I have decided that my home could use a major overhaul; a kind of “spring cleaning,” except the cleaning will be done in the middle of winter. The commotion of the fall sports season followed by the holiday season has really taken a toll on the floors, carpets, closets and cupboards in my house. Thinking about all of the many, many post-holiday hours that will be involved to get my house back in shape sends me looking for something soothing to drink. Not to mention, that with a two year old underfoot, it just will not happen all at once. After some thought, I realized I could break all the projects down into manageable steps and accomplish one of them each day. At the end of the month I will happily reach into the correct cupboard to find something and not get whacked on the head by toppling kid games. I find that when my “things” are organized that it helps me organize myself. I feel better and the household runs much smoother.

I challenge all of you to join me in my month-long mission. If one of the steps does not work for your home, then substitute a different project or take a day off. I know most of us can use a little help decreasing the chaos in our lives, plus those five extra minutes you save looking for mittens can be spent doing what you love most ~ reading and posting at Womens-Place.

January 1 ~ Survey Christmas decorations. Toss any that are broken. Set aside those you no longer like, but are in still usable condition, to give to a second-hand store.

January 2 ~ Put away all decorations in well-marked containers. Make sure to carefully wrap any breakables and wind up strings of lights to keep from tangling. Once decorations are boxed up, put boxes away until next year.

January 3 ~ Go through Christmas cards. Update addresses of any friends/family that have moved; save pictures and either frame them or place in a box or album.

January 4 ~ It’s Kitchen Day! Put all dirty dishes in the dishwasher or hand-wash them. Next scrub the sink and area around it. Use a small brush, elbow grease and bleach cleaner if necessary to make your sink sparkle. End with a spray of window cleaner on the faucet to make it shine. Resolve from here on out to do the dishes and clean messes in the sink right away.

January 5 ~ Kitchen Day, part 2. Today we’re tackling those counters. Clear EVERYTHING off the counters. Clean all surfaces, including the walls at the backs of the counters. Clean and dust as you replace items, putting away any papers or junk that does not belong.

January 6 ~ Kitchen cupboards! We will divide today’s job into two days. Empty each cupboard, wipe down surfaces, organize and replace the items. Set aside any broken or unused items for the garbage or second-hand store.

January 7 ~ Finish cleaning out kitchen cupboards. Wipe down the fronts of all cupboards with warm soapy water, dry with soft towel. Wipe down the front of the dishwasher and any standing appliances, as well.

January 8 ~ Clean out the refrigerator! Wipe down all surfaces and scrub those corners. Pull fridge out and clean under, as well as wipe down the front and top. Dump any food that looks questionable and try to group like food items together.

January 9 ~ Today we are taking on the bad boy of the kitchen, the oven. If you have a self-cleaning oven, then this is definitely your day. If not, set aside your gloves and cleaning spray and get ready to SCRUB. Clean the stovetop and under the burners, wipe down the fan area and all those splatters behind the stove.

January 10 ~ Hooray, this is the LAST kitchen day. Using a scrub brush and a Mr. Clean Eraser, scrub that kitchen floor. Once the floor is clean and dry, put a small towel by the door to ensure that all four-footed creatures (and some two-footed ones) get their feet wiped before entering.

January 11 ~ The office! Today and tomorrow will be spent organizing your desk. Empty drawers, dust and wipe down surfaces, throw away or recycle unneeded papers and find a place for everything.

January 12 ~ The desk, part 2. Continue from yesterday. If your desk looks anything like mine, it’s definitely a two-day job.

January 13 ~ Get your personal papers in order. Go through files, purging unnecessary papers, shredding anything with personal information. Pull out any papers that will be needed for taxes. Make sure all files are labeled and neatly put into a filing cabinet or filing drawer. This task can be broken into two days.

January 14 ~ Finish up your personal papers and have a big shredding party with papers that you have kept too long and no longer need. Make sure you have a file folder for each member of the family, including the pets, and organize paperwork accordingly.

January 15 ~ Sweep the front porch and make sure you have a clean mat in front of the door.

January 16 ~ Take the day off you have earned it. We’re halfway there to our goal.

January 17 ~ Move the furniture in two rooms of the house and vacuum under them.

January 18 ~ Dust all surfaces in the dining room, living room, family room and any shelves you missed in the office last week.

January 19 ~ Take warm, soapy water and wash the trim boards in the two main rooms of your house.

January 20 ~ Wash the trim boards in two more rooms of your house, using an old toothbrush if necessary to get into that top crease.

January 21 ~ Today is book and magazine day. Go through your house and purge magazines that you have already read or do not plan to read. If they are in good condition donate them to a senior center or women’s shelter. Also, look through your books. Set aside any that you would like to resell or donate. Look through your children’s shelves, as well. Clean out any that are no longer age-appropriate and box them up for a younger child or set aside to donate.

January 22 ~ Go through your kid’s clothing. Remove any items that no longer fit or are unusable. Place those items in bags to resell, donate or toss.

January 23 ~ Go through husband’s clothing. Remove any items that no longer fit, are extremely UGLY or are unusable. Place those items in bags to resell, donate or toss.

January 24 ~ Go through your own clothing. Remove those items that do not fit, including those varying sizes you have waiting until you lose weight. If you do lose considerable weight, then you deserve to buy new. Place the used clothes in bags to resell, donate or toss.

January 25 ~ Organize the closet. Make sure all items are hanging tidily and stack other clothing such as sweaters, etc. in neatly folded piles on shelves. Go through your shoes, removing any you no longer use or that are in very poor condition. Vacuum the floor of the closet and wipe down any dusty areas.

January 26 ~ Go through your medicine cabinet. Flush or toss any medicines that are past date. Replace any needed medicines and call in refills, if needed. Wipe down surfaces, as necessary.

January 27 ~ Clean and organize the linen closet. Fold and stack towels and sheets neatly. Put unused linen in vacuum-pack bags to take up less space.

January 28 ~ Clean out underneath the bathroom sink and the bathroom drawers. Toss that ratty looking make-up and the empty hair product bottles in the trash.

January 29 ~ Today we are going to tackle the entry way closet. Place all mittens, hats and scarves into baskets or plastic containers. Toss any gloves without mates. Organize coats and set aside any that are in good condition, but no longer used, to give away to the homeless.

January 30 ~ Organize the garage entry for your kids. Make sure each person has his/her own hook for that season’s coat. Create a space for each child to store his/her shoes, backpack and library books for easy access in the morning.

January 31 ~ Take all the items that have been collected throughout the month and drive them to the second-hand or resell store. List any sellable items on E-bay and deliver magazines and coats to the shelter.

Lastly, take a deep breath and RELAX! You have done a wonderful job and deserve to feel proud of your accomplishments.

Lynette is a wife, mom of three and self-proclaimed neat freak from the Pacific Northwest. She has a history of alphabetizing her spice rack, although these days you will be lucky if her spices do not slide out of the cupboard directly at you. She plans to follow this organizational mission all month and hopes to report back in February with very positive progress.