Happy Wednesday! Have you all made yourselves comfortable in 2018? Are you past the stage of having to correct yourself every time you say 2017? This time of year always seems to invite three responses. The people who are struggling to let Christmas go and wishing to prolong the festivities, other people who are full of resolve and fighting spirit ready to make the new year the best one ever and finally the sun worshipers who just want to fast forward out of this cold, miserable weather into Summer.
Does one of these resonate with you? I confess I, as usual, am a little bit contrary and subscribe to all three to an extent. Speaking of being contrary, I admit if you were expecting to see my paperwork post I have once again bumped it in favour of kitchen Gadgetry which I hinted at in last week’s Midweek Minimise. Because as the spoonies amongst you will know there are only so many spoons available per week and this task was pressing.
A Mishmash of Kitchen Gadgetry
Some of you may have seen the before photo already in the previous post if not, this was the state of my kitchen cupboard: It is a bit of a cluttered mess, and various gadgets will be replaced with my new Kenwood (and no they have not sponsored this post) I have to say there are a few items I have never got around to using but that will change. Part of the problem is that I kept my old stand mixer and food processor in this cupboard.
For a fit and healthy person or one who has generously sized cabinets, there is no problem at all with doing that. When you are a spoonie though you have to take into account the effort involved. Once I would have finished getting the machine out of the cupboard, I would not have any spoons left to use it! The reason why I only baked about twice in all of 2017, and I don’t think I ever used the food processor. I have therefore decided to keep the Kenwood body out on the worktop, and I will make sure the accessories are within easy reach in the cupboard below. If you are completely confused by what I am talking about when I mention spoonies it will become a bit clearer if you read the post about being Chronically Ill and not Disabled.
The Top Shelf
No, I’m not talking about dodgy magazines! I started by clearing out the top shelf. I emptied it all onto the table (then took a break!) From this shelf I decluttered all the parts of the old food processor and also a former Christmas mug, we just have two now that we use. The first things to go in were the larger accessories for the Kenwood including the blender jug, juicer and food chopper. I then used a spare basket I had waiting to find a use for to hold all the smaller bits and pieces.
It’s probably obvious, but it is a massive but straightforward win using things like boxes and baskets within cupboards. As long as these containers are not too heavy, it means you can quickly grab them out onto a surface to find what you need rather than rooting around in a cupboard. At work, we used to have a process called “Lean” where business processes were streamlined to simplify things and cut out unnecessary steps. This Lean process is equally valuable in the house for Spoonies because as we all know you only have a limited number of spoons to deal with everything. So I am trying to use some of these principles in my organisation.
The Bottom Shelf
So, this shelf is the place the main gadgets live. In the before shot, you will see that the spiraliser is still in its box and it was a Christmas Gift from the previous Christmas – do you have things in their box that you have never used? I have concluded that if we don’t get it out of the box, we will never use it, so I took it out! There was the old food processor in there too; it was a Kenwood also but an entry-level one. We held onto the old Slowcooker when we got the Tower one even though we specifically got the Tower one because it has a light metal inner pan I can quickly take out to wash. I was unable to do that very often with the old slow cooker because the pot dish was too heavy for me to handle.
That situation has not changed, and I am no more likely to use it, so it is time to clear out space. In case you are looking into getting a slow cooker or multicooker the Tower Multicooker is currently on offer at Amazon with 25% off. Here is our multicooker: If you do get one, I will just warn you not to clean the display with any harsh chemicals as I have managed to wipe half of the menu off it. Thankfully I found a photo of the screen via Google, so I have a reference to which setting is which. Surprisingly I saw some of the items were dirty even though nothing is put away without washing it first, so it is a complete mystery how that happened. Once I had organised the things we are keeping the cupboard looked spacious, and there is room for the bread maker I have ordered and is due to arrive tomorrow. Here is how the space is looking now:
The Result
So, this activity has taken me a whole day, and I’ll not lie I am exhausted. When I have done an active project like this, I always have to have a comfortable day or two afterwards to regain some spoons, but it is worth it. It amused me briefly thinking about people who drink a little bit too much and suffer the next day but usually say it was worth it. I have the same instinct when it comes to organising or housework tasks. I can’t do it too often, or it may severely damage my health, but in moderation, I am willing to pay the price. Are you in need of doing some decluttering and organising or maybe you just need to do some proper cleaning? Why not share the journey with me then use #MidweekMinimise on any of these social media channels.
Next week I may finally get around to dealing with the paperwork situation that needs tackling but please don’t hold me to it!
Until next time,
Gentle Hugs,
Susan
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