Funky Fresh Kitchen – The “Do You Really Need It?” Challenge
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What is all that stuffed crammed in the back of your utensil drawer? When’s the last time you used that fancy Blitzamachoppit that promised to make your life easier? And how many used twist-ties and drinking straws does it take to change a light bulb?
Oh wait. I think I just mixed two unrelated questions.
But still - I do believe it is time for some of us to take control of what is lurking in our kitchen drawers and cabinets. If you took advantage of the Do the Funky Kitchen ebook sale, you may have already started plucking unused items out of your kitchen and worked at finding them a better home (like in someone else’s kitchen – mwoohaha!!). If not, let me suggest to you that your kitchen will be a lot more fun and a lot more functional (funky!) if you get rid of items you are not using.
Here is a check-list of questions to ask yourself as you clean out cabinets and drawers in your kitchen (taken from the Do the Funky Kitchen ebook):
- Do I use it often?
- How many do I have?
- How many do I need?
- Did someone special give it to me?
- Does it work?
If you don’t use it, get rid of it. If you have too many, the extras need to go. If it doesn’t work, what is it still doing there anyway? And if you don’t even know what it is, you won’t miss it after you say goodbye. Keep only items that you use or items that are special to you.
If you are having a hard time deciding if you should get rid of something, do this: Put the item in a potential “Garage Sale” box for a few weeks, but don’t get rid of it yet. Next Tuesday, if you’re preparing some food and suddenly remember the reason you had the Ultimate Onion Slicer (with built in tissues for inevitable tears, batteries not included) then by all means, go get it out of your box and put it back into your kitchen for future onion slicing and tear wiping needs. But if in fact you see that gadget in your “Garage Sale” box three months later and have to stand on your head while holding a flashlight so that you can try and figure out what in the world it is, I’m pretty sure you never needed it anyway and you can feel free to give it away or try to sell it.
Your Funky Fresh Kitchen Challenge today is to clean out at least ONE cabinet or drawer. Get rid of all items that are not useful to you. You’ll feel so much better, I promise!!
Leave a comment on this post letting us know one thing you can throw out or give away that will lessen any kitchen clutter you may have. Your comment will serve as your entry in the giveaway for one of five $10 gift certificates to our Heavenly Homemakers Shop.
I do this regularly…so not much to get rid of except my new tortilla press — I just got it for my birthday and I’m not happy with how it works, the tortillas are too thick, bummer! Will have to send it back to Amazon!
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april Reply:
September 8th, 2011 at 1:06 am
which tortilla press? I’m going to be in the market for one at some point and I’d like to avoid some unwanted clutter!
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Beth @ Turn 2 the Simple Reply:
September 8th, 2011 at 8:56 am
This is the one I ordered from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Imusa-VICTORIA-85008-Victoria-Tortilla-8-Inch/dp/B00164T384/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315495781&sr=8-1
Anyone have any advice about a tortilla press that actually works!?
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Rebekah Reply:
September 11th, 2011 at 6:34 pm
I made my own, made one for a friend too. Just do a search for tortilla press tutorial and find one that looks like it will work. You adjust the thickness when you screw in the hinges. I’ve actually still been doing mine by hand since my wood was slightly warped and pulled the glue out. I need my hubby to screw it in for me.
I just did this recently as we had a garage sale last weekend. I got rid of several knives (sticking with my Cutco) along with a few spatulas and spoons. Sometimes it’s nice to have duplicates, but we had too many. Oh, and got rid of a fondue pot we never used.
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I am afraid I went a wee bit overboard. I cleaned out every cabinet in my kitchen AND my bathroom! I threw away expired spices, medicines, and things that we have used in ten years like hand scrub!? I can be a pack rat. Today, I cleaned out all used and too small clothes for the local residents. We are in the middle of wildfires here in Texas and one broke out real close to us Sunday. Anyhoo, kitchen-wise I got rid of all my bad plastic stuff. Unfortunately, that included my 4 year old’s Star Wars cup and plate. And, I cleaned out all our processed foods.
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I regularly get rid of things that haven’t been used in a while. Best feeling ever!
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I haven’t accumulated too much extra in my kitchen yet, only been married six months. But my recipes are a disaster, random cut-outs, cards, and slips of paper stuffed in between cookbooks. AAAACK!!! I’m terrible at organizing, so I keep putting it off.
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I have been de-cluttering my kitchen after I purchased your “Funky Kitchen” ebook (I LOVE THE EBOOK). I have thrown away several things and will be selling all my aluminum baking pans, since they are not healthy to use.
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I did this after I had my baby. There was just too many dishes to wash so I got rid of everything except the bare essentials or things that were special. It has helped so very much.
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I got rid of a chopping gadget that looks like it came from a TV info-mercial. The thing never worked!
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My electric carving knife got donated to the Goodwill as well.
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I threw out sharpie markers that no longer worked. Not sure why they were still in the drawer.
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Dumped a few old pairing knives lurking in there — Cutco on the counter covers my needs. Great challenge!
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Thanks for adding the sentimental side into your list. I’m so fond of the gadgets in my kitchen that were my grandma’s. They all work, so no need to toss them, but I think all too often folks are content to get rid of the old for the new. I say the older, the better (as long as it works and is safe). :)
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Have you been snooping in my utensil drawer? OK, I admit I probably don’t need that moose cookie cutter I got attached to some gift that I used only once. But really, what if the kids are studying moose some day and we need a good moose cookie cutter for our project? OH THE HORROR!!!
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I cleaned out 4 of my kitchen drawers today and found 18 Pampered Chef scrapers. Pretty sure I don’t need that many. I’ll be getting rid of most of those, plus excess pot holders and kitchen towels. I also tossed a lot of half used birthday candles.
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We need to try this recipe. Sounds so yummy!! Thank you!
Nothing like taking a nitrite dog and sticking it in a gob of Bisquick from a tube. Pleck!!! :P
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Woops, the post above was supposed to go on the other recent post about pigs in a blanket. Ah well, lol!
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I just did this – we moved into a house with significantly less cabinet space than before. I had to make some hard choices on what to put away for the next year. I didn’t get rid of anything because it’s only one year, but I figure next time we move, I’ll have to go through it and get rid of some things that we just aren’t using.
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I have a lefse griddle that was my gramma’s. She’s 93 and was diagnosed with breast cancer last February. She now lives in assisted living, can’t see or hear very well. Tried making lefse with the griddle last year and it just burnt the lefse. Won’t regulate the temp. :o((( So sad for me, as this was the ONE thing of hers that I wanted. I’m holding on to it for sentimental reasons, but know I should just toss it. I do have her window shade turning stick, though. :o)
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I had probably 10 serving spoons. I got rid of 5. :) I’d get rid of more, but I’m often cooking multiple things at a time.
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I got rid of a bunch of useless utensils cluttering my drawers. I can actually see everything now!
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I do try to declutter regularly. I also try to rotate my kitchen gadgets based on the season so they’re available when I need them, but not in the way.
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Did the out with the old, in with the new season and size of clothes for all the kiddos today. Big job, but satisfying.
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We are in the process of going through our whole house and getting rid of TONS of stuff. I’m tired of too much stuff. I want everything to have a place and everything in it’s place…so out goes anything we haven’t used in a year along a bunch of other stuff. It feels good to ‘clean house’.
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I have three utensil drawers – daily use, weekly use and the once a year, need it for that one special holiday use…I should really do some cleansing :)
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We just moved & a few things I purposely left in a box – if I don’t have to go find it – I can pitch it
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I think I can get rid of an entire drawerfull! YIPPEE!
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I regularly give away or throw out things we haven’t used in a while…seems like the changing of seasons always makes me want to simplify more and declutter again. :)
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Well, I cleaned out my lid and towel drawer. I was surprised to find how many old and unneeded lids and other miscellaneous items I had lurking in this drawer. Thanks for this challenge!
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I did just do this when I had to wash every last dish and untensil in my drawers and cabinets thanks to a mouse who had a hey-day in them! I did, however, find a few more things to get rid of. One being the egg seperator I got from Tupperware. Who needs a gadget to seperate eggs? Apparently I thought that I did :-)
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I am at the point I hate to open some cupboards will get to work on this
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I’m cleaning out my plastic containers, throwing out any that aren’t complete and working on replacing with glass!!
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It’s amazing what you can get rid of when you move. We’ll be needing to move again in less than 6 months and I’m living out of boxes right now. I love picking up hand-powered items at garage sales and thrift stores, but I need to come up with a system for pitching something when I get something and having a creative way to display it so I can use it. I find some of tools in the kids’ closets where they’ve borrowed it to pretend cook. :-)
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I got rid of some old non-stick skillets that I no longer use and they were just taking up space.
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