A Haven for Vee

Friday, February 4, 2011

Messy

Life can be so messy. I'm speaking literally here. There's no way to keep ahead of it. A few days ago, I noticed that my bank's lobby looked like a sand pit. My own back door dumps opens directly into my living room and is in danger of looking the same way. If I were ever to design a home again, it would not be this way.



There's Molly. She tracks in a lot of sand, snow, and ice.


Here's my new door mat. You can see that each little trench is filled with snow and sand. The flat monkey was not tracked in; he actually lives here now.

Now this is one of my favorite solutions! A plastic boot tray filled with rocks. It really helps collect the boots and allows them to drip dry right there. After a couple of weeks, I rinse out the sand and start all over again. No, it's not my idea; I found it in a magazine (wish that I remembered which one). I know that Martha Stewart uses this idea with old cookie sheets, but I didn't want to risk the rust from metal, hence the plastic.

I hope that my reward for having a productive day at home...you know, actually getting some things done, will be visiting you. Catch you later!

27 comments:

  1. I am off to find some stones to make one for my entrance too. What a great idea! I am sure I have a tray somewhere which would do.... hmmmm... my cupboards may be upturned. And I may or may not have to end up sorting them out.
    The wind still howls and it is still cold, but no snow round here. Actually, the snow would be preferable to the endless greyness.
    Where was I...stones...I need stones....

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  2. That is a wonderful solution.
    Many of the shoes in our family come off in the garage. That brings problems all their own but at least the salt and mud stays out there.

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  3. Molly's looking pretty innocent if you ask me! :-)
    Good idea with the rocks on the plastic tray. I haven't seen this idea since I lived in Iceland when I was a kid. And you're right..it works great!

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  4. How clever! If I lived in snowier, wettier country, I'd be having that right at my doorstep.

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  5. Great idea Vee! I don't know how many shoes and boots are in our mudroom/laundry/back entry right now. But I know I would need at least 3 or more of those trays. It's maddening! I keep having "them" take their shoes up to their rooms, but slowly, down they all come and well....I gave up! Great idea though!

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  6. What a great idea! I have one of those boot mats just inside my front door but it just collects melted snow and stuff...

    Love your header. :)

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  7. Thanks for the ideas...this Texan may need to learn it...we are covered again today! Not something we are use to...I want my 70 plus weather of a week ago! We have been stuck in for a week, and I am eating everything in site..it makes you want to cook...I couldn't live up north or I would be huge.
    Stay warm and enjoy your projects. As we have a taste of life up North.

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  8. The tray of rocks sounds like a pretty good idea, but I can't see me rinsing it out often enough. But, I can just imagine the phone calls..."what are you doing?" "Oh, just washing my rocks". LOL Sorry, I haven't had my morning caffeine, yet. :D

    I agree this is a messy time of year with all the snow and then when the snow ever melts, it'll be muddy. Yuk...I hate dirt.

    Have a good day!

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  9. Our dog,Rowdy, tracks in a lot of grass and I'm constantly sweeping the floor. Got any good ideas for that?

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  10. I love this idea. I will have to remember this when we are at my summer camp, wandawega for the winter.

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  11. We usually come in downstairs through the garage. In the front we have a little foyer where there are tiles which are easy to keep clean.
    Have a great Friday.

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  12. Hello My Sweet Friend

    I tried the old cookie sheet idea and you are right - rust! Love this ides even more:)

    Hope all is well there and that the sun is melting some of that snow! We're supposed to get more snow and sleet overnight...

    Oh well at least I'm home today - not feeling great but still home and snuggled in.

    Enjoy your day Vee!

    Leann

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  13. Hooray for any/all dripping boot tray ideas!

    Oh dear, you would have to remind me that I should be having a productive day today, around here. Last evening I announced that all over, things are getting messed-up, around here. A little bit of mess here and a little bit of mess there, really begins to wear on me. It hangs over my head, and makes me kind of anxious.

    So, I was going to rectify the situation. Geeeee, with all the bothersome stuff that life and the world can send us, why not neat-up what we can, hu? :-)

    Mmmmmmm, and here I sit. Glued to computer. Posting and reading blogs and commenting. -sigh- Must get a move on! ,-)

    Hugs and ♥'s...
    'Cause Valentine Day is coming!

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  14. Great idea (the rocks)...and it looks nice too.

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  15. I caught on early to place stiff mats outside and soft fluffy cotton bathmats inside. The tiny grains held by trace water get absorbed by the cotton mat. Weekly I toss them in the wash. For awhile I had white cotton bathmats and boy could I tell how much dirt they stopped. The rocks would help keep the plastic boot trays from scooping around, a problem I hadn't been able to solve. Thanks!

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  16. I have a big plastic boot tray with a lip all around it that does not leave my foyer all winter! Boots are taken off immediately. I've always had a "shoes off" "slippers on" rule in my house, as it really does keep the house cleaner and healthier.

    It's sunny here today ..off to run more outdor errands while I can!

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  17. I have my boot tray in my garage by my garage door entrance. Not the ideal place, because in the winter, the boots/shoes get cold out there in that garage! We just don't have a space inside the door to place it.

    Love the rock idea....
    Hugs,
    Penny

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  18. Vee,

    I love that rock in the tray idea for drying boots! I am going to have to hunt something up like that to use here. I am sitting here watching some of your fluffy stuff dropping outside my window, want it back?

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  19. No, feel free to keep it and play in it and enjoy it. :D

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  20. Now that's a great idea for taming the mess that comes with winter shoes and boots.
    Little Miss Molly looks so cute in that picture. Hard to believe she could create any messes :).

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  21. It doesn't matter where you found the idea. ..we'll think of it as Vee's idea hence forth.

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  22. Oh, I like your boot tray. It is messy and melting today here also. Yuck. But better than bitter cold. David phoned me at work (late at the office!) and said that 2/3 of the snow melted from our yard today. We can pretend it's spring!

    xo Terri

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  23. great ideas! i read a book once about
    decluttering and he emphasized NOT
    letting dirt or clutter in. hello!

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  24. That is such a great idea! I hear when it comes to dirt everywhere...my 11 year old son seems to leave a trail of destruction wherever he goes!

    Best wishes and happy weekend,
    Natasha.

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  25. Everyone takes off their shoes (when wet or muddy) in our entry hall..I'd love a tray but with such a large family, it would have to be 5 miles long. :) I have tile so it cleans up easy..
    My daughter and I are always wishing there was a spray that, after cleaning house, we could spray it all and it would stay perfectly clean for one solid month...hey, I'd even take a week. :))

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  26. Vee,
    This is a wonderful idea. I was thinking of creating a sign...two dogs, two teens, a house guest and a husband make for lots of wet sandy footprints on my wood floors.

    Love this idea, thank you for showing what it looks like. It also encourages everyone to leave their snowy wet boots at the door.

    Karen

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  27. What a great idea, Vee! Thanks for sharing this ... I'm going to look for stones this week. My entry way is the same ... salt and sand, wet boots and gloves ... I'm looking forward to spring! But then again, it's the season of mud. Not sure what's worse!! xo

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