Tuesday, June 3, 2008

What is that one spot?

Again, I am posting without new pictures (waiting to see if I can fix the camera for new pics) and I always have thoughts and questions running through my head. Sometimes it is even hard to choose which ones I will blog about. I do love asking questions. It is such a great way to "get to know someone". To get a glimpse into someones world.

So this morning, I opened up my fridge and for a moment, saw it through a strangers eyes. You see, cleaning out the fridge is not my favorite job. In fact, there are quiet a few homemaker type jobs that I just don't enjoy (another post, another time). I am trying to see my home through the "buyers" filter. See it how someone else would see it if they were a perspective buyer. If you haven't figured it out, or aren't a regular follower of the Peapod, we are selling our home.

Let me back up for a second, and fill you in. About a week ago, the girls and I were having our lovely neighbor ladies over for tea. We had set the table adorn with elegant teacups, fancy sandwiches and homemade scones and other pastries. I am trying to introduce the girls to the idea of entertaining and teach them the lost art of having someone in your home. We had all just sat down to our lunch and a realtor showed up at the door, perspective buyers in tow. At that moment, with no notice, we had to show the house. I quickly invited them in, apologised for not knowing they were coming, and ran to turn on the lights. The girls and I (with our tea party stranded at the table) shuffled through the house to make sure all was well. I threw my dishes from preparing for the tea party in the cupboard (dirty and all) and tossed the rest of any remaining clutter in the laundry basket and covered it with a towel.

After that showing, I realised that we need to be ready at any moment, at any time. Of course I don't really enjoy living in the perfect mode. And I know that the girls would rather not have to always have their rooms spotless when we leave the house. I need to let myself have one spot where I can have my mess, my clutter. And when we have a perspective buyer come by, it is easily contained to one area.

So, back to my original question. What is that one spot, hidden behind doors or drawers, that you keep your mess. You know, the mail that you need to go through, coupons you are hanging on to, magazine you want to flip through.... Where is your one spot of mess? Right now, it is my desk (I can shove it all in the drawer) or the laundry room counter (where my trusty basket waits to hide something).

23 comments:

K-Sue said...

Are you kidding? A better question right now would be, "What is your 1 neat spot?"

A Girl, her God, and a Gift! said...

I'm in agreement with K-Sue... right now my entire house feels like a giant blob of mess... piles everywhere. I'm getting off of this computer to go tackle some now.

Rachael said...

Just ONE spot? Ha ha, very funny! Right now my catch all spot is the dining room. I should find a better spot though, cause the dining room is right by the front door... not a great first impression with all my projects spread out. I've got a nice little mess going in a pile next to my laptop (on the kitchen counter) too. To hate clUtter but its a tough battle Sometimes!

Annie said...

The BASEMENT, the ENTIRE BASEMENT. It is what they call a "Michigan basement"....not finished, but we do have storage down there, and the hot water heater, etc. It is a true nightmare.

I remember once when the realtor called to say that she was going to show the house. I stayed home from work and spent HOURS scrubbing and cleaning and making everything PERFECT. I recall even going along the baseboards in the kitchen with an old toothbrush. I remember this so well because when I asked the realtor how it went, she told me that because the potential buyer was BLIND she didn't want a house with stairs. GOOD GOSH!!!!!

Christy said...

I'd have to say that my desk tends to catch the most clutter. I can't stand to see clutter, so I have to keep it out of the main living areas. The boys game room/ school room tends to have clutter, but that's die to the male DNA they carry!

Denise Punger MD IBCLC said...

Funny you mention cleaning the fridge. My fridge is a compost. Sometimes I wonder why bother taking the food outside, it molds up so fast indoors!

Sarah said...

My closet. Especially if I want my room "clean". I fill laundry baskets and put them in my closet.

greta said...

I didn't think I had that many places of mess until I read this post and realized that maybe I should only have one??? LOL And how I have many places of mess! yikes!!!!!
:)

Shaleen said...

The Laundry room hides many sins. Since I don't have a lock on that door, I've been known to drape home-made "caution" tape across it when entertaining.

mommy g said...

We've had to sell houses a few times- so I am feeling your pain! My secret messy spot is on top of the fridge- I have a cute wooden tray up there for "decoration" but it really catches all of the messies that I can't part with but don't want to see.

Julie said...

I can relate to the comment about a better question being what is the one neat spot! Yesterday, I felt like the house was a complete mess (because it pretty much was!), but I had cleaned the toaster in the morning--gotten all the crumbs out, windexed it etc...(because a poptart had gotten stuck in it-- sshhhh!). Everytime I looked in that direction on the counter, I was happy because at least something looked really good. Today we've been really trying to clean up (that's why I wasn't at the park).

Rachel said...

The guest bedroom closet is my hiding place...pitiful isn't it. I guess that shows how long it has been since we have had an overnight guest! We were out of town for the weekend...sorry I haven't "talked" to you in a few days. Love and miss.

oneblessedmamma said...

I'm totally of the "one NEAT spot" realm...and I'd be hard pressed to identify that spot right now. It seems to move from place to place. It WAS the top of the piano, but now I look and see stuff up there. sigh. Nothing stays cleaned off for long around here.

Salzwedel Family said...

I'm looking around & seeing way too many not neat spots. I think the one place that I can shove things quickly if someone suddenly appears is under our ottoman (the skirt hangs down, so lots of space underneath. Our biggest problem is paper piles. Drat those paper piles.

crispy said...

I have too many comments to comment back to you...

Shae, I have seen the laundry room and it isn't as bad as you say.

Annie, I loved your comment about the blind buyer. All that work...and it wasn't noticed.

And PTM, I have stuff in my fridge that I NEED to pitch and I want to do it on trash day so it goes right out and doesn't frighten my children with the smell.

And all and all, I am SURE it isn't as bad as you all say.

crispy said...

I forgot to say, I was just looking for some creative "stashing" places. I have never thought of under the ottoman. I might just have to use that one.

Tim and Susan said...

hey sis...bless your heart for working so hard to keep your house SPOT less. Things always accumulate on my desk...I never work there, it's just a catch all. I organize the piles on it, but they never seem to go away. I also have a pile of stuff that goes upstairs sitting on the bottom step - but somehow it sits there for days and never actually get brought up the stairs...(hey, I need one of those stair baskets!!)

steffany said...

Um? Like every drawer in the house:)

Randi Sue said...

My most messy spot is in my desk, all the cabinets are packed with stuff.

K-Sue said...

Thanks Stacia, Juile, 1BM. I feel so validated!

Ginny said...

I have been trying to figure out my one spot, but all I can come up with is that I have rotating spots. I feel like I am constantly tidying up and clearing spots. My husband is a big "stacker" and likes to stack things in places to put away later. So I do a lot of clearing of stacks in places like on top of the armoire, hutch, fridge, etc.

TD said...

Hi- I love your blog and had to post today. I am laughing out loud at all of the comments. Whenever my husband and i can't find anything, we always say it's on the bookshelf. He built this huge bookshelf in the office and it is the ONLY tall enough place in the house that kids can't reach, so everything gets stashed up there. I love the toaster cleaning comment...I can completely relate! Thanks for making me laugh and good luck with your sale.
Teri

5Gustos said...

This post brings such memories of having to keep our house perfect all the time. We were supposed to get an hour's notice before showings, but I was lucky to get even 5 minutes. I showed the house 48 times in 4 weeks. All that happened during the 4 hurricanes that went through our fine state in about as many weeks. I felt frazzled by it all, to say the least! I certainly feel for you, friend.