Organizing the Landing Zone
June 3, 2010 by Marci
Here is my reoccurring organizing/clutter delima. The landing zone. It’s this little piece of counter between my fridge and my stove. This is where everything that comes into my house lands first. Usually, the stuff gets moved to where it actually belongs, but often stuff just stays here. It drives me crazy! This is how it looked yesterday after I moved the big stack of papers that I needed to go through.
I clean up this area often, but it just piles up again. This tells me that I need a new system. I need to have a plan for the stuff that accumulates here. To start this process, I took all the stuff on the counter and put it into a laundry basket. Trying to sort through all that stuff right there was not going to work.
I took the basket into my dining room and starting putting stuff into piles. I called them: shred, throw away, file, put away, action. After shredding and throwing away, I looked at what was left. Papers that needed attention immediately or just kept for future reference (sports schedules and such), everyday use items and odds and ends (game pieces, barrettes, ribbons, tape, etc.). My next job was to find a home for all this stuff and then make a plan so it doesn’t accumulate again. Here’s how I handled each group of stuff.
Immediate action papers
I used a plain office file folder and marked “To-Do” on the outside to store all the papers that needed attention soon. I placed it in the drawer below the landing area for easy access. Tuesdays are usually my bill paying/paper work days, so I will just add “taking care of the To-Do folder” to my tasks. As important papers come my way that need immediate action, they will get filed in the To-Do folder.
Future Reference Papers
My 3 ring binder is a constant companion. It holds my personal planner, loose paper for notes and folders to keep coupons, kids papers and information I might need to reference soon. I just added those types of paper that were cluttering up my counter to my binder. They are all neat and accessible now. I just need to take those extra 10 seconds and put those papers where they need to go when I first get them!
Odds and Ends
As I write this, I can already see 2 odds and ends that have accumulated since taking my after picture below. There is s broken toy that needs glue and a hair clip I found on the floor. This leads me to believe that I cannot keep this area clutter free 100% of the time. What I can do is make sure that at the end of the day all these little odds and ends find a home. My nightly routine includes cleaning up the kitchen anyway. I’ll just make sure that this area gets cleaned up, too.
Everyday Use Items
Face it. I use my pens and paper several times a day. I am always writing lists and notes. There are also a few other items I use all the time that I would like to keep handy. So, I keep my pretty basket and used it to store my writing supplies, my timer and my camera. My summer purse is small and I need to keep it where I can find it easily, so I decided to keep it on the counter, also.
So, here is my newly organized landing zone!
My kitchen actually feels brighter! Its amazing! Now, my goal is to keep it that way! I am hoping that by incorporating little steps into the routines I already have in place I can keep this area organized. That sounds better and more doable than coming up with a whole new system!
What’s your biggest organizing/clutter delima?
Comments (7)
Hey Marci,
I love organizing and love that you’re keeping it simple. Often we over do it then find ourselves overwhelmed with process.
Always start with something you can commit to, then tweak as you go. It is possible to create new habits and avoid the clutter, but if we make the solution out of reach or overly organized we wont stick to it.
Ginger
Great post…good ideas. For me, all groceries get put away. Shoes go in shoe bin by door. Pocket book on kitchen table. Keys get hung up. Any junk mail I received automatically goes to the recycle bin, along with any old papers, magazines & etc. and any new magazines, papers, etc. go directly in my magazine rack.
I know this feeling. Our entryway is our dumping ground. The culprit is kids junk. I think a hanging rack at toddler height would be helpful, then they can put their jacket and bag up on a hook and shoes away on the shoe rack.
The other place is my bag/purse. Not really a purse, it is actually a cotton canvas bag that I can toss in the wash when it gets dirty, which it does. I end up “cleaning it out” every day or two because half-eaten snacks, straw wrappers, shopping lists, hot-wheels, acorns, clover flowers, and yesterday a random potholder end up in there. I hate to litter, so every little bit ends up in my purse. I only really need all-natural hand sanitizer, lip balm, my wallet, one pen, and cell-phone. What do you do about your purse?
Abbie – Isn’t it funny how we turn into the human garbage cans when we become parents!! Once we got rid of the daiper bag, I went back to my little purse that carries the essentials – lip gloss, hand lotion, $$ and my cell phone. I just keep it on the counter. It actually fits in the little basket on the counter!
Ginger – Simplicity is the key isn’t it?!
Kimberly- Great ideas! Love your simple system. A place for everything.
I’ve got a spot like that in my kitchen too. Well, actually we have multiple landing zones because we just don’t have a great space for that stuff. I’ve been thinking that I need to have a new piece of furniture, like a secretary-style desk, to hide all of that stuff. I’ve got room for one of those in the entry hall or the kitchen. But more importantly, I need to have a better system for dealing with all that stuff (not just hide it in some furniture!). I need to clean up the landing zone every single day (or maybe twice a day)! Just as you mentioned, I clean this area up, but it piles up again. This is definitely my biggest organizational dilemma right now. Thanks for sharing your landing zone ideas!
I am actually laughing out loud as I read this! We have a space EXACTLY like this as we walk into our kitchen which drives both myself and my husband crazy… yet we just can’t seem to stop putting things there.
Officially, it is the “has to leave the house” pile – letters for the postbox, stuff to return to other people etc BUT our own stuff that doesn’t yet have a home tends to linger there.
I clear it as often as possible but I about fell off the chair laughing when you said that a broken toy and hair clip had accumulated already – I would place good money on the fact that those things are on our landing place right now!
Karen (Scotland)
I am so glad I am not the only one with a landing spot. I have a clear, plastic organizer that has magnets and sticks to the side of our fridge. It got so overrun with papers I wanted to put away for later. I finally labeled some file folders and have a place for everything now. But, I am careful to take action before filing papers right away and tossing junk. It’s been working great.
Also, your about me section, I love the description of busy as being under Satan’s yoke- I agree 100%. We must guard our time.
Thanks for a great blog; I look forward to coming back for more inspiration.
Erin