Coffee for 30 anyone?

Seriously, how many people could you have over for coffee at one time? Let's see... 8 cups with the everyday dishes, 8 cups with the china, 6 cups that were grandma's, 14 assorted mugs that I like from here and there and about a half-dozen travel mugs... for 2 people!

Sometimes our space is eaten up in a way we don't consider. Who thinks of dishes as clutter? But, have you done a count? Do you really need 3 large salad bowls, 8 different serving trays and 42 plastic left-over dishes?

Today's tip is to take a look at your dishes, glasses and serving pieces. Are there things that you just never use? Are there too many of something - like those coffee cups or perhaps drinking glasses?

The storage you reclaim from those items could help your overflowing pantry or help you declutter your countertop.

I've been thinking about this one myself, Lea. Cups/mugs seem to take up a lot of space in my place. We don't really use the cups and saucers much (I sometimes grab a saucer to put a cookie on.) There are plenty of mugs, and I've even weeded out some sturdy, not overly attractive ones and put them on a plastic tray in a cupboard. These are used if we want to take a hot drink outside, to the gazebo in summer or to the woodshed in spring while supervising the fire during maple syrup season.

In the china cabinet is a bone china teaset which is used occasionally. In the glass display area is a "breakfast in bed" set of bone china - two cups, saucers, plates, two cup teapot, creamer and sugar, teabag saucer. Only the cups/saucers and plates have been used when the other teaset wasn't enough for a group I was hosting.

I once bought a set of two cups and saucers at a yard sale because I loved the blue and white stripe which is very English. But I don't use them! I guess they really should go. I have 4 blue and white patterned cups without saucers and I use them to crack eggs in or to store small amounts of stuff in the fridge for a day or two.

That doesn't even start to look at other dishes, etc. I did weed some everyday glasses a long time ago. I'd like to toss some and get all matching which would be easier to store.

I monitor what's left in the cupboards/drawers when I unload the dw. It its repetitively the same thing and isn't something I would use in a normal situation (ie if we were in our own place and could actually have more than 2 people over at one time) then out it goes.

My MIL is looking at all her sets of dishes and contemplating giving them to her oldest DGDs when they finish college (this spring). She does use some of them when she has a coffee party but now when she has the whole family over she uses paper plates. She has the space for it but its one less thing to have to downsize later.

Lea, I love your questions to get us thinking!

I looked at my servings pieces a few years ago, & realized I had dishes for a life I was no longer leading. I got rid of many of the larger pieces then, but I know there more pieces that can go-a couple of sippy cups come to mind as DGDs are 9 & 11.

As part of my master list for this year, I have included deep cleaning & decluttering all cabinets, so I expect to donate alot of things as I do that.

Oh, my! Dishes! I have quite a few!

Yes I've taken count of my dishes. I have 7 mugs, but close to 50 cups and saucers! 72 plates(!), almost as many bread & butter/dessert plates, several serving dishes.

Too many? Perhaps.

But are they used? Yes.

Not all at once, of course. For example, the Christmas china (12 place setting) are used only during the holidays.

But on those occasions, 3-4 times a year, when I host lunches and dinners for 30+ guests, I do need and use all my serving dishes and most of my china. I prefer not to use paper plates and other disposable items when I am entertaining.

I have room for them all - the china cabinet and several of the kitchen cabinets. Nothing, except for 1 punch bowl that is housed in the garage, along with my larger pots and pans, is stored away.

Bless, your description just reminded me of going to my bosses house back in the '60s and his wife had great stacks of dinner plates for entertaining.

I think I am going to take out the 4 saucerless blue and white cups and either repurpose them (goodness knows what for) or donate them. I can use other small cups for cracking eggs into. I do need the space.

Oh, Bushlady, don't you know you shouldn't say something like that when I am around?

Bless's top 10 15 20 things to do with saucerless tea cups:

1. Use them to make tea cup candles! I did that with some extra Christmas tea cups my neighbor gave me (they did have their saucers, and I hot glued the cups to the saucers, along with a fabric poinsettia and gave them as gifts one year).

2. Make pin cushions! Cut a fabric circle, stuff with some fiber filling, make into a small round pouf to fit into the tea cup, hot glue in place. Give to any friends who sew.

3. Use them as "cup" measures!

4. Use to hold tea parties with granddaughter when she visits.

5. Keep to hold used tea bags.

6. Keep by the kitchen sink to hold a sponge, or scrubbie

7. Keep by the stove to pour bacon drippings (I use one for that purpose).

8. Use to store small sewing notions like buttons, safety pins, etc.

9. Use to store small stationery supplies like paper clips, push pins, etc.

10. Use to hold jewelery - by the sink for rings taken out while doing dishes; on the dressing table for earrings, etc.

11. Use to hold pot pourrie

12. Plant a cactus in it.

13. Buy coordinating saucers (dollar stores often sell plain white saucers) to make sets.

14. Fill with any of the following: tea bags, chocolates, cookies, artificial flowers, bath salts or bath beads, or a small teddy bear, and give as gifts.

15. Bake "cup" cakes in them (in the microwave).

16. Dessert cups - Serve puddings/desserts/fruits/jello in them.

17. Or serve soup: soup "cups"

18. Breakfast "cups" - for oatmeal, coddled eggs, etc.

19. For drinking tea! You don't really need a saucer, all the time.

20. Send to Bless who collects blue & white china, to add to her collection!

I had a client who had pretty cups in/on her desk to hold paperclips, rubber bands, thumb tacks and so on.

You can also put them in cannisters of rice or flour as scoops.

But I like the idea of removing them in some way even if that is to repurpose them.

Bless, those are amazing ideas! But # 20 is now out of the question as I have decided to keep them because I like them so much. But I am tossing the striped cups and saucers, which will add space as the saucers were the problem. I've now made access to two very attractive blue and white mugs easier.

The blue and white cups are sitting on a wire rack over other mugs, and I will continue to use them for cracking eggs, storing small leftovers, etc. They don't fit through the lids of my storage canisters so no good for scoops, (what a great idea, though), but I checked and they are a full cup measure and I shall use them a lot for that, to save fetching out the measuring cups when I just want a one cup measure.

I'm thinking of getting rid of a couple of other mugs that don't really appeal to me, but I often have to revisit scenarios a second time to make my mind up!