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.  

Dishcloths and Kitchen Towels

Our kitchen towels and dishcloths in organized drawer.

As a continue with my New Year's Resolution here on day eight, I have cleaned out and organized the drawer in which we keep the kitchen towels and dishcloths.  There were a few pot holders that were in this drawer that I moved to the appropriate drawer.  Other than that not much to do except to tidy up a bit.

I decided to throw all the cloths and towels into the washer for a quick hot wash and then into the dryer.  I tend to use the ones that are near the top all the time, so I will try to rotate ones from the bottom of the stack each time I replace them. 

Ready for the wash.

I still use the hand crocheted dishcloths that my mother made.  During her last five or six years when she couldn't crochet more complicated items, she crocheted dishcloths.  My sister and I have enough to last our lifetime, and enough to give our children and grandchildren.  They are great to use, and they give me happy memories of Mama when I use them.

Dishcloths hand-crocheted by my Mama. 

I try to change the dishcloths for washing and the ones for drying as well as the hand towels every day.  I throw the used ones in a plastic bag and keep the bag in the freezer so they won't mildew and become "smelly".  I wash these once a week by themselves in hot water and dry them on the hot cycle in the dryer.   We have paper towels on hand, but we try to use cloth as much as possible for environmental reasons. 

Hand towel on door of oven. 

I usually keep one hand towel on the door of the oven, a hand towel and a dish towel for drying on the bar at the end of the kitchen counter.  The dishcloth for washing I keep hanging over the faucet. 

Hand towel and dish towel for drying.

Dishcloth for washing.

This drawer was easy to organize. 

Day 3 The Linen Drawer

♫On the third day of Christmas----♪♫♪     No. ♪♪♫♫ On the third day of decluttering my true love said to me♫♫  "Wow, you really are keeping your New Year's Resolution!!"   Yes I am!

The top drawer at the left of the oven is where I keep my everyday linens---tablecloths, napkins, pot holders.  There's another place where I keep my fancier linens---white tablecloths, white napkins. 

Panorama of drawer three before.

Everything dumped out.

This drawer didn't take much time to reorganize.

The recipes in the plastic bag don't belong here.  Oh, that reminds me! I need to reorganize my recipes.  Another resolution perhaps?

This one napkin ring doesn't belong here. Neither did the roll of freezer paper.

Tablecloths that we use outdoors.

Tablecloth with ants.  One of my favorites.

The two tablecloths are ones we use outdoors.  I especially like the one with the "ants" crawling all over it.  I saw this piece of oilcloth and had them cut a piece large enough for an outdoor table.  These are the kinds of ants I don't mind having on the table.  Somewhere I found fabric with this same design and I made eight napkins, but they don't seem to be here.  Maybe I will find them as I continue to declutter.  And check out these ant napkin rings.  Wouldn't they be cute to use for a picnic with this tablecloth?


This drawer also holds trivets and cork hot pads.  I seem to have two packs of hot pads that haven't been opened.  Every time I go to IKEA I seem to buy a pack.  They are such a bargain there---3 for $2.99.  Well I can quit buying these since I have a lifetime supply.

Panorama of drawer after organizing. 

This drawer shaped up nicely and quickly.

Tomorrow on to drawer four.