'O at Home' Fall 2005 Tips: Assess Your Mess

Martha Beck home fall 2005 tips quiz self-assessment

ASSESS YOUR MESS
By Martha Beck

Homemaking, as I see it, is based on a paradox: We order our homes to make them nurturing environments for life, yet life itself is inherently disorderly. The horns of this dilemma perpetually skewer our domestic decisions. Should I wrap the living room in plastic and rule it off-limits to children, food, and leisure activities—in short, to actual living—or should I let the day run its chaotic course, with kids and pets creating a debris-sedimentation rate that rivals rainfall in the Amazon basin? There's a boundary between the kind of neatness that enhances life and the kind that squelches it; knowing where to draw that line is key to domestic contentment—and it's different for everyone. Are you in your comfort zone?

Take this quiz to find out. Choose how strongly you agree with the following statements:

Strongly disagree		[ 1 ]
Somewhat disagree		[ 2 ]
No opinion		[ 3 ]
Somewhat agree		[ 4 ]
Strongly agree		[ 5 ]

I'd rather stay up and clean than sleep in a disorganized house.
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
I don't bother to keep track of everything going on in my home.
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
I resist inviting messy friends into my living space.
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
I let young things (kids, puppies, etc.) create more mess than I can clean.
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
I get anxious when my home isn't tidy.
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
I love getting my hands dirty—washing up after is what I hate.
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
I worry about germs on household surfaces.
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
I sometimes just skip housework.
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
I can't relax in an untidy house.
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
I'd rather have a scruffy live plant than a perfect silk one.
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Whether you're looking for a little inspiration or have ideas to share, talk about your home here!

Credits: photograph by Brian Velenchenko, styling by Jill Telesnicki