Sometimes it’s Hot, and Sometimes it’s Not
A few years ago on a random weekday night Cason and I were given the assignment by his family to pick up dinner for everyone. We pulled into a pizza place close by his parents house, you know the one that always has their large pizzas on a “hot n’ ready $5 deal?” (pizza, pizza!), and we walked in to place our order.
It was totally dead, and nobody was in the store but us. As we approached the counter, towards an obviously annoyed woman, Cason proceeded to order a few cheese and pepperoni pizzas. Without ever making eye contact, she let out a big sigh and responded: “That will be 15 minutes.”
I was a little surprised, because typically, at this same sort of pizza establishment by OUR home, pizzas are always just, “hot ‘n ready” to go, like they’re ad says!
We didn’t mind waiting at all, but nonchalantly I mentioned this to the woman, and in a sudden fury, she spun around and loudly proclaimed..
“SOMETIMES THEY’RE HOT, AND SOMETIMES THEY’RE NOT!”
.
.
.
After the initial shock on our faces, Cason and I literally had to step outside of the store because we were laughing so hard. Instead of being upset or bothered by the fact that the lady had totally lost her cool, we couldn’t get past the phrase that she had used to voice her obvious frustration about us questioning her stores “pizza readiness”. LOL
Why do I tell you this story?
Well… because ever since that happened, the phrase “sometimes it’s hot, and sometimes it’s not” has been a permanent fixture in our marriage since, and it’s also what I would like to dub as this week’s entire theme.
Man, there are so many days, weeks and even whole MONTH periods when I feel totally on top of things. Like when I realized our little master bathroom feature in The Better Homes and Gardens Kitchen + Bath magazine was ACTUALLY published!!! Seriously on top of the world when we were surprised with this copy in the mail early this week! Eeeek!
Then it’s like all of a sudden, you wake up, and a “clothing-school paper-project crap-email overload- project backup-BOMB” has hit you square on.
Anyone with me on this one?
I have to say that I sort of love when people assume our house is clean all the time. (who wouldn’t?)
I mean, I don’t know about you, but that’s one of the reasons I even started a blog. Let’s get real, initially it was just a place for me to put photos to prove to myself and others that there were moments in my life where my kids actually looked put together and my house was clean for longer than 5 minutes.
And honestly… still, to this day, having a constant “journal” of awesome projects/pretty pictures of our home and family to flip through from time to time, when I’m having a really rough day, is occasionally the only thing that gets me through.
BUT… reality is reality, and often times, even though I obviously prefer a clean, tidy, organized environment… sometimes it’s HOT, and sometimes it’s NOT.
This week we had, and still have, a ton going on. We’ve been chipping away at projects, our little pup is getting spayed, I had a few events to attend, and we’ve got a weekend planned with some good friends that we’re looking forward to.
So in a nutshell?
There’s a good chance our house may look like this till next week.
Moral of the story?
Don’t plan on coming over for a visit, unless you intend on helping clean up this crazy mess, pitch in on finishing a project or want to cuddle a sad, post surgery pup.
How’s that for a reality check?
ellen says
your not is still pretty hot!
some kind of wonderful says
I seriously love the reality of your blog. I love all the pretty things and the DIY projects, but my secret love is when you do blog posts like this and I breathe a sigh of relief…*she really is like everyone else*
I don't wish those crazy mess filled, project overload, kid meltdown weeks on anyone…but hey, we've all been there. now to get off my hiney and start chiseling away at my own never end mess ๐
Emily DeBry says
Love this look at reality. I bet you everyone is in your boat, with the "lived" in house look. Oh and I hope your puppy is ok. Dogs get so sad after surgery! You are so adorable and your house and family are too.
Unknown says
I can't help but chuckle at this. Not because I'm laughing at you, but because this is the story of my life. With 4 kiddos, and endless remodeling projects, our house is rarely suitable for guests. In fact, I live in secret fear that some friend will just 'drop by' for coffee. *Shudder*. When I do manage to clean/organize a spot, it's usually only like that long enough to snap a few photos for the blog…and then the kids and projects close in again. Can I just say…your attitude about it is so refreshing. One of the things that my blogging partner and I are working so hard for is to eradicate mom guilt. It's an epidemic! To see you just chill and real about what your house looks like at the moment just makes my heart so happy!
theevolutionofmom.com
Jen @ Love, the Arthurs says
first off, wow. that lady must have had one heck of a day to flip out so quickly! and secondly, this is soooo true! it seems like if things don't go smoothly for just ONE day, EVERYTHING spirals out of control! but that's life, right? ya win some, ya lose some! ๐
Jordans says
Love it!
