don't mind seeing my house as is.

 

As for my personal grooming.......

 

Most days I am dressed and, what I consider, ready by 7:30am. Even if I am just in yoga pants and a tank top because I plan to be in all day I can be out-the-door ready in under 10 minutes. If someone interrupts my day and has a problem with my attire they had better have the good sense to keep quiet about it.

[SailorMom]

I guess off and on mine is really not guest ready - but I do try to keep it up.  FlyLady has helped a ton with this.  During the school year there are truly times when there are just not enough hours in the day. 

I do get anxious about my house not being clean enough if we have short-notice visitors, but then I remember that as long as my house isn't gross, it's probably normal.  I try to remind myself that when I go to someone else's house, I like seeing that they are normal people :)  If their houses are too perfect - I never want them over at mine, lol.

[*lifeoftheparty*]

.

[BrittanyM]

My house is almost always presentable enough for guests, unless I'm in the middle of a huge reorganizing project or something. It isn't perfect by any means but I don't let stuff build up too much generally cause then then I cannot function. As for me, no... If you came over before 10:30 I'm probably still in my pajamas. :P I can get dressed very fast though and I don't wear makeup or do my hair fancy so people rarely see me "unpresentable." I'm trying to get better about getting dressed right when I get up and such but I'm lazy.

[Annie Laurie]

I don't have a presentable house 24/7.  Nor am I.  It usually isn't filthy, but it is typically somewhat to terribly messy (there are always places to sit and the floor is usually devoid of tripping hazards, but I have clutter on counters and tables.)  I don't like unannounced guests, but I do let friends in because if they will just have to accept me as I am.  I grew up in a house where it was company ready all the time.  But, all of my memories of interactions with my mom growing up were of her being angry with me.  She always seemed stressed out about the house not looking great - so much so that she didn't really notice when things weren't OK with me.  (That said, she was also dealing with my much older siblings who were teens in the late 60s, early 70s.) 

 

I have to say that part of why I am like this is a reaction to the way I was raised.  I simply don't have the energy to put into my home when I'd much rather put it toward my kids.  Also, I simply don't have the "organization gene."  Too much of our stuff doesn't have a place.  I resist rigid schedules (which is why I am a flylady drop out.) 

 

I try not to leave the house without looking presentable (but I am getting lazier and lazier about getting in the shower.) 

 

This is me exactly. I refuse to put my house before my kids, the way my mother and her mother did. So, it's not filthy but often is messy. Also, my health hasn't been right since I had my last baby- he didn't sleep for 2 years, and I have a hard time sleeping now and often don't feel 100%, so my house and how I look are dependent on how I feel that day. For years I neglected myself, because I'm "just a stay at home mom" but I recently lost some weight and decided to buy myself new clothes, so now I enjoy doing my hair and putting on a nice outfit and jewelry when I go out, but at home, I just throw on jeans and a tee and brush my hair.

 

We're about to put our house on the market and I'm so anxious about keeping it presentable at all times!

[momto10blessings]

Nope, hardly ever! Luckily we live in the middle of nowhere, so if someone is going to come visit they will call first before wasting gas to get to our house

[73349]

Myself, sure--DH and I have a deal that he doesn't leave for work until I've had time to shower and dress. (I don't do makeup.) I'm a jeans and t-shirt person.

 

My house... um... a bit cluttered, but not mortifying. I would not like unannounced visitors. Fortunately, my friends feel the same way.

[*Lulu*]

Well mine as clean as it could possibly get, freshly painted, and gone over with a fine tooth comb is as messy as my MIL's house ever was.

 

She lives by herself now and that is pretty much what she does all day long. Clean. She is always complaining to DH about all the cleaning she has to do. Uhhh how dirty can it get with one person?!

I don't know......if that one person was my oldest son.....

[Rachel]

My house is reasonably presentable. It certainly isn't as neat as when I know I'll have visitors, but if you dropped by I wouldn't be embarrassed. I have young kids: toys tend to be out, there might be dirty socks on the floor in the bathroom, and stacks of library books are usually on the couch. I do try to keep the floors swept and dishes done.

