Organize Your Kitchen Countertops

Happy Thursday! It's time for more organizing...

If you are just joining us, we have been getting organized using Jennifer Ford Berry's Organize Now book.

It has some great info and tips on organizing various parts of our life and home. You can see past posts here:

Week 1 about Organizing Your Mind and Life Vision HERE,

Week 2 about Organizing Your Priorities HERE,

Week 3 about Organizing Your Schedule HERE

Week 4 about Organizing Your Cleaning Schedule HERE.

Week 5 about Organizing Your Personal Information HERE. 

Week 6 about Organizing Your Finances HERE. 

      Week 7 about Organizing Your Bill-paying System HERE.

        Week 8 about Organizing Your Receipts and Taxes HERE. 

Week 9 about Organizing Your Files HERE

                               Week 10 about Organizing your Magazines and Newspapers HERE.
                                               Week 11 about Organizing Your Email HERE
                                                Week 12 about Organizing Your Mail HERE
                                         Week 13 about Organizing Your Child's Toys HERE.

Week 14 about Organizing Your Crafts HERE.

Week 15 about Organizing Your Photographs HERE.

Week 16 about Organizing Your Purse or Wallet HERE. 

 Week 17 about Organizing Your Vehicle HERE.

                                                  Week 18 about Organizing Your Pet HERE.

Week 19 about Organizing Your Books, CDs and DVDs HERE.

Week 20 about Organizing Your Entryway or Mudroom HERE.

Week 21 about Organizing Your Family Room or Living Room HERE.

Today we are tackling the kitchen! Probably the most used and seen room in your house, right? Because it is such a big job to organize, we will break this room down over the next few weeks. We're starting with the countertops. Are you excited? :)

The kitchen is not only used for food prep and eating, but it also tends to be the place where guests gather when they visit or when you have a party. It is also the place, at least in my house, where clutter tends to gravitate. It can get pretty messy pretty fast. Doesn't it seem that when your kitchen is neat and clean, the rest of the house appears to be too? Don't you feel better and more relaxed when your kitchen is in order?

This Week's Goals:

1. Clear your kitchen of anything that does not involve cooking, baking, food prep, serving food, etc. Put all coats, backpacks, toys, sports stuff, etc in another place or put it away. If it is too overwhelming to put away right now, put it in a holding place like the garage until we get to it to organize later. Take out things you hardly ever use or seasonal items too. Go back to the basics! Less is more.

2. Put away appliances that you don't use daily. The only appliance I have out is my toaster. I am having a hard time deciding if I should store this in a cabinet or keep it on the counter. What do you think? Does it add to the clutter? We use it 3-4 times per week. Thoughts?

3. Clear the counters of all paperwork, magazines, mail, etc. Keep one "in-box" area to receive mail and process it at least weekly. We keep a basket on top of the refrigerator. My husband goes through it on Sunday nights when he pays bills. He recycles the junk mail, pays bills and files them away. (Thanks, honey!!)



Here is a before picture of how the top of our fridge looked. Embarrassing! We tend to put things up there to go through later or find a place for later. Problem is, later never comes. Until today! :)

And here is the after. Ideally, I would like to just have this basket for mail. I still need to find a home for some of the other items. Another work in progress. :)

Tips:

1. Jennifer says that the key to keeping your kitchen looking clean is to keep the front two-thirds of your countertops free from clutter.

2. Music makes people happy! (I am a music therapist after all, so I know this first hand:) Install a small radio beneath your cabinets to lift your mood while you cook and clean in the kitchen. My MIL has one in her kitchen. I have a radio in the adjacent room that I put on sometimes when I cook. The trouble is that I have to compete with 2 little boys who would rather listen to children's music then what I prefer. lol

I took some before and after pictures of my kitchen countertops.  Like I said, it's easy to allow clutter to take over your countertops.

 

And here is the after. Much better, don't you think? Ideally, I would love everything off of the counter tops. But when you use things daily, it is hard to do that and keep it there.

And here is a before picture of some counter space near the fridge. This always ends up having a lot of produce and bread on it for some reason. It is another area that clutters up fast.  

 

And here is the after picture. So much better!

So what do you think? Are you still with me? I hope many of you continue to read and participate as you have time. Please let me know what you think. What has been your favorite post so far? What's been the most beneficial? What tips can you share?

Thanks for reading!! Have a great day!!

Rebecca