This weeks project- kitchen cabinets

Earlier this week, I prepared our evening meals for the rest of the week.  This was to free up some time to work on other projects.  So, yesterday I cleaned out the baking cabinet, and this morning the Tupperware cabinet.  Then I noticed my set up could be more efficient...In one corner of my kitchen cabinets, my upper cabinets have all my spices and baking ingredients.  The counter top holds my flour and sugar canisters and my kitchen aid.  And, the bottom cabinet holds my  Tupperware??  Tupperware?  How does that fit in?  It didn't.  Across the kitchen, a lower cabinet held my cake pans and mixing bowls....Humm.  That is when the light bulb went off.  So, I switched the contents of the two lower cabinets.

Easier said then done.  First, I had to make sure all my Tupperware, Gladware and Rubbermaid had lids.  What didn't have a lid, found a new home-- in the trash.  Then I pulled out about 20 more containers that I had duplicates and triplicates of, and put those into the donation pile.

For about an hour, every inch of the kitchen was covered in plastic wares. Square containers and lids were on the stove, round ones on the butcher block, and baking pans and mixing bowls on the table.

I found containers I didn't even know I had, and a few long lost favorites.  (I still have not found my green Tupperware lettuce keeper however.....Its been missing about a year now.)

Now, everything is in its new home, all nice and neat, with containers separated by shape and lids all accounted for.

I still have to move the labels from the one cabinet to the other--the labels read round containers, round lids, square containers, square lids.  (I ran out of time as we had 4H tonight.)  It keeps the kids organized when they are helping to put away dishes.  I still think I have too many storage containers.  So, I will probably go through them again in a week or so and move some to downstairs.  Holidays and family dinners I need them, the rest of the year I don't.  I am slowly going to more corning ware and glass containers, as I don't heat foods in plastic anymore, I don't think it is safe.

I also went through the pot and pan cabinet, and got rid of pans I have not used in years.  The ones I do use on a regular base are hanging from the pot and pan rack, the others are just taking up room in a cabinet, so out they went as well.

So, this week I managed to get all my drawers and cabinets cleaned out....but, now I have a huge pile of items to donate, and the center isn't open until Tuesday.  So, for a short time it will be stacked up on the table in the kitchen.  If I move it to the basement, I will forget about them.

While I did the cabinets inside, Rebecca scrubbed down the outside of them.

Tomorrow, I tackle the kitchen floor and a couple sewing projects