Do you struggle to find what you’re looking for in a drawer packed with stuff you don’t use, and in some cases, can’t even identify?
Is your valuable counter space being taken up with appliances that haven’t been plugged in in years?
Would you like a few more minutes in your day to sit down and savor a cup of coffee and a good book?
It’s time to declutter and simplify your kitchen.
A kitchen filled only with what you need, enjoy, and use will add happiness and clarity to your life.
What are we waiting for? Let’s get started.
First, let’s think about what we can let go.
Do you have highly specialized utensils in your kitchen drawers that you are probably never going to use?
In the past I kept a mango slicer and apple corer in my kitchen drawer, but after years of pushing them aside while rummaging to find to something else, I finally got rid of them. Good riddance! I don’t think they were ever used, not even once.
In my defense, I think they were a gift, but still… Why keep something around that you never use? Get rid of them!
Do you have appliances taking up valuable counter or cabinet space?
If you haven’t used that deep fryer in five years, you may as well give it away.
Do you have items in your kitchen that your family has outgrown?
I still have some baby supplies in my kitchen cabinets that I need to get rid of, including bottles, pump parts, a drying rack (although I keep thinking that might come in handy), and parts to a nebulizer (!).
Do you have multiples that you really don’t need?
There are some items that it’s actually great to have multiples of, but if you have a zillion plastic containers with no lids or old, worn out items that you no longer use, feel free to say goodbye to them.
It’s also important to keep what you need.
Appliances I Use…
These days my most used small appliances are my electric kettle and Bodum French press. I use them daily to make the yummiest coffee.
I seldom use my food processor, but I’ll probably hang onto it, since very rarely it does come in very handy.
I rarely use my blender, either, but I want to keep it and make more smoothies!
Gadgets and Tools I Use…
I use my pastry cutter occasionally, for the extremely random pie crust or more often for a crumb topping for my favorite blueberry muffins. I don’t use it all the time, but when I need it, I’m thrilled I have it.
My awesome Jamie Oliver masher is really awesome for mashing veggies or fruits. And it’s so cool looking. It looks like modern art and feels nice and heavy. I don’t use it all the time, but when I need it, it’s wonderful. I used it recently for making homemade applesauce.
Also I love my awesome whisk!
Two cleaning gadgets that are worth it to me are my bottle brush (better to pay a little more to get the best!) and my handy sippy cup/bottle cleaning toolkit. The latter doesn’t get used all that often, but it is so handy when I need it.
I had these adorable ice cream sandwich molds for a couple of years before finally using them recently. It was a long project, and it was very hard to keep the ice cream from melting too much, so I’m not eager to do it again anytime soon. Maybe when the kids are older and can participate more. They really did turn out cute.
In addition to minimizing, make sure you do have what you do need.
In my last post I talked about how I’d gone for years without buying some much-needed dish towels.
Some other kitchen items I need to get right now are two cutting boards–one for meat and one for veggies. My wooden one was not getting clean enough, and that’s not pleasant thought.
I also would like a new set of measuring cups and spoons. I have a couple of incomplete sets of measuring cups, and it would be helpful to have an extra set of spoons so I can measure lots of spices without having to wash and dry them in the middle of cooking. I need all the help I can get in the kitchen, since I seem to resist it.
Just do it! Pick a strategy and start now.
Here are some final tips on getting your kitchen decluttered and streamlined for more happiness. Choose whatever strategy works for you today.
You can…
- Get rid of one or two things.
- Set a timer for five minutes and work till the timer goes off.
- Declutter one drawer.
Just do something. Every bit of clutter you clear out will leave your life that much better.
It’s so nice to be able to easily find what you’re looking for and not be surrounded by STUFF.
You can experience the joy of a more minimized, more simplified kitchen today.
Hugs to you!
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