Home Simplified: In the Kitchen
The kitchen is one of those places where we think we need all the things and every little gadget is 100% necessary to save us time or for us to cook the most amazing meal and be the next Ree Drummond. Ya...that is just not true.
The kitchen is also one of those places with a ton of storage. When there is storage, something inside us just has to fill that empty space....to the brim.
Don't get me wrong...it is so nice to be able to buy items in bulk or have extra canned items in the pantry or being able to purchase enough at the grocery store for the month in one trip. Storage can be a really great thing. It is a luxury, not a necessity.
It still amazes me the things I purged to be able to fit in our new home. Some of the items I hadn't touched in 2 years but held on to JUST IN CASE...sound familiar? I haven't missed anything in my kitchen. Not one thing. It might also be because I don't actually love cooking, but that might be just me.
Here are some of my go to tips for the kitchen. I would LOVE to hear your tips to if you have any you are hiding in your back pocket.
1. Clean the dishes. You don't need as many items in the kitchen if you just clean the ones you use more often....unless it's coffee cups. You need 50 and each one has a memory attached to it or words of encouragement written on it that help you start your day the right way. Coffee Cups are okay...
2. For the JUST IN CASE items, purchase them on an as need basis and recycle them or toss them after use (makes cleanup easier, too). For example, you love entertaining! You need enough plates for 50 guests...so you keep a million plates around for the JUST IN CASE event. Buy paper...less cleaning after the event, no space taken storing the extra plates.
3. Simplify your meal plan and that will simplify your kitchen. Our son is gluten free and therefore our home is about 98% gluten free. Everything in the kitchen simplified when we started down the path to help Evan. When you don't eat pasta....you don't need all the gadgets for pasta. When you don't eat casseroles...20 Pyrex dishes aren't need either. When baking doesn't happen as often, you don't need 4 cupcake pans and your waistline and self control will say thank you. Simplifying our dinners has changed our life a ton. We might be boring to some but it works for us. Also...when kids are home for the summer....for the love...use paper plates!
4. I have one really big stresser in the the kitchen. My countertop. Not all of them....just one. You probably have a similar counter space. I call it the catch all....the dumping ground. Man...it gets me every time. The sink could be full to the max...and it often is because this is Zach's chore in the home...and I will go to sleep easy. But if the counter...the one counter...isn't cleared or at least organized...sleep is lost until it is done. So, I make it a point to clean this space every day so I am not stressed right when I wake up. Do you have a space like this in your home?
Here is a tour of my kitchen....yes it is always this organized...no it is not always this clean. There is a difference.
P.S. I spelt lose wrong...and can't figure out how to edit. Clearly not my strength. We all have gifts...computers is not mine.
The kitchen is also one of those places with a ton of storage. When there is storage, something inside us just has to fill that empty space....to the brim.
Don't get me wrong...it is so nice to be able to buy items in bulk or have extra canned items in the pantry or being able to purchase enough at the grocery store for the month in one trip. Storage can be a really great thing. It is a luxury, not a necessity.
It still amazes me the things I purged to be able to fit in our new home. Some of the items I hadn't touched in 2 years but held on to JUST IN CASE...sound familiar? I haven't missed anything in my kitchen. Not one thing. It might also be because I don't actually love cooking, but that might be just me.
Here are some of my go to tips for the kitchen. I would LOVE to hear your tips to if you have any you are hiding in your back pocket.
1. Clean the dishes. You don't need as many items in the kitchen if you just clean the ones you use more often....unless it's coffee cups. You need 50 and each one has a memory attached to it or words of encouragement written on it that help you start your day the right way. Coffee Cups are okay...
2. For the JUST IN CASE items, purchase them on an as need basis and recycle them or toss them after use (makes cleanup easier, too). For example, you love entertaining! You need enough plates for 50 guests...so you keep a million plates around for the JUST IN CASE event. Buy paper...less cleaning after the event, no space taken storing the extra plates.
3. Simplify your meal plan and that will simplify your kitchen. Our son is gluten free and therefore our home is about 98% gluten free. Everything in the kitchen simplified when we started down the path to help Evan. When you don't eat pasta....you don't need all the gadgets for pasta. When you don't eat casseroles...20 Pyrex dishes aren't need either. When baking doesn't happen as often, you don't need 4 cupcake pans and your waistline and self control will say thank you. Simplifying our dinners has changed our life a ton. We might be boring to some but it works for us. Also...when kids are home for the summer....for the love...use paper plates!
4. I have one really big stresser in the the kitchen. My countertop. Not all of them....just one. You probably have a similar counter space. I call it the catch all....the dumping ground. Man...it gets me every time. The sink could be full to the max...and it often is because this is Zach's chore in the home...and I will go to sleep easy. But if the counter...the one counter...isn't cleared or at least organized...sleep is lost until it is done. So, I make it a point to clean this space every day so I am not stressed right when I wake up. Do you have a space like this in your home?
where did you find the sign over your table? I love that!
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