Know Thy Drop Zones

Person walks through the front door after a long day at work, person chucks the keys on a small table by the door, tosses bag on the floor, jacket over a chair and the mail and keys on the counter. On the way to the bathroom, person picks up some toys, balls or random items along the way and piles them on the stairs creating a cluttered tripping hazard.

Baskets! Baskets! Baskets! They come in many shapes, sizes, colors and some have lids.

If you are short on time or come across “lost” items daily, baskets are a perfect solution for drop zones. Place two by the main entrance if there are more than two people living in the home. Place two big baskets in the family room, one for blankets and one for random personal items that gather in the communal spaces. So when a family member yells out, “where’s my _____?” you can say, “retrace your steps and check the baskets, sweetheart, honey, love muffin, ooggebooboo.” At some point they will get it. Give it time. Add a basket at the bottom of the stairs to collect things that found their way to the lower level. This allows you to bring the basket upstair when you have time to replace the items and it reduces the tripping hazards around the house. Baskets are also a life saver when unexpected company stops by for a visit. Your home will always look tidy and your visitors will be unaware of your dirty little secret. Try it.

Michael’s offers 50% off all baskets for most of the year with World Market and Ikea having great selection of baskets and sales throughout the year.