The Great Home Rescue. Get Organized Now. The Kitchen.

Mission One: The Kitchen

I'll start here because it seems to be the hub of the home. At least it is in my house. 
In order to see what clutter you actually have you have to have your dishes done.  Set a timer for 15 minutes (if it takes you that long) and do all the dishes and put them away.  Empty the dishwasher if you have one and make sure your sink(s) are empty. 

Now that you have that done, let's take a look at the counter top. Is it cluttered?  Look at it as if you were a guest in your home for the first time.  What do you see?  Can any of your appliances be put away in a cupboard and taken out upon usage - Like the can opener or toaster? How about the mixer?  Start from one end of the counter and work toward the other end (or in my case, the bar).  I move anything that does not belong in that area to the bar and then deal with the bar at the end. 

Once you have that done, wipe all the counters clean with your favorite cleaning solution. 

Now, before you deal with "the pile" let's do the same for the refrigerator.  Look on top, on the front etc.  Do you have pictures or papers all over the front?  Take them all off.  Set them aside.  The top of my refrigerator seems to be a collector for anything I don't want my toddler to reach.  It gets wild up there!  Today isn't so bad, but it wasn't that long ago I decluttered it.

Wipe the fridge down (outside only - the inside is a separate task for a different day).

What does your windowsill look like?  Does it have earrings, buttons and medicine bottles on it?  It should be bare when you are finished.  Wipe it down.  (I'm guilty, mine has plant starters on it right now...not all that attractive, I admit!)

Everything should have a home.  If it doesn't have one, you need to create one for it or it'll reappear right where you found it! 

Ok, let's deal with those piles now.  This is what I'm looking at: 

Papers should be filed properly where you can find them later. 
Toys don't belong in a kitchen...have a kid put them away properly.
The purse should have a home in a closet somewhere.
Tools should go to the utility room or garage or basement - where ever it's "home" is.  (yes, there are tools in this pile...lol)
Books & CD's need to be put away in their home.
Dishes that need to be returned to someone need to be taken to the car.

You can do this!  It feels GREAT when the house looks good, keep that goal on your radar and GO FOR IT!  It didn't take me that long...take it a bit at a time if it's too overwhelming.  Set your timer for 15 minutes each time & work as fast as you can.  You'll be amazed how quick it comes together!