All moms (and dads) out there who love decorating their home know about “the change.” It’s what happens to your house when you bring kids into the equation.
I’ve always been a neat freak and I was determined to stay one when I first learned I was pregnant. I was not going to have a house full of bouncy seats, jumparoos, Boppies and Bumbos. I was not going to be overrun with toddler toys. I was going to keep my tabletops beautifully decorated, my kitchen floors spotless and my carpets stain free. There was even a point when I refused to have plastic cups in my cabinet.
Then, I brought a baby home from the hospital and all of that changed. I must admit that it took me a while to realize it, though. I even changed my little boy anytime he got a drip on his outfit, but I finally realized that if I got upset at the row of bottles sitting out on my kitchen counter or the bouncy seat sitting in the middle of my family room, I would not enjoy motherhood at all. So, here I am with a toddler and a preschooler and I have stained carpets, a sticky kitchen floor, toys in my family room (not to mention a treadmill), and there are plastic sippy cups in my cabinet.
There are days when I look around my house and sigh. (You must remember that I stage all of my pictures carefully to show only what I want to show.) Will it ever be totally clean and fully decorated again? Yes. It will. This is just a season and it will pass. What will I remember when my boys are grown? Will I remember clean counter tops and a great coffee-tablescape? Maybe more importantly, what will they remember about me? That I was a great housekeeper and was always running around picking up after them? Or will they remember me getting on the floor and playing trains with them? Will they remember freshly washed slipcovers or cushion forts?
My kitchen counters are rarely this clean and if they are, it doesn’t last long.
(Notice the black piping insulation around the stone hearth? That’s been there for three years. It’s ugly but it has saved us several trips to the emergency room)
I love decorating. I love having a really clean house. There are days when I am at my wits end and I exclaim, “I’m tired of the mess!” A few hours later, when my three year old exclaims, “I’m tiad of dis mess!”, I am humbled and reminded in his sweet voice that a fine home is not what it’s all about.
I will confess, I am still learning the balance. There are days when I give up and I don’t make my bed, I don’t pick up the toys, and I deal with my socks sticking to the kitchen floor. Then I get sick of the mess again and go on a cleaning frenzy and I long to rearrange my accessories and rearrange the furniture so it’s not all about practicality, but it’s all about being pretty.
Having small children in my home has forced me to pair down, declutter, and be creative. I’m much more patient with my decorating choices and I like a cleaner look. Things aren’t quite as important or precious to me as they once were and I have come to appreciate the ease of distressed finishes and washable slipcovers.
I’ve been through “the change” and my home will never be the same. How have you balanced your love of home decor in a house with small children?
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59 Responses
Ahh…How well I remember those days. I want to tell you that these are some of the best days of your life! It passes all too quickly. Now, I'm glad that we had the Nerf basketball hoop permanently attached to the family room wall, the bicycles and trikes that were parked in the livingroom at night when we lived in an apartment (to prevent theft), the toys scattered everywhere, art projects on the dining table etc. Our four children are grown now, but I am so happy that we had a home in which children thrived and could be themselves.
Now, one of our toddler granddaughters spends every Friday night with us, and we laughed about how our place is trashed within an hour. We love it!
I LOVE this post! I hear you, girl! I have 2 year old triplets and much to my dismay, my house has definitely experienced "the change".
It's so great to hear that someone as awesome as you has toys everywhere and stains on the carpet 🙂
I wrote a post about my struggles in decorating with toddlers:
http://roombyroombyroom.blogspot.com/2010/10/fall-decorating-vs-ultra-curious-trio.html
Thanks for writing your post!
Erin
I have a 4 year old and 2 year old. I COMPLETELY understand. I was just going to do a post on a coffee table experiment (seeing if they destroy what I put there since I'm tired of seeing it bare) but its still ongoing. 😉
~Melanie
Such a great post! It's taken me five years to figure out that I'm a mom and my house looks like I'm a mom and that's a good thing! I totally pick more homey type decorations now where as before I used to think they looked gramma-like. I've realized that a big part of what makes decorating your house so great, is that it makes life a little better for your whole family, not just for the decorator in you.
