[lovemylabs]

I really feel the way my house looks is directly related to my weight. I feel like if I were a healthy weight I would have better overall control. I am not a pack rat, but there are some things I hold on to. My husband, now he throws everything away (2 pairs of khaki short-poof a perfectly good pair hits the trash can because he has 2--well did you think about when the other pair wears out??).
It is causing some contention between us. Another example, I like a table with a couple of nice things on top (lamp, picture, candle holder)--now he like nothing, completely bare. Okay maybe a little extreme, but not too far off. I have a vision and am working towards it. I had 2 elementry/middle school kids that do a great job of leaving mega messes and I have a cat that gets the socks out the the dresser drawer child did not close and bring those socks down to dog to chew into shreds. So kids, animals, myself, husband and just life adds to the mess. Parts of my house look great (open a closet and it is OCD organized - hangers turned same way, shorts together and hung by color, and yes same with pants and all shirts). Drawers are the same way and my spices are organized alphabetically. Now for 90% of the rest of my home-it looks like 6 bombs went off. I am slowly working towards tackling those rooms. Sometimes I get really far and it never fails something happens, I get sick for 3 weeks (just got done doing this), I just get behind. Husband does help and do things around the house. His help in some areas is great in others he gives me a hard time and literally starts throwing everything away and it would be easier if he didn't give that kind of help. Every week I go through the trash trash day and most of the time find things he threw away that I don't think he should. I have a family, very busy schedule with the kids and work a heavy part-time schedule. Also, as I posted in another post go through spurts where I don't have much motivation or feel like doing anything.

Just wondering what is your house like? Any ideas that have worked for you? Like I do laundry Mondays and Fridays and aim to get it all put away immediately. Works great when I accomplish it, although right now I have piles of clean laundry everywhere! Thanks for any ideas!

[Lillibeth]

I live by myself so tend to be quite organised, if I make a mess I tidy it up as I know for sure that no one is going to do it for me!

How old are your children? Any chance you could give them set tasks to do to help you out around the house?

[ellabella]

Originally Posted by lovemylabs

I really feel the way my house looks is directly related to my weight...... Just wondering what is your house like? Any ideas that have worked for you? Like I do laundry Mondays and Fridays and aim to get it all put away immediately. Works great when I accomplish it, although right now I have piles of clean laundry everywhere! Thanks for any ideas!

Well, Love my labs (the ones, presumably, who chew up the children's socks) I DO have some insights that I can share with you. My house is actually quite clutter-free. And, over the past two or three years, I've managed to get it looking pretty much exactly how I want it. My decorating style has always been eclectic - I really love mixing styles and periods to achieve an interesting and unique look. I had my kitchen and the bathrooms completely remodeled, put down old-looking wide-board flooring throughout, and my house is quite literally filled with oriental rugs (which I love!), and antiques mixed with some very interesting contemporary pieces.
I'd have to say that if Better Homes & Gardens wanted to drop by for a photo shoot, I could be ready for them on a moment's notice.

My secret? My kids are all grown. They all have their own homes, and even my "baby" son went out to Cali to attend UCLA and has never actually come home again, except for visits a few times a year. I miss him terribly.

My other children (I have four total - three girls and a boy) live nearby, and I see two of them (and the grandchildren) every week, and the other is about 50 miles away, and I see her once a month or so.

So my house stays pretty immaculate, and you know what???? I really MISS having my children home running through it, messing it up, making noise and creating chaos.

And I STILL gained weight, despite all the perfection of my stupid house. (See weight tracker). Despite my perfectly clean and dandy house.

So, no I don't think they're related at all. I think you should enjoy those kids of yours (maybe assign them a few chores, and teach them to be a little more organized- mine learned to do their own laundry, fold their clothes and put them away when they were @ 12; I figured they'd need those skills when they went away to school) while you've got them with you, because it doesn't last forever. Really. You are more fortunate than you know.

If weight is very, very important to you, you'll manage to do something about it whether your house is perfect or not. Really.

And who needs a perfect house?

Have a terriffic day, and give those kids (and dogs and cats) of yours a great big hug.

Ellabella

[RitzyFritz]

VERY well said, Ellabella! I'm actually in the current predicament of lovemylabs and I tend to get stressed about it, but I also try to remind myself they will be grown before I know it. Good grief - they are now 14 and 11 and where did THAT time go!? Thanks so much for the reminder! I NEEDED that this morning!

