We had a kind of classic rules family, she says.
Shoes were left at the door so they didnt track dirt onto the floor.
Kids pitched in to keep their rooms tidy.
My job is so social, she says.
Of course, because she has two kids under 5, quiet is a relative term.
Q: What special touches make a house feel like a home to you?
Im always so impressed by people who have cut flowers and a lit candle in their home.
I love a peony or a hydrangea, a big, puffy colorful flower.
I also love when I go to a house and their kitchen isnt pristine.
I want to have a tacit policy in my house that you might help yourself.
You dont even need to get a napkin or a plate.
Just get a snack.
Im not going to pin this on him because I love snacks, too.
But we always ensure we have little crunchy snacks out for him.
Its the same with my Dad.
Credit:Andrew Eccles
He picks up my daughter every single day and drops her off at the house.
Its such a luxury that we have, and a nice bonding thing for my kids and their grandfather.
My favorite gift to receive during the holidays is a popcorn trio!
Credit:Andrew Eccles
Those big tins of delicious popcorn.
So, great snacks!
That, to me, is what makes my house feel like a home.
Mindy’s House Rules
The list is short and sweet and easy to stick to.
Q: Are you a dish rinser or anti-rinse?
I rinse, fully.
I dont even know why that is.
I think that has to do with how you were raised.
Dishwashers might be better now, but you still have to clean the gunk out of the bottom.
Q: What house rules did you grow up with?
Wemade our bedsevery morning.
We had tofold our own laundryand put it away.
Everyone pitched in and had different chores.
We had some pretty standard family values.
My mother couldnt stand an unmade bed, and I have inherited that.
I hope to instill that habit in my kids when theyre older.
For me, I like to listen to Aaron Copeland when Im cooking.
I love his music because its so inherently cinematic.
I love The Chicks and always have.
I really love soundtracks when Im cooking, too.
Its very transportive and very fun.
Im very susceptible to the power of music making me feel like Im in a different place.
Im very basic that way.
Andrew Eccles
Q: Do you have any hosting rules?
This isnt a rule so much as just a comment.
I dont have a rule about it, but Id prefer a jam, or a Christmas ornament.
Q: Do you write at home?
I write from bed.
Now that I have kids, its become their playroom.
Thats where all of their books and board games live.
There are lots of dolls and a massive collection of toy cars and trucks.
So I work lying on my stomach on my bed.
Anytime I had a desk where I was supposed to write, I never did it there anywhere.
People who know me are surprised by how shy I am and how private I am.
Im the quintessential introvert that has my six friends and avoids making a lot of plans.
Q: What are some common misconceptions people have about what a TV writer is?
I think there are some misconceptions about what a comedy writer is like.
I think when youre in comedy, people expect you to be on all the time.
People who know me are surprised by how shy I am and how private I am.
Im the quintessential introvert that has my six friends and avoids making a lot of plans.
Thats insane, because I do love to entertain, but its a very controlled environment.
I think Im more serious than people expect me to be.
Q: How do you feel about your garden?
Ive never had a garden that I havent killed.
There are certain flowers I love, likehydrangeaandgladiolusandpeonies.
Our hydrangea in our yard hasnt died yet, which is good.
My parents would haveraised garden bedsin our yard and it became a war with the rabbit and the deer.
They gnawed on all of it.
So I sort of have this idea that its a lot of trouble.
I cant do it.
I couldnt tell my kids that the chicken died.
I like color but I want it to be elegant.
I like tasteful and joyful.
I like color but I want it to be elegant.
I like tasteful and joyful.
Q: Do you have a motto, or a family mantra, that you live by?
A big mantra in my family was never complain, never explain.
And I love that, in theory.
My parents were very successful at doing that.
But my two joys in life are complaining and explaining!
(laughs) I actually have it embroidered on a pillow.
Its a good thing to remember, even if I dont always live by it.