I can so relate to this post as I'm sure most moms can. I too was adamant about keeping the living room free of mountains of kids' toys. I quickly realized that is where we are most of the time, so that's where the toys are too. I miss all of my decorating touches, but I know they'll be back someday. I'm nervous to see what Christmas will bring with a 19 month old running around!
I honestly stopped decorating for about 3 years after my son was born. I. Just. Stopped. My tables were bare. Thomas the Train wound from one room to another. And I was honestly too tired to care.
But I vividly remember the day when I plunked something pretty on my coffee table again. I felt… giddy. And started to promptly train my son not to touch some things. And then there was no looking back. 🙂
How your home looks as lovely as it does at this time of your life always has me reeling. Good for you!
Donna
I forgot to say… I was all prepared to see your dining room replaced with a playroom. You fooled me. 🙂
Donna
Thanks for this post, Marian! It's nice to know I'm not the only mom who's house isn't picture perfect all of the time (ok, let's face it it's never picture perfect!). I think we as women try to be supermoms: good mothers, good wives, good housekeepers, etc… but we need to cut ourselves some slack. As you said, what's more important to our children???
Thanks so much for sharing. It's sometimes hard to remember when I look at all of your lovely photos and see how pretty everything is arranged that it is only a piece of the whole picture. It's nice to know you're not perfect and struggle with the same things I do. I have two small boys also and get tired of the toys, junk, sticky messes to. But I agree with you that it is so much more important to have fun with your kids than to have a perfect house. Thanks again for sharing!
Yep, been there, done that!! trust me, the kids will remember that you got down on the floor and played with them much more so than the dining table being set!! Dishes, MOM?? What the heck are dishes doing on the table?? Mine is 15 now and couldn't tell you if the house is clean or dirty still, but she will tell me about the time I spent with her!! Live in the moment, and relish every second!!!
My kids are 16 and 13 now. The period you are in doesn't last long and it's priceless. I purposely didn't have furniture in my living room and dining room for years, so that we could make forts and have toys out to enjoy. Not beautiful decoration, but important. Now my house is back to being a priority because my kids are gone so much between school and church activities. I would give it all up in a heartbeat to have that time back, but time moves on and now I embrace the creative side of me again. But someday there will be grandchildren and I will have a room just for toys again.
Oh, It will pass… How well I remember the frustration. Our oldest was a tornado, not only with the house, but with his clothes, (& I was SO very fussy about how they looked 🙂 One day my husband said, "Honey, dress him in black clothes, you are only frustrating yourself & him, by always expecting him to stay clean" A lesson I learned then about how to dress the kids & how to keep the house 🙂
And then we did Youth ministry in our home for yrs. I wanted it to look great when they came over.. & you know what… they did not care one bit about the house… just the fellowship & the pizza….
Your house will be back to it's old self when the kids are out… & Not before… 🙂
I can so relate! I have a 3 year old and a 17 month old. And I am neat freak. I am always picking up after them. We have a playroom, but the toys still manage to find their way throughout the entire house. I open my tupperware drawer to find blocks instead, dolls tucked into my freshly made bed, and sippy cups scattered across the floors. But I wouldnt trade it for anything in this world. In fact, I would give anything if someone could tell me where the pause button is! Of course we have our days, but I really love them being this little!
I am right there with you! I find that the more kids I have, the more I crave order and neatness. It is a struggle to find a balance, but thanks for the reminder to get on the floor and play with them and forget about the mess. It is just so hard to do! I have simplified too and I'm actually enjoying it!
