More kitchen progress: the paper files

You may remember the small transformation that one corner of my kitchen underwent last year, from looking like this:

To this:

I really liked it, but what I have learned since then is that I need a place to put all the papers that come out of backpacks and the mailbox. Sometimes it's a bill to be paid, sometimes it just needs to get filed with the tax papers, sometimes it requires a decision to be made or some other future action. My papers were taking over this little corner and spreading across the bar that separates the kitchen from the living room. Not pretty.

I thought a small vertical file would be nice, so this afternoon, I took an old shirt box, made a few cuts, covered it with some cute paper, glued it together, and TA-DAH! Now my papers have a resting place when they come in, and I didn't even have to spend a dime. I have three folders in there for now: To File, Take Action, and Bills to Pay. I will have to put a reminder on my calendar to go through the files once a week, so I don't miss anything. 

It took a lot longer than I expected, but I am pleased. It isn't perfect, but it's an improvement, and isn't that what life's about? Small steps in the right direction and continual progress.

What small steps have you taken recently to make your home a little more organized or a little more liveable?