52 Week Challenge - Week 5

Taming the Pots!

Sticking with the Kitchen theme this week was all about finding a space for my pots and lids.
My pot cupboards as with many other cupboards in my house are lacking in the tidy department, but that is going to change.

This is Before, a collaboration of pots, pans, lids, baking dishes and Cake Tins

As always the first step was to clear out the cupboard completely and give it a clean.

My pots are looking a bit water marked and covered in finger prints, so I took to cleaning them with baking Soda and Water, Im pretty happy with the Results!

I love it when a Space feels Organized and Simple, here is the Finished Result, I hope to never loose my pot lids again!

and I even found a space for the Sieve..                                        and the Cake tins!

Tick for a Task well done!
As an added bonus here are some great ideas I found on Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/organizedch0595/kitchen-organization/







Say it ain't so, that my friends is a Turntable in a corner cupboard for your pots!

Until next time Happy Cooking!

Dani

52 Week Challenge - Week 4

New home for the Dinner Plates/ Serveware


Luckily this was fairly easy as I had already cleared out the Cupboard when moving my plastics!

This is the before

Serveware is looking a bit cramped and My up-high shelves are overloading with things that I am attempting to hide up high from little hands!




















It was great to get the non-kitchen things out of the Cupboard!

My new Plates and Serveware home is the corner cupboard, below the bench where I Normally stand and dish up Breakfast and Dinner, and is also close to the sink which is great for when it comes to putting dishes away!

The least used Appliances are also best stored In a place that is out of the way as it hopefully frees up room in other cupboards and drawers for more every day items. My juicer has been out of action for some time now, but with a new light dawning on a healthier way of living I am planning on swapping it's current position with my Cake Mixer! Taking pride of place on the bench and hopefully getting alot more use!

Happy Kitchens Organizers!

Dani

52 Week Challenge - Week 3

Plastics Cupboard

This has been a long running problem in the house and I have finally managed to work out how to combat the plastics war!!
This is the current situation

It's a bit of a Disaster Zone, the main reason being it is a corner cupboard and down low, so when the dishes are being put away it's more an open the door and chuck it in kind of task! So it's time to have a bit of a change around in the kitchen, it's great to re-evaluate uses for different spaces in the kitchen, placing things in Cupboards that are relative to the tasks you do on the above bench space is a great place to start.

First thing first is to empty out the Cupboard and put everything on the bench. Give the cupboard a good clean and dry it off with a dry cloth.







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Start by sorting out the small things, lids, baking bits and pieces, little containers, random pieces of who knows what. Cookie cutters and icing bag pieces are compiled into one container, anything that is missing a lid, or any extra lids are placed together in another container.

Any recyclables that have made their way into the cupboard are cleared into the recycling bin, out the door they go! I really must have a word to hubby about cutting down on buying bottled water!

After all of the clearing and sorting I now have a new home for my plastics. I have chosen to put them in a tall cupboard with plenty of shelves. Lunch containers on one shelf, food storage and baking on the others. The ones I use most commonly are at eye level and the cupboard is placed between the oven and panty/fridge which is perfect when it comes to popping leftovers in containers, packing lunches/snacks, bake ware for the oven.

Drink bottles/ milkshake cups now have a home all of their own closer to the sink and blender.

Re-organizing your kitchen is all about relativity, have things in close proximity to what they are used for, saves running aimlessly from one side of the kitchen to the other and forgetting what you are looking for by the time you get there :) I would love to hear your tips and tricks for keeping plastics in check!

In the next Task I'm finding a spot for my dinner plates and Serveware!

Dani

52 Week Challenge - Week 2

Organizing the Utensils Drawer

For me this Drawer has always been a spot of Chaos! I have never had the right storage and I have always had far too many Utensils.

Here is the before

The first step is to empty everything out of the drawer and give the drawer a good spray and wipe

Once everything is up on the bench it is much easier to see what has been hiding in there!!

I have decided to separate my cooking/food prep utensils from my baking utensils and store them in different areas for ease of use

Our BBQ Utensils are for the BBQ and are never used in the kitchen so they are getting the boot! I'm sure they will survive hanging out with the BBQ and it will free up much needed space for the other utensils

The next step is to reassess what you use on a regular basis and the things that are barely used at all. If you have a few of each item you could look at downsizing and giving a few things away, following is a list of must haves (not including baking utensils)  remember the key is to simplify and have as little clutter as possible

1. Turning Spatula

2. Ladle

3. Potato Masher

4. Tongs

5. Salad Servers

6. Whisk

7. Icecream Scoop (of course)

8. Vege Peeler

9. Cheese Slice

10.Mini Sieve

11. Microplane Grater

12. Pasta Spoon

13. Wooden spoon 

14. A good pair of Kitchen Scissors 

Here is the Finished Drawer, I have used thin Storage compartments to Separate the Utensils, and my most commonly used items are going in a Container next to the stove top so they are at hand when quickly whipping up dinner!

I have used a neat patterned container for next to  the stove top, the red ties in nicely with our other red appliances which is awesome!

If you are on a tight budget check out these great DIY ideas for Utensil Organization on Pinterest

http://www.pinterest.com/organizedch0595/kitchen-organization/

I would love to know your tips and tricks! Feel free to pop on over to my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Organized-Chaos/1535280623377016 and check out the everyday madness going on! you could even join in on 'Minus 365' and continue to follow the 52 Week Challenge!

Best of Luck with your Tasks this week

Dani

52 Week Challenge - Week 1

Packing up the Christmas Tree

While putting up the Christmas Tree can be full of Fun and Excitement - especially for the Little ones, packing the Christmas Tree away is not quite so inticing! But it is a New Year and these things must be done! Here are some eco friendly ways to store your Decorations....

Use egg or fruit cartons to store your Baubles

Christmas Biscuit Tins are great for storing a range of different size decorations, just cut out cardboard to separate them into spaces

Wrap your Christmas Lights around a piece of cardboard to stop them from getting tangled - no-body wants to be untangling Christmas lights when little ones are chomping at the bit to get the rest of the Decorations on the tree come next year!

We store our Christmas tree and Decorations in a Large Storage box to help keep it clean/dry and free from mould and bugs.


Visit my pinterest page for more storage Ideas!

http://www.pinterest.com/organizedch0595/christmas-decoration-storage-ideas/