Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Kitchen Drawer Purge


 With the New Year in full swing I, like everyone else, have gotten the bug to purge and organize my home.  I seem to collect lots of things over the year as I am sure you all do also.  I have always had trouble getting rid of items because in my mind I think "what if I need that sometime and have to buy it again!"  Well that has never happened yet so I have started purging more frequently.  It does make you feel so much better when you have some semblance of organization, even if it is in a closed drawer that only you see!

This project first started out with me wanting to organize the junk drawer in the kitchen.  You know the drawer you through anything random in because you haven't the slightest clue what to do with it.  Well, sometimes a small project turns into something bigger!

The junk drawer before

 I started thinking about the flow of my kitchen and how annoying it is when I am cooking and people are coming over to me at the island to get silverware when the plates are at the other end closer to the table.  This was when I looked at the junk drawer and decided it would now be silverware drawer.  How perfect to have your silverware beneath where you have your plates!

So I cleared out the drawer and replaced it with my silverware holder and napkin container.  I have to say I love the change! 
 
New silverware drawer

Since I moved the silverware I was left with a large drawer next to the stove on the island that was mostly empty other then measuring spoons and other misc cooking supplies.  I decided it was time to purge my product make my island cooking station more convenient for me!
 
So I took all my cooking utensils out of the drawers beside the stove and beneath the stove and sorted them out on the island.  Does anyone really need this many cooking utensils!!!!
 
Prior utensil storage area
 
 
 
 
I boxed up everything I am not keeping so I can donate it.  I left myself with the bare essentials for cooking.  Just a few of everything.  Pretty much the ones that I use now on a regular basis.  I mean come on I had 9 rubber spatulas!  Once the purge was over I began the refilling of the drawers.
 
Um I believe I was photo bombed by a Yorkie!



I started by placing organizers I already had into the drawers.  When it doubt shop your house.  I did not buy a single organizer to finish the job.  Everything was from other places in my home that were not being utilized in the best way so I brought them into the kitchen and they all work perfectly.  They don't match at all but I am the only one who sees it regularly.  Of course I am putting pictures of it on the Internet so maybe.....

Without further ado I present my newly organized utensil drawers!




I also moved a smaller drawers contents of unique utensils that are not used on a regular basis which in turn misplaced my K Cups.  So I moved those to the smaller drawer now which is just as close to the coffee machine as they were before.  Now the coffee drawer only has that, Coffee!  I added a container to hold my long spoons that I always use to stir my coffee.  I had put them in the silverware drawer at first but decided it didn't make sense since I only use them for my coffee.


I am so happy with how my drawers turned out!  I think the flow of my kitchen is better and I am not rooting around under my stove for the utensil I need.  Now I just have to remember where I moved everything!  A bit of a learning curve is taking place but we will all get it soon enough.

Now my only problem is I don't have a junk drawer anymore! 
 
Junk without a home!
 

I guess I have created my next organization project! 
 
Anyone else catch the new year organizing bug? 
What have you organized and how has it helped?


Monday, January 28, 2013

Where have I been?!

Do not worry by blog friends! 
 
I am still here and doing okay!  I hope everyone is doing well.  I will catch you all up on what I have been up to over the last few months I have been MIA.  Below are a few pictures of my home decorated for the holidays.  I hoped to post these earlier but better late then never right!

 
Our mantel
Our main tree
My kitchen wine tree
The boys tree in the basement
My dining room tree

Our dining room buffet

Our elf Juicy arrived and was sometimes mischievous!
 
We had some neighbors over and who doesn't love a cheese tray!



 Our New Years Eve Spread



 Jack had a friend stay over so they set up the tee pee and waited for the New Year!


 
All in all we had a wonderful holiday season.  It went by soooo fast!  I hope everyone else had a wonderful time and have started off the New Year happy and healthy!
I will be back tomorrow with a little project I tackled yesterday!
 
Glad to be back!