January 31st-February 13th is Foyer OR Alternative is Kitchen Cabinets/Cupboard
- Thread starter Winged One
- Start date
Oh my... these week I think I should join in this... kitchen cabinets need to be done...and DECLUTTERED!!!
I am not going to focus on the foyer, as it is small and really got well cleaned last week when we cleaned the living room (I dusted and polished and hoovered well out there too). And there is no furniture apart from a hall table.
So I will be concentrating on the kitchen cabinets (timely as they need a good emptying out) and the cupboard under the stairs and the cupboard over the utility cupboard (dead space in the extension that I keep my seeds and flower arranging stuff in). Which means I don't really have a list of specific jobs, more a theme of cleaning, sorting, decluttering, and using up certain foodstuffs before doing a restock.
I started well last night by doing a basic sort of the freezer, and noting that I have about 4 days more meals in there than I expected. So I will be cutting the grocery bill for the first half of the month while we eat those items.
And I also used up a few things from the top of the cupboardds over the weekend - like getting into a new pack of curry powder. And planning a cheesecake with the shortbread biscuits which were leftover from Christmas (we are having a dinner party in a few weeks so that will be a nice desert).
I'll start tackling it all properly tomorrow night (I am entertaining tonight!!).
So I will be trying to clear off
So I will be concentrating on the kitchen cabinets (timely as they need a good emptying out) and the cupboard under the stairs and the cupboard over the utility cupboard (dead space in the extension that I keep my seeds and flower arranging stuff in). Which means I don't really have a list of specific jobs, more a theme of cleaning, sorting, decluttering, and using up certain foodstuffs before doing a restock.
I started well last night by doing a basic sort of the freezer, and noting that I have about 4 days more meals in there than I expected. So I will be cutting the grocery bill for the first half of the month while we eat those items.
And I also used up a few things from the top of the cupboardds over the weekend - like getting into a new pack of curry powder. And planning a cheesecake with the shortbread biscuits which were leftover from Christmas (we are having a dinner party in a few weeks so that will be a nice desert).
I'll start tackling it all properly tomorrow night (I am entertaining tonight!!).
So I will be trying to clear off
Happy Monday, February 1st! I really like our goals for these two weeks. Both areas are small and cluttered, in my home. (The foyer AND the kitchen cabinets!)
Wow I'm actually ahead on this one, with the threat of snow and power outages I organized the pantry cabnets Friday night. So I'm half way there in the kictchen, of course it want stay that way, I sometimes wonder why I bother.
Don't actually have a foyer all thought there is a closet by the front door, I suppose I could clean it out, and there is an entrance area at the back doo that could use some attention.
Don't actually have a foyer all thought there is a closet by the front door, I suppose I could clean it out, and there is an entrance area at the back doo that could use some attention.
Happy February! ♥♥♥
I don't have a foyer either, so I may take one thing that I didn't get to in the living room (clean out the coat closet) and tackle that this time.
My kitchen cabinets aren't too cluttered although when I moved here I sort of took over with my baking things...I probably don't need ALL of it in there, so maybe I can scale down a bit. The only problem is, I have nowhere else to put it....I guess there'll be another bin going into the garage!
Actually I can probably re-organize our pantry...we did this before the holidays, but you know how it is....I get lazy and just start putting things back anywhere.
Ok..I have a list started!
I don't have a foyer either, so I may take one thing that I didn't get to in the living room (clean out the coat closet) and tackle that this time.
My kitchen cabinets aren't too cluttered although when I moved here I sort of took over with my baking things...I probably don't need ALL of it in there, so maybe I can scale down a bit. The only problem is, I have nowhere else to put it....I guess there'll be another bin going into the garage!
Actually I can probably re-organize our pantry...we did this before the holidays, but you know how it is....I get lazy and just start putting things back anywhere.
Ok..I have a list started!
I am planning on decluttering a lot of extra casseroles, pots, mugs ,etc... to Purple Heart. I have kept so many that I don't use because someone gave them to me. Now I'm realizing, OH WELL. I can't hold on to everyone just to make other people happy. They won't know the difference, anyway.
Luckily, the foyer is in good shape. It's fairly small and got a good decluttering around Christmas.
Luckily, the foyer is in good shape. It's fairly small and got a good decluttering around Christmas.
Today is "Clean The Foyer Day". There is a small coat closet. All the coats are out -- some set aside for give-away. Some will go to the cleaners. Those not being used will be moved to my bigger closet.
The BIG JOB is the floor of the front closet. Somehow -- it has become a "gardening shed". It is about four feet high with all kinds of gardening things. Cleaning this out is the BIG PROJECT for today. Sigh.
It all comes down to getting rid of "stuff". And this is GOOD stuff. But we only have so much room. So - either IT has to go --- or, something else has to go, to make room for this gardening stuff.
It is SO GOOD FOR US to have these "deadlines" or "reminders" -- to keep organizing and decluttering. Good for us -- does not translate exactly to "fun".
The BIG JOB is the floor of the front closet. Somehow -- it has become a "gardening shed". It is about four feet high with all kinds of gardening things. Cleaning this out is the BIG PROJECT for today. Sigh.
It all comes down to getting rid of "stuff". And this is GOOD stuff. But we only have so much room. So - either IT has to go --- or, something else has to go, to make room for this gardening stuff.
It is SO GOOD FOR US to have these "deadlines" or "reminders" -- to keep organizing and decluttering. Good for us -- does not translate exactly to "fun".
As much as I wanted to follow the plan as outined I have had a wrench thrown into it. My 15 yo son has moved in with his grandparents (long story) sparking off a huge whole house makeover. His room is going to become the little girls room which will become the living room, which will become the dining room which we have never had and don't have room for a table in our kitchen. also, my 10 yo son who is currently in the room that the little girls are in (long rec room divided into two rooms needs to be moved into 18yo dd's old room and I need to switch my bedroom with my teen girls's room!
Yeah
good times... good times
Yeah
good times... good times
Lots of work in view momof9!
... don't really work by weeknights. When I get home I am way tired... so I guess I'll try to do some of it this weekend.
... don't really work by weeknights. When I get home I am way tired... so I guess I'll try to do some of it this weekend.
Momof9 --- WOW! It DOES look like a HUGE JOB to move those rooms around! I mean --- not actually move the "rooms" around. Move the furniture in the rooms around! I guess that will involve HUGE amounts of work! And, of course result in lots of cleaning and reorganizing!
Meanwhile -- me just working on the FRONT HALL CLOSET seems to be causing some chaos all over the house. The iiving room is still full of coats and jackets. The front hall is still full of various bags of stuff. And the floor of the front hall closet is still full of stuff!!!
Everything has to be cleaned up before 5:30 tomorrow -- when the Women's First Wednesday Wine/Whine Night begins.... at my house!
Meanwhile -- me just working on the FRONT HALL CLOSET seems to be causing some chaos all over the house. The iiving room is still full of coats and jackets. The front hall is still full of various bags of stuff. And the floor of the front hall closet is still full of stuff!!!
Everything has to be cleaned up before 5:30 tomorrow -- when the Women's First Wednesday Wine/Whine Night begins.... at my house!
well the first thing I need to start w/ is putting up the christmas/winter dishes. I have snowman dishes and leave them out for a bit after Christmas. Then w/ the snow they have stayed out longer but I am ready to put them up now. Plus I have my eggnog bowls displayed on top of the cabinet and they nned to go away so I can put my usual bowls back. I don't have a foyer but we do have a mini mud room we pass though into the house using the side door. I guess I should work in there.
We have been decorating our kitchen so i want to sort out the cupboards now and declutter.
Pamelajane
Pamelajane
Little steps are all that is happening this week, as it has been a very busy week.
But that said, lots of little things are maing a difference.
Like, DH had to take an afternoon off yesterday for the gasman, but it means our boiler is now serviced and working at 97% efficiency. And he also got the bathrooms cleaned and laundry folded while he was home (I really lucked out with him!).
And because we had the visitors, we did a lot of clearing of things in the guest room, and there is now a new shelf up there too.
I am decluttering a lot too - I have a large bag of hockey goalkeeping gear (it's field hockey - but the keeper gets padded up like a regular player in ice-hockey so it's a LARGE bag) in the attic. This is going to my old school tomorrow when we head down home, as I have retired from hockey (I got too old and my reflexes were too slow) a couple of years now, and I really don't see myself needing it again. But it was too expensive to just throw away and I wanted it to go where it would get well used (and my old club has good funds for its players - and as I had to buy it myself - almost €1,000 over 3 years or so, I didn't feel a loyalty to have to give it to them).
The kitchen cupboards are also getting a small look - I cleared off a portion of the top of a cupboard (the deadspace of about 18 inches between the cupboard top and ceiling that I use for "hidden" storage behind the moulding) too - we aer now using the last packet of cereal from there, and I have also taken about 4 packets of dried fruit down too as I'd used so many recently (different types but all the jars needed refilling).
We are having a well-deserved weekend off this weekend and I am intending on not getting much to bring back with us. We are not going to the farmer's market. I may buy some wool if I bring a couple of patterns with me - but only for specific projects. But the weekend is about relaxing entirely - so there may be a couple of magazines or a new book (or perhaps a knitting project if I can find the pattern that I was considering for myself LOL!).
But that said, lots of little things are maing a difference.
Like, DH had to take an afternoon off yesterday for the gasman, but it means our boiler is now serviced and working at 97% efficiency. And he also got the bathrooms cleaned and laundry folded while he was home (I really lucked out with him!).
And because we had the visitors, we did a lot of clearing of things in the guest room, and there is now a new shelf up there too.
I am decluttering a lot too - I have a large bag of hockey goalkeeping gear (it's field hockey - but the keeper gets padded up like a regular player in ice-hockey so it's a LARGE bag) in the attic. This is going to my old school tomorrow when we head down home, as I have retired from hockey (I got too old and my reflexes were too slow) a couple of years now, and I really don't see myself needing it again. But it was too expensive to just throw away and I wanted it to go where it would get well used (and my old club has good funds for its players - and as I had to buy it myself - almost €1,000 over 3 years or so, I didn't feel a loyalty to have to give it to them).
The kitchen cupboards are also getting a small look - I cleared off a portion of the top of a cupboard (the deadspace of about 18 inches between the cupboard top and ceiling that I use for "hidden" storage behind the moulding) too - we aer now using the last packet of cereal from there, and I have also taken about 4 packets of dried fruit down too as I'd used so many recently (different types but all the jars needed refilling).
We are having a well-deserved weekend off this weekend and I am intending on not getting much to bring back with us. We are not going to the farmer's market. I may buy some wool if I bring a couple of patterns with me - but only for specific projects. But the weekend is about relaxing entirely - so there may be a couple of magazines or a new book (or perhaps a knitting project if I can find the pattern that I was considering for myself LOL!).
A deadline/an incentive - helped me with this cleaning goal! (Having friends over last night!) The big project (for two days) was the front closet in the foyer! At the end -- HALF of the closet was available, WITH HANGERS, for the guests' coats!! AND -- the floor of the closet HAD been cleaned. And -- now held only a few essentials. "Deicer" for the front steps/front walk. And food for the bird feeders in the front yard.
The rest of the preparations consisted of general house cleaning/house blessing chores. The kitchen cabinets were NOT on that particular list! However -- we have the rest of this week AND next week available to work on that! And I do better by breaking things up! Working as close to "15 minutes at a time" as I can.
How are you doing?
The rest of the preparations consisted of general house cleaning/house blessing chores. The kitchen cabinets were NOT on that particular list! However -- we have the rest of this week AND next week available to work on that! And I do better by breaking things up! Working as close to "15 minutes at a time" as I can.
How are you doing?
OK - I am ready to move beyond the Foyer! NOW -- it is INTO the kitchen cabinets. 15 minutes at a time! I hope, hope, REALLY hope that I can get rid of a lot of stuff! Things are just too crowded. And that leads to very messy in no time!
Cleaning the kitchen is such a huge job for me -- that I have to break it into 15 minute sections -- if I want to retain any sanity! Tackling small sections!
Cleaning the kitchen is such a huge job for me -- that I have to break it into 15 minute sections -- if I want to retain any sanity! Tackling small sections!
Yesterday turned into a "real life day"> Lots of small emergencies/rescue missions. PLUS -- stocking up for the big east coast snowstorm that is supposed to begin in the middle of the day Friday. And pretty well shut things down for the weekend! Amtrack has already cancelled all trains going south of DC. And Southwest Airlines has cancelled all flights out of Baltimore, DC and Philadelphia. Visibility on the highways is supposed to be extremely limited when the snow gets going in full force!
So -- instead of cleaning out/reorganizing kitchen cabinets -- I was filling them up yesterday.
Today is a NEW DAY! 15 minutes at a time! Anyone with me?
So -- instead of cleaning out/reorganizing kitchen cabinets -- I was filling them up yesterday.
Today is a NEW DAY! 15 minutes at a time! Anyone with me?
Today is a bright, sunny day! (Absolutely freezing cold outside, icy, and the roads in our area have not seen a snow plow! So -- as long as we don't lose power -- this is a perfect day to work in 15 minute segments! I can decluter kitchen cabinets - while I watch TV or talk on the phone with friends!
Maintaining has been easier than usual for the last couple of days -- since the giant east coast snowstorm has kept us inside!
Maintaining has been easier than usual for the last couple of days -- since the giant east coast snowstorm has kept us inside!