Battle Journal- Week 2

 

I’m still fighting clutter bugs in the kitchen. At times it has seemed like the battle would never end, but looking over the past week, many portions of the kitchen territory have been reclaimed.   The recipe cupboard battle took an entire day all by itself. A lifetime of magazine clippings, recipe cards, printouts, and scribbles of family favorites have now been pared down and organized into a 3-ring binder and categorized by type using index dividers.  I used 3-hole pocket folders for the small items, but larger items were simply punched and inserted. I am told that sheet protectors with index size pockets can be obtained, which also might be a good solution for the small items. 

Seeing the kitchen coming together, my husband remarked that we really needed to buy a new dishwasher and refrigerator, due to numerous broken items on them.   Hmmm, I thought. They both still work, but it is very frustrating when the top dishwasher rack falls out and plates won’t stand up because the little dividers are missing. Also, in the refrigerator four of the shelves are broken on the door and the crisper freezes the vegetables. Well, my little fingers got to work, and guess what? I found a great company online that offers replacement appliance parts for novices. You just enter the Brand, Appliance Type & Model Number and basic search information and you’ll find what you need in moments, no part numbers necessary. If your item is in stock they’ll ship it the same day. What does this have to do with clutter, you say? Well, I believe that an appliance that is not doing its job properly is clutter. I saved $2000 on new appliances by spending $200 on repair parts for my Maytag Fridge & Dishwasher. Every item I needed was in stock and shipped immediately! 

Here’s the link http://www.repairclinic.com. Just click on “Order Parts” to use the “Part Detective.”  

 

Another look around the kitchen reveals multiple missing cupboard and drawer knobs. This was a contributing factor to my former cluttered kitchen look, to be sure. I took a look around my local home improvement center for something pretty, but there was nothing that caught my eye. Again, I was able to find just the right item online. Blue Willow Ceramic knobs were just $1.29 each, much less than the plain ceramic ones available locally. And they are so very pretty. They are a beautiful complement to my Blue Toile wallpaper. 

 

Last, but definitely not least, the drawers have all been emptied, cleaned and sorted. How is it that I had 47 lids to plastic water bottles, but no water bottles?   It was fun to find the needed extra blade for the apple corer-peeler-slicer that was hiding amongst the clutter.

 

One tactic that has contributed to my success this week has been the decision to keep one clutter bug fighter from my little army on duty with me for every battle. They take pride in their accomplishments and appreciate the R&R between shifts. They have been especially good stair climbers and trash removers. 

 

My next mission- The Laundry Closet…… 

 

© Sallie H. 2007, All rights reserved.

 

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