Where do you and dh put your personal stuff when you walk in the door?

[one l michele]

Meaning keys, bags, cell, etc.?? Looking for an alternative to the counter being a catch all.

[Doran]

Meaning keys, bags, cell, etc.?? Looking for an alternative to the counter being a catch all.

It is my opinion that stuff will land on whatever is the first flat, available surface. We enter our rental house through a side door, pass through the laundry/mud room and through our school room/office before we get into the kitchen. So, our stuff ends up in the mud room and office most of the time. If you can create an alternate flat space - table, baskets, bench -- that might solve your problem.

Doran

[orangeblossom]

Keys and wallets go on top of the fridge in a bowl. Cell goes in a small bin for electronics (phones, rechargers, ipods, etc.) on the counter below an outlet. Mail or papers go in a magazine holder right next to the electronics bin...it's still on the counter but neatly contained.

[nukeswife]

We hang our coats on that and my dh keeps his wallet and keys on top of it. There is also a small "telephone" table/plant stand thing next to the stairs and that's where I put my purse and keys. They are right by the front door so it's convienient.

[Laura Corin]

Laura

[Ellie]

the coat to the coat closet, my purse on a hook we put up on the wall by the garage door, books to the bookcase, groceries into the kitchen...everything put away. Really. It can be done, but it does take consistent nagging to remind all family members to do it :-)

[Tutor]

Keys and sunglasses get put on hooks by the door. We have a bench next to the door, and we will put bags underneath that (usually all that goes here are the kids' church bags or maybe a package we picked up or umbrellas). Coats get hung up in our bedroom closet. Phones get put on our desks where our chargers are. My purse goes on the floor next to my bed, and dh's wallet and his computer bag go next to or on his desk.

[WTMindy]

usually in my purse which I hang by the door. Dh never puts his things anywhere except in our bedroom in his dresser drawer otherwise he won't remember where he put them. I have a cute little decorative tray that I put all mail or business items that dh needs to do something with. That stays on our counter, but I try to keep it pretty neat.

[kalanamak]

plus a coat rack and baskets on the floor under the hooks for shoes. My purse and keys go up on my hook. Hubby puts his coat, keys and colostomy bag...I mean fanny pack, on his.
I have one halfcircle basket on the wall for sunglasses, etc, and a little one for outgoing mail, etc.

[Mrs Mungo]

we have a key/mail rack by the door. We hang our keys on the hooks, put sunglasses and cell phones in the mail part. I have a basket on a shelf by the door for mail and my purse goes on the shelf.

[Plaid Dad]

I have a basket on the kitchen counter that holds my keys, wallet, etc. It's simple, and I never have to search for my keys.

[Kelli in TN]

I put my purse on the back of the rocking chair in my room, keys and cell phone inside it.

Dh used to dump all his stuff on my sewing table in our room. So I made a big sign that read Unless it is sewing related, do not put it here! and when he still did it I picked it all up with a big, dramatic sigh and shuffled over to his nightstand where I just let it drop.

I never said I was really a very good wife. Just incredibly lucky that I can act out and he forgives me.

Now he has a spot on our big bathroom counter where he puts it and I have dropped the dramatics!

[Whisperlily]

I bought a smallish wicker box with a rounded top. (It's slightly like a treasure chest.) It sits on a shelf in our living room, right where we start setting things down. It holds DH's keys, cell phone, wallet, etc. It looks good with the top open, decorative even. If it's closed, nobody would know what was inside. (although they might guess that's where to look if they were really searching.)

All of my things stay in my purse, and sit near my desk, a little further into the house. :)

[DIY-DY]

Meaning keys, bags, cell, etc.?? Looking for an alternative to the counter being a catch all.

I have a lovely, 6-ft. long shelf in the foyer, just as you come in the front door. It has a nice, deep shelf, and 12 hooks for coats. Beneath it is a bench w/ space for bags and shoes and such.

DH and the boys made it for me, and that's where my stuff goes - keys, bag, coat. I love it.

DH, on the other hand, puts his keys on the shelf, his wallet on the breakfast bar, his jacket over the back of the first available chair. His pocket brain goes on the kitchen counter, and his glasses usually in the bathroom or on the dresser. And just to make sure our mornings aren't too dull or lazy, it's a wild guess where he'll put the cell phone! We have to call it every morning and hope the battery isn't dead. :)

I read in Julie Morganstern's Organizing From The Inside, Out that we're more likely to have success with our organization planning if we build the space to accomodate how we live. The foyer shelf/coat rack was my attempt at that, b/c it's quick and easy to keep things near the door that I need on my way out the door.

