Welcome back to A Bowl Full of Lemons. We are entering week 4 of the 2018 Home Organization Challenge. So far, we’ve organized the kitchen, pantry, and dining room. This week, we are creating an organized Launch Pad for the home. The launch pad is the place where you drop your things when you walk in the door, where you hang the family calendar & chore charts, store backpacks, leave your car keys, etc. It doesn’t need to be a big space. If you don’t have a designated launch pad, now’s a great time to create one for your family. You can set up a launch pad in your foyer, kitchen, garage, hallway or mudroom.
If you’re new to the challenge, welcome. Simply print out the schedule and checklists below and tag along. You can join in on the current week and work your way back when you have time. For encouragement, join our Home Organization Facebook community to share your progress, or struggles, or questions. You can browse the photos and read how others are doing.
PRINT –> Free Challenge Kit
For the perfect companion guide to our challenge, purchase The Complete Book to Home Organization. It includes all 14 weekly challenges as well as a ton of inspiration and tips about the spaces we will be organizing. No need to log onto the computer for ideas, this manual has it all!
If you need more guidance on cleaning your house, be sure to order the sister book The Complete Book of Clean. It has tons of tips and checklists that will teach you how to get your homes sparkling clean.
I have a launch pad at my front door and in my garage door. By creating a space for our things, our home has remained organized. My kids have a place to put their things so they don’t just drop everything on the floor. The keys are hung, backpacks have a spot, umbrellas have a basket, shoes have a tray, etc. Everything has a place.
THE ORGANIZING PROCESS
- Keep
- Donate/sell
- Trash/Recycle
- Other Room
- Shoes
- Accessories
Sort through everything in the space. Empty it completely as you go. Divide everything into the 6 bins listed above (or more if needed). Purge the items you no longer want, use, love or need. Get rid of as much clutter as you can.
- Vacuum or mop the floor
- Wash rugs
- Wipe down door, baseboards, doorknobs and switch plates
- Wipe down all shelving
- Dust lights
ORGANIZE.
It’s time to go through everything in the bins. Put the “other room” items where they belong. Toss the trash in the trash can outside. Place donations in your car and “to sell” items in the garage. When organizing things in the bins, remove one item at a time, categorizing as you go. Here are some items you could store in your launch pad area.
- Shoes
- Backpacks/Purses
- Keys
- Reusable Grocery Bags
- Umbrellas
- Calendars
- Jackets/Coats
- Cold Weather Accessories
- Dog walking items
- Chore Charts
- Electronic charging cords
I have a launch pad at my front door and near my garage door and I also have a mudroom. By creating a space for our things, our home has remained organized. My kids have a place to put their things so they don’t just drop everything on the floor. The keys are hung, backpacks have a spot, umbrellas have a basket, shoes have a tray, etc. The goal is for everything to have a place.
A mudroom is another great launch pad. See my mudroom here.
This past year, I also set up a launch pad in my home office.
Here are some blog posts that will inspire you to get your Launch Pads organized.
Spend this week creating a launch pad in your home. Share your progress on Instagram using the hash tag #abfolchallenge for a chance to get featured, blog about the weekly challenges, and share your before and after pictures over at my Home Organization group here. Keep up the great work. You can finish all 14 challenges! I can’t wait to see what you accomplish. Good luck. I’ll see you back next week for week 5 of the challenge. Happy Organizing!
~Toni
Tags: 2018 Home Organization Challenge, home organization, launch pad, launch pad organization, organization, organize
2018 Home Organization Challenge, Blog, launch pad, Organize, Other Spaces Posted in
4 comments
4 comments on “2018 Home Organization Challenge: Week 4 Launch Pad”
Wow, I never would have thought of having a “launch pad”. I have the same type of area in our home, but just referring to it with this title makes it have a solid purpose. It makes it seem more functional. Now I need to go back to my area and look at it with an entirely different mindset. Thank you for sharing.
Great ideas! I like the bench, in your office launch pad, very much.
Can you let me know where to find it?
Most of my entryway is organized. The coats, backpacks, etc. are stored in there. The trouble is we come into our house through our kitchen door, not by the front door. So stuff can tend to gather up in the kitchen. Plus things that go upstairs may gather up in the entryway.
Where did you get the key and mail box?