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    Home » Home Tour

    Our (Real Life) Summer Home Tour

    Published: Jun 15, 2017 · Modified: Aug 6, 2022 by Simple Stylings · This post may contain affiliate links · 29 Comments

    Our (Real Life) Summer Home Tour

    Happy Thursday friends! Two posts in a row, can you believe it?!?!

    Well, today I'm super excited because it's summer home tour time and I decided to go out on a limb here and show you our current 'summer' home. Like the everyday, grind it out, mess of a house. I know, I know these tours are supposed to be full of pretty and tidy home pictures but let me explain...

    ...These pictures are REAL.LIFE. The backdrop is still pretty, our kitchen is still bright and airy but the beautiful mess that is summertime for us is just part of the scene. June is our busiest month of the year with school ending and camps beginning, my son's birthday and our family being knee deep in travel lacrosse season.

    Most of you know what our house looks like on a bright, sunny day, when it's picked up, and even photographed by a professional. But if you are visiting from It All Started With Paint, I apologize in advance for this non-traditional home tour...but I hope you do appreciate this little slice of our life and stick around to see more!

    By the way, isn't Linda's home (It All Started With Paint) gorgeous?!?! There are so many great homes on this tour so make sure you check out the full schedule at the bottom of the post. And a huge thank you goes out to our lovely host, Marty of A Stroll Thru Life! I truly enjoy being a part of these tours each season! And let's hope she doesn't kick me out for showing you a different take on our home :) Thanks Marty, you're the best!

    ***

    So without further ado, welcome to our mess...I mean home :)

    Meet my little man. Yep, that's the face I usually get when I ask him to do something like smile for a photo or go brush his teeth or clean up his room. Regardless of the expression, this is what any given Monday or Wednesday evening looks like before lacrosse practice. We typically eat dinner around 4:30 or 5pm then another snack around 8pm after practice.

    Our (Real Life) Summer Home Tour

    And yes, that's Grits on the counter stalking the burrito!

    Our (Real Life) Summer Home Tour dinner

    Our (Real Life) Summer Home Tour burrito

    The squid hook where my purse usually hangs has been replaced by our backpack cooler that I keep filled with drinks and snacks almost on a daily basis.

    Our (Real Life) Summer Home Tour cooler

    Herbs sit in the kitchen window sill and grow until I finally quit watering them and they slowly drift into herb heaven.

    Our (Real Life) Summer Home Tour herbs

    Magazines lay around patiently waiting to be read. This one is usually the only one I end up actually reading.

    Our (Real Life) Summer Home Tour magazine

    Here is look at our bar. In other seasons you may see it sporting a bouquet of flowers or neatly arranged with trinkets and little led string lights, but in the summer it looks like this. Just waiting for someone to grab something from it to take to the pool, over to the neighbors house or out on the boat.

    Our (Real Life) Summer Home Tour bar

    Click the images below for more info:

    [show_shopthepost_widget id="2708705"]

     

    The living room floor is typically littered with lacrosse equipment, multiple loads of folded (or unfolded) laundry and a couple of kitty cats being mischievous.

    Our (Real Life) Summer Home Tour laundry

    Our (Real Life) Summer Home Tour lacrosse

    This is actually pretty clean for the playroom but remote controls are usually tossed to the side mid game as I'm hollering at my son to get ready to go on to the next thing.

    Our (Real Life) Summer Home Tour playroom

    Beds are unmade and little man's summer reading books are stacked as high as they can be without toppling over...but they do often topple over :)

    Our (Real Life) Summer Home Tour big boy room

    Our (Real Life) Summer Home Tour bed

    Even my bed goes unmade, a habit I would like to break at some point but I really wouldn't hold your breath.

    Our (Real Life) Summer Home Tour master bedroom

    [show_shopthepost_widget id="2708815"]

     

    Oh and did I forget to mentioned suitcases sitting unpacked waiting for the next weekend to be packed up again at a moment's notice?

