20 Days to Organized and Clean: Day 1

As most of you know, I am a housewife/nanny. I stay at home full time and keep two toddlers ages 3 and 20 months. One of the things I have really been loving and working harder on now that I am home is keeping a clean and organized house. I do fairly well with the clean part, I just struggle with making myself organize. It always seems like a never ending task!

While playing on Pinterest (another obsession of mine that I carve out time for during nap time!), I found this cute little blog called The Organized Housewife. I visit and take ideas from lots of blogs, and she is among my recently found faves. While looking around on her blog, I found her 20 DAYS TO ORGANIZE AND CLEAN YOUR HOUSE CHALLENGE. I was looking at all the different tasks for each day and thinking to myself, "I need this!" She has her challenge last month, and as I said I just found her blog last week, so I started my challenge today! I would love to have you join me!!!

Here is the link to the original post from The Organized Housewife and the pre-task info to prep you in getting ready to start your challenge. FYI, I didn't start a new binder since I already have a household binder I use daily. I just added it under the CLEANING tab.

GETTING STARTED: (click the picture to go to the into, which links to the pre-tasks..there are 4 total)

1. Print the daily checklists. 

2. Gather all of your cleaning supplies in an easily accessible and portable place.

3. Go shopping for any bins/supplies you don't already have on hand. 

4. Create a morning routine. It really helps you get going each day!!

5. Set up an evening routine. It makes the next morning less daunting. 

6. Get your goals listed, and get your sorting tubs ready to go.

(Click the picture to go to Day 1 post with complete details)

I will try to take before and after photos each day of the tasks I complete, but mostly you will probably get the afters. I'm a good housekeeper, so general pictures don't ever do the "befores" any justice. Below are my AFTER pictures from today. The challenge: The Kitchen!

(*Please note that I live in an apartment townhouse, so the appliances and cabinets, etc, come with it. That's why they are so dated. Not really my style, but decent and I make do!)

Here is my stove area. My spice rack is too tall for my shelves in the cabinet, so there it sits. It's actually very convenient until I can find a great way to put them organized and visible in the cabinet.

 This is what I refer to as COMMAND CENTRAL. This is where I keep my recipe book (blue binder with yellow label), Hill Household Notebook (next binder), my important papers (this is where I file my important papers and paid bills until clean out day), my catch-all basket (for things I use everyday that don't really have a home! but it gets cleaned out on clean out day too!), and my paper sorter. I use the paper sorter for my phone book and other important things that don't go in my household binder. It also gets cleaned out weekly.

 Here is my sink. Nice and clean. I repurposed an old SPARK canister to catch can tabs which we send to St. Jude. Not much here now, except my paper pumpkin that I made with the kiddos! HEY, It's fall!! :)

 Had to post a little picture of my homemade cleaners. I love them!! They are a now a staple in my home and have so much money!!!

 And here is my under the sink area..all neat and organized with my cleaning supplies! Everything has a home now.

If you are doing this challenge with me in October, leave me a comment with your thoughts/progress daily, and/or a link to your blog so I can see your progress and maybe we can share ideas! Good luck!


Happy Organizing!