Homekeeper Challenge Weekly Post #1

(For all of you participating in the Challenge, leave your name in the Mr. Linky at the end of this post to the Challenge post on your blog for this week. For those of you new to the Challenge, make sure you check in here first!)

Alright, I have been throwing lots of ideas around in my head about what my first Homekeeper Challenge post should be about, and although I have been working on lots of things this week I think I have finally settled on the topic of my kitchen (never fear- I plan to post about those other things too- just not as my official post of the week!).

So, yes, my kitchen- small (to say the least) and, a mere week ago, incredibly cluttered! Since my feelings of late had been that I really needed to step up to the plate and give this homekeeper thing my all (hence the Challenge) I decided that enough was enough and my kitchen needed to be clean and organized once and for all!


-Pantry Before

Pantry After-

I began with my pantry and my baking cupboard- the main cupboards that needed complete restructuring. First I cleared everything out of them and cleaned them. I then proceeded to fit everything from the pantry back into neat bins based on food category (canned goods, pasta/rice/grains, nuts & dried fruits and so on...)and label them with pretty little labels I made on my computer, framed on scrapbook paper and covered with packing tape. (What a difference, huh?) The baking cupboard required mostly clearing out stuff we didn't use (such as Splenda- what was I thinking when I bought that?!?!) and neatly replacing things on the shelves. I did add one small basket for bags of chocolate chips and baking nuts, other than that it was pretty simple. My next step for these cupboards is to buy gallon sized glass jars to store everything from our cereal, to flour, to whole grains (I plan to start milling our own wheat and baking bread soon), to sugar and so on. I think that about does it for that area!

-Baking Cupboard Before & After-

Onto the counter tops! Ugh- do you feel my loathing? Our counter tends to collect a lot of this and that that has no particular place in our home. But after much dread and a little creative thinking I managed to find a spot for everything and restore the peace to my kitchen!

Now for the REAL work- keeping it that way! Actually, it is more will than work! I made the decision to have my counters clear, sink empty (one of the few things I picked up from Fly Lady years ago) and if at all possible my dishwasher too every night before I let my head graze the pillow. So far- it's working! Really, when you are constantly maintaining a space it takes much less effort to clean - go figure! All these years of mountains of dishes to conquer and if I had just been keeping up on them as they dirtied my life would have been so much simpler! Somehow, I know that I always knew this in the back of my head, it was just difficult to make the choice to take the plunge and vow to follow through! But oh does it feel good! I love walking into my fresh kitchen every morning! It makes the day seem so much brighter and less daunting!

So join me ladies- go organize those kitchens and keep them clean too (or whatever other goal you may have set for this week)! Whatever you do- do it with gusto and a song in your heart for the Lord! Remember- every time you serve your family you are serving Him- and He will never forget all that you do! Blessings!