DAY FIVE Decluttering Your Home: Family Room

I feel like I've been let off the hook today. Our focus, in Mrs. Cat's posts, is the Family Room, and that is the one room that I keep continually picked up and clutter-free.

That wasn't the case in our smaller home, and I think it had something to do with the plethora of magazines I used to keep and the toys that I'd store in the room and the plants that were forever being tipped over by clumsy toddlers.

In our current living room, there is lots of furniture: big fluffy chairs and couches to sit on and a big screen television. There is only one basket in the room, and that is the one that holds the pine cones for fire starters. It is set near the fireplace. Next to the t.v. is the DVD player and the XBox -- they are just on the floor. A guitar and a drum are near the t.v., and there is a rug in the center of the room. That's it! It's a large space, but we haven't filled it with knick-knacks and tables and lamps and plants, etc. At our childrens' ages, empty space is something they enjoy more than anything. They love to set up the train track or build Lego creatures on the big rug in the Family Room.

No coffee table, no extra bookcases, no plants . We use t.v. trays when we snack in the room (adults only, except in special cases when we lay a sheet on the floor for the children).

The simplicity of the room allows everyone to enter it feeling calm and relaxed. It tends to be everyone's favorite room to hang out, and I think that has to do with the lack of clutter in the room.

If your kids are also young like mine (we have four under age 10), you might want to consider keeping your Family Room more empty than full, too. This not only gives the kids room to play, but you'll find yourself less frustrated as you don't have to worry about them breaking things or spilling potting soil on your carpet!

Here is the link to Mrs. Cat's post (click here).


by Lori Seaborg