Keep it simple, make it work #4.3 You´ve got mail!

Yes, you do. Even with all the web based activities we still get mail. The paper kind.
How do you handle your mail?

Day 1: bills. I put them first so we can deal with them and get them out of the way. ;) Designate a "bills central" together with your cheque book, pen and stamps. Here you can pay your bills at places like  Rapipago. After they are paid file them.A few weeks ago I burnt 10 years worth of old bills. Want to see the bonfire? Check it out!

Day 2: catalogs and fliers. Just two words: be ruthless. Have a look. Interesting? Read. Put a Post it note on the things you want. Place it on catalog tray. Not interesting? Directly to recycle bin!

Old travel catalogs and fliers off to be recycled

Day 3: "real mail" letters (does anybody still get any of those????) and cards. Display seasonal cards (birthdays, Christmas, holidays, etc). In the search for space, toss the envelopes and keep the cards. That is if you are the memory keeper type like me. :D Show boxes are fine, pretty boxes are better.

letters to Santa 2005

Day 4: newspapers and magazines. After the newspaper is read it goes to the recycle bin. Magazines have a longer life. You can choose to get rid of each old issue as soon as the new one comes in, send them to the recycle center once per semester or collect the ones that have timeless practical information like needlepoint or antiques.

Day 5: outgoing mail. Designate a place for paper pad, envelopes, stamps and spare cards to keep them all together. Yes, I have an old fashion paper address book. ;)

Day 6: list days. Get your calendar, write in all the due dates for bills and birthday cards to be sent.

appointment diaries and lists

Day 7: your day off but I´ll give you a task. Write a Thank You card. Are you the daring kind? Write a love letter!

I´m paticipating in Mary organizes Link party . 

Keep it simple, make it work #4.2 Clothing in the foyer

"Your entryway is the first and last room your guests see, so creating a welcoming and memorable space is key. An entryway is more than a simple doorway; it’s the space where the transition is made from the exterior, public world to the interior, private world. The entry or foyer also offers visitors the first view of your home, so its significance is greater than its size. "

 "In reality, this means that entryways are drop zones. Car keys, purses, grocery bags and backpacks — not to mention mail, cell phones, and shoes, coats and scarves — all end up being carried into in this space. Visitors are often squeezed in amid the many everyday items. Serving as a bridge between private and public spaces, a place to meet guests, and an area for controlling the clutter of everyday life is a lot to ask of one small space. Meeting all these needs without overwhelming either the room or the people in it takes careful planning."

From Houzz.com

What do you do with your jackets and accesories when you arrive home? Let´s find a place for everything so we can put everything in its place. :)

Day 1: handbags and backpacks. Do you have a place to hang your bag? We added a side table to the desk under the stairs for the kids backpacks. Don´t look too closely at the desk. ;) We´ll handle that next week.

Day 2: jackets and scarves. Do you have a place to hang your coat? What about the scarves? I usually wear lightweight ones so I wear them all day long and they go to their shelf at night. Nowadays more and more my scarves find their way to my daughter´s room. Lol!

Day 3: umbrellas Do you have a designated place for the family´s umbrellas? Do you have a place for wet ones? If you go back to day 1 and look at the side table you will see Tatiana´s umbrella and my own. Matias (17) has decided umbrellas are not cool and doesn´t use one and hubbie keeps his in the car.
Why this picture? you ask. Because that is the corner where our umbrella basket would have been if we had ever bought it! :D

Day 4: boots Picture this scene. muddy boots, wet shoes, nice clean floor. What do you do?

Day 5: hats and gloves. Do you have a special place for them when you arrive home? Do you put them immediately away?

Day 6: Saturdays are lists days.

Day 7: take a day off. Rest and do something fun.

Keep it simple, make it great #4.1 The landing space aka the drop zone

"Your entryway is the first and last room your guests see, so creating a welcoming and memorable space is key. An entryway is more than a simple doorway; it’s the space where the transition is made from the exterior, public world to the interior, private world. The entry or foyer also offers visitors the first view of your home, so its significance is greater than its size. "

Halloween

birthday party favours

Spring

Easter

 "In reality, this means that entryways are drop zones. Car keys, purses, grocery bags and backpacks — not to mention mail, cell phones, and shoes, coats and scarves — all end up being carried into in this space. Visitors are often squeezed in amid the many everyday items. Serving as a bridge between private and public spaces, a place to meet guests, and an area for controlling the clutter of everyday life is a lot to ask of one small space. Meeting all these needs without overwhelming either the room or the people in it takes careful planning."

From Houzz.com

Let´s get to work!
Day 1: The house keys. Designate a place where all the family can leave their house keys. If you look carefully you will see a silver box on our mantelpiece, that is my place to leave my keys when I come in. :)

Day 2: The car keys. This is specially important if several persons drive the same car. Running around the house looking for possible places where the keys might be is not the best way to start your day.

Day 3: The wallet. Trays work very well for this. Dump the wallet and credit cards here and you won´t have to look through purses and pockets for them.

Day 4: the phones and the phone chargers. Do you keep your phone on you at all times? Do you place it by your bed at night?

Day 5: random stuff. We all have this. Random bits of paper with lists and phone numbers. Hair bands, bubble gum packets, sun glasses, water bottles ...
This is where it gets tricky because we are dealing with family habits that might prove hard to break but there is hope. ;)
First we need to go through what is already there. We throw out what we can. Eg: write all the phone numbers in your address book and discard the paper scraps.

And we find a home for the other things. If you don´t know where somebody else´s things go take them to their room. They (or maybe be you) will deal with that later.

From this point onwards your new mantra is "Don´t put it down, put it away". Use it for yourself and sweetly ask the others to help you on this as well. You can do it. They can do it. Make it into a game, time the process, make up songs, whatever makes it fun (or challenging for those who like the thrill) for all involved.

Day 6: Saturdays are lists days.

Day 7: your day off.