I just completed a FREE printable for you and I hope you love it. It's my exclusive Get Organized Now! 2021 Monthly Organizing Calendar, filled with daily organizing TO DOs and inspiration to help you get and stay organized, and keep you motivated along the way. To access and print it, visit:
getorganizednow.com/free-resources.html

Happy organizing and happy new year!

Maria Gracia

P.S. Please forward this newsletter to friends and family so they, too, can access this resource. Thank you for spreading the love!

I recently received a note from, Linda, a GON reader, asking:

'We are moving into a new house with a brand new kitchen and I want to set it up right from the get-go. Do you have information on what-goes-where in a kitchen? Many thanks!'

It's a good question and I wish I had a one-size-fits-all answer. But the fact is, one person's kitchen set-up is often completely different from another person's kitchen set-up.

For instance, I live in a newer home. We built 18 years ago. We have a lot of counter space and cabinets. Most of our appliances are housed in built-in insets. On the other hand, my sister lives in an older home built in 1921. She has limited counter space, far fewer cabinets...in fact, she had to add a large, portable pantry for kitchen storage space. Her appliances have to sit on her counter if she wants to keep them in her small kitchen. So her kitchen set-up is much different than mine, and that's just one example.

No matter what, before you begin:

a) Put your thinking cap on. I would begin by temporarily labeling what's going to go where with sticky notes. For instance, write 'dishes' where you feel your dinner dishes are likely to go...and stick that note on one of the cabinets. Write 'glasses' where you feel your glasses are likely to go, and stick that note on another cabinet, etc. Using sticky notes makes it easy to change your mind and revamp a bit...BEFORE you take the time and energy to start placing your items physically.

b) Be sure it's possible. Measure. You may want your big pasta bowl to go in a particular cabinet, but you may discover that it doesn't fit. Some cabinet shelves can be moved higher or lower...and some can't. Sometimes there is just one place that will fit a particular item and you'll have to live with that limitation, or get rid of the item, or place that item in another room.

c) Weigh in. Be careful about putting super-heavy items in high cabinets. It's an accident waiting to happen.

Here is how MY kitchen is set up to help you think through your set-up process, in relation to your kitchen. We essentially have two full walls and one half wall where you enter into the kitchen. There is an open area that leads into our dinette where we have a dinette seating area.

The long sides of our kitchen:

On one side of our kitchen...the refrigerator, dishwasher, sink side...we have overhead cabinets (where we keep our everyday dinnerware) and lower cabinets where we keep appliances (blender, food processor, etc.) and everyday serving dishes and serving bowls.

There is a big utensil drawer where we keep our everyday flatware.

My cleaning products are all under my kitchen sink. Granted, this works for us because we don't have young children who can get into that area. If you do, you may have to rethink this...at least for now...even if you have child locks. Safety first, always.

Above our fridge is a large cabinet where we store tall kitchen items that don't fit elsewhere...like a tall cupcake holder, a tall 3-tiered dip bowl, and such.

On the other side of our kitchen...the oven/range/microwave side...we have overhead cabinets...the ones on the top left hold glass storage bowls with lids (for leftovers) and specialty items (like corn-on-the-cob dishes, ice cream sundae dishes, and such). The ones on the top right hold glasses and mugs, and glass baking dishes. By the way, right below the mugs on the countertop is our coffee pot, coffee k-cups, and teas...try to keep items where you'll use them when possible.

We have a small Lazy-Susan-type cabinet, where all of our non-perishable foods in cans and jars are kept.

Next to that, we have lower cabinets that store our pots and pans.

We also have lower cabinets that store a countertop griddle, a waffle maker, a panini maker, and slow cookers in three sizes.

Next is a large, 2-sided, 5-shelves-per-side, pantry-type-cabinet where we store more non-perishable foods. Each of those shelves are designated with a category, such as baking (2 shelves), savory snack foods, sweet snack foods, oils/vinegars, pasta/rice, nuts/dried fruit, etc.

There is a big utensil drawer where we keep our cooking utensils...it's the drawer right near the stove.

We have drawer-space under the oven, where I keep metal pans (cookie sheets, muffins pans, and such.)

The short side of our kitchen:

We have a four drawer cabinet where we store items like foils and wraps, kitchen towels, pot holders, etc.

Above that are cabinets where we store first aid and medications.

Our counter wraps around a bit, and there are more cabinets for plastic storage containers and reuseable water bottles.

I keep VERY LITTLE on my countertops. It's easier to clean when I don't have to pick things up or move them around. But again, because of my ample cabinet space, I can do this. Depending on your kitchen, you may need to use that counter space, or add racks or shelves to the wall, etc.

Final thoughts:

When you're considering what goes where, something I always keep in mind are our family habits. For instance, my husband likes to prepare his lunches, etc. on one of the counter areas. I would never house the coffee or teas in that area (for instance) because we'd always be in each other's way. So, consider not only logical places for storage, but also what 'happens' as far as family members and movement on a daily basis.

I hope this provides some insight as to how you may organize your own kitchen. Again, there is really no one-size-fits-all solution.

As a rule of thumb, try to place items:
a) where they'll be used most often
b) to ensure easy, safe access, especially if they're used every day
c) so they're sorted with other like-items whenever you can

To fast-forward to getting organized today, visit:

getorganizednow.com/rd-ifo.html

No matter what your organizing challenges are, they are all causing UNHAPPINESS, STRESS, EXHAUSTION, OVERWHELM, and FRUSTRATION...and those are five things you definitely don't need in your life.

The nice thing is, I have the perfect solution for any organizing challenge you're dealing with, and it will help you get permanently and automatically organized.

It's called my 'I'm Finally Organized Toolkit' and it includes literally EVERYTHING you need to get organized now!

I know you want to get started on your organizing journey, and I'm excited to help you begin as quickly as possible. In light of this, when you get your hands on my I'm Finally Organized Toolkit BEFORE FRIDAY, JANUARY 29TH, 11:59 PM, you'll get a whole bunch of amazing, COMPLIMENTARY BONUSES!

For details...visit:

getorganizednow.com/rd-ifo.html

___ 1. Do today's (January 24) Organizing TO DO provided in my January Organizing Checklist. It is focused on your bed linens. Visit GetOrganizedNow.com to access it.

___ 2. Last chance to view the results of our latest web poll. GON readers responded to, 'What type of calendar do you use...paper, digital, or both?' Here are the results of that poll. Visit GetOrganizedNow.com to to access the results, as well as reader comments.

___ 3. Think of your priorities. What is the most important thing for you to get done today, or at least start? Name that priority and begin.

I'd love to hear from you.

I LOVE GON reader mail! Whether it's a comments, suggestions, or just a note to say hello, REPLY to this email with a short note.

And remember...there's no better time to get organized, than to Get Organized Now!

Warmly,

Maria Gracia
Get Organized Now!
getorganizednow.com

(c) Copyright 2021 by Maria Gracia, Get Organized Now!

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-- Maria Gracia