Organizing Part 2 – Recipes and Cluttered Surfaces

Its been a very slow de-cluttering week! Stuff that is not put away has been threatening to overwhelm me – but I am getting inspired again after reading more of Organizing Junkie‘s advice and Se7en‘s organizing adventures!

Inspiration breeds inspiration and whenever I start de-cluttering I definitely increase in enthusiasm! We finally got all the childrens clothes sorted – winter clothes out, too small clothes packed away, etc. I am trying to simplify continually as I de-clutter and get rid of as much as possible. “Stuff” is indeed such a burden in our lives. I have spent my whole life with too much “stuff”!! Shameful.

1. RECIPES

Our recipes are in such a mess! I remember when my sister-in-law was visiting in December and she asked for a recipe – we gave her one version, then realised it was wrong and tried the computer version, then realised that actually the one in my head was the only correct one!

All the recipes I use regularly are out on the kitchen counter – many scruffy pieces of paper stained with food stains! The rest are in a file but not well sorted. SO…

I started by clearing the space well, putting the recipes in a holding box and am typing up one each day. We have started laminating them after our 7 year old daughter illustrates them. Then they will be filed in alphabetical tabs and filed.

The area (below) has been clear now for a week except for the recipe we happen to be using – which then goes back in the box after we are done. The recipe book holder is waiting for my recipe file to take its grand place here – soon I hope!

2. SIDEBOARD

We have a sideboard next to the table where lots of school time happens. It got piled – really piled high – with junk; crafts, drawings, pastels, files, clipboards, cards, gifts we had made – anything that was cleared off the table was placed on the sideboard. It got bad!

We cleared it off and now have art boxes (underneath the sideboard) for each childs artwork, a display table for other artwork and a file cabinet for all school preparation stuff.

Here we have a halfway sorted photo,

… and an after photo. I placed some photo frames, our vase of craft flowers and a few draws of supplies on the surface to prevent clutter collecting there again as its hard to break the habit!

I also cleared the kitchen counter around the front of our fruitbowl and spice rack where all kinds of junk had accumulated. It has stayed clear for a week now!

I have a “goodbye box” nearby which we put things in that we can’t find a place for immediately, then we empty it each week using the put 10 things away game (each child chooses an item and runs as fast as they can to put it in its place, then comes back for the next until they have done 10 things – great fun is had by all!)

Let’s hope I can keep the lovely clear counter clear of junk!

This post is linked to Organizing Junkie. Have a look there for some inspiring organizing advice!

My Organizing Journey so far:

Part 1 – Organizing!

Part 3 – First Set of Drawers

Part 4 – Crafts and Art Folders

Part 5 – The Fireplace

Part 6 – Puzzles and Activity Boxes

Part 7 – Recipes into the File

Part 8 – Hubby’s Desk Drawers

Part 9 – The Whole Office!

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51v10