Step 3 / Week 3: Store Smart!
A huge part of having an organized kitchen is (you guessed it) smart storage. After you have removed the excess (week 1) and grouped like items (week 2), you will need to find a sensible (and logical) home for each group. Consider the following as guidelines for Step 3:

Those items you use frequently should be stored where you can see them (maybe a hanging rack above the stove for frying pans? Or a ceramic container for mixing spoons and spatulas?)
Items should be stored closest to where you use them (dishes should live close to the dishwasher; your bake-ware should be close to the oven; your mixers and measuring cups close to where you prepare food)
Items you use infrequently (your holiday-themed serving platters?) should be stored either on higher kitchen shelves, or in lower drawers or cupboards

Take time this week to consider how FREQUENTLY you use items and WHERE you use them most. Assess each item on your countertop honestly. It is true, your matching containers for sugar and flour are lovely… but are you baking every day? Can you store your sugar and flour higher and find a happy home on the counter for your toaster and coffee maker instead? Think about your time and adjust your kitchen accordingly. You can find simple efficiency in the most unexpected places! Smart storage will allow you easy access to the tools you use, without out the worry of the ones you don’t!

Olivia Pietrafesa
SmartlySorted, Providence

WEEK 3: Kitchen Karma