Whole House Organization, Week 4

I bet no one is more excited than me to be moving on from the Kitchen Organization challenge.  Whew!  A lot of work, but entirely worth it.  For those of you who missed it, click here.  Now on to the next room...

In today's modern world, the dining room is not what it used to be.  While they're still a prominent feature in nearly every home, more families are eating in front of the television these days, which has dramatically changed the function of this room. 

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This means that it's much easier for the dining room to become a dumping ground for all sorts of randomness.  Well, today were tidying it all up in four simple steps that can be completed in less than a week.  This week we will:

1. Clear the table and all other flat surfaces
2. Deep clean
3. Declutter the insides of sideboards or buffet cabinets
4. Establish boundaries

Day 1 (Today):  Clear all the flat surfaces in the room of paper and random items.
Before removing  anything, take a look at the items on the table, and surfaces and ask these questions:

• What kinds of items are ending up on my dining room table?
• Do they belong in another room?
• If they belong in another room, do they have a designated spot inside of that room? 

If they don't have a designated place, this could be the reason why they are ending up on the dining room table in the first place.  So instead of just shifting piles from one room to another, try to find where they should be best kept. 

Finding a Place for Everything

TIP: Does your dining room table NEED to serve as a work space, or a place to do homework?  Is it a convenient place to store small toys?  If yes, try using a back seat organizer or a stroller back pack for the backs of your dining room chairs?  It can easily be used to store the kids homework papers, baby toys, crafts and even adult work.  Extra pens, pencils and electronics fit nicely inside, and keep the table clear.  Each person can then be responsible for their own "chair back pack".   

I purchased a stroller pack for my husband, who works from home.  Although we have a designated office, he insists on gravitating toward the dining room.  So... channeling my inner Mr. Miyagi, I decided to be like water, and go around the rock.  By using the back seat organizer, our dining room table went from this to this:

Day 2: Deep clean
Using your favorite cleaning solution, wipe down the tables and chairs.  Don't forget the chair legs. Sweep and mop the floors and baseboards.  Dust and hand wipe the light fixtures and switches.  Blinds, curtains, and the windows should also be cleaned.  

TIP:  Placing cleaning solutions in a single caddy makes it easier to get the job done. If you love the convenience of having your cleaning products delivered to your door check out Grove Collaborative.  I ordered all of the items you see below from Grove Collaborative for only $21!  This included shipping AND the cleaning caddy.

• Package included: 1 Mrs. Meyer's Lavender multi-surface cleaner, 1 Mrs. Meyer's Lavender hand soap, 1 Mrs. Meyer's Lavender foaming soap, 1 Mrs. Meyer's Lavender hand lotion, 1 Mrs. Meyer'sLavender dish soap, 1 Mrs. Meyer's dishwasher tabs, 1 Bon Ami powder cleanser, 1 pack of walnut scrubber sponges, 1 pack of walnut scouring pads AND the Grove Collaborativecleaning caddy.

Day 3:  Declutter the hutch, sideboard, or buffet tables
Now that we've got the surfaces cleared and the deep cleaning is out of the way, it's time to look insideof things.

• Do you own a sideboard or China cabinet filled with things? 
• When was the last time you used those items?
• If they are not cherished items why not consider donating them to a special family?

TIP:  If your dining room is tight on space, but you'd  like a place to keep a small stash of table linens, consider a rolling  cart.   It can double as a plant stand, as well as a place to store table linens, crafts, school or office supplies.   I've been looking at the options below for that very purpose.  Double-duty is king in a small space! Which of the rolling carts below is your favorite?

Day 4: Set boundaries
After all this work, the last thing you want, is to end up right back where you started.  So take a moment and think about how you can avoid falling into the same pattern.  Boundaries can help.  Look around your home and assign a designated place for:

• The incoming/outgoing mail
• Backpacks and purses
• Keys
• Coats
• Bills
• Toys
• Crafts

Even if your home should become chaotic from time to time - and it will - you will find it much easier to get it back into shape.   The motto: A place for everything, and everything in its place can be achieved, albeit not perfectly.   

So there you have it!  Please tell me in the comments below, how the challenge is going for you?  I love hearing from you!

AND NOW THE GIVEAWAY.... The winner of the Kitchen Series Giveaway is....

DIVYA B.
United States

Congratulations!  I have contacted the winner via email.  Please respond within 48 hours to claim your prize!  Thank you to everyone who participated!  Stay tuned, there will be more giveaways down the line.