As if working on the studio, business work, cold weather chores and all that were not enough, I just got it in my craw that I wanted to move the kitchen around. Since we moved in and just sort of put stuff here and there, almost a year ago. I have begun to see some real weird situations and awkward cupboard assignments. And finally, I snapped. Haha.. and this morning, while waiting on my breakfast, I started to formulate a much better master plan.
Jessy came in, took one look and slowly backed away. She knew that look in her mother’s eye. She was running wild with the organizing fever and the evil would soon envelope everyone in the house. But she was not fast enough and soon I had her helping me to take all the things out and start the process.
We had most of our food back in the pantry, in the corner of the breakfast nook and that was really not very handy. We had all our small appliances in the main kitchen area and that was kind of dumb because we don’t use them all the time, but we use food all the time. So I stewed and considered for a bit and decided that it would be better to have several cupboards devoted to things like baking, dinner prep and easy lunch stuff/soup and ramen noodles. And all the appliances and not often used canning and baking weird stuff could go in the green pantry, ready and off the counters and in storage.
I’m not one for a cluttered kitchen counter. I’d be happy if there was like NOTHING on the counters, but I know that won’t happen. Still, I’d rather it be down to the slim necessities if possible. Just makes it easier to clean and wipe it all down, and just work. I know it might be funny, but I’m actually thinking about taking the racks out of my dishwasher and using it as a big pan storage area! It doesn’t work well at all, and we disconnected it a while ago. I haven’t gotten rid of it, because, well, then there would be a big gaping hole! And it’s not a priority to replace, because, well, we never used it except like the rare occasions we had a party or something. (Ah, like ah, once? Twice?) It might become the pop bottle holding area! Yeah! The recycling bin!! That might really work.. hmmm…
We worked all weekend on getting our creative studio put together and emptying out our storage room. The girls want to make that room into a game/guest room. But first, it has to get emptied… and since we emptied out the storage locked, that poor room was packed and you could not even walk through it. Very stuffed.
We found our egg carton stash… we knew it was in there, just couldn’t get to it. Do you think we have enough egg cartons? Our customers like to give them back to us and then we had bought a small starter stash in the beginning. And then we find that the feed store has a bunch AND my buddy Bill gave us a huge stack of 18ers… so we are ready for some super major egg selling soon!
Well, I got them all in the green pantry, and all the appliances, and lots of seasonal and not that commonly used pans and baking things. That really worked out nice. And I got all the canning stuff, but not yet all the jars. I’m going to take all the canning jars and such, out of my big front shelves and store it all in there. I want to go through the front shelves and the new little used shelf under them, but that will be later on this week. One big mess at a time!
I put all our baking stuff in one big deep cupboard right there in front. That is nice! Stashed the extra stuff in the back ad the often stuff right up front. Put all the soup and rice packs, lunch type easy make stuff in the corner twirly cabinet. Still have to clean out the pots and pans cupboard directly to the left of this picture. Right now, I have all my pots and pans in there, but to be honest, we only use about half of them regularly. I’ll move the less frequent ones to the green pantry and that will give me more room as well! And I won’t have to fumble over the non-frequently used stuff that seems to rotate around in the cupboard and just get in the way. Weird how that happens.
Well of course, I didn’t get done and so now the kitchen is still kind of a mess. The girls abandoned me about as quick as they could come up with some half hearted excuse. They like to help me on most things but when I get into efficiency organizing, they just roll their eyes and ditch on me. I guess it’s a teenager thing. They have years and years of life ahead of them, but my days are measured and I hate wasting them on inefficient cooking! (haha… ahem. yeah.) Naw, really, it’s just not their bag, so I don’t blame them not wanting to be around the Queen of Efficiency! I just love making areas/systems work better. I just hate when things are so ackward that they feel bad to me!
Of course, the fact that we spent all weekend working on the studio and storage unit, could have something to do with it. Hmmm. Naw….
Well, I’m trying to bust these winter blahs by getting busy busy busy! I love doing this stuff and wish I could devote all my time to it, but I still have to work some… help with the family business and all that. I think I’m just an old farm housewife trapped in an entrepreneur’s body!!! Agh! Well, more likely, I just channel both of those types of ladies! It’s nice to be able to switch hats because I would probably be bored as just one of them, all the time!
I’ll try and post followups after I get more finished up! Shouldn’t be too long because I can’t function in a tore up kitchen for long!!!
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It must be in the air!
I recently started using your adaptation of the chore cards and had ‘clean out wash room cupboards’ broken down to which cabinet and which shelf (even)…heh -heh! I kept putting those cards to the back of the stack.
Well, this weekend my youngest son came over and he helped his dad and I, by re-wiring the light fixture in the bathroom. To that job, we had to completely empty those cabinets and take the paneled wall off to get to the wiring (otherwise- cut a gaping whole in the sheet rock in the bathroom) we can’t have a gaping hole- so empty cupboards was it.
I’m still sorting through the years of junk– stashed in those cupboards (oh yes, they are re-hung AND! the light works) …I just wish all my laundry baskets weren’t full of cabinet guts!
ha! maybe tomorrow…Scarlet.
take care, Pat
Oh man. Now I may have to go organize something too! Shoot! LOL
I love it. I’ve been wondering about the kitchen so I think you do a good job of rotating rooms for us. haha I’m learning to be more proactive about organizing. My brain is too lazy to be quicker about noticing I’m never going to use those last crumbs of French Onions & I can throw it out. I threw out SO much this week. It felt good.
Your kitchen is so roomy. I was wondering, that beam over the stove, could you put hooks on it to hold pots? I love that look and it’s such a space saver. Thanks so much for the inspiration. I can’t wait to see pics. Sounds like you had a very busy weekend. Bodies at Windhaven tend to stay in motion.
As Pat said, ‘it must be something in the air’. I pulled everything out of my food shelves recently. Did a lot of sorting, giving away and throwing away. I live in less space than your sweet old moby had and it can feel crowded pretty quick.
I really like your old pantry with the high shelves. Do you miss having hanging cabinets in the main part of the kitchen? You do seem to have a lot of floor cabinets, but at my age ( sic ) I like storing my pots and pans up higher, rather than down by the floor. Easier on the back. (: