Another Problem Area

A while ago, I asked for descriptions of some of the biggest problem areas in your homes. Today we'll talk about one of these, which was submitted by joyannasmom.

Where: living room couch (sectional)
What: clean clothes, jackets, books, blanket, diaper bag, my purse, crayon box
Why: I know I need another bookshelf -- one for my kids' books; clothes we set there to sort through "later"; I do not have a set spot for my purse or keys.

Yikes! If you don't have a set spot for your purse or keys, you've got bigger problems than a messy couch. Right now, before you do anything else, take a walk around your house and select a logical, convenient, and easy-to-reach storage spot for your keys. This should be somewhere very near the door you most often use to go in and out. You can use a basket or cup or hook, but whatever you do, don't make it more complicated than it needs to be. (None of those fancy cabinets where you open a little door and then hang your keys on a tiny hook inside. One you've shut the door again, you've had to do three separate actions, and that takes too much effort.) I toss my keys into a small basket that sits on top of a cabinet beside the door.

Once you have designated a "key spot", stick with it! It won't take long to become a habit, and eventually you'll wonder how you ever got along without it.

Next, find a place for your purse. I don't want mine stored quite so close to the door, so it goes behind a specific chair in a nearby room. You might use a cabinet or other small space; the key is to make your "purse place" convenient but also fairly out of sight, for security reasons.

Once you have a designated purse place, stick with it! Again, you'll easily develop this habit, and in the long run you'll be very glad that you did.

Hopefully, you found help with the clean laundry problem from previous posts. We'll look at more of your mess the next time.