Friday, March 27, 2009

My deep cleaning project of the week

Most people I know have a hard time keeping up with their paper pile. I do too. The "standard" paper pile can be bad enough, but when you don't have an office (as our home does not) and you put an entire school room in your kitchen too, it gets 10 times worse. I have had a continuous struggle figuring out how to organize my kitchen/office/schoolroom so that all 3 functions can operate smoothly without the whole room looking like a mess all the time! Though my kitchen has plenty of cupboards for a kitchen, it does not have enough storage to HIDE all the office and schoolroom stuff. When we moved in nearly 8 years ago, I started keeping just a few files and some paper and a pen at the back of the island counter, near the phone. Over the years those files grew into this mess:


As you can see, it threatened to take over the entire counter! Meanwhile, just a few feet away, this narrow little counter started out as our "music center". In the cupboards below this counter was our "craft center", where we kept our craft supplies, crayons, markers, construction paper, etc, which the children had access to pretty much all the time. The low cupboards are still the craft center, but the music center slowly evolved into our junk, "catch all" counter. We don't even have a CD player here anymore since we use the CD changer a few feet away in the family room.


The clutter was really getting to me. So we took Thursday afternoon off school so I could tackle this mess. I sorted, tossed, and organized for several hours. I found several interesting things! I decided to move the "office" function away from the island counter by the phone and over to the narrow counter. Since the narrow counter is partially hidden by our pantry wall, and it was a mess anyway, might as well make it a functional, organized "mess"! I am very, very happy with this part of the project below. It looks like a kitchen again!


I am less thrilled with this part of the project. Though it is very organized, it is still out in the open. I just can't figure out how else to do it though, without a dedicated office room. Believe it or not, I use most of these files on a very regular basis and if I were to keep them downstairs in a file cabinet, I would have a huge messy pile of "to file" papers that I would not be able to keep up with (ask me how I know). At least this way I put the papers where they belong right away. Does anyone have any other ideas?

I am grateful for my counters. I am grateful for my large, sunny kitchen. I am thankful I get to spend all day with my children and that we have the freedom to learn together at home. I'm thankful that we "live" so fully we make messes! And I'm thankful God gave me two strong arms and a healthy body so I can clean up those messes. :-)
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13 comments:

  1. votemomMarch 28, 2009 at 5:17 AM

    WOW pam! it looks fantastic! i can imagine how satisfied you felt after getting that taken care of.

    it's amazing how the paper piles build up.

    i love your solution and think it makes perfect sense.

    now, good luck on getting people to NOT leave stuff on the kitchen counter.... maybe you can incorporate into your school day (at the end?) a 60 second "counter check" where everyone has to check the counter and remove and put away anything that belongs to them or that they used....?

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  2. PamMarch 28, 2009 at 7:38 AM

    "counter check" is a great idea votemom! We'll start it today. :-)

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  3. Teacher/MomMarch 28, 2009 at 7:55 AM

    So when do you want to take a trip and come help me with my mess?! Looks awesome! Not sure what you can do with the stuff left on the counter. Especially if you use it all the time. The only thing I could think of was one of those single sliding plastic file drawers that you can get at Walmart or Target. But, that might be too narrow of a space. You'd have to set it sideways, and that would cause a problem with the light switch. Another idea would be to mount a small bookshelf (probably heavy duty) on the wall up just enough so that you can put some things underneath, tucking the file folders as tight below the cabinets as you can manage without making it hard to get them out. That would give you more counter space, even though it wouldn't be a lot. Of course, counter space just screams to be filled so that might not solve the problem. We're looking at some of the same issues too. Blessings.

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  4. ReneeMarch 28, 2009 at 8:00 AM

    Great JOB! I know that is a lot of hard work. You did good!


    We keep our paper stuff in an armoire so I can shut the doors . Not a big help to you I'm sure. Sorry!

    I

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  5. LonaMarch 28, 2009 at 12:07 PM

    Pam, even the part that you're not totally happy with looks awesome! I'm proud of you!

    Counter check! I love it...

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  6. Beth in TexasMarch 28, 2009 at 6:40 PM

    Something like this: http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?referringProduct=10017275&referringCategory=74548&PRODID=10017276&CATID=74545

    Or this: http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?searchId=19428784&itemIndex=31&CATID=74527&PRODID=10023857

    or this: http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?searchId=19428784&itemIndex=28&CATID=74548&PRODID=10017281

    A bit pricey for now but maybe you could ask for some for Mother's Day or Christmas or whenever. Just to keep in mind once hubby has that job. Anyway, the Container Store has lots of colors and styles if you search under "file".

    HTH

    BTW, I do have an office it is *out of control* and I'm taking this entire week to get it neat and nice -- still squeezing in some school but take big chunks off. Let me know if you want to road trip down and help. We'll just stick kids everywhere and you can have the DP's bed.

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  7. BlessingintheBattleMarch 28, 2009 at 6:47 PM

    I actually think that the "paper counter" looks VERY nice now...I don't know of a solution, but wanted to encourage you:). I like what you did! I am an organizing monster these days, too...:). I love order!

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  8. DarlaMarch 29, 2009 at 9:07 AM

    The switch from the one counter to the other was a great idea. The new counter is very neat and organized.

    Without knowing what papers are stored in this area it is hard to suggest changes. Are they papers that you've printed for the children's school work, completed papers, logs????

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  9. PamMarch 29, 2009 at 9:58 AM

    Darla, almost none of the folders are for school things. In the very front is that week's grocery sale flier, and my desktop calendar which I open on the counter during the day and put away at night, a file folder for receipts that I have to do something with, one for address lists (church directory, etc) and stamps. All the yellow ones in the middle are for activities we have done/do on a regular basis - Tae Kwon Do, soccer, Awana, middle school youth group, etc. I can't quite bring myself to put the TKD one away yet, hoping my husband gets a job soon and we can go back! They basically hold all the details of our life outside of homeschool. And actually, that counter has grown on me the last few days and I'm liking it more, even though the papers are not hidden. It's so nice to have order to the paper pile again!

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  10. PamMarch 29, 2009 at 10:13 AM

    P.S. There is also of course the very large "Bills" folder. ;-)

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  11. GregMarch 30, 2009 at 10:06 AM

    Congratulations Pam. Don't underestimate the psychological benefit of decluttering/organizing.

    Some of us (like me and someone else you are close to) have a harder time making decisions. For me, if it isn't left somewhere where I can see it, I forget. And I'm terrible about going through my in-box. Even though it clutters, Gayle has to keep things out or I completely forget to [call, sign, fix, shop for, etc.]. So she effectively sets my priorities by leaving the most important stuff out where it is visible and putting the rest in my in-box.

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  12. lazy susieMarch 30, 2009 at 10:18 AM

    I have an area like this in my kitchen. We keep it in the space where the microwave should go (we don't use one). It is still easy to access, but sort of tucked away and not so obvious.

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  13. lahbluebonnetApril 1, 2009 at 10:38 AM

    You did a great job and looks good!!! I've been thinking of other ideas and two come to mind. One-I got a pretty expandable folder that lots of things can go into. When your dh gets job, a couple of matching ones should neatly hold everything in a pretty style of your choice. Mine was a black toile expandable from Wal Mart for under $5.
    Two-You could get some fabric from your fabric stash (do you have one?) and make a curtain for the area. Attach to underside of cupboard with velcro. This could be a pain though when accessing things.
    You really did a great job. I'll have to rethink all my storage when we get settled!
    Blessings,
    Laurie

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