The Organizing Junkie holds Monthly Organizing Round-Ups (click the image above to read more) and this month she is asking everyone to dig the junk out of their drawers and get them organized once and for all. Her method of choice is to use the Process Steps, which I will try and share with you via the photos below, look for the highlighted letters that spell out "process". I hope you enjoy snooping through my mess and learn something in the process!
Plan of attack- utensil drawer. Why? It's messy, it's overflowing, it's hard to open and close because things get stuck, I know there are things in here I have never used and last but not least it could use a good wipe-down. This drawer is more for kitchen odds and ends because my actual utensils are held in two canisters by the stove.
Remove Items. Isn't empty space inspiring? Maybe I'm just weird. Don't answer that.
Organize. Do those Chiclets really belong in the utensil drawer? (Where did they even come from and how old are they?!)
This is the purge pile. See anything you would actually use? These items have never been used by yours truly but I've had them for years. If you live near me/if I see you regularly and you could use a hamburger patty shaper,
The kitchen aid attachments went into the mixer bowl where they actually belong.
Containerize. You don't have to use fancy-schmancy containers, your old stained ones and tupperware containers you no longer use work great and they are easier on the budget!
Evaluate Plan.
Solve and Simplify.
Smile.
Look at my beautiful, useful drawer now. It opens and closes with ease. It holds things that I actually use, it is clean, the items I use most are in the front, IT WORKS! I hope my before and after photos inspire you to tackle a few of your own drawers. You can get more organizing inspiration by visiting the others who linked up via the Mr. Linky in this post over at I'm an Organizing Junkie!
Great job! It is an inspiring arrangement!
ReplyDeletevery nice. I have two "organizers" around here who redo anything I get organized : ) I'm hoping someday all their practice will pay off!
ReplyDeleteChatty, dearest. Your utensil drawer is hardly overcrowded. It is hardly messy. It hardly needs cleaning out. But good for you for minimizing. Would you like to come do this at our house? But you would probably throw away all sorts of things that I will look for later and say "UGH CHATTY!!". I have so much stuff that I use once in a blue moon, but i still want it all!
ReplyDeleteHey Chatty! I agree with Kim in that your "messy" is my "clean" but I still enjoyed the post and it did inspire me to organize a bit more. I love it when I actually do rearrange things and make space more usable! By the way, I'll take the egg cups if I see you anytime soon (I might be up there Wed night or we'll also be at the Romans meetings) - I've been wanting some of those for a while! See you!
ReplyDeleteUm, I'm with Kim. I should post pics of my utensil drawers. :-) Then I would have to go drown myself from embarrassment or something. :-) Yes, an empty space is SO WONDERFUL. My laundry room got painted last week, and I have put next to nothing back in the cupboards because I'm enjoying going in and looking at their emptyness so much. Pathetic. :-)
ReplyDeleteEmpty space is awesome! :) I have been trying to simplify in our kitchen and it is such a great feeling to have more space. I'm still scared to open the junk/catchall drawer though. Great post it just might inspire me to do something about it.
ReplyDeleteIt looks great! I love clearing out unused items :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment At the Well...Titus 2 today! I'm going to check out the site you listed.
ReplyDeleteI love this article! Great job with the pictures. I'm going to list you on my blog as ones I follow
the purging is inspiring isn't it...i am going through my whole kitchen this month and cleaning, purging and sprucing. kinda addicting!
ReplyDeleteOh boy! I WISH my drawers looked like that!! Brad has his own junk drawer and then there is a community junk drawer. I am constantly organizing them but then every day we seem to add one more item and it is never ending! Good job and I wish my drawer was even half as clean as your "unorganized" drawer!
ReplyDelete-Christa
Christa, for the first few years that you are married you drawers are usually really full because you haven't decided what you really need and want yet, so you're okay!
ReplyDeleteI decided to get rid of our junk drawer so that it could be used for plastic wrap/ziploc bags/tin foil/waxed paper and a toddler sized payless shoebox of pens and a notepad(it's right beneath the phone). I threw out the phone book and use the yellow pages on the net. Everything else went where it really belonged. Tools in the tool kit in the garage, hair elastics in the bathroom etc!
Very inspiring! Anytime you want practice there's always lots to be organized here! :P
ReplyDeleteI think it should be agonize, not organize! Seriously, it's difficult to do when something is really disorganized, but it does feel good once you're in the process and even better when you're finished.
btw, when I first started reading your post I thought the first picture was the after picture, not the before picture! LOL!
You've inspired me to get some organizing done this weekend. I bet get started.
ReplyDelete