the no-shoes rule

One of the best rules we've instituted in our new home is taking off our "outside" shoes at the entrance and slipping into a pair of comfy "inside" slippers instead. It helps keep the house really clean -- something I very much appreciate at the moment because I'm doing the sweeping and mopping myself!

I've placed the shoe rack right next to the apartment's main door. The top shelf holds a bunch of house-leaving essentials (keys, pens, wallets, umbrellas, raincoat) and a delightful mint foot spray from Spa Ceylon, one of my favourite (albeit terribly overpriced) Sri Lankan brands.

The other racks are home to a whole bunch of shoes and sandals worn commonly by the husband and I. Honestly, this is one thing I'm going to ensure in any house I live in ever again. The floors look clean and the house feels far more hygienic -- I don't have to worry about germs hanging on to the undersides of my shoes spreading throughout the apartment!