I titled this post: “It’s Never That Simple.”
Which is a lie.
“It” (whatever that means) often is that simple.
But projects like this one are the ones that stick in my head and justify my procrastination on the ba-jillions of projects that ARE that simple.
Earlier this week, a guy came by to cut out our old stove so our new Maytag stove could be installed. I had to clear out the two cabinets that would be disappearing.
I know. Poor me. (That’s sarcasm. I got a new stove.)
I was excited about the new stove, but still didn’t look forward to all the bending and emptying and purging and such. But I did, and even patted myself on the back a little because I went so far as to take things out of the cabinets on the sides.
Not everything, just what I figured Mr. Remodeler Guy would need out of his way.
I did not consider (having never remodeled anything before) the effects of sawdust. Which is that it exists. And goes everywhere and on everything.
I’d known I would be losing two doors’ worth of lower cabinets. I had done the mental inventory and knew we’d be able to manage. It was time for a good pots-and-pans decluttering session anyway.
I was prepared to eliminate and redistribute and rearrange. But of course . . . it’s never that simple.
Because before I could put back the pots and pans, I had to vacuum up the sawdust.
But once I vacuumed the sawdust, I could no longer deny that multiple sticky things must have spilled over the years in these cabinets.
Yuck.
After the vacuuming and the scrubbing and the general wiping (everything on the counters was covered with sawdust too), I put back only the pots and pans that we actually use.
And that was simple. Because after removing a Weight Watchers’ scale that I used all of about two times,
at-least-six out of date phonebooks, and a handy-dandy storage thingy that I evidently only use to store never-used-but-unusable paper napkins,
there was more-than-enough space for all the things we do use regularly.
All-in-all, this took about an hour. An hour when I was also on the phone.
So I guess it really was that simple.
Have you seen my other decluttering projects? There are links to other projects and ideas for how to declutter here.
Were there three slow cookers in that cabinet in the last photo?
I think the white one on the right is a rice cooker. It looks like a larger version I had years ago.
Yes, that’s my beloved rice cooker!
I’m still reading backwards now here in 2018. I had to stop and comment because while many times I feel like you’ve been inside my head, now I feel like you’ve been inside my house! I have the EXACT same big crockpot, little crockpot (including the same colors and pattern), and rice cooker.
I love them all and often use them all at the same time; but why didn’t you say hi when you took pictures of my cabinet?
Ick!
I’m not getting a new stove. But I sure need to do this job. Why? Because on Sunday night…we had the great MOUSE Caper …yes. I laid out traps to catch the little beggers that had come in from the field…due to the cold snap!
I got SIX OF THEM BEGGERS… OH YEAH. (actually, One Momma and 5 babies) OH NO… do NOT feel bad for them…just because they are babies. Besides…they’re dead now.
Anyway… I’ve done all the surfaces, counters, deep freezer, and under one counter (behind a curtain)…NOW. I must do five drawers and the cabinets. It’s taking me all week to get this job done.
Tomorrow… I will have it finished.
I only WISH it was saw dust I am cleaning out. Yep.
You know!
Pat
Pat, this is my mouse theory: if they outside I leave them alone. When they come in on my turf, then we need to talk (aka mouse traps or our cat). My sister-in-law had one run across her kitchen counter and fell in her sink full of water. Egads, they are cute but outside cute.
love the new stove! and terrific job on the purge/declutter job.
I’m decluttering kitchen cabinets, too. I have 2 daughters setting up housekeeping this winter and so I’m cleaning out and purging and passing on things that are taking up space, that I don’t use, or have doubles (or triples!) of.
It’s hard and painful work, but so satisfying when finished.
So I know this is a two year old post, but I have to ask, what did you do with your old oven? I assume that since you previously had a cooktop, you also had (have?) a wall oven. Do you use it, or have you taken it out and replaced the void with cabinets? Especially if it was a double oven. I could totally see how handy that would come in for thanksgiving and Christmas meals.
I have it still and love having two ovens. It’s so nice to be able to cook two things at once that don’t need the same temp.
I am curious. Your cooktop and oven were obviously separated originally, so you had a wall oven. I have the same set up in my house circa 1970. So did you keep the other oven or get rid of it? I always want two ovens around the holidays but never any other time of the year.
I kept it and I love having two ovens. I use both more often than I expected, since it helps when two dishes need different temps.
I laughed out loud at the picture and description of your basket for holding unusable napkins. Te he he!