[rockinrobin]

Oh no, I was just the opposite. My house was always immaculate when I was 287 lbs. I was always buying new vases and tablecloths and candles and baskets and all kinds of pretty things. I love decorating. I've painted every room in my house a different color. I love framed pictures and all that stuff. I couldn't buy anything lovely and pretty clothing for myself with the terrible choices available to me at the plus size stores, so I bought beautiful things for my home. And I keep it neat as a pin. Extremely organized. Everything has its place. No clutter lying around. I do laundry every 2 days or so for the most part. I never let it get too piled up. I never, ever have dishes in the sink. It was the one area where I did have control. Maybe I wanted to show the world how nice I can keep things. Perhaps that was part of it. I'm not sure. It is easier though as my kids are older now. But I pretty much have always kept a neat home.

[sept15lija]

Same here, my house has always been clean and pretty much organized. I have my times when it looks like bombs have gone off, but I don't let it last long. I don't even have kids to blame it on - and my dog and cat are actually pretty fastidious!! LOL It's all me and DH when there are messes, but we generally keep it clean and organized - you never know when your mom is going to come over!!

[Slashnl]

Thank you Ellabella!!! I started reading your post and I felt my guilt creeping up about the mess I usually have at my house. Thanks for the good words. I live out in the country, 2 active kids (ages 10 and 12), my husband has his own business (labor intensive and DIRT intensive!!), and we always have things going on. Cleaning and tidying up the house is pretty darn low on my priority list. Right now, I have two boxes right here near my computer. One has baby chicks and the other has baby turkeys. Never a dull moment.

Someday my house will be neat and tidy, but for now, I'll take the chaos. Given the opportunity to clean the house or go for a walk... give me my shoes and I'm out of here!!

[Jen]

When the kids are grown and away from the house, what do you think they will remember? That the house was immaculate but mom had no time for them because she was always cleaning or that they had a mom that always had time for them and they had a lot of great times together?

This is a particular pet peeve of mine. I expect to go into someone's house who has kids and expect to see toys and mess. Who really cares? I'm not going to remember the mess, I'm going to remember the people not the state of the living room unless I had to push a pile of clothes off a chair to sit down. I think there comes a time if the state of your house is affecting your life ie your ability to function because you can't find anything or you can't move for the mess or a room or 2 is completely unuseable because of mess, well that is different but most people just have ordinary run of the mill clutter and I don't think it is that big of a deal. My house is pretty good. I don't mind the clutter, I don't like when it looks dirty so the house is clean in that respect otherwise it is comfortable and happy. It is home.

[boaterswife]

I guess I fall into both categories...hehehe....kinda like being unable to make up my mind....have to do both, etc. etc. etc!

The main floor of my home is in pretty good shape. Yes, it could stand to be dusted and vaccumed a little more often than it is, but I'm ok with the overall picture if someone rings the doorbell. Now the downstairs? EEEKKK!! I would stroke out if someone wanted to go down there. Total disaster! Those bombs you mentioned? Yeah, they've planted themselves in my basement. Now I will say I've been tackling different areas in the basement, and my goal is to have the whole house presentable, not just the main floor. Unfortuneately, anyone who doesn't know what to do with something takes it down there. That includes me, I'm embarrassed to say! Add to the normal things that you think "I'll just run it downstairs and find a place for it next time I go down" all of the clothing/shoes/stuff that I've shrunk out of in the last 7 months, and wow, you've got a lot of stuff! Now, if it were just a basement, I might not be so stressed about it, but in addition to being the basement, DS's room is down there, as well as the laundry room, DH's home office, my computer area and our workout area (equipment and tv). WHEW! There's a lot of stuff there!

[Mrs Quadcrew]

No better homes & gardens here. Our house is clean, but lived in. That is one thing that people seem to always say about our home....it's comfortable - when you come here it's homey. I am no grand decorator that is for sure. Our house is about 100 years old and well lived in. I don't collect anything (well, maybe some dust bunnies on occasion) Now, I do need to work on the closests and the bedrooms....lots of clean clothes stacked everywhere - but the parts of the house people would come and see - yep, liveable and comfortable. Folks keep coming back, so I guess it is ok!

[CyberGypsy]

I an anal and always neat and clean....so is my car.


My old condo

[CyberGypsy]

[nelie]

I don't really care for decorations and what not. I do like painted walls but I'm currently living in an apartment so the walls are just plain white right now. I used to have some silk wall hangings that I got from China but when we got a cat, I was worried that she'd think they were things for her to play with so those were taken down. I don't have things sitting on tables or nooks or anything. I do have a turtle collection that I used to keep in a little nook in my townhome but my apartment doesn't have any place for them right now so they sit in a box.

Overall, I like to keep things simple.

[PrimChick]

I love primitive/antiques..... thats pretty much the decor through out my house.... My house is clean but looks lived in for sure........ with my dh and 5 kiddos its hard to keep this place in order....

[Lifeguard]

For me the house & weight thing are correlated. But it's because when I am feeling good (depression wise) I exercise, eat well, keep the house tidy. I hate to be all or nothing but it seems at times I most definitely am.