Keeping It That Way

Note: this is NOT my dining room! :)

One thing I have come to realize is that a space that has been thoroughly decluttered and made tidy and beautiful begs to be kept that way. In fact, it is much easier to keep it clean when every nook and cranny has been cleaned out and it has been given a proper face lift.

Over the last couple of days I have been working through my dining room. My dining room consists of a bar that FLYlady would call a HOTSPOT, a buffet, our dining table and a china cabinet.

Once upon a time, my dining table was a dumping ground. When my oldest was little we used to have to push the junk to the center or back of the table in order to eat. Those days are long gone thanks to FLYlady; however, I no longer use her methods because they are a bit difficult to follow for a large family. I am grateful for the things she did teach me in those early days.

She is one who made me aware of hot spots...those places where junk multiplies. This is what my dining table used to be and somehow of late, had become again. So, yesterday, I cleared the table, cleaned it up, and put together a nice centerpiece. It hasn't taken a whole lot of effort to keep it that way.

The buffet needed only a small amount of tidying and the china cabinet is in good shape. However, the bar...oh, the bar. UGH! It is NEVER clean. It has massive amounts of paperwork on it and I am convinced it multiplies in the wee hours of the morning. This "little" project is taking days to complete.

As I think about my hotspot nightmare, I realize it is going to take some serious organization to make it stay clean once I get it that way. But, I really am at a loss as to how to organize it. It's the place where everything that will need attention at some point in time lands. It is the proverbial "catch-all". I've set the question before the MOMYS and now I set it before you, my readers, as well. HOW do you organize a space like this? I'm hoping someone out there has an answer, because until I get this space organized and looking neat, I doubt I can keep it that way!

That said, the rest of the room is looking ship-shape and is a real joy to view. I get a thrill out of tidy rooms. I find myself smiling and sighing. As long as I position myself just right so the door to the basement hides the bar, I can look upon my dining room in utter bliss.