There is always one spot!!

There is always one spot in my house that never, ever, ever seems to be able to remain organized and non-messy. Just to set the record straight, I am in no way going to try to convince you that there is only one spot in my house that is messy. Yeah right, dream on! There are many spots. As a matter of fact, most days there are many more messy spots than clean spots at my house. 

What baffles me is the fact that there is this one particular spot that, no matter what I try to do to it, attracts clutter and chaos and mess and disarray. It is not a huge spot, but it is centrally located and it is a catch-all and I have talked about it once before here. 


The spot I am referring to is the corner of the kitchen counter that is just as you enter the room. It is pretty much the first flat surface I get to when I enter my house through the front door. It is also pretty much the first flat surface I get to when I enter my house through the garage door because the top of the washer and dryer hold baskets for clean clothes and a bucket with clothes pre-soaking and other laundry related items and the natural mess that comes with that, so kitchen counter it is. 

How can one small spot hold so many different things at any given time?

Right now this is what it looks like:

What do you think? Not too bad?

Well, let's take a closer look at what all is there.....

These are the items, all laid out, on my kitchen table

And here is a list of what I found:

6 magazines

2 zip lock bags

1 plastic container 

1 children's book 

1 cook book 

1 other book 

1 recipe binder

1 play kitchen sink (the bowl)

2 tension curtain rods 

1 piece of denim fabric 

2 baby onesies 

2 gift bags

3 clean kitchen rags

3 folders

1 sippy cup

1 water bottle without the top

1 kids tortilla press in need of repair 

1 small stack sticky notes 

1 LED candle

1 cord organizer owl

3 crayons

1 colored pencil

2 packs of brads for crafts

8 cents 

1 roll of paper tape

7 rubber bands 

3 jingle bells 

2 kitchen clips 

1 Rudolph ornament 

2 pieces of ribbon

1 piece of elastic 

2 AA batteries

1 shoe horn

1 painted troll rock

1 bread bag clip

3 thumb tacks

3 screws

1 magnet 

1 key ring

2 plastic washers to a doll stroller

1 flower button 

8 paper clips

2 game pieces

1 felt tree belonging to a children's book 

1 toy ladle

1 play dough shape

2 stickers 

1 name tag 

1 headband 

1 dress up crown 

2 bows

4 bobby pins 

4 hair elastics

2 tools

1 plastic knife 

1 kid's toothbrush 

4 clothes pins

1 mini clothes pin

1 safety pin

1 charger

1 DVD

2 spiral notebooks

1 notepad 

1 homework folder 

A stack of papers 

(including store circulars, school pics, Christmas cards, drawings, bills, school work sent home, coupons, prescription inserts, notebook papers and colored sheets of paper etc.)

Where does it all come from and why does it all end up there???!!!! (That is a rhetorical question of course).

Some things are semi logical like the cookbook and recipe binder, but a lot of the other stuff is not and it is just that...stuff! I will say though that all the small items get tossed in the basket in order to prevent them from getting into the hands of my littlest one, so I guess that is a good thing right?

No matter the reason, no matter the contents, no matter the excuses, it is time to take a closer look at the stack and find a more permanent solution for the space! Or, if that does not work then I will just have to promise myself that I will clear that corner every single day to prevent this from happening and I am sure my mom will keep me accountable for it after seeing this ;)

Wish me luck! Here is to a more organized year :)