Pet Peeves: The Holy Trinity and Beyond

[mojito]

MaKaM, the world is so childproof now, it's often annoying. I can't open the back windows of my sedan all the way because of child proofing. Just about any drug you get from the drugstore, prescription or not, is child- (and tamper-) proof. There are safety latches and monitors and skinny, light-weight TVs (you mentioned them falling....have you seen the heavy materials used in the old appliances and electronics?). 

A parent who can't control access to porn in the home certainly won't be successful doing so while cooking in an open-concept kitchen. And if you're going to allow the vague threat of CPS to keep you from allowing your kids to grow up as kids, perhaps a dog is more your style. 

I know you were just mulling this over; I'm just throwing some thoughts out, too.

Entertaining. Watching HGTV, that seems to mean having a big kitchen island covered in granite where people stand around munching on food, sipping drinks. Is that what entertaining is in 2017? I'd just as soon meet people at a restaurant, where everyone can get out of the house, order what he wants, and guiltlessly leave the dirty dishes behind. Better still if I'm an urbanite who can walk to "shops and restaurants". Are most of the people who declare that they like to entertain childless couples?

Quote

What happened to swingsets for kids, garden, plants, picnic table, and posts to set up the volleyball net?

Bring out the croquet sets! The horseshoes! The lawn darts! 

Good question about swings sets. I haven't seen anything other than a Fisher Price swing hanging from a tree in a long, long time. I suppose there must be an app for all those outdoor activities now. 

[auntjess]

52 minutes ago, mojito said:

Are most of the people who declare that they like to entertain childless couples?

Yep, because they need room for both of them to work in the kitchen at the same time.

[Bastet]

On 6/19/2017 at 6:34 PM, auntjess said:

Yep, because they need room for both of them to work in the kitchen at the same time.

It takes two people to chop those vegetables.

Edited June 21, 2017 by Bastet

[CherryAmes]

7 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

I expect they all say that to make us believe how popular and cosmopolitan they are.  In reality they probably have family over for a holiday meal once a year.

What always makes me laugh is how often the "we need space to entertain" is trotted out by people who've moved to a new area and know no one.  I don't know about anyone else but we've moved around a lot over the years and I've yet to move someplace and have a huge circle of new friends crowding into my house days after the move!

[Mittengirl]

Here's my question - if everyone is constantly entertaining in their own home, who are the guests?   You can't be at your place hosting a party and be a guest somewhere else at the same time.  It seems like there are a dearth of guests and an over abundance of hosts.

[CherryAmes]

I have to say though in some defense of the "we entertain constantly- iers" we bought the house we are in because we are empty nesters now.  Didn't occur to us at the time we bought that our kids would eventually marry and produce kids of their own!  Family dinners here now are pandemonium to the point where we are actually thinking of buying a bigger house when we retire.  Or at least a house with a bigger kitchen or reception room (as the Brits call it).  More space somewhere that's for sure!

Edited June 20, 2017 by CherryAmes

[Kohola3]

Quote

It takes two people to cut those vegetables.

HH must have a huge budget for that chopping sequence.  We rarely see them doing anything else.

 

9 hours ago, CherryAmes said:

What always makes me laugh is how often the "we need space to entertain" is trotted out by people who've moved to a new area and know no one.

I moved to my retirement dream home two years ago and have had no one new over except my next door neighbor and we've know each other our whole lives.

PS CherryAmes, love your handle.  She was my hero, I have the whole set of her books.  I even became a flight nurse because of her.

[FormerMod-a1]

While I, and a number of my friends, do "entertain" we don't call it that.  I know it is a correct term, but we usually say things like "I have parties" or "I'm having friends over for dinner", even talking about all kinds of entertaining, it's more likely we'd say "I like to have people over".  Basically, we call it all kinds of things but "entertain" - pool party, dinner party, soup Sunday, book club, card club, family visits, etc.  Again, I know "entertain" is the correct, all-encompassing term, it just doesn't sound as natural.  I think if they'd just have some variety in how they say it on the show, it might not sound so false or pretentious, or be so tiring to hear.  Have some say "entertain" but have some say "we have dinner parties" and have some say "family comes over for brunch often", etc.

