Well, this blog post has been a long time coming… (I have truly extraordinary procrastination skills when faced with less-than-pleasant-to-dos.)

After my long, unplanned, and very much unwanted hiatus, I am grateful to be blogging again. Over the past few months, I have learned more than I had ever wanted to about pride and humility…

Having been a stay-at-home mom for the past 4 years, and with an impending divorce looming overhead (after a 7-year marriage and a total of 15 years together), I now find myself living in an apartment, seeking government assistance, job hunting in the worst economic downturn in decades, and assuring my daughter that she is still loved.

My hope is that, as I share my organizing challenges and everyday struggles, both you and I will learn to create lasting, positive changes in our lives, our families, and our homes.

Thanks for joining me on this journey!

So, how does one go from kitchen counter choas to kitchen counter oasis? Aaaahhh… Let me show you the way!

To start, I moved items, one-by-one, from the kitchen counter into sorted, like-with-like, categorized piles on the nearby dining room table.

What!?! You don’t think this looks any better!?! Are you crazy!?!

OK, OK… It still looks like crap, but there really is a method to my madness…

From top to bottom, left to right, I sorted everything into categories: family paperwork (archive files), junk mail (shredder), Amanda’s art supplies (playroom), business paperwork (office), personal items (master bedroom and adjoining bathroom), and miscellaneous kitchen items.

Hey, whaddya know… there were a few little things in that huge pile that actually belonged in the kitchen! Huh! Imagine that…

And last, but definitely not least, I returned all sorted, categorized items to their respective homes. So, not only do I now have a sparkling clean work surface in my kitchen, but my family can even sit down to dinner tonight!

So, what about you? Have you made any progress clearing off your own kitchen counter? Did you find any really strange things lurking in those piles?  (I actually found a pair of socks… very weird…) Anyway, I’d love to hear from you! Just add your two cents in the comments below.

The end result of my personal Monday Mission project is a thing of beauty, isn’t it? Oh, how I love having a clean kitchen counter!

* sigh *

Well, as promised, I shall stand tall and brave (just like my clients) and reveal to you one of the best-kept secrets and hidden truths of a real-life professional organizer’s lived-in home…

[ insert an overly dramatic drumroll here, please… ]

Yes. It’s true. This was the fate of my kitchen counter nearly one month after Amanda and I returned home from our two-week summer vacation!

Normally, like many of my clients, I’d hide my head in shame if anyone outside my immediate family were to see my kitchen looking this way. In fact, I was incredibly grateful that the weather remained pleasant enough that the MOPS playgroup could meet at the elementary school playground rather than my home (which was our designated rain-out location)!

Now mind you, if our group did end up meeting at my house before I completed this week’s Monday Mission organizing project, everything that you see on the kitchen counter would’ve simply been gathered in one fell swoop, hauled into the office, and dropped onto the floor in the middle of the room.

I’d close the door to the disaster, of course, so that anyone—who, heaven forbid, might need to use the restroom—could make their way down to the guest bathroom at the end of the hallway, completely oblivious to my messy little secret!

… suffice it to say that everyday living can even get in the way of a professional’s best intentions! You’re not alone!

Whew! This post has turned into far more than I had originally anticipated, so stay tuned… Next week, I shall continue to reveal how I successfully managed to clear off my kitchen counter (and keep it that way)! Until next time…

This week’s mission is to make a concerted effort to plan ahead!

As you very well may have noticed, there was no Monday Mission last week. I thought that I had planned ahead pretty well for my time away in Michigan and Ontario, but apparently, I didn’t!

My List :

• Set up e-mail autoresponder. Check.
• Add future blog posts to be published while away. Check.
• Pay all bills that will be due while away. Check.
• Pack suitcases. Check.
• Print out driving directions. Check.
• Arrange for overnight accomodations. Check.

So, what did I miss…??

Ha! Well, I neglected to make a plan for our post-vacation week! You know… the one where you’ve arrived home, exhausted from your travels, loathing to unpack and get back into your hum-drum daily routine…

Hence, no Monday Mission for last week, suitcases and tote bag are only mostly unpacked, still no food in the house (Amanda and I will be grocery shopping today), incomplete July newsletter taunting me from the Drafts folder, and the list goes on…

So, needless to say, my goal for this week is to PLAN AHEAD just a bit better. And, by putting my plan in writing and sharing it with you, I’ll be sure to stick to the plan (since I know you’ll hold me accountable). So, here it is…

• Today : laundry and groceries
• Tomorrow : playdates (daytime for Amanda and evening for me!)
• Wednesday : July & August newsletters (or one summer issue?)
• Thursday : dust and vaccuum
• Friday : shopping
• Saturday : update contact management database

So, what about you? Are you a natural when it comes to making plans? I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below to share your favorite tips or toughest challenges when planning ahead.

This week’s mission is to clean out your car.

As busy as our lives can get, it’s tough to keep the inside of our cars clean, especially with kids in tow! So, grab a trash bag, find a basket, get some cleaning supplies, and head out to the garage… it’s time for you to cancel car chaos!

Now, where do you start? Well, right here…

1. In your trash bag, collect any and all garbage from every nook and cranny of your car.
2. Gather all items that belong elsewhere (i.e., in the house, in the garage, in the yard) and put them into your basket.
3. Return all displaced items to their respective “homes” (i.e., stuffed animals to playroom, paperwork to home office, gas can to garage).
4. Vacuum all carpeted and upholstered surfaces in your car.
5. Wipe down all plastic and leather surfaces in your car.
6. Don’t forget the windows… Clean those too!
7. Wash (and dry, if you like) the exterior of your car.

That’s it! But… now comes the tough part… you must keep your car clean all week long! How? Aaaahhh… good question…

1. Place your (now empty) basket on the passenger seat of your car. Use it to collect items that belong in the house (or elsewhere) every time you get out of the car.
2. Keep a small garbage bag in your car for trash. Several options include the little bags made to hang from a knob on your car stereo, an auto organizer made specifically for this purpose, or simply a box or gift bag on the floor in the back seat. Of course, whenever your trash bag gets full, toss it and get a new bag. In fact, keep an empty paper towel roll in your car stuffed with plastic grocery bags to use as quick and easy trash bag replacements.
3. Kids along for the ride? Store some wipes in the car for quick clean-ups after take-out meals, playdates at the park, etc. And, keep a small bucket of “travel toys” for entertaining little ones on long car rides. Finally, if you’re dealing with potty training, be sure to keep a small portable potty and toilet paper roll in your trunk… just in case…

So, what about you? How do you keep your car clean and organized? I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below to share your favorite tips for cleaning and organizing your car.