Organizing Kitchen cupboards

Don’t you wish you had more cupboards in your kitchen?

I know I sure do! Insert SlideDeck So how do you organize those kitchen cupboards when you  have a small house with 7 people living in it? Believe me….I know it isn’t easy!   This cupboard looks ok now….but you should see it if one of the kids or my hubby puts dishes away.  The bowls aren’t stacked anymore….you might have that big yellow one on top of the smaller ones.

On the left…forget putting the lids in the slots they are supposed to be in and the plastic containers were they go. Aren’t you supposed to just throw them in that side?

Organizing can be really hard to maintain, especially if others aren’t as on board as you. It is all about the maintenance, but we aren’t going there today…today we are just talking about some ways to try and organize those cupboards.

Baskets

I love using baskets in cupboards.  You can see the red ones up on the upper shelf.  That is a hard place to get to things and it is a narrower shelf, so it doesn’t hold as much.  Those baskets hold the other plastic containers and lids that you accumulate.  They make it very easy to pull the basket out and get to what you want. They help keep things confined so that it isn’t falling all over your cupboard…and they are inexpensive!

Do you use it?

If you find there are things in your cupboards that you haven’t used in ages ….or you don’t have a lid for it and because of that you don’t use it (and you will!!) then get rid of it.  Why should you use that precious space on items you don’t use anymore?  The general rule is if you have not used it for a year or more then get rid of it.

Organizing kitchen cupboards isn’t necessarily hard to do.  But keeping it that way can be what is hard for many.

Spring Cleaning – The Refrigerator

Organizing Your Refrigerator

Do you open your refrigerator and see something like this? Or does it look worse? Old food, expired left overs that the lids have popped off of. Several containers of cream cheese because you forgot you had some in the back?

Your refrigerator can breed all kinds of things!  It is just like anything else….it needs to be kept up.

To Organize and Spring Clean your Refrigerator:

1) Take everything out of your refrigerator.

2) Pull out the shelves and wash them with warm soapy water.  Pull out the drawers and do the same. You can also use vinegar to clean.

3) Be sure to wipe down the walls of the inside of the refrigerator.

4) Go through all your food. Throw out anything expired.

5) You can adjust your shelves so that they work best for you. Maybe you need some shelves that taller items (milk, bottle of wine or pop) can fit in. Some others can be a smaller space between the shelves for things like eggs, cream cheese or dips.

6) I like to put my condiments, salad dressings, mustard, ketchup etc in the door.

7) Keep your lunch meats, cheese etc in drawer. Be sure to keep them covered with plastic bags or plastic ware to keep fresh.

8) Try to keep like items together.

9) Clean the outside and top of the refrigerator before you are finished.

10) If you like your children’s pictures or artwork on the outside of your refrigerator…..I suggest one magnet with either a picture of them or one piece of their artwork only. It will seem much more special if there is one item per child and you notice it rather than a bunch of stuff that is all cluttered.

Spring Cleaning – Kitchen Storage containers

Spring Cleaning – Organizing those pesky plastic storage containers

I have to admit that even at my house these plastic storage containers end up messy.  I am usually good about putting them in their place…..but I have 7 other people in the house and although for the most part they do great…..there are times when that dishwasher is being emptied that it is easier to just “throw it in” instead of taking the time to stack it.

Here is the video that I did last year on organizing your plastics.  But the same with any organizing…it’s all about the maintenance.

Tips to get Dinner in a Flash!

I have to admit that I am no diva in the kitchen.  In fact, I really don’t care for cooking.  I have to do it…so I do. If someone told me that I could have a free full time cook …I would jump on that one!

I live for fast and easy ways to make meals.  Since I do not like to cook, I want to get in and out of there fast…not spend all day preparing a meal that is gobbled up in 10 minutes and then I have as much time cleaning the kitchen afterwards. (I know….very poor attitude).  I admire those woman that do cook like that and believe me I wish I was one of them…..but alas, I would much rather spend my time organizing my office than making a meal. (yes…kind of sick isn’t it? )

So to that I say…here are a few tips that I have learned over the years that can make throwing a meal on the table an easier chore.

1) Prechop onion and peppers. Do several while you have them out and while you are crying over your onions anyway. Then divide them into 1/2 cup portion sizes and put into small freezer bags. I store those little freezer bags inside one larger one for the onions especially (to help reduce any smell). Then when you go to make a casserole or such you can just grab a baggie out of your freezer and you do not have to take the time (and smell and tears) to chop your onions.

2) When making a meal….double it if it is something that can be frozen.  Make a huge batch of chili at the beginning of the fall.  Then freeze it in individual servings if you want or dinner size portions.

3) Freeze food in freezer bags to save room. Years ago I did the Make 30 meals for the month in one day deal.  The way they suggested storing your food was in freezer bags. You can cool it down a little bit and then put it in a freezer bag (chili, tomato sauces etc…work) and lay them flat to freeze. You can get oodles in your freezer.

4) Think about your dinner that morning. Grab any frozen meat from the freezer and have it thawing during the day so that when dinner comes you don’t have to use the microwave to thaw your meat. (that still takes time)

5) Use your crockpots. I love mine.  Throw everything in first thing in the morning.  Dinner is ready in the evening and your whole house smells good all day long.

I have to admit that I thought of doing this post only because I saw a contest for a Samsung side by side refrigerator . I can soooo use a new refrigerator!  I have a fairly small one in this house and with 7 of us…I drool over them.  I thought…hmmm …a post that my readers can use..and a contest at the same time. Why not?

You can also enter to win the refrigerator by clicking this link and adding your own ideas.  I would also love to know them if you want to list some in my comments. (That won’t help you for the contest…but it will help other readers on here. ) If you want to link to your post on the contest for the comments I have no problem with that either…I just love to see new ideas for this sort of thing.)

Organizing your pantry for less

Does your messy pantry need some Organizing?

Denise from Musings from Mommyland asked me if I could help her with ideas for organizing her pantry.
I do not have a fancy pantry (one that you could drool over that all of us would love to have…you know, the kind that most of us could make into a home office.) and thought I could benefit many of you best by showing some of the inexpensive ways that you can add “space” to your pantry without having to spend an arm and a leg to do it.

These wire shelf additions can also be used on non wire shelving. Some of the ones on the top shelf and floor can be turned upside down and used to hang from a shelf also. Be creative.
If you have an idea you would like to me help out with, please let me know.
Thanks

Organizing a Cabinet

Organizing my Baking Cabinet

These are the “Before” and “After” pictures of my baking cabinet. I didn’t purchase anything to do my kitchen today. I just sorted through what I had and got rid of things that I didn’t use. Then I cleaned everything. (It needed it). I put everything back in with some order.