If you’ve ever been discouraged by the photos of clutter-free desks and spotless homes on other websites about minimalist living, let me present an actual photo of our kitchen counter when it was at its all-time messiest:
Do you have a catch-all space like this in your home?
Getting this area tidy and keeping it clean is high on my priority list as we embark on this journey. I promise to share the unvarnished truth about our challenges, and the practical steps we take toward simplicity.
UPDATE
Here’s the same kitchen counter, after working on it off and on for three days:
You may wonder why I didn’t remove the yellow bag (full of peaches — thanks, Mom and Pop!) before I shot the photo, but I promised to be real and this is where I had stuck the bag. Clearly, along with getting organized I need to develop new habits — otherwise, I’ll keep stashing things on the counter and it will soon be a mess again.
If there’s a cluttered area in your home that you’d like to share with us, you just know we’d all love to see it. They say confession is good for the soul.
Eliza, Your site is a joy to puruse. Thank you for letting us peek into your life and your jouney.
Thanks for stopping by, Colleen!
Great site. De-cluttering is one of my goals for 2011. Thanks for the inspiration.
Good luck with your decluttering projects, Christopher!
It’s amazing how such a small space can take so long to de-clutter. We are in the process of organizing, still, after moving into our new home. It’s a challenge, but I’m glad I’m not the only one in this boat sometimes.
Thanks, Anissa. You’re right about the disproportionate amount of time it takes to de-clutter vs. creating the clutter!
Plus, it seems I have to keep working on the same kitchen counter all the time because it’s the catch-all space. It does take time to de-clutter the right way and thoughtfully put things away where they belong. I’m convinced it’s much easier to attack this problem by working on it every day to keep it from getting cluttered in the first place, but some days are more successful than others.
I recently read a book where these areas were referred to as ‘hot spots’. The problem is we seem to have an entire house full of hot spots!
It’s good to see that your house has witnessed at least a small area that is as messy as my entire house!
We’re working on de-cluttering at the moment, but it’s sometimes hard to stop yourself re-cluttering areas that you’re so used to dumping things on!
Mine and the hubby’s bedroom. Really the whole house. We have too much stuff.
Hi,
I love your website. I really want to make the cheese crackers, but don’t know what vegetable shortening is. I live in the UK, so it may have a different name here.
Hi,
You can simply substitute unsalted butter if you like.
Good luck!
xo