Amy
Oh my, I understand how you feel. I have a 3 and 6 year old, and we're considering adding to our brood. My secret to sanity was to have a mommy space. My 'formal' living room is for mommy…for my pretties. I have cream sofas, breakable accessories, and totally impractical (but gorgeous) throws and cushions. I love it all, and my girls know not to make a mess in mommies space. Heck, even my hubby knows better! In their space (mainly the family room), I'm far more relaxed, but they clean up their mess daily (well, maybe we miss the odd day here or there). My friend once told me that she loves the fact that although I have a 'Martha Stewart' house, I'm ok with the kids having fun and having their toys out too, just in certain areas.
I like the title of this post 🙂 SO true- what a change indeed! I have almost all leather (because it's soooo easy to wipe down) furniture. I've traded in my clean freak card for a live and love in this mess card 🙂
What a great read this is, it made me tear up a little. My kids are 24, 23 and 20 and now off in college. Our house was never perfect all my pretties where chipped, broke or torn. My children and their friends all had free rein to enjoy our home. We enjoyed our time with our children and didn't sweat the small stuff. They grow up fast and move away. You will miss the spilled milk, smelly socks the makeup on your carpet trust me I know. Enjoy your little ones now enjoy your home later.
we are on the same wavelength, chica. I was just thinking about how many projects around here have been put on hold for practical reasons….and I need to spend more time playing than cleaning….still searching for that balance….I am embracing our ever-expanding "art gallery" on the pantry door, and action figures caged in my wire cloches. It's all good. 🙂
I had to laugh when I was reading this. I can sooo relate. I have a three year old too and she is very messy. The majority of my furniture is slipcovered or is microsuede, which can be wiped clean. I have always made my children eat at the table and wash their hands and mouths when they are finished. I have to admit I am a little OCD about it, but I don't even need to remind them anymore. Now…if only their friends didn't need reminders 😉
We are lucky enough that last year we were able to finish our basment off. Although I did "decorate it" I did it with fun, durable and replacable (IKEA,etc.) stuff. We have loved that space as a family so much, plus it gave me back my guest room and an office as a result. My daughter had her 10th birthday sleepover down there last weekend. Don't know why I spent so much time cleaning it, they just piled on the big couch, threw mattresses on the floor and had so much fun. I went to bed the next night (not so much that night!) so glad that they enjoyed and lived in our house so much. With my girls 8 and 10 I feel the clock tick, tick, ticking! I want them and their friends to feel comfortable here. As your kids get a little older, have no doubt, you will find the balance between the "pretties" and the "living". I truly believe it is possible!
Enjoy your little ones,
Laura
With two boys, 1 and 3 I have to have everything washable. So, when recovering my dining room chairs I had to remember that peanut butter and jelly would be smooshed into this seat 85% of the time. So instead of going with my first choice in fabric I decided on vinyl. But I found some awesome damask vinyl that was really cute. And it was green which goes with every holiday! You can see them here: http://webbfamily03.blogspot.com/2010/04/caseys-1st-easter.html
You are making me think about my clean house days. Oh, so long ago! I was super happy that I had a clean, shiny counter top yesterday with no homework papers, clothing items, or candy wrappers. It was a great few hours of clean bliss.
This post brought back some memories for me and made me smile, back to days of sticky fingers, runny noses, never-ending piles of laundry and supper dishes that didn't get washed because bath-time took precedence. As the mom to two grown children, and not yet blessed with grandbabies, I'm at the stage where things in our home pretty much stay where I put them, I can safely have "pretty things", and if I keep up with my weekly household touch-ups, it stays fairly tidy. Most of the time. On the other hand, my little sister, who is the mother to 5 wonderful children, is still in the thick of it, and our lives couldn't be any more different. But she loves it and the bonus is, I get to enjoy her young ones when I don't get to see my grown kids nearly as often as I'd like. So, if you're still fortunate to have your little ones around to be messy and noisy and who may occasionally break one of your pretty things by accident, take a deep breath and carry on, for they really do grow up too fast. Life has a funny way of balancing out, we just have to make the most of every stage of it. Enjoy!
