13 thoughts on “Do You Panic When Unexpected Company Shows Up?”

1. Gentle Joy Homemaker at

   A fun post that I think most women can painfully identify with… though my husband doesn’t have as big of an awareness of it… in fact, the kids and I tease about the time we had company coming and had been doing lots of projects and I told him that the basement was OFF LIMITS… do NOT take anyone down there. Guess where he took the husband guest? sigh. He didn’t even think about it as he was talking and wanted to show the guy something…. I do want to be “real” and not look perfect… I think my husband was helping me with that. 🙂

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   1. Texas Homesteader Post author at

      LOL – Ain’t that the way it always goes??!! The one place you mention is off limits is the one place they take company. Too funny! I’ve never been overly concerned with ‘keeping it real’ on my blog and feeling the need to show my dirt, mistakes or messiness, although I know that’s a huge concern among some bloggers. But I still want to put my best foot forward when accepting guests into our home. ~TxH~

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2. Judith C at

   My mom used to tell us kids “clean like the preacher is coming!” I always dreamed of living where I had a driveway long enough that I had time to clean up before they got to the house. Then years ago a good friend painted and hand lettered a little picture for me that says “A real friend is one who over looks your broken gate to admire the flowers in your garden” ever since I’m able to tell who my real friends are. I also keep that picture where all can see it. 😉

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3. Marjie at

   Grab the vacuum cleaner and plug it in- leaving it in the center of the front room. They’ll be sure that they just caught you in the middle of cleaning. (Hint from Phyllis Diller – if you remember her!)

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4. Janet Vinyard at

   I agree it’s more of a woman thing. My husband always says friends and family are coming to see YOU not the house! So I’ve eased off a little but then the downstairs where visitors would be is usually in fairly decent shape. A “lived-in” house can’t look like a spread in a magazine. Blessings, Janet

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5. Elizabeth at

   Yes! My husband does NOT understand the amount anxiety a messy house can give me, especially when people are coming over!

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   1. Texas Homesteader Post author at

      I personally think men & women have different perspectives regarding the state of our projects and unexpected company. Doesn’t bother RancherMan even a little, yet sends me straight into a panic! ~TxH~

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6. Miss B at

   I do this too! Maybe it’s just pride of wanting people to think I keep a perfect house. The funny thing is that I don’t mind visiting a friend when she’s got a basket of laundry of the couch to fold or a messy kitchen from canning that morning. I actually feel a little more relaxed when I see that other people don’t always live in pristine conditions.

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7. Cynthia D at

   I know this feeling. We had Thanksgiving at our house and we have both been ill this year and I was not up to a big clean so just cleaned the bathrooms and ran the vacuum around and dusted. I usually do a hyper deep clean, but could not do that this year. No one said anything and I think all enjoyed the day. When I was growing up and my mother’s sister would come and visit from out of state we had to clean everywhere because she would point out any dust or dirt she found. The sister that lived in the same city as us came all the time and we didn’t dod this for her. I think this has carried over to me.

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   1. Texas Homesteader Post author at

      How RUDE to point out tiny imperfections in someone’s home! Thankfully I’ve never, ever had anyone point out Bailey’s grass-draggings on the wood floor or dust on the tables. I’m really not sure how I would handle the situation if a guest was rude enough to point out every spec of dust, but I daresay it might be pretty blunt & to the point! My insecurities are all within me, never from being made to feel by our guests that our house isn’t clean enough. Wow. Just wow. ~TxH~

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      1. Kathleen at

         I love a clean house, but with 3 sons, a husband, and a dog, the only way for it to be that way is to clean it, then line everyone up and NOT MOVE, EAT, or PLAY! Never going to happen. We live in our house. That means there is always dirty laundry waiting and dirty dishes, even after we’ve done the laundry and cleaned up from a meal. We live in a semi-rural setting. There is always grass or leaves on the floor. If someone were so unbelievable to point out the dust or dirt in our home, I’d show them where the dust rags, the broom, and the vacuum are. Obviously, they are uncomfortable in my home, and as a good hostess, I must do something to make them more “at home.”

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         1. Texas Homesteader Post author at

            Exactly Kathleen. No one has ever said anything to me about being uncomfortable in our home with its dust and grass pieces on the wood floor. I know it’s something I need to work on within myself. But I’ll admit, it *did* make me feel better knowing I wasn’t alone in feeling that way! ~TxH~

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8. Margy at

   It’s funny. We get more unexpected guests at our float cabin 25 minutes by boat up the lake than our condo in town. Maybe it’s the casual atmosphere that encourages neighbours and friends to stop by. One funny tradition is that many people remain in their boats next to the dock to chat awhile before continuing on their way. A beverage is usually offered, and sometimes accepted. If they do come on board, we most often sit outside unless the weather is really bad. That cuts down on having to make sure the inside is in order. But just the same, it’s cabin life so no one expects an immaculate home. – Margy

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