I’ve decided to do a series on Loving What You’ve Got. Specifically, for me, it’s loving my apartment: praying for the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Also, be proud of me that I didn’t misspell the title in an effort for perfect alliteration.
But anyways, on to the Kitchen Catastrophes. Our kitchen has a linoleum floor. Our dining room has a carpeted floor. I am a very messy cook. My toddler seems to have inherited my genes. Whatever we make in the kitchen is often tracked all over the house (but mainly the dining room adjacent to it). And then the baby crawls it it. And eats it.
I spent a lot of time resenting the carpeted dining room. I mean, who in their right mind would carpet a room designated for eating? Wouldn’t the apartment complex be saving money by putting down a floor that wouldn’t absorb tomato sauce and grape juice so readily?
But there’s nothing I can gain by complaining or resenting or wishing things were different. I had to accept the carpet that I could not change. I just made one small addition…
Yep, that’s a welcome mat. In front of the kitchen. Please, wipe your feet before entering the dining room. Thank you.
I really should have taken a picture the other day when we made pancake mix. There were actually quite defined footprints of flour on that mat.
Oh, and I left the dishwasher open on purpose. It adds character. Don’t you think?
*Stay tuned for the solution to the how-to-avoid-stains-under-the-high-chair dilemma!*
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For more tips on life, visit Rocks In My Dryer. Yeah, I know – who’dathunk you could get useful advice from someone who once found rocks in her dryer?
Carpet is the bane of my existance right now. I think I need one of these mats at the door of our living room.
🙂 LOL
Here (South Africa) EVERYONE has carpeted dining rooms and I never thought any different until your post 🙂
These posts could prove very useful for me! We also have carpet in the dining room! I’ve got those little mats everywhere else, I should add one between the kitchen and dining room. By the way, your “pot rack” still looks super cool. That was a great idea.
I hate that about rentals too. They are so impractical sometimes! When we have carpeted dining rooms, I buy a very large vinyl tablecloth and use it as a floor mat under the table. There are some very pretty ones to be had for cheap!
A friend of ours was renting a house with a carpeted dining room. Their solution was to puchase some laminate flooring right over the carpet. They added some trim around the edges. You would never know it was carpeted under the flooring. I wish I would have thought of this, it would have saved me countless hours of carpet cleaning.
Now if it was a post about how your kitty is tracking stuff into the dining room, that would have been adorable!
Anyway, loved the tip.
That’s a great idea! I have little rugs all over the place. I’ll put on by the dining room!
I am with you on the carpet. I do not like it anywhere! It seems to attract all the dirt from the outside, your feet, the baby, everywhere. How I wish I had the money to pull mine up.
Our dining room is carpeted, too. So is my parents’ in their house. Of course, we don’t eat in our dining room (neither do my parents). But I like your idea the same! I will make sure I always wipe my feet. 🙂
I am a very neat cook. Paul is a messy cook. It drives me nuts to always be cleaning up after he cooks. But, I shouldn’t complain since I would rather be doing something else.
You love those series, don’t you? 🙂
I really have enjoyed reading your blog from time to time!
I love the floormat idea! We have a small area rug right outside our tiny kitchen, too, even though the dinette has wood floors. Or maybe because it has wood floors.
yes the dishwasher does add character!! The floor mat idea is great…now why didn’t I think of that either?? HA HA!! Your carpet is white to boot!!