A Homemaking Post

I thought I would share on the topic of kitchen's today. Now I don't know about you, but my kitchen is the one room that, if I am not watchful, will collect the most clutter. Also, there is NOTHING that will make a room look "unclean" more than clutter. In taking part in the "Need This?" challenge, I decided I would take the concept used to do a drawer, or cupboard, and use it on my entire kitchen. My mother and I are polar opposites in this area. I prefer not to have lots of pretties and decor out in my kitchen, and my mom will "decorate" to the extreme. Her kitchen is now sunflowers, and she has purchased every sunflower thing-a-ma-bob there is! She is happy with it, and that is what is important. If you are the same, then please, decorate to your heart's content, but just humor me as I ask you to look around your own kitchen and ask yourself if you.....Of course, I could NOT begin to do anything to my kitchen until I shined my sink, proper, like! I pulled out my Mrs. Meyer powder scrub in lemon verbena. Cat sent it to me and I just LOVE it. I use this now but still do my other method once a month...I do the Mrs. Meyer once a week. I think I had missed a week as the water spots were awful!!!I used the scrubby side of a scotch sponge (used for sink scrubbing only). I also made sure to do the faucets and behind the sink. I rinsed it good and then wiped dry with a clean dry towel. That is the key to the "shine".Ohhhh, the smell is wonderful. I want to add, for those who may not know, that Lemon Verbena does not smell like lemons. Look at this faucet! There was NO windex, or other spray added. Just Mrs. Meyer scrub and the sponge followed by the dry clean towel to shine it up. THAT is shiny!!!!
Now that the sink is clean, I can move onto the counters. I moved everything and cleaned them with Holy Cow cleaner and a wet dishcloth. Each counter was left with the following....

The counter where I bake and do other food prep has a candle warmer, my hen butter dish, and cloth napkins. It was hard for me to leave the candle warmer there. Remember, I like flat surfaces to be clean and clutter-free. Still the candle warmer gets used everyday, so I "need this".

The beverage counter contains the coffee pot, cream and sugar containers, and a spoon rest. Also, a cookie jar...I think I do not "need this" and may move it. Salt and pepper shakers, garlic powder, and a "As For Me and My House We will Serve The Lord" plaque sit on top of the stove. The S&P and garlic powder are used everyday, and the plaque has been in my kitchen for 29 years, so I "need this".The counter between the frig and stove holds a plant, my spice rack and a spoon rest. The plant is not needed, but I love him, so he stays. A live plant is a wonderful addition to a kitchen counter...just make it small. Now here is my biggest hurdle in decluttering the kitchen. The frig. Not what is inside the frig, but what is ON the frig. Both the top and the front and sides. Now this is "after" the declutter...The top holds blue ball jars, a colander, a bean pot my Aunt Pete made me when I got married (I use it), and a rooster container which holds GameBoy games out of reach of little hands.The front of the frig holds things that are "special" to me. Pictures, my"birdies", TJ's latest art work, my menu planner.....you know. Still it has a cluttered look to me. Now the side is even worse....What a mess, and that is "after" I cleaned it off. I need to go look at it all and ask myself again "Do I need this?" Now, needing something means it has a purpose. My calendar is needed. TJ's art work may not seem needed, but it has a purpose. It shows him Grandma values him. It is the same with the kids pictures. When they see them on the frig, they know they are valued. Here is what happens though...they are there so long you don't even recognize them anymore. You look right past them. I need to re-visit the outside of the frig I think.There it is...decluttered, but still maybe holding too much. Forgive the glare off that shiny sink!!!!

My new dishcloth from my 4 Season Swap partner, Paula will add to the beauty of that clean sink, too! She did a beautiful job!And what is cookin' in that decluttered kitchen??? Zachary planted, watered, picked, washed, snapped, and prepared fresh green beans!!! Zach the Farmer!!What is next on the housekeeping schedule??? The never ending, revolving mess of the sewing room....will it ever stay clean????