My husband and I took the day to declutter our kitchen. My top reason, I believe that clutter effects a person’s well-being. I’m not talking about trash stacks of junk mail. I’m talking about organizing a space to have a place for it to be without being in the way or an eyesore. Often my kitchen had a bunch of appliances on the counter that was either unused or it was taken up space from our food preparation.
While small children has gotten me in the habit of putting items on top of the refrigerator or on top of the counter. That is until recently. My children are now savvy enough to use a chair to reach whatever they want. So we had to relocate where things can be stored.
So what kind of stuff did you put on top of your refrigerator? I had a Ford Mustang display car that was scuffed, a set of noisy paddles, a LED flamingo necklace, trick or treat baskets, a kid’s fishing rod, kid’s ipads and some mix matched plates that I forgot were there.
Move Unused Small Appliances
After I removed all of the items on the counter, I squirted some dish soap and drenched a rag with hot water to clean the counters. My delta faucet will eventually be replaced with something more modern and adjustable. My husband thoughtfully considered how to utilize our kitchen space. For instance, he moved our mixer to be in between the oversized containers and toaster. We have 3 oversized containers filled with Black Rifle coffee, organic sugar and flour.
I have not decided where I will move my vase. But I want it to be displayed in a prominent location without having to worry about it breaking. I really want to get into the habit of having flowers in my home. Either it to come from my garden or from the store.
A Kettle and French Press
We don’t do coffee makers or a Keurig in our home. Daily we make coffee with a French Press. Our cordless electric kettle gets a lot of use for coffee making, oatmeal, or tea. Or anything else that may need quick hot water. So it is considered an essential appliance to be left on the counter.
One of our Rainmates sits on the bar counter which is the center of our open floor plan. I haven’t found a good place to put our liquid drops for the Rainmate other than on top of the counter behind our speaker.
I moved the 2 tier wire basket that holds our bananas, onions and garlic. Yes, I placed scissors and crayons there. I moved our apples and oranges to the refrigerator drawers.
All of our spices we just moved back to the designated shelf in the cabinet. Moved our cutting boards underneath.
Pantry In Progress
Jason worked on the first phase of organizing our pantry. It is a much improvement. We bought a bucket to put a new bag of flour. All of the snacks have been moved to an upper shelf.
In the next phase of home improvements I would like to put all of our rice, almonds, grains, powders and cereals in clear containers. This should help with maximizing our shelf space.
The tops of my cabinets have random items at the top. From antique kettles, an oversized crystal cake display and decorative boxes. Nothing too spectacular nor does it make any sense. These are just little things that I need to make a point to address. What kinds of things should I display above my cabinets?
Overall, I am so glad to get to see my counter space is clear of clutter and a place to be able to work without elbowing my husband.
When I started my day, I felt satisfied and at peace that this is maintainable. It even inspired my 5 year old son Corban to make his own bed. It was one of those proud mommy moments. It may not happen tomorrow, but I hope so.
I would love to hear from you. Tell me what are some mainstays that you have on your counter.