Inspiration

The past two days we have talked about de junking and straightening.  Now you can clean and organize.  Once you have gone through all of the rooms and placed all the misplaced items in the proper rooms you can now clean and organize the rooms.  We started with the kitchen, so lets go back to the kitchen. Open one cabinet door.  Did stuff fall out on you?  I hope you had time to duck and didn't need to run to the freezer for ice to put on the welt that is swelling on your forehead.

The kitchen is one of the most time consuming project to organize, but well worth the effort.  I usually reorganize my once a year.  If I lived by myself... I wouldn't ever have to do it again, however there are 5-6 other people who live with me.  (Apparently spoons look like knives, and cups look like Tupperware, rarely do things get put back in the same place.)   I usually a lot 4-5 hours to organize the kitchen and I do it in stages. 

I first create a huge mess by taking everything out of all of the cabinets.  I organize all the plastic holders with the proper lids and throw out all mismatches.  I get rid of old things that have gotten cracked, chipped or just plain gross.  I also put seasonal things away in storage containers that can be stored in out of the way cabinets or in the attic or basement. 

Before I put everything back, the cabinets get cleaned and then I finish organizing as I place things in the cabinets.

The same goes for the drawers, pantry and refrigerator. 

The idea is this: A place for everything, and everything in its place.

Good luck, consider it an adventure.

While I was doing this last spring, I found I had 9 spatulas, 5 big stirring spoons,  4 pairs of scissors and about 3 dozen lids that didn't match anything.  You can't imagine the space I created by getting rid of all of those things.

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• #7 Comment from mleppard06 
  5/12/08 6:12 AM | Permalink

  hello rosemary, my kitchen is waiting for me just got to alot the time (children free!!) the rest is coming together! my kitchen annoys me terrible i don't have enough cupboard space and in the 4 years i have lived here i haven't been able to organize it so that it works! for me this is a big deal i like to be organized and the kitchen just doesn't want to be!! in a couple of years i might get a new kitchen (or move house!) and then i can have it how i want it for now i will have to keep trying! this is my challenge this week! thanks for the tips, i did get hit in the head when i opened one of the doors!!!LOL still seeing stars...LOL take care mrs t xxx
• #6 Comment from valphish 
  5/8/08 9:23 AM | Permalink

  Oh, the cartoon is a hoot.  I recently de-cluttered my home and you should have seen the stuff I got rid of/threw away!!  WOW!!  I was surprised it fit!  Thanks for the tips, hon.  Love, Val xox
  http://journals.aol.com/valphish/ThereisaSeason
• #5 Comment from randlprysock 
  5/8/08 12:23 AM | Permalink

  LOL that cartoon at the top of this entry!!  Yes, we are forever reorganizing over here!!!  Especially the kitchen.  I can relate to the tupperware looking like other things.... the spoons look like other things... everything looks like something else.  I think the kids make up ideas of where to put stuff.
  Lisa
• #4 Comment from donnacar62 
  5/7/08 5:00 PM | Permalink

  I have always said, when the kitchen is the clean the rest of the house automatically feels livable.  its just the way it is.   Oh....That and the bathroom closest to it.  :)
  
  Im alittle lost on the 5 to 6 people living with you.    Do you have a small handfull of  recent housemates I am unaware of????
  
  xoxoxDonna
• #3 Comment from chat2missie 
  5/7/08 3:27 PM | Permalink

  I'm always going thru the house being an organizational nut as my husband calls me! LOL
  Missie