Monday, August 5, 2013

Getting Organized-- Kitchen: Part 2

My family got invaded by tiny ants. We found them along baseboards and in one cupboard. They especially liked our honey.

This happened at the start of our stay-cation and I first felt that it, along with the rain-outs of various planned activities were going to put me over the edge into a bad mood. However, my son loved attacking the ants with the vaccuum cleaner ("Can I do that?" "Have at it, kid.") We actually had fun trying different kinds of pepper to discourage them.

And I got a project done that I had on my list but just wasn't getting to. (If you also struggle with putting things off, check out my blogging buddy Karen's new series on Preventing Procrastination.)

I had been planning to clean out and reorder that cupboard as part of a an overall reorganization of my kitchen  Now, with everything out on the kitchen table, I had a strong impetus to do it.

We removed everything, washed everything down, and vacuumed ants repeatedly. Getting rid of them took a few days. We then contact papered the shelves. I threw out outdated food and put expired medications aside to take to the collection spot. Then I put everything back in an organized fashion.

I didn't have the presence of mind to have my son take a "before" photo, but you can take my word that it was a mess. Here are a couple of  "after" photos
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My family and I have agreed that when anything is taken out of the cabinet it will be returned to the same half shelf (unless it is used up or needs refrigeration after opening.) This is a crucial step in maintaining organization.

Anyway, I am happy to have accomplished this!

What projects have you completed recently?






Photos by J. Parry




8 comments:

  1. I had a similar project that I got done and was so happy that I did it. I have a shelving area in my kitchen that I wanted to reorganize with baskets and open ended crates to make it neater, more colorful and easier to use for my kids (or to clean up after themselves). About a week ago I went to the $5 and below store and bought a few color baskets and open ended crates and came home, cleaned the shelves and did the job. It helped me to go ahead and organize the rest of the kitchen. Now I can move on to some other jobs.

    Elizabeth T, Early Riser

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    1. Good for you!! Sounds like it will be very helpful.

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  2. I recently reorganized a cabinet in our bedroom. We use it for linens and storage of bathroom items. It was not an "all at once project," there came a point where I just had to finish swaping two shelves. It feels so much more managable now that the towels and sheets are in the right place.

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  3. I loved this post because I am an organizing nut! Once my daughter goes back to school, I am on a mission to organize my garage!

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    1. We worked on our garage/shed just last week! That will be the subject of another post! Hope your project goes well!

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  4. Awww, thanks, Melinda, for the mention of and link to my new blog series! :) I appreciate it!

    I have baskets, bins, and plastic stacked drawers with assorted *stuff* in them; I have started going through them one at a time to de-clutter and reorganize.

    It just amazes me how much clutter can accumulate, especially in a small house, and it can really get overwhelming at times! Like there's more clutter than living space...not a good feeling!

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    1. Oh, I've known that feeling! That's why I want to keep the clutter down and organized. More easily said than done, sometimes.

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