How many of you made a New Year's resolution to become better organized? The New Year is a great time to reassess your surroundings, clean and clear out! Just something about starting the year fresh and re calibrate.
I am one of those people who has always continuously been a purger by nature. I'm pretty sure I came out of the womb organizing all the things. You may be laughing at that statement, but I am totally serious- it is ingrained in me. I have never enjoyed having a ton of "stuff" surrounding me (unless it is books of course). I feel so clean and free when everything has a place and when I can purge things that are not being utilized.
Well, if you weren't born color coding and need some ideas and guidance on how to get organized then hopefully this little organizing feature will give you some inspiration and some motivation.
What's up? All things kitchen!
Here are my go to tips when starting your kitchen organization project!
1. Start small- pick one spot at a time to tackle.
I think what happens a lot of times is people get overwhelmed when organizing. They feel like they have to do it all at once. You don't.
Choose ONE space to start with (pantry, drawers, cabinets).
2. Once you choose your first spot, take EVERYTHING in that space out and lay it out so you can see everything you have.
3. Touch each item and ask yourself some questions:
-Is it being utilized?
-How often?
-Could I survive without it?
-Does it go with another item to work together?
If you determine you will not be keeping it, decide if it is worthy of trash or giveaway. (you will also want to have a trashcan and a box for donations close by when you are going through this process.)
4. Use bins to organize what is left.
Once you have paired down your items, when you are putting your items back into the drawer, cabinet, area...organize it as you put back! One way I have found that really helps me keep it organized long term and helps me to always see what I have so something doesn't get "lost" in the shuffle of everyday life is having little bins and baskets. Organizing the left overs into these things will be a game changer for you I promise!
So you may want to take measurements of your space to know how many bins/baskets you will need and will fit.
Don't forget- group like things together in the baskets and bins!
Don't forget- group like things together in the baskets and bins!
5. Add labels (where applicable)
As I said above, I was born basically labeling all the things. When necessary color coding the labeling ha! Now you may not need to label everything...you will see in some of my pictures I don't label everything, mainly because I can easily see what is in the basket and there is not a convenient spot to place a label. I do not have ANY positive experience trying to hand write my labels. Now if you have beautiful handwriting then by all means make it pretty! Otherwise, I either type out labels or use my Silhouette machine to cut labels.
Pantry Specific:
I have really found that once I have organized the pantry and created specific bins and baskets, when I go to shop I don't overbuy things. I don't know if it is a mindset placebo effect or not, haha...but I am less likely to shop for unnecessary things because it won't have a home once I get back to unpack it. I also unbox things that are individually wrapped. This helps to condense things and helps the items fit into the baskets and bins better.
These are just a few of my tips that have helped me over the years. You can use the same process when cleaning and organizing just about any space in your house!
I hope you found this helpful!
Have a BLESSED week!
"Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ."
Galatians 6:2
