Comments on: The landing strip

By: Obsessive- Compulsive’s Guide: Top 12 Organizing Tips, Plus Resources | zen habits | simple productivity

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 01:14:00 +0000

[...] 12. Create a landing strip. When I get home, I empty my pockets and put everything onto a tray near my doorway. My wife does the same. Keys, purse, my ID and cash, cell phone, anything. This way it doesn’t get tossed on our counter or table, and we never have to look for it or forget it when we leave. See Unclutterer’s article on The landing strip. [...]

By: karry

karry — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 20:26:54 +0000

A good dog would end your concerns of a front-door burglar. Heck, even an indifferent one can make a big impression. Or do what I did for my sister. I recorded my Rottie mix barking and now it’s part of the doorbell ringer. “Everyone” knows she’s got a huge guard dog that can’t be trusted around people.

By: ratgrrrl

ratgrrrl — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 21:43:40 +0000

i highly recommend greendimes.com to help limit junk mail (i was getting *way* too many catalogs - bad for both environment & pocketbook).

also, re burglary - if a thief is determined enough to have already gotten into your house, i’m not really sure it matters how convenient your wallet, keys, etc are to the door. unless you’re in the habit of hiding all that stuff in a very clever place every time you get home…in which case, no, a landing strip probably isn’t necessary for you

By: JodieM

JodieM — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 08:45:12 +0000

I agree with Mail being a problem. I now have a post office box and only pick up my mail once a week. I sort it whilst I’m still in the car and drop the rubbish and junk mail off in the outside bin, so only the real stuff even gets into the house and then goes straight into my inbox in the study.

By: Kris

Kris — Thu, 31 May 2007 04:24:43 +0000

Where the heck do you guys live that burglary is such a big concern?!? (This coming from a safe and happy Canadian)

By: Mohammed (UAE)

Mohammed (UAE) — Wed, 30 May 2007 16:22:49 +0000

Backing up Ellen — May. 18, 2007 at 10:30 AM.

Another robbery trick is to push a long wire through any hole in the door (such as a letter box, or even from underneath the door!) and pull any objects to the door. If that includes keys, they’re straight into your house using that trick. Yes, it is a skill. But that is their trade and some of them are skilled.

Beware.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Wed, 30 May 2007 16:13:46 +0000

Brent — The concepts of Parent and Uncluttered need not be mutually exclusive. I’m a single parent and manage to be rather organized, especially where the landing strip stuff is concerned (and no, it’s not by the door). Yes, kids are clutter machines by nature, but they are also trainable. They grok rather quickly the benefits of reasonable organization and even purging stuff — having a place for stuff means quicker cleanup which means more time to play, and getting rid of old forgotten stuff means more room for cool new favorites. Of course, kids’ willingness to declutter themselves depends on their parents’ attitude. If you view decluttering as a productive, kind, or even fun activity, the kids will learn to see it that way as well.

By: Chad

Chad — Wed, 30 May 2007 15:15:32 +0000

Who says this thing has to be right by the door. I have a small bowl (that would fit in the tightest of apartments) on top of my dresser. I come in and plop the contents of my pockets (wallet, keys, change, etc) into the bowl. When I am ready for them again I know exactly where everything is located. Great idea for keeping organized. And to the person that said “kids and UNcluttered don’t mix” well all I have to say is that kids don’t potty train themselves either. Teach them to “go potty” and you save yourself diaper changes. Teach them to be neat and organized and save yourself even more cleanup time.

By: ClintZ

ClintZ — Tue, 29 May 2007 21:28:41 +0000

great idea, leave everything a robber needs right by the entrance!! keys, wallet, purse, why don’t you set up a jewelry box there as well?
(just saw ellen’s response, glad I’m not the only one who thinks about this stuff)

By: Jim

Jim — Fri, 25 May 2007 15:37:41 +0000

We have a similar device in our home, except we’ve been calling it “The launching pad.” While we do drop things there on our way in, more often we use it to put the videos that need returning, the forms, etc. that need to be sent in to school, and so forth. Of course, we’d be smarter if we separated the take-off and landing strips.

By: Holly

Holly — Fri, 25 May 2007 14:03:52 +0000

I love this idea. Thanks for sharing it! I look forward to setting up a landing strip of my own.

By: brent

brent — Fri, 25 May 2007 07:10:03 +0000

cont’d. (sorry).

the concepts of Uncluttered and Parent do not mix.

Kids are clutter machines.

By: Lib4

Lib4 — Fri, 25 May 2007 06:01:37 +0000

The mail thing is tricky…with the constant flow of junk mail each day, I find it much easier to sort out the junk mail everyday right away and toss it out. I only keep my bills and magazines in the inbox. Of course my fiance puts it all together and I have lost important mail that gets caught up in the junk mail flyers and ends up getting thrown out.

To each his own

By: SusanO

SusanO — Fri, 25 May 2007 02:57:49 +0000

This is what works for me with mail:

I have a good looking basket just inside the front door. When I come home I immediately sort out the junk mail and toss it in the basket for weekly recycling. If it’s a bill, I just pop it into my bag to take into work, which is where I do all my online payments. Ditto with magazines, which get read on the train.

It works for me because I dread dealing with large stacks of accumulated items. Others may not have this phobia.

By: Jerry Brito

Jerry Brito — Thu, 24 May 2007 20:59:04 +0000

Ernie- I didn’t advise readers to “wait for mail to come certified.” I simply said that if it demands your immediate attention, it’ll probably be certified. Everything else, including bills, can wait a couple of days (until the weekend, say) to be opened and dealt with. I do this and I manage to pay all my bills on time, timely RSVP to wedding, etc.

TiVo has taught us that we don’t have to watch a show when it’s on; we can watch it when it’s convenient for us. Why should mail be any different? Why should we have to read it today because the mailman came today? Same goes for email and RSS feeds. Learn to batch and do these activities when it’s convenient.

By: Onyx Mueller

Onyx Mueller — Thu, 24 May 2007 20:46:40 +0000

Same concept, but I call the “Landing Strip” the “Destination Station”. This name comes from the idea of having several stations around a home, which many people have a tendency of creating/having without ever labeling it with a name.

By: James

James — Thu, 24 May 2007 20:45:21 +0000

I use part of a kitchen counter as the place where my keys are located (on a hook) and where I leave things to be used Monday-Friday. That way, I always know where the keys are located and this expedites my decompressing after work or recreation, as well as leaving.

By: Ernie Oporto

Ernie Oporto — Thu, 24 May 2007 19:45:05 +0000

Waiting for mail to come certified sounds like the complete other end of the spectrum - totally neglecting it. Then again, my bills all come in my email and the paper mail is all junk mail.

Hmm… who’s up for Kramer’s idea of cancelling their mail?

By: Jerry Brito

Jerry Brito — Thu, 24 May 2007 18:17:42 +0000

Wait wait wait… People still send out paper invites for parties? In envelopes? With postage? A few days before the event? I wouldn’t want my kids consorting with those folks. ;o)

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 24 May 2007 17:58:20 +0000

Wait wait wait…once a week go through your mail? You must not have kids. Party invitations often come the same week as the event in our community. Better to know about them some time other than the day of.