Keeping The Kitchen Decluttered

It's my first WFMW and I've thought and thought about what to share that works for me...

Last Easter the monsters received their loot from the Bunny in a wire basket. Mr. A got a baseball basket, and Bugaboo got a soccer basket. Rather than put the baskets away, I decided to use them in the kitchen.

I'm not sure about you, but the kitchen counter in my house was a catch-all for their stuff. Stuff of all kinds...school papers, things that need to go to their dad's on the weekends, little knex pieces, etc...

I'd been fed up with the piles for a long time, but as I was tossing out the old Easter candy, I realized that the baskets were a great option to helping to keep clutter down. So they now reside on the end of my counter. As the boys empty out their packs at the end of the day, anything that needs my attention goes on the counter. Anything that should go to their dad's that weekend, gets put into their basket until we get the travel bag packed on Thursday.

As I pick up throughout the week, I also put the little odds and ends that I find into their basket. That way, there aren't piles of stuff laying around waiting for attention.

On Thursday as we're getting things packed up for the weekend, I take out the papers that need to go to their dad's and put them into the travel bag. Then whatever remains, the boys know that they need to take down to their room and PUT AWAY. With the baskets being coded by sport to each boy, it is easy enough for them to identify what is theirs and what isn't.

So that's what works for me to at least, in part, keep the clutter in my kitchen more manageable.

Head on over to Rocks In My Dryer to see what works for other busy families.

Until later...