Home Organization Challenge: Week 13 Launch Pad

It’s Saturday and time for another weekly challenge. Our homes are thanking us, for clearing out the clutter and bringing calmness to the space. So far, we’ve organized the laundry room, home office, kitchen, pantry, master closet, master bedroom, master bathroom, living room, dining room, linen closet, kids closets, and toys/hobbies. It’s week 13 and we are clearing the clutter from our launch pads (aka mudrooms or the space where you keep the family calendar, keys, backpacks, etc).

If you’re new to the challenge, print out the schedule and checklists below and begin on the current week. If you missed any challenges, re-visit them when you have free time.

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.

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 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

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.

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. 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 the final week of the challenge. Happy Organizing!

~Toni