47 Comments

    1. The crafty chaos drives me a bit crazy at times. But I call it the creative mess which I have too but I keep it in the garage at least not in the house 😉

  1. Love seeing real life. I can relate…especially to the paint spotted clothing in the laundry basket and the paint rollers by the bathroom sink. 🙂

    1. Haha, paint roller and toothbrushes 😉

    1. I hate the fridge clutter! I do clean it up frequently though and the stuff always keeps showing back up 😉

  2. Patty Day says:

    FUN IDEA Real Life
    xo
    Patty

  3. Hmmm….well sorry but I think how you’re teaching your kids is Cuckoo. Parenting is the ONLY j.o.b. where one doesn’t know if they did it ‘right’ or not until said kids are grown and gone. Your thinking is that ‘don’t make johnny or sally do Anything they don’t Like! WEll life is tough! And only the Tough can make it; especially in today’s world. My offspring played the flute and was on the tennis team. She was fine with it; her decision. BUT I paid and took her to private lessons for years. Results? First chair, first flute; Always. Tennis? No but at least she knows how to play and yes has made sure her kids know the game as well-for recreation-not on a team. Flute? Played in an orchestra for years as an adult. You have been Blessed By GOD to have a lovely home; yet sorry but I would not want to be there as there has been NO Respect for said house-teaching your kids they can; mess up something-beds, mirrors with their own tooth spatter, clutter-let the cats basically help destroy it–sorry but that is just plain Wrong! BTW my daughter is now 40 something, teaches and her Three kids make their beds, straighten up B4 school each day. When they come home; house has No clutter-beds made, and their Cat AND dog let me assure you would NOT be allowed to ruin a beautiful home (hers is too) like you’re allowing your’s to be. Sorry but shame on you!!!!

    1. I don’t even know what to reply to your comment. My kids have plenty of things to do at home and in school but I do pick my battles. And neither my kids or cats are ruining my home.
      I’m 41 and even though my mom didn’t force me to make my bed and on the other hand forced me to do other things, I grew up to have a nice home that is clean on most days.
      To say that there is no respect in my house is just ridiculous!

    2. Hi! I wondered if your daughter had a blog, too? I would love to go pass judgement on her and her kids and how she is raising them. Who am I to do that, right? Well who are you to do that. If you are such a God-fearing woman, you should know better than to throw stones. Be kind for you never know what battles someone may be facing.

    3. This is the most shameful and disgusting comment I’ve seen in a while. How sad of you to spend time bringing others down. As women (and mothers especially), we should spend our time lifting each other up and praising successes. I certainly hope no one deliberately passes judgement on your daughter today, because I’m sure she’s doing the very best she can for her children, as is Julia. If you need a hobby to occupy all of this free time of Internet trolling, I will happily make suggestions 🙂

      1. Thank you so so much Mallory for the support

    4. There are so many things more important in life than a spotless home. I lost my mom at a young age, and you know what I remember most? Not that she made us make our beds, or that her house was spotless, but that the TIME we spent with her and the MEMORIES we made in our home, even when they were messy memories. You don’t know what other people have going on in their lives and I think it’s a little bold to assert that someone’s children are ruining her home because their beds are unmade. An unmade bed and a few toys laying around never hurt anyone. There are so many things in life that are more important than a house that looks like a sterile, military barrack.

      1. I’m sorry you lost your mom at a young age but glad you have nice memories with her. You said it so well. I will think back fondly of those toys and the life they put into our home.

    5. I can’t believe you would leave such a negative comment and be so judgmental about someone else’s house! I grew up in a “sterile” home ~ perfection everywhere ~ and that’s no way to live…certainly not for kids. I’ve totally rebelled against a lot of it too.

      1. That’s how I feel. I don’t want to live in a sterile home. Too much pressure and it’s not cozy.

    6. Julia, I cannot imagine why anyone would feel they have to be so negative. I made my kids keep their rooms tidy, make their beds. They are all adults now, and not one is continuing that training. Keep on raising your children as you see fit !

    7. Wow Florida1 we are all women here. Yes she can post the pretty pictures but she was proving a point that there is a lot of work that is done to have a nice home. If you saw my home you would die. I am commenting on your comment instead of studying. I would rather have an ugly house than be ugly to others. I will forgive you if you apologize to my blogger.

  4. I like this post! No ones life is picture perfect all the time. I was wondering if you use any product to keep your furniture and rugs clean? Some kind of protector spray maybe? You disarray looks so clean! ???? White fabric sparkling✨

    1. Thanks Sabrina, for the leather I occasionally use leather wipes but otherwise I use only a vacuum cleaner, lots of windex everywhere 😉 and so natures miracle occasionally. I always feel like light colors show the dirt less. Especially light wood.

  5. So fun to see different parts of your home in their real state! Glad I’m not the only one having trouble keeping the bathroom mirror clean. Thank you for joining in today!

    amandakatherine.com

    1. Thanks so much for inviting me.

  6. Your home in a “real” state is still stunning! So glad you were part of this series, too! Happy blogging 🙂

  7. I love this post! Your home is always gorgeous! I love it when bloggers show the “real stuff”. As I responded to the troll, I grew up in a sterile home and it was miserable. I couldn’t have slumber parties or friends over as “they” would make a mess. I had to clean the entire house as a young teen and, if it wasn’t “perfect”, I had to do it over. I love that your kids can leave their bed unmade or a glass out and it doesn’t cause WWIII. They will always remember the TIME you spent with them. 🙂

    xo
    Pat

    1. Oh no, that does sound awful and not like fun at all. I used to be a lot more uptight about keeping my home perfect and clean but things changed when I had my kids. I had to. And I don’t want to run a military academy 😉

  8. Alexa Johnson says:

    I love this so much. I mean, I really love this. Thank you for sharing!!!

  9. Oh my goodness love this! Your home is so beautiful even when it isn’t “magazine ready”! Everything is so bright and beautiful! And I LOVED one of the comments above. Life isn’t about perfection, it is about the memories made and I am sure that you are one amazing mom. Lots and lots of love to you and your family! So glad you were a part of this loop! What an amazing blog!
    XOXO, Brittany Hayes w/ Addison’s Wonderland

    1. Thanks, it truly isn’t about perfection. We do have to learn how to embrace imperfections too 😉

    1. It feels so much fresher that way 😉

  10. Goodness…I got behind on blog reading, and look what happened! I wish I had the time to keep a spotless house AND judge people I’ve never met on the internet. Sadly, I don’t have time for either…..anyway, I love keeping it real type posts! And your house is lovely even before the beds are made 🙂

    1. LOL so true. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

  11. First of all, your home is amazing. The word disaster doesn’t even belong in the same sentence when describing it. Some of your bad days top my good ones. Lol!! Secondly, I’d like to tell “florida1” to get a life. And, for the sake of “the lack of” a true identity, I’m going to call her Cruella. Cruella, obviously came to your post to find anything to nitpick. I read her claims on how she did soooo much better as a parent, but I saw no love in any of the lessons she taught her children. In true fashion, Cruella was simply cold. Besides, she referred her children as offspring. Um, like who does that? Typical Cruella, of course. ????

    1. Off springs LOL! I know just bizarre.

  12. Sherrie @ The Story of Your Home says:

    I’m so sorry about the unkind words on this post. Perhaps her daughter, now a teacher, could giver her some grammar lessons so that she could be perfect in yet another way, besides parenting.
    Reading comprehension lessons could come after that, as she totally didn’t understand the main idea of the post. Cyber bullying sensitivity lessons might also be helpful. OK, I’ll stop now. (sly grin) Your post made me smile, because you have a lovely home in which to nurture your children, and it has nothing to do with decor. It’s where they snuggle on the couch, dream sweet dreams, and learn to feel safe and loved.Thanks for taking the time to do what you do with an authentic heart. It is enjoyed by many, myself included.Well done!

    1. Thank you Sherrie, those lessons would be great.

  13. aussiebushgirl says:

    You’re so busy picking up after everybody, I don’t know where you find the time (or the energy) for blogging! A saint! ~ heather x

    1. Oh certainly not a Saint 😉 LOL

  14. Your home is amazing – whether picked up and styled, or left “as is” – I just love all of your design and decor choices. I was so happy to see someone else who makes blanket piles for their kitties – mine love this also, so I have small piles in several rooms. I also have a dog who is terrified to walk on wood floors, so I have runners and area rugs EVERYWHERE because my entire home is wood floors! Family and friends know our pets are like family so no one judges or makes snarky comments. Thanks for sharing a behind the scenes look.

    1. Awww thanks Liz. I make them the blanket piles because it looks like something I want to curl up in too 😉 Sometimes I wish I’d be the size of a barbie so I can do just that and snuggle between them LOL.

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