The Only Type-B Perfectionist You Will Ever Meet

So I can be a perfectionist. Yet annoyingly, I am sure, I am not a perfectionist about everything. There are some things I care a lot about doing correctly, and others I could give a flying rat.

Things that don't need to be perfect:

My hair- I try, but I am not one of those women who will shellac their hair into submission. I always have little flyaways. I have always just washed my hair, put some mousse or gel in it, and then nothing. I blow dry my hair perhaps three times a year.

My clothes- I try to match, and a goodly percentage of the time, I do. But, sometimes I just want to get out of the house pronto, and if the shirt is a little off with the pants, people are just going to have to deal. Ditto with the shoes.

My car- I used to lovingly wash my old car every week when I was in my late teens and early twenties. In between the vents I would go with a moistened Q-tip, because my car was an extension of my cool self. Uh, now it is littered with sippy cups, pretzels that Mr. Personality licks the salt off and discards, water bottles, paper, the list is dizzying and so not cool.

My patio- The second after it is clean, two things are sure to happen. 1) The wind will kick up and blow leaves into it. 2) Mr. Personality will dump toys and/or dirt all over it. I waved the white flag long ago.


Things that do need to be perfect:

Mr. Personality's hair- His hair must be shellacked into submission. He has all these crazy cowlicks, and his hair likes to taunt me by sticking straight up. It must be all smooth and combed, or else we don't leave the house. We are thinking of giving him a semi-buzz cut this summer just to make things easier.

Cleaning- I sure don't clean all that often, but when I do, it can't be one of those slap-dash jobs. No smudges, not even a missed centimeter of surface can get by Gina the Cleaning Nazi.

Work- While in the workforce, I was very picky about how I did my job. Everything had to be just so, on my desk as well as my reports. I had systems in place that assured everything I needed to get done got done on time, and well.

My makeup- I don't wear a lot of makeup, so this one is not too hard. My biggest pet peeve is unblended foundation, but as I now only wear tinted moisturizer, it is not so much of a concern. Also, not ONE of my eyelashes can have any of that "cakey" stuff on them.

My parenting- I put probably too much pressure on myself to act appropriately at all times. This is my most frustrating one, because I am far, far, from being a perfect mom.

Hubba-hubba- No explanation needed.

Comments

Awesome Mom said…
Evan has those horrible cowlick thingers too and it drives me nuts. I have buzzed his hair for a few months now and that has simplified my life quite a bit and he looks cute in it once you get used to it. I am very much a perfectionist about how my kids look, me? not so much
oshee said…
My sons have awful cowlicks too. When my oldest reached about 6 yrs old, we decided to give up the fight of bedhead and he usually has some form of buzz cut. Then he looks good anytime. It also seems to show off his amazing blue eyes with the hair out of the way. My girls' hair I see as much more reflection of me...heh. So, they rarely leave the house with my tugging and pulling it into some sort of hairtie, curling iron or clip. I could probably save myself the trouble if I were to just buzz them too. LOL
I am a perfectionist with some things..and not with others too. It just means we are smart. We know what is really important and what can wait.
Suzanne said…
Perfect parenting? But there is no way to define perfect parenting and there are too many variables to ensure what one does is perfect, despite the best intentions. Good luck with that!

I guess on your list laundry falls under "clothes" instead of "cleaning?" :)

Suzanne
J said…
Hey Miss, I'm with you on the mascara...I HATE the clumps, and am always in search of the perfect mascara. Sigh. Haven't found it yet.
Hope said…
By child # 2 you will have given up on perfect parenting.
Piece of Work said…
I say, give it all up! (Except for Hubba Hubba, of course) :)

Oh, and your hair has looked fabulous every time I've seen you!
Suzanne said…
Cowlicks (son) and flyaways (daughter) are my nemesis. I rarely win the battles, though.

Can you come clean my house? I need someone with standards of some sort, since I operate under the "perfect is the enemy of good enough" mindset when it comes to cleaning...
karla said…
I used to be so damn anal about alot of things. I wouldn't leave the house, not even for groceries, without makeup and nice clothes on. I pretty much was mortified if someone came over and the house wasn't cleaned or a dish was left out. Since loosing Ava, my perspective on so much has changed. I'm OK wearing yoga pants, my hair in a ponytail and no makeup to run errands. Company can see I am not perfect and don't have a perfect home, and mostly, I try and focus on what's really important. That being said. I still must buy only ass-pefecting super expensive jeans and mascara that costs as much as our monthly cable bill. Apparently, vanity is something I will never let go of.
Melodee said…
Not one thing is perfect in my life. I gave up the illusion long ago.

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