How do you 'contain' them? - LO about to crawl

We've already had a pot plant incident this week where Oliver covered himself in ice cold water and earth after attacking my finest specimen.  He's 8 months and very very near crawling.  Gulp.  I already can't leave him on his own as he goes around the room backwards.  I can't put him in his bumbo or inflatable doughnut ring thingy as he just clilmbs out, and I'm running out of places to put him when I need to do stuff.  We've got a jumperoo but he'll only go in that for short periods of time. 

I know I need to babyproof, but even after that, I assume he wouldn't be safe just to be left in a room on his own?  He's really active and is happy on the floor for a while but then gets bored and wants entertaining.  Its been fine up until now as I could stick him in the bumbo or his bouncy chair and natter to him whilst I'm having a bath / making lunch / hitching (!) but I can't do that anymore. 

Is this the beginning of the end?! 

I'd sort out some babyproofing in at least one room. Our living room is safe for me to leave C (8 months) crawling around in at the moment (although she keeps turning the xbox on...) Once she's cruising round the furniture I'll have to keep more of an eye on her. I leave both her and J (2) alone in the room to go to the loo, go and cook their lunch etc. Our whole downstairs is babyproofed so J can roam.

Obviously I don't leave them for long periods of time like that but it's fine for just nipping off to do things and I can hear them.

If I need to have a shower or something else longer then they go in their cots.

I think at that age if I needed a shower I would put him in his bouncy chair IIRC.  Or tbh I think I just showered when he slept or when H was around.

Mostly we've just left him alone for a few minutes if we needed to go upstairs or something.  We put a whole row of his books in front of the fireplace so he could read those (the That's Not My range) and also a soft basket with loads of toys, ribbons, jam jar lids, shakers etc. etc. etc.

We didn't babyproof that much but we did add things like the above so it was Finlay's room as well as ours. 

We haven't completely babyproofed, we've done as much as we can in the living room but mostly by putting things in front of danger points! I just try and watch him all the time. If I need to go to the loo or if I'm preparing food I put him in his entertainer, he's fine in that for 5-10 mins. Other than that I make sure I'm there - I have on occasions showered while he's in his cot but I usually do it when H is here.

we had a through lounge when girls were crawling. we put a safety gate across the kitchen door, one across the patio french doors because they weren't safety glass and the girls used to lean on them and cause me palpitations, and at the top and bottom of stairs. We then babyproofed the lounge part, as much as possible, and then arranged the sofas so that there was a gap to go through in which we put a large magazine rack when we wanted to "trap" them. It seems scary when they get mobile, but you soon get an idea of what they really really want to get hold of, then you can move those things!

we've done what others have said and made our downstairs fairly childproof.  Gradually things have moved further upwards / been put away as she's moved from being immobile to crawling, cruising, walking, climbing etc.

With showers I used to have one while she napped but now she doesn't nap in the morning I just her roam the bathroom and landing (have a stairgate and can see from the shower with the bathroom door open just in case!).  I make sure everything is out of reach so there's not too much damage she could do although sometimes she does get hold of the loo roll and shreds it everywhere and she does like to chuck all the towels around but that's more annoying than harmful!

She's never allowed in the kitchen and we have a gate on the door so i don't have to worry about her emptying cupboards / whether the cooker is on. 

i figure that i can't watch her ALL the time so just have to make it as safe as possible.  generally i know if she's being a monkey e.g. climbing on the sofa or has got hold of a pack of wipes which was carelessly left in reach as she goes very quiet!!

We just moved things/made them safe and then left them to it! I've never been one for watching them 24/7 - both of mine used to follow me around as I did jobs once they were mobile and that in itself kept them entertained quite well . OK so my husband's cd collection has never been alphabetized since and you quickly learn NOT to put your house/car keys down anywhere within reach or you'll spend several hours searching for them, and if you really do lose something I suggest first two places to look at in the washing machine and out the catflap. But other than that I say just make sure there's nothing they're going to kill themselves with and then leave them to it

Thanks very much everyone.  My child's legs being capable of carrying out their intended purpose seems a very scary prospect right now.  I guess its just something to get used to though.  I need to babyproof quick!  You've all given me ideas of how to manage things though, so thanks very much.