by Lorraine Brock

Table Time in the Kitchen

Secrets on how a professional organizer gets in and out of the kitchen quickly with time leftover for fun around the dinner table.

I’m all about cooking and keeping my kitchen a yummy place where people like to gather. I also want planning a meal and getting dinner ready stress free for myself and the family. Having a home cooked meal complete with dessert with family gathered around the dinner table each night is very important to me.

The reality is that it is often difficult not only to get everyone together all at the same time for a meal, but to also plan, cook, and cleanup the kitchen quickly and efficiently.

This month I want to share a few quick tips and products to help you get in and out of the kitchen faster, along with some fun and easy games to play at the dinner table.

One of the most challenging issues in a household with multiple people sharing kitchen duties is making sure everyone knows where to find items and where to return them. I find that labeling areas in the kitchen is a great time saver. In my household, two of my boys have kitchen clean up twice a day. I have often found serving spoons in with everyday silverware and my electric wok cord in my Tupperware drawer. Things that make sense to me do not even occur to them.

To minimize (notice I did not say prevent) this chaos from happening, place labels inside drawers and kitchen cupboards for basic kitchen items. For example: knives, spatulas, Tupperware, lids, etc. After placing labels in their proper place, be sure you give everyone in your family a kitchen walkthrough.

If you don’t already have a label maker, consider buying one. It is a small investment and offers huge returns. You’ll find yourself labeling everything: pantry shelves, containers, files, and some even go as far as labeling obvious items like a “stapler”. I would personally recommend the DYMO brand and I love the one Walmart carries for under $20.

Now it’s time to put together a game plan for fun around the dinner table. You should try to shoot for playing one game at dinnertime once a week. There is no need to buy anything; just come up with some questions on your own and have fun. For example, what is your high and low for the day? What was your most embarrassing moment? Or quote a movie line and see who can guess the name of the movie. This is a wonderful way to get everyone sharing around the table.

One of the staple games that sits on my table is Table Topics Family edition. It is a collection of family trivia cards and comes in a trendy clear cube that has now become part of our table décor. This game comes in many different themes and has questions from specific time frames like the 80’s or 90’s, so it is easy to find something that fits your family.

As a professional organizer, I know products, and have lots of cool tips and products to share with you. So check out my video blog for more ideas for your kitchen and time around the table.

• For those that would like to order any of the Table Topics mentioned above use promo code GETORG and receive free shipping on all purchases of $35 or more. www.tabletopics.com

Lorraine Brock is a professional organizer, family coach, speaker, and founder and owner of Get Organized!. Get Organized! offers professional organizing services in the Dallas, Texas area. Get Organized! specializes in organizing and de-cluttering homes as well as implementing systems in the home for better family management.

A popular media guest, Lorraine has appeared on Dallas’ two top morning television shows: Good Morning Texas and Good Day Fox, and has been featured on various radio outlets. She has been hallmarked in many local, regional, and national print and online magazines, such as the Dallas Morning News, SheKnows.com, and Daily Candy Kids. To get more information about Lorraine, visit www.GetOrganized.ws.