Reorganized Home Challenge Week #7: Kitchen Drawers

Thanks for joining us for the 52 Week Reorganized Home Challenge. This is week #7 of the challenge. If you have missed any of the prior weeks, see the links at the bottom of this post.

This is the last week that we will focus on kitchen organization. Hopefully your kitchen is now simplified, organized, and efficient.

This week's challenge is kitchen drawer organization.

Challenge Steps:

1. Take everything out of your drawers (work one drawer at a time).
2. Put away anything that doesn't belong in your kitchen
3. Throw away/donate anything you are not using
4. Line drawers (optional)
5. Put everything back into drawers in organized manner

The dollar store is a great place to find items to help organize your drawers. They have many different types of silverware holders, baskets, etc.

I also really like the Bamboo Kitchen Drawer Dividers, Set of 2 available from Amazon. These work great in your kitchen utensil drawer.

Reorganized Home Challenge

Week 1: Refrigerator
Week 2: Freezer
Week 3: Declutter Your Kitchen
Week 4: Declutter Kitchen Cabinets
Week 5: Pantry Organization
Week 6: Kitchen Cabinet Organization

Reorganized Home Challenge Week #6: Kitchen Cabinet Organization

Thanks for joining us for the 52 Week Reorganized Home Challenge. This is week #6 of the challenge. If you have missed any of the prior weeks, see the links at the bottom of this post.

This is the second to last week we will focus on kitchen organization. If you have been completing all of the tasks so far, your kitchen should be pretty close to being organized and purposeful.

This week's challenge is Kitchen Cabinet Organization.

Now that we have organized our pantries, it is time to organize the rest of our kitchen cabinets. You should have already tossed or donated anything that you aren't using during week #4. This week it is all about putting the things back into your cabinets in a neat manner.

Challenge Steps:

1. Pull everything out of your cabinet (work one cabinet at a time)
2. Line your cabinets (optional)
3. Sort by item type
4. Put back into cabinet in organized manner

These steps are pretty straight forward. I would recommend taking a trip to the dollar store or looking on Amazon for some products that will help to make your organization easier. These are some of the things that I use in my cabinets to keep them more organized:

YouCopia Super SpiceStack 27-Bottle Spice Organizer, White
*This spice organizer is a bit pricey, but I am so glad that I purchased it. It has made cooking and baking so much easier. It allows you to organize your spices whichever way you choose and comes with preprinted labels

Rubbermaid FG1H4209BLA Pan Organizer Rack, Black

Copco 2555-1978 Adjustable Bakeware Organizer

InterDesign Axis Over the Cabinet X3 Basket

InterDesign Axis Over the Cabinet Bag Holder

What are some of your favorite organizing products? Please share in the comments.

Reorganized Home Challenge

Week 1: Refrigerator
Week 2: Freezer
Week 3: Declutter Your Kitchen
Week 4: Declutter Kitchen Cabinets
Week 5: Pantry Organization

Some of the links on this website are "affiliate links." This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive a commission.

Reorganized Home Challenge Week #5: Pantry Organization

Thanks for joining us for the 52 Week Reorganized Home Challenge. This is week #5 of the challenge. If you have missed any of the prior weeks, see the links at the bottom of this post.

This week's challenge is going to take some time for most of you. This can be an ongoing process, so don't worry if you can't complete it in a week.

This week's challenge is Pantry Organization.

Challenge Steps:

1. Pull all of the items out of your pantry (Yikes!).
2. Throw away any items that are expired.
3. Put any items that you aren't going to use in a pile to be donated.
4. Decide what each shelf will store (i.e. You may have one shelf for pasta and one for baking goods, etc)
5. Purchase any items that you need to help get your pantry organized (I will discuss some ideas below)
6. Label any containers that you will be using to store food
7. Put back all of your pantry items in an organized fashion

Optional Steps:

1. Before replacing items, line the shelves or repaint your pantry
2. To save space, create a space outside of your pantry to store any large quantity items or items that you buy in bulk (i.e. paper towels, canned goods, etc). I keep these items in my garage on a shelf.

When you organize your pantry, keep in mind that it doesn't have to look like something out of Martha Stewart Living. It just needs to be functional for your family. I have to constantly reorganize my pantry because my two and three year old like to rearrange it while they are playing pretend. My pantry never looks perfect!

Here are some additional pantry storage solution ideas:

• Check the dollar store for storage containers. Many of the containers that I use came for The Dollar Tree and they are perfect what what I need them for. 

 

• Buy a basket or a few baskets to keep loose snack items in. Again, these can be purchased at a dollar store. I have one basket for kid friendly snacks and one for adult snacks.
• Purchase containers to hold items in that you frequently have on hand (i.e. flour, cereal, rice, etc) and label. I know some people like to make fancy labels, but I just use my Brother Personal Labeler Machine that I purchased from Amazon.
• If you have a small pantry, utilize your door space with an Over The Door Pantry Organizer. I have a small pantry and use one to add additional space.

