Works for Me Wednesday.

I'm organizationally challenged and it has been a issue for me all my life. Over the years I've learned a few tips that have helped me.

I think most Moms spent a great amount of their time in the kitchen. As a result it needs to be as organized as possible. I struggled with getting everything in the right place until I came across the idea of centers. Everything in my kitchen is organized around centers where different tasks are performed. The first thing I did was to make a list of major kitchen chores and map out my kitchen on paper. I determined the best work flow, (work triangle) for the space I had and arranged my centers all within that area.

Any items used at a work center was stored within reach of that center. Dishes are stored right next to the dishwasher, so are glasses and cups. So because that is where the cups are, the coffee pot is between that area and the sink. My mixing bowls and baking pans are next to the stove, so is my mixer, measuring cups, measuring spoons and baking supplies. Very basic stuff for the naturally organized, but it took me awhile to catch on.

This idea works great for any room in the house. There are two things essential to making this work:

1. Evaluate everything you have in your space and box up or discard any duplicates or extras. Remove anything and everything that doesn't belong. My husband used to think it was a good idea to store brake fluid and power steering fluid in my pantry because it was near the backdoor. Needless to say they are gone.

2. Store only things you use regularly in your work area. There is no need to store something you rarely use in prime storage space. But remember, to keep things organized, they must be easy to access and use. Use high shelves and storage that is away from the area only for things that are seldom used.

Check our Rocks in my Dryer for more tips.