Organizing Lessons Learned In The Kitchen

I have been slowly re-organizing and de-cluttering my kitchen over the past couple weeks.  When I get a few free minutes, I empty out a drawer or cabinet.  Last week, my son helped me organize the pantry.  Why this project?  Why right now?  Well, it just occurred to me that we have been in this house 3 years this week.  Normally, we stay in a house about 3.5 years.   So I think either I am programmed to start de-cluttering in anticipation of a move after this long in a house or it just takes 3 years to get the house really cluttered and in enough disorder that it annoys me.

Whatever the reason, I have started working on the kitchen and have made some discoveries that I think are important enough to share with you.  These might help you win your battle over clutter and disorder.

1. Just because I put it there when we unpacked, doesn’t mean it has to stay there. As I was organizing the upper cabinet beside my stove, I noticed the mixing bowls don’t fit well in that cabinet.  When I unpacked my kitchen, I just put the bowls there because that is where they were in the old house.  It was just so familiar, I didn’t really think about it. (Yes, it took me three years to figure that out!)  Looking around the kitchen, I discovered a perfect space in my lower pull-out cabinets with the baking dishes.  And, by moving them out of the upper cabinet, I gained more room to organize my spices where I can actually see them.  That little lesson made me look at other areas of my kitchen and question why things were stored where they were.
2. I don’t have to keep every bowl, pan and pot holder I’ve ever owned.  Seriously.  I cleaned out my drawer of kitchen towels and potholders and found about twenty various potholders – some of them do not look familiar at all.  I chose 4 or 5 that were in the best shape and got rid of the rest.  The same went for pie servers.  I discovered that I had three.  Now, I just have one.  Along the same thought process, I discovered some stuff I received 13 years ago as a wedding gift that I’d never used.  Those things were removed from my house as well.
3. Keep things I use everyday within arm’s reach.  Put those special occasion pieces in that upper cabinet I need a chair or step ladder to reach. There is no reason to keep that antique bowl of my grandmother’s in the cabinet with the everyday glasses and the water bottles we use everyday up in the top of the cabinet.  Look around your kitchen.  I’m sure you have stuff happening like that, too.
4. The counter top doesn’t always make a good storage area. Oh my heavens!  What a revelation!  The kitchen (or any space for that matter) looks so much better when everything is in its place and the surfaces are clear.  Get the knife block off the counter and get a knife holder for a drawer.  Do you need to keep the toaster, the can opener and the blender out?  Find a handy cabinet.

I’d love to say my kitchen is all organized and perfect, but it is not.  I’m still working on that utensil drawer!  However, what I’ve learned there will help me as I march through the house this year organizing one area at a time.  What will next’s month’s be?  I’ll let you know after I take care of this drawer!