Now that we’ve handled the papers that invade our lives and our space (see January blogs), it’s time to organize those spaces that we use the most. The kitchen pops into mind for several reasons. If it’s hard to cook or we can’t find what we’re looking for, what are the chances that we’ll put in the time and effort to cook something healthy? The kitchen is often a favorite gathering place and a great place to strengthen relationships. Being able to quickly find things and pull together meals takes the hassle out of dinner and that helps lower the stress level in the whole household.
Start with a menu plan. No one wants to think about what to cook for dinner after a day at work. Do yourself a favor and either plan a week or a month of meals. Then each week shop for the ingredients you will need for the upcoming week and you’ll have everything you need for each night’s dinner. Remember to check what after school activities or late afternoon meetings are scheduled and plan accordingly.
Here are the things that I think make my kitchen work. I hope you can benefit from these tips and make your kitchen a haven.
- Set up your zones so you’re saving yourself steps. Keep the most used items within the closest proximity to where they are used. For example, keep the pans near the stove along with the spatulas and stirring spoons.
- Drawer dividers in all drawers. Why hassle trying to find a utensil in a drawer filled with them? Divide the drawer and group like with like into each section. Makes finding things quick and easy.
- I use several tools very frequently. I like to have two of them so that if one is in the dishwasher, I can quickly grab the other one. I have two pairing knives and two vegetable peelers for instance.
- Add a level. Take a look in your cabinets, is there empty space over your stack of dishes? Then add a wire rack and use the available space to store other often used dishes.
- Use pull-out shelves on rollers in lower cabinets so that you can see and reach everything stored under there. These are easy to install and can be purchased at most Home Improvement stores.
- Avoid having to search your refrigerator and set up zones in there too. Keep all the condiments together, have a space for leftovers so you can find them and eat them before they become a science experiment. It makes finding things easy and you can tell when you are out of something.
Take a look at your kitchen and see if any of these ideas will help make your kitchen more “user friendly.” Add to that a general decluttering of the things you don’t use or that are broken and need replacing and your kitchen will soon be an organized, stressfree zone. Let me know how you do.