    Our (Real Life) Summer Home Tour luggage

    I work from home most days so my coffee station stays dirty, you just can't see all the coffee stains in this picture :)

    Our (Real Life) Summer Home Tour coffee station

    There are a few sacred places that manage to stay tidy or are just in general more easy to pick up. Most days I am able to muster up enough energy to straighten the sofa pillows and throw the blankets into their basket.

    Our (Real Life) Summer Home Tour sofa

    Our (Real Life) Summer Home Tour blankets

    My office usually stays a little neater than the rest of the house (because I don't have an 8-year-old Tasmanian devil running through it 24/7) but it's still a little cluttered for my taste!

    Our (Real Life) Summer Home Tour office

    Our (Real Life) Summer Home Tour shelves

    Let's not forget about the outside. This is what summer looks like: towels and bathing suits hanging on the deck railing and an overgrown yard and garden. Our backyard grows pretty lush in the summer and the gigantic river birch tree is in dire need of trimming!

    Our (Real Life) Summer Home Tour towels

    Our (Real Life) Summer Home Tour garden

    On a positive note we do have a lot of pretty things growing including my FAVORITE hydrangea bush! All of the flowers in my photos over the next few months will come from right here!

    Our (Real Life) Summer Home Tour hydrangea

    So what do you think? A breath of fresh (real life) air or are you over there calling me crazy behind your computer screen :) Either way this is what our summer looks like, at least through lacrosse season at the end of the month. I keep telling myself to make it to July, then I'll do ALL.THE.THINGS. But let's be honest, shall we? The chances of that actually happening are slim my friends...very, very slim. Well, if nothing else I hope your chaos is a little less chaotic than ours. At least it's #FRIDAYEVE!

    ***

    Make sure to continue the tour and hop on over to 11 Magnolia Lane as you will want to see what Amy and Christy have up their sleeves! And I guarantee their tour will not be a hot mess like ours :)

    Monday – June 12

    A Stroll Thru Life

    Pink Peppermint Design

    Cuckoo4Design

    Nesting With Grace

    Life On Virginia Street

    Decor to Adore

    Tuesday – June 13

    Thrifty & Chic

    21 Rosemary Lane

    Decorating Delirium

    The Chronicles of Home

    Hymns & Verses

    My Sweet Savannah

    Wednesday – June 14

    Life Love Larson

    Making Home Base

    Inspiration for Moms

    Duke Manor Farm

    ZDesign At Home

    Our Fifth House

    Thursday – June 15

    Life & Home @ 2102

    It All Started With Paint

    Simply Stylings

    11 Magnolia Lane

    Remodelando La Casa

    Southern Hospitality

    Fri – June 16

    Refresh Restyle

    Far Above Rubies

    Our Southern Home

    Simple Details

    Haneens Haven

    Common Ground

    Cheers!

    More Home Tour

    • 2020 Bright + Fun Christmas Home Tour
    • Our 2019 Festive Christmas Living Room
    • Home of The Month: Home of Little DeKonings Take 2
    • A Simple Fall Home Tour 2018

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rika

      June 16, 2017 at 9:28 pm

      Perfect! Just the kind of tour I needed to see. Thank you for being REAL!!

      Reply
    2. Diego Lopes

      June 16, 2017 at 5:30 pm

      I love how honest these pictures are. And your house looks amazing! I must note, though, that the picture with the cat was my favorite one, hahaha. Thank you for the tour!

      Reply
    3. [email protected]

      June 15, 2017 at 7:09 pm

      Love your "real life" home tour. Summer is to short to be obsessing over a clean, organized house.

      Reply
      • Simple Stylings

        June 16, 2017 at 2:43 pm

        I totally agree! Thanks so much Jennifer!

        Reply
    4. Stacye

      June 15, 2017 at 6:48 pm

      My favorite tour yet! So refreshing to see someone post real life. It makes the rest of us slobs that usually feel inadequate because our homes are picture perfect feel that maybe we really are normal. Have a fun summer!

      Reply
      • Stacye

        June 15, 2017 at 6:50 pm

        That should say aren't perfect.

