Wednesday, September 05, 2012

"Hot Spots"?

Happy Wednesday, y'all! Today is actually my Thursday, simply because tomorrow is my Friday. And because of the holiday, I didn't work Monday, which makes today my Tuesday as well...have you gone cross-eyed yet? Either way, I know my work-outside-the-home week is almost over, and that makes me almost giddy with excitement! Post-holiday weeks are always the worst at work, so I'm always happy to say I lived through another one.

On to the topic de jour: hot spots. We all have them...every single home. I don't care if you're cluttered and unkempt or a minimalist with next to nothing. Every home has a hot spot (just because it's under control doesn't mean it's not still there...it just means it's, well, under control). My hot spot (ahem, or my main one) is the dining room table.

This is not at all a picture of my table, sadly.


We have a few problems with our table. One, it's large. It's a round table with two leafs in. Two, our dining room is not large. It's not really even its own room, as it's joined with the living room. It's also long and narrow, so the table has to be pushed up against one wall so people can walk through the room. So half of the seating for the large table isn't being used. Third (and most important)? Clutter.

Oh how there's clutter.

Our kitchen is also small (did I mention this is a house meant for one, maybe two people? And we're five people...do the math and it's not pretty). I use my bread machine enough that it's out all the time. And let me interject your thoughts for a moment: Yes, I cheat and use my bread machine for the dough mixing and rising parts of bread/rolls/pizza crust/etc. I may dislike much of the technology available these days because it's so addictive and easily obsolete, but some of it really does make life easier. And I *can* make bread without it...unlike some kids doing math without a calculator. {rant over} So the machine stays on the corner of the kitchen table at all times.

The remainder of the clutter? It's just that...clutter. I fold laundry there, I put my purse and notebook down there when I walk in the door from work, kids papers from school get set there, mail gets put there, you get the idea. I have made it my goal to keep on top of this area by making it habit to just deal with stuff as it comes. There is no other way about it. Very little of this is trash. It's just stuff that needs a place other than the table.

Here's the thing about so many people living in such small quarters: you get to realizing how much stuff you really have. And truly, much of our stuff (furniture, knick knacks, books, etc.) is out in the garage. The furniture is all mom's. Since this was supposed to be more temporary than it's turned out, we didn't even bring most of our stuff inside. That means that this is stuff we've accumulated since we've been here.

Not. Good.

So I'm hoping that much of this will find its place in a "giveaway" box, which will then find its place in the back of the van to get taken to goodwill. This is the only solution I see. Once it's gone, staying on top of this "hot spot" will be the only solution.

Do you have your own hot spot? Or two? What area in your house gets the most abuse, and what's your method of dealing with it?

Today I'm linking up with Raising Homemakers

No comments: