Taming Your Home :: How to Organize and Defy Clutter in a Week : Kitchen & Dining Room

 

Today, I worked super hard in the kitchen and dining room to eliminate clutter from my cabinets, pantry and counter space. If your family is anything like mine, this area of the home tends to be the busiest and the fastest to become a mess. We live in our kitchen.

Similar to the living room, the thought of where do I begin first crossed my mind when tackling the kitchen. I just picked the cabinet closest to me and dove in! As I begin, I made sure to remember I only need the items I use on a continual basis, but I also have to make sure not to get rid of items I use on a seasonal basis, too. When going through the kitchen, make sure to take your time and really think about each item’s use before getting rid of it.

In addition to cleaning out drawers and cabinets, I also tacked the pantry. This is a great time of year to take stock of your basic pantry items and refill any of them while on sale. If you have time and a little extra spending money, you can also find some great canisters for sugars, grains, spices and more. As you organize, if you come across food items you haven’t used like you thought you would and they are still in date, consider donating them to your local food pantry.

After our busy fall, I truly needed to reorganize the pantry. It helps me keep baking on track and I have a better sense of what baking items I have on hand or which ones need to be replaced.

By the time I made my way through the kitchen, I had a bag full of small appliances, old kitchen towels, food items and even a casserole dish to place into the donation pile. The kitchen had become functional again!

Our dining room is a fairly simple one. We don’t have much in it to clutter, but my baker’s rack needed some immediate attention as it is one of those clutter catching hot spots. After throwing away some old items, storing away my dried herbs from the garden, and a light dusting, it was good to go.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, so I'm going to rest for the day. Friday will entail a light weekly cleaning and delivering items for donation to their drop-off points. Thus, finishing the house is a week's time.

 

This Fall, why not challenge yourself to go through each section of your home with several bags or boxes meant for donations, trash and recyclables? Take your time and if you need guidance refer to my past posts or leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to offer sound advice.

Master Bedroom & Living Room

Bathroom

Master Closet

 

Tips for the kitchen and dining room:

·       Keep seasonal use only items in their own cabinet or drawer. This keeps them from crowding out your daily use items in drawers and gives them a home all on their own.

·       Don’t neglect small appliances. Sometimes we can get into the habit of purchasing these while they are on sale with every intention of using them. Realistically, many of these products go unused or after the first use, the owner realizes they are not easy to clean or simple to operate. Consider getting rid of any such items.

·       Be sure to look through your table linens and remove those with heavy stains, tears, pulls or worn.

·       I’m pretty sure everyone has a junk drawer in the kitchen. Go through it and dump the majority of it in the trash.

 

Taming Your Home :: How to Organize and Defy Clutter in a Week : Master Bedroom & Living Room

 

Over the weekend, I finished decluttering the master bedroom. Luckily, this room was one of the quickest as I had reorganized it back in September. I did find a few items to let go – a couple of knick-knacks and some fashion jewelry. I also found a trove of lost socks our sweet dog had stolen out of the laundry basket over the past six months along with a few other random items that had “disappeared.”

In addition to getting rid of unnecessary things, I decided I could use more storage space in this particular room. With all the furniture in our bedroom, the only real unused space was found under the bed, but I couldn’t really store much under there due to height restrictions. While out running errands, I popped into Bed, Bath & Beyond and purchased a set of bed risers for $8.99. I can’t wait to get those in place and see how I can better use this particular area in our room.

After the master bedroom, the next natural step led me to the living room, which is currently full of items slated for donation, Christmas decorations, school books, garden essentials from my class, and more.  Where to begin?

First, I gathered all the donations into boxes and bags and put them in one centralized space. Then, I moved all the Christmas decorations under the tree to get them out of the way for now. Garden items made their way into the garage, but only temporarily, while school books returned to their allocated shelves. Only then could I actually begin decluttering and reorganizing.

After about an hour, I had a large stack of books ready to either be sold or donated, plus a few smaller items. Later this week, the remaining Christmas décor will find a place or it too will also end up being donated.

The kitchen and dining room will be tackled tomorrow morning followed by the boys’ rooms. Well, let’s put it this way, while I’m working in the kitchen, the boys will be working in their rooms. I’m hoping they have at least one bag of items they can part with this season.

This Fall, why not challenge yourself to go through each section of your home with several bags or boxes meant for donations, trash and recyclables? Take your time and if you need guidance refer to my past posts or leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to offer sound advice.

• Master Bedroom Closet
• Bathroom

Tips for the master bedroom:

·       Keep clutter to a minimum in your bedroom as it can still a sense of peace and calm from you. Start in one corner of your room and work around it searching for items that have no sentimental value or décor value and remove them.

·       Double check under the bed. While you might not find any monsters, there is always something to be found.

·       If you have a TV or entertainment center in your bedroom, go through your movies and remove any you do not LOVE. The same goes with video games. Most places except used DVDs and games for store credit.

·       If you have lots of jewelry, go through your collection and keep only those pieces you love, wear, and enjoy.

·       Look for unused space in your room. Is there an empty wall which would be useful for a bookcase, jewelry case or even a lovely mirror?

Living room clean out tips:

·       Everyone’s living room is different, but make sure to make it functional for you and your family. It doesn’t have to be used in the traditional living room sense.

·       Go through your book shelves and eliminate any books that have been on your shelves for more than a year and that you have never read; any books given as gifts and still crisp because you’ve never opened them; or any that have never held your interest.

·       Simplify the clutter by looking at your walls – Do you have too many photos or pictures? If so, think about creative ways to streamline them to make them look less cluttered. For example, frame them all in similar frames and arrange them in a fashionably or load them onto a flash drive and play them through a digital photo frame.

·       Hide TV or other electronic cables by using special wall covers from your local hardware store.

Taming your Home :: How to Organize and Defy Clutter in a Week : The Bathroom

After admiring my clean and organized closet throughout the day, I set to work on the master bath yesterday evening. I wasn't expecting to find an entire bagful of items for donation like I did in the closet, but I also wasn't expecting the bag and a half of items destined for the trash.

Our bathroom counter has a pair of Jack and Jill sinks and under each one is a large cabinet which throughout the year accumulates all sorts of items. After removing the dog shampoo and other misplaced things, I set to work decluttering items we no longer used or needed: hair products I didn't necessary find satisfactory, old make-up, expired medicine,  and useless beauty product samples. Most of these items found their way into the trash. However, I was excited to find several new travel toiletries to donate to my boys' Anchor Club project Bags of Hope for the Homeless which they are working on later today.

I also took note of items I need to replace or replenish at the first of the year. Allergy and pain medicines, first aide supplies and new bath towels are all on my list. If you need towels and any other linens, keep in mind retailers have great white sales on those items in January of every year.

Our linen closet was easy. I just needed to retold a few items and straighten. About two years ago, I went through our linens with a great deal of discernment and only kept what I truly felt we needed.

What I really enjoy about organizing and clutter busting is that once I get one small section of our home in tip top shape, I'm ready to move on and conquer the whole house. I just know you will start to feel the same way - it truly is gratifying to let go of items you don't use and don't need.

Tonight, I think the master bedroom is next on the list. It shouldn't take me very long as it usually stays neat and tidy, but I'm sure there are a few items under the bed and hidden in drawers that can find a new home.

This Fall, why not challenge yourself to go through each section of your home with several bags or boxes meant for donations, trash and recyclables? Take your time and if you need guidance refer to my past posts or leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to offer sound advice.

• Master Bathroom

____________________________________________

Bathroom clean-out tips:

·       If old make-up, toiletries and medicines fill your drawers or cabinets and make it tough to find the items you use daily, get rid of them. Please keep in mind unused toiletries or samples can be donated to the homeless and all medicines should be properly disposed (please don't flush them down the toilet).

·       Don't neglect the readables in your bathroom. Keep magazines up to date and remove older issues regularly.

·       Be sure to clean sink pea traps at least once a year. They can get pretty yucky!

