Things pile up on the counter because they
- Don’t have a home or
- They have a home, but the home is too inconveniently located or
- They have a totally acceptable home–it’s just the family has fallen into the bad habit of putting it on the counter instead of in the home.
So start your counter organizing project by sorting through things and grouping them into categories (e.g. office supplies, money, papers, schoolwork, tools, toys, etc.)
Next, take things to their home if they have a home. If they don’t have a home, read on:
Papers/Mail: Get an incline file sorter and 5 folders. Label the folders: To pay, To read, Take action, To file and Calendar. Sort the mail into each of the folders. The Calendar folder is for holding supporting documents for any upcoming events on your calendar, such as papers to take to a parent-teacher conference or a party invitation. Set an appointment in your phone’s calendar to sit down once a week and do what the folders tell you to do (ie. pay the bills, file the papers, etc.)
Office Supplies: a small amount of office supplies can live in your kitchen junk/utility drawer.
Tools: it’s probably helpful to have a few key tools, such as a screwdriver and measuring tape, on the main level of your house in your junk drawer. Everything else should live with the rest of the tools, probably in your garage or basement.
Phones/Tech Devices: If you have limited counter space for cooking, then it absolutely will not work to charge devices on your kitchen counter. Sometimes the easiest solution is to get a small table or even a stool, place it near an outlet, and charge the devices on a multi-charger (pictured) there.
Things with a Task Attached to Them: You know, like the toy that needs the batteries replaced or the missing button from your cardigan. Write all of those tasks down in your master To Do list. Bonus points if you assign a day/time in your phone’s calendar to actually do those tasks. Then put all of the items into a bag labeled “To Do’s” and store it some place other than your counter.
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