A Place For Everything and Everything In It's Place~

***This post first appeared when my dear friend Megan (Honey We're Home) asked a few of us after the New Year for posts about how we organize.  I never posted the details on my blog. While a few things have changed, most things remain the same so I thought I would share them with you today at Courtney's

Hi everyone!  I am super excited to be here at Honey We're Home.   I adore Megan and her blog, so naturally I said yes when asked to guest post for her Organization Series.  I'll also let you in on a little secret...I am super obsessed with being organized, to a fault, really!!!  I grew up with a Mother and Grandmother who adhered strictly to the "A Place for Everything and Everything in Its Place."  It rubbed off!  My mom did her best with a household of four children (3 boys, 1 girl) and working fulltime as a registered nurse to keep things organized and running smoothly.  My Granny and Pop watched over us while she was working, so needless to say she too wanted things to run smoothly.  Now, that is not to say that on the rare occassion a guest would to surprise my mom with a visit, that she wouldn't frantically run from room to room throwing things in the bathtub and closing the shower curtain!! Just keeping it real.

I thought long and hard about what part of Organization I wanted to share with each of you, and finally settled on the Kitchen-the hub of our home.  We have two beautiful daughters who have ALWAYS been on the go with sports/activities, so keeping our kitchen organized was essential to things running smoothly.  Lunches were easy to pack, meals easily prepared, and any necessary paperwork/information was always within reach.  So, with that said...I'll walk you around a few places of importance in our kitchen.

The pantry-our should I say pantries (we have 3).  All serve a different purpose.    First up, what I like to call the "staples pantry".  This is where we store canned goods, dry goods such as rice and noodles, sauces, extra items (such as ketchup, mustard, steak sauce), cooking spices/rubs, and of course, Kylee has her place at the bottom for her food and other essentials.  I try to keep this pantry well stocked with items that I can create easy meals with, even in a pinch.  I hate preparing dinner only to find I am missing something and have to run to the store!  I also store my most used cookbooks here as well.

Next up, our Baking Pantry.  This is where I store all things necessary for baking-flour, sugars, oils, vinegars, syrups, cookie cutters, cupcake liners, etc.  I use a metal tray to keep all the oils, vinegars and syrups in.  If something drips or spills, it is so much easier  to clean up.

The last pantry is what I call our Snack Pantry.  This is where we store crackers, cookies, chips, popcorn, granola/protein bars, fruit snacks, cereal, oatmeal/grits, etc.  I am a huge fan of OXO Clear Good Grips Pop Containers.  They are a bit pricey, but sooo worth it.  I can always see what we have, or if we are running low.

The other thing I believe is essential to a well organized kitchen is well thought out placement of items you use everyday, such as your dinnerware, glasses, utensils, cooking utensils, baking pans, etc. For instance, I store our spices in one drawer in my island next to my cooktop and the drawer opposite contains all my cooking utensils, and the cabinets underneath contain all my pots and pans.  This puts everything necessary for preparing a meal right a my fingertips.

I am all about Zones in a kitchen.  I believe everything should be placed where it is easily accessible and easy to put away.  That is why the cabinets around our sink and dishwasher contain our dinnerware, drinking glasses, utensils, extra cooking utensils, tupperware containers, etc.  This makes setting the table a breeze since it is just a step away.  And, unloading the dishwasher takes no time at all.

I also keep our baking sheets, pans, heavy duty tin foil, and cutting boards next to our oven/microwave.  This makes preparing something to bake a snap.

I could go on and on, but  I think you all get the picture.  I will leave you with two final things I couldn't live without-an organized Junk drawer (yes, it can be done) and an Important Numbers Binder.  This binder contains all important phone numbers (emergency, family, doctors, neighbors, schools, vet), neighborhood and club directories, phone manuals, a first aid manual, and the girls' school calendars.  It is housed in the top drawer of my desk and within reach when on the phone.

Thanks Megan for inviting me to share something I am passionate about with your readers!

~Lauren