[Mu Shu]

growing our family is either ever realtors dream buzz phrase, or nightmare.  It either means you want to drop a half million or more on a house, or want a five br 4 bath for 100k.  Either way, it's annoying.  I hate buzz phrases.  That's my takeaway!  

God just smack me .  Hard. 

[Lady Iris]

When my friend invites me over to her home, she asks me to come over, we're cooking out/hanging out/having dinner. Nobody's asked me over so they could entertain me. Every. Single. Episode! Been griping about this for ages with this show.

And for the record I prefer corian over granite!

[auntjess]

49 minutes ago, Mu Shu said:

growing our family is either ever realtors dream buzz phrase, or nightmare.

Wouldn't you LOVE to see some of the people from My 600 Lb Life use that line, looking for wider doorways and sturdy steps.

[MortysCleaningLady]

1 hour ago, Lady Iris said:

When my friend invites me over to her home, she asks me to come over, we're cooking out/hanging out/having dinner. Nobody's asked me over so they could entertain me. Every. Single. Episode! Been griping about this for ages with this show.

And for the record I prefer corian over granite!

Don't anyone shoot me, but I really like my Formica.   It's easy to clean, never needs sealed, and is perfectly flat for rolling out dough.  My current house has dark counters and I'd love to just be able to get them to white (I can't see dirt as well on dark surfaces).

[Bastet]

5 hours ago, aquarian1 said:

I think if they'd just have some variety in how they say it on the show, it might not sound so false or pretentious, or be so tiring to hear.

That was my original peeve on this issue -- wanting them to mix it up, and say something personal to their lifestyle rather than just parroting a  phrase. 

"This is a nice-sized dining room for dinner parties."
"That cozy sun porch would be perfect for when it's my turn to host book club."
"This deck would be great for barbecues in the summer."
"We could make turn the basement into a cool hang-out space and have people over to watch the game."
"Can't you just picture having game nights here?"

Stuff like that, rather than an endless loop of "This would be great for entertaining."

Edited June 20, 2017 by Bastet

[Kohola3]

Quote

And for the record I prefer corian over granite!

Table for 2.  Everyone looked askance when I told them my choice for my kitchen and bath. And every single one of them was surprised at how beautiful the kitchen counter is - it's dark blue with what looks like the milky way running through it.  Perfect for my up north, on the lake house.

[laredhead]

MortysCleaningLady, I did a major kitchen remodel in my house last summer, and I replaced a ceramic tile counter with a very light almond shade of FORMICA.  It's a mid century modern house, and laminate counters were popular then.  I also wanted to save a few dollars to be used for other things.  It saved me about $3,000.  I grew up in houses that always had laminate counter tops and I love it.  I figured that in 10 years when I'm ready to sell it, the future buyers can rip it out and replace it with their choice.  No need to apologize for liking Formica or ceramic tile or Corian or granite.  Everyone has their preferences and that's what keeps home building supply houses in business.      

[aguabella]

5 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

Table for 2.  Everyone looked askance when I told them my choice for my kitchen and bath. And every single one of them was surprised at how beautiful the kitchen counter is - it's dark blue with what looks like the milky way running through it.  Perfect for my up north, on the lake house.

Sounds tres cool!  Would love to see a photo or the tear sheet for the material / design selected, if you have time and care to share.  (I'm always looking for materials for investment properties.)

In fact, the description reminds me of the counter I selected in one of my homes.  Yeah, hangs head in shame, it was granite, lol!

[Kohola3]

Just sent you a picture, Aquabella.

[aguabella]

16 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Just sent you a picture, Aquabella.

Thanks for sharing, Kohola3 - stellar job!

