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stefoodie
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| Posted: Aug 27 2007 at 3:32pm | IP Logged
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Moms, I need to ask --
do you have your own personal workspace?
If yes, where is it located?
Who's allowed to put stuff there?
I've got mine in what's supposed to be the breakfast area -- between the kitchen and the dining area (which is really supposed to be part of the family room/living room but I needed the space). I've got a small dining table here that I use as a desk, bookshelves, a file cabinet, a trash can. I thought this was the easiest spot for it/me to be in since it's in the middle of the house, it/I'm accessible to everyone.
HOWEVER! I'm now rethinking, as for the past year I have struggled to put out the BURNING HOTSPOT that my desk has become. I already put enough stuff in it to make it worthy of its name HOTSPOT, but everyone else puts everything else on it too! I've told them that I'm the only one authorized to put stuff on it so I don't get overwhelmed, but so far no one is listening.
I should just call my inbox my incrate. If it gets any worse I'll be calling it my inblackhole. 
Any suggestions? How often do you put out your hotspots? (I should probably say, that's a Flylady TM term.)
Maybe I should just migrate. Or not have "my own area". Sigh....
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stef
mom to five
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Maryan
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| Posted: Aug 27 2007 at 5:17pm | IP Logged
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I have a little desk in my kitchen. I'm the only one who puts stuff on it -- but, boy, do I put stuff on it. It's perpetually a hot spot.
My kids are too little to try to put stuff on it and my dh uses another shelf in the kitchen for his "launching pad" - to use another Fly Lady term. 
I TRY to clean it every Friday, but... it's been a few Fridays since this has seen cleaning. 
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
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Paula in MN
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| Posted: Aug 27 2007 at 5:19pm | IP Logged
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I've got my computer and my file system in the office. I've got "my" books on the bookcases in the living room, and the "other" books on 4 bookcases in the learning room.
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 Paula
A Catholic Harvest
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Barbara C.
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| Posted: Aug 27 2007 at 5:49pm | IP Logged
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My kitchen has a little side section. Half of it has an area rug, small television/vcr combo, and kiddie chairs; the other half as my computer desk, filing cabinet, and a tall, thin book case that I've had since college. The book case has things like pens/pencils, push pins, and a little container with nail clippers, thermometers, calculator, and any other little thing I don't want the kids getting a hold of on the top shelf. My mail organizer is up high. Less important stuff goes on lower shelves.
Then upstairs we have one room that is my older dd's sleep room. Her bed is in there, but all of the bookshelves hold my books and knick-knacks. And there is also space where I sometimes set up a card table to do jigsaw puzzles or work on a personal project while the kids play in the playroom. Once younger dd moves into the bed with big sister, I may do some re-arranging and move my book cases and stuff into the master bedroom.
Our main Hot Spots are my desk (mainly tons of notepads) and the long counter that runs down the middle of the kitchen. But we also collect a lot of stuff on the mantle and cut out window, you know those high places where the little one can't reach yet? I really try to go through the mail as it comes in and throw away the trash, but it doesn't always happen. It's gotten better since I got a new filing cabinet with a hanging folder for every bill stub, book lists I am always making, activity information, and everything else that normally piles up.
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PDyer
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| Posted: Aug 27 2007 at 6:20pm | IP Logged
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I use an old table in our learning room as my desk, but I don't sit down at it very often. Because I don't sit at it very often it tended (until school started today) to get piled with stuff until I couldn't see the top. I'm hoping the stuff problem will change as I start to use my hanging file crate (thanks, Dawn) more often and more effectively. 
Our kitchen has a small work desk (not nearly big enough to be used as a work desk, in my spreading-out former CPA world ). That desk holds the phone and the camera and usually not too much else.
My hotspot is the end of the kitchen counter. I was keeping my planner there for a while but the hotspot got so bad it was driving my husband crazy so I banished tehe planner part of the hotspot to my desk in the learning room. I still look for my planner on the kitchen counter so I haven't completely adjusted to the change. Now that formal learning time has started I think I'll figure out where my planner is.
Our computer is tucked in a corner of the great room. I am very software oriented when I'm working; consequently, having my desk in the learning room and the computer in the great room isn't optimal, but we want the computer where we can always see it. However, just this weekend we bought a new computer cabinet and a long desk and hutch for the computer area. The bigger desk (besides being better suited to the room) will give all of us more workspace and we'll be able to hide the equipment a bit better. And I think I'll move the bills and check writing stuff out into the new file drawer included in the computer cabinet...the giant boxes should arrive tomorrow...I'll have more adjusting to do...
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Patty
Mom of ds (7/96) and dd (9/01) and two angels (8/95 and 6/08)
Life at Home
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Bridget
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| Posted: Aug 27 2007 at 7:20pm | IP Logged
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I use a counter in the kitchen that is too small and inconvenient to use for food prep. It has my household binder, recipe binder, file basket and pencil basket. It is where I take care of bills, do menu planning etc.
It is also the place I set my purse, the basket I take stuff in to go places, library books and any item that someone thinks mom needs to find a home for. It is a hotspot. But I extinguish it most evenings. 
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God Bless,
Bridget, happily married to Kevin, mom to 8 on earth and a small army in heaven
Our Magnum Opus
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stefoodie
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| Posted: Aug 28 2007 at 8:53am | IP Logged
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Thanks everyone, that helps!!
I can see now where we're slipping -- they've developed the bad habit of putting stuff on my desk, and I've let them by not having them help me clear it out at the end of each day, so I'll have to change my habits too.
Heh. I should stop reading Getting Things Done and just get things done.
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stef
mom to five
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Where's *YOUR* workspace?
