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When I decided to renovate my kitchen I wanted as many cabinets as we could squeeze on the walls. And I got just what I wanted; floor to ceiling cabinets. Finally, I had a place for everything! Then the reality of organizing my new kitchen hit. How in the world was I going to reach all those high shelves? Sure, most of the stuff being stored way up there only needs to come out occasionally (usually for holiday entertaining), but still I'm not that tall and couldn't imagine climbing on my new countertops to get things down.
Thank goodness my husband had the solution. One trip to the hardware store later and he was hanging three different sized step stools in my pantry for easy access. Now I had no excuses for putting things away and I couldn't complain about being too short to reach what I wanted either. Finally, I was ready to get that dream kitchen organized. Here's what I did:
· First, I organized my daily dishes in a way that was easy for everyone in the family to understand. With a place for everything now, there are no excuses for anyone to not help unload the dishwasher. Bowls, cups and plates are stored on roll out shelves in lower cabinets, and fancier specialty items are stored in higher cabinets. · Next I started putting away all of those hard-to-manage kitchen accessories. Again, I utilized those high shelves for things we only use occasionally. Thank goodness for my three-step folding stool, which allows me to easily and safely reach even the highest shelves. Of course I keep a smaller single step stool out in the kitchen at all times to allow even the smallest hands to reach everything from their favorite cup to the sink to wash their hands before eating. With little ones around, it's important for them to be able to reach the things they can use. · Another important lesson in organizing your kitchen is to go with what works. If after a few weeks of organizing your kitchen, you realize somethings don't make as much sense as before, simply rearrange a few things to make it fit your needs in a more practical way. Nothing has to be final the first go-around.
When it comes to organizing kitchen shelves I learned an important lesson: if you can't reach it, you can't use it. Since climbing on chairs or countertops really isn't safe (or very attractive), the best solution is to get yourself a handy step stool designed specifically for elevating you to the right spot in your cabinets. Hang it inside your pantry door for easy access and you'll never have an excuse again for not using those special plates. Happy organizing!
Looking for a reliable step stool for help in the kitchen? Ed Jenkins recommends his Step Stool Supply for the best selection of step stools and step ladders.
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