Caroling/Maxhell Christmas - MERGE

[Paperplate]

Regarding shoe storage:

We have something like this for dirty/wet shoes:

And these kinds of racks and wardrobes (or whatever you'd call that) for other shoes:

They don't take up a lot of space and store lots of shoes. Looks pretty tidy that way. (Don't you have that kind of thing in the US?)

Off-season shoes or other shoes that don't get worn that often are in the closets/wardrobes/whatever in the bedrooms.

For guests we have one of these ugly things -- a big slipper-shaped pouch with a bunch of slippers in different sizes inside:

Guests are not expected to just walk around on their socks/stockings in winter. A lot of older people even bring their own slippers when they go to other peoples' houses! (Crazy, right?)

Also, thanks for teaching me a new word: artic entry. We have one of those. Very useful; keeps the cold out.

I'm surprised and a little sad that some people apparently think I'm not classy because I don't walk around my carpeted living room in my winter boots or stilettos.

Everyone in my country takes of their shoes inside. The only exceptions are fancy (or wild drinking) parties in non-carpeted houses. (If there's carpet though, the shoes come off, no matter the occasion. And, yes: We all end up looking stupid in evening wear and slippers.)

I think it's stranger that the Duggars are barefoot in group portraits shot outside than that the Maxwell are shoeless in an indoor pic. (I still haven't seen it. Where is that picture?)

I'll shut my mouth about shoes now. :)

[Rescinded and Mended]

I think I've been asked maybe one time ever to take my shoes off before entering a house.

This thread has made me look at wearing shoes in the house differently, though. Mr. R and M does the majority of the mopping and vacuuming around here. I think if he ever did insist that we all keep our shoes off in the house (he doesn't), I would respect that just because we track in so much dirt and leaves from the backyard. His only real (justifiable) complaint is when someone leaves shoes in the middle of the floor and people trip over them (my whole family is guilty of this).

I had a Christmas party a month ago, and it occurred to me that about half of my guest ran 'round shoeless. They usually do that every year. I never ask them to take shoes off, I think they just do it on their own to be more comfortable. As long as they're happy, I'm happy. :)

[MamaJunebug]

Paperplate, are you in Sweden, by any chance???? Just guessing! :)

I've gotten to the point in life where barefoot is not comfy (hate it HATE IT!!) and I just had to mention that.

Paperplate, can you give a source for the "ugly things" with guest-slippers inside? I love those!!!

I do distinctly remember photos of the Maxinmates all in stockinged feet during a Bible study, but that family affects me in negative ways if I look at their blogs too long ... so my apologies that I can't provide "chapter and verse," as it were. Maybe the fact of their shoes, now, just has to do with some entirely un-patriarchal phenomenon .... like maybe Stevo and Terified, with his extra poundage and her fragile back, find it uncomfortable to go shoeless, so the rules are relaxed or even changed.

Isn't a father's obliviousness to a neighbor's shoeless house a plot point in one of Poor Sarah's Moody books? The child in the scene has to respectfully bring Dad's attention to the fact that their neighbors don't have shoes on. Which apparently is not a sin, though Mom Moody calling Dad Moody to remind him to pick up pizza for the evening's meal, definitely is most sinful!

[Marian the Librarian]

Hmmm...why does the phrase "Barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen" suddenly come to mind?? :?

[Burpies]

We don't have a hard and fast rule about shoes. If you want them on, keep them on, If you want to take them off, take them off. It's like that at all of our family's houses as well, except my mom's. She wants shoes removed. So I don't second guess taking my shoes off in one of their houses. The Maxwell's are all family and, party or not, shoe 'rule' or not, they only people there were family, and family can, and should, feel comfortable in each other's houses, and also family should respect the rules of the house. I don't know if they have a shoe 'rule' or not. Knowing then, I'm sure they do, so the family prob just all takes their shoes off.

[church_of_dog]

Agree! I think they all look worse for wear, and I'd look bad too, if I were subjected to a lifetime of Steve. It's a wonder they're not all barking mad.

Hey! I resemble that remark... :lol:

In all honesty I started it 5 years ago..During a very obstinate period shortly after the death of my son.

If a discussion about shoes was able to help you heal and move through grief, more power to you!

[mastercleaner]

In Canada, its just normal to take your shoes off in the house. No one I know keeps their shoes on in the house. Maybe just cause its always winter here? lol

[nelliebelle1197]

In all honesty I started it 5 years ago..During a very obstinate period shortly after the death of my son.

You are such trouble. No wonder ZooZoo is scared of you.

[shedemei]

I think the shoe thing has been discussed before. IIRC (and I may not so take it with a pinch of salt), it got to about a 5 on the Peanut Butter scale.

