I think that the best place to start de-cluttering is the kitchen. Why? Well, there's very little sentimentality attached to the things we find in our refrigerator or cupboards. It's easy to toss out something that you can no longer tell what it originally was or you have no intention of eating...ever! Yesterday, I went through my cupboards and threw away an unopened jar of sauerkraut (I don't even LIKE sauerkraut!), raisins whose expiration date was 2008, expired pudding mixes, spices, vitamins, cake mixes, and weird impulse items I will never make. From the refrigerator, I pulled out wilting veggies (my intentions were good though!), leftovers from a week ago (if they haven't been eaten by now, they never will be eaten), and salad dressings that have been there a little too long. My cupboards and refrigerator look neat and orderly and there's extra space! I kept track of the things I got rid of that need to be replaced (like the spices, some of the mixes and salad dressings) so I can get them the next time I go to the grocery store. But there's room now to hold the things I regularly use and need.
Next in the kitchen is the miscellaneous gadgets and equipment that seems to accumulate and the ever-famous junk drawer. And then a good cleaning and the kitchen is done! Well, maybe not done but you now have room to organize what you have and can make your kitchen more efficient and useable. It's a good start! And maybe the momentum will carry over to the next de-cluttering project!
Mid April Thoughts
5 days ago
I seriously need to do this to the kitchen! One thing I did do was eliminate the junk drawer about a month ago. I found that I was depending upon that random junk space way too much. I am surprised to find I don't miss it!
ReplyDeleteGood job! Let me know how you do with the rest of the kitchen!
ReplyDeleteI know you're talking about parents of young children but eventually this issue will probably come up. As we age, so do our parents. Someone I know (cough cough) ended up inheriting everything from her mother's kitchen. When her in-laws died, neither she or her spouse could part with things that reminded him of his childhood. Then it was unthinkable to get rid of the casserole dish that Aunt Nancy always used, or the grilling tools that Uncle Bob always used - never mind that they already owned such items. There is no room to store all of this when everything is clean! If only they hosted parties, the 20+ coffee cups might make sense. They are stockpiling more things than they can ever use. I try not to think of how much time is wasted choosing just the right one of 8 spatulas for making a grilled cheese sandwich. ;-)
ReplyDeleteAt least the mustard, milk and eggs are long gone...I hope :) Maybe the extra utensils can be boxed up with other sentimental memorabilia instead of taking up space in the kitchen. I have my grandmother's rolling pin and baking trays but I use them all the time and wouldn't think of replacing them!
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