Kitchen Organization

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If there’s one room in the house worth organizing, it’s definitely the kitchen. It’ll make you feel like you’re on top of the world. It’s the hangout place, the space you’re in morning, noon, and night. It can feel frazzled and chaotic or calm and chill. Here are some tips to get your kitchen organized.

1. Clean the kitchen before bed.

Do the dishes, putz around and pick up. Get it into some semblance of order before heading to bed for the night. Yep, you’re tired from your day, but your morning will thank you.

2. Pare down dishes.

Somehow, we accumulate dishes – mismatched plates and miscellaneous bowls. We may use them because they’re just, well, there. But, we could easily get by on fewer. Determine how many sets of dishes you really need, and go through your current inventory inspecting for pieces that have seen better days – that have been melted in the dishwasher, or are cracked. You get the drift. Anything that is excess, damaged, or no longer fits your lifestyle can go.

3. Corral water bottles.

Talk about accumulation! Water bottles build up from your kids’ sports, the freebies you get at events, or through work. The allure of “free” isn’t always in your favor – like if you don’t have room for the item. Step 1: Pare down to your favorites, or one for each family member. Step 2: Ensure they each have a home. I love the above water bottle holder to keep them neat and tidy.

4. Try drawer dividers.

$20 well spent. They’re great for dresser drawers, bathrooms, and most certainly kitchens. They help to organize messy utensil drawers, food storage container drawers, and anything in between. Bamboo dividers like these are particularly pretty in a kitchen space:

5. Tackle counter clutter.

Pay attention to your pain points here. Is it paper accumulation? Misc. items on the counter? I recommend tucking appliances away. Even a toaster that may be used once/day can have a home in a cupboard as it takes but a minute to get out. If you have items that you like to keep on the counter (a place for keys or change or maybe a diffuser and oils) consider a pretty tray, so at least the items are contained instead of loose on the counter. Here are some decor options:

6. Embrace the junk drawer.

Say what? Did I write that? Sure! We all have miscellaneous things that can be grouped together in a drawer. But, grouped is a key word. See what the similar items are – rubber bands, notepads, pens, keys, etc. Clear acrylic drawer organizers are great for separating out piles so the drawer doesn’t become a jumbled mess.

7. Sort through food storage containers.

This is typically one of the top kitchen pain points. I’m “team lids on” for storing, so you’ll never be searching for lids. But, if you have another storage method that works, go for it! Either way, take some time to pull all the pieces out and make sure everything has a mate – all the bottoms have lids that are supposed to. Discard the rest. Drawer dividers come in particularly handy here if you’re storing containers with lids separate. You can nest the bottoms in each other, install a drawer dividers, and put all the lids on the other side of the drawer.

organized kitchen drawer

8. Organize one drawer or cupboard per day.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! Kitchens are no different! Kitchens can feel overwhelming, as there are so many items in so many different cupboards, drawers, spaces. Yet, it’s a simple area to break into chunks because it’s a naturally compartmentalized space. Drawers already exist to help us delineate and contain. So, go with it, and tackle one at a time. Junk drawer one day, utensil drawer another. Before you know it, you’ll have worked your way through the entire space.

9. Develop a paper system.

Counters and horizontal surfaces such as tables are clutter magnets. This includes piles of paper. But, you are the one in control of your paper. You tell it where to go! Bills go here, things to file go here, and recycling goes directly into the recycle bin as it enters your home.

10. Pare down pots and pans.

This is another category where you may have more than you use or need. And, since pots take up so much space, it’s really worth your while to pare down. You’re the one who knows what your favorites are, so based on your cooking preferences and lifestyle, keep what you use and get rid of what you don’t! And, enjoy your organized kitchen!

4 Things to Declutter From Your Mental Space

Decluttering our physical space and decluttering our mental space is undoubtedly related. All types of clutter acts as a weight that drags us down. When our environment is free of clutter, there is a corresponding levity, a calm, and a clarity to our mentality and outlook.

Decluttering our physical environment is great – life changing, in fact. But, a decluttered mind is even better. What are you holding onto that isn’t helpful? Or, isn’t true? Here are some common types of mental clutter. Once we’re aware of these things, we can be more mindful of kicking them to the curb.

1. Comparison

comparing 2 doors

I love the book Love Your Life, Not Theirs by Rachel Cruze. It’s a finance focused book, but the concept of loving your life, not anyone else’s (or the appearance of anyone else’s), can be applied to every area of your life. You can recognize yourself comparing when you find yourself thinking things like “I wish I….” or “If only….” It could be related to material possessions, such as “I wish I had a house like that”. Or, it could be lifestyle related like “If only I could have the time/money/motivation/skill to cook/work out/travel like so and so does”. It takes on many forms, most of them subtle.

Why is this bad? You’ve likely heard the phrase “comparison is the thief of joy”. What does a thief do? It robs us of something that is inherently, rightfully ours – joy, in this case. We miss the blessings right under our noses. And, you better believe, our kids pick up on this comparison. So, let’s be mindful of perpetuating only what you want those little ones to adopt.

