Simple Things That Helped Our Faux Drop Zone Function Better

Before I get into the full story of how our dining room accidentally became the family drop zone, here are a few of the simple systems and products that helped our busy family of four reduce some of the daily chaos:

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None of these things are revolutionary on their own, but together they helped create small systems that made everyday life feel lighter.

When I moved into my first apartment, I got cable for the first time in my life at 25 years old. Even before my furniture was delivered, I sat in a beanbag on work nights and binged HGTV to my heart’s content.

Show after show, remodel after remodel, I kept hearing the phrase “drop zone.”

The idea of this was ridiculous to me — an unmarried, childless 25-year-old who had finally secured her own space. I gawked at the TV thinking drop zones were ridiculous and bougie. HOW could the lack of a drop zone ever be the reason someone decided to list a house rather than love it?

Well.

Eleven years later, I get it.

We are currently an active family of four without a drop zone.

Our side door opens directly into the dining room, so that has become the “drop zone” by default. It’s less than ideal, and I am constantly looking at a mess. Chairs covered in bags and jackets. The table piled with library books, errands waiting to be run, paperwork, birthday gifts, and whatever else is needed for the week. Occasionally, some fresh flowers if we’ve had a birthday or anniversary.

It’s the command center without a commander.

With so much happening in all directions, my brain is always turning. It’s amazing how much quieter my thoughts are when the dining room table is cleared and items are where they belong. It’s like someone turned the volume down on the chatter in my brain reminding me:

The library books need to be returned. My daughter needs new shoes. I hate when I see clothes hung on the chair. I need to put that in the mail. These gifts have to be returned to Target. I still haven’t gotten to the cleaners and it’s been two weeks…

If you know, you know.

Creating a Faux Drop Zone

We were desperately in need of some structure in our faux drop zone, and I started looking into simple, inexpensive storage benches that could work in the space.

My mom was out walking in our neighborhood on bulk garbage night and found exactly what I had been looking for (used, of course). When we first cleaned it up and brought it into the house over two years ago, we had every intention of painting it, but we never got around to it — and honestly, it has served its purpose just fine.

It houses our shoes in the cubbies, and the top bench is not for sitting, but for baskets and bags. That’s the tradeoff of the faux drop zone.

As I mentioned in my previous post about my Weekend Reset Routine for Busy Moms, when I changed jobs last year, I slowly — and then all at once — realized I needed to put simple systems in place that reduced friction in our busy lives.

The dining room drop zone was one of the spaces that got an overhaul.

The Summer System That Changed Everything

Last summer, I cleared off the top of the bench (which had quickly become covered in things waiting for action) and created a simple system for all of our summer essentials.

One giant basket for all of the girls’ bathing suits and cover-ups.
One basket for beach towels.
And the giant Bogg bag that never really got unpacked — just refilled.

This was one of the simplest, smartest things I could have done for myself as a mom of two kids under four with a spouse who works the majority of the summer between regular shifts and overtime.

It made sense in every way.

Laundry was easier, and I had more room in my linen closet. Once the bathing suits and towels were clean, they went right back into the baskets.

Most summer mornings are spent at the community pool and most evenings are outside with the water table, blow-up pool, sprinkler, or reusable water balloons. Laundry for beach and pool items happens almost nightly. It became so easy to dump the clean folded items into the baskets and know everything was ready for the next day. This same system is a big part of our Teacher Mom’s Pool-to-Bedtime Routine, which keeps our summer days running smoothly.

I repack the giant Bogg tote every night to get ready for the next morning. I have everything I need right in the drop zone: fresh towels, bathing suits, and cover-ups ready to go for the next day. You can see exactly what goes into our setup in my post, What I Pack the Night Before for Pool Days.

If we forget something on our way out the door, I can run in and grab it immediately — no digging through drawers or closets.

To the best of my ability, everything has a place to help us get out the door:
Shoes.
Bags.
Sweatshirts.
Family tote bag.
Pool bag.

Outgrowing the System

We are definitely outgrowing this scrappy little system.

We have made it work as long as possible, but the shoes no longer fit in the cubbies and we’ve had to use a shoe tray to keep them off the floor. Somehow they are always overflowing, and one of the girls is constantly searching for a missing shoe.

Still, this tiny setup has helped our family tremendously.

Dreaming About the Future Mudroom

When we toured our new old house that is currently under construction, we were so excited to see that the back entrance housed a small pantry/mudroom space.

We plan to remove a chimney to create a little more room, and we will finally have a functional drop zone space. Compared to the giant HGTV mudrooms and custom drop zones, ours is tiny — but it’s more than what we’ve had, and it will finally be separate from our living space.

I cannot wait to stop staring at shoes and jackets hanging on dining room chairs.

We will have to find new systems that build on what has worked for us while also solving some of the tension we still feel in our current setup.

Our Summer Drop Zone Reset

With the temperatures rising, summer vacation around the corner, and the faux drop zone looking especially haphazard lately, I decided it was time for a quick reset to get us ready for the busy summer season ahead.

As you can see, it’s far from Pinterest-perfect, but it gets the job done.

Most of the baskets we use were gifts from birthdays and baby showers over the years. They don’t perfectly match, but they are the perfect size for what we need, and we use them constantly. I’ve linked a few similar options throughout this post.

For our summer setup, I organized:

bathing suits and cover-ups
beach towels
pool accessories
the family Bogg bag
grab-and-go summer essentials

Everything we need most often now has a home right by the door.

We have truly made the best of what we have, and I look forward to creating a future mudroom that grows with our family.

What I Hope to Include in the New Mudroom

A bulletin board for reminders, permission slips, calendars, and paperwork
One basket and section for each family member
Wall hooks for jackets and hats
Seasonal storage for jackets, boots, hats, scarves, and cold-weather gear
Better shoe storage that actually works for a growing family

The new house also has a basement egress door, so my husband will use that entrance to and from work with all of his tree work and first responder gear. He’ll still have space in the mudroom, but at least his giant gear bags won’t be sitting directly in the walkway anymore.

I’ve found that when I know what I have, I’m much less likely to spend unnecessary money. I don’t rebuy items when I can immediately put my hands on exactly what I need.

That’s ultimately the purpose of the new mudroom, too:
everything we need for our busy, on-the-go life in one functional space.

Not perfect.
Just easier.

Shop the Systems That Make Our Drop Zone Work

Everyday Organization

Summer Pool & Outdoor Systems

Functional Small-Space Solutions

Vertical storage baskets
Narrow entryway benches
Mudroom organizers for small homes
Hanging storage systems
Label holders and organization bins

We use a mix of secondhand finds, gifted items, and inexpensive storage solutions that simply work for our family. Not everything matches, but everything gets used.