Step foot in the living room and die!!!!

[Toby'sFriend]

we have a family room and then a seperate living room although I certainly wouldn't call it formal.

I'm really the only one who is in here much because it is where my desk, office stuff, and computer reside. I like to read over on the couch by the window. The kids are allowed in here -- this is the coffee table where we play board games.

 

[skiwee1]

We rarely use our living room or dining room either. It's just that those rooms are boring. We do not have a TV in the living room but anyone is more then welcome to hang out in there, including the kids. We have antique furniture in there that is well over 100 years old but DD also moved her princess tent in there last week! I too have a large house but I would never deem one room off limits. Life is too short to make such silly rules.

 

[snoopy]

My house is teeny tiny, no room is offlimits.

Then again, there are three rooms one can eat in, in our rec room where we watch TV (our only one, and its nothing fancy) and in the dining room and kitchen. Food and drink is offlimits in bedrooms and the living room though. I don't like food crumbs where I sleep or where I entertain, just a personal preference and my kids have always been good about going along with those house rules.

 

[dizneenut]

I have a small house and no room is off limits. The only rule is no food or drinks in the bedrooms. There have been plenty of nights we all ate in the living room while watching a movie together.

If I had a plasma (hopefully in a year or 2!!) it would be used EVERY DAY!!!

 

[Crankyshank]

My house is tiny so there are no rooms off limits. Then again i don't have kids.
We seldom use the dining room, though one of my dog's bed is in it because she likes to sleep under one of the windows by the radiator.

Growing up, we weren't allowed to wear shoes in the house. I still don't wear shoes in the house. My mother got tired of wiping scuff marks off the floor. We had a formal front room/dining room that we use only during family gatherings or when company is over. No TV but there is a fireplace. We never got yelled at for using the room, though. The furniture is stiff and not terribly inviting either way.

I don't know why a plasma tv is needed for home videos. Is this an often occurrence where people come over for dinner and the wedding video is brought out? If so, I'm sorry but that's rude and awfully dull

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by Crankyshank

I don't know why a plasma tv is needed for home videos. Is this an often occurrence where people come over for dinner and the wedding video is brought out? If so, I'm sorry but that's rude and awfully dull

I was thinking the same thing about the videos. I HATE when going to someone's house and they pull out those awful videos. I don't care if it is of a wedding or someone's kids, just please save it for your own personal viewing! We go to dinner parties and thankfully have never been subjected to that. That goes beyond tasteless. Nothing worse then being a captured audience to that crap! LOL!

 

[Amirah95]

It's not that my DH and my DD are not "special" enough to sit in the Living and Dining rooms casually, it's because it's a room to entertain our family and friends who do not live with us. My DH goes in the living room to entertain his colleagues and then in the dining room for dinner, I do the same with my candle and Tupperware parties, Xmas parties, Thanksgiving parties, DH's birthday party, etc. The living room is being used for different purposes. My living room is not for lounging, the family room is. I honestly don't like eating outside of the kitchen. And who vacuums the floor and the chairs right after their done eating in the couch? I bet the crumbs stay where they are until cleaning day. I think it's disgusting. I don't keep carpet just for that reason.

Everytime friends and family come over they ask us to pop in "the birth of our daughter" DVD or "the 1995 family reunion" DVD. My family and friends would definitely tell me that they don't want to watch movies if they didn't want to. LOL.

DH knows how much went into those rooms so he's OK with not being in there 100% of the time. If your basement is finished and looks like the rest of the house with lifted ceilings I don't see a problem with having a game room and TV room down there for guests.

Other parts of the house that are off limits is the 2nd floor to guests, my bedroom to my DD, DH's office to my DD and guests. I do give walking tours of my home when guests or family ask, but it is supervised.

 

[Pembo]

Why have a room you can't use? I just don't get it!

 

[phorsenuf]

Everytime friends and family come over they ask us to pop in "the birth of our daughter" DVD

Please tell me you are kidding!

 

[skiwee1]

Walking tours that are supervised? Do you not trust your family or guests to not steal or mess up something that you need to watch over them when they are upstairs? I don't know. My family and friends are just that. I trust them to behave themselves in any room of my house or they just wouldn't be invited! They are more then welcome to go anywhere without my fearing they will invade my privacy, eat in my bed, or steal the family heirlooms. I also cannot imagine giving "walking tours" in one's own home. Supervised or not.

 

[IceQueen777]

Originally posted by Amirah95
Other parts of the house that are off limits is the 2nd floor to guests, my bedroom to my DD, DH's office to my DD and guests. I do give walking tours of my home when guests or family ask, but it is supervised.