[Mrs. DuRona]

23 hours ago, MortysCleaningLady said:

Don't anyone shoot me, but I really like my Formica.

We still rent, but someday, my dream kitchen will have formica counters.  Partly because of ease of cleaning and whatnot, but also because my dream kitchen will also be totally retro. :)

[ChlcGirl]

On 6/20/2017 at 8:50 AM, Kohola3 said:

HH must have a huge budget for that chopping sequence.  We rarely see them doing anything else.

All the "we love to cook!" types are either chopping vegetables OR baking cookies.

[MortysCleaningLady]

3 hours ago, ChlcGirl said:

All the "we love to cook!" types are either chopping vegetables OR baking cookies.

And half the time, those fresh baked cookies are slice and bake!

[Christine]

What's with having to be able to walk to bars and restaurants?  Are they all raging alcoholics  This and the entertaining - ugh.

[Mu Shu]

On 6/20/2017 at 11:46 AM, Lady Iris said:

When my friend invites me over to her home, she asks me to come over, we're cooking out/hanging out/having dinner. Nobody's asked me over so they could entertain me. Every. Single. Episode! Been griping about this for ages with this show.

And for the record I prefer corian over granite!

Corian is affordable, durable, and looks as good as natural materials.  It's also lighter.

no one entertains me either, boo hoo.  I usually do the dishes to cover my food and drink. 

[Nysha]

Corian gets my vote, too. I also like linoleum in the kitchen. It's easy to clean, it doesn't matter if it gets wet, and not everything breaks falling on it.

Although, I've been eyeing vinyl wood grain flooring that would work throughout the house. I am uncoordinated and have raised a tribe of uncoordinated beings, I need flooring that can be easily cleaned because we drop and spill everything.

Edited June 22, 2017 by Nysha

[Lady Iris]

20 hours ago, Nysha said:

I am uncoordinated and have raised a tribe of uncoordinated beings,

Lol that is endearingly funny! thank you for the laugh and that's from a fellow uncoordinated being :)

[Mrs. Hanson]

On 6/20/2017 at 0:35 PM, Kohola3 said:

Table for 2.  Everyone looked askance when I told them my choice for my kitchen and bath. And every single one of them was surprised at how beautiful the kitchen counter is - it's dark blue with what looks like the milky way running through it.  Perfect for my up north, on the lake house.

I do not get the granite love either.  My family has a lefse making party every year.  The point?  Lefse griddles heat at 450 degrees.  My know it all granite loving sister who would NOT SHUT IT over her fabulous granite countertops was hosting....guess what?  Her perfect granite counters cracked under the heat.  I bet Formica would not have cracked and if it had it would have been a hell of a lot cheaper to replace.

 

On 6/19/2017 at 0:42 PM, MortysCleaningLady said:

Me, too!   My house is great for about 4 people for a dinner party.   Beyond that, it's cramped.   It's  smaller house and perfect for me and the pup.   That is NEVER a consideration when I have purchased, but every single House Hunter needs it!

My man I have a nice dining table for four.....he wants to replace so we can have more than two people over.  I am like...."Don't RUSH ME!!  I like having just two people over at a time twice a year.  Even that is much.  I am VERY social, I just prefer to go out.

My man and I joke that if you took a drink every time the following happened you would be drunk:  Mention granite countertops, want stainless steel appliances, want hardwood floors AND/OR call the perfectly good appliances "dated" when they are four years old, talk about entertaining, the wife bitches about anything, the hubby talks about his man cave or they mention their kids more than four times.  You are buying the house, not them!!!

