Wednesday, February 18, 2009

10 Minutes to a Room You Love

OK, so, yay! This is my first time participating in a linky party and I feel so…official!

So, one of my mostest favoritist blogs (yes, I make up my own words around here)—The Nesting Place—is hosting the 10 Minutes to a Room you Love Party today.



Our assignment was to show off simple techniques we used to spruce up a room in our house. On my tour of Chez Desperate, I wanted to show off my kitchen--the heart of my home…the place where I nourish my family...the place where friends gather.

Oh who am I kidding?

My kitchen is a pain in my tushy.

It is constantly messy, never warm and inviting, always full of junk food.

But what it is, with all certainty, is organized. I may not be able to put on my housewife apron and whip up a delicious pie on a whim, but I can locate the recipe, find the ingredients with ease and then ask someone else to cook it.

So, here is my quick list of organizing tips and tricks of the trade!


Keep it close.

Make your kitchen an actual work area. Cooking is work, people. You must keep your tools at hand. Anything you use on a weekly basis deserves to be at your helm. Here you can see everything I need is within easy reach and is all centered around my stove. So, on the left side I have flour, cooking oils, salt, pepper, spices, cutting board, and rolling pin. To the right (since I am right handed) I have my spoons, spatulas and other items I would need to grab as I am cooking on the stove top.

Get it up.


Magnetic strips are my friend. I use them to hold my spices. I also use them to hold my knives. And I even have an extra strip up for holding notes, recipe cards, etc.

Have it separated.


Here is my baking/cooking cabinet. On the lower shelf I keep anything related to cooking—spices, salts, measuring cups, etc. The shelf above includes all baking items—sugars, powers, soda, flavorings, etc, which are stored in nice see through containers.

Get it together.


This is my recipe book. Not only does it include my recipes in regular rotation, but it also holds recipes I want to try. You see the calendar? I plan my menus in two week sets. I have winter menus and summer menus—4 weeks worth of meals that I can just drop right onto the monthly calendar.

Have it central.


This is my family calendar. It is in a central location in our kitchen—a place both my husband and I can see. I keep the markers in little baskets hanging to the side. The hanging system was a steal on ebay, but it is originally from Ikea. I also used another magnet strip to put up a wipe off board for extra notes throughout the month.

Recycle it.

No one says your recycle bin has to look like it came right out of Whole Foods. This is just a simple $10.00 trash can from Wally World. To make it look all official, I printed out a recycle sign (thanks to Publisher) and taped it on with some packing tape. My kids know exactly where to stick things when I say put it in recycling. When it gets full, I make a trip to the backyard where the bigger bins are. And when those get full I actually make a trip to the recycling center.

Editor's note: Please excuse the tidiness. I promise my house is not like this all the time—I just had the time to clean up a bit. My apologies for the lack of keepin' it real!

19 comments:

The Nester said...

Girl you are SO organized add that to the junk food that you claim to have and I think that is a lovely combination!

So glad I could be your first...linky.

Unknown said...

Oh darn, I'm always bringing up the rear behind the Fab Nester, I mean following her in the comments. Your organizational skills are inspiring, now if I could only find someone to DO the work for me!

Funky Junk Interiors said...

Well done! I could only wish I was that organized...

Rachel Lundy said...

Very nice and very organized!

queenbee said...

Very organized and I love your recycling bin. Great job.

Kristen, pajama mama said...

oh, i'm so gonna steal that recycling idea...every guest we have over wonders which trash bin to use-why didn't it occur to me before? bet we could get it in vinyl for cheap on etsy, too! thanks!!!!
-kristen

southerninspiration said...

Will you organize me????? Wow, I"m impressed!

Suzanne

Anonymous said...

Wow, I love your organization! That is one area I am constantly working on.

trish said...

I love how orderly everything is!
Sincerely ~ Tricia Anne

Misti of Studio M Designs said...

Wow you are seriously organized! Your knives are kinda scary in that picture...You are like the organizing police with those knives!
~Misti

Unknown said...

oh man I wish I was that organized! Looks great!

Gina @ MoneywiseMoms said...

Wonderful job! It must be so much easier to cook when everything is at hand.

Sherri said...

Great job on organizing the cabinets! I am thinking I need to do it too and clean off more of my counter space.

Jen @ tatertotsandjello.com said...

Great organizational system! I love how you have everything in its place. Great job!

Jen

Jodi said...

love your organization - I have a baking cabinet, but definitely not one you can photograph ;)

Jessica said...

Love the recycle center. Ours is currently a diaper box on the floor of the pantry. Looks great!

Carrie @carrieloves said...

I've always wanted to try those magnetic stripes... now I know I have to!

honeysuckle said...

Your organized kitchen with its different centers must be a pleasure to work in. Good job!

Wendy said...

very organized!! Magnetic strips, magnetic strips, I must buy some soon!!