A Bowl Full of Lemons

 

Hi friends. I’m so glad you are still with me. If you’re here, you are committed to improving the function of your home. Way to go! So far, we have cleared the clutter from the hardest areas of the house (kitchen,pantry, & dining room) and now we are going to have some fun and create a launch pad for your family this week.

If you’re new to the challenge, print out the schedule and checklists below and begin on the current week. If you missed the first three weeks, re-visit them when you have free time. For encouragement, join our Home Organization Facebook community to share your progress, or struggles, or questions. Or simply look through 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. This is your guide for the next 14 weeks!

   

If you need more guidance on cleaning your house, be sure to order The Complete Book of Clean.  It has tons of tips and checklists that will teach you how to get your homes sparkling clean.

   

In our new home, our launch pad is near the back door. In this space, we have designated areas for our coats, bags, shoes, keys, and pet items. The launch pad is the place where you drop your things, when you walk in the door. It doesn’t have to be a big space and anyone can make one.

   

If you don’t have a designated launch pad, now’s a great time to create one for your family. You can create a launch pad in any of the following areas:

• Foyer
• Hall closet
• Kitchen
• Garage
• Laundry Room

 

THE ORGANIZING PROCESS

PREPARE.  Gather 6 bins, one for each of the following.  

• Keep

• Donate/sell

• Trash/Recycle

• Other Room

• Shoes

• Accessories

SORT  

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. CLEAN  

• 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

• Mail

• Chore Charts

• Electronic charging cords

 

By creating a space for our things, our home remains organized.  There’s no reason to bring these items into my kitchen and drop them on the counter. This system helps to eliminate piles of clutter. 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 shoe tray keeps dirt & snow off the floor. I found this tray at Target but you can find similar trays here.

 

     

I keep our dog walking items in this basket. It includes an umbrella, leash, and pet waste bags.

   

It’s always a great idea to have a place to keep your keys. This one is from Target.

 

Below are a few examples of launch pads I created in my previous home. Be creative. The sky is the limit.

My foyer launch pad. Details here.

   

My garage launch pad. Details here.

   

My mudroom launch pad. Details here.

   

Launch pad in my old office. Details here.

   

Spend a little time 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: 2019 Home Organization Challenge, launch pad, mudroom, organize
2019 Home Organization Challenge, 2019 Home Organization Challenge, Blog, launch pad, Mudroom, Organize, Other Spaces Posted in One comment