Mismatched cups and lids, colorful plates that clatter and won’t stack, and a mountain of snack cups. Does any of this sound familiar? Kid’s dinnerware is usually “eclectic” to say the least, and bought over a series of years unlike the adult counterparts. Before you know it these colorful groupings of plastic are taking over cupboards and drawers, or worse – the space where your wine glasses used to live 😉
Not to worry, there’s an easy solution to corral this clutter. In fact, yours truly, and many of the families we work with have taken the new AAP recommendations as motivation to overhaul their dishes, and ditch the plastic.
First things first: declutter. Take a close look at all your kids plates, bowls, utensils, cups, water bottles, and snack cups. Do you have the coordinating parts to all of them? Do they actually all get used? If the answer is no to either of these two questions, out they go!
Next: reassess. Do the dishes meet the current needs of your family? Often as kids grow certain feeding items become obsolete, as their needs change. One of our favorite tricks is to use cups that grow with our kids. We love that these Pura water bottles also seamlessly transition into a snack cups, and baby bottles. This means less parts and less waste- a double win in our book!
Stack it up. If we can get items to stack neatly together, we’re in love. These adorable stainless cups, save space like crazy. They’re indestructible and the perfect size for little hands. There’s also a too cute for words Sippy cup version, and both options are interchangeable and stackable.
Notice a theme about stackable items yet? They just save so much space, and let’s be honest for most of us kitchen real estate is limited. For cereal and pasta these colorful silicone bowls are a fabulous size, and won’t hurt the floor if they get chucked across the room. The same goes for these silicone sectioned plates. If your kids are anything like ours then you know how much trouble you’re in should one type of food accidentally touch another ;).
Put it all back. Now that all you’ve paired down you’re ready to put everything in its place. Choose a drawer or a cupboard that your kids can reach (is there anything better then when little ones can help set and clear the table?!). You may find risers helpful in cabinets, and for drawers we love these bamboo drawer dividing organizers. You all know we love labels, and they can be great for keeping kiddos (and other family members 😉 accountable.
Happy organizing!
Love
Ashley + Lindsay