·       When it comes to linens, only keep items in good condition. Holey or rarely used linens should be donated, used for other purposes around the home, or thrown out.

Taming your Home :: How to Organize and Defy Clutter in a Week : The Master Bedroom Closet

 

Every six months I tend to have a major cleaning throughout our home and remove unwanted or outgrown items. In past blog posts, I’ve taken you on my Fall Cleaning 101 routine, my 30 Bags in 30 Days Challenge, and Crystal Paine's Organize and Declutter Challenge. Usually by October of every year, my seasonal cleaning is complete or at least well underway. Needless to say, I’m behind the curve and Thanksgiving is next week. While we don’t plan on having a house full of guests, you just never know how the week will progress.

Last night found me knee deep in a clothes and closest clean-out. Why the master bedroom closet first when no one besides my husband and I see it? Well, it seems to be the place where items with no place go to first – there or the garage (which is an entirely different job all on its own). By the way, we aren’t messy people. In fact, I’m an organizer by heart and it offends my sensibilities when I have things out of place in my home. Having things misplaced is one of my main stress points and by acknowledging this, I strive to keep my home orderly.

Back to the closet – first things first, after the cool weather moved in, our Winter gear came out and got added to our closet. Bulky jackets, ski bibs and cold weather boots take up quite a bit of room when all sorts of other items have also made a home next to your blue jeans and tennis shoes. I felt that starting in the closet would lead to the next place in the floor plan being cleaned out and thus move through the entire house in a matter of week at one to two hours every evening. I'm hoping to evade holiday clutter by being proactive and removing items for donations beforehand. 

Last night, I rearranged my clothing to reflect the season, filled an entire garbage bag full of clothes to donate and cleared out old papers, broken hangers and other items not in good shape to donate. Why do we hang on to these things for so long? Three bags later and my side of the closet appears to be neat and orderly once again.

Now, onto the bathroom and linen cabinets where all sorts of unnecessary items lurk.

 

This Fall, why not challenge yourself to go through each section of your home with several bags or boxes meant for donations, trash and recyclables? Take your time and if you need guidance refer to my past posts or leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to offer sound advice.

_________________________________

Closet clean-out tips

·       If your garment is not a seasonal item and you have not worn it in the past 3 months, get rid of it.

·       If you have a stack of clothes needing repairs and they’ve been there long enough to collect dust, get rid of it.  

·       If you love to wear scarves year round, purchase an inexpensive scarf hanger at any major retail outlet (The Container Store, Target, Wal-Mart) to keep them in one place.

·       Don’t keep old worn shoes. Well, keep one pair for outdoor or messy work, but other than that if they are scuffed, faded, or holey, it’s time to remove them from your closet. (I’m not the best at throwing out old shoes!)

 

30 Bags in 30 Days :: Update #4

Update #4: This challenge has been completed! Wow! I could not believe how much went out of our house in the past 30 days. We gave things away to friends and family; we donated things to charities throughout our city; and best of all, we lightened our load. I have a new perspective on how we should spend our money and what we should spend it on. My husband has most of his garage back (we've got a few things to organize now) and the boys' rooms seem a bit more manageable. I imagine we may need to do this purging at least once a year, but we may do it before Spring and Fall Cleanings. I hope we don't have quite as many bags our next time around!

How did you and your family do? Does your house seem a little lighter; your pocket book a little heavier? How did the 30 bags in 30 days challenge help you?

January heralds the yearly purging of our home. During the next 30 days, our family goes through all the drawers, cabinets, closets and catch-all spaces to remove unwanted items for either donation, sale, or trash. While I don't commence my deep cleaning again until Spring, I do make it a habit to encourage my husband and boys to purge during the first month of the year.

I know a lot of people want to declutter or purge their homes; however, they often find themselves purging and deep cleaning which can become very overwhelming at times. I find that if you declutter first, you save yourself time later when you begin Spring cleaning.

If you want to join me, here is my month-long purging schedule. Feel free to substitute my items to better serve your needs. I'll post at the end of each week about my progress and any organizational tips or strategies I discover along the way. Let me know if you've got suggestions to share, too!

