No !!dont sit there,and dont touch that either.

Hmmmm, what's our pad like? Like a tornado went through it!*LOL* Both our kids moved back home with us a couple of years ago. After they moved out, the house was nice and neat pretty much all the time. My husband I both worked all day so, we weren't here during the day and, at night, we picked up whatever needed picking up before we went to bed. Now, both our spare rooms are occupied and constantly need going through to get rid of junk. These are the rooms the kids occupy at the moment. All my work supplies are piled up in the living room, in the linen closet and in stackable drawers in my bedroom. There is always at least one dish in the sink, shoes in the living room floor, someone's shirt or pants lying on the back of the couch and stuff on the kitchen counter. I don't like it but, everyone who comes over is comfortable in my home. They know that our house is not just a house and, the people who live here love and cherish each other. That makes it warm and inviting. I would like for it to be a bit more tidy, though*L*

My Nans house was like that, I never dared touch anything when I went there, and when I did I could guarantee that something would break on me. I would love to have a beautiful house, but no chance with four kids. My house is definately child friendly. But I remember a girl that used to live next door to me, about 4 years ago, we both had three children of the same ages and her house was SPOTLESS it was like a show house. She used to invite me round for coffee with the kids and I remember first going in with my brood and sweating at the thought of them spilling their pop and crisps as they would at home, and I hated the thought of inviting her around mine because my house was just, well lived in!! But she was a fantastic person and she was not bothered at all she just used to clean around us all when we were there.

Ours is well lived in as we have a large family and I like it that way. I'm very neat and tidy and I like it that way, but on the other hand I wouldn't stop using something just because it's being used or might damage. You can't treat your house like a china doll cabinet because you wouldn't be able to live anymore; or so I'd say. Some people redecorate their house and make it all beautiful when their kids are grown up and out of the house because it won't get that dirty anymore and less things will break, I can understand that, but still it has to be livable.

Our home is lived in and thats the way that its staying ,tis all well and good having a show home,but its comfort you want,and theres not much comfort if you cant lay about and relax.Our house is clean and tidy to som extent,its no place by any means and it could do with a good sort out really,there is a fair bit that needs taking to the tip,but we dont worry,we just enjoy our days as they come,the housework will be there long after we are gone.

Oh ruby, you are so cute! You reminded me of when I was a kid and my parents had that plastic stuff on the furniture. My father was an interior decorator. Our "living room" couldn't ever look lived in because no one was ever allowed to live in it. lol. We had a den for that! I don't understand why people have homes that are beautiful (well I kinda do) but you're afraid to breathe in them. It's nice to appeal to the eye, but what about the rest of the body? I want my friends to feel comfortable when they come in my house. What's the purpose of having a living room if you can't live in it?????

It is my belief that a home should reflect the people living in it. If you are a comfy person with lots of interest, then your home will be comfy with an assortment of things and interest. If you are stuffy and structured, then I would expect that of your living quarters as well. To me my home is my palace! Although I have 2 boys still at home and a construction worker for a husband..it is the place I love to be. My husband is a big bass fisherman and my livingroom is decortaed with all of his trophys and picture of he and our boys fishing. I have acssesories that match that theme and a collection of antique fishing lures in a shadow box. I love vibrant things and collect Coca Cola so my kitchen is all in reds and white and black. I display my cast collection of Coca Cola momorabilia there. The boys rooms are filled with all of ther accomplishments, picutres and posters of them and the things they love the most. It is important to me to be surrounded by the people and things I love the most. What is better than having a home you feel "at home" in???

I tend to agree with you. I have known people in the past that had elegant areas of their home that was just for entertaining guest. The children were never allowed in that room. I feel that if you can't live comfortably and at ease in a space then it is time to make a change. As long as the house is clean enough to be healthy then it really doesn't matter. I have a dog and I like for him to feel free to be indoors with me. He is much better company that most people.

our home is also well lived in! its comfortable and i hope, welcoming. sure there are problem areas..like pet hair dustbunnys and since we live in the desert...i cant ever get rid of the light coating of dust that gets everywhere! i could dust every single day and it would still be present! i know, ive tried... i also have the bookcases of clutter..a most obvious and embarrassing piece of furniture in the house..but i just dont know where else to put the misc knicknacks and pretty rocks i found in the backyard LOL! i would love to have a house like you've described..but like a few others, i would be paranoid of spills, dust, dirt, grime, everything everything lol!

As much as I would love to have a house that looks like I never have to clean, to live like that that is all I would be doing. With 5 kids in the house keeping it clean is no small feat. At the same time I dont want a spotless house where kids are afraid to come in and relax or my husband feel like he has to watch every little thing he does. I guess it is one of those nice in theory ideas til you really think it out.

Hi ruby, Our pad? hmmm...it's lived in..clean but not very arranged..LOL! since my husband loves to place anything everywhere...LOL! If I have the energy, I can follow and kee it but when I am tried, I will just let it be! Inside our house is relaxing, you can sit anywhere and you can touch everything..LOL! Not a thing will scare anyone..LOL!

I wouldn't say that our house was scruffy Ruby. But we often have people queuing outside asking what time the jumble sale starts! A porter from Salisbury station comes round each morning to take the bags from the hallway because people think that we are a left luggage room. Our daughter likes to see how many clothes she can leave around the house before the "fairy" loses patience. We don't have a vacuum cleaner, but a scraper that at least takes off the top sticky layer of crud. There's no smoking in our house either. The kipper objects. Not too bad then!