This post certainly echos my sentiments lately…and my lifestyle. I read something recently, "Children don't remember the home, but the memories made in it." Shook me to the core, I tell ya because I tend to be a fusser. I've had to let go of my OCD tendencies with the twins. I have toys strewn everywhere at the end of the day, a sticky tile floor, ground up cheerios in the carpet, and I make my bed maybe twice a week. I freak when the doorbell rings unexpectedly because I've given friends & family the 1 hour rule. Call me at least an hour before you show up so I can do an "oh crap" clean. Just like you, I'll get fed up with the mess and do a power clean, usually on Saturdays. It is what it is. My house is lived in and loved in. How do I balance? We have a family room & bedrooms for toys and tons of white, wicker baskets in these rooms…my attempt at chic toy storage (only to be offset by the purple fisher price kitchen and talking lawn mower). I don't overly fuss over these rooms but everything else is mine. 🙂 Oh, and I'd die without my white, bleachable slipcovers. The only piece of furniture yet to be covered is the sofa in the front living room. Just waiting for a good price on fabric. In a few years, when your boys are older, the balance will be easier to maintain. Just shine your sink every night before you go to bed. It will make you feel better. 🙂
Thank you for being so honest in your post. It gives me hope that I to can have moments of design splendor in a very chaotic, kid-loving home.
First..Your home is so pretty! I love the open kitchen!
Second…your blog post is precious! I can relate since my daughter and Gran-daughter(2yrs) came to live with me a year ago. I am also a neat, clean and organized person…with everything I do! This last year…not so much! I've had the blessing of being around my sweet Hannah every day and I wouldn't change it for the world. There are toys everywhere, carpet stains and always plastic sippy cups on the counter! It's funny reading your post because it sounds just like me…I can take it for a few days then I have to spend a day getting it all in order…even if it only last a few days…it just feels good!!
Have a great day!
Tammy 🙂
My two children are teenagers now, one is off to college the other is in high school. Their fondest childhood memories are being allowed to run and splash in the muddy puddles after a rain storm and when I put plastic down on the floor and hauled snow into the family room because they were too little to go outside in the snow. I am so glad i put neatness aside for a time. Somehow i wish I could relive the days of sticky floors and stepping over toys. They grow up all too quickly.
Love hearing this, gives a mommy support to know she is not alone in this…How did I manage? They finally grew up, hahaha! And now it is a new time with teaching them the responsibility of picking up after themselves and that is still a long way to go but gives the mom a little air to breath some days ;o)
Marlies
Awesome post, Marian, I can totally relate. Except I can really no longer call myself a clean freak, I was, pre-kids, but now, I just no longer have the energy. Oh, I love my home being clean, and once I get started, I actually enjoy cleaning, it is just that I am so very easily sidetracked, the paintbrushes call my name, I swear! I grew up with a clean freak mum and I don't remember her playing with me but I clearly remember her whinging at my brother and I about messing stuff up 🙁 I don't want to be that Mum to my kids. I love the comments from the mums of older kids, us with littlies really need to take notice of what they are saying about these being the best times 🙂
xx Karen
Great post. Marian neglected to add – that being a Youth Pastor's wife – there is also a string of teenagers coming through her house all week. They love it there – they feel comfortable there – they wrestle with her boys – play with them and rearrange the family room and toss their candy wrappers on the coffee table. They are so much a part of their family – Marian's oldest when asked who he wanted to invite to his 3rd birthday named all the Youth Group kids – and you know what – they all came :). This blog has a way of freezing a perfectly staged moment – ahhh – but once the photo shoot is done – life resumes to normal – whatever that is :). Great job Marian and it is so fun watching you be a Mom. Mom
I can 100% agree with this. It's so hard to find a balance of clean house and "nice mommy" It's so hard not to say," why are you such a big giant ball of mess?!?!" Not that I have ever said that , or anything…..no. {guilt face}
Reading this post was truly like reading a page from my own journal about 8 years ago! We have two boys at home that are 12 and 16. Like you, some days I handle it better than others. Their rooms are upstairs and I've just learned to avoid their area until I'm ready to dig in and clean. I trick myself into thinking the house is clean by staying downstairs – ha! I'm anal and I don't try to force them to be. They will never care about a clean, beautiful home as much as I do and that's okay. We are insanely busy and unfortunatley I've settled for "clutter free" over really clean. My guess is it will remain a struggle, but your thoughts on it are correct and some days will just be easier than others. But still…your home IS gorgeous – just sayin.
