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ORGANIZING YOUR KITCHEN - MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU!

GUEST ARTICLE BY CLEARING HOUSE PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER, JACKIE KELLEY

Staying organized in our home is a battle that we all fight daily, especially with competing demands for our time from jobs, children and a growing list of activities. We tend to focus whatever organizing time we can spare on tackling the most egregious piles of clutter throughout our living areas. For most of us, the maintenance "pick up" is about all we can manage during the busy week!

Yet, of all the rooms in the home that become cluttered with reminders of our day, kitchens receive the least attention, and the most demands. In our quest to deliver quick, homemade, healthy meals to our families, have we ever considered how much prep time could be shaved off at mealtime by working in an organized kitchen? The kitchen is a great place to start if you wish to develop and maintain good organizing habits and skills that are easily transferable to other spaces. If you feel fairly organized already, re-evaluating your space from time to time offers the opportunity for improvement and a fresh perspective on your culinary environment.

Assess How You Use Your Kitchen. To maintain a functional kitchen that performs for us, it's important to periodically assess who uses the space and how we use it.

• When you put away dishes or pantry products, do you ever think about why you put them where you do? ("only available space" is not the answer!)
• Does their location offer the best use by you and your family?
• Do you have baking items occupying prime cupboard space when you only use them a few times a month, if that?
• Are large, rarely used items and appliances hogging space on precious work areas and active cupboard shelves?

By taking stock of what you and your family require on a day-to-day basis, and by actively organizing items by how they are used, mealtime preparations will seem easier and more enjoyable.

Plan Time to Accomplish Small Tasks. Planning your space is an essential first step to any organizing project. Acting on your plan takes only a dedicated time slot and the mindset to accomplish it one task at a time. Here's a simple yet effective approach:

• Plan a day when you have at least one uninterrupted hour (and put it on the calendar).
• Clear a table or counter for sorting items.
• Have bags or boxes in the room to collect items for donation, relocation or trash.
• Begin with one area of the kitchen (e.g., cupboards above the sink, pantry, etc.) and work clockwise around the room as you have time.
• Remove all items from shelves to your work area and sort by use.
• Purge or relocate items that you don't like, use or need routinely.

• If you are the primary cook, products and equipment should be stored at your eye level and reach.

• Review the contents of your active cupboards, purge old or unused items, and move contents around if necessary to maximize access to the cook's essential tools.
• Communicate to other family members (repeatedly if necessary) where certain items should be stored and why.
• Most kitchen shelves are adjustable and products such as shelf risers and turntables work wonders to maximize space and keep ingredients and spices organized.

• Designate one or more accessible pantry, refrigerator, and storage drawer or shelf for your children. They will appreciate the ability to make their own breakfast and lunch, as well as the freedom to get their own snack and drink supplies

• Make it easier for kids to help with chores (e.g., unloading the dishwasher, setting and clearing the table, putting away groceries) by storing frequently used items on accessible shelves.
• If you have younger ones, devote lower drawers or cupboards for kid-friendly pots or plastic storage containers.

• Relocate items that are not actively used to upper shelves or to off-site pantry or basement storage (bread machine, baking pans, pitchers, serving plates, holiday items).
• Purge items that are no longer used or have multiplied (sport cups with straws and coffee mugs are common offenders in this category).

• To create space, remove foods that no longer circulate to your dinner table.
• Consolidate opened snack and cereal boxes.
• Refrain from purchasing more items until you reduce your current inventory.
• Save money by keeping a current list of pantry items stored elsewhere to minimize duplicate purchases.

The Six O'Clock Scramble - Quick and Healthy Meal Planning

Now that your kitchen is organized for maximum efficiency (see feature article), test your culinary skills with an easy solution for creating fast, healthy, homemade meals. A fresh voice in the do-it-yourself culinary market is The Six O'Clock Scramble, an affordable weekly recipe subscription service founded by local businesswoman and cookbook author Aviva Goldfarb. The weekly email subscription includes a delicious 5-day menu plan, ideal for busy weeknights, and a shopping list, cross-referenced by recipe and organized by food type. Aviva also shares cooking tips, side dish suggestions, nutritional information and a dose of down-to-earth insight on a wide range of subjects in her accompanying written column.

The Scramble, as it's affectionately known to subscribers, is a perfect gift for anyone interested in eating healthier, saving money, changing poor eating habits, or being inspired by new, easy and healthy meal ideas. This service is ideal for busy families, singles living alone or with groups, working couples and retirees. The subscription is available for a 6- or 12-month duration, and arrives by email weekly on Wednesdays so you can plan for the upcoming week. You can use Aviva's weekly plan, or log in to customize it to your family's tastes or dietary needs. As a subscriber you have access to the full Scramble recipe database where you can search by food item, recipe, or category and design custom menu plans that suit your preferences (or your cupboard!).

As one of many faithful (and grateful) subscribers, I am not alone in realizing the benefits of a ready-made meal plan that can be tailored to your schedule, tastes, dietary needs and budget. Meal planning is not a new concept, however in our fast-pace world we tend to cut corners in our diet and waste more of what we buy than we use. One of my favorite features of The Six O'Clock Scramble is the subscriber comments section of the website. I "hear" firsthand how this meal planning service re-energizes even the most uninspired (or inexperienced) cook, helps households to stay on budget and develops healthier eating habits in children (and adults) who need it the most.

The most important benefit, however, is that The Six O'Clock Scramble provides a foundation for change and employs strategies that deliver success (or at the least a meal on the table!). Successful organizing systems such as The Six O'Clock Scramble empower you to plan better and work more productively in other aspects of your life.