If you live in the type of house where everything's immaculate and cream, and you have to take your shoes off.........

[CuppaTeaJanice]

...please tell me honestly what you think when you go to a house that's a bit more, erm, 'lived in'.

I've recently arranged a regular meet up with a group of mothers and babies, going to a different house each week. Two of the houses are immaculate, spotlessly clean, nothing out of place, cream sofas...you know the type of house I mean!

Mine is nothing like that. It's not dirty, just a bit messy and bohemian - think piles of papers and a light spattering of dust rather than Kim and Aggie territory.

I'm now getting worried what the other mothers are going to think. Will they like looking at all the interesting stuff I have around, or will they be getting out the Milton wipes as soon as my back is turned?

Hoping for some reassurance from all the domestic goddesses out there.......!!!

How old are the babies?

I think it's nice to go to a house like yours.....you can relax. Don't worry what they think!

It depends on the people tbh - I have some friends who would at it, and others who won't notice. Unfortunately you can't tell until they walk in which they will be!

don't know, as my house is like your house.

But I have recently moved onto a new estate, where everyone's houses are the same, and everyone else's is immaculate

ours so isn't.

so will join you in looking for reassurance

I would hope that people would take me as they find me and like me for who I am rather than what my house is like..

i am going to be honest and i am going to get shouted at for it - i know.
my house is a take your shoes off kind of house and many of my friends live in more 'lived in' homes. before i had dd it didnt bother me in the slightest, and i am happy to visit them now but i try to go without dd, or if i take her with me i babywipe her to within an inch of her life when we leave. sorry

The babies are 8-10 months.

I guess I could clean the toilet and hoover before they come round!!

If it is a "lived in" house with lots of books and CDs for me to nose at, I will be very happy. If it is a house without books, whether clean or messy, I will feel really uncomfortable. Bookless houses scare me.

Oh and I hate having to move piles of things onto the floor in order to sit down: otherwise, I've no problem re: "bohemian"!

Silly i know but for this very reason i dont socialise to peoples homes.

Its just too stressful.

I have some very close pals, who come into my house,i have no lock on the door, they all let themselves in, stick the kettle on and curl up their legs on the sofa and we laugh and have lurvly cuppas.

New people are very welcome,and i hope that they quickly feel welcome and relaxed enough to put thier feet up and kick their shoes off and let their kids run round and play.

I DO notice peoples homes, not to compare though

Definitely really clean the bathroom and kitchen, and the floor. Make sure the toys are clean. Wouldn't worry too much about piles of books and a bit of dust.

Alternatively, leave the hoover in the hall so it looks like you've just been cleaning, and make everyone take their shoes off so it looks like you're really fastidious. Then they won't be looking for dirt

There are lots of books!

Oh, I should probably add it definitely doesn't have that distinctive bohemian smell (joss sticks, patchouli, pot etc). It smells of plum & nectarine!!

Apart from the back bedroom where the cat litter tray is.

i love my mates messy houses

i really do

sometimes i wash up but its no biggie

Ah just wait till they are a bit bigger and they have rampaging toddlers with sticky jam fingers everywhere.

My house sounds to be more like yours. I asked a good friend who has one of these scarily spotless houses about this very matter and she admitted that the clutter (toys on the floor etc) made her feel a bit edgy and she has to stop herself tidying things up.

get rid of the litter tray - that is the thing i hate and despise most about my friends house,

I live in one of those take your shoes off everything in its place houses. When I visit others, mess doesn't bother me, but dirt does. If i am sitting on the sofa and I see crumbs all over the floor, dust bunnies in the corners and tables that obviously haven't been wiped then I feel uncomfortable. I would not want my youngest to lay or sit on the floor for instance. However, if it is just messy then who cares.

erm...the cat litter tray is in the back-bedroom...surely none of the guest will venture there...

I am a messy type and deeply embaressed by my messyness...so, guests only are allowed in if I had notice and time to clean everywhere...thing is if I go to a fellow messy person it wouldn't bother me, lol...not sure how a very tidy person would feel....sorry...no help at all

I couldn't give a rat's arse what people's houses are like as long as they don't pose some sort of health hazard. Also not bothered about my DCs coming into contact with dust and crumbs . I find show home-type houses extremely uncomfortable, to be honest. I have a friend who has an immaculate house, and I feel on edge the minute I walk in and am forced to take off my shoes, use a coaster for my cup etc.

draw the line at fetted litter trays

The guests won't see (or smell) the litter tray. It's clean too, unless moggy decides to empty herself just before the guests turn up!

If I get rid of it then there'll be cat poo on the floor, surely!

cuppatea that was not aimed at you x

i dont mind, i do have to resist the urge to ask if i can come and feckle them though. i do it for a friend and find it immensely satisfying.
actually to be honest i do wonder what they do allday

i dont mind, i do have to resist the urge to ask if i can come and feckle them though. i do it for a friend and find it immensely satisfying.
actually to be honest i do wonder what they do allday

hifi, people that don't clean either are really busy or procrastinate a lot ( I fall into the latter category, lol)....thing that frustrates me about me is that whilst I hate cleaning I really feel so great when I actually have done cleaning....

oh someone mentioned book free houses...well, in my house are plenty of books, just not on show...habit from when the Kids were smaller and just rip them to pieces, I suppose...