[Annie Laurie]

Well mine as clean as it could possibly get, freshly painted, and gone over with a fine tooth comb is as messy as my MIL's house ever was.

 

She lives by herself now and that is pretty much what she does all day long.  Clean.  She is always complaining to DH about all the cleaning she has to do.  Uhhh how dirty can it get with one person?!

 

I wish I could remember the name of the article, but SWB wrote an article for Memoria Press about leaving the kitchen dirty and reading a book. She said that we get a feeling of accomplishment from things like cleaning, we can see tangible results and it makes us feel like we have something to show for our efforts, but in the long run it doesn't serve our kids the way reading Great Books will. I think that's why so many women go on about all the cleaning they have to do, it makes them feel accomplished and like they are busy. Especially the older generation, my grandmother, mother, and MIL, all view it as a point of personal pride that they have impeccably clean houses, they view it as reflective of a person's character even. My grandma loves me but I am certain she thinks I'm lazy. :)

[Dory]

I try to keep the living room and kitchen within a couple minutes of being tidy in case of unannounced visitors. The rest of the house, is only tidy if I have plenty of warning about people coming over. There is WAY too much to do for me to keep them clean all the time.

[Caroline]

It isn't MIL ready, but it's neighborhood kids ready. The bathrooms are clean and have tp. I wearing clothes, sometime my workout or gardening clothes. But really, my neighbors don't care, and I don't care what their houses are like or what they are wearing. I just don't live in a neighborhood like that, I guess.

[Luckymama]

Well, yes.

 

It's a lot easier with only one kid at home (except for breaks) and no pets. Now, dd14's room and the kids' bathroom...that's another story!

[6packofun]

Typically, one can find me at least dressed, having my hair brushed/put up, and at least some foundation and powder on my face.  So I'm OK with anyone seeing me like that.  Comfy pants and a tee are presentable in my book!  Although for company-on-purpose, I'd dress better.  lol

 

My house?  It is never presentable.  *sigh*  I'm really working on it, though!  This thread is very timely...dd was dropped off at home by a friend last night and he really needed to use the bathroom.  EEEK!  The bathroom is usually pretty good so that was no big deal, but thank God it was DARK!  LOL  It was a little embarrassing, but I know the guy so not AS horrifying as it could have been. I will never be a neat freak and I enjoy having a somewhat lived-in home, but it has gotten out of control in the past year.  :P

[MistiDelaney]

You're kidding, right? A man and a boy are here studying, eating, and playing unsupervised for 50 hours per week, and both suffer from "male pattern blindness".  I have been eight months in The Augean Stables Project getting this place ready to sell (it goes on the market next week - yay!).

 

I am not keen on drop in visitors, though we have one friend close enough that we don;t mind her dropping in whenever.  She doesn't judge and she knows where the kettle is and how to use it.  Heck, she has a key in case she needs a cuppa while she's on this side of town. But she is the exception.

 

As to me, well, on a weekday or if I expect to see people, I generally look pretty presentable.  On the weekend, if I am not expecting to see people, I am dressed for work.  That means, my hair is probably wrangled into a messy bun, but probably uncombed and depending on the level heat I may or may not be suitably attired, but it won't be chosen for it's ability to impress, flatter, or even cover everything a woman my age generally needs to cover.  ;)  (That's a habit I will need to change if, as I hope, my honey and I swap roles next year.)

[rmtzc2009]

I am showered, dressed and makeup on each and every morning.  I do tend to dress comfortably though so nothing fancy and no jewelry.  My house isn't guest ready at all times but we do pick up & clean throughout the day.  It's rare that the house is in such bad of shape that company would bother me. However, I still prefer to know when someones coming.   We've recently put a schedule into place that has been helping.  My main focus is in the kitchen.  It's an open kitchen that all guests would see so that is my daily priority.  The kids handle pick up and vacuuming daily and I mop.   