• If you need to save drawer space, you can store your plastic wrap, aluminum foil, etc in your pantry using an Under Shelf Wrap Rack .

What other storage solutions/ideas do you have for your pantry? Share your ideas in the comments.

52 Week Reorganized Home Challenge

Week 1: Refrigerator
Week 2: Freezer
Week 3: Declutter Your Kitchen
Week 4: Declutter Kitchen Cabinets
Some of the links on this website are "affiliate links." This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive a commission.

Reorganized Home Challenge Week 4: Declutter Kitchen Cabinets

I am a week behind on the challenge, so I am going to post two challenges this week. Last week, I got completely off task. I decided to clean out my garage. We have a two car garage, but half of the garage was filled with junk and my husband had to park outside. That's right...was. In trying to live a more simplified life, I am getting rid of everything we don't need and use. Since my husband and I aren't going to have more kids, it is time to get rid of all of our baby stuff. The baby girl items went to my brother who is having a girl in June. The baby boy clothing that my son has already grown out of went to a friend. All of my maternity clothing went to another friend. We could have sold many of the items, but since we have been so blessed, I am focused on passing on our blessings to others.

Although it is great to have goals and a game plan, sometimes you have to be flexible and deviate to take care of something that really needs to be done! Now, back to our challenge.

This week's challenge is to declutter your kitchen cabinets.

*Don't focus on your pantry at this time. That will be a later step.

1. Focus on one cabinet at a time.
2. Pull everything out of cabinet.
3. Throw away any food/items that are expired, broken or won't be used.
4. Set aside items to giveaway. In general, anything that hasn't been used in the last year should be donated or thrown away.
5. Put items back into cabinets. Don't focus too much on the organization this week. We will tackle that another week.

One of the books that I read this month was Heart of Simplicity: Foundations for Christian Homemaking. It is an expensive eBook, only $2.99 at the time of this post, and has some great ideas about how you can simplify many different aspects of your life.

How are you doing on your Home Challenge?

Some of the links on this website are "affiliate links." This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive a commission.

Reorganized Home Challenge Week #3: Declutter Your Kitchen

I hope that you have been able to follow along with our 52 Week Reorganized Home Challenge. I have a fairly small kitchen with a minimal amount of counter space. When I am in the kitchen, I get frustrated when I don't have enough work space.

This week's challenge is to declutter your kitchen.

Challenge Steps:

1. Take everything off your counters, refrigerator, wall, etc
2. Clean your kitchen counters and stove and wipe down the outside of your refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave, and cabinets
3. Put only the things that you really need back on your counters and on your fridge
• Think about the appliances that you have on your counter. Do you use them everyday? If not, store them in a cabinet or in your pantry.
• Keep the outside of your fridge as clutter free as possible. I still have a few magnets on mine and usually some artwork, but I keep it to a minimum.

Additional Ideas:

 

 

Declutter your counters by putting your fruits in a hanging basket, like the one pictured above. I like the hanging baskets because they still free up counter space, unlike the freestanding variety. I purchased this Wall Mount Planter , removed the liner and mounted it using two screws. As you can see, it holds quite a bit of fruit.

 

 

Minimize the items on and around your kitchen sink by utilizing your under sink cabinets. I found this Over the Cabinet Basket this is the perfect size to hold my dish washing soap, sponge, and bottle brush so that they aren't using counter space. I also have my disinfecting wipes and air spray close at hand.

 

What other ideas do you have for decluttering your kitchen? If you have missed any of the prior challenges, you can find them here.

 

Some of the links on this website are "affiliate links." This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive a commission.

 

Reorganized Home Challenge Week #2: Freezer

This is week two of the Reorganized Home Challenge! I hope that your year has started off great.

Our family received some great news this week. My husband has been working around 60 hours per week for the past few years. It has been difficult for me since we have three young children. My husband and I have both been praying for God to open up new doors for him so he would be able to spend more time with our family. For the last year or so, there have been numerous opportunities that have arisen, but one by one they haven't come to fruition. It has been discouraging for us both, but we persevered and continued praying. Last week, we received news that my husband is going to be starting a new position the beginning of February. The best part about this? It is a 40 hour a week job! I feel so blessed that God has granted this opportunity for our family.

A burden has been lifted. The thing that I am most looking forward to, is the fact that we will now be able to have dinner together as a family. Every night right now I dread dinnertime. I try and keep my children occupied while I throw dinner together. I then feed my two and three year old. Sometimes I eat with them, but sometimes I wait to eat until my husband gets home. I am so happy that he will now be home at this time so we can spend the time as a family.

