Not So Hidden Pleasures, or, What Were They Thinking?

I have talked about House Porn before. It is what draws me to magazine after magazine and fills me with unrealistic expectations of what my house could and should be like. Just as most of us could not measure up to the airbrushed beauty of a super-model (or am I just speaking for myself?) our houses can’t measure up to spaces professionally styled and photographed for the glossies.

In magazines I see this:

In my own kitchen I see this:




I’m sure I’ll always love “House Porn,” and I really enjoy making changes around the house, but I don’t beat myself up when my day to day living just can’t match up with what I see on the pages.

BUT I ran into a new kind of “House Porn” yesterday, and I’m wondering if any of you have seen anything like it.

Molly and I were shopping and came across this:

Hidden Pleasures: Discreet Frosted Glass Look.

No, We weren't in Fredericks of Hollywoood; we were in Target.

And the product in question? An Airwick air freshener.

I’m not sure how the frosted glass makes it any more discreet. You plug that think into an outlet and it’s certainly not “hidden.” Is this a new kind of marketing geared toward, ehhh, frustrated homeowners? Is this supposed to make our lives more complete?

Am I the only one who thinks this is a little bit weird?

Yes, I bought it. But I was already looking for an air freshener. Really.

Dropping the Ball

This morning we ran out of milk. And toilet paper. And tampons. Each of these might not have seemed like a big deal individually, but together they meant a very stressful start to my day.

I liked it when there was someone here all day who made sure we were well-stocked in necessities. When I opened the closet, towers of paper towels greeted me and made me feel secure. She also made sure the house didn’t look like a sty and that we didn’t accidentally put our NetFlix movies in the recycle bin. She bought a lot of Lean Cuisines on sale so I didn't have to eat Candy Corn for lunch. Oh well.

For those of you who have been ably juggling a job, family, and keeping everyone in food and personal care items for years, I salute you. I hope I get better at it.