Friday, January 30, 2015

10 Things Every Women Does Before Their In-laws Come Over

I had the idea to do this post yesterday when I was informed that my in-laws were coming over.  Since they always pick the best times to come over (when my house is an absolute mess), I figured that I would conger up a list of things that I do before they come over and see if any of you can compare.

  1. Throw the unfolded laundry back in the dryer.  It's a nice, temporary fix just to make your house look less cluttered with undone chores.  Of course later, I have to go back and fold it all, but it is a nice little hiding place in the mean time.
  2. Prepare the tea cups.  My mother in-law is a huge tea drinker and my father in-law always usually has a cup along with her.  So, I prepare the tea cups, sugar, milk, and a teaspoon for them.  Usually the tea bag is already in the cup.  Always have to make sure there is a sufficient amount of milk in the house.
  3. Wipe down the counters and table.  Besides the point that I always do a triple inspection of the counters and table, the cats have free range on the counters and tables as long as there is no food or beverages on the counter or table.  However, before any beverage or food product is allowed on the counters or table, I wipe down them down.  No one likes cat fur in their food or drink.
  4. Make sure the outside ashtray is emptied.  Just so they can fill it back up again.  Jason and I only allow outside smoking even though we are allowed to smoke inside.
  5. Pick up the coffee table.  I have a bad habit of letting a bunch of junk congregate on the coffee table -- everything from mail, books, and pain killer bottles to lotion, cat treat bags, and the salt and pepper shaker.
  6. Fluff up the refrigerator.  I try my best to pull everything I have to the front of the fridge, so that it doesn't look like I starve their son.  Haha.  No, I don't starve him.  It's just what he lives off of, probably wouldn't be considered sufficient to them.  I try to get him to eat a more balanced diet, but it's like arguing with a 5 year old.  He's an adult, so I let him make his own choices.  I can only do my best to be the supportive "future spouse" that gives my utmost advice.
  7. Open up the curtains and blinds.  Honestly, we live like Mormons.  We never open the curtains or blinds.  So, when they come over, we like to make our place look inviting like we actually want them over.  Plus, letting in some sunshine encourages a better conversational atmosphere. 
  8. Give the bathroom a quick clean-job.  My bathroom is always clean, but I just give it a quick wipe down with a Clorox wipe just to freshen it up and make it look sparkling clean.
  9. Sweep the floors.  The cats make a mess with their liter and cat food.  Also, the entry way collects a lot of dirt.  In the very least, I just like my house to look presentable.
  10. Make it appear like I did NONE of the above before they get here.  I always hope that I've done all the above before they pull into the driveway and I can comfortably sit on the couch without looking like I've lost my breath trying to race to get everything done before they get here.  I sit on the couch nonchalantly, watching t.v so that they think my house is always naturally like this.  Besides, what normal person can do all of the above is just 30 minutes time?
Do you do anything fancy before your parents or in-laws come over or do you just not care?

1 comment:

  1. So funny! Looks like you get a lot of time to prepare when your inlaws come over. Mine live five minutes down the road so they pop in... our warning is usually about 4 minutes :)

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