        Reply
      • Simple Stylings

        June 16, 2017 at 2:43 pm

        Aww thank you so much Stacye! That makes me so happy to hear! xoxo

        Reply
    5. Christy @ 11 Magnolia Lane

      June 15, 2017 at 2:38 pm

      Yes! Summer is the season where we should be allowed to let it slide a bit, right?! I just shoved my piles of stuff to the side while I was photographing, but I like your idea better! XO, Christy

      Reply
      • Simple Stylings

        June 15, 2017 at 6:35 pm

        Ha! That's exactly what I typically do Christy but I didn't even have the energy for that this week lol!

        Reply
    6. laura janning

      June 15, 2017 at 12:34 pm

      kinda looks like my house most days. I love Grits checking out the burrito picture. Happy summer!

      Reply
      • Simple Stylings

        June 15, 2017 at 6:36 pm

        I'm glad I'm not the only one Laura! Grits is a rascal :)

        Reply
    7. Sandy

      June 15, 2017 at 11:29 am

      Loved your real life home tour! I think this was one of my favorites! Keeping it real! Your home is beautiful!

      Reply
      • Simple Stylings

        June 15, 2017 at 6:36 pm

        Thanks SO much Sandy! I really appreciate that!

        Reply
    8. Laura Ingalls Gunn

      June 15, 2017 at 10:49 am

      This just might be my favorite home tour of all.Let's hear it for unmade beds, piles of laundry and more time for fun in the sun!

      Reply
      • Simple Stylings

        June 15, 2017 at 6:36 pm

        Amen Laura! Thank you so so much! Happy summer!

        Reply
    9. [email protected]

      June 15, 2017 at 10:44 am

      LOVE your keeping-keeping-it-real-tour and love a kitty on the counter while eating because that's how it is at my house ;) you know it.

      Reply
      • Simple Stylings

        June 15, 2017 at 6:37 pm

        I feel better knowing your cats are the same way Julia! Thanks so much friend!

        Reply
    10. Marty Oravetz

      June 15, 2017 at 9:26 am

      Keeping it real looks good, and not a mess, just how life goes. Love how you put your family first. Thanks so much for joining the tour, such a fun one to see.

      Reply
      • Simple Stylings

        June 15, 2017 at 6:37 pm

        Very true Marty! Thank you for the wonderful tour as always!!

        Reply
    11. Vel

      June 15, 2017 at 8:40 am

      I think your "real life" home tour is what summer is all about! Your simple yet chic style still emanate dear and I love it! So honored to share this home tour with you! Cheers!

      Reply
      • Simple Stylings

        June 15, 2017 at 6:38 pm

        Thank you SO much Vel! Happy happy summer!

        Reply
    12. Kelly

      June 15, 2017 at 8:21 am

      I have three kids (11,9 and 4). In the summer, my house is never neat or uncluttered. Thanks for showing real life!

      Reply
      • Simple Stylings

        June 15, 2017 at 8:32 am

        Thanks so much Kelly! I'm going crazy with one so hats off to you for doing it with 3!!! Happy summer!

        Reply
    13. Glenda Harder

      June 15, 2017 at 7:57 am

      Your home looks real, especially with an 8 yo. The others are beautifully staged. Thanks for sharing the truth of real life.

      Reply
      • Simple Stylings

        June 15, 2017 at 8:13 am

        You are very welcome Glenda! Most of the time I love to share pretty home tour pictures but I was feeling pulled to show what our summer really looks like :)

        Reply
    14. [email protected]

      June 15, 2017 at 7:25 am

      My favorite summer tour yet. Thanks for keeping it real girl!

      Reply
      • Simple Stylings

        June 15, 2017 at 8:14 am

        Awwww thanks so much Ashley! It's crazy 'round here that's for sure!

        Reply
    15. Gina

      June 15, 2017 at 6:33 am

      Love that you're keeping it real!

      Reply
      • Simple Stylings

        June 15, 2017 at 8:14 am

        Thank you Gina! xoxo

        Reply

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