30 Bags in 30 Days

1. Junk drawer in laundry room
2. Cabinets in laundry room
3. School closet
4. Attic
5. Attic (holiday bins)
6. Under kitchen sink
7. Pantry
8. Filing Cabinet
9. Boy #1 desk
10. Boy #2 desk
11. Boys' closets
12. Closet (mine)
13. Dresser drawers
14. Jewelry cabinet
15. Magazine basket
16. Gardening cabinet
17. Bathroom drawers (mine)
18. Bathroom drawers (boys)
19. Toys
20. Craft bins
21. Garage (shelves)
22. Garage (tools)
23. My car
24. Cookbook drawer
25. Baking tools
26. Vase cupboard
27. Book shelves
28. Pet cabinet
29. Patio
30. Flower Bed

30 Bags in 30 Days :: Update #3

Update #3: This past week, I was busy in life: school, volunteering, planning a garden, and a whole lot more; however, I still managed to remove more items from my home and hoping this next week will herald the last trip to our local donation centers.

My husband and I have really looked at everything we have decluttered and wonder why we spent money on some very unnecessary items? I think beyond lightening up the "things," we are learning what we really should and should not spend our money on. We've always been good at setting our budget, but now I can see how our budget will be changing to reflect how we can be even better stewards of our finances.

How has this challenge helped you in realizing your financial goals?

January heralds the yearly purging of our home. During the next 30 days, our family goes through all the drawers, cabinets, closets and catch-all spaces to remove unwanted items for either donation, sale, or trash. While I don't commence my deep cleaning again until Spring, I do make it a habit to encourage my husband and boys to purge during the first month of the year.

I know a lot of people want to declutter or purge their homes; however, they often find themselves purging and deep cleaning which can become very overwhelming at times. I find that if you declutter first, you save yourself time later when you begin Spring cleaning.

If you want to join me, here is my month-long purging schedule. Feel free to substitute my items to better serve your needs. I'll post at the end of each week about my progress and any organizational tips or strategies I discover along the way. Let me know if you've got suggestions to share, too!

30 Bags in 30 Days

1. Junk drawer in laundry room
2. Cabinets in laundry room
3. School closet
4. Attic
5. Attic (holiday bins)
6. Under kitchen sink
7. Pantry
8. Filing Cabinet
9. Boy #1 desk
10. Boy #2 desk
11. Boys' closets
12. Closet (mine)
13. Dresser drawers
14. Jewelry cabinet
15. Magazine basket
16. Gardening cabinet
17. Bathroom drawers (mine)
18. Bathroom drawers (boys)
19. Toys
20. Craft bins
21. Garage (shelves)
22. Garage (tools)
23. My car
24. Cookbook drawer
25. Baking tools
26. Vase cupboard
27. Book shelves
28. Pet cabinet
29. Patio
30. Flower Bed

30 Bags in 30 Days :: Update #2

Update #2: Over the past week, my husband and I have cleared yet another car load of items for Goodwill, a couple of boxes of donations to friends, items for family and more. All in all, we cleared 8 bags, 2 tubs, and a box of Lincoln Logs throughout last week.

I also did not realize how many items had been loaned to us with no specific return date and have simply been forgotten about. Those items will be making their way home this week. Friends, be on notice!

Jake's afraid the house is going to fly away with the next big storm since there is hardly any weight in it anymore! How are things going at your home?

January heralds the yearly purging of our home. During the next 30 days, our family goes through all the drawers, cabinets, closets and catch-all spaces to remove unwanted items for either donation, sale, or trash. While I don't commence my deep cleaning again until Spring, I do make it a habit to encourage my husband and boys to purge during the first month of the year.

I know a lot of people want to declutter or purge their homes; however, they often find themselves purging and deep cleaning which can become very overwhelming at times. I find that if you declutter first, you save yourself time later when you begin Spring cleaning.

