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Thursday, June 30, 2011

Kitchen Clean Sweep: Part I

Kitchen Before
I am ashamed of myself.
How could I have let this happen?

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Water jugs mingling with cake containers.
Sippy cups hanging out with parchment paper?
It was mayhem people, and I needed help!

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This cupboard just about sent me over the edge.
Tea towels and dish cloths were always trying to make a jump for it.
And our own little pharmacy just kept growing and growing.

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Something had to be done.
But I didn't know what?

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I was so tired of the clutter and chaos that I finally swallowed my pride
and made a call for help... sort of.

If you too want to have a Clean Sweep done to your kitchen but you're not sure how to arrange it?
Here are a few tips:

First:  Look around, check out all of your friends kitchens.
When you find one that has labels in all of the cupboards
stating what is supposed to be placed there, you have found your woman!

Next:  Wrangle a brunch invite to the house.  While you are there,
look through all of the neat cupboards and with slumped shoulders and a heavy sigh,
state that you probably only have a 1/4 of the cupboard space she has.
And then (this is the important part) with a tear trickling down your cheek, quietly mention that you will likely never be organized like she... with the small, old kitchen that you have.

The next day expect a phone call.  She cannot sleep at night knowing a kitchen is in need, and that at any moment tea towels may plunge to their death on the counter below.

The Kitchen Clean Sweep began, as she asked one simple question.
What would your dream kitchen look like?

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And with a wave her organizational wand,  she stated we were going to empty the kitchen of every last item, and only those things that I wanted in my dream kitchen would go back.

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Undercover Organizer
(identity needs to be kept secret for fear of being mobbed in the street by crazed unorganized housewives)
With her help and direction, my kitchen was completely dismantled.
Almost a third of the contents were sent to Goodwill.

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Her daughter even came to help.
They were Kitchen Clean Sweep Ninja Warriors.
They came with me to battle and I will never forget their bravery.

You will be amazed at the things I learned in combat.
But that, my friends, will be for my next post...

Kitchen Clean Sweep: Part II

xoxo,

This post will be linking up with Jenny Matlock for 
Alphabe Thursday
Jenny Matlock
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23 comments:

  1. Nice to have friends that come to your rescue!

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  2. You are inspiring me to clean out my cupboards. I can't wait to see how she organized your kitchen to I can copy her ideas.
    Traci

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  3. That's great that you have friends to come over to help clean up the place.. I recently cleaned up all the cupboards when we had new kitchen cabinets installed.

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  4. First of all, you're sooooooo funny! Secondly, I never realized how folks decided that I was 'their woman'....it's the labels and tidy closets, cupboards and drawers.

    I, too, get really psyched to do an organization project of any kind. If I watch someone organize something on TV, I have to go and tidy something in my home...that really doesn't need it. OCD. functional OCD.

    I LOVE that you are posting the process! LOVE IT! Can't wait to see the end result!

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  5. I think I would be able to get rid of a lot of the things that I have in my cabinets too. What wonderful friends!

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  6. Hurry hurry...get to the good part!
    How awesome!

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  7. So much fun downsizing! My house next!

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  8. I need your friend to come on over here and clean sweep my whole house! Can't wait to see the finished room!

    New follower!

    Megan

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  9. Can't wait to see the results!

    (And I am loving your friend...)

    (AND her daughter.)

    =)

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  10. Can't wait to see part II!!!! My kitchen has AMAZING cupboard space.....but we've been just putting misc items in amongst the stuff that belongs....leaving them cluttered....I need a clean sweep!

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  11. #1. Love your kitchen. Such a retro feel with the tile and countertops.

    #2. Can't wait to see the outcome.

    #3. Can't wait to get the goods on how to be better organized. :-)

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  12. Ahh..I absolutely need to do that this weekend. I ordered some new cookware and it's arrived. I can't stand the thought of shoving it in with the rest of the clutter, so clean sweep, Rocky Mountain style, is on the agenda this weekend!

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  13. Oh I love you - I cannot wait to see the results!

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  14. :) as usual - laughing. smiling. wishing.

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  15. My dream kitchen would have a row of paper ties.

    Because that is awesome.

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  16. I love your kitchen. Your posts always make me smile! :) I love to organize and clean out, I would love to be doing this with you!

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  17. Oh man! My kitchen is full of cupboards like that. Once I can force myself to open it, then I will tackle it. I am scared. Very scared.

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  18. I've been enlarging and de-coding and doing all sorts of forensic experiments on the photos, all to get a look at this marvel so that I can track her down and get her into my kitchen!

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  19. Ooo, I feel jealous of your big and roomy kitchen! I have a small one with not enough cabinets so chaos is inevitable here. Of course, if I had your kitchen, it would still be chaos :) Lucky that you found someone to help you reorganize your kitchen!

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  20. that's fabulous! I'll bet you're thrilled with your kitchen, now! I need your friends to come and do their magic in my boys' playroom!
    -Catherine

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  21. Gee thanks, now I gotta go do mine.:)

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  22. Does she do teenage bedrooms?

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  23. I'm still laughing over the flour bag picture disclaimer!

    What a fun post!

    Hooray for you!

    Thanks for linking and

    A+

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