Cynthia says
This post cracks me up. My old "scrapbook room" was in CK Magazine back in 2006 as one of those "perfect" kinds of spaces. The backlash of guilt I felt was enormous- and just like you describe in this post. It's a lot of pressure when you realize people might think that it's the norm for everything to look that great when sometimes it's the exception. Love the reality check post- and congrats on the magazine feature!
Emily Eisert says
I just love this post! We posted something similar today about how crazy busy our summer has been! We're ready for FALL!!!! And, I assure you, our living room is even worse looking right now! haha!
~Emily
bonfiresandwine.com
Unknown says
You just made my day because this week is that week at our house, too. I breathe in and out and remind myself that it will all wait while my family makes memories. Have a fantastic weekend!
Unknown says
Can I please just tell you that real life posts give me the biggest smile? I swear there are weeks when I just feel like I'll NEVER get on top of it, and it's SO nice to know I'm not alone! Though I wish my messes were this beautiful ๐
Unknown says
Reality bites huh? Even when my house is clean, there is always evidence of the untidy boys to be found…shreds of gummy-snack wrappers hiding under the table or shoved between couch cushions. A Lego camouflaged by the carpet, lying in wait for a poor naked foot. Or the ants that came to live in my dishwasher last night (true story). Thank goodness for the "pretty" pictures of things to get us through reality!
PostcardMagnet.com says
YES! Thank you! LOVE this post. It's real life.
*katie says
Oh man, my bedroom right now is so not hot. like, ice cold. laundry, unmade bed, papers in boxes that I'm "taking care of", half unpacked duffle bag…oh man, I'm feeling major pressure to go clean my room now! Just as soon as I'm done on the computer… ๐
Melissa says
Thanks for being honest! Your house still looks beautiful behind the messes =) I'd much rather see/be in a house that is a little messy and lived-in, then a house that is picture-perfect all the time and I feel like I can't even sit on the couch. You're doing a great job!
dish.girl says
*gasp* You mean…you actually LIVE in your house? I'm appalled!!
*grin*
Ashley says
Love the honesty, we've all been there. I'll sit on Pinterest pinning cute Halloween themed wreaths that I can make, meanwhile my floor desperately needs to be mopped. Or laundry needs to be folded, or refrigerators need to be organized (like every blogger has displayed, not like the train wreck on display in my own kitchen).
Julie says
oh guuuurl! you must have known what I needed to read today. I actually sat at the computer because I was feeling overwhelmed even trying to make a dent in our disaster. I couldn't help but chuckle a bit as a scrolled down the post and the little "pin it" icon kept popping up over the photos! =0)
Karen says
Hahaha I never comment but just read this and had to LOL!! this is my life 90% of the time and it is really refreshing to see that you live in my world sometimes too!!
Wade and Tara says
This was one of the best posts!! I totally know that "BOMB" well!!! Don't worry it will all sort itself out!! have a good weekend!!
Anonymous says
OMG that is hilarious. Our Little Caesar's is the same way, they always run out of cheese (hello!) so we always have to wait. Never had that response, though! ๐
Emily @ Two Purple Couches says
So, so true. Thanks for the good reminder, and the peek "behind the scenes". Love it ๐
Unknown says
That is my house on any given day of the week. With 2 high energy girls and a 2 year old hurricane with me all day, my house never looks picture perfect for more than a few minutes! lol Who am I kidding……unless we have company coming is more like it! ;?
Meghan says
Nice to know bloggers are normal people! Life can get messy sometimes but that usually means we are having fun and living a full life ๐
{Rebecca Fellows} says
Ha ha. Thank you for making me feel better! It's easy to compare our everyday messiness to the "perfect" blog photos that float around. It's nice to see that your family has everyday messes too! ๐
kate blue says
Same here!!!! Love this!!
Gwen, The Makerista says
I hear ya! I've got a lot of projects and family things going right now, and my house is a HOT MESS! I blame my 3 and 1 year olds and our black lab. ๐
Thanks for keepin' it real. I appreciate the honesty!
Crystal says
I'm glad my house isn't the only one that gets like this…I prefer it to be clean, but lets face it, it gets cluttered up sometimes.
Ellen Kepas says
It's not so hot at my house either! As I read your post I was thinking of the three bathrooms that I didn't scrub last week…they are still waiting for me to get to them! If my laundry pile was the size of yours, I'd be singing hallelujah's and jumping for joy! Mine's probably 3-4 times bigger (bigger isn't always better). But…I got to spend the day with my 2 yr. old granddaughter and the evening with my teenage sons and my hubby. Sometimes other things, and those we love, are more important. We all get to the housework eventually.
Angela ~ Call Her Blessed says
totally cracking up!
Lisa Van Gemert says
Thanks for being real. The funny thing is that even those of us who only "know" you from your blog would be happy to help! Of course, maybe I should take my own mountain o' laundry first!
