We all have it: somewhere in your home where everyone dumps their crap. In most homes, (at least in mine), it's a counter in your kitchen that collects clutter.
For a long time I thought I could conquer this catchall counter disaster zone. I would spend far too much time collecting everything from the counter: hair elastics, lip gloss, random toys, craft supplies, sunglasses, you name it, and return them to their proper place in our house.
Eventually this routine became so tedious and exhausting that one day I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to find a more practical solution.
I decided to give in to this counter, and allow it to be our home’s headquarters. To do this, I needed to give everything a place.
I opted to get decorative boxes for each family member. That way I can quickly scoop up their items that have been left on the counter, and hide them in the box. Then every week or two I hand out the boxes to each person and have them put away their stuff.
I also purchased a decorative pin board. This has been useful for pinning up invitations and school newsletters, so that they don’t get lost in the clutter. Adding some extra organizational containers to house pens, receipts, gift cards and mail was another way that I was able to organize this counter.
Since doing this, my sanity has returned. Yes; people still dump their stuff on the counter, but it takes only seconds to organize and clean it up!
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