Kitchen

Since starting Project:Simplify, I have been waiting for the kitchen to be the hot spot. I know I could have started whenever but I wanted to follow along and only concentrate on one area at a time. I was very excited to dive into the pantry as it tends to be the catchall for items without homes.

Before:Lots of items on the floor and the shelves are overflowing.

After:I absolutely love opening the doors! I can actually walk in to my walk-in pantry. I smile everytime I see it.

The outside of the refrigerator was causing a lot of visual clutter. I didn't have the heart to take down all of the pictures but I still think the after is an improvement.

The inside wasn't too bad, just items shoved in haphazardly.

While I was on a roll, I decided to start cleaning out drawers and cabinets and I can't tell you how good it feels to open a door to a well organized space. Hopefully the family and I can keep it that way!

Don't forget to stop by some of the other kitchens to get even more inspiration!

Paper Clutter

Paper clutter. It is everywhere. Behind doors, on the counter, in my purse. The central location for most of the paper clutter is a cabinet in our kitchen. The kids have a spot for drawing/coloring, there is a magazine drawer and a "no place else to put it so just shove it here" drawer. This weeks hot spot for Project:Simplify is this never ending paper clutter. I decided to tackle this lovely cabinet (obviously not literally as I may have been injured.) :)

Before:

After:

No place unless to put it drawer (top). Before:

After:
Love Dave Ramsey!

Now that this cabinet has been cleared of its paper clutter I have vowed to do two things.

1. No more shoving papers in drawers because I don't want to deal with it at that moment. Better to deal with it once.

2. Deal with the mail immediately. Recycle or file. Everything in its proper place.

Be sure to check out the other tips and transformations at Project:Simplify.

The Reveal

Today is the day! Time for the before and after pictures of my closet clean out. It has been good going through all the items and deciding what deserves to stay. And I must say that I love walking into the closet now. If you would like to start your own decluttering process, check out Project:Simplify and follow along. It will definitely be worth it! Before: My side of the closet. Too many things that didn't belong and lots of overflow.

After: Everything in its place and a place for everything.

Before:

After:

Just from cleaning my closet, I feel better and am more energized to get the ball rolling to declutter the whole house. I can feel a change coming and I can't wait!

Be sure to check out all the other closet transformation for even more inspiration!

A New Day

Today is the day! I am following Project: Simplify at Simple Mom. It is a five week project aimed at organizing and simplifying your life. I recently found Simple Mom and have been devouring the website and loving every bit of it. I just finished reading the book Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenrider, founder of Simple Mom. It is a fabulous book that causes you to think about your "things" differently and to really live a simpler life, so that you can enjoy life more. The first hot spot project is your wardrobe and closet. I was so excited to see this because I have been wanting to get rid of the all the unworn clothes and accessories. I started soon after reading her post by taking my before pictures. Then I dug right it! I have only done a few areas but I am so excited to do more. I even fixed a purse! The before and after pictures will be posted on Friday!

The Reason

I am anything but organized. In my dreams I live in a perfectly clean, everything in its place kind of home. But that is not my reality, nor do I really want it to be. My home is lived in. It provides not only shelter but a place for family to gather and memories to be made. It is a football/soccer/baseball field for my three energetic boys. It is a place for learning, as those same three boys are homeschooled here as well. It is the place my husband comes home to after a long day.

My family is the reason why I am starting this journey of living a simpler, more organized life. I would like to take my life back from the clutter and mess and start enjoying the little things. It may not be easy and I doubt I will ever be perfect, but as long as I am trying it is a step in the right direction.