Thursday, June 25, 2015

Sometimes You Just Need a Win


There was something about today -- I don't know what hit me -- but suddenly this morning I knew that I just needed a win.  Didn't matter what kind; I just needed to feel in control of something.

Maybe it's because I've been trying to work myself out of a funk which I've written about

here:  Un Funk Yourself Part One 
and here:  Un Funk Yourself Part Two - Eat the Toad 
and again here:  Un Funk Yourself Part Three - Less is Best

Maybe it's because I've begun following Jen Jones'  i heart organizing blog. where she is currently doing a "Four Week Wait No More Organizing Challenge" by focusing her talents one week at a time on four areas of her life that desperately need organizational help.  (Just four?  Really?) 




Maybe it's because I looked around this morning and saw this:



and this:


and this:



Yep.  That was my kitchen only a few hours ago.  Oh, don't judge me.  My kitchen is where I spend a lot of my day.  Not just cooking (although I do a lot of that!) but concocting, crafting, cleaning (no, honestly!) and colliding with my family because they hang out there a lot, too.

I decided my win for the day was just going to be a massive countertop cleanup, which I kicked off by simply putting things away.  Why do I have a toaster on the counter, when we don't eat bread?  Why is there bread on the counter?!  What barn-raised dolt just up and left their dirty breakfast dishes literally three feet from the dishwasher?  (Oh, wait.  That was me.)

Actually, truthfully, honestly, I started by hauling every single item that wasn't affixed OUT.  Even the stuff I know I use all the time.  Even that massive microwave oven.  You can't be nice to clutter.  Or even civil.  I discovered that last year during my week-long purge-athon.  That was an adventure!  But I digress...


Once things were cleared away, I discovered I could actually reach the walls and the backsplash, so they got a good scrubbing down.



Drawers and cabinet spaces were supposed to be beyond the scope of my quick little project, but I couldn't help noticing the jammed up and overcrowded state of my sponge drawer.



And the chaos in an island drawer that was mostly filled -- it turned out -- with long-expired coupons.   But also a few actually-useful items that would be great to have handy.  Assuming one could ever find them.


To take care of the first problem, I simply found a nice, tall, decorative pot and relocated all the big, clunky scrubbers and brushes from the the sponge drawer, which now holds -- you guessed it! -- sponges.

Quick tip:  I keep my dishwashing liquid in a repurposed oil cruet.  It looks nice on the counter, and it dispenses the soap more slowly than squeezing it out of the original bottle, and that cuts down on waste.


As for the "coupon drawer," most of its contents are off to the recycling bin, but I restocked it with a selection of envelopes, stamps, address labels, notepads, a calculator and a roll of tape.


Finally I gave the windows a good washing, using a sheet of newspaper and 
my favorite homemade glass cleaning solution:  
     1 cup of water
     1 cup of isopropyl alcohol
     1 tablespoon of white vinegar

(I've sharpied the recipe right on my spray bottle so I don't forget.)



And now, just a few hours from when I started, my kitchen looks like
this:


and this:


and this:

 
and this:



I needed that.

Before you dismiss this as making a big deal out of a little cleanup, Nate Berkus was once asked for his best advice on how to transform a living space without spending a lot of money... his #1 tip was, "clean up."

And then there's FlyLady Marla Cilley who transformed, not just her living space, but her life.  The very first thing she did, and the first thing she advises her followers to do:  shine your sink.

So there.




18 comments:

  1. Cute post. And hey---never underestimate the power of a clean kitchen. The creative juices flow more readily when things aren't cluttered. :)

    Kristi@Stone Family Farmstead

    P.S. I'm visiting from the Weekend Blog Hop. ;-)

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  2. So true! And doesn't it just make you feel better to have it clean and feel like you accomplished something for the day? Even if your other rooms are a mess! Ha! I so understand!! Thanks for the post :)

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    1. Actually, I felt like the whole house looked better after that. My other rooms weren't SO bad, but the kitchen was dragging them all down. Thanks for coming by!

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  3. Woohoo! What a great job. Cleaning up and straightening up always makes me feel better.

    Thanks for linking up on the Weekend Blog Hop at My Flagstaff Home!

    Jennifer

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  4. I always feel good when my kitchen is clean...even though I often procrastinate about it. i took the time to scrub the grout in our flooring a few weeks back and it made such a difference. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thanks for visiting, Miss Steph. I hope you come back soon.

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  5. Great post and your kitchen looks amazing! I love a clean kitchen, even though I hardly ever have one!! I always need to clean up my kitchen before I start cooking. My family thinks I am crazy, but it just helps me put things in order in my head and helps me be more creative. Thanks for sharing at Celebrate It!

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    1. I cannot cook in a messy kitchen, so I'm with you there, Teri. I'm glad you came by, and I'll be celebrating with you again soon!

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  6. Your kitchen looks amazing!!! My entire house could be a disaster but if my kitchen is clean then the rest of my house feels clean. Weird how that works :)

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    1. A- to the -men, Rosy! I feel exactly the same way! I'm glad you stopped by. Come again!

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  7. Wow, that looks great! I really need to do this right now. My kitchen has been driving me crazy for days. Now…get off the computer, Wendy, and put the crockpot away! :) #WeekendWindDown

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  8. When I'm feeling overwhelmed, I always start with cleaning up. My kitchen has been a disaster lately as I try to complete a bunch of painting projects. I came home from the hospital last night (oldest guy had a seizure yesterday) and my daughter, who had come to watch his younger brother had cleaned up my entire kitchen. I just felt this weight lift off my shoulders! Love this post and would like to include it in my weekend round up with a link back. Hope that's ok.

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    1. Wow, Jenna! I have so much to say. First of all, I hope everything went well at the hospital and your oldest is okay! It was so kind of your daughter to help you that way. I know how uplifting that must have been for you. I can't tell you how many times, when friends or family members have been in times of trouble, and I have felt powerless to help, I've just done their dishes and cleaned up their kitchen. It probably helped me more than it helped them, but still... I would be honored for you to include my post in your round up. Thank you so much, and I hope you come visit again.

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  9. I LOVE Flylady. I started reading her emails way before blogs started. Shine your sink. Yup, that leads to lots of other habits your mother never taught you. OK, maybe Mom did teach them but I am pretty sure I wasn't listening very well at the time. When things pile too high I just pull out the words from Flylady and start working. Counters cleaned off, floor swept, things put away, run the dishwasher, shine that sink and usually this is enough for me to carry on making peace out of uproar. Yes, I am a granny too. I am adding your blog to my blog roll.
    Joy

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  10. God bless FlyLady! I bought her book back in my working mommy days, and it really helped me get organized and stay on top of things when I had so little time to spare. Now I find myself quoting her to my grown kids: "You know, you don't have to wait until the needle is on 'E' to gas up the car.... You know, if you just give your potty a quick swish every day..." They probably don't listen. :)

    Thanks for adding my blog to your roll, Joy.

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