I hope that if you are struggling with something in your life, that you will give it up to Christ. It doesn't mean your life will be perfect, but if you really let go and give it up to him, he will give you an inner peace about the situation. I love this verse from Isaiah 41:10 "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

If I would not have struggled with the stress of managing a household with three young children, I would not have as much appreciation for the time that we are going to have as a family.

Back to the challenge...this week's task is the freezer. And yes, if you have an extra freezer in the garage, it is included!

Challenge Steps:

1. Start by pulling all of the food out of your freezer. Toss anything that is past the expiration date or has freezer burn. You will want to place your foods into a cooler so that they don't spoil while you clean.
2. Pull out the drawer(s). Rinse with soapy water and dry.
3. Mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda with a quart of water. Moisten towel with solution and wipe down the inside.
4. Finish scrubbing shelves and drawers and dry on large towel.
5. Replace shelves and drawers.
6. Reorganize your food by type as you put it back into the freezer. I like to have a shelf for breakfast food, one for baby food, one for desserts, one for vegetables, etc
7. If you have an additional freezer in the garage complete the same steps.

Optional Steps:

1. If you have a freezer in the garage and there is frost build up, you may want to defrost it. See instructions here.
2. Purchase bins and label according to food type to make it easier to find what you need.

*Follow me on Pinterest for more great Organizing and Household Ideas

If you are looking for more ideas about how to Simplify your life. Check out the ebook Simple Living - 30 days to less stuff and more life by Lorilee Lippincott.

What tips do you have for cleaning your freezer? Please share in the comments section.

Some of the links on this website are "affiliate links." This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive a commission.

My 2013 Goals

I must admit that I am not good at keeping resolutions. I do, however, like working toward my goals. Instead of making a resolution this year, I am going to set specific, measurable goals that fit in with my top 6 priorities.

God

1. Have a 30 minute quiet time each day to read Bible and pray
2. Read through the Bible in a year
3. Attend church every Sunday
4. Start a prayer group with other stay-at-home moms (meet once a month)

Spouse

1. Spend at least 30 minutes one-on-one time with Derek each day
2. One date night per month
3. Weekly in home date nights
4. One getaway this year (after I stop nursing my son)
5. Finish working through Closer: Devotions to Draw Couples Together

Children

1. 30 minutes daily one-on-one time with each child
2. Weekly preschool time on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (see my plans here)
3. Monthly one-on-one outing with each child
4. Nightly reading and bedtime

Others

1. Weekly planned activity focus on others (i.e. deliver meals, make homemade gift, etc)
2. One monthly activity focused on community outreach (blessing bags, delivering meals to homeless etc)

Self Development

1. Read 1 book each week or 4 books per month (see the books I am planning to read here)
2. Daily time to rest
3. Daily time to work on blogging, craft project, etc

Home Management

1. Create a menu plan each week (see my weekly menu plans here)
2. Complete Home Challenge task each week
3. Stick to daily/weekly cleaning plan

What are your goals for 2013?

Reorganized Home Challenge Week One: Refrigerator

Starting today and continuing through the end of 2013, I will be posting a weekly Reorganized Home Challenge on Mondays. One of my top 6 priorities in 2013 is Home Management. A big part of that is making sure that I simplify my life by purging and reorganizing.

I would like to begin the challenge in the kitchen. For the next few weeks, the challenge will revolve around tasks to get your kitchen in tip top shape. I have a small kitchen with minimal counter and cabinet space, so it is essential that I keep it as neat and tidy as possible. Let's begin with the refrigerator. I must admit that I hate cleaning the refrigerator, but when preparing snacks and meals, it is great to have a clean refrigerator with fresh food.

Challenge Steps:

1. Start by pulling all of the food out of your refrigerator. Toss anything that is past the expiration date. You may want to place your foods into a cooler so that they don't spoil while you clean.
2. Pull out the shelves and drawers. Fill the bathtub with soapy water and throw all of the shelves and drawers in (make sure that the water isn't too warm, you don't want the glass to crack). I have found this is much easier than washing them one by one in the sink.
3. Mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda with a quart of water. Moisten towel with solution and wipe down the inside.
4. Finish scrubbing shelves and drawers and dry on large towel.
5. Replace shelves and drawers.
6. Reorganize food as you put it back into the fridge

Optional Steps:

1. Create fridge mats like these found on U Create to make cleaning spills easier.
2. Organize your food in labeled bins, like these Interdesign Fridge Binz Deep Bin, 8 x 4, Clear (or take a trip to the dollar store and purchase bins to use)
3. Start off the New Year by creating a healthy snack station for you and your family members. Fit Sugar has some great healthy snack ideas.

*Follow me on Pinterest for more great Organizing and Household Ideas

Next Monday, I will share with you my own completed refrigerator challenge with pictures.

If you are looking for more ideas about how to Simplify your life. Check out the ebook Simple Living - 30 days to less stuff and more life by Lorilee Lippincott. 

What other tips do you have for cleaning your refrigerator?