Ahh the hub of the home – this room SHOULD be the most organized because its used the most. However, because it is used the most – chances are it’s not. Here is what we are focusing on:
BIG PROJECT
Pantry / Fridge / Freezer – I realize this looks more like three big projects, but on a higher lever they all have to do with food storage.
Fridge – I love the look of all the bins and containers lined up neat and tidy. However, I don’t think that it is needed. For one, it’s not the most practical – sometimes the container things come in is just fine and chances are it may not be in there very long. Second, pantries and fridges are very fluid – meaning things change a lot. One week you might have five peppers for a recipe and the next you might need three cans of corn. Basically, things are every changing – so it’s important to not make an exact place for everything. Lastly, its expensive for all that stuff!
I believe in a nice balance of the clear acrylic containers, glass containers, and designated areas.
I went ahead and organized my fridge by shelf and used these acrylic bins for the smaller kids snacks at the bottom.
Freezer – we are avid buyers at Costco so our freezer is usually quite stocked. Bins in the freezer seem frivolous to me. Perhaps if you had the drawer pull out freezer then some bins like these might be quite helpful.
I do like to use tricks like stacking the popsicle boxes opened so they are easy to grab.
I also use the door for most used items and individually wrapped items (after you open the Costco box)
Pantry – this is big one – its always seems daunting when i walk into the pantry. Which is one of the reasons I really need to do this challenge. Don’t you just feel a sense of relief when you walk into something cleaned and organized
Some tips – Use all different kinds of bins and jars that serve the purpose of what you are storing. Don’t try to match the bins. If you want, maybe use all the same colors or designate colors for different groups. (i.e. snacks in blue, baking in yellow, etc.)
When organizing here are some categories to consider:
- snacks
- kids (baby food / kid only stacks)
- baking
- dinners / cooking
- can goods
Now that we have our big projects done let’s move on to our three small projects. These are meant to be projects you can finish while normally cleaning your kitchen – just a little extra time.
- Clean your microwave – take a really wet soapy sponge and some soap and microwave it for one minute. This will loosen stuck on grime in the microwave and also sanitize your sponge. You can also do this with a little bowl of water& vinegar (microwave for 2 min). Or get really fancy and buy THIS on amazon.
- Wipe down the fronts of all your cabinets – this often gets neglected and makes a huge difference. Pay close attention to where you grab handles and the baseboard part of the lowers.
- Fill your spices – If you put your spices in labeled jars. Go through and top-off all the spice jars.
Speaking of Spice Jars I thought this would be a great DIY for the kitchen
I purchased these jars off of amazon and used this label maker to make my spices uniform and easily accessible. My father in law built this little shelf above the stove so that they are eye level.
Lastly … if you made it this far there are two “extra credit” projects.
Clean Your Oven – pretty self explanatory. Use Easy Off or some other oven cleaner and scrub off the bits that have spilled inside.
Coffee Maker – if you have a single serve coffee maker, run equal parts white vinegar and hot water through the machine. Then, continue to run just water through until the smell (and taste) of vinegar is gone. This is usually about 8-10 times.
Thats it! We did it! We completed week one of the Organizational Challenge. I bet the flow of your kitchen is helping you so much more and making meal times a little less crazy. At least I know thats how I feel
If you are following along on the challenge be sure to tag me so I can see your progress and celebrate with you!
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