Good Grief. That's what I mutter to myself every time I walk past this.It never goes away. As soon as I finally carry all the junk upstairs, a new collection has already begun to form again downstairs. Our piles of junk reproduce like bunnies around here. I have no idea how to stop it.
I need your help. Advice. Tips. Something.
And, do not suggest that maybe my stuff could grow legs of its own and put itself away...I already thought of that...not likely to happen. Also, you should not suggest that members of my family *cough* actually put their own stuff away...the junk growing legs is far more likely to happen than that.
*OK, so some of the stuff on the stairs is mine...but in my defense, I am the one putting it away... *smiles*
Happy Day, Friends!!
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I completely understand about the "junk." However, I do not have stairs, so mine ends up on the dining room table. Every day, or sometimes every other...usually when we actually need to sit down and eat a meal...I find myself separating this "junk" into little piles according to whom it belongs. Sometimes it gets "put away", sometimes it ends up in some other inconspicuous place.
ReplyDeleteI hope others out there in bloggy-land have some advice. I'm not much help!!
You are not the only one.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any great solutions. Like you, our stuff piles up on the stairs. I just try to remember to grab something every time I go up or down to keep the pile manageable. But that's not really a solution, is it?
I once heard some super organized neat freak type person say that the key to keeping the house looking great is to not walk by it. Always be picking something up and putting it away.
ReplyDeleteUm, whatever. Like THAT works.
I ignored that advice. That's why my house looks the way it does. *blush*
I grew up with the "if it goes upstairs, set it on the steps." My husband sees that as a travel hazard so per his request it rarely happens.
ReplyDeleteWhat does happen is it lands on the above mentioned counter and never makes it upstairs until I make a special trip.
Sorry, no quick fix here!
Have you seen those cute baskets that are cut out to hug 2 or 3 steps? My mom still uses one...The junk becomes part of the decor and when it's full, you can haul a load upstairs.
ReplyDeleteYou need to separate those shoes. I am suspicious that they are getting a little bit too closey closey ;) and have begun reproducing... just a thought.
ReplyDeleteI am just happy that I am not alone... ;)
ReplyDeleteHMMM- that looks just like our stairway- and hallway- and the other stairway- and that one kitchen counter. Oh well, what are you gonna do? Last time we had people coming over I actually just took the huge pile of stuff off the counter, dropped it in a box, and hid it in the coat closet for a few days!
ReplyDeleteat least your stairs aren't the first thing people see when they come to your door....ugh!
ReplyDeletestairs are always a catch-all spot aren't they? i give each kid a spot, like the stairs , the closet, garbage, and it is theirs. at the end of the week i give them a buck for each spot they mastered all week. it doesn't matter whose stuff it is, they still have to put it away and do it all week. it seems to work. they have a choice to do it each day but when they don't do it, i give their spot to a different kid and they then get their moola. helps to teaching them tithing too. anyhow, no bribery here!! have a good one!
ReplyDeleteMEL: I am SO gonna steal that idea! You are a genius.
ReplyDeleteMaybe a big basket at the bottom of the stairs to drop "junk" in. Unfortunately, if your family is like mine, they will drop everything beside the basket and the basket will be empty but the clutter will be all around it. Good luck because we have these clutter problems everywhere.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have stairs so every thing here gets put on the washer or the counter or my dresser or the table. My house is just one BIG mess!
ReplyDeleteMichelle
I'm no help. The island in my kitchen is our junk collection site. When people come over, I scoop it all up and put it in the laundry room. When company leaves, I scoop it all back up and on the island it goes. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteAnd now, that really REALLY annoying phrase, "A place for everything, and everything in its place!" is ringing in my head.
I feel your pain! My stairs look just like yours. I try to never go upstairs empty handed, and if every other family member would follow my suggestion I think we could actually make some progress. But they don't seem to even see that stuff piling up as they walk right on by.
ReplyDeletefound you through wendi's blog...and LOVE this picture and post...seriously, because it is SO my steps! so my life! right down to the CVS bags! i will admit that some trips up i think, why bother carrying it up..there will just be more there next time. i keep thinking i'll get some kind of "system" to deal with it...but alas, no luck on that yet!
ReplyDeleteHi there . . . I have this same problem on the stairs and on the kitchen island - my solution to this problem . . . I have a basket that I put items into that accumulate on my kitchen island that need to go upstairs. At the end of the day, the basket goes upstairs and things get put away. If any items remain after the basket goes upstairs and the kids are told to put away their things, the item becomes my property and the child it belongs to must EARN it back by helping around the house. If the child is not interested any longer in the item after a few days - it is up for grabs and goes to the one that offers to help me and completes the task.
ReplyDeleteI personally feel like you can leave anything, anywhere since you are going to be the one to pick it up. Now, if I could only get my husband to understand that! Smiles!
ReplyDeleteLOL!!! Love it. Growing up, my mom assigned us each one stair. When we had clothes or items on our designated stair, we had to take it up. The stairs were mostly cleared every night at bedtime.
ReplyDeleteI find myself doing the same exact thing! but at 1 and 2 years old, they don't exactly "get" it yet, so I, like your junk, grow legs or arms and do it all. Drives. my. husband. crazy. tripping. on. our. junk. but it doesn't seem to be THAT big of a problem when I tell him he is welcome to carry it up if it bothers him. LOL
Is there a place somewhere over there to help out with tornado relief? I have a couple cribs and changing table, movies, TV, clothes, blankets, dishes, and s.t.u.f.f. Know where I could bring that??
I'm lucky! My stairs have a door that I just shut! It's the rest of my house that needs a makeover!!!
ReplyDeleteMMMM HMMMM. Me too.
ReplyDelete