 

On 6/18/2017 at 8:07 PM, LazyToaster said:

OK, this has probably been discussed many times - but, I've been thinking about the whole open concept thing.  My 3 kids were born in 1971, 1973, & 1075 - so, I'm old - ha!  Anyway, if someone would have asked the young mom of 3 little kids that was me -- if I wanted an open concept home?  First off they would need to explain to me (because I wouldn't have had a clue) that it would enable me to watch my kids at all times.  Well folks, I promise that young me would have been incredulous.  I also imagine I would have genuinely been confused and asked "watch them do what?".  I didn't need to - nor did I want to - be in the same room with them all the time.  If there was any trouble I just followed the screams.  My kids grew up and as far as I know they weren't scarred by me not watching their every move.  Amazingly enough they learned to navigate stairs, play outside, have fun, etc. etc. - all without my constant supervision.  I also wish I had $1 for every time I said - "ok now, get out of the kitchen!".  Ha! 

Sing it!!!  Heck my kids were born in 1997 and 1999 and I LOVED our rambler home with a finished basement and a playroom off to the side.  Kids were in the playroom and I was upstairs drinking wine and watching A&E!  (Just kidding on the wine part!!)  But seriously, they lived and thrived....I brought up two great young men who, as kids, did NOT need their mommy every. single. second.  Did I play with them?  Of course.  Just not every hour, every day.  

[auntjess]

I love the look of the countertops made of recycled bottles--the bright blues or greens.
But my apartment has ersatz granite in the black,brown, white, and it shows NO crumbs, spills, or even the tie you just took off of the bread.
So if I got to pick another one, it would be white corian or caesarstone, anything impervious to stains, and I could see a crumbs and sticky, before I had to touch it.

[Empress1]

Pet peeve from the most recent renovations episode: people who downsize and then complain about smaller rooms. They're a nice couple with two teenage boys and they wanted to downsize because their boys would be leaving home soon. But during the hunt they kept complaining about how small all the rooms are. They were going down from 3900 square feet and ended up in a place that was 2500 square feet, of course the rooms were smaller! That's what downsizing means.

[QuinnM]

40 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

They were going down from 3900 square feet and ended up in a place that was 2500 square feet, of course the rooms were smaller! That's what downsizing means.

It's like I said.  This is not a tent at the Quidditch finals.  If it's a 3 bedroom 1000 sq feet it's not going to become 5000 sq feet on the inside due to a magical spell.

[AnnaRose]

On 6/20/2017 at 8:52 AM, aquarian1 said:

While I, and a number of my friends, do "entertain" we don't call it that.  I know it is a correct term, but we usually say things like "I have parties" or "I'm having friends over for dinner", even talking about all kinds of entertaining, it's more likely we'd say "I like to have people over".  Basically, we call it all kinds of things but "entertain" - pool party, dinner party, soup Sunday, book club, card club, family visits, etc.  Again, I know "entertain" is the correct, all-encompassing term, it just doesn't sound as natural.  I think if they'd just have some variety in how they say it on the show, it might not sound so false or pretentious, or be so tiring to hear.  Have some say "entertain" but have some say "we have dinner parties" and have some say "family comes over for brunch often", etc.

I totally agree with that, and I think that's probably one of the main reasons why it bugs people so much.

On 6/19/2017 at 8:39 PM, mojito said:

Good question about swings sets. I haven't seen anything other than a Fisher Price swing hanging from a tree in a long, long time. I suppose there must be an app for all those outdoor activities now. 

Haha!  That's both funny and sad!

[Sun-Bun]

On 6/22/2017 at 1:25 PM, Christine said:

What's with having to be able to walk to bars and restaurants?  Are they all raging alcoholics  This and the entertaining - ugh.

Not gonna lie: one of the main reasons my hubby and I moved to our current neighborhood 10 years ago was due to the proximity of shops, bars and restaurants here. Many weekends we literally never have to use our cars or even leave our 'hood, so it's a welcome convenience. We hate driving and love walking and just wanted to live in a fun area where we could live, work AND play. Okay, we also happen to be raging alcoholics---it's kinda nice just stumbling back to our doorstep after an extra drink or twelve!

Speaking of raging, I almost lost it at an open house today because I was so appalled by this otherwise lovely older condo that had a popcorn ceiling. I seriously was fixated upon it---the place had been so lovingly restored, renovated and decorated, so why in the Hell did it still have that raggedy-assed popcorn ceiling from the 80's?! It was a full on popcorn ceiling meltdown...my husband finally told me, "Maybe the owners actually LIKE this ceiling? I think it's kinda funky and retro chic." I had to shut my ass up after that, because he was so right((and I sounded like the bitchiest nitpicking House Hunters wife ever))---indeed, one man's popcorn ceiling is another man's granite countertop.

[Kohola3]

Which leads me to wonder - who the heck thought popcorn ceilings were a good idea?  They are nearly impossible to paint.  

[Empress1]

8 hours ago, Sun-Bun said:

Not gonna lie: one of the main reasons my hubby and I moved to our current neighborhood 10 years ago was due to the proximity of shops, bars and restaurants here. Many weekends we literally never have to use our cars or even leave our 'hood, so it's a welcome convenience. We hate driving and love walking and just wanted to live in a fun area where we could live, work AND play. Okay, we also happen to be raging alcoholics---it's kinda nice just stumbling back to our doorstep after an extra drink or twelve!

I'm not an alcoholic either but I love city living, which is what "close to shops and restaurants" means to me. I love walking. If I ever found myself in the suburbs, I'd want to live as close as I could to the center of the suburb. I'd be MISERABLE in a rural area.

[CherryAmes]

Heh,  I keep saying I want rural but I don't drive.  Yeah, rural isn't going to happen if I can't drive anywhere!  I guess what I really want is a small town where you can walk to places but still have a big yard and some room between your neighbours.  I want to not be car dependent but not live in a city.  Not easy to do!

[auntjess]

8 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

Which leads me to wonder - who the heck thought popcorn ceilings were a good idea?  They are nearly impossible to paint.

No one that I know of.  Once on Mike Holmes, they even patched or redid one, a laborious process involving testing first for asbestos, and then getting in the stucco guys to do it.  But they do usually scrape it off.
Maybe they spray on easily, and you do a whole house cheap and quick.  I'll ask someone.
And I've been feeling like a freak, for liking carpet and not bare floors, but I've started to notice that I'm not alone, and a lot of the people on the Facebook dog pages have carpet on the videos they post.
Because who wants to lie on bare floors, just to sleep in a sunbeam.

[Nysha]

Popcorn ceiling covered up a multitude of sins. You didn't have to worry about how nice the ceiling sheetrock looked because it was going to be covered with popcorn, which was a really quick fix.

[Kohola3]

1 hour ago, auntjess said:

And I've been feeling like a freak, for liking carpet and not bare floors, but I've started to notice that I'm not alone, and a lot of the people on the Facebook dog pages have carpet on the videos they post.

Love carpet (soft on the feet, warm on cold mornings) and hate noisy hardwood (nightmares of having to chase dust bunnies all over my childhood bedroom).  Although I don't sleep in a sunbeam.  So I'm a happy freak with a nice cozy, quiet house full of carpeting.  And a Roomba to take care of it every day.

[AuntiePam]

I'm fine with popcorn ceilings, as long as the popcorn looks like tiny pieces.  Sure, they're impossible to wash, but how often do we wash a ceiling? 

[auntjess]

I had one with little tiny points, and it was always getting cobwebs if you didn't vacuum it often.

[MortysCleaningLady]

My sister had a ceiling that was textured swirl that had a bit of glitter in the paint.   It was a tiny 1 bedroom apartment, so it was kind of fun for a then single girl.  I currently have orange peel ceilings and honestly, I just don't look up a ton.

[Kohola3]

2 hours ago, MortysCleaningLady said:

...honestly, I just don't look up a ton.

Now that I think about it, neither do I. Which could explain the cobwebs up there.

