Kitchen Organization Checklist

Here are my answers to analyze my kitchen:

1. Do you have a meal plan for each day? Yes, I use Google Calendar to plan my meals.
2. Do you follow your meal plan? About 95% of the time.
3. If not, why not? Sometimes we have "surprise" dinners at my in-laws that no one tells me about beforehand.
4. Do you ever struggle with frozen foods not thawing in time for dinner? Sometimes.  Mostly chicken.
5. Can you find recipe ingredients when you need them? Only spices, because they are all crowded on a shelf.
6. How do you feel when you open the refrigerator? Why is that? Sometimes it seems really empty and I know I need to clean it again.
7. Do you have a method for storing leftovers? Yes, I put them in plastic containers and label them with the date and contents.  I need masking tape to do this better.  And I'd like to have all glass containers, but that won't happen.
8. If so, does it work well for you or do you have multiple science experiments going on at one time? It works well.  Sometimes I find old things, but I try to clean out the fridge once every couple of weeks.  The only time its a problem is when I make way too much and Murl doesn't bring lunch to work and I have to eat it for like 4 lunches in a row.
9. Do you have a daily kitchen cleaning routine? I wipe down the counters and sink and sweep every day and usually mope every 2 or 3 days.
10. Do you have a regular deep cleaning routine for the kitchen? Yes, but I need to do it more often.  So, I guess its not that regular.
11. Do you have adequate storage for the items you currently own? Yes.
12. Do you use all the kitchen items you own on a regular basis? Pretty much.  The blender I've been using more while making baby food, so that might stop.
13. Off the top of your head, are there gadgets and appliances that are just taking up space in your kitchen? I don't think so.
14. Does clutter pile up on your counters? How come? Sometimes I put things there so I can find a place to put them later.  I also have a mug I need to glue back together.
15. What is the one thing that stands between you and a clean, organized kitchen? The size :) which I can't control.  And my laziness.  I need to get back on my weekly routine.

From the park last week.

So, tomorrow I am going to start the actual food organizing.  The kitchen is pretty clean and I think I'm pretty organized, but going through a list will be helpful.  This way I can get everything in good spaces before I go food shopping on Thursday.  It'll make it easier to put away.

I moved the bench today and threw out the boxes.  Hopefully people will use it instead of taking their shoes off in other rooms.  There's so much stuff that needs to be cleaned and organized and I'm so behind.  I'm glad this is getting me motivated to do it, but I honestly don't do much during the day.

I've been staying up really late, which means being really tired in the morning.  For the past 2 days Wolf has wanted to get up earlier than we normally do.  Its like 8am, which really isn't that early, but it is when you are up until 2.  I feel terrible, though, because I make Wolf stay in bed with me and pretty much force him to fall back asleep, then we end up sleeping way later and nothing gets done.  I promised him that tomorrow we will get up when he wakes up, so I'm going to go to bed earlier tonight.  Probably at 11:30.