Billions of Shoes.

January hits and I want change!
I look around my house and everything starts to "bug!"

I need a solution for my non-mudroom house. I'm sick and tired of coming in my back door and tripping over or stepping on shoes and backpacks and coats...winter is the worst!
I am so sick of millions, Okay, billions of shoes being stashed right at the back door. (I'm not exaggerating!) It's a hazard! I put a shoe rack there, thinking that might solve the issue, but it just made leaving shoes more like an invitation. Every week- I would tell the boys and Laila-- "you can only have one pair of shoes on this rack!!"
I wouldn't actually "tell" them, as I would "scream" at them about their shoes.
It wasn't so bad when we had "little" feet in my house--- but three size 10 and two size 13 shoes take up a lot of space! Add my shoes and Laila's to the mix, and we have billions of shoes! (Again, I'm not exaggerating)

We also have a school back pack and school book issue. Where to put all of this? My dining room has become the catch all. The table just get's piles and piles of piles put on it....and once a week, for Sunday dinner, we clear it off and put it all by the back door. Not working!

Anyway, It's a dilemma. What to do?
Solution:
I bought a cupboard yesterday to house all of this stuff. I moved everything away from the back door-- and put it into a cupboard. I chose a cupboard instead of an open shelving system, because I want to shut the doors and not see any of it.

I measured and remeasured to make sure I would buy the right cupboard for my 4 foot wall...I got a steal of a deal at RCWILLEY-- a scratch and dent. I like a bargain and I'm okay with scratch and dent furniture. When I have anything in my home for longer than an hour-- it get's scratched and dented anyway. This includes people.

I forgot about the light switches on that wall!!!! I wanted to screw hooks across the inside of the cupboard to hang stuff up, and secure the cupboard to the wall--but-- now the cupboard has to sit away from the wall so we can turn on and off the lights in the kitchen. The mess is hidden, but the whole thing is not working as well as I envisioned. I don't want to keep it away from the wall too much, but Monson and Wayne can't fit their hands behind it to get to the switches. Oh well. We'll have to have designated, skinny hand, light turner- on'rs in our family now.

I guess when I finally get the kitchen remodel of my dreams, and the little 4 foot wall is finally gone, this cupboard will move to the basement anyway.

In the mean time. My billion shoe issue is gone. On to the next room and what "bugs" me.