I think one of my biggest stresses is the kitchen. Why? Well, it's probably the one room that I spend the hours of the day (while I'm awake). It's not only a kitchen for cooking, but it's where we organize schedules, calendars, do homework, computer time, etc. It's a room that can easily get cluttered, from the counters, to the cabinets and pantry. Am I right? What's your kitchen look like right now? Can we see the counters?!?! If someone opened your pantry, would you be embarrassed? When you're cooking, do you find yourself saying, "Now where did I put that?"
I've decided to tackle this project over several days. Today: cabinets with dishwares. (No drawers, no food cabinets!) I approached this task first by asking myself where the biggest problem was-that was easy for me. For the last 4 1/2 years, when I've wanted to get a drink of water, I've gone to the cabinet and found my plates. Yep, you'd think after that long I'd know where the cups were. I guess somewhere in the back of my brain is something that keeps telling me that cups go on the left hand side of the sink, not the right (where they currently are). And, my cabinet is so full of cups, lids etc that when it's time to unload the dishwasher, I can't fit them all in. So it was time for a little rearranging and decluttering.
So, first, think to yourself-are there any dishwares in your kitchen that aren't located where you might like them? Or would it make more sense to put them somewhere else (closer to where you use them)? Do you have a cabinet full of mismatched lids and cups? Maybe you have pieces of dish sets in several locations that you'd like to group together (I have to keep mugs and extra bowls in other cabinets for lack of space). You can list out what you have, if you need to. Or draw a simple diagram of your kitchen and label each cabinet with what you want there.
My kids are older now and I don't see a need for the plastic plates and the little plastic cups that keep getting stuck in our disposal. I kept them around for our nieces and nephews but they've moved away. And I decided that if someone with kids decides to visit, that's what paper is for! So goodbye plastic! Here is the before (it wasn't looking too bad this day):
Here is the after: (got rid of the plastic cups, moved everything to the left cabinet, and got rid cups with missing lids)
One thing you have to remember when you're organizing-don't get distracted. I find myself doing this all the time. I'll be cleaning the kitchen and find something that belongs upstairs in the closet, for example. So I'll take it upstairs to the closet and then maybe I'll see that the closet needs organizing and I'll start working on it. Don't jump around. When cleaning out the cabinets, here is what you need:
trash can
donation box
basket (for stuff you're keeping but that doesn't belong in the room you're working on)
wet rag to wipe inside and outside cabinet
The old plastic cups that I've collected from fast food places I moved to my craft room-to use for my own painting projects or for the kids to use when painting. We had to many jar mugs (that were suppose to be Christmas gifts a couple Christmas' ago). Don't hang onto stuff. It's so liberating to just donate it and be done with it! I had another cabinet that I kept 1/2 my nice mugs in. So I was able to move them over to this one and keep them altogether.
Pull everything out-wipe down the inside and outside, and then put in what you really want to keep. I was reading one blog and it said to wipe down the outsides of your cabinets once a week. Seriously!!! Does anyone do this? Am I the only one that hasn't done it in months?!?!? Well, it's done now. lol
Jarrett loves to empty the dishwasher so I made sure that I showed him where everything was suppose to go so he could do it. (I like to keep my sets of glasses together-short with short, tall with tall-just the perfectionist in me)
So go at it...clean out some of those cabinets that have your dishes in them. Get rid of anything you haven't used in a year, or that you have something similar to. I had way too many corning ware baking casserole dishes. I don't need a set of ovals and a set of rounds when I don't even make casseroles. It's ok to let it go....feel that stress just rolling off your back...it feels so good. Now treat yourself to a nice bubble bath for the work you've done today!
Take before and after pictures! I'd love to see what you can do. I'll post your pictures on here (anonymous if you'd like) and if I get enough interest, I'll have a drawing (for a prize) for the person with the most improved cabinet.
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