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One Room Challenge - THE KITCHEN! - Come Join! - Page 9

post #161 of 368
2/6/07 at 9:28pm
I have stuff inside my cupboard doors (like the meat doneness chart, guide to cooking bulk items, and seed planting chart)... and the 'fridge is still cluttered on the two exposed sides! I just used tape, since I never take the lists out. One door does have a page protector taped inside of it though, so I can stick the current recipe in it for long cook items so I don't spill all over the card. Not that I have done that more than twice. or three times.

We used magnetic paint on one of DS's walls and it works very well. I bet that would be great inside of a cabinet and you could paint it whatever color you want

I would think that if you hardly ever use your microwave that the top of the 'fridge would be great. I wish we could do that, but we use the microwave quite a bit to heat up left overs or make a cup of tea... and besides, i would need a chair to use it if it was up on the 'fridge!

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post #162 of 368
2/7/07 at 1:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mightymoo View Post
I like the look of the french message boards, but do they really display pictures well?
Yes they do. They keep the pictures clean, secure and hole-less. I love mine.
post #163 of 368
2/7/07 at 5:46am
Joining last minute!

MY KITCHEN PICTURE TOUR:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/138/3...be129d42_o.jpg - Main view
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/147/3...20d43989_o.jpg - Pantry
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/166/3...b0a4ce2f_o.jpg - Fridge (inside)
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/179/3...a6aba109_o.jpg - My fridge is dirty
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/126/3...f164be4a_o.jpg - Hutch
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/138/3...6de75447_o.jpg - Blank area above the sink?
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/129/3...f69bcd09_o.jpg - Fridge (outside)

WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT MY KITCHEN:
I like my cupboards, and the pantry. I like my fridge, as it's pretty new. I generally like the way it's set up.

WHAT I LIKE LEAST ABOUT MY KITCHEN:
I wish the pantry had a door on it. It makes it so cluttered feeling being able to look in. I don't like the sink, the dishwasher, or the over, just because they're a bit on the older side and need replacing. I also hate how dark it is in there. There are no windows

MY PLAN OF ACTION:
Clean out fridge and freezer
Scrub under counters and floor boards
Clean under sink
Clean off the magnets/pictures on the fridge
Clean out pantry/put down new liners?
Clean out junk drawers
Organize pots and pans
Organize drawer of utensils/toss ones I don't use
Storage area above sink?
Recipe binder
Organize hutch
Cork board for wall
post #164 of 368
2/7/07 at 8:33am
Subbing. Not sure whether this will work, but I'd like to try.

MY KITCHEN PICTURE TOUR
No pics, I'm at work. Sorry.

WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT MY KITCHEN (Include a picture!)
Lots of storage. Most of it needed, but not used well.
Quite bright. In the summer, it's very nice there in the morning.

WHAT I LIKE LEAST ABOUT MY KITCHEN
No real kitchen table (I have a sort of bar, but I can't use it to eat at)
Can't use the bottom storage because of toddler.
Broken carousel in corner, must get it fixed.
The almost non existent pantry. I have one small cupboard and it's always a mess.


MY PLAN OF ACTION -

Clean out and organize all kitchen cabinets
Fix carousel
clean out corner of counter (it's a mess!)
Make storage space for some bottles and throw out the rest
Find better cereal storage
Straighten up pantry and surroundings.

I'm sure there's more, but this will do for a start.
post #165 of 368
2/7/07 at 2:36pm
I have had an enlightening past few days. I've realized I've not changed at all since college. Whenever I had a paper due or big exam, my apartment would be spotless, laundry done and put away, I ate real food not just cereal for dinner... Well I am still procrastination queen. I have not done much in the kitchen (granted it doesn't need much) but I bought a coat rack for the front hall and got all the coats off the stroller. Shoes are all lined up nicely underneath it. Front hall table is cleared off so you can find the key basket and the phone. I bought a new tablecloth for the dining room table and cleared all the junk off it and put a decorative arrangement in the center.

Hmmm, so maybe I'll join and just do the rooms NOT being done in this challenge. How's that for crazy? Whatever it takes, I guess.
post #166 of 368
2/7/07 at 3:24pm
I'm so excited! I got something done last night! :

I went through all of the plastics and purged at least half of what I had! I found a lot of stuff that I've "borrowed" from my mom (oops!), so that's all in a bag to go back to her, and I have three plastic grocery bags full of stuff for Freecycle. There are a few things that I'm not using, but I'm not sure what to do with, so those went back in a lower cabinet full of misc., but only temporarily. By the time that I get to that cabinet, I need to figure out what to do with them.