If you want to join me, here is my month-long purging schedule. Feel free to substitute my items to better serve your needs. I'll post at the end of each week about my progress and any organizational tips or strategies I discover along the way. Let me know if you've got suggestions to share, too!

30 Bags in 30 Days

1. Junk drawer in laundry room
2. Cabinets in laundry room
3. School closet
4. Attic
5. Attic (holiday bins)
6. Under kitchen sink
7. Pantry
8. Filing Cabinet
9. Boy #1 desk
10. Boy #2 desk
11. Boys' closets
12. Closet (mine)
13. Dresser drawers
14. Jewelry cabinet
15. Magazine basket
16. Gardening cabinet
17. Bathroom drawers (mine)
18. Bathroom drawers (boys)
19. Toys
20. Craft bins
21. Garage (shelves)
22. Garage (tools)
23. My car
24. Cookbook drawer
25. Baking tools
26. Vase cupboard
27. Book shelves
28. Pet cabinet
29. Patio
30. Flower Bed

30 Bags in 30 Days :: Update

Update: Last week, our household began the 30 Bags in 30 Days challenge for January. We removed 11 bags from our house over the weekend. Prior to this, I did not believe we had a lot of clutter, but in reality, we did.

I had know idea how many bins of clothes (3) we had in the attic nor how many clothes my boys did not wear just hanging in their closets. We were able to find homes for the majority of the clothes and a few more pieces will leave later this week.

The worst realization came in the form of my youngest's desk. He had all these drawing and papers I always past over during our routine cleanings thinking he wanted to keep them; well, he didn't. I was responsible for adding clutter to his life - oops!

The house is already feeling lighter and we've got 3 more weeks to go. How are you holding up?

January heralds the yearly purging of our home. During the next 30 days, our family goes through all the drawers, cabinets, closets and catch-all spaces to remove unwanted items for either donation, sale, or trash. While I don't commence my deep cleaning again until Spring, I do make it a habit to encourage my husband and boys to purge during the first month of the year.

I know a lot of people want to declutter or purge their homes; however, they often find themselves purging and deep cleaning which can become very overwhelming at times. I find that if you declutter first, you save yourself time later when you begin Spring cleaning.

If you want to join me, here is my month-long purging schedule. Feel free to substitute my items to better serve your needs. I'll post at the end of each week about my progress and any organizational tips or strategies I discover along the way. Let me know if you've got suggestions to share, too!

30 Bags in 30 Days

1. Junk drawer in laundry room
2. Cabinets in laundry room
3. School closet
4. Attic
5. Attic (holiday bins)
6. Under kitchen sink
7. Pantry
8. Filing Cabinet
9. Boy #1 desk
10. Boy #2 desk
11. Boys' closets
12. Closet (mine)
13. Dresser drawers
14. Jewelry cabinet
15. Magazine basket
16. Gardening cabinet
17. Bathroom drawers (mine)
18. Bathroom drawers (boys)
19. Toys
20. Craft bins
21. Garage (shelves)
22. Garage (tools)
23. My car
24. Cookbook drawer
25. Baking tools
26. Vase cupboard
27. Book shelves
28. Pet cabinet
29. Patio
30. Flower Bed

30 Bags in 30 Days :: Purging Your Home



January heralds the yearly purging of our home. During the next 30 days, our family goes through all the drawers, cabinets, closets and catch-all spaces to remove unwanted items for either donation, sale, or trash. While I don't commence my deep cleaning again until Spring, I do make it a habit to encourage my husband and boys to purge during the first month of the year.

I know a lot of people want to declutter or purge their homes; however, they often find themselves purging and deep cleaning which can become very overwhelming at times. I find that if you declutter first, you save yourself time later when you begin Spring cleaning.

If you want to join me, here is my month-long purging schedule. Feel free to substitute my items to better serve your needs. I'll post at the end of each week about my progress and any organizational tips or strategies I discover along the way. Let me know if you've got suggestions to share, too!

