2015 January Resolution: Organizing the Kitchen

I'm going to try to work on some annual resolutions, and then some more specific monthly resolutions. This is more to curb my procrastinatory nature than anything else, and if by some miraculous way I develop some readers, at least some sort of external accountability. At the very least, typing it out helps me organize my thoughts on what needs to happen. 

So why the kitchen first? It's my most-used place in the house and could really use some love. My pots and pans are in disarray (I know where they all are, of course, but it's embarrassing when the SO - a total neat freak - comes over!), I don't have a real silverware tray, my spice cabinet is a shambles (I just have so many!), and my cupboard is a disaster. Okay, so I make it sound like a third-world country in there, but it's just so counter to what I want it to be. I want a magazine kitchen, but a magazine kitchen that actually gets used. Things should be in their functional places - it shouldn't be a struggle to pull what I need out of a cabinet, risking an avalanche each time. So, this is January's plan. 

Cupboard: 

• Arrange Christmas/Holiday storage appropriately
• NO items allowed on the floor except the dog food bucket and the trash can when it's stored
• Get rid of unused vacuum
• Go through all dry goods. If it hasn't been used, toss it. 
• Arrange and organize non-perishables/dry goods
• NO "miscellaneous" buckets/piles/plastic bags

Spice Cabinet:

• Paint/Label spice jars; all spices must go in here unless it's too large of a quantity; extra spices go on top shelf
• Buy large spice tiered tray
• Put all baking materials in here, too (see Cupboard above)

Kitchen Counters:

• Minimal clutter allowed. Coffee Pot & Coffee Dish, Paper Towels, Cuisinart, Knife Block & Cutting Boards
• Do a thorough clean of counters, sink, and oven dishes.

Kitchen Drawers/Cabinets:

• Swap drawers around so they make logical sense. Misc. drawer by coffee pot, 
• Get a freaking utensil tray already! Jeez!
• Move Crock Pots to the left; useful pots to the right. Declutter "miscellaneous" cabinet under coffee pot.
• Declutter under-sink cabinet. ALL cleaning supplies should go here.

Fridge:

• NO items allowed on top of the fridge. Period. Ever.

So, this is daunting. But I'm doing it. There's no excuse, for as much as I cook, to have a disorganized work space. No excuses. Just do it.

-Christina