Organizing my kitchen...

We have this strange little nook on our kitchen cabinets...nothing really fits there and it has become a huge clutter magnet!  Old magazines, broken toys (don't ask me why I put them here instead of in the trash!), and just stuff I don't have place for...  I had finally had enough, so this week I determined to clean and organize my kitchen! 

I threw away all the junk, filed papers, and found a home for all those things that were just thrown there because I didn't know where to put them.  And I am now working on forming a habit of not putting anything here...  I read somewhere clutter attracts clutter, so I am being very strict about it.  It's a hard habit to break because it's almost just an instinct to put things down here.  

I also have a habit of waiting to wash pots that I am working on.  I'm pretty good about putting dishes in the dishwasher, but if I use a pot, I typically wait until night time to wash it with the supper pots.  Then, once it's sitting there, I'm like oh I can't rinse these plates because the pots in the way, I'll load the dishwasher tonight.  Then, I end up with a counter full of dishes to look at all day, and load in the dishwasher at night.

I am thinking about putting myself little reminder notes in each spot because as I said it's almost and instinct.  I think those reminders would help.

Next, I organized this cabinet.  Aside from my tupperware cabinet, it is was the worst!  I wish I had taken pics of my befores, but I didn't even think of it, but trust me it was BAD!  We're talking stuff falling on top of you!  lol  I also taped up a medicine dosing chart my pediatrician gave me so it was no longer floating around the cabinet.  I think I am going to add emergency numbers to the bottom too...poison control, drs, etc.

I threw out all the expired medicines, and put what was left in a little plastic box I had lying around.  Ian has allergies and has to take meds nightly, so I left those in front of the box for easy access. 

I don't like to keep the knives in the utensil drawer because the kids are always in there getting straws or spoons.  When we moved in all I had to put them in was a wire utensil holder which the tips of the knives would slip through, so I was always poking myself!  I kept meaning to buy a new ceramic one but forgetting.  My hubby brought this coke pitcher home a couple weeks ago, and it was the perfect size, so I threw the wire one in the Goodwill box!  Hopefully now I won't be poking myself with knives all the time!  Thank God they're dull, huh!

Next, I cleaned out my fridge and pantry.  I took all the shelves out of my fridge and washed them...they were disgusting!

I want to get some baskets to organize my pantry better, but at least there is nothing expired, and the baskets are added to the shopping list in my household notebook!

I arranged it so that the junk food is all the way at the top, staples like dried beans, canned goods, pastas, etc are at eye level, and all the healthier snacks are below that so the kids can see them easily.  That way I am not looking at the junk food every time I walk into the pantry and thinking I need something and neither are the kids.  I have the staples at eye level, so that hopefully seeing them regularly will help me to remember what I have and use it rather than running to the store all the time.

I also cleaned off these shelves and decluttered the area around the sink by putting my dish washing liquid in one of the oil bottles that was just sitting on the shelf as decoration because we have two and we put olive oil in one but the other one always stayed empty...now it actually serves a purpose!  And me and my hubby won't always have to argue over whether the soap should be under the sink or stay on the counter.  I guess he finally won this battle, but at least it looks pretty now!  lol

I also wasn't using an old syrup dispenser my grandma had given me.  The pump part was kind of rusty looking so I was afraid to put my syrup in it, but it's the perfect hand soap dispenser!  I also stored some baking soda in that little glass jar on the top shelf.  I use baking soda a lot for cleaning, so now I don't have to constantly pull the box down from the top shelf, now I just have to find a cute little  scoop that fits in my jar!

All this took me about three days.  As I mentioned, in previous posts, I do school work and my check list in the morning.  Then after lunch, I do pomodoras to work on some larger task from to do list, such organizing a room, working on a sewing project, whatever is the most important on the list at the time. 

 I am just praying I keep it up!

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