After the closet is organized, I’m moving to the kitchen! It may only be necessary to some to just clean the kitchen. But, I covet those that have literally everything together with the perfect little labeled place for everything to go. Let’s get one thing straight… I am the neat freak when it comes to my kitchen however, it’s my neatness. Meaning, it’s not necessarily organized, but it’s organized to my liking. Hence, why I want to get better organized. It’s not freakishly clean but I know I’m a little overboard when it comes to things like… the dishes. I’m working on it. No one can find anything quickly in my kitchen so I want to get better at that also! For now though, I’m aiming to find the luxury in organizing by getting together the pantry, countertops and cabinets. If you need these things to be seamless and easy and want to keep luxury in mind, this posting is for you. Stay with me!
The Pantry: I love a good pantry. It’s an endless room of meal possibilities, unless you’re like me and only get things as they need to be cooked (working on this also!) The pantry is the place, whether a full room, an extra few cabinets or open shelves, where everyone in the home will frequent. From cookies to soup to pasta and also cereal. It’s a crazy space when you think about it but it’s certainly necessary. I’ve got a plan though. On the very top shelf, let’s house the kitchen items that get used the least. The large crab boil pot, the cupcake stand, and the extra containers that are waiting to be filled… those should all be at the top. Next is the food and such. I’m grabbing glass containers but I haven’t decided whether to get the chalkboard labels or the free printable and ever so cute labels that I found here. Anyhow, the items that will go into these are the items that get used with almost every meal, flour, rice, pasta, sugar, nuts, and any other loose condiment you need. That’s next and labeled for sure because no one wants to confuse the salt with the sugar. (It happens!) Next one down goes to the snacks. The foods everyone can grab and easily see where to put back. So, cereal (you also can label these containers and if you guys frequently switch cereal, label the bottom of the container instead of the front) cookies, crackers, pretzels, popcorn, fruit snacks… I could go on forever! Basically the whole snack aisle in the grocer. Label these things so that they can stay organized and you can easily see what’s running low, which also cuts down on forgetting things when at the grocery store! See, two birds with one stone! Finally, at the bottom of the pantry and maybe even on the floor, place bins or baskets that do not have a lid. These can be used for holding baking pans and so many other items, as seen above. This idea I’m definitely using and will surely free up much needed cabinet space. So, where do the paper towels, waters, paper plates and other big bulky things go? I’ve coerced my husband into building racks in the garage that hold non-perishable things that come from places like Sam’s Club. All those things get used a little bit at a time and come into the kitchen when needed. Get it out of the pantry and free up some space for the pretty “label-worthy” things. Here’s a list that can help you stock your pantry so that it looks good and you can cook whatever you want!
The Counters: The counters can be tricky. You want the look of a lived in space but not so cluttered that it appears you’re always cooking. The way to get there is to start by clearing everything off of the counter. Everything! Sit things down on the floor if you need to but clear the entire surface of the counters. Okay! Add back to the counters the things that you use daily, like the hand soap and lotion. I keep these items right next to the faucet because I’m always washing my hands. I use this set and I simply love it. Clear bottles with the fresh scent and white labels are so nice after cooking. Next, add your cookbooks and bookends which will add a bit of color and convenience when cooking. I also have a cutting board that I sit next to my sink on my island. Use everyday items that appeal to you and fit in the space. Don’t continue to add if it significantly reduces usable counter space. On my back counters, I have my canisters filled with flour, sugar, self-rising flour and cornmeal. These I’m printing off the labels for and adding to my glass canisters. With these adds you should be off to a great start. The last touch is to add fresh flowers in a clear or white vase. The flowers add such a home and warm feeling that you’ll start to form a habit of having them once a month at least!
The Cabinets: In the cabinets most people pile in as much as they can. I’m learning to streamline the items that we need by giving away the ones that we don’t. I had three sets of pots at one time. I’ve given away one set and now I’m scaling down the dishes. I’ve had some of my dishes since college and I know they would be better suited in someone else’s home. The plates, bowls and saucers are all in one cabinet. Glasses short to tall in another. And, the spices are in my spice rack. Wine glasses and a couple other odds and ends are closest to the coffee mugs. That’s as organized as it gets for me. Here’s an article that will take you a step further.
And here are a few organization articles that I plan on implementing this year. Happy Organizing!
- http://www.landeeseelandeedo.com/2016/12/kitchen-organization-ideas-hacks.html
- http://www.livinglocurto.com/2016/12/kitchen-cabinet-organization-ideas/
- http://www.everything-emmy.com/pantry-organization/
- http://www.containerstore.com/s/pantry-starter-kit/d?productId=11004756&q=Canisters
- http://www.containerstore.com/s/bormioli-hermetic-glass-jars-with-chalkboard-labels/d?productId=10036768&q=Canisters
- http://www.amittenfullofsavings.com/50-things-every-well-stocked-pantry/l/
*Pictures sourced from Pinterest Pages: DIY Network, Beyond the Lifestyle, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day, One Crazy House*
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