2. Fear

How free would we all feel if the fears we held tight to no longer had a hold on us? We hold them close like they’re ours to nurture and cherish, and it’s just the opposite. They’re ours to actively release, as fearful worrisome thoughts don’t do anyone any good. That’s not to say it’s always easy to do this. But, doing so, even in baby steps, has that same freeing sensation that clearing out a room has.

no fear jumping from rock to rock

3. Busyness

I wrote a blog post you could check out titled The Culture of Busyness. Busyness may be at bay now, but will inevitably return as the pace of life gets back to…normal….right? The good thing about starting from scratch is that we can choose what gets added back! We can deliberately decide if this activity or that trip or that class is something that will be a blessing or, instead, a source of unnecessary stress or obligation.

This resetting is an opportunity to craft a clutter free schedule that honors the stillness we’ve cultivated over the last couple of months, while still pursuing activities that bring joy. Maybe you’ve uncovered some new individual or family interests that you’d like to pursue. Now’s the time to prioritize what’s important and say no to the rest.

4. Perfection

perfect is the enemy of mug. cup says good enough.

Sometimes people mistake a decluttered or organized house as a “perfect” house. That is never the goal! A decluttered environment is a foundation that allows for stillness, and frees up your time and money to make space for what is important to you. Because nobody wants to spend their time looking for lost things, stressed about cleaning all day, or dealing with excess. That’s what organizing and decluttering is about. Not perfection. So, if you find yourself striving for a perfect ________ (fill in the blank) stop yourself, and let good enough be good enough.

The Power of Evening Routines

So much of how we spend our time seems out of our control. Work demands, raising kids, cooking, cleaning…the list seems endless, and it’s easy for the day to get away from us. Routines are a great way to bring some productivity, stability, and relaxation to the flow of your day.

A morning routine sets the tone for the coming day, and a night routing sets up our morning to do its job. Here, we’ll focus on the power of an evening routine.

What is a routine?

A routine is an action that we deliberately do over and over again – a rhythm in our lives.

Why are routines helpful?

You may think, ugh, routines aren’t for me. They’re rigid, boring, and you have better and more fun things to do. On the contrary, they’re typically things that don’t take a long time, but actually allow you the freedom and spontaneity to do what you’d like to do for the majority of the time – because you’ve been deliberate about prioritizing.

teeth brushing is a routine

They’re also a great way for kids to learn responsibility for their possessions and actions, feel a sense of stability, and learn the value of hard work. Even young kids can understand “I get dressed and brush my teeth first, then I get to go outside to play!”

Additionally, routines help make the “hard thing” not so hard, when it becomes ingrained as “just what I do”. When something is a part of your day that you don’t have to decide – you just do (like brushing your teeth), you’re more likely to follow through.

If you want to work out in the mornings, but struggle with following through, making it a routine will help. For example, the night before, set out your exercise clothes (this is your trigger). In the morning, at 7am you put on those clothes and head to a class at the gym. Then, you have your favorite smoothie (reward).

Evening Routine Examples:

  1. Delete 25 photos from your phone
  2. Follow a beauty routine – wash, moisturize, brush teeth
  3. Drink tea
  4. Meditate or pray
  5. Set out clothes for the next day
  6. Make a list of 3 things to get done the next day
  7. Review your calendar for the next day
  8. Reply to 3 emails
  9. Find 5 things to donate
  10. Practice yoga for 30 minutes
  11. Read 1 chapter of a book
  12. Eat popcorn while watching Netflix
  13. Take a bath
  14. Walk around the block
  15. Put laundry away
  16. Pack backpack/briefcase/car for the next morning
  17. Write in a gratitude journal
  18. Meal prep for the next day
  19. Watch a show
  20. Prep the coffee maker

Suggested Routines:

Some routines are beneficial, some not so much. But, they’re all routines simply by virtue of the fact that they’re done regularly. Here are a few that I recommend.

tea
  1. Do the dishes before going to bed. If you do one evening routine, do this one. Why? Because nobody wants to start their day looking at yesterday’s (literal) leftovers! It’s easier to start your day with a sense of calm when this one thing is handled. Admittedly, I’m struggling with this during quarantine. We use so many dishes now that there’s a constant backlog of dirty ones. I’m tempted to handle them, but it has been my son’s chore to unload/reload the dishwasher lately, and by the time the dishwasher is done, he’s often sleeping. Time to rotate chores perhaps…
  2. Write a list of 3 things to do the next day. This is really helpful in guarding against other priorities hijacking your time. There’s nothing magical about the number 3, other than it’s a manageable number. And, these things don’t need to be big audacious goals. They could include doing a face mask, playing with your kids, or setting up an appointment with the electrician.
  3. Set a timer for 15 minutes and tidy up. Waking up to a messy home isn’t the most motivating way to start your day. Thankfully, spending a short amount of time every night tidying up will help reduce stress in the mornings and help you avoid marathon cleaning sessions on the weekends.
  4. Have a bedtime routine. This is great for kids and adults. For adults, this may mean a bath and a show, or reading. Or, if you’re like me, sometimes you fall asleep in your kids’ bed while tucking them in – dead tired. It’s ok if routines don’t happen 100% of the time! Your bedtime routine for the kids may be bath, teeth, then 2 stories. Kids take comfort in the fact that they know what to expect and you can take comfort in the fact that they’re doing the things they need to do, while building in time for connection.

The more you practice an evening routine, the easier it will become! This may involve trial and error to find what routines work well, or the timing that works. I invite you to choose something and give it a try!