Before & After: A Clutter Hot Spot
This little table is in the corner of our dining room. It’s main purpose seems to be to collect my clutter. Here it is in all it’s cluttered up glory.
In this mass of clutter you can find:
- Thank you cards I wrote months ago, but haven’t mailed
- Coupons – some expired
- Discharge papers from the hospital after Noah’s birth (IN APRIL!!!)
- Christmas napkins my mom gave me in April
- Grace’s baby book
- A newspaper from the day Noah was born
- and sooooo much more!
Basically, I’m dealing with things that never found a good home. Noah was born and I just started making piles instead of dealing with it. I do this all. the. time. I can’t blame it on the birth of a new baby. It is a constant problem.
My husband has been getting tired of this mess. Can you blame him!?!? I finally took some action.
Ta-da! The table would look better without the awkwardly placed brown drawers, but those drawers are there to help me keep my clutter under control. They’ve been working great, huh? ha!
This clean up took me about 2 seconds. Wanna know my secret?
That’s right, folks. I found an empty bin and stuck everything inside.
I do not recommend this style of cleaning!
This bin is now sitting under the clutter table. Please, please, please harass me on Facebook and Twitter until I get that thing emptied!
Do you have any wisdom for me on how I can keep this spot clean?
This post is being linked to Women Living Well and Thrive At Home.
Haha! My kitchen table is like your catch-all table. Tell you what, you pick at me about my kitchen table and I’ll pick at you about your bin.
I’ve obviously found the right site! My kitchen counters look like the “before” of your catch-all table and I simply CAN’T seem to find places for the many items there. Will someone also pick on me about that? However, I refuse to pick on anyone else for “sins” that I, too, am guilty of.
Have you made any progress on clearing off our counter tops? You can do it!!!
I have this same issue. I combat it by removing the surfaces where I stack junk like that. Remove the table. This works until your junk migrates to your dining room table and clothes dresser in the bedroom. There have been some nights where we have had picnics on the floor because I have been to tired to clear off the dining room table! Any tips for THAT?!?!
Our grandparents would say: A place for everything and everything in its place. I am mulling over what my junk is, what place I can designate for it (NOT a horizontal surface)… My minimalist sister would probably say the circular file – but that’s a whole nother issue 😉
Looks great! We have a catch all area, too, which gets out of control quickly. I really have to stay on top of it to keep it neatly organized.
Also, I noticed the little red bag in your picture. I bought several of those last year to support FreeSet and used them as Christmas bags for my girlfriends. They loved them:))
Enjoy your Tuesday…
this says it all 🙂
http://shine.yahoo.com/at-home/junk-drawer-could-set-house-fire-203200535.html
Aw, come on! Junk drawers aren’t even safe anymore?? Geez.
Somehow I came across your site. It was part of a list of other sites to visit, and I must confess it intrigued me because we have the same name spelled the same way (not something I come across often 🙂
Then I read this post and it was me to a tee. Yes, I am guilty of being a “pilot” but not the airplane flying kind..the pile it here and pile it there kind. Little piles everywhere on my desk and a couple of table tops. When I want to clean , I often do like you and put stuff in a box , which then goes in a corner or under something. This post made me laugh, as I can SO relate. I work on chipping away at these little piles when it gets on my last nerve haha (which needs to be more often). My one pile is exactly like the pile you describe here too…Christmas thank yous never sent, letters people sent via mail that I keep meaning to reply to, paid bill statements not yet filed away , magazines unread, and who knows what on earth else!
It appears we have a little more than the same name in common….haha
LOL – That is great! I love the “pilot” term. I’m going to have to remember that.
I LOVE your style of cleaning! Ha! Ha! I’ve used it on occasion myself! 😉
I use that style of cleaning way too often. Thankfully, I’m not alone! 🙂
I adore you. We’re cut from the same cloth =)
Unfortunately I have no suggestions as I am a pile queen! =)
Great job! I learned that trick from my mom growing up. lol
Hi 🙂 I came across one of your posts on Pinterest and it led me to your site and all of your wonderful posts. I love it! I can relate to so many of the posts and am trying to become better about keeping my house organized and clutter free. I have a couple of catch-all areas that I will get cleaned off, only to attract the clutter again within a few short days. My bakers rack in my kitchen, my office desk, and my utility room shelves are my struggle areas. I desperately need guidance!
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Good luck finding some guidance for decluttering here! haha! I will gladly join in your pity party and be a relatable friend who also struggles with mess. I’m really good at that!
well darn you burst my bubble lol.. I do this kind of cleaning 😉
I’m sorry this wasn’t the cleaning miracle you were hoping for. Haha! The sad part is that the bin of junk was left under that table for well over a year!!!