Maybe we should have an "ideological debate" forum where we can debate why wearing shoes in the house is gross and vi is a better editor than emacs. That should be enough for several months.

[goldbu]

I have "paired" and even tripled and quadrupled with other people to get one nicer gift for someone, so I don't find the fact John and Anna pooled their money to gift the newlyweds strange or patriarchal. Makes good practical sense from my perspective.

I think I remember reading once that the "children" pair up with each other every year and then by gifts together for their siblings. I don't think they fully explained why they did this - I'm assuming it's so they could pool their money together and buy nicer, but fewer, gifts.

[Paperplate]

Paperplate, are you in Sweden, by any chance???? Just guessing! :)

I've gotten to the point in life where barefoot is not comfy (hate it HATE IT!!) and I just had to mention that.

Paperplate, can you give a source for the "ugly things" with guest-slippers inside? I love those!!!

I do distinctly remember photos of the Maxinmates all in stockinged feet during a Bible study, but that family affects me in negative ways if I look at their blogs too long ... so my apologies that I can't provide "chapter and verse," as it were. Maybe the fact of their shoes, now, just has to do with some entirely un-patriarchal phenomenon .... like maybe Stevo and Terified, with his extra poundage and her fragile back, find it uncomfortable to go shoeless, so the rules are relaxed or even changed.

Isn't a father's obliviousness to a neighbor's shoeless house a plot point in one of Poor Sarah's Moody books? The child in the scene has to respectfully bring Dad's attention to the fact that their neighbors don't have shoes on. Which apparently is not a sin, though Mom Moody calling Dad Moody to remind him to pick up pizza for the evening's meal, definitely is most sinful!

No, not in Sweden. I have to correct my earlier statement about my whole country being "slipper land" though. I have since learnt that another region is big on the shoes inside the house too. So maybe you want to take another guess? :lol: I'll message you about where to buy the slippers.

Love the word Maxinmates.

[moreorlessnu]

A different take on the shoes v. no shoes. I knew a young woman who had her first professional job that required dressing up and wearing pumps. Unfamiliar w/ pumps, she didn't know that you have to have them re-heeled occasionally. She ruined a newly finished hardwood floor at a co-worker's house because she had worn the pumps down to the 'nail' (that attaches the heel to the shoe) and left marks in that floor walking all over the house w/ those shoes.

[Rescinded and Mended]

Maybe we should have an "ideological debate" forum where we can debate why wearing shoes in the house is gross and vi is a better editor than emacs. That should be enough for several months.

We should. Especially since I missed that entire Peanut Butter War, it happened before I started lurking all those years ago. :lol:

[NotALoserLikeYou]

To whomever brought up the 666, I looked at the blog again today and it totally looks like a 666 on the package, haha!

[Maggie Mae]

We should. Especially since I missed that entire Peanut Butter War, it happened before I started lurking all those years ago. :lol:

You know, the Peanut Butter War wasn't that exciting. It was the same few people arguing the same few points dramatically for 25 pages. And in hindsight, considering at least two of the main posters in that thread ended up being i think trolls? Or at least people who had epic freakout flounces. We could probably rehash it without quite as much emotional investment.

[Jana814]

When is comes to Elissa & her clothes I can't help but think that Steve would insist that Joseph have a talk to his wife about her clothes.

[VooDooChild]

It looks to me that they are working out in their basement/warehouse which is likely heated and cooled. I suspect that they may have other equipment that is not shown, to keep the frugal fitness image. They may not finish a room in the basement because of either zoning (no escape routes) or because finished basement rooms can add to tax costs.

The 12 Days of Christmas workout is all over the internet... there are many variations of something like this...

Ah! I wasn't aware of this workout. I just assumed it was some sort of Sarah code for......something. :embarrassed:

[SoybeanQueen]

And these kinds of racks and wardrobes (or whatever you'd call that) for other shoes:

They don't take up a lot of space and store lots of shoes. Looks pretty tidy that way. (Don't you have that kind of thing in the US?)

The shoe cabinets are available in the US but I don't think they're terribly common. IKEA carries several styles, though, and other stores, as well. Part of the reason I don't have the cabinets for shoes is because I figure my kids will just try to cram every shoe they own into them, and there will be shoes hanging out of the stuck-open doors. Like modern art, only with mud.

High on my list of home additions is a mud room so that I could have lovely shoe storage spots and locker type areas for each kid to dump their backpack, coats, gloves, etc. Some day. Hopefully before I no longer have school-age kids to worry over.

[Pretzel]

OMG, how could I miss this?

To me the Maxwells are a lot like Zsu: Fascinating and horrible at the same time. My favorite fundie train wreck.

