I need to know (very long)

I might be crazy and I’m ok with that but I need to know what is normal. 

My house is picked up but not always dusted, toilets might not be cleaned for two week but they are wiped down.  Dishes are done every night and put away.  The boys might have toys out but before they go to bed they are put away also.  Laundry is always done maybe 2 loads at the most that would still need to be washed but there is almost all the time a load of whites or towels is the dryer for a day or two.  When you come into my house the floor is not sticky and your socks don’t get black but you could very well find some cat hair or a chip crumb on the floor.  We vacuum everyday or every other no matter what and beds are made everyday. 

So now that you have a picture of what my house is like; am I’m crazy?  Am I like ever other person in the world?  I’ve been told I’m not!  I have matching hangers for all of us and matching towels this way when laundry is hanging downstairs it’s easy to know what does where by the colors.  Yes I might have OCD but I think it’s called being organized and someone who likes to have a half way clean house.  I went to a coworker’s home this evening and I was going puke!  Littlerly she had leaves and dirt pushed up into the corners of her kitchen and dirty dishes everywhere.  Dog hair on everything, and just is mess.  So I NEED TO KNOW, what is normal?  Do most people have a mess and would be embarrassed if someone came home with you before you would have cleaned the house or “like me”, the house is picked up but lived in.    I know this isn’t WL related but my husband thinks that since I have lost all the weight that I’m more critical about thing and this is really getting between the two of us. 

Everybody has their own "normal".  I think you sound organized, and you sound like you take care of your home in the way you like it kept up.  I don't think you sound at all OCD.  It sounds like you aren't insistent about perfection, but you do make an effort keep ahead of the cleaning in a busy home.   Some people just don't care about their surroundings as much and that's ok for them.  Everybody has their own comfort zone as far as keeping up their homes.  I am somewhere in the middle, and I have friends that are extremely neat, and friends that are super messy.  It's just a matter of priorities and what your comfort zone is.  It's great that you're on the neat side, and it's ok that others are not.  I don't think there is a normal - everybody is different.

Tammy--your house sounds like mine!  I love the colored hanger idea.  Gonna have to steal that from you!  You don't sound crazy to me.  Being organized is a good thing--relieves stress.

I think you are normal.  I do the same thing you do.  I don't sit around and eat any more.  I'm up, moviing, more energy and such.  It is just the two of us so we pick up after ourselves and have our own zones (he cleans the basement ~~ cave ~~ because I don't go down there all that often).  I used to be more anal about it all but have really slacked off in my old age.  My house is clean and my hubby appreciates that no matter who stops by, he is proud of his homes' appearance.  Plus I've got enough energy I bake for him too!! When the kids were little, we played until their bedtime and then I cleaned up.  Dishes, laundry, and toys.  Fresh start in the morning. But then again, I married the perfect man!!! XXOO

Tammy~You sound normal to me and I love the colored hanger idea while I don't have kids I think it might help my sister with her 3 little ones in a couple of years when most of their clothes look the same!  I think your co-worker's house sounds really gross and I probably wouldn't be able to stand it either.  I live alone, but the dishes are done every night and the place is kept picked up and I dust and vaccum on the weekends.  You sound a lot like my mom and the way our house was run when I was a kid and I think that is a good thing!  When you let things pile up it just adds stress to the whole family and then you end up spending all weekend cleaning the house instead of being out having fun.  I hope that your DH can come to understand that now that you have more enegy it is easier for you to keep everything up and I would think he would appreciate the clean house, but who knows.  Maybe also look at his mom and how she keeps her house that might be part of the issue if he grew up in a different type of household.  I hope this helps and that you can find some peace with this.

I have lived both lifestyles, (not by choice) I am not quite as organized as you, but I like to come home to a clean, if not always neat apartment. I have been to embarassed to have someone at my home. Not because I didn't try, but because I lived with a gross slob. I never had anyone at that apartment. Now, I try to keep it picked up durring the week, and my dishes done up. I do my major cleaning on the weekend. But because I try to keep it picked up durring the week, it never takes long. I would never be embarassed to have someone over. If a few things are out of place, well I do work 50 hours a week. There is a big difference between being lived in and being a dump.

You are normal..........I too keep a tidy house. You never know when someone will stop by. Kelly

The hanger thing could be usefull in that when they need clothes, they can come get their own clothes.  They know their hanger color!!!  I'm liking that idea too... XXOO

Hey were you at my house...?!?!  I got dog hair all over..!..LOL..!

I’m glad you all think I’m normal.  Last night after I posted I was outside talking with another neighbor and she said to come over and look inside her house.  It was picked up but dishes were still sitting in the sink and 3 laundry baskets sitting on the couch and shoes everywhere and the floor needed to be swept (by my standards) and she was by no means embarrassed and thought her house was “lived in”.   She thinks my house is WAY to clean and for have two 5 years olds they don’t get to play and have fun.  My kids DO made messes but we are teaching them to pick up after themselves and someday are better then others.  My kids play outside a lot and they also have a playroom that MUST be picked up every Thursday so it’s not like I don’t have 3000 legos laying on the floor and cars everywhere.  

So now this morning here at work someone asked me if I really have color coded hangers for all of us, and I was like yes it’s great and everyone knows who’s clothes are who’s it’s not as necessary as when I was larger because then I never knew if I had Johns’ jeans or mine but now mine are smaller.    Just looking around at people’s desk this morning I can just imagine what there house looks like, mine is very clean and organized and I always use the antibacterial wipes to wipe down my surfaces.     I’m glad I’m glad I’m not eating as much as I clean, and if anyone does stop over unexpectedly the house might not be perfect but it’s lived in and we call it home.