Before & After: My 15 Minute Challenge

This morning, I was inspired by a Before & After by Laure on Apartment Therapy called A 15 minute Clean Sweep, in which she gave herself only 15 minutes to see how much tidying up could be done in her bedroom.

What an improvement, huh?
So I decided to take the challenge.  I gave myself 20 minutes to see how much I could get done in my whole apartment.

Before:

 Messy bed, clothes on the floor.

 Clothes on top of the dresser, unorganized jewelry

 Boxes and garbage on the floor, dirty table

 Dirty dishes and counters...yum.

 Bills and mail scattered on the coffee table, clothes and stuff on the couch

20 Minutes Later:

 Threw away the garbage!

 Wiped down the stove...

 ...and the counters!  Washed the dishes, too!

 Folded the throw blanket and put away clothes.  Filed away my paperwork and bills.

 I opened the windows, too.  A brighter room always feels cleaner.

 Organized jewelery and put away clothes.

 

 And most importantly, made the bed.  It's been scientifically proven that making your bed more often will make you happier, overall.

I stopped when my timer went off, just as I was about to sweep.  If I had given myself about 5 more minutes, I probably would have gotten that done too!  In just 20 minutes, I transformed my house from a dark dungeon of doom into a bright, friendly, and serene sanctuary.  Try it!