My house is definitely lived in! When the grandkids come around, you will find pillows and quilts everywhere. They bring their Playstation/XBox to play on the Den TV. Their shoes and bags and anything else they bring is thrown from the laundry room through to the bedrooms. Nothing is neat when they are here. I don't worry about it. I just straighten up when they leave. They are constantly on the beds, so those are really only thrown together during the day. It's HOME and we do live in it. My husband has a sister who has always kept her house so spotless that it makes us feel uncomfortable when we go up there, which is rare for that reason. You always feel you need to take off your shoes even to go into her kitchen from the carport! She doesn't have children and her husband is now deceased. We know she doesn't come to our house much because she doesn't feel comfortable in our unkempt place. We can see her eying everything while she's here to see if she can see a little bit of dirt. I try to keep my sanity while she is here, which isn't very often. But I feel, if she doesn't like that we LIVE in our house, then don't come around. I kept my house almost spotless when my kids were home and I decided it wasn't worth killing yourself over. Life is too short. So we just live in our house, keep it as neat as we can without hurting ourselves. If I want to clean, I do, or if I want to leave the dishes in the sink for awhile I do. But, if you came by this morning, they are washed.

My house in nothing out of "Better Homes and Gardens". I live here and like to think that anyone can come in a relax and not worry about tracking on the carpet. At my sisters house you have to take off your shoes at the door. Everything is immaculate and you can't even tell 2 kids live in that house. I'd rather enjoy my home and not be paranoid rather everything is perfect or not!

Hello ruby222, My home is clean but untidy, when people come they feel comfy and homeley and relaxed, they could kick their shoe and sit any where they on the sofa or on the floor don't matter, but I have a friend she is so prim and proper and her house is a show house you don't feel you can relax there once I took my shoes off and sat on her sofa and put my feet, then came behind me plumping up the cushios so I threw them on the floor to whin her up. She doesen't get angry with me she knows me too well. Tamarafireheart.

I would love to have a beautiful home with lots of space as your discribing,,, and I would also like to have a maid to come in several times a week to help keep everything looking nice and neat. Maybe one of these days I'll be able to do that but I am not sure when that will be. Maybe I will have to do like the lady in England who wrote the Harry Potter series and made a lot of money from that. I do like to write some days so maybe that's a plan for having a nice beautiful home, one that I can have people over and not have to be concerned that the house is not nice enough. And not have to worry that it will get to be in a huge mess, because I'll just hire someone to come and clean things up a few times a week or as needed, then just try to maintain on the days that the cleaning crew isn't coming. Maybe on those days I could travel getting new ideas for stories so that I could just make sure the house never really got messy. I have always wanted to have things just so, but everything is always just so not the way I want it the majority of the time due to space limits and due to the fact every home I have lived in has had let's just say difficulties.... Anyway, I am glad that you were able to go visit someone who has a picture perfect home. My home currently is far from picture perfect but the location is nice, except when the wind shifts because when the wind shifts you have the chicken house smell coming up here that is just not a good smell at all, chicken houses stink a lot. I think you can learn to relax anywhere, but it is easier I think if you know you can fix anything that breaks or gets dirty or anything like that...or if you know you can just hire a cleaning crew to come in and clean everything for you. Maybe that is what they do or did before your visit, never can tell. , I know we visited a relative of my husbands one year who always had a picture perfect house, and I found out her secret, when I had to use the phone book, every cleaning service and every maid service in her phone book was circled and underlined with the times that they were available and she had notes by each one. LOL I don't believe she has done her own cleaning in years, lol.

I'm a mother of six my pad is very lived in. Old furniture the kids can live on, carpet stained by years of life, a hole or two in the plaster board from doors or a kick. When my kids grow up I may have nice things or I may not cause now the grandkids are starting to come. I grew up in a museum, wasn't allowed to sit on the furniture, touch the tv, or step out of the kitchen with a glass of water. A stranger had no clue children lived there. LOL but you know when you walk in my house there's more then one.

hi ruby 222 my pad is not like that with all cream leather and cream walls and a room that belongs in better homes and gardens. my apartment is lived in and looks it with comfortable but old inexpensive furniture. we are happy with it and I guess] thats all that counts after all.our friends dont seem to mind so we are contented with it the way it is. messy but lived in.

My place is nothing extravagant it's a normal liveing house. Anyone knows that they can come in and sit down and not feel like they can't my furniture is nothing special all hand me downs so I don't care. I did though work for a company cleaning houses and some of these homes were imackulate the kind like you speak of and I always wondered why these people are haveing their homes cleaned that are clean and gorgious to begin with. I would afraid to do anything in there god forbid something happend. I would love to have a house like that I can only imagine what that house looks like I'm jealious. Well it's good to know they live in luxury and take pride in what they have and live for. :)

I have 4 kids and 2 men (my hubby and my dad) living in this house, not to mention all of the friends that are always welcome here. There is no way I would even try to have a house like that. I would have to drive myself and everyone else crazy with the rules and the constant cleaning. Our place is well lived in and the only real rule we have is the no smoking rule, other than that we keep it clean and comfortable. Everyone in our family is happier that way.

This sounds like a lovely home, but maybe not quite "stain resistant". Our home is comfortable in certain areas and off limit to the public in others. We are Computer oriented people and have some rare collectibles that are "hands off" material. Other than that, we have dark carpet, cream coloring-patterned walls, art work and a nice "out-side" entertaining area. We like the relaxed look and enjoy life because we protect what holds sentimental value to us.