Can you find things when you are looking for them? I know that most families have at least one designated Junk Drawer But what about your other drawers?
I finally went through my kitchen drawers last spring and threw away everything that I did'nt need. Stuff that had accumulated for 10 years or more and was just cluttering them up.
I cleaned them good and laid that nice Rubbermaid shelf and drawer liner and purchased some organizers. I also used a few baskets for them. Now everything is so nice and neat and makes my life easier too.
A place for everything, and everything in it's place.
YES, our kitchen drawers are organized, and many of them are labeled too. I use masking tape and permanent marker to make labels for inside my drawers and cabinets.
Since chores rotate here every week, the kids have the same chore every third week. They seem to frequently forget where things go, so I made labels. (I got tired of answering the same "Where does this go?" question all the time.) The pantry has labels too on the edges of the shelves. Same thing inside the bathroom cabinets. And craft supply containers in the garage.
We do have one junk drawer in the kitchen, but even it has recycled check boxes to organize the junk.
It doesn't keep everything in it's place. Lots of stuff disappears into the kid's rooms, but when they are ready to put it away (or when I come looking for something), they know where it goes.
I don't have too much trouble keeping my drawers tidy or my cupboards, but I do have a reasonable amount of space to put everything. I have large pot and baking tray drawers with a couple of dividers to keep them to their sides and stacked properly.
I do go through the cupboards every couple of years and give away, donate or put things in a garage sale that are not needed any more.
My junk drawer is divided into 3 parts, large, meduim and small at least I don't have to sift through too much to find what I want.
The kids are pretty good with putting stuff away 99% of the time.
I only have one kitchen drawer! I dream of having kitchen drawers. I keep all my bigger utensils in a lazy susan type thing that I got from Pampered Chef. Small knives and eating utensils are in that one drawer. But don't even get me started on the pantry. I really need to roll up my sleeves and give it a good cleaning out. I love the idea of labels. That may a real good project for me to work on until it's warm enough to get outside again. Thanks for the idea Dawny. (Your name reminds me of my grandma......coz my name is Lisa Dawn and she always called me "lisiedawny". Now dh calls me that sometimes.) Ok..here I go blabbing again....sorry. Thanks for all the great ideas!!!
Originally posted by AMOMWITH3GIRLS Can you find things when you are looking for them? I know that most families have at least one designated Junk Drawer But what about your other drawers?
....You are funny......Organized...What is that?????
I can't find anything.!!!!!!
Maybe One Day....!!!!
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Clutter is my enemy, and I hate junk drawers! For my silverware I have holders for each, and I don't just toss them in; I stack them so they line up nicely. My spatulas are in another drawer which I have sectioned with Rubbermaid dividers, and also large mixing spoons are separated. On the bottom is a large drawer with a lid holder for all the covers to pans, etc.
If I only had more cupboards and drawers I could do an even more efficient job. I'm proud to have someone look into a drawer to get a utensil or gadget.
My drawers USED to be organized (until DH took over after retiring from the Navy & I went back to work). I actually have a book on how to organize your kitchen! I definately have a junk drawer, too.
The basic premise of the book was to put items as close to where you would actually use them as possible. For instance, the measuring spoons are in a drawer near the spice cupboard. The mixing utinsils are near the work area (where I'd be mixing), knives near the cutting board. Got the coffee & mugs stored next to the coffee maker, etc. Lots of logic! But then most of us have been conditioned to put things in similar places that our mom's did, which may or may not make sense.
Alas, DH just throws everything in whatever drawer seems to have the most room at the time--and I can never find anything I'm looking for. (8 drawers!, big kitchen).
I have 4 drawers, a caddy for utensils and a set of junk baskets! I really re-thought my drawers the last time I cleaned them out. Anything for the table is in one drawer - closest to the table. One holds all my rags and dishclothes; even a basket couldn't make them look nice on the countertop. Another catches the small plastic stuff and is transition as we move away from toddler cups.
But the last holds my tools! Why should I have them elsewhere? I need a snub nose wire cutter to get the plastic rings off things before recycling. A long nose pliers, and a regular, fix and retrieve mystery items. Also,an box cutter, a tape measure, and an all-in-one screwdriver. Other important tools are masking tape and markers to label things. And then the more recognizable kitchen tools like pastery blender and other specialty pieces. A plastic box in the back of a cupboard holds the once a year things that don't fit into the drawer nicely.
But my pantry is a former full-sized linen closet because who needs that much space for linens; linens fit in boxes under the right bed. But trying to get that pantry organized escapes me.
The real key to an organized pantry is to adapt to the shape of your pantry. I used to have one that was six feet wide, but only ONE CAN DEEP! Boxes had to face out, large cans didn't fit. UGH. Another time I had a pantry that was way too deep, three cereal boxes deep actually. It was the most difficult to keep organized because I couldn't see what I had. One house had NO pantry, so we used a kitchen cabinet instead.
Current pantry is about five feet wide and one box of cereal/or 4 cans deep. It's just about the perfect size for me. Of course now that I'm trying to stock up, some things just get relegated to the top shelf if I've already got a whole row of it elsewhere.
But what about your other drawers? 
I dream of having kitchen drawers. I keep all my bigger utensils in a lazy susan type thing that I got from Pampered Chef. Small knives and eating utensils are in that one drawer. But don't even get me started on the pantry. 
Lisa~
Clutter is my enemy, and I hate junk drawers! For my silverware I have holders for each, and I don't just toss them in; I stack them so they line up nicely. My spatulas are in another drawer which I have sectioned with Rubbermaid dividers, and also large mixing spoons are separated. On the bottom is a large drawer with a lid holder for all the covers to pans, etc.