30 Bags in 30 Days

 1.  Junk drawer in laundry room
 2.  Cabinets in laundry room
 3.  School closet
 4.  Attic
 5.  Attic (holiday bins)
 6.  Under kitchen sink
 7.  Pantry
 8.  Filing Cabinet
 9.  Boy #1 desk
10. Boy #2 desk
11. Boys' closets
12. Closet (mine)
13. Dresser drawers
14. Jewelry cabinet
15. Magazine basket
16. Gardening cabinet
17. Bathroom drawers (mine)
18. Bathroom drawers (boys)
19. Toys
20. Craft bins
21. Garage (shelves)
22. Garage (tools)
23. My car
24. Cookbook drawer
25. Baking tools
26. Vase cupboard
27. Book shelves
28. Pet cabinet
29. Patio
30. Flower Bed

Declutter & Organize Challenge :: Day 20 (The Last Day!)

Declutter & Organize Challenge!

One of my favorite bloggers is at it again! Crystal Paine from Money Saving Mom has offered her readers a 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home printable checklist to go along with her recent blog series. You can visit Crystal's blog and either subscribe to her 4 week challenge to receive daily emails or read through each of her individual posts.

Throughout the month, I'll be completing Crystal's 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home with several of my friends and readers. I'll list each challenge daily on Texas Homemaking, as well as via Twitter and Facebook. I'll post before/after pics of a few of the tasks - as long as you all promise not to judge me too harshly if things might get a little chaotic.

Challenge #20 - Reorganize and clean-out your medicine cabinets. Ensure you properly dispose of any out of date medicines. Call your local pharmacy for more information.

Now, I know today is July 2nd and this challenge was suppose to end in June, but my husband took last Friday off from work to spend the day with me. I just had to do the same!

Congratulations on completing 20 days of decluttering and organizing!

Declutter & Organize Challenge :: Days 17 & 18

Declutter & Organize Challenge!

One of my favorite bloggers is at it again! Crystal Paine from Money Saving Mom has offered her readers a 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home printable checklist to go along with her recent blog series. You can visit Crystal's blog and either subscribe to her 4 week challenge to receive daily emails or read through each of her individual posts.

Throughout the month, I'll be completing Crystal's 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home with several of my friends and readers. I'll list each challenge daily on Texas Homemaking, as well as via Twitter and Facebook. I'll post before/after pics of a few of the tasks - as long as you all promise not to judge me too harshly if things might get a little chaotic.

Challenge # 17 - Reorganize your kitchen cabinets!

While I did this a few weeks back, I still need to re-straighten the pots and pans area. My boys help put dishes away and sometimes they just don't get all items back in the right spot. I don't complain; I'm just glad they help me out!

Challenge #18 - Clean your closet floors. Vacuum carpeted floors and sweep and mop tile or wood floors.

I'm working on this right now! The boys' closet carpets were vacuumed last Thursday, but my tile definitely could use a lite sweeping.

Declutter & Organize Challenge :: Day 16

Declutter & Organize Challenge!

One of my favorite bloggers is at it again! Crystal Paine from Money Saving Mom has offered her readers a 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home printable checklist to go along with her recent blog series. You can visit Crystal's blog and either subscribe to her 4 week challenge to receive daily emails or read through each of her individual posts.

Throughout the month, I'll be completing Crystal's 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home with several of my friends and readers. I'll list each challenge daily on Texas Homemaking, as well as via Twitter and Facebook. I'll post before/after pics of a few of the tasks - as long as you all promise not to judge me too harshly if things might get a little chaotic.

This is our last week!

Challenge #16 - Clean out your vents! Wash them down if they are in the ceiling or vacuum them out if they are in the floor.

I'm a little tired from our busy weekend, so I'm hoping to get this accomplished sometime after lunch!

Declutter & Organize Challenge :: Days 14 & 15

Declutter & Organize Challenge!

One of my favorite bloggers is at it again! Crystal Paine from Money Saving Mom has offered her readers a 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home printable checklist to go along with her recent blog series. You can visit Crystal's blog and either subscribe to her 4 week challenge to receive daily emails or read through each of her individual posts.