Wonderful post!!!! Children have a way of letting us know when we have our priorities out of order. We once visited my MIL for a wk when my son was around 3. Once we returned home my mom asked my son if he had fun visiting his other grandmother. His answer? "No. All she said was don't touch this and don't touch that." The thing is he NEVER did touch her stuff…he was just looking at it! But she was so afraid that her STUFF was going to get messed up that she did spend much of her time telling him not to touch things. SO sad…especially since we seldom get to see her. After that, when I caught myself getting frustrated with a messy house, I would think of my son's words….a "clean enough" house became good enough….I wasn't perfect. I still had OCD moments when I drove my kids crazy, but I tried to make sure that I balanced it with quality, FUN (often messy) time with them…
Thanks for keeping it real!
The best advice I ever got was to not have table lamps. So for the first 6 years of Ave's life and the first 2 of Brooke's, I had no table lamps(only overhead, which was crappy, but saved me trips to the ER no doubt). Also, Grandma once said to me, it'll be there tomorrow, and grandma always made time to have fun and play with us kids.. I always keep that close to my heart, because she was right. It's the kids and their childhoods that matter most, house can wait a while. Great post Marian 🙂
Marian I so appreciate this post. It is a good reminder. I sometimes get so caught up in a project that I don't take the time to read to my daughter, or clean up, or a lot of other things. I have been working on a post along similar lines, you have inspired me to finish it! I have a two year old, and I babysit 3 infants under 1 during the day. It is a constant job trying to keep my house in order, not necessarily clean, but neat. Cleaning is a whole other ball of wax! I know it does get better, but sometimes I really hate having toys in my living room, and baby stuff all over my family room. But, such is life, and it really does pass too quickly. So, I am trying to enjoy my daughter even more, and not worry too much about the little things that slide by occasionally. Like the tub that's been needing to be cleaned for a week now. 🙂
My mother always sang this song to us, and now I sing it to my children:
"Where are you going, my little one? Where are you going, my baby, my own? Turn around, and you're tiny, turn around, and you're grown….turn around, and you're a young man with babes of your own."
At my first baby shower, a mother with grown children told me that I will always have laundry, and there will always be something to clean, but my babies will be gone sooner than I can imagine. We just have to find the balance between maintaining order and becoming order Nazis.
You are so right! I always have crumbs sticking to my feet every time I walk through the kitchen, so hard to keep everything neat when kids are around. You just have to find your balance and what works for your family.
How have I balanced? Well I waited until they left and when the grandchildren grew up and now…well now I have no excuse. Now my entire house is an art studio!! Ha! When we move, I will put your ideas into play and have that clean and uncluttered organized home!! This is my goal!
Hugs
SueAnn
Wonderfully stated. With two toddlers I seem to be in the midst of the change. My mom is even surprised that I am more lax in my decorating (lipstick all over the dining room chairs and potty training changes many things). My mom was a neat freak and I do NOT have good memories associated with her cleanliness. I want my kids to remember how I played with them on the floor; a tidy floor but not designer.
Yes, all this is just for a relatively short time! Your stone fireplace is similar to the one we had when my boys were toddlers. I had the same bumper. Eventually I made a seat cushion with a skirt to put on top of the bumper. It gave extra protection and an extra seat perfect for toddlers too.
