Yesterday on Twitter, I promised some folks I’d show a picture of my house in it’s natural state. While I’m not thrilled about this idea, I also feel like we are too hard on ourselves (especially women, we’re experts at guilt), trying to “have it all together”, and I want to show you one normal house from one normal family that most definitely does not have it all together.
I think we sometimes start thinking that we’re the only ones struggling to live up to the *Martha* standard, and that everyone else is a better wife, husband, housekeeper, mother, father, friend than we are. We forget that NO, everyone else just cleans up like mad the second before you arrive at their home. Fo rizzle.
So here’s my effort to make you all feel a lot better about yourselves:
You’re welcome.
I wish I could say that this is not the normal state, but it is like this more often than not. We cleaned up after this, but it got cluttered again quickly, and despite my constant sweeping, my floors will never be clean for long. And please don’t look at the windows, or try to look out the windows, because you will regret it. Trust me on this.
You wanna shed the mystique and keep it real too? Don’t be scared.
Edited to add: This is really a lot like Sweetney’s Truthiness mission statement about showing our true selves, which I participated in and loved. I decided to start a Flickr pool, and if you want to take a pic of one of your living spaces in it’s raw and un-picked up state I would be over the moon about it. Or you can post about it and leave us a link in the comments to come check you out. The Flickr pool is called Where I Live: Fo’ Realz. Come check us (well, it’s just me right now…) out!
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You have no idea what a giant crush I’ve just developed on you!
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You are a MUCH braver woman than I.
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OK. Are you sure you weren’t just sneaking around my house? It looks exactly the same way. Everyday. Every night.
I agree with MammaLoves! Thanks for sharing! 
- Audrey
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that looks familiar, except for the gorgeous wood floors that is.
great picture!
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Doesn’t look too bad! My house doesn’t really have a “natural state.” Sometimes there are toys all over and dishes in the sink and on the tables. But I usually have to tidy it all up before I go to bed or I’ll go nuts.
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That looks normal to me. I quit cleaning five years ago, it just made my frustrated and mad (cleaning all day and the house still looked like mess).
Your home looks really nice, and I just like that it’s loved and lived in
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That looks normal to me. I think I’ll brave it and take a picture of my living room right now.
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Did you guys notice that window on the right? That has no curtain on it? Yeah, the rod fell out of the wall a while back. None of us can be bothered to get it back up there.
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I’ll be posting a picture later!! Then you’ll never want to visit me! Ha!
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girl.. been there done that.. house looks the same. We’ve got tile floors that are white! I freaking hate them so badly!!! I can sweep the floor 5 times a day and still come up with a pile of black dirt, and food and all sorts of trash. And I’ve no idea where it comes from! We make everyone take their shoes off at the door.
but you are very brave hun! love ya for it!
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Keeping it real would be sharing a pic of my kitchen sink (we don’t have a dishwasher) but I am just too lazy to even post that!
Steph
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I thought you were going to show us a messy room! This looks like a nice normal home with actual people living in it.
If I showed you a picture of my house as it looks right this minute, you would run screaming, no exaggeration.
There are apple cores everywhere I look, and since the brand new case of Cokes is empty, smashed and lying in the middle of the kitchen floor, I can only assume that there are 24 cans of coke sitting on tabletops all around the house, each with two sips out of it.
Oh, and if someone can tell me why there is a filthy hairbrush that I’ve never seen in my life in my bathtub, along with a brand-new bottle of shower gel on its side and leaking down the drain, I’d really appreciate it.
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I tried to reply to your sweet email but I was immediately labeled SPAM and slapped right back in my place.
I cried a little but I’m okay now.
If you could convince your server that I’m not spam, that would be nice. Heck, I don’t even speak spamish.
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Love it!
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This looks like my living room AFTER I’ve tidied up
Ok, so maybe not exactly, but about 1.5 minutes of cleaning away from it! lol
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I agree that we mommies seem to think that we have to always have it together. It is nice to hear mom’s being honest that it isn’t so, but look how engaged and happy your kids look. This is nothing compared ot what my downstairs looks like right now since I have been cleaning upstairs. I will be posting pix of my master bedroom that I tackled yesterday and believe me you haven’t seen anything yet!!! BTW I think we have the exact ottoman!!
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Seriously? You rock. And your living room is about 150% neater than mine.
Jane, Pinks & Blues
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I don’t have any kids and your house is spotless compared to mine. Looks beautiful, warm and relaxing to me : )
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looks like a fun living room!
congratulations on winning my gdiapers giveaway! please send me your address.
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looks like a normal “house with children” to me… I think too many of you get too obsessed with having a so-called “perfect” house after looking at all those pictures of houses in magazines. Those pictures look like from a museum, or somewhere where nobody lives in. This picture here is “normal”.
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what are you doing up at this hour arianne? i tried to reply to your email, but it was rejected.
i’m up late, maybe all night, trying to catch up on picking/emailing/posting winners
i want to go to blogher, it’s only 40 miles away.
i’m really shy though. i’d never post my living room. i’ve had magazines ask to do interviews/photo layouts.
it sounds fun/but i pass.
thanks for telling me the size, i forgot to ask.
also, do you have a color preference? gdiapers.com
kristen
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I just joined the Flickr group and posted my own blog post about this. This is a fantastic post. Thanks for helping shed some light on the reality.
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Ok Arianne, the pictures of my messy house are up on my site now. It’s definitely our reality.
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I love this idea. Maybe I’ll do it someday….
And let me also say, I didn’t even look at the mess, but awed over your long, tall windows and your spacious family room. BEAUTIFUL!!
Lori
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What a cool pad you have! Totally jealous of your open floor plan, why the hell did we pick an old ass house? I want yours, waaah!
I would take this challenge but I won’t be able to get a good photo. I ain’t skerd though.
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(waves!)
oooh, me likey. i may do this too!
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Oh yeah! I just Stumbled Upon you, but I can totally relate to the part about the mad dash before company comes, to get everything cleaned up. I usually end up taking the pile from the dining room table, into my bedroom!
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The first thing I noticed was the windows and then the tall ceiling.
Your “fillers” looked like your house is filled with lots of fun!
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Thanks for the honest picture, and I so agree w/ you that there is a lot of pressure to keep things “just so.” I’m glad to hear & see I’m not the only one who doesn’t bother picking up her living room- somedays it is like, ‘why bother?’ In 5 minutes or less, the boys will just have it demolished again.
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Good job!
Life’s imperfections are what makes life worth living.
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