31 Days 13: "Dump Zone"

Everyone has them.  Those areas of your home that your family dumps their stuff every day when they get home.

Honesty moment:  I am the worst offender in my house.  When I get home from work, I have my laptop bag, my purse, my cooler and pump, my kids bags from daycare, possibly a diaper bag, and whatever else I may have grabbed on the way home.  Between my 8 trips to the car to get the kids and my stuff all into the house, I just pile it all up in one spot.  For shame!

No matter how many times I have tried to organize this space, it inevitably accumulates more stuff.  So I tried to change the habit.  But here's the thing: the dump zone works.  There, I said it.  It is simply easier to have one place that I dump all this stuff so that #1: I always know where it is, and #2 it's all in one place when I need to grab it the next morning on my way out the door.

But it looks like crap.  I find myself putting all of these things in their designated "homes" when company comes over, but the next morning I have to go around to all these different places to get all my stuff.  Not very efficient.  This stuff needs to stay in the dump zone, the dump zone needs to be it's home.  So the only solution seems to be to somehow hide the crap in the dump zone.  And the easiest way to hide a mish-mash of stuff is a bin.

So I added a few.

And look at the difference!  No, they are not a perfect fit.  But the were $6 each on clearance at Target, they match my kitchen decor, and they neatly hide all my junk!

I added a few cute $1 cans to collect small junk like change and pocket items.

I've had these nifty pantry crates for a while that I couldn't figure out what to use for.  They work neatly as potato and garlic storage.

I added a serving bowl for fruit and put my breadmaker on the shelf with the toaster oven.  This way it's not taking up valuable counter space.

Last, but most importantly, I removed one of the glass jars I was using to store snacks.  I had one for granola bars (a staple breakfast at my house), and another for snacks.  This became a problem after Little Man caught me one day trying to scarf a twinkie without him noticing.  Then, of course, I had to share with him, which proceeded with him asking for a twinkie for breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner EVERY SINGLE DAY.  So I put them in a bin in the pantry, and used the jar for another fun project I will share with you soon.  Out of sight, out of mind.

So how about you?  Where is your designated dump zone?  How do you keep it under control?

31 Days of Organizing Projects Using What You Already Have