Those Dumping Grounds!

This used to be one of those places, but now stays "fair"

Everybody has them I think!  Call it a "dumping ground" or a "Hot Spot" or whatever..... It's one of those places that members of the family (often ourselves included), come into the house and just "plonk" things down.  Amazingly those 1 or 2 items quickly multiply into a thriving nest! 
No matter how many times you clear it down............. yep - it's back there before you know it!
Now we have lived in alot of houses over the last 27 yrs of marriage, and each house tended to have one.   What you need to do is to adapt that spot to help you manage it all.  Depending on where it is, you might be able to pop down a basket to collect it all.  Really though, alot of it depends on the types of items that get placed there........... is it mostly papers, notes, tools, keys, phones???   Take  5 - 10 mins right now and go look through that hot spot............ see what things are actually there.    Now - do they have "homes" of their own already??  Or is it something that you need to make room for in that spot........eg: at my house the "hot spot" is the kitchen counter right beside the phone....... mail, notes etc get opened and left there and until I get a chance to sort it out, it kinda has to stay there, and I'm also looking for just the right spot to put up a key holder on the wall.......... in the meantime, they also get dumped there, along with little "tool" type items from hubbies pockets etc etc.................... At present, this is my solution:

   I have a "paper holder" to hold all the letters/ notes until I have time to sort them to their homes, a dish for the keys, a little holder with business cards waiting to be sorted into the homestead binder pages, the basket for the nicknacs until sorted properly, pencil/pen/scissor holder and phone with address book under it.  Unfortunately the phone could really be in a far better place, but for now............ this is where it is!   The idea is work around the "obstacles" in your house and make it user friendly - to turn it into a home where people feel relaxed when they come in.
Now if you look closely at this photo, I'm sure you can see the 2 plastic tubs sitting on the lounge room floor......... yes, they are waiting to be stacked full of things from the "spare room"........ but that's a project for another day :)
And don't forget, if you want to take part in the giveaway - all you have to do is become a follower of The 7 Pillars Home before the end of September.  Details are in the post titled "give away".