You are a normal mom with normal feelings. We all declare "I will NEVER…" and a short time later realize we ARE… 🙂 Sometimes out of necessity, other times because of what you realized: being a mom and the importance of that sometimes outweighs the other stuff. Your home is gorgeous, and I didn't even notice the black corner cushions until you pointed it out! 😉
This is a MUST READ for all young mothers. Read it often:
My Hands Were Busy
My hands were busy throughout the day
I didn't have much time to play
The little games you asked me to.
I didn't have much time for you.
I'd wash your clothes, I'd sew and cook,
But when you'd bring your picture book
And ask me please to share your fun,
I'd say: "A little later, son."
I'd tuck you in all safe an night
And hear your prayers, turn out the light,
Then tiptoe softly to the door…
I wished I'd stayed a minute more.
For time is short, the years rush past…
A little boy grows up so fast.
No longer is he at your side,
His precious secrets to confide.
The picture books are put away,
There are no longer games to play,
No goodnight kiss, no prayers to hear…
That all belongs to yesteryear.
My hands, once busy, now are still.
The days are long and hard to fill.
I wish I could go back and do
The little things you asked me to.
I know what you mean. There's never enough room for all the toys. My dog's shedding and getting fur all over. I clean up one room to find another room is a mess. I just want a clean house… but I know, too, that this time in my life is fleeting. She won't be small forever and I'd better embrace the mess for now when I'm longing for it later.
First of all your home is beautiful! Second, I am so far from finding that balance!! My house is only clean on Saturdays when I spend all day really cleaning things like dried food off the chairs, dirty fingerprints off the wall and yes, even the dried boogers off of the boys bedroom wall. *sigh* Oh well, one day it will be neat more than a minute but in the mean time I try, really hard somedays, to not let it get to me. Although I do get upset when my family walks over garbage and never picks it up. I purposely put some trash on the ground one day to see how long it would take for someone to pick it up and throw it away……no one, not a single member of this family picked it up! It stayed there for four days until I picked it up! sad, it tell you, especially from the hubby!!I do vacuum everyday though because we have two cats and two dogs and dog hair all over the place is not cool!! But you are right, kids will only remember how we play with them nit how we clean up after them! 🙂
Your home is still so beautiful!! I"m a neat freak like you, so living with 3 other girls in college is a great lesson in patience, letting go and moving on even though there are 100 dishes in the sink. Drives me nuts, but better to learn now! Maybe it will prepare me for motherhood…many years down the road of course (:
Oh, my. I am having that kind of day myself. There is dry oatmeal all over the kitchen floor as we speak…our baby girl has figured out the lazy susan. Yikes.
Pep talk #837 of the day: This too shall pass, but with it the adorable little kid stage too. Alas, I will find joy in them and not dwell on the oatmeal or the toothbrush in the toilet. 🙂
I feel the same way! Except I can't exactly decorate the way I want to in my house:( we are renting. But I too get tired of the mess and the laundry everywhere and the constant mess of toys on the floor. I have 4 kids from ages 9 down to 17 months and it doesn't stay clean for more than 10 minutes sometimes! My husband grew up with 10 kids in his family, so it doesn't bother him. It DRIVES ME CRAZY! I know I will miss this time when they are little, but I am looking forward to the day when I can decorate and not worry about someone eating it! 😉
Marian,
I believe I didn't learn to balance a 'clean house' with 'time with the kids' until the youngest went off to preschool and then it struck me that I wished I had played more with him than worry about whether the dishwasher was empty. Balance is so important and as the mother of 2 adult sons I would love a 'do over' on a few of the days!
Karen at Garden, Home and Party
I'm a "Mimi" now and even the grands are teens. The good times with little ones passes all too quickly so do whatever you need or want to do to make them happy and feel loved. From growing up in a sterile home & not ever allowed to have friends over…could never "make a mess" or really enjoy being at home I promise you they will remember the 'TIME' you spent with them. Playing, talking or listening ~ that's the ticket!
Your home is beautiful and I have no clue where your energy comes from…just wish I had a bit of it. This is a wonderful post!
