I just agreed to babysit my nephews tomorrow afternoon, plus I have church tomorrow evening, and my company is coming for lunch on Thursday, so that means tomorrow will be a lot of work. I don't know how much I'll post of pictures, but really: based on what I've done so far makes me a lot more confident about not being completely stressed out about cleaning tomorrow. And if I'm less stressed, I'll be able to enjoy my company more. These are all very good things. But what did I accomplish so far today? My kitchen island. With my limited counter space, I knew I needed more, and a little more cupboard space would come in handy, too. (I really wish I could whittle down my pantry so it could all fit in the kitchen. Maybe now that I'm not working at a place with free samples, I'll be able to do that more readily. Plus, I'm not earning any money right now, being unemployed, so I really need to just eat what I have. I still have to do some grocery shopping for milk and a produce, but I'm doing what I can.)
But my island became a dumping ground for whatever I needed to put down and didn't know where to put it. Or was too lazy to put it away, so therefore, the extra counter space really didn't exist.
Some of the things are quite precariously situated, too (like that coffee mug). And the reddish purplish water bottle is actively being used, and it's just a coincidence that it's sitting there. It generally follows me around the house--I've trained it like a puppy. Face it, the cats aren't going to help me!
Look! Empty counter space! Whatever will I do with it?! Realistically, I'd love it if I could find a new place for all my insulated glasses (see the end of the counter), but I'm just not sure where else I can put them. So, for now they shall sit at the end of the counter, taking up space. Such is life.
Clearly, that task wasn't going to take me a half-hour, so I moved on to my next task: the floor in front of the island. (The back side of the island is the wicker chest, which I believe was two days ago.)
See, I have cats, and they're messy with their eating. I also apparently have ants helping my cats eat their wet cat food. Anyway... The rocks are from a plant to keep the cats from digging in the dirt. However, the cats never did dig in the dirt of that plant, so when I repotted it, I didn't bother putting the rocks back in. I'm not sure what I'll end up doing with them. They're sitting on plant run-over trays, for two plants that are currently outside for the summer. Since the plants are outside, they don't need run-off trays (the grass is their run-off tray). They're downstairs in my utility room, although not in a good spot. I need to get back down there and find a better spot for them. But that room will have to wait a while.
Look! Clear floor! All the dead plant parts that fell off are elsewhere (garbage. In retrospect, they should've been thrown into the compost), and the power strip is back on the wall. It's held up with a 3M velcro strip and likes to fall off the wall. I think a second strip would help, but until I find where I put the package, one will have to suffice and I'll just have to remember to pick it up every time I knock it off. (It doesn't fall off on its own, but if I bump it lightly, it will.) The power strip is because the only outlets are behind the IKEA cabinet (Expedit 2x2 with add-on drawers and doors), and I bought that before they made caster wheels for the Expedit, so I needed easy access to the outlet. Right now, the cats' fountain water dish extension cord is plugged in there (the fountain is on the other side of the Expedit) and the fan, because there's no air movement in my kitchen. There's no HVAC vent in the kitchen--the closest one is on the other side of the island, between the wall and wicker chest. That's probably why there's not an island there, because that vent is FOR the kitchen, but with my set-up, there's no room for it. The fan was purchased for my sewing room, but that room does seem to be cool enough without a fan, so I've moved it out there. When I get into my sewing room, I may have to move the fan. Also, the cat food tub and watering can are now in that little space, and will have to move if/when I need to get into that far cupboard. A small sacrifice. The cats food mat is slightly more cleaned than this picture shows. I cleaned up all the leaves and dry cat food, but I didn't actually scrub it.
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