Well Halloween is finally here, so I thought it was about time I shared a glimpse of this year’s fall porch decor. It has been such an odd fall with its share of up and down temps (and an early snow fall), which has kept me jumping to save my plants from freezing. We carved up our jack o’ lantern last night and added it to the mix, so I hope we have at least a few trick or treaters visit our cozy home.
With my Spring cleaning deadline looming, I decided it was time to tackle my messy kitchen cabinets last week. I sorted, stashed and said good-bye to old food, rarely used gadgets and space sucking storage containers. . . and it felt gooood!
I have a pretty small kitchen, as kitchens go, with only three regular-sized lower cabinets to the whole place. Unfortunately, this means I have to cram fit a lot of mixing bowls, pie plates, baking dishes and Tupperware in a pretty tiny place. That is why I opted for some smooth-gliding pullout organizers from Rev-A-Shelf to help me store everything after the grand cabinet cleanout.
I organized my pots and pans with a Rev-A-Shelf about two years ago, and it was one of the best kitchen choices I ever made. This sharp-looking, heavy duty pullout shelf has lots of room and slides like “butta.” Now I will admit that this storage solution is not the cheapest thing going, so shortly thereafter I tried a bargain brand organizer and was completely disappointed. I guess you get what you pay for and the Rev-A-Shelf is worth it. This brand is also super easy to install, which is a bonus!
So I finally decided it was time to make a go at my other two cabinets, and I opted for the two-tiered sliders this time because I certainly needed the room. I purchased my Rev-A-Shelf organizers at Lowe’s, but I’m sure you can get them other places also. Be sure to correctly measure your opening (with clearance for hinges) so that you can pick out the right size. The directions said it should take about 20 minutes to install each unit, and that was probably my average between the two. The top slider can even be installed at three different heights — pretty handy, indeed.
After some measuring and a few screws, the tough job began as I sorted and stashed every last item previously buried in that black hole beneath the countertop. I’m proud to say that everything now fits nicely, minus the mixing bowl I broke in the process, and I can easily see and reach what I need without the groaning and gnashing of teeth that previously accompanied my baking ventures.
Whew! We are finally back from our nine-day whirlwind spring break tour of Oklahoma and southern Missouri, and its good to be home. I always say the best thing about traveling is going home. I love to see the sights and enjoy my family, but there is just something comforting and stable about being in familiar surroundings after sleeping in strange beds and consuming way too much restaurant food for days on end.
Okay, now