28 January 2014

{homemaking} the cluttered table

Does your kitchen or dining room table ever drive you to the point of insanity? 

Seriously! 

When did it become okay for these beautiful pieces of furniture to become the catch all for hats, toys, receipts and purses?

Our dining room table is tucked away at the front of the house and is {normally} cleared off and ready for the next meal. However our adorable little Jokkmokk kitchen table from Ikea is "conveniently" located by the bottom of the staircase and the door going to the garage, which is where we most often enter and exit our house. Because of this, children and adults alike feel the apparent magnetic pull from the wooden table to drop their stuff. Oh, the STUFF!


So, what do you do to resist the magnetic pull? {I'm so glad you asked!}

You SET THE TABLE. At least that's what I finally did yesterday. If the table is set, it makes it quite difficult to throw stuff onto the flat piece of elevated wood. If you're bound and determined to drop off your junk, of course it can be done. It just proves to be a more taxing task. 

"How have we been doing?" you ask. 

Well, for the last 24 hours, our little table has been stuff-free!


The settings don't have to be elaborate. I would suggest putting out placemats, plates, napkins and silverware, at least. If you only put out placemats without dishes on top, the temptation is too strong to lay your stuff on top of them. PLUS, it makes for a beautiful table. These are some cloth napkins I have my eye on. If there is ever a day I can justify the price, I will buy them. Otherwise, I might just have to go to JoAnn and purchase material to make my own...might be more fun anyway!

Keeping my home tidy is important to me. It's not spotless. With three, almost four, kids, spotless is nearly impossible. However, in my opinion, it's my job to keep it comfortable and clutter free. Who wants to walk into a house that's in shambles? I know I sure don't!

So, if you're wondering where to start when it comes to organizing your house, the kitchen table might be the perfect place for you to begin!

I'd love to know...
What have you done to eliminate the table clutter?
Do you feel like this is a job you could spend five minutes tackling right now? {I promise you'll feel so accomplished!}

Blessings to you and yours.

2 comments :

  1. love this!!! my problem is opposite of yours. we eat daily on the kitchen table so that table for the most part stays clear and ready for whatever meal is next. my dining room table is the one that seems to accumulate all of the junk. we mostly enter through the front door so as we come in the house its just easy to place our things on the dining room table. I have thought many time about setting our table to avoid the clutter.. But Emmanuel and Cinco are at the age that make this difficult.. i dont know. maybe i will set it when they are sleeping and see how ling it takes them to notice..lol.. i love this idea. plus i jusst love the look of a set table!

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  2. I think your idea will work, Laura! Let me know how long it takes them to pull everything off the table. ;)

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