Only that those nightgowns for the ABC's make Zsu look like a Stella McCartney reincarnation. Those nightgowns are the *horrorz* and if you know me, you know that Pretzel rarely ever snarks on crafts. :penguin-no:

They still can't just use "they were given", no Sarah -as the fundie world top star writer- uses *gifted*. The language lover in me wants to migrate to another planet on which proper language skills are a requirement for a self-proclaimed author of educational books.

Next: Buying used, saving the...uh, no this is the Maxwells. So their shtick is Used gifts are a blessing. I agree. A smoker and a Weber grill are unbelievably expensive and my wild guess is they are more often than not bought new and rarely ever used, so buying "used" makes sense and is frugal. I've always appreciated that the Maxwells value quality. Saving for a longer period of time or pairing up to buy a product of quality is more frugal than buying cheap crap more often.

Melanie looks exhausted. If there's one fundie mom I'd wish would take her kids and leave the fold, it's her. Girl's been through enough. Doesn't have to be regimented by the king, err, father-in-law. :whistle:

Maxwells working out. I'm torn on that one. On the one hand it's just another sign of them clocking their time and chastening themselves. On the other hand, exercise is great for body and mind and it's a real example of self-control. Plus, at least the Maxwells are properly equipped. Again: good quality shoes and proper attire. No jogging in jeans.

John's cookies. He should bake them for the FJ crowd one day. Just sayin'. :whistle: :mrgreen:

[PityFree]

The Maxwells have made an idol out of writing in the passive voice.

[uber frau]

Don't you mean,the passive voice has been made an idol of the Maxwells?

[bean]

An idol has been made of the passive voice by the Maxwells?

[alba]

Trust me, most Canadians are not fussy fastidious germphobic people. It's just habit. Also laziness, you don't have to clean your floors nearly as much when you don't wear your shoes in the house. :P

I always kind of figured we did it because we have snow and slush for at least a third of the year.

Serious question for those of you who wear your shoes in the house: Do you have snow/rain/wet-sticky-weather? How do you avoid traipsing mud and slush through the house? I'm thinking specifically of that horrible half-melted snow you get in the spring that leaves wet footprints all over the mud room floor even after you've wiped your feet on the mat, the kind that makes me perform gymnastics to reach my slippers without putting so much as a single stockinged toe on the floor. Would you wear snow boots outside and change into clean shoes when you get home? Or do you just not get that kind of precipitation?

What I think is really unhygienic is carpeting. So I don't have any in my home. I take my shoes off when I'm at home, for comfort. I wear slippers instead. I wear the slippers out into the yard too, so they're not clean either. Just comfortable. I have workers at my house these days, and a muddy yard, and they do their best not to track it in, but it gets tracked in, and then swept or vacuumed. Not a big deal.

Carpet grosses me out, but other than that I'm not afraid of dirt.

You know what's really gross? My flat has carpet in ALL the rooms, including kitchen and bathroom. We seriously cannot wait to tear that shit up and put something solid underneath. I don't mind carpet in general, but in the kitchen? Eww.

We wipe our shoes/feet on the doormat.

Still I find an entire company of people in a room having some sort of a party without their shoes on awful.

I don't wear shoes, nor bra in my house when I am alone. I do have a pair of shoes near the door in case somebody rings at my door I don't present myself without shoes or barefoot.

My son aka Cuteneurorad was invited for dinner by a young couple and they asked him and the rest of the guest to take their shoes off of because they had a new floor. Of course he did, he is a courteous man, but he felt quite awkward, wearing a suit and tie (because it was meant to be formal) and no shoes. But they all kept a straight face as they should....

My sister got married last week and had the reception at my parents' house. I took my shoes off the minute I got into the mud room because it's been conditioned in me my entire life that you Do Not Wear Shoes In The House. It didn't even occur to me that it was un-classy :lol:

[Maggie Mae]

You know what's really gross? My flat has carpet in ALL the rooms, including kitchen and bathroom. We seriously cannot wait to tear that shit up and put something solid underneath. I don't mind carpet in general, but in the kitchen? Eww.

My grandmother had carpet in her kitchen. It was the super short stiff kind you find in offices, and was easily cleaned, but still. It was just weird.

I hate carpet in general, but my biggest pet peeve are carpeted stairs. They are SO dangerous and slippery.

[Cartmann99]

My grandmother had carpet in her kitchen. It was the super short stiff kind you find in offices, and was easily cleaned, but still. It was just weird.

I hate carpet in general, but my biggest pet peeve are carpeted stairs. They are SO dangerous and slippery.

Back in the 70s, my parents put carpet in the kitchen and hall bathroom. Bad idea. Children have a tendency to use too much toilet paper and then the toilet gets clogged and overflows. :ew:

We also had avocado green shag carpet in the rest of the house. The long kind that you had to rake to make it look nice. Groovy! :lol: