Kitchen Organizing Challenge: Hall Of Fame (Part 4)

Lots and lots of you have taken on the kitchen organizing challenge. So many, in fact that I'm already on Part 4 of the hall of fame for this challenge, and I already know I'll be doing a part 5 also!

I think this challenge resonated with lots of people not only because it was the first of the New Year, when everyone is really excited about their New Year's Resolutions, but also because when you clear off your kitchen counters your whole kitchen just feels more peaceful and you can be so more productive.

Organizing sometimes is just as much about how it effects our minds, as anything else, don't you think?

If the pictures you see below (scroll down to see them all) inspire you I'd love for you to share some of your own once you've completed the challenge. Here's the first challenge, about kitchen organization, with step by step instructions for what to do.

Then, you can come back and submit your own pictures for the Organization Hall of Fame.

Photo by ohsojolly!

Amanda's After Pictures Of Her Organized Kitchen Counters

by Amanda

Amanda shared these after pictures of her organized kitchen counters on the site's Facebook wall. I find pictures like this to be such an inspiration? Don't you?

I especially love the little hook where she hangs her apron on the wall. How cute!

Kitchen Countertops & Sink Clear Plus System In Place To Deal With Paper Clutter

by Caroline @ Southern Mom Says
(Texas)

Caroline also blogged about the Kitchen Organizing Challenge, at her blog Southern Mom Says.

Caroline says:

Hello! I'm so excited to complete week one and share it with you! I posted some before & after pictures on my blog, and also listed out several ideas I'm implementing on how to keep the countertop clutter at bay!

I would love it if you would share my photos and parts of my blog post on your wall of fame!

Thanks so much! It feels great!
Caroline@Southern Mom Says

Taylor says:

Thanks so much for blogging about the challenge Caroline.

I love how you realized what one of the main obstacles holding you back to keeping your counters cleared in your kitchen was paper clutter, and how you set up a system to try to deal with the issue.

Caroline explains the system in much greater detail in her blog post (so go check it out for full details), but she identified three areas to work on:

1. Deal with incoming mail on a daily basis.

2. Have a place for kids school papers.

3. Have a system for magazines, catalogs and things to read.

You may not know it Caroline, but you've tackled several other weeks of the 52 Weeks to an Organized Home Challenge right there, dealing with your paper clutter! That just means you're ahead of the game. Great job, and it looks great.

Kitchen Countertops Organizing Challenge Results

by Megan Lorenzen @ lifeofthelorenzens
(Waverly, IA)

Megan also blogged about the Kitchen Organizing Challenge.

Megan says:

I already have a relatively clutter-free kitchen thanks to a VERY neat husband who cleans up after supper and wipes down everything daily and young kids that aren't bringing home loads of papers, etc. from school yet. I posted about this week's challenge on my blog, Life Of The Lorenzens.

I'm looking forward to future challenges because I have other areas that need a lot more work!

:o) Megan

Taylor says:

Thanks so much Megan for sharing the results of the challenge on your blog.

First, I have to say there are more photos at her blog post, so be sure to check them all out.

In addition, I am totally impressed with your clear counters. That is awesome that you already keep them this way most of the time, and so you just had to work on your "hot spots" of the mail area and the top of the refrigerator. Great job!

I love you how you labeled each of the dividers in your mail area basket. It's cute and practical (on her blog she shares how she did it - so if you're interested check it out).

A Clean Counter Top Makes Me Happy

by Reecea @ Fresh Juniper

Reecea from the blog Fresh Juniper also took the challenge, and did an awesome job.

She has even more pictures on her blog (so go check them out). She cleared off lots of clutter from her counters, and really felt energized and excited after doing so.

My favorite line from her blog post was when she said, "A clean counter top makes me happy." Then, she said, "It might sound silly, but I felt so free and refreshed just standing there looking at all the new space created by the challenge."

I think the transformation is wonderful Reecea! Keep up the great work.

In addition, I want to thank you for spreading the word about this challenge. Because of Reecea her daughter and several friends have all become interested in taking the challenge too! I think having support from friends and family is so important, and can keep up motivated, so I'm so glad you've got a good group to work through the challenges together,

Kitchen Organizing Challenge: Clearing My Countertops

by Amy Davis @ Wine Country Mama
(Napa, Ca )

Amy from Wine Country Mama blogged about how the first challenge in the 52 Weeks to an Organized Home Challenge went for her, sharing her before and after pictures.

I've just shared some of them here (you can check out the rest on her site), but I think the difference is wonderful.

She said in the blog post: " I can really see how mentally it makes a huge difference having a clean sink and uncluttered counters."

She is still, she explains, searching for a solution for the cords and chargers that they keep in the kitchen, and I completely understand that one! I think this is a new organizing challenge that has recently popped up for people because the technology just wasn't there even a couple of years ago, and people are still searching for answers on what to do about it. If anyone has got great ideas, I'd love for you to share them, since I think I'm going to try to discuss this soon on the site.

Finally, I just wanted to say I totally love the idea, in the last picture of using that cute red plate to keep your soaps together. It catches the drips so it will keep your counter clean, and it gives a little pop of color. Great idea!

I Made Progress On My Kitchen Counters

by Ellen
(California)

Ellen shared how she did in the first week's challenge about kitchen organizing, specifically about her counters. She doesn't have any pictures to share, but that is OK.

Ellen says:

Sorry, I don't have any pictures - and I would have been embarrassed to show you the befores anyhow. But I really enjoyed the Kitchen Counters challenge, and look forward to organizing some more stuff this week.

My kitchen counters by the stove were just cluttered. I moved a lot of stuff off of them, and will be moving more soon, because right now I still have some of the produce (onions, shallots, bananas, and earlier in the week potatoes and an avocado) on the counter.

I need to get some mesh produce bags for them and all the produce in the fridge. I also still need to figure out what to do with the abundance of plastic tubs that are now in a box on the counter.

The counter on the left side of the sink was really a disaster. That one was below the pantry, and I had quite a few regularly used items on the counter instead of in the pantry. I also had a microwave that had been broken for several months on that counter. Funny thing was, my mom had just learned of my broken microwave, so as I was cleaning out the pantry to make room for the stuff on the counter, UPS delivered the new microwave she sent me!

I also ended up putting three new things on the counter. A set of canisters to hold sugar, flour and when I open the entire package I have of it, whole wheat flour.

I guess I'll have it easy next week when you have pantry organization as the main topic, but I am looking forward to this week's organization of kitchen cabinets.

Taylor says:

Thanks Ellen for taking the 52 Weeks to an Organized Home Challenge, and it sounds like you made some great progress this week.

Please keep me updated on how future challenges go for you too, and keep up the great work!

Kitchen Organizing Challenge After Picture: Clear Counters

by Jan

Here's Jan's after picture from finishing the Kitchen Counter Organization Challenge, which she also shared on the Facebook wall.

I love the hanging banana keeper!

Joana Has Taken On The Challenge And Translated It Into Portuguese

by Joana @ bimbyparatodos

Joana from the blog bimbyparatodos shared her before and after pictures from week #1's challenge too.

She explained on the site's Facebook wall: "Hello! I saw your blog and your challenge by another blogger, and I also decided to join. What I did was to translate your texts with the tips and I add pictures of what was before and after. This is a wonderful idea and I will comply with this 52 weeks :-). You can see in my blog my progress, although it is all in Portuguese :-)"

Have These Pictures Inspired You To Join The Kitchen Organizing Challenge?

Organizing can be contagious, so if you've been inspired by what you've seen and want to join in too, I'd love it!

You can read the steps of the Kitchen Organization Challenge here, for cleaning up your countertops and sink.

After you've done the challenge I'd love to see your before and after pictures, and feature them in the hall of fame too. All you have to do is submit your photos and story in the Home Organization Hall of Fame.

Related Pages You May Enjoy

Creative Storage Solutions & Organizing Ideas Hall Of Fame

Getting Rid Of Kitchen Clutter Hall Of Fame

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