But there's no way I can install enough shelves and coat racks to keep up w/ DH. It's okay, though, I didn't marry the man for his housekeeping skills. ;)

[j.griff]

:confused:
Stuff? Personal stuff?
Um, I don't carry a purse- I keep my ID card, Drivers License, and other cards in my back pocket, I keep my keys and my cell phone in my front pockets, and thus there is nothing of that nature for me to put down when I come inside. DH has uses a tortilla basket that's on top of the frigde :)

[gardenschooler]

We do exactly what J.Griff does. I try not to ever carry a purse - that's what pockets are for! I even have this http://www.pantechusa.com/web/guest/c3b teeny-tiny cell phone just so I won't have to carry a purse.

The girls, on the other hand, come home and put their stuff all over the dining room table. They have too much stuff!!

[RoughCollie]

We have hooks on the wall for the kids' coats, umbrellas, and canvas book bags. We put our coats in the foyer closet. We have a re-purposed buffet in the foyer. Our stuff & DD's stuff goes in the drawers (gloves, DH's mail, sunglasses, scarves, water shoes & goggles, karate belts) and the boys' similar stuff goes in baskets on the shelf below. I have a glove rack for wet gloves and a shoe rack in the foyer, too.

Workout bags and backpacks go into the foyer closet. The kids snow boots are on the floor under their coats, and ours go in the foyer closet.

We also have a bookcase in the foyer, and library books and currently used schoolbooks are put there.

Our keys go on hooks in the kitchen. My cell phone stays on my desk. DH's cell phone is usually on his nightstand. He has a car phone and is usually at the office, so he doesn't take his cell with him unless he needs it.

I keep my purse in the den, hanging from a hook on my desk -- I just put my driver's license, money and cell phone in my pocket when I go somewhere. We have tables with drawers in the den, so the dog's stuff stays in his drawer there.

[mrscopterdoc]

I got tired of fighting with dh to stop putting his wallet, keys, and phone on the counter so I bought a nice looking basket to set up there that he could toss the stuff into. It hides it all, looks nice and he's happy.
All my stuff is in my purse and goes on the shelf 3 feet from the counter that he apparently can't make it too.:D

[Mrs. Readsalot]

I put things away, and dh dumps everything on the counter. I did get him to put change in a jar. I consider this a huge accomplishment. I will take what I can get.

[lynn]

On top of the filing cabinet in the laundry room as we walk through from the garage. Keys get hung up on the cup hooks under the cabinet.

[Tammy in Germany]

My hubby has a beautiful korean chest for keys and a copper bowl for change and pens. Everything else goes to the closet or put away in our bedroom.

[cricket1178]

the coat to the coat closet, my purse on a hook we put up on the wall by the garage door, books to the bookcase, groceries into the kitchen...everything put away. Really. It can be done, but it does take consistent nagging to remind all family members to do it :-)

This is what I do, too. I walk to the coat closet and hang my coat. I have also taught my dc and dh to do the same. Mail goes in the desk, cell phones ARE on the counter, but we have a basket we hide the phones and cords in. My purse gets carried to my bedroom and put on a shelf in my closet (keys inside). Dh has a basket on his dresser where he keeps his keys and wallet. I can honestly say that nagging is to a minimum because this is how we have always done it. Sometimes the kids are tempted to put their coats over the chairs, but they quickly gather them and take them to the closet.

[JudoMom]

a plastic bin on the shelf in the coat closet. This is where his keys, wallet, and other needed items go (except for his pager, this is on the kitchen counter so he can hear it if it goes off). I also place all paperwork that needs his attention in the bin. My purse goes on the washer in the laundry closet (with keys inside). I deal with all paperwork/mail immediately and put it where it belongs. We have no cell phones.

[Daisy]

We park in our garage so I leave my purse in the car. LOL. It's the only way I'll remember to bring it with me. My kids leave their shoes in the care. :D

The rest of it goes where it belongs. Usually that just means books, groceries and the like.

DH drops all his stuff on his dresser in our bedroom. Gets into the car to leave and remembers his cell, wallet and keys are clear on the opposite end of the house. :rolleyes:

Oh, we have hooks in the garage for jackets. We also have most of our shoes out there in nooks. So if the kids ever take their shoes out of the car, they just go in a nook. My kids hate shoes and only wear them when we are going somewhere.

[Tammy]

and that either goes on the kitchen counter (not in the way) or in my bedroom by my bed. My cell phone is usually in the living room....on a side table (on the charger).

Tammy