Throughout the month, I'll be completing Crystal's 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home with several of my friends and readers. I'll list each challenge daily on Texas Homemaking, as well as via Twitter and Facebook. I'll post before/after pics of a few of the tasks - as long as you all promise not to judge me too harshly if things might get a little chaotic.

Challenge # 14 - Clean out the junk drawer!

I definitely have had one of these.

I'm ashamed to show you all such a mess. I found a new debit card, all the stamps I could ever need, gift cards, a brand new flash light, and 45 cents.

This is it  - a notepad, sd cards, cds, a stapler, tissues, headphones, a handful of reward cards and a bag of box tops.

Challenge #15 - Clean your computer. Wipe down the screen. Replace the mouse batteries. Clean up the email clutter.

This is an easy enough task, but I bet you spend most of your time deleting emails!

Enjoy your weekend. We've got one week left!

Declutter & Organize Challenge :: Day 13

Declutter & Organize Challenge!

One of my favorite bloggers is at it again! Crystal Paine from Money Saving Mom has offered her readers a 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home printable checklist to go along with her recent blog series. You can visit Crystal's blog and either subscribe to her 4 week challenge to receive daily emails or read through each of her individual posts.

Throughout the month, I'll be completing Crystal's 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home with several of my friends and readers. I'll list each challenge daily on Texas Homemaking, as well as via Twitter and Facebook. I'll post before/after pics of a few of the tasks - as long as you all promise not to judge me too harshly if things might get a little chaotic.

Challenge #13 - Clean the top of your kitchen cabinets and the top of your refrigerator. Wipe down the outside of the kitchen cabinets.

If your fridge has a ton of clutter up top, go through it! Throw out what you don't need and find a new place to put your fridge clutter.

Good luck!

June's Declutter & Organize Challenge :: Day 12 & Cleaning Tip #7

Declutter & Organize Challenge!

One of my favorite bloggers is at it again! Crystal Paine from Money Saving Mom has offered her readers a 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home printable checklist to go along with her recent blog series. You can visit Crystal's blog and either subscribe to her 4 week challenge to receive daily emails or read through each of her individual posts.

Throughout the month, I'll be completing Crystal's 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home with several of my friends and readers. I'll list each challenge daily on Texas Homemaking, as well as via Twitter and Facebook. I'll post before/after pics of a few of the tasks - as long as you all promise not to judge me too harshly if things might get a little chaotic.

Challenge #12 - Clean out the microwave and the stove top!

Every Friday, I scrub out the microwave. However, after searching on Pinterest for some new microwave tips, I wanted to share my new favorite with you.

Cleaning Tip #7 : The Lemon Method

First, cut a lemon in half. Place it cut-side down on a plate; add one tablespoon of water to the plate. Then, microwave the lemon dish for three minutes. Wipe down the microwave with a towel and wash the rotating plate. Don't forget to wipe down the inner glass door as well as the outside of your microwave.

Don't throw away your lemon if you have a garbage disposal; lemons make great disposal cleaners!

I clean my glass stove top everyday - usually after the elements have cooled. I swear by Weiman's glass cook top formula and a simple kitchen rag. If things are looking really bad, I use Weiman's red scrub pad to help with burnt residue.

 

June's Declutter & Organize Challenge :: Day 10 & 11

Declutter & Organize Challenge!

One of my favorite bloggers is at it again! Crystal Paine from Money Saving Mom has offered her readers a 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home printable checklist to go along with her recent blog series. You can visit Crystal's blog and either subscribe to her 4 week challenge to receive daily emails or read through each of her individual posts.

Throughout the month, I'll be completing Crystal's 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home with several of my friends and readers. I'll list each challenge daily on Texas Homemaking, as well as via Twitter and Facebook. I'll post before/after pics of a few of the tasks - as long as you all promise not to judge me too harshly if things might get a little chaotic.

Challenge #10 - Dust all ceiling fans in the house and wipe down all light fixtures. Check to see if they have bugs trapped inside, if so, remove and wash out.

