Changing Mail Habits

Dear Katie & Kelly: My husband drops the mail right on our front entrance table along with the newspaper and other stuff. It drives me crazy because I like to keep it sparse with just an orchid and a mirror. I have a bin marked “MAIL” in massive letters in our kitchen which he ignores almost daily. Any ideas on how to get him to start putting mail where it belongs?

Signed: Despairing in Des Moines

Dear Despairing: Three ideas. First, remember getting people to change habits walking through the door at days end is insanely hard. Easiest route is to find a spot for an attractive bin that coordinates with your front hall decor and tell him to please dump everything in there when he walks in the door. Second idea is to tell him to stop bringing in the mail if he’s not going to put it where it belongs or accept that you’ll be forever tidying that table. Third, put a bolt the front door so he can’t get into it with his keys and force him to go through the door nearest where the actual MAIL bin is.

All our best: K&K