Kitchen: the epicenter of the house

I would venture to say that women spend the majority of their time in the kitchen (other than sleeping in the bedroom).  We make meals, wash dishes, put away groceries and, in my case, do laundry.  So my philosophy is that if you are spending so much time there, it should be a "comfortable" place!  When I moved into my townhouse the walls were white and the cupboards were DARK brown.  It was depressing just to look at it!  So I painted the walls light green and the cupboards white.  I added bright colored curtains and now it looks cheerful!  You may want to head a different direction and decorate modern, classy, neutral, etc. but make it a place that you enjoy being in!  

Here are my notes from Large Family Logistics on both KITCHEN DAY and CLEANING

KITCHEN DAY

Look for your kitchen’s natural focal point and see what you can do to enhance the beauty of it.

Countertops and Island

• These easily catch clutter – dishes, food, papers, junk, appliances.
• “Don’t lay it down, put it away!”
• Avoid paper piles – put where they belong immediately
• Use baskets or pretty boxes for misc. items, mail, etc.
• Keep schoolwork in a separate and specific location

Purging

• Go through the kitchen and pull out everything you use rarely or not at all.  Put it in a Goodwill bag.  Keep the bag for a month in case you decide you need items.  Then, donate the bag! 
• Keep a regular Goodwill box to add items as needed.

Efficiency

• Possibly reorganize kitchen.  Keep knives, cutting boards, etc. all near the same place.  Keep all place settings near the same location for easy access for setting the table.
• If having children help with dishes or setting the table, put items in a reachable location.

On Kitchen Day, make your freezer meals, granola, yogurt, etc.

CLEANING

• Wipe appliances
•  Clean stove hood
• Clean top of stove
• Organize & clean one drawer
• Organize & clean one cupboard
• Organize cupboard of plastic containers
• Organize & clean one pantry shelf
• Remove counter clutter & wipe counter
• Wipe appliances that sit on the counter
• Clean out refrigerator & freezer
• Clean top of refrigerator
• Clean kitchen window
• Scrub sink & faucet crevices
• Scrub dish drainer
• Sweep & mop
• Dust
• Wipe down door/drawer moldings
• Wipe down baseboards
• Wipe windowsills
• Clean microwave
• sort tupperware/lids
• clean silverware holder
• clean inside oven & broiler
• Clean stove & replace tin foil on burners
• Clean convection/toaster oven
• De-lime tea kettle
• Wipe down washer & dryer
• Clean out/wash counters above washer/dryer
• Wash walls