[AnnaRose]

To me, popcorn ceiling is very different from a minimally textured or 'stippled' ceiling.  I think some people just call everything that isn't completely flat 'popcorn'.  I watched a Lakefront Renovation show where the homeowner was a contractor, and he kept calling the ceiling 'popcorn' even though it was just minimally textured or stippled.  I thought he should have known the difference.  Popcorn ceilings do look cheap and crappy, but my parents' home they built in 1975 has a very nice stippled pattern on the ceiling that took some skill to apply.

Edited June 29, 2017 by AnnaRose

[suebee12]

I just started watching a House Hunter's Renovation and they are only 3 minutes in and already I have heard about the "retreat" that they want as their bedroom. Add to that that they want a "spa-like" bathroom and enough is enough. Whatever happened to sleeping in a bedroom and using the normal facilities of a bathroom? If you have these amenities in your home, what is there to look forward to when you go on vacation? That is when I would love something to make me feel special. I can see wanting a really nice bedroom and master bath but why do they have to be so "special"? Guess I am just not a fancy person...give me a bed, a shower and a toilet and I can be happy!

[twinks]

Agree suebee12! I don't understand why people need them either. How much time do they spend in a bathroom? We have a huge master bath with 2 vanities and a ridiculously large bedroom and I really wish I could take the square footage and move it elsewhere in my house.

[Kohola3]

9 hours ago, twinks said:

I don't understand why people need them either.

Table for three with this.  The bathroom is not a room in which I spend much time - get in, do whatever, and get out.  And what's the point of a huge bedroom? I spend my waking hours in other parts of the house so I prefer roominess there.

[CherryAmes]

I notice houses built (guessing here) after about 1980 seem to give the children tiny rooms 9x8 or even smaller in many we've looked at, while the master bedroom takes up half the upstairs.  I didn't get it when we were househunting with kids and I still don't really get it.  But I guess if you are using the spare rooms as spare rooms that's one thing - using them for kids though,  I mean come on, who spends more time in their bedroom?  The average kid/teen or the average parent?  I use my bedroom to sleep in, to change in and once in a very blue moon I might actually sort through paperwork or whatever in there.  That's it.  I don't need a master retreat.  My whole house is my retreat!

[MortysCleaningLady]

1 hour ago, CherryAmes said:

I notice houses built (guessing here) after about 1980 seem to give the children tiny rooms 9x8 or even smaller in many we've looked at, while the master bedroom takes up half the upstairs.  

Children's rooms are getting very small, but the size of the toys and their beds are not.   For reasons I cannot fathom, a family member has set up a 6 year old in a 10 by 9 room with a queen sized bed.   Obviously, his toys and books are in a completely separate play room.  But that creates the need for playrooms.   Me, I shared a room from the time my sister was born until I went to college.   Drawers, desk, shelving and closet held all my stuff just fine.  Our toys were only out in common areas when they were in use.

[auntjess]

19 hours ago, suebee12 said:

I just started watching a House Hunter's Renovation and they are only 3 minutes in and already I have heard about the "retreat" that they want as their bedroom.

Many of the people who want this have very small children, who'll go to bed early, and the parents will have most of the house to themselves.
If you have a house full of older kids, with friends over a lot, I can see this, but not with toddlers.

My apartment has a small, maybe 4'x6' walk-in closet.  My clothes take a couple of feet to hang, and the  rest of the walls have bookshelves and a bookcase.
I can't imagine wanting so much real estate for a closet.

[CherryAmes]

I've been watching a lot of those flip or flop type shows and the one common theme I keep hearing is "this house won't sell if we don't have two sinks in the bathroom".  Is this a real thing?  I mean I get that having two sinks is something that is a popular thing right now but is it really that much of a dealbreaker that a house won't sell because of it?

[Kohola3]

2 minutes ago, CherryAmes said:

Is this a real

I cast a jaundiced eye on that kind of statement. First of all, that would only make a difference with certain couples and nobody that's single.  Second of all, you cannot tell me that a house that is perfect in all other ways would be rejected for such a small thing.