Snowy, Slushy, Muddy, and Wet Shoes?

Wow, how is it 2012 already?  Needless to say, 2011 was not such a great year for my family. I have spent January picking up the pieces left over from 2011, so now for the fun part:  getting back to creating and blogging!


So, although this winter has been less snowy than average, I thought I would share what we do with our snowy/slushy/muddy/wet shoes when we come in...
First, start with an 'oil change pan' (think cookie sheet on steroids) placed in a corner of your entryway:

Then, fill with river rock (or other rocks/seashells as fits your decor, although sand-ish size would likely be too small and stick to the shoes).  The beauty of the rocks is that they allow the melting snow/dripping shoe water to pool on the bottom of the tray, while keeping your footwear out of the said puddle.  Quite simple, really... but useful around here.