Recently I took a little break from my organizing adventures and visited my mom for some much needed summer fun. That break was short lived once I came across her recently dedicated coffee shelf. What can I say, I even like to organize while I’m on vacation! It’s true, I might have an unhealthy obsession with coffee and little areas dedicated to its preparation, and I knew this cabinet disorganization simply would not do.
When it comes to organizing, I’m definitely a fan of keeping like with like, but a little order is still important to make it easier to find what you need. Even though my mom had placed all her coffee beans and filters together, you still had to take almost everything out of the cofee cabinet just to reach what you needed. A perfect sign an organizing solution is in order!
If you are new to 10 Minute Tuesdays, each Tuesday I pick an area that could use a little organizing help. Since nobody has hours to spend getting control of clutter, we focus on organizing for just 10 minutes at a time.
Even 10 minutes set aside to tackle the little things (that somehow always feel like big things) can make a huge difference. Follow along with me or choose one of the other 10 Minute Tuesday Organizing Challenges to do, because no one should have to remove everything from a cabinet just to find what they are looking for!
I set my timer for 10 minutes and began to work on the cabinet. Once I’d started though, I decided the whole cabinet could use some help.
After 5 minutes, most of the cabinet was cleared out and wiped down. I added a thrifty shelf (aka a shoe-box) which I’d collected ahead of time.
For the last 5 minutes, it was just a matter of putting everything back into it’s new home. To keep the cabinet super functional, I placed the most used items on the lowest shelf. The bulk items and lesser used baking supplies remained on the 2nd/ top shelf.
After just 10 minutes the cabinet is looking so much better. And best of all, the daily used coffee and filters are front and center, while the specialty and decaf coffees are in the back– yet still visible and reachable. The other sections received some straightening and even a couple labels on pull-out containers.
10 minutes and a free shoe-box is all you need to give cabinets a little boost of organization. Good thing it wasn’t any longer or I would have started alphabetizing the cooking oil. Now back to swimming in the pool!
Do you have a cabinet that is crying out for a little extra organizing attention? Set your timer for 10 minutes and you’ll be surprise at the difference it will make. Then stop and get back to your summer fun. Remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect, but even little tweaks can make your space work for you!
It’s amazing what a difference a quick project like this can make. We tend to get so used to going through the same motions day after day (taking everything out of the cabinet to get to what you need), that it can be difficult to see room for improvement.
Hooray for a new set of eyes on the situation! Great work. I’m sure your mom appreciates it!
Also–fantastic use of a shoebox. Repurposing at its best!