Maureen Hayes says
Shelley,
I LOVE you. . . You're honesty always floors me, whether you are being real about weight loss struggles, how clean the house is or struggling to parent and you also always manage to make me smile and laugh in the process. How I wish you lived nearby, we could be Lucy and Ethel! Have a wonderful day and thanks for the dose of reality.
Anonymous says
Thanks for making yourself vulnerable. This is a great post. It's nice to see someone that's made her claim to fame around being perceived as perfect let down the curtain. Makes me love your blog more than I did before!!
Sasha Bengal says
I love it! And I love it even more that you had the courage to share. It is so easy to see all these perfect blog land homes and feel inadequate when our own home doesn't measure up. It is comforting to know that even the "pretty as a picture" folks live in real homes behind the camera. Thank you so much for sharing!
Michelle says
I love to see all of it, the messes too. Just goes to show, we all do. ๐ My house is so not right now too. Unfinished projects, stuff all over. Kids just went back to school. My sophomore already buried in homework. My 1st grader does't like his teacher (I can see why too).
I would love to help you finish projects and cuddle a puppy. It is more fun working on someone else's anyway.. I don't know why that is. LOL
Parade of Homes starts in the Twin Cities this weekend… I am going to see if I can find some new ones we haven't seen. Seems they keep them in the parade longer now. In its heyday, there were over 1300 homes in the the show each season. It went down to barely 300.
Karen says
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! This just made my day!
Patty V says
cute article, you nailed it! Difficult to stay on top of everything all the time and it's ok when we things slip by a little….
sixshootinmama says
Thanks for showing us the 'real' side that sometimes happens. You made me feel better about the state of our master bedroom at this very moment. ๐
Mandykins says
I soooo needed to read this this morning!! My house looked similar to this as I left for work this morning and the guilt was killing me! I'm glad to know that I'm not alone and you are right! Sometimes it's hot, and sometimes it's NOT!
Hope you enjoy your weekend, all the other stuff will be there when you get ready for it!
Mandykins says
Thanks for the post… I'm feeling ya on this! You are so right, sometimes it's hot, sometimes it's not! Enjoy your weekend, all the crazy stuff will be there when you are ready for it!
The McKSneds says
Thanks for being so honest! I love having a clean and organized house too, but reality is, with 3 kids and a husband….it's not so clean and organized all the time. My house often looks like yours and it make me feel so much better to know I'm not the only one! Love your house!
Kelsey Kinser says
Love your honesty! So many bloggers make me feel inadequate by presenting this perfectly manicured life ALL THE TIME! Glad to know I'm not the only one with a messy house.
Also thanks for all your posts on your heel pain, i've got it in both heels right now and it sucks! Your posts help though!
Kitkat says
I just love this post. thatisall….
Kitkat says
I just love this post. thatisall….
Christopher and Leslie Parker Lheron says
Thank you!! You are REAL and so are the rest of us busy moms!! ๐ YAY!! Thank you for posting that you do actually LIVE in your house. Its important to see that. There are so many things to be a superwoman about, hopefully we can focus on those fun memories and great moments with the hubby and kids. ๐ Even if its about a grumpy ol' pizza lady! ๐ yay!!!
Christopher and Leslie Parker Lheron says
Thank you!! You are REAL and so are the rest of us busy moms!! ๐ YAY!! Thank you for posting that you do actually LIVE in your house. Its important to see that. There are so many things to be a superwoman about, hopefully we can focus on those fun memories and great moments with the hubby and kids. ๐ Even if its about a grumpy ol' pizza lady! ๐ yay!!!
Jennifer says
Oh thank goodness. I feel better about my house already!
Anonymous says
I definitely feel you on this. Every time I get really happy with a finished project, I walk to another room and see some of the unfinished projects or just general disorder. I feel like posting to the blog keeps me moving on, though! Also, congrats on the article being published!
Sarah says
Oh I love it. I know we all have our moments, but I love it when someone is brave enough to show the world! Thank you!! (Now i don't feel so bad about reading your blog instead of folding laundry….hahaha!)
Anonymous says
I've gone to several locations in my home state because my organization rewards classes with pizza parties for their superior efforts in community service projects, and it's never hot & ready. I have learned to call ahead, even though their ads specifically claim that you don't have to. Ah, well. Thanks for showing pics of your "real" home. I think so many of us are inspired by your design & DIY prowess but also feel like we've failed miserably on the cleanliness and organization front. We try to tell ourselves that there's no way 5 people and a dog could "live" in that house and have it look that way all the time, but seeing a few "reality" pics helps make it, well, a reality! ๐
Sarah M. says
Thanks for being real Shelley! Nobody's house is always clean, organized and looking awesome. I once had a painter at our house for 3 weeks and our house was a disaster! Know that your blog is inspiring even when you're feeling "not hot". ๐
Connie says
Thank you for sharing! I love that you were brave enough to get real with us. I also love that your house is not perfect all of the time, it makes me feel better about my house!
