Making Your Home a Haven: Week 3

I really wasn't sure I was going to get anything done on the Making Your Home a Haven Challenge this week because this was our "vacation week".  My hubby took the whole week off from work and he had plans for Monday and Tuesday, but we went to visit my cousin on Wednesday and didn't come home until today.  The challenge for this week was to de-clutter an area of our homes and make a plan to keep things de-cluttered.  Also, to look for anything that is cluttering up our spiritual lives.  That is adding to burning a special candle, playing soft music and praying for peace in our homes.

With getting things ready to leave, etc., I really didn't think I was going to do any more than just cleaning the house and doing the dishes.  Then I actually found myself with the want to for de-cluttering and not really time, but I made that time for de-cluttering.  I really love to have a clean and organized  home, but I have found that a difficult task since I have had children (almost 10 years now).  My new plan for keeping things de-cluttered is to make sure I pick up at least one thing that doesn't belong every time I leave a room and head towards where that thing does belong. 

I chose my "new" buffet to de-clutter.  The buffet is a catch all in the kitchen (along with the "old" buffet, but I wasn't sure I could accomplish that area, too).  I'm constantly telling the kids or my husband to "put it on the buffet".  So, here is what the buffet looked like before:

I sorted and threw things away and put things where they actually belong.  Now you can see my pretty new recipe basket that my Mom and Dad got me for my birthday.  I can get to things again.  And our "dirty mouth" bucket is empty and ready for coins, just in case anyone is not letting their yes be yes or their no be no (Matthew 5: 37 and James 5:12).  Here is the after:

This made me feel so good, that I decided to clean off the old buffet.  Sorry I don't have a before picture of this, if you imagine it about half as bad as the new buffet, you'll get the idea.

I know I was enjoying this because I love how everything looks and function when it's all neat and organized.  I was also enjoying the work because I pulled out one of my favorite candles; a red white and blue cinnamon scented candle the my sister-in-law Therese gave me.  I had a God Rocks! cd in my juke box and I was singing along with the Bible verses.  If I had already been packed and ready for our trip, who knows what I might have accomplished?!

Looking forward to next weeks challenge!