Friends are coming over Friday night and I am not ready! I wish I lived in a "company ready" house where people could just drop on by, but I don't. In my perfect world, my house would look like the pages of my favorite magazines with everything in place and perfectly decorated...there would be homemade goodies that I just whipped up gracing the sideboard and delicious aromas wafting from the (perfectly cleaned) oven.
My reality is quite different. We live in a small (I prefer"cozy") home. Whenever anyone comes over, it is cause for a huge overhaul in the "stuff "department and major cleaning starting 3 days before the event and ending minutes before guests are slated to arrive. It's not like we live in filth and disgustingness, but before someone comes over it sure feels like that. I also am quite aware that I do not use my time wisely (a Piscean trait and also maybe a touch of adult ADD). I try and keep up with the floors and dusting and the clutter but I swear it reproduces while we are asleep. I wish I had Mary Poppins' powers to just snap and all the stuff would go marching right back to where it belongs. Being a perfectionist adds a whole other layer to the entertaining drama. For me, everything has to be perfect - and it isn't- so that raises my stress levels to new heights which of course I take out on anyone in the nearby vicinity (sorry Molly and Mike).
I always have grandiose ideas about what I will serve; poring over cookbooks and idea books for the perfect dinner and seasonal dessert- and then it boils down to "what topping do you want on your pizza?" I hope my friends know that the intent was there... I know it shouldn't matter about the surroundings and appearances; that it comes from the fellowship and friendship, but our house is so small and I always feel like everything is under such close scrutiny. Anyway...back to the cleaning...and if you're ever in the area- feel free to drop by- just give me a week's notice (hahaha?)!
How do you deal with company coming? Is your house "company ready?"
4 comments:
Patti,
Hello. I don't have a job right now so I should have this apartment visitor friendly right? BUT NO. I would have to run first to the bathrooms and make sure those were perfect because that is a priority for me. I would then have to go around everywhere else to see what else is out of place.
When I had my home in MO and my friend JLO would come to visit from IL I would start cleaning the bathroom three days in advance and close one of them off. I would be cleaning like you as well. Sometimes up to a week in advance and I totally understand what you said about what happens overnight. I swear I can clean the night before and when I wake up I belive it still looks the same and gets messier with all the running around in the morning.
Hang in there and don't frett. I am sure your friends will still be your friends if they find a little bit of dust here and there.
No - My house is never guest ready...but luckily it is small so that if you give me 10 minutes I can always shove stuff in the bedroom and close the door. And luckily I always have liquor in the house so I can booze you up and you won't notice how there is cat hair everywhere!!! (and this is the only time living in such small quarters becomes an advantage!)
I love this post. SO much truth and honesty here. I think we all feel like that quite often.
Me? Our house is 1400 sq. feet. Small by any standards. There are only three of us and a cat, so usually the house feels just right. Well, only a little crowded. Like you said, it's the stuff. I am not a clutter person, I like clean lines. Not a minimalist, just not a bunch of clutter. But, stuff always makes clutter. What to do? We are trying to cut back on the stuff. Not much luck yet.
It's funny. My house is nearly always neat, but never as clean as I would like it. Guests could pop by and they would be amazed at how neat everything is. Put away, etc. Just don't look too closely at the floors or corners. That's my secret really. If the room is neat and things are put away, people rarely notice if it is dirty.
I adore having company. We also go through just such a mad rush. I love company for themselves, but I also love it because my house ends up spotless. Oh, I do have a wonderful, hard-working man.
No worries, either. I'll give you at least a week notice before I "drop by."
Yikes! Not exactly company ready, but I always tend to the bathroom...
I do stress out about every detail, but then again, I only entertain once a year-July 4th!
Becky
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