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If you answered yes to any of the above, you need to take on my kitchen audit and have a good declutter!
Only have appliances out that you regularly use: I have my toaster, kitchen aid and nutri-bullet, everything else is stored away. If you have invested in some large appliances ask yourself the question,“Does this help to make my life easier?” Lots of us have bread and ice-cream makers which we rarely use, think about selling them:making bread without a machine is easy and there are lots of no-churn ice-cream recipes online.
I use the BBC easy bread recipe and it never fails and their no-churn ice-cream recipe is actually easier than using an ice-cream machine (I speak from experience on this one!!)
If you have paperwork on your surfaces, consider buying a filing system: I have wire racks like this which are brilliant for filing away papers (we all have our own section).
How many of the cookbooks in your kitchen do you actually use? Most of the time, we only use one or two recipes from each book; if this is the case, take a photo of the recipes and then donate the books to your local charity shop (or, if they are in good condition, you could try selling them online).
Or you could consider a subscription service which completely eliminates the need for cookbooks. Take my business, Delicious and Real, as an example: all of your favourite recipes are stored online – much neater!
Admit it, you have your favourites!! Think about how many you really need and then go through your drawer and get rid of the surplus ones: check their condition and usability (some are definitely better than others!!)
If you don’t want to throw them out, charity shops (and some schools) collect material for rags: they get paid perks making it a great way to give back.
Do you keep old pans just in case? These ones can be binned, especially if they have lost their non-stick or have a wobbly handle and are no longer fit for purpose. If you don’t want to throw them out, your local preschool or nursery might want them for their mud kitchen.
Next think about the ones you rarely use – do you really need them? Could they be sold or donated?
You only need one of each type: if you have multiple of the same, can you combine them into one bottle? If there are a couple with only a few squirts left, bring them to the front and use them first. And get rid of any that you don’t like or don’t use anymore.
Try and organise your cupboard so that you can see everything: I recently bought a shelving unit which has really helped with this.
This is the one drawer in my house which can quickly become disorganised! But, I have a simple solution: firstly take everything out and match the lids to the pots (if you have kids, it’s a great activity to get them involved with!). Discard any spares you have and then look at the condition of them: any which are past their best can also go! Finally, be ruthless and throw out and which you no-longer use.
Now, for the clever part: if you, like me, struggle to match the tops with their counterpart bottoms, grab a permanent marker and number them: that way you know that if you have container number 4 you need to look for the lid with the matching number – simple and effective!
How many wooden spoons do you really need. Evaluate which you need and use on a regular basis. Choose your favourites and donate the others – as with pots and pans, these would be perfect for a mud kitchen.
Lay them all out on the table of take stock of how many you actually have. First of all, check the condition and throw out any which are no longer in good condition. Look at what is left and ask yourself how many you really need. Mugs can be difficult as they can often have a sentimental tie: think about using your favourites in a different way.
I have used some of mine as pen pots and make-up brush holders; they also make brilliant herb planters (just add some stones at the bottom for drainage) – you could even gift them to friends and family for Christmas.
Read about the author here
If you answered yes to any of the above, you need to take on my kitchen audit and have a good declutter!
Only have appliances out that you regularly use: I have my toaster, kitchen aid and nutri-bullet, everything else is stored away. If you have invested in some large appliances ask yourself the question,“Does this help to make my life easier?” Lots of us have bread and ice-cream makers which we rarely use, think about selling them:making bread without a machine is easy and there are lots of no-churn ice-cream recipes online.
I use the BBC easy bread recipe and it never fails and their no-churn ice-cream recipe is actually easier than using an ice-cream machine (I speak from experience on this one!!)
If you have paperwork on your surfaces, consider buying a filing system: I have wire racks like this which are brilliant for filing away papers (we all have our own section).
How many of the cookbooks in your kitchen do you actually use? Most of the time, we only use one or two recipes from each book; if this is the case, take a photo of the recipes and then donate the books to your local charity shop (or, if they are in good condition, you could try selling them online).
Or you could consider a subscription service which completely eliminates the need for cookbooks. Take my business, Delicious and Real, as an example: all of your favourite recipes are stored online – much neater!
Admit it, you have your favourites!! Think about how many you really need and then go through your drawer and get rid of the surplus ones: check their condition and usability (some are definitely better than others!!)
If you don’t want to throw them out, charity shops (and some schools) collect material for rags: they get paid perks making it a great way to give back.
Do you keep old pans just in case? These ones can be binned, especially if they have lost their non-stick or have a wobbly handle and are no longer fit for purpose. If you don’t want to throw them out, your local preschool or nursery might want them for their mud kitchen.
Next think about the ones you rarely use – do you really need them? Could they be sold or donated?
You only need one of each type: if you have multiple of the same, can you combine them into one bottle? If there are a couple with only a few squirts left, bring them to the front and use them first. And get rid of any that you don’t like or don’t use anymore.
Try and organise your cupboard so that you can see everything: I recently bought a shelving unit which has really helped with this.
This is the one drawer in my house which can quickly become disorganised! But, I have a simple solution: firstly take everything out and match the lids to the pots (if you have kids, it’s a great activity to get them involved with!). Discard any spares you have and then look at the condition of them: any which are past their best can also go! Finally, be ruthless and throw out and which you no-longer use.
Now, for the clever part: if you, like me, struggle to match the tops with their counterpart bottoms, grab a permanent marker and number them: that way you know that if you have container number 4 you need to look for the lid with the matching number – simple and effective!
How many wooden spoons do you really need. Evaluate which you need and use on a regular basis. Choose your favourites and donate the others – as with pots and pans, these would be perfect for a mud kitchen.
Lay them all out on the table of take stock of how many you actually have. First of all, check the condition and throw out any which are no longer in good condition. Look at what is left and ask yourself how many you really need. Mugs can be difficult as they can often have a sentimental tie: think about using your favourites in a different way.
I have used some of mine as pen pots and make-up brush holders; they also make brilliant herb planters (just add some stones at the bottom for drainage) – you could even gift them to friends and family for Christmas.
Read about the author here