Amy @ Homey Oh My! says
This is such a refreshing post. I feel you on ALL OF IT. Thanks for keeping it real ๐
Carrie says
Ha! I now tell my daughter, "No, clean your room like when we took photos of it."
nmagdalin says
Thank you for letting us know that you are normal humans. ;-D
Just remember good moms (and dads) have sticky floors, messy kitchens, laundry piles and happy kids…
Kaysie says
Thanks for being so real! ๐
Joni Anderle says
Love your realness!! (I don't even know if that's a word and an too tired to look it up!) ๐
Britiney @ Consider the Lilies says
Thanks for keeping it real. I'm right there with you!!
Unknown says
Lol! I am going to steal that saying for sure!
Crystal says
I know how you feel!! Great saying!!
Happy Internet Marketer Mom says
Thanks for writing that. I really appreciate it that you are willing to share the "real" side of your family's life! People who pretend to have a perfect life (like a certain woman with a huge home decor company, magazine, etc.) end up putting a load of pressure on the rest of us. The truth is, we are all just muddling through, and it's really nice to admit that every once in a while! Whew!
NC says
This is so funny. With 2 kids and neighborhood kids always in my house, I can relate more than I care to admit.
Jean says
Thank you for making this overwhelmed momma feel better! My son's party is in 14 days and I feel so unprepared and people keeping saying, "your parties are always the best!". Hope I can live up to their expectations ๐
Mama 'O' says
Love your candor! I mean, who can really be magazine ready allll the time anyways??
Jenny Lynn says
I am totally with you. Right now I am "NOT" hot. My house is in need a good going over. Back to school with the children, my busy work schedule and the start of my own classes has left our house looking icky. I just posted a after photo of a recent bookcase I re-did for my daughters room. Well, it should have been staged. Instead I showed it as it will really look forever as my daughter is using it.
You and I will be back on top, all HOT soon enough.
Unknown says
Happens to the best of us!!!
Jenn says
So glad you posted this!!!! I had just looked around my house and though how NOT it is at the moment! Then I saw your post ๐ thanks for the reminder that everyone has those kind of weeks ๐
Jenn says
So glad you posted this!!!! I had just looked around my house and though how NOT it is at the moment! Then I saw your post ๐ thanks for the reminder that everyone has those kind of weeks ๐
Ingrid says
thanks for posting this because i have been sitting around my house today and looking at the disasters right and left and feeling defeated! thanks for keepin' it real!
srpprcrftr says
I'll take the post surgery pup ok? lol. When I'm knee deep in projects our house looks like a cyclone hit it. Ah well. Due to being older people and nobody comes around and a 75 lb. black lab/border collie that sheds like crazy along with little brother orange kitty, ah it's a mess. Who cares but us. Doesn't seem to bother hubs but after a few days I want to scream and have to stop to clean things up (toss them in the shed or the suburban that's not drivable, it's turned into a faux storage spot in leaux of a better place). Believe me you're not alone. There's just so many hours in a day, a week. Life goes on tho huh? Do what you have to do. Happy weekend.
Unknown says
I love this post. Thank you for being a normal mom! ๐ Everyone has days (or weeks) like this. I always say if my intentions are good and my effort is at its max, then I am doing great (even if it is a off week on laundry). I love your blog and thanks for writing this post, it made me smile today.
Michelle
catchingamemory.com/
Sydney says
Ha Ha! Love it, real life hits all of us, even the pizza lady!! ๐ I needed this today. Lots going on, not as perfect as I'd like it to be!!
Shannon Gillman Orr says
Glad to know you are as real as the of us. My house at the moment doesn't look much better. And it's ok, I've been busy with life-work-family-church stuff…and I probably will be next week too.
Cassie {Hi Sugarplum} says
That's hilarious about the pizza girl!!! And congrats on your magazine feature…that was me on the opposite page…it was so thrilling to share it with you!! I felt so 'big time' not only being in BH&G, but sharing a spread with you guys!!! Hope you have a HOT week!
LeanneM says
LOL Thanks for sharing so honestly. I think everyone has a 'not hot' time regularly ๐ It's called 'life catches up to you!'
Hug for your day,
Leanne
Jen says
I love keeping it real. Fab. Sometimes reading all the blogs, I get overwhelmed by everyone else's perfect homes and underwhelmed by my sometimes "not hot" home. Thanks.
Unknown says
You guys are awesome. Love the honestly. Also, I MUST know where you got that rug! LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE IT.
Unknown says
I now feel sooo much better about my home and life! thank u for this post! u have no idea
Unknown says
So glad to see that somebody else has a house that looks like this sometimes! That is what mine looks like when I've been too busy with grandkids, my mom and everything else!