Anyway, I went to bed feeling very accomplished last night! I tried to take a picture with my phone (since I still don't have new batteries for my camera), but it didn't come out very well. My goal for tonight is to make it through the miscellaneous mountain next to the dish rack. That would be HUUUUGE!
post #167 of 368
2/7/07 at 3:41pm

A few questions for everyone

Okay, I have a few questions that I wanted to throw out there about kitchen storage, because I'm trying to decide on a few possible changes:

-In a few of your kitchens, I've seen the magnetic strips for knives. How do you like them? Do you feel like they're safe? Has it made a big difference in your kitchen, space wise? Is there a reason that a butcher block is better for knives, or is it just to keep them stored safely?

-Where do you store your cutlery? I look at Ikea catalogues for a lot of my organizational inspiration, and I see cutlery out of drawers a lot of the time, like in baskets or caddies hanging on a rack on the wall. I like this idea. What do you guys think?


I thought there was something else, but I can't remember right now.: I'll post when I do!
post #168 of 368
2/7/07 at 4:00pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rikki Jean View Post
-In a few of your kitchens, I've seen the magnetic strips for knives. How do you like them? Do you feel like they're safe? Has it made a big difference in your kitchen, space wise? Is there a reason that a butcher block is better for knives, or is it just to keep them stored safely?
I don't have one, I have butcher block. I think its just the traditional way of storing them. However, I keep my knives in a safety proofed cabinet because my kids pull chairs over and climb up onto the counter. They never did seem interested in the butcher block full of knives, but I know they would be attracted to a magnetic strip full, so that's something I won't consider until they are all older.
post #169 of 368
2/7/07 at 4:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mightymoo View Post
I don't have one, I have butcher block. I think its just the traditional way of storing them. However, I keep my knives in a safety proofed cabinet because my kids pull chairs over and climb up onto the counter. They never did seem interested in the butcher block full of knives, but I know they would be attracted to a magnetic strip full, so that's something I won't consider until they are all older.
That's kind of what I was thinking. I can just see DS's eyes lighting up as he sees something shiny hanging on the wall! I'm sure it won't be long before DS is like your kids and pulling a chair up to climb too. :
post #170 of 368
2/7/07 at 4:09pm

Photos

Not sure how this will work. I'm new to snapfish. photos
post #171 of 368
2/7/07 at 4:24pm

nak

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stone Fence View Post
Not sure how this will work. I'm new to snapfish. photos
Worked for me, but I have a snapfish account. I'm not sure it will work unless someone is logged in?

P.S. I really like your bookcase
post #172 of 368
2/7/07 at 5:27pm

The bookcase

I wanted to bring this up and brag 'cause DH built it for me. It's supposed to be nest boxes. The cubbies are a little small for some books and there is lip on the bottom of each cubby (for the chicken to perch on). I saw these things in the Sundance catalog and DH said he could build it for me. Of course it cost less than a third of the ones in the catalog. It's a constant struggle to keep it decluttered. We used the bottom cubbies to store recycleables during the week until DS came along. Now the bottom 3 rows are empty.
post #173 of 368
2/7/07 at 8:50pm
ooooh everyones kitchens are coming along and are so beautiful!!!!! I love looking at pics of others homes .

I've gotten the kitchen pantry and hall pantry closets done, the upper cabinets and shelves done and replaced my broken lazy susan with 2 new .
I have chosen a color to paint the kitchen (its offwhite now~ thrills ) and have talked dh into checking out countertops at homedepot friday as our date night!!!! We cant afford to do the whole kitchen but have been needing to replace the faucet as well so that'll be some serious stuff!!! I am so excited. I'm thinking of looking for the fabric for my curtains but I'm not 100% positive on the color yet, so...

oh, I also cleaned both bathroom's cabinets and closets and organized the linens ~ I was on a roll but needed a break from the kitchen .