[Tess in the Burbs]

Our place is usually presentable enough for surprise visitors.  We moved this spring to a location where people drop by a lot.  We used to never have unannounced visitors and now we have them weekly.  

 

We are always dressed in the mornings and the house is tidy enough.  The bathrooms are wiped often enough, but I will send a kid in to wipe it down when people show up who might stay awhile lol.  

 

Is there dust on the shelves?  most likely.  I try, but I hate dusting.  

 

I can usually provide some light drink/food items as well.  We don't like clutter so overall it's acceptable here. 

[TracyP]

I shower and get dressed before dh leaves for work each morning. I'm not always dressed nice, but if I am out of my pjs, I consider myself to be presentable. I clean as I go so my house is always presentable enough that it wouldn't embarrass me. However, I would want to do a little extra if I was expecting company. So I say yes, but I might have low standards.

[pehp]

Mostly, yes.  I think some of this is just defining your standard.  Pre-children I was pretty OCD about everything and it was a Big Production to have people over because I had to have everything just so.  Plus I was working 60+ hours a week and just didn't have much time for housework.  NOW, however, I can't be OCD.  My children live here and we school here.  I consider my house neat and reasonably clean. We almost never have unannounced visitors (country life) but I can't stand wearing pajamas, so I'm always in clothes after I wake up.  

 

I am comfy--tee shirt or tank top in this summer weather, and a skirt (I am not a shorts girl). I don't dress to the nines, because I live my daily life!  But I am dressed.  And I can't wear workout clothes unless I'm working out--it's a psychological thing.

 

As for the house: I consider it presentable.  My kitchen is visible in my open floor plan from the front door and back door, so there's no hiding!!!!  I keep my bedroom reasonably neat, our main room (kitchen, living area, dining area) clean enough.  My children pick up their toys/books every day before bed and I make sure the kitchen is neat after each meal (sometimes there are a few items waiting to be washed on the counter, but I try to stack them neatly). The main room gets tidied daily and I'm a tidy-as-I-go sort too.  If someone came over right now--w/ my children playing restaurant all over the place, a few school books on the table, an empty laundry basket on a chair--I would be fine with it.  Our guest bath is also the children's primary bathroom (and ours too right now as we have ripped out and are re-doing our master bath) so I keep it tidy. Not spotless, but neat!

I try to keep the porch, deck and patio neat enough (you can see them all due to the way our driveway is configured) and the flower beds reasonably weeded.  If HGTV came I'd need to do some work, but it is fine for neighbors and friends to pop in......

 

As for our basement, which is the schoolroom/laundry area/family room....I clean it once every 2 weeks or so.  I let the children leave out their big projects, train sets, etc. and it doesn't bother me.  My son's room is usually rotating through states of chaos (he's an artist and just generally sloppy) but I try to reinforce cleanup before bed.  My daughter doesn't really use her room, so it stays neat!

 

Fortunately my MIL is a laid-back soul. She had 4 children, so she gets it!! :) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[shanvan]

My unfinished basement is the mouth of Hell. I dread going down there to do laundry. It's been on my summer to-do list for two years. I failed the 40-bags-in-40-days Lenten challenge. Maybe this will be the summer I deal with it.

I'm sorry to tell you this, but there is no point in cleaning up 'the mouth of Hell'.  If you do, it's only a matter of time before it goes to Hell again.  Not that I would know anything about that.  It's on my list too. (And it was on my list last year when I crossed it off my list, and a couple of years before that, and....well you get the picture.  It's really our only large storage space, which is why I keep telling myself not to worry about it too much.

 

ETA: To answer the original question, sometimes, and sometimes.  If I know I'm going to exercise or work outside, unannounced visitors will likely find me not presentable.  If we've had major events for many days in a row, they may find my home unpresentable.  

 

I recently lived in fear of unannounced company.  A friend was in the hospital up the street from us and I was so worried people would stop by!  I kept the house up very well that week even though we had all day events all week long.  It almost killed me!