Week #1 Organized Home Challenge Kitchen Organization: Countertops & Sink

Okay folks!
Week 1 of the '52 Weeks To An Organzied Home' is done and I feel gooooooo-oood.
This week was: Kitchen Organization: Countertops & Sink.

A very smart way to start; the kitchen. Its the heart. And as I mentioned, baby steps. Countertop and sink only. And in our house that was a perfect start! We clean each night but only to the road block. The clutter. But what I love is that we now have a beautiful clean base to work from. And I know we can keep it up. My fiance is the one who does most of the cooking and when he walked in today after I'd brought it to the final stage, he swooned. Yup. He did!

I learned so much just from this first challenge as well. Change your dish towels daily. Who knew? Okay, I didn't. Sorry if that grossed you out. I change them when I feel they need to be. Every couple days or so unless one got used to mop up the counter or floor. I assume this daily change should go for dishcloths too so I plan on knitting myself up a bunch of diagonal dishcloths to help with that.

Its also suggested and quite logically (which I love) that if you don't use it daily, put it away somewhere. So my KitchenAid and other items were relocated to the pantry or a cupboard space.What I have now is the kitchen I envisioned but that got taken over by life and babies and life.
Okay, its just the countertops but its a start!

A wee bit of chaos in our kitchen. Dumping grounds for anything and everything. Even the top of the fridge!

So... ready for the reveal?

And now we have calm. And work areas. Now I really want to get the backsplash I keep talking about.

In the corner I've kept the spices, cookie jar, coffee maker and microwave (with tea pot atop!). Its a hard area to use for work so I kept it for the countertop appliances.

Next week we organize Kitchen cabinets and cupboards. Then Kitchen pantry and food storage areas. Very exciting! Yes, I'm quite serious. Laugh. I love getting organized. I just never allow myself the time.
Thank you, coach Taylor!

52 Weeks To An Organized Home

You know how you're always saying,
"Boy, I need to get organized!"
"I can't find anything! I need to clean."
"I need to just take two days and get this place in order!"

Well, *I* say it. ALL the time. I'm sure my fiance is tired of hearing it because I never execute. But its not my fault. I have two small kids. And a small business. And isn't a 'lived in' look natural? Yes, it is. But a messy lived in look drives me bananas. Messy rooms cause me stress. Piles of crap drives me nuts! And I swore this mat leave I would get this place in order. Well, there's only 4 months till I go back to work and there's not much done. *insert very UNhappy face*

Then, on Pinterest, I found a posting for the '52 Weeks To An Organized Home Challenge'.
I was immediately turned on.
I probably cheered out loud!
A coach! That's what I need. ALL I need. I can do this. I signed up for the weekly challenge email right away and figured I'd tell my fiance later. I had no idea how he would respond. Because this is going to be on him too.

The start date was Monday, January 2, 2012. I found this on January 4th and I jumped on it. Its a brilliant plan, really. One small area each week. And her philosophy is that you take your time and get used to keeping each space in order. Develop habits for keeping it organized.

And now... you lucky reader get to hear all about it!
Its one of the ways I might actually
(A) keep up with it
(B) blog at least once a week 'he-hem...

And hey, if anyone wants to jump in and do the challenge... just go sign up. Its not too late.
Otherwise... watch as I get my crap together.