Wow, your own DD sounds like a caged animal. I cannot imagine not allowing my children into my bedroom. Sure, they know that if the door is closed they should knock first, but they certainly are welcome in our room.

And I cannot imagine having to supervise guests in my home. If I was that distrusting of them, then they wouldn't BE in my home.

 

[Amirah95]

The birth tape doesn't show the "gross" stuff, it's filled with action and it's humorous. Again, the family room, the Living room and the dining room is for guests and family to be entertained not my bedroom or my office. There is no reason for guests to be upstairs because there is a bathroom downstairs. If they want to see my house, I give a tour. And no, I don't trust everybody with my things.

I don't understand why people choose to stay at a value hotel on Disney over a larger rental home offsite. But to each his own.

 

[dizneenut]

The only reason people actually want to see your videos/DVD's is because of the plasma.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Originally posted by Tink&SquirtsMom
I expect it to be presentable whenever company stops by, but then I expect my entire house (even my closet which no one dropping by would ever see) to be that way. I have to have every part of my home neat and organized, not just what people will see). I guess thats my compulsion and some people could call me extreme.

I try to keep the rest of my house clean and fairly picked up, but with 4 kids, 2 dogs, 2 cats and 2 afterschool daycare children, it actually gets dirty and cluttered faster than I can clean it. I would probably be able to keep the house totally **** n span, but I would drive my family crazy and, what's more important, I wouldn't have time for the DIS! So, I settle for keeping my living, dining, and foyer clutter free (more or less). We do still use those rooms, though.

I remember the first time that I went to my future in-laws house and was amazed that they didn't use their living room. I'd honestly never even heard of someone doing that.

T&B

 

[gymnasticsmom68]

Supervised 'walking tours'? Is it a museum? That has to be the funniest thing I've read this week. I love that you have such a high opinion of your house that you feel the need to dole out supervised 'walking tours' though.

I'm also curious if you get repeat visitors after showing them the the videos of your wedding and your daughter's birth on the big fancy plasma screen saved for the guests. Maybe they like feeling special that they are the only people allowed to use that special room with that special TV in it. Woo hoo, can I come over?

 

[Crankyshank]

If I had to escort people through my house, I'd never have time to enjoy my guests. Feel free to touch my stuff, except for my 2nd job demo kit.

 

[Amirah95]

Yes, they like to watch the Plasma TV. If it were a regular flat screen TV then I don't think I would be getting this kind of feedback. We all value things differently. I don't care how much the TV costs, it's nice and it is saved for when the Living room is in use. I also have this little white pillow my mom made for me when I was a child and if anybody touches I'd flip out. If you don't take of your things, nobody else will.

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by Amirah95
And who vacuums the floor and the chairs right after their done eating in the couch? I bet the crumbs stay where they are until cleaning day. I think it's disgusting. I don't keep carpet just for that reason.

Everytime friends and family come over they ask us to pop in "the birth of our daughter" DVD or "the 1995 family reunion" DVD.

I do give walking tours of my home when guests or family ask, but it is supervised.

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Eating can be accomplished without getting crumbs all over the place if one pays attention to what they are doing, but let's say for the sake of arguement that a crumb does escape the plate, saucer, napkin or whatever.. If you know what you're doing, an entire living room (with carpeting even) can be cleaned, polished and vacuumed in ten minutes flat.. I would gladly give up ten minutes of my time each day to insure that my children and DH felt comfortable and welcome in each and every room of their home..

I'm a bit puzzled by the DVD thing.. I can't imagine anyone actually "wanting" to see the video of the birth of your DD "every" time they come to your home - and unless your guests are family members (actually, even if they are ) why would they want to watch a video of a family reunion that took place way back in '95? Are these people who weren't able to attend? Out of town family that has never seen this video?

As for the "walking tour" - Sorry, but this "home" is sounding more and more like a museum to me, rather than a place where a family can actually "live"...

 

[MOMTOMOOTOO]

I would suspect that a DisMeet at your house is not in the foreseeable future?


Oh and is there a charge for the walking tour?

 

[snoopy]

Sometimes in old homes down South, people DO rent out their homes for "walking tours". These are usually historical landmarks though. I can't say I've ever heard of anyone conducting a walking tour with guests of their home though. I trust the guests of my home aren't going to steal from me or damage my things, who exactly do you have coming into your home? I'm curious, not finger pointing. I've just never heard of such a thing.

(and if this is one of those not for real posts, please tell me now so I can back out. Thanks!)