Kitchen Counter Clutter

[dj_spider]

If a mess is going to develop, it's going to be on my kitchen counter. The narrow breakfast bar ends up cluttered with mail, photos and purse-emptyings. I eventually get so overwhelmed that it all gets swept into a big pile and dumped into a cloth basket to "be sorted later" and well, that never seems to happen

Any thoughts to help keep me focused and organized? I'd love suggestions in terms of organizers, or success stories from those of you who have conquered this beastie!