Organizing Tips for Your Kitchen – Guest Post!

I’m thrilled to have the lovely Jill, from Called to Be a Mom, here on the blog today to give us some awesome tips for organizing our kitchens! Welcome, Jill!

You’ll definitely want to check her blog out, as well, but first, let’s see how she can help us in the heart of the home: the kitchen!

Thanks for having me as a guest blogger today.

We have been very busy at my blog this month. Our main focus has been on goals and organization. We have taken the challenge of 40 Bags in 40 Days which helps us get 40 bags of stuff out of our house in 40 days. We are about half way through the series.

We also have talked about 100+ Ways tips on organizing kids rooms. I wouldn’t want you to forget about 100 Free Printables on Organizing your home either. As you can tell we have been busy helping you stay motivated on the daunting task of getting 40 bags out of your house in 40 days.

Today is no different we will be focusing on organizing your kitchen.

I personally would recommend the following:

1. Clean out your refrigerator.

2. Clean out your pantry.

3. Clean off the counters.

4. Keep your sink clean.

5. Wash your floor at least once a week. (More often with pets and younger children)

6. Organize your spices. You can consolidate them into glass jars and add labels. I really like this idea!

7. If you have a lot of food as you are a person who buys in bulk. This is a great idea. Pantry Organization

I’m going to be honest with you. My kitchen gets used. A lot! I am a SAHM. I am an avid canner and I believe in preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. This means I have kitchen gadgets and I have a lot of spices as I do not buy a lot of pre-made food.

I have a baby and a toddler and our house is real life. I put many hours in blogging and I am always working. That is part of taking the life of canning, dehydrating, and other ways to processing your own food – it does take more space.

I will never have a kitchen that isn’t full of stuff. The main thing to remember is to get rid of the junk. Get rid of the clutter. If you have not used it for a year, do you really need it? When you are making things from scratch it does take more tools and gadgets. Get rid of gadgets that don’t help you. I don’t need taco holders, corn on the cob holders, and bowls that are awkward and don’t stack nice. It’s easier to start with the things you don’t need.

Now I do use a portable 22-quart roaster ovens more than once a year to cook my turkey. This gadget is not in my kitchen because it is not used weekly. So you have to personally make a check list of what is a necessity depending on how you cook and what gadgets you use. I would never dream of getting rid of a pressure cooker or canner even though someone else did, as I got both of them at thrift stores and auctions.

Make a list of what is important and why. Make sure you have used the item in the past year.

I personally believe in using your good china everyday. Why would you have china put away for special occasions when you are making memories everyday with your family. So what if little Suzie puts a chip in it. Long after she is gone you will remember the story behind the chip in your china. Now, I know a lot of you value your china as it is tradition. Like I said, do what works for you. I am just offering suggestions.

Some of you would think that a grain grinder is crazy. But I use mine. Here is a list of appliances I use that save a fortune.

I would say for our family there are appliances that do take up room but are worth it. When I lived in a small house, I stored some of these appliances in a shed located in our back yard.

There are always people getting started and needing kitchenware. You can donate to your friend or a local mission or Salvation Army and re-home your items that you don’t have room for in your own home and they still have lots of life still in them.

What do you have to get rid of in the kitchen? Do you have a junk drawer that is filled with things that need to be re-homed? Maybe you need to check out the expiration dates in your pantry and refrigerator.

Jill Wilson is a wife,and mother of two. She is an author of One Income Mystery. She has a blog at Called To Be A Mom where she gives practical advice to help you be a mother and homemaker. She started her journey of being more intentional in her living three years ago. She gives advice about frugal living, DIY projects, eating natural foods, and making your life matter. She talks about a multitude of subjects such as multi-generation living, homeschooling and living debt-free.

Thanks so much for your post, Jill! So, seriously: what do YOU have to GET RID OF in YOUR kitchen?