Kitchen Organization Week 1 – Purge Junk Drawers

My kitchen pantry is a mess. It’s a chocolate mess! I tend to dump things wherever there is space when I’m in a hurry. I think that is my main problem. That’s why it gets overwhelming. I started my pantry with good intentions. But I don’t keep it organized like I should. I have been reading lots of organization blogs. december 2014 092 And what I found out is that I am lacking bins and containers for all of my foodstuffs. If I had the proper containers and had them labeled, and had plenty of them, it wouldn’t be so hard to keep it up.  I noticed that the places where I do have things labeled, they have stayed much neater over the 4 years since we added a pantry to the kitchen. So, since it is a new year, I made some organizational resolutions. I want to completely organize my house in 2015. I will purge and give away things we don’t use anymore. Sort things we do use and put them in containers so there is a place for everything. And try to keep up with daily clutter everyday! Hey what a concept. That means doing dishes and wiping off every countertop every evening before bed. And that means keeping things from mounting to clutter in the first place. december 2014 091 I have an acquaintance who is an organizer nut. I asked her once what she feels like before she just has to clean and organize something. She said to me “I just look at a drawer and notice that I haven’t gone through it in awhile and I say to myself, THAT is the next thing I’m going to reorganize.” So they really do have it in their blood to sort. It’s an itch they get to sort and put things in order. People like me find it difficult to organize because we hate sorting stuff. I’d much rather scrub and polish than sort things. But it must be done. Do it along with me. I’ll share how I’m doing it as I go.

JANUARY WEEK 1 is…..Da dada da! KITCHEN DRAWER ORGANIZATION! 

In my kitchen drawers. I am going to have a space for everything by the end of this year. The first thing I’m doing is my silverware drawer and junk gadget drawers. gadgets 001 My Gadget Drawer turned into countertop crocks filled with metal utensils, plastic and silicone utensils and wooden spoons.   Step 1. Take everything out of the drawer and sort it into piles. Throw away anything broken, bent or too old. Give away cheap stuff you don’t like anymore, or things you have 2 or 3 of. Then wipe down the drawer inside with some all purpose cleaner. Then find some cool containers for your silverware or gadgets.  Here is how mine turned out. I like dumping what is in the dishwasher to the silverware drawer, that is why I have the “dumping” section. All my kids laugh at me, but I hate to sort. And I don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. I like to cook, but not clean up. So the hubs does most of the dishes. He likes dumping too. So here is our compromise. Half dumping grounds, half sorted. I got these bins for 99cents at Walmart. They come in a pack of 3. So you can buy $10.00 worth and sort every drawer in your house with these. You’d have 30 of them. They would be good for desk drawers, bathroom drawers, and even in the garage and laundry room. Or sorting kids tiny things into larger boxes or bins.br />