How to get organizing for the Holidays part 1.

How to get organized for the Holidays.  I know I don’t want to think about the holidays yet, I’m still in denial that its fall!  I love entertaining and I do host Thanksgiving every year so I like to go through all my serving trays and dishes.  I’m a true hoarder of serving pieces and its been causing me stress lately.  last week as I was grabbing a tray for cookies to take to a dinner and I dropped three trays and broke one.  So sad!  Now I’m going to take my own advice and only keep only what I absolutely love and use.  If you live by this rule than you will always have the right things to use, wear, and decorate with.  Be ruthless!!  Organizing might be painful but it will be so worth gaining the extra space you will need for all your favorite things.

1. Clear out the space and I mean out every single thing in the cupboard, storage room, downstairs kitchen, and china closet!  I know this is very very scary and maybe overwhelming but  you have to see what  you have.  If you have forgotten what you have hidden in the other room how can you use and enjoy it?  Please don’t give up after you have make this huge mess.  It will get better as you purge and start putting things away.
2. You need to put all the like things together.  So put all your china and dishes together, put all your glasses together, platters, bowels you get the idea.
3. now that you have every thing sorted take one section at a time.  and think about where these items are going to live.  Lets start with plates and china.  You should only have the plates in your cupboards that you use everyday or a few times a month.  If you have your grandmas china and you never want to use it then why have it? People I know this is hard but use what you have and love using it!  I have two kitchens so I’m lucky that i love to collect dishes.
4. When you are deciding what to keep think of the space you have for dishes? are you going to have to get risers, to add space? or boxes for your gravy boat?  Have these organizers before you start this process. it will make putting back all the things you love easy and painless.
5. Next lets look at your glasses How many glasses does one person need a day to stay hydrated? Not too many and if you have kids and sippy cups remember to store them where they can reach them and put them away, say in a basket in a lower cupboard.  I have 4 sets of goblets and we don’t drink wine!! I just love drinking out of them for Sunday dinners.  But Hello I’m going to purge this year and am getting rid of a few sets.  Even if I drank out of goblets every night I would only need a few  and storing things for once a year use (like Christmas dinner ) crazy if you don’t have room to store heirlooms.
6. Now for putting it all back.  Organizing your empty cabinets is easier than organizing around stuff still left inside.  He He look at what you use every day and put those in the easy to reach areas of your cupboards.  I also like to put the dishes and glasses close to the dishwasher if possible.  Think outside the box and use kick plate drawers, or baskets on your counters, When organizing use the top of tall upper cabinets to store things like pie plates and serving bowls.  Grandmas china that you only use once a year can be stored in a storage room or even a banquet or piece of furniture in your living room. Same goes with things that you are saving for your kids who are going off to collage soon, put it in a Rubbermaid and get it in the storage room (clearly labeled!)   You kitchen should be filled with only the things you love and use.  
   

If you are having heart palpitations then don’t worry call a friend to help or if you live in the Salt Lake Ut area call me I’d love to get you ready for the Holidays!