How did Zone 1 go? Mine is still going {did not do much – of this at least! – over the holiday weekend}; but that’s part of what I think is important with this. You can jump in at any time – and perfection is not a good thing here. {Or most anywhere for that matter – it can paralyze to the point of not moving forward at all.} So, if you want to do a bit before moving to ZONE 2 {the kitchen}, here’s a little of what I’m doing with Zone 1 {which is entrance, dining room & front entrance}:

DECLUTTER {remember to start here, 1st – if the area needs it}:

1. Remove the stuff that doesn’t belong {Tip: Have places to put: trash, donate, take to another part of house, return – just put items into these places as quickly as possible.}
  • Our entry was good as far as clutter goes {this year, we finally made homes for the the stuff that tended to be dropped down when walking inside}. Although I did take out some pitiful looking plants.
  • The front entrance – my 7 year-old’s ant farm {sad to say the ants are long “gone”} needed to NOT be the 1st thing people saw when they walked up. We’ve have now properly put them to rest.
  • Our dining room, however, needed stuff moved out. It has been a great holding place for a few big items {including four rolled-back-up runners for our halls – couldn’t decide if they could be salvaged by deep cleaning? It’s been months – time to make a decision – another thing {along with perfectionism} that’ll hinder the organizing process if you let it}.
2. At end of the 15 minutes {or however long you go}, take these items away. {If there is no specific home for something, at least put it in place that makes sense now. Focus simply on getting the clutter OUT of the particular zone you are working on. “Baby steps” as Marla says.}

If you have time to move to the CLEANING part:

  • Dust top {light fixtures}, middle {furniture} to bottom {baseboards, bottoms of tables / chairs} – and corners of rooms {didn’t notice all of those cobwebs until now…}
  • Shine mirrors, front door windows {both sides}, outdoor fixtures & other glass
  • Spot clean baseboards {great task to do while on phone!}
  • Clean floors {vacuum / mop}

And remember, keep that sink clean!

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