Being organized is something I’ve always struggled with. At work, I have a wall calendar, a planner, a desk calendar, and loads of sticky notes and sketches on note pads. One might think that’s the sign of an organized person. One might be wrong.

My house (and now apartment) is almost always a mess. Even when it’s clean it’s messy. Can anyone else relate to that feeling? This was our kitchen after New Year’s Day. Laundry on the counter, piled up dirty dishes, toys, you name it.

My junk drawers lived up to their name.

But then I found the Home Organization Challenge from blogger A Bowl Full of Lemons. Throw in a few episodes of “Tidying Up” with Marie Kondo, and I’ve felt motivated to get organized. (Well, on the weekends at least.)

Week One: Kitchen

Goodbye, counter clutter! You can’t imagine how much better it feels to walk in after work. Sure, the dishes still pile up sometimes, but aside from that, the kitchen feels so much bigger now.

I got drawer organizers as recommended by ABFOL (A Bowl Full of Lemons) and they really have been the game changer I think. When everything has a place, it’s much easier to keep up with.

Another change that I never would’ve made without this challenge is getting a lid rack. This one came from Target and it was cheap. My husband loves it! (He does all the cooking. I don’t think I’ve ever put a lid on a pot in my life 😂)

Week Two: Pantry

This one was pretty easy. The biggest thing here was getting baskets that are easy to slide out. I put all my bread and open bags of chips in one basket. Baking and cooking items- like bouillon cubes, baking powder etc in another. Finally got my sugar,m and flour into containers for the first time since the move.

Before:

After:

Week 3: Dining Area

Well we don’t really have a dining room so I decided to tackle the cubbies in the kitchen area that tend to be the catch all. I promise it wasn’t THIS messy before. This was as we started going through everything… but it was still pretty bad.

Before:

We also used the time to get all of our Christmas stuff down to the storage unit.

After:

This helped get some of our glassware out of the cabinets. We also made a cubby for Annabelle’s crayons and papers, one for the dogs’ toys, treats and accessories, and one for our special documents, etc. Going to put a coffee bar in next to this area. Standby for that!

Week Four: Launch Pad

We have a very spacious hallway walking in and a cool nook, but we don’t take advantage of the space at all.

Now, we’ve hung a set of hooks that we can place our keys and the dogs’ leashes on, instead of throwing those haphazardly into the nook.

When I first saw the nook, the first thing I thought was, “a place to display my Emmy Award!” But in reality, the nook is awkwardly tall. I bought this very neutral picture at Hobby Lobby to fill some of the space, but I still think I need something more. Maybe a sign to go over it with something inspirational on it? 🤔 Leave ideas in the comment section.

Coffee Bar Reveal:

I consider this area part launching pad/ part kitchen and dining. So used this week to also put my coffee bar together!

The cube organizer is of course from Ikea. The cubes are from Walmart. The shelf and coffee sign are from Hobby Lobby. I will tell you, living in an apartment, cube storage is LIFE!

You know, it’s not too late to jump aboard the Home Organization Challenge! Or if you’re already doing it, too, let me know in the comments below with your blog or Instagram name. I’d love to draw from your motivation!