Quick and Easy Tea Nook Clutter Busting

Tidied tea nook: Copyright © Phyllis Wheeler, 2017

Happy tidy Tuesday and Spring! The Great Clutter Purge of 2017 continues with a quick flat surface area / kitchen counter clutter busting project.

We have tea almost every day but this little tea nook to the left of our range is a clutter magnet. The above photo is an "after" clutter busting image. It includes one thing that wasn't in the "before" photo below. Can you spot it?

"Before" cluttered tea nook: Copyright © Phyllis Wheeler, 2017

This "before" photo shows a much messier tea nook. Most of this stuff isn't clutter in the sense that we don't use it but it is clutter in the sense that it doesn't belong there.

"After" uncluttered tea nook: Copyright © Phyllis Wheeler, 2017

So I removed everything from the area, cleaned the empty space, put the out of place things where they belonged and then returned the things that did belong.

Then I noticed the cup hook with nothing on it. I searched for and found the missing oven mitt and hung it back up (see the topmost image - that was the extra item not present in the "before" photo).  I like the tidied tea nook much better this way.

Thank you for visiting! May God bless you!

Related posts:
Quick Kitchen Counter Organizing: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/03/14-minute-kitchen-counter-clutter.html
Microwave Area Clutter Busting: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/03/8-minute-microwave-and-cut-flower.html
Organized Utensil Drawer: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week_21.html

My Simplifying Home 8 Week Journey: Week 3, Day 3

Overall kitchen counter "after": Copyright © by Phyllis Wheeler, July 2014

I'm three days into week three of Beginner Beans' eight week Simplifying Home challenge. While I haven't gotten as much done as I'd like I am happy with my first project. Like last week, I identified the three most important tasks (MITs) for our weekly focus area (kitchen). Above you can see my newly organized kitchen counter (MIT #1).

Kitchen counter "before": Copyright © by Phyllis Wheeler, July 2014

Above is the "before" picture of the messiest part of the counter. The intention was to have coupons and sale flyers in one folder and charitable mailings in another but when the folders got full we just kept sticking them wherever they'd fit. The shallow glass bowl was supposed to be a temporary landing place for things to be put away regularly but it got filled to overflowing without our noticing. Overall, this part of the counter was a hot mess.

Kitchen counter "after": Copyright © by Phyllis Wheeler, July 2014

I love the newly organized space. The banana bowl is back in front of the folders with fresh bananas and I think this new arrangement will work out nicely (as long as I go through those folders regularly). I took away the catch all bowl because it was just a source of procrastination. 

Phone stand "before": Copyright © by Phyllis Wheeler, July 2014

While I was working on the messy counter I realized that the phone basket/stand area was a mess too. I wish I'd taken a photo looking down into the basket but it was as bad as the counter. And reaching into the basket to get the phone wasn't convenient. 

Phone stand "after": Copyright © by Phyllis Wheeler, July 2014

I relocated the basket to another room, cleared the clutter, put a sunny yellow towel down for a pop of color, added some cheery decorations and it's like a whole new phone station. Plus, the phone and my sunglasses are a lot easier to reach. I want to find a "smile" saying to put down instead of "inspire" but I was working with what I had on hand. 

All together, including sorting and pulling expired coupons, pulling everything off the counter, cleaning the counter, clearing the clutter, dusting everything that needed it, putting things that belonged somewhere else in their proper homes and everything else that went into this two-spot organization project, it took just over an hour (66 minutes).

Thank you for joining me on my journey to a more organized, simplified home! May God bless Trina of Beginner Beans for providing us this free resource/challenge and may He bless you too!

Sources:
www.beginnerbeans.com
http://www.beginnerbeans.com/2014/03/simplifyinghome-settingup.html

Related posts:
Week 2: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week_14.html
Week 1: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-simplifying-home-8-week-journey-week.html
My home vision: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/02/my-home-vision-new-series-on.html

8 Minute Microwave and Cut Flower Decluttering Project

This project took 7 minutes and 39 seconds. It included removing everything but the microwave, cutting boards (stored behind the microwave) and knife block; cleaning and dusting the area and contents; purging the clutter; categorizing the items being returned to the area (my sunflower trivets and my husband's magazines and what I presume is the last cookbook he used to make dinner last night); putting the things that belonged elsewhere away (if they belonged somewhere else in the kitchen) or in a basket for distribution later; culling the dead flowers from the arrangement; trimming the stems of the keepers; rinsing the old vase out and putting the remaining flowers in a new vase.

The first two photos are the "before" images. I included both because in the first one it looks more cluttered but you can only see the whole area in the second one.

This last photo is the "after" picture. So much nicer! I'd have moved hubby's cookbook and magazines (he has a bookshelf for his cookbooks and a storage area for his magazines) but figured he had them in the kitchen for a reason so I'd let him deal with that when/if he wants to do so. I'm so thankful that he cooks I can certainly live with a bit of clutter in the kitchen.

I hope this inspired you in some way! If so, I'd love to hear about it. You're also welcome to join my clutter busting Facebook community. Whatever your goals, may God bless you and keep you!

Full links and related posts: 
14 minute kitchen counter clutter clearing project: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/03/14-minute-kitchen-counter-clutter.html
16 minute desk decluttering project: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/02/16-minute-desk-decluttering-project.html
My personal home vision post: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/02/my-home-vision-new-series-on.html
Easy exercise motivation trick: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/02/easy-exercise-motivation-trick.html
Clutter Clean in 2013 Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/ClutterCleanIn2013
My 2013 reading goals: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/01/ten-terrific-goal-boosting-books-for.html

14 Minute Kitchen Counter Clutter Clearing Project

Before decluttering

As I mentioned in my desk clearing post, I love quick and easy decluttering and organizing projects that immediately make a difference. Above is a photo of my kitchen counter before I spent 13 minutes and 51 seconds (which I rounded up to 14 minutes for the title) decluttering, cleaning and organizing it.  That 14 minutes included removing everything but the blender, loading the dishwasher (I'd decided to do a timed project right after I emptied it and noticed how cluttered the counter was), placing a new roll of paper towels on the holder (not pictured), recycling the old paper towel tube, purging the clutter, categorizing what I decided would go back, dusting everything that needed it, and putting everything that really belongs somewhere else into a basket for distribution later.

Above is the "before" picture of my cluttered kitchen counter.  As you can see, it's kind of busy and there's too much stuff out which limits the work area for cooking.

After decluttering

The "after" picture is a breath of fresh air. I didn't fuss with my husband's sponges or "his side" of the counter (not pictured) but I think our shared side looks a whole lot better. While it does mean the kitchen is more his than mine, I'm truly blessed with a wonderful husband who cooks dinner every night so I definitely want to respect his space.

I relocated the phone to a little shelf that rests on the left side of the counters. I also keep bananas there but there's plenty of room for both. That was a well spent 14 minutes and these quick successes make it easier for me to stay motivated to plug away at my larger, long-term decluttering projects.

I hope this inspired you in some way! If so, I'd love to hear about it. You're also welcome to join my clutter busting Facebook community. Whatever your goals, may God bless you and keep you!
 
Full links and related posts: 
16 minute desk decluttering project: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/02/16-minute-desk-decluttering-project.html
My personal home vision post : http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/02/my-home-vision-new-series-on.html
Easy exercise motivation trick: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2012/02/easy-exercise-motivation-trick.html
Clutter Clean in 2013 Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/ClutterCleanIn2013
My 2013 reading goals: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/01/ten-terrific-goal-boosting-books-for.html