Having recently moved, I am astounded by my abundance of things. I live in NYC with no storage unit, no basement space, no crawl space. No nothing. So everything I own in the universe was moved from a five closet space with a generous kitchen and squeezed into a THREE closet apartment with a smaller kitchen. It’s City living at it’s finest in a rental, friends! But this revelation hit me due to two things: the amount of trips I had to make personally schlepping my carryables across the street to my new abode (why did I think that was a good idea?) and the lack of space I had to accommodate said stuff one it all arrived in its new location. And even though I seriously edited what I thought was every conceivable category pre-move, it pains me to say that I must have done a shit job in the kitchen. Let me explain.
Exhibit A: I have a rolling pin and soup ladle that I haven’t used in at least 20 years. How did these kitchen utencils literally pass the (seven jars of French) mustard? When my son was little we used to bake cookies from scratch but I haven’t done that since I packed his lunch in brown paper bags– which did get tossed pre-move by the way. And the last time I needed a ladle was ummmm… never.
Exhibit B: I didn’t look carefully at the junk drawer and dragged and later threw out batteries that must have been around since the Mickey Rourke era, and they didn’t age well either. Oy! Also why did I bring so many silicon spoons, spatulas and whisks with me? Last I checked I’m not filming a cooking show. These extras got donated to Michael’s PA pad. Laters, baby.
Exhibit C: Wires, cables, chargers from devices I no longer possess, hand me down extension cords, packs of electronics wipes, mismatched light bulbs, and so much clear Scotch tape made the jump! How did I miss all of these things? Now when I look around every item is suspicious. “Do you deserve a place here,” I say aloud? Necessary, needed, and nice have taken on new meanings.
So I’ve shaken it up in the new crib. And here’s how. In the kitchen, instead of putting like items together, I’ve instead put frequently used items together. And what a game changer. I technically live alone. So although Michael is a regular guest, the new apartment is for solo living. Which means the necessary dinner bowls, paper plates, short glasses, and one or two mugs are really my go-to cabinet items. The coffee maker? Nice, but now relegated to the space above the microwave unless M is visiting ya’ll, cause I don’t drink coffee and I want clear counters! Serving bowls? Needed but living on a top shelf. Along with all the other specialty serveware and measuring cups which are nice. This new system allows me to quickly access the things I need and not cabinet hop for my primary items. I love it.
And I used the same method for the rest of the kitchen drawers which are smaller than I’m used to. Parchment paper? Needed by not on an everyday basis. That skinny drawer hog found a spot in a closet bin. And the Saran Wrap joined him with her dangerously sharp jagged edge. But the tin foil? Necessary and scored prime real estate in the drawer next to the stove. The oven thermometer, can opener, and twelve sets of fancy servings spoons found a lovely home near their new roomies in bedroom closet number two. And finally I feel like this new method works! I can maximize the space I have for the things I actually need.
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