Challenge 1: Kitchen

I must be crazy, but I recently committed to a 14-week challenge through a blog that I love, "A Bowl Full of Lemons". If you ever lack motivation - one look at her beautiful pics - and you will have enough organizational juice coursing through your veins to get you to jump into a project head first.

Here is her proposed 14 week schedule. It's not too late to join if anyone else wants to join in the fun! I will be posting my area each week, to keep myself accountable

WEEK #1 (THE KITCHEN) CHECKLIST:

1. Clean out and organize all cabinets.

2. Clean out and organize all drawers.

3. Purge everything that is not used, expired, doesn't belong, collecting dust.

4. Clean out & organize fridge & freezer.

5.  Mop, wipe down cabinet doors, clean counter tops & tables.

6.  Take everything off the refrigerator door.  It makes the kitchen look messy. 

7. Clean all appliances.

Every drawer and cabinet was completely emptied.

It was a mess.

But not for long. 

(If an entire week doesn't count as "long")

*I must say, though, that I disagree that there can be nothing on the fridge. 

I am a mama...if my cub makes me something...I am going to display it proudly. I disagree that it makes a kitchen look cluttered. I prefer to think that it makes it look like a family lives there. The good thing is that my fridge is only magnetized on the sides :)

There was a lot of Take-Out going on that week.

My favorite new area is my 

LUNCH MAKING STATION

 (Everything you need for lunches in one spot. This has made the process go much faster in the mornings. One spot for baggies, napkins, plastic utensils, wet wipes, notes from mama, and my newest addition (not pictured) after lunch mints.

CEREAL STATION

PLATES AND GLASSES (i NEED TO UNLOAD THE DISHWASHER, OBVIOUSLY)

UTENSILS

SERVING UTENSILS

GRATING, PEELING, AND CANDY MAKING

(yes it IS necessary to have that many peelers)

BAKING DRAWER

POTS

FRYING PANS AND LIDS

BAKING PANS / COOLING RACKS

The "NOT-SO" Junky Junk Drawer 

(Lighters, Batteries, Gum, Tissues, and Dog Bones of course)

COOKING/BAKING CABINET

PEN DRAWER

KID DISHES DRAWER

PITCHERS AND GLASS 

SERVING DISHES/PLATTERS

MEDICINE/VITAMINS

(Divided into "Ouchies", Adult Meds, Kid Meds, and "Bites, Burns, and Stings"

Vitamins on a Lazy Susan for easy daily access.

FREEZER EMPTIED AND CLEANED

FRIDGE EMPTIED AND CLEANED

FREEZER REFILLED AND ORGANIZED

FRIDGE REFILLED AND ORGANIZED

One of my favorite impulse buys when I was pregnant with Bryce. QVC....air circulating containers that greatly extend life of produce :) 

I won't bore you further with pics of dish rag, phone book, and pot holder drawers. 

You get the idea, right?

The finished product (minus needing to change a light bulb and taking out the trash, of course).

That's work for Tommy T.

Everyone needs to contribute to feel part of the team.

In the pic below, that isn't a puddle. It's Piper's tail :)

My favorite counter top corner.

My blue bird and picture of Mary and Martha with Jesus.

Keeps it all in perspective.

Next post...the garage. Prepare to itch.