Pat
Marian, I hate to disappoint you, but the perfectly decorated clean house will never happen. About the time the kiddos skeedaddle, the grandbabies show up. I've tried to control the bouncy seat and pack n play clutter ~ it's hopeless. I call it Grandma Chic!
Thanks for this post. I get down on myself and never truly feel the peace of "balance" even though I try hard to find it. I sometimes wonder if it is a myth because no matter what I am doing, I feel like I should be doing something else. I swear I stress about how I should be playing with my kids more when I am frustrated and focused on trying to stay on top of the mess, and I stress when I play with them then look around at the end of the day and feel defeated because I am too exhausted to possibly get the house under control. The worst are the days that I feel I didn't focus on my kids, and the house still looks like a bomb went off! I feel like it is part of my job to keep my family from living in a tornado zone and to teach my kids good, cleanly habits, but I don't want to be the harping mother or not enjoy their messy fun either. Sigh…. I think this is so tough, but it is comforting to know that I'm not the only one who feels like it is impossible to keep things perfect and have time to play.
My kids are 4 and 18 months and I already feel they are growing up too fast. I'm working on not sweating the small stuff and trying to determine a more relaxed level of "good enough" as far as the house goes. Wish me luck! 🙂
Marian,
Your home is so lovely. Clean or not. Organized or not. I believe homes that are loved and filled with love are the absolute best! You, clearly have both!
I swore when I became a mother that there would NEVER be a plastic toy in primary colors within a 100 miles of my decorated home. Ha!
OK, since I stay at home and home school two very energetic, creative boys and have a husband who is retired and plays guitar a lot…my challenges are great in keeping a home. But like you, the importance is in "being here" and not "decorating here" for our family. However, that being said, creating a home whether it's magazine worthy or just simple and cared for is part of who we are. It is something that has value for our children. They will remember that Mom cared – not only for them but for their surroundings – wanting the best for them.
As my boys are growing a bit more independent (10 & almost 7yo) there is a bit of time that I carve out to do the creative thing.
Cleaning, however, is always on the agenda!!!!
Loved reading your post tonight!
Thanks for all of your inspiration!
(I've been painting quite a bit and nearly every time I handle my paint brush I carry a little bit of you with me!!)
xo
~Kolein
Enjoyed these pictures so much today…:) My kids come in and my house is TRASHED in no time. I wouldn't take anything for it though. 🙂
Crystal
Enjoyed these pictures so much today…:) My kids come in and my house is TRASHED in no time. I wouldn't take anything for it though. 🙂
Crystal
First I LOVE this post. This really hit home for me. The poem someone posted in the comments brought tears to my eyes. I will be playing more games and cleaning less. I make this promise to myself and my kids!!
Next, where did you get the red and plaid curtains you have? The plaid matches the valances in my kitchen and I would love these curtains for my living room area. They are open to each other and would be perfect! 🙂
Sara
saratyndall@gmail.com
I know all about the change, although I am sure there is more changing to be had in the days ahead!!!
I featured this post on my blog today. Feel free to check it out:
http://www.snugasabugbaby.com/?p=1501
-Alisha @SnugasaBugBaby.com
This was an interesting post to read! I don't plan on having kids for a few years, but I can see myself having the same attitude about the "cleanliness" as you did! However, after recently getting a dog and feeling like the house is a mess, I think that may be a SMALL hint of what's to come when children enter the picture. 🙂 But I think you brought up a really good point about what you and the kids will remember years down the road!
I don't have children yet… and i can't wait. i will refer back here when i am going crazy with the mess and remember that my mom always says that playing with them is best.
so. i was wondering about that cupcake sign in the window of the dining room?? can you please please tell me about it/how to make one/where to get one? have a sister in law who would die to have that.
thanks, love your blog!
laura
It has been really hard for me to ccept the change… but I have! It is family and love that makes a home a home. But… that obsessive decorator and cleaner still lives inside me!!! 😉 Your home is beautiful clean or messy!