I'm gonna post some pics hopefully. Esp if we do something serious with the kitchen, I am beyond psyched!!!!!!!!!!!!


and Amy~ that bookcase is absolutely beautiful! I just love it!
post #174 of 368
2/8/07 at 11:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mamabearsoblessed View Post
... and have talked dh into checking out countertops at homedepot friday as our date night!!!! We cant afford to do the whole kitchen but have been needing to replace the faucet as well so that'll be some serious stuff!!! ...
We did the same thing! We couldn't afford to re-do the entire room, so we replace the countertop, backsplash, sink and faucet! What a huge difference it makes and it wasn't *that* expensive! Have fun!!
post #175 of 368
2/8/07 at 12:38pm

Sort of progress :)

I cleaned and cleared my baker's rack yesterday, only returning the clean items I would like to keep there.

I also orgaized a drawer, decluttered some serving utensils (to donate) and cleaned the stove and stove grates. None of this was part of my plan, but I got sidetracked after cleaning up after lunch
post #176 of 368
2/8/07 at 12:53pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by anthasam View Post
We did the same thing! We couldn't afford to re-do the entire room, so we replace the countertop, backsplash, sink and faucet! What a huge difference it makes and it wasn't *that* expensive! Have fun!!
We've done peel and stick vinyl tile before to give the kitchen floor a new look. It's not something you'd do for a long term fix, but it can give a fresh look for not much money for a few years.
post #177 of 368
2/8/07 at 5:16pm
Thread Starter 
Okay, so the third coat of paint is on the walls! The color keeps changing. I think cuz I painted over white and when the paint is thin, the white makes the color look more orangy - the more paint I put on, the more towards yellow it goes. It also changes depending on the light conditions. LOL DH is mixed on his opinion, but maybe he'll like it more after this coat. He doesn't hate it but as he says 'It's more orange than I was expecting'. heh.

Anyway, I'm so glad I got that all done so I can focus on putting the kitchen back together and organising the other parts!
post #178 of 368
2/8/07 at 6:59pm
unlegal-

I would buy a closet rod/spring loaded curtain rod and a straight hanging curtain or piece of fabric to cover the pantry. Straight hanging keeps extra fabric out of the way- no pleats or ruffles, and preferable tabs and buttons on the top, or wide metal grommets. Choose white or another bright color, since you say your kitchen is dark. Can you add lighting anywhere? Cleaning up the clutter will brighten the kitchen, because there will be more clear spaces to reflect light- especially getting the front of the fridge cleaned off.

Rikki Jean- I really don't like the magnetic strips for knives because I don't like looking at sharp objects. It's not pleasing. I use a knife block. I also have seen wooden inserts for drawers with a slot for each knife. Those would be really nice.

For cutlery, I like having it in a drawer. I really like the simplicity of having things away and I love the uncluttered look. Ikea's idea is good for times when you are having buffet style meals or living in a dorm etc. For the home, I like things stored away out of sight.
post #179 of 368
2/8/07 at 7:09pm
I scrubbed, cleaned and organized the fridge and freezer yesterday

Go me! It looks so sparkly and nice.

Now I just need to do the outside. I was a bit tired after all the bending down, and didn't feel up to doing the rest.
post #180 of 368
2/8/07 at 7:17pm
OK, I keep waiting to upload the pics but keep falling asleep before I can get to it, so I'm going to go ahead and answer the questions.

MY KITCHEN PICTURE TOUR
Coming someday soon maybe

WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT MY KITCHEN (Include a picture!)
I love that it finally occurred to us to move the hutch into the kitchen. For almost five years we had a big empty gap between the fridge and the door. And I love the cabinets, even though they're terribly old-fashioned.

WHAT I LIKE LEAST ABOUT MY KITCHEN
The floor. It's a 1970's brick-patterned linoleum floor. Also, it desperately needs painted. The breakfast nook is really desperate to be painted, since we took down the wallpaper and then never got around to painting it.

Unfortunately, I don't think these are things I can take care of when I'm pregnant.

MY PLAN OF ACTION
1. Really clean out the fridge and freezer before the baby comes.
2. Finish moving all the serving dishes and china to the hutch.
3. Figure out what to do with this weird corner cabinet.
4. Find a solution for kid self-service.
5. Move the nice table up from the basement to the nook. Get enough chairs so Katie Grace doesn't have to sit on a bar stool, even though the odd little duck seems to enjoy it.

OK, five steps sounds good for the pregnant lady, .

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Sitting or Squatting: What's Really Best in the Bathroom?
There Is Not Always a "Fix" For the Difficult Child
10 Things You Don't Need For a New Baby
Mothering › Mothering Discussion Forums › Natural Family Living › The Mindful Home › Decluttering, Organizing, & Simplifying › One Room Challenge - THE KITCHEN! - Come Join!