Challenge #11 - Clean out your utensil drawer. Pull out the tray and empty all debris from it (crumbs, dust). Vacuum out the drawer and remove any unused items in it.

I've actually completed both of these challenges less than a week ago. I usually dust on Fridays, and all the kitchen drawers were emptied and cleaned for the upcoming garage sale. It's nice to have a reprieve!

June's Declutter & Organize Challenge :: Day 9

Declutter & Organize Challenge!

One of my favorite bloggers is at it again! Crystal Paine from Money Saving Mom has offered her readers a 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home printable checklist to go along with her recent blog series. You can visit Crystal's blog and either subscribe to her 4 week challenge to receive daily emails or read through each of her individual posts.

Throughout the month, I'll be completing Crystal's 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home with several of my friends and readers. I'll list each challenge daily on Texas Homemaking, as well as via Twitter and Facebook. I'll post before/after pics of a few of the tasks - as long as you all promise not to judge me too harshly if things might get a little chaotic.

Challenge #9 - Wipe down all light switch plates in the house!

This is a great task for the children in your life.

It's raining here this morning and this makes for a great project until we join our friends bowling or at the park.

June's Declutter & Organize Challenge :: Day 8

Declutter & Organize Challenge!

One of my favorite bloggers is at it again! Crystal Paine from Money Saving Mom has offered her readers a 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home printable checklist to go along with her recent blog series. You can visit Crystal's blog and either subscribe to her 4 week challenge to receive daily emails or read through each of her individual posts.

Throughout the month, I'll be completing Crystal's 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home with several of my friends and readers. I'll list each challenge daily on Texas Homemaking, as well as via Twitter and Facebook. I'll post before/after pics of a few of the tasks - as long as you all promise not to judge me too harshly if things might get a little chaotic.

Challenge #8 - Wipe down the door handles and doors throughout the entire house. {Don't forget to clean both sides!}

June's Declutter & Organize Challenge :: Days 6 & 7

Declutter & Organize Challenge!

One of my favorite bloggers is at it again! Crystal Paine from Money Saving Mom has offered her readers a 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home printable checklist to go along with her recent blog series. You can visit Crystal's blog and either subscribe to her 4 week challenge to receive daily emails or read through each of her individual posts.

Throughout the month, I'll be completing Crystal's 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home with several of my friends and readers. I'll list each challenge daily on Texas Homemaking, as well as via Twitter and Facebook. I'll post before/after pics of a few of the tasks - as long as you all promise not to judge me too harshly if things might get a little chaotic.

Challenge #6 - Clean out the car!

and

Challenge #7 - Wipe down all the baseboards in your home!

Our car was not a complete disaster - this week! We did have a few drinks and snacks leftover from the weekend and we definitely needed to vacuum. My eldest son used a lint roller brush to remove all the dog hair from our recent outing to the lake. I think we finished this task in about 20 minutes.

The baseboards definitely needed a good wipe down! We've had a ton of dust this Spring. I got the boys on the task and taught them all about the wax on, wax off theory. It took them about 30 minutes to do all the baseboards in the house (including bathrooms and closets). They did a smashing job and even had a little help from Duchess!

June's Declutter & Organize Challenge :: Day 5

Declutter & Organize Challenge!

One of my favorite bloggers is at it again! Crystal Paine from Money Saving Mom has offered her readers a 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home printable checklist to go along with her recent blog series. You can visit Crystal's blog and either subscribe to her 4 week challenge to receive daily emails or read through each of her individual posts.

Throughout the month, I'll be completing Crystal's 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home with several of my friends and readers. I'll list each challenge daily on Texas Homemaking, as well as via Twitter and Facebook. I'll post before/after pics of a few of the tasks - as long as you all promise not to judge me too harshly if things might get a little chaotic.

Challenge #5 - Clean out the couch and chairs!

I didn't get a chance to conquer this task on Friday because I was preparing for a family reunion. However, after only finding a pair of socks, a doggie toy, and a handful of LEGOs I certainly should have.

I'm secretly wondering if you found anything interesting or unusual?