Decluttering – The Kitchen Feels Better!

I realize I haven’t updated you on my decluttering journey for a couple of weeks.  I’ve had a few lumps, bumps, bruises, and breaks along the way.  But I wanted to share some of the progress that my dear husband and I made a couple weeks ago, before the crash and burn I experienced when everything got dumped into my multipurpose room.

 

 

I still haven’t dug out from that but, I’ve accepted the idea that life happens, setbacks occur, and it’s likely going to get worse in here before it gets better.  But I’ve also decided that I need to celebrate every little success!  And, if I’m celebrating, you’re celebrating with me; so...  grab your party hat and read on!

 On Monday and Tuesday, July 6 & 7, Ray and I methodically decluttered, downsized, donated, tossed, and then cleaned and organized our remaining kitchen tools, gadgets, and supplies.  We washed everything in the kitchen down, lined the shelves, and then put the items we decided to keep into the few kitchen cabinets we have (with room left over).

We have had very little cabinet space in our last few apartments so we supplement with thrift-store bookshelves.  The problem is that everything tended to get dusty between uses.  We had to wash things before we could use them and then again after we used them.  What a pain.  In order to alleviate some of this stress, we purged some of our “stuff”; pots, pans, dishes, etcetera!  The pieces we decided to keep found homes inside the nice clean cabinets.  We hope all others will find good homes at the Goodwill store.

 

Almost all of our furniture has been gifted by others, or purchased from garage sales, auctions, or thrift stores.  It’s definitely seen better days.  So, when our five-dollar microwave stand needed a pick-me-up, it was time to pull out my favorite Dollar Tree Floral Contact Paper and give the shelves a new look.

 

We decided to use our bookshelves for items that didn’t need to be washed so often such as wrapped items and consumables.  We used Dollar Tree Fabric Drawers in a nine-hole cubby that was donated to our cause, and organized some of our frequently used items in the drawers so they are less “cluttery” yet easily accessible.  The drawers now contain our paper plates and plastic cutlery; bread, bagels, buns; spices; snacks and nuts; cereals; coffee, tea, and powdered drink mixes; our “to-go” cups; trash bags; and assorted plastics, such as measuring cups and spoons for baking, and small plastic bowls we use for leftovers.  It looks quite tidy (for us, anyway).

 

The other bookshelf houses a few pieces of plastic ware, dog food, and some overflow items.  We may get a tension rod and hang a curtain so things don’t get too dusty between uses.  But that will have to wait until I can reach my sewing machine again.

We repurposed an old clothes hamper to store our tall items; it’s just the right height for our collapsible picnic crate, brown paper bags, cookie sheets and pizza pans.  By placing a dishtowel over the top we’ll be able to keep some of the dust at bay.

Our kitchen won’t win any awards in Beautiful Homes of 2020, but, at least for today, we can find what we need.  I can display a few cherished pieces from my mom’s kitchen like her food grinder, her cast iron skillet, and her salad bowl.  And, today, it makes me happy to hobble in there!

 

Dear Lord,  Thank you for the strength to share the progress we’ve made even in the midst of the mess that surrounds me.  Thank you for a sense of humor so I can see your hand in my life.  Help me stay focused, and positive, and motivated even when it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Talk to you later,

 

Mary ;-)