Odds and Ends Drawer

Our "junk" kitchen drawer organized. 

I'm sure every kitchen has one of these---a drawer where you keep odds and ends and everything but the kitchen sink.  Our kitchen sink is close---just to the left of the junk drawer, and I've been waiting until almost last to tackle this drawer.  It was actually pretty easy.  I just threw lots of stuff away (grocery receipts, used birthday candles, drinking straws) or put things in a bag to take to Goodwill. 

Here is the drawer "before":

Junk drawer "before".

And here is

All the "stuff" out on the counter.

everything out on the counter to sort through.

Dan likes to have his knife sharpening tools (actually two of them) in this drawer.  It's handy to have nearby to sharpen knives.

I keep bag twist ties in this drawer, as well as Post It Note Pads and pens. 

Twist ties in junk drawer.

I have a cute story to share about twist ties.  When Dan's oldest grandson, Sam, was about three he was in the kitchen asking what was in each drawer.  I would open a drawer and explain "the linens are in here" or "this is the cutlery drawer".  Upon opening the junk drawer, he asked "What's in here?"  I said "odds and ends".  He held up a twist tie and asked, "Is this an odd or an end?"  Whenever I see the twist ties in the drawer I think of little three-year old Sam who is now a grown man in his late twenties. 

Is this an odd or an end?  I still don't know.

Much in this drawer was jettisoned, and many things were put in a bag to donate to the Thrift Shop.

This bagful will go to Thrift Store.

 

The organized junk drawer in our kitchen.

I'm glad to have this drawer decluttered.  It probably needs to be cleaned out weekly, since we tend to put "stuff" in here when there doesn't seem to be another place for it or if we are too lazy to put it where it really belongs.