The 9 things I envy in my childless friend's apartment

People often say that it is sometimes necessary to turn a test into an opportunity. A 1:30 a.m. drive home training allowed me to spend a night out of my house and go to sleep at a friend’s who had just moved into this town. I have forgotten what it's like to live in an apartment where no child has lived yet, as the decorations all matched (and if there's no guy around, how nothing hangs around). Guided tour of what I envy in my friend's apartment:

1. Pretty trinkets at your fingertips: Handmade candle holder, incense-holders and other Egyptian statuettes proudly standing on the lower shelves of the library. In my house, everything less than a 20 metre is a "no-zone" (except for the walls, but that's another problem) and the trinkets goes on the floor as Baby grows up.

2. Large mirrors: In the entrance hall, in the hallway, in the living room. Several large mirrors, it's great to enlarge the room and give more brightness! Only in my mind, mirrors equal fingerprints and pasted food, even breakage!

3. The immaculate entrance: A coat rack with a few jackets, small baskets on the entrance cabinet, a shoe rack. No shadow of a coat hanging around, of a lost shoe; no dried pebble or stones on the ground; no faded daisy, no collection of snails or worms waiting.

4. The sofa without stain: A sofa of a single color, with soft cushions that smell good. Here the sofa seems to have survived the war and despite the plaids that cover it and pass regularly in machine, it is covered with various and varied tasks (some of them unidentified).

5. Small pots in the kitchen: The small pots that are stacked to keep spices, condiments or sweets. I've already tried with curry, no worries; but with Tagada and caramels it's a different story. When it comes to setting the table, kids don't know how to wait for the last shelf with the glasses, but then to reach the candy pots, it looks like they are taking part in a Koh-Lanta event! As a result, goodbye to the candy pots, I put curry and other raisins!

6. The clear coffee table: On my friend's coffee table, a magazine in the corner, a small tray in the middle, candles underneath. On my coffee table: a lost sock, my daughter's dinette, a gnarled pencil, a list of things to do.

7. Silence: The thing I liked most about my friend’s place (after the goat-honey-cumin sandwiches) was silence! Breakfast without screaming, without story, without spilled cereal. To listen, it's not the season, but the surrounding traffic. In less than an hour, my ears were repaired!

8. Clean toilets: it may be a detail for you, but for me it means a lot; clean toilets, with rolls of paper in advance, and even a frame and magazines! At home, I have to spend every day cleaning the bowl and putting pshhit (what's the real name of the pshit anyway?). With four boys at home (yes, I'm counting the daddy in!),"let's get the toilet up!" are quite common.

9. The big vase: You know, the glass vase with an original shape that we put directly on the ground, where we put dried flowers, pebbles, bamboo. You know, the one where you risk yelling "Atttttteeeeeeennnnttinttiooonnnn" every time Baby gets within 2 meters of it. I've wanted one for almost 10 years, and now that my youngest is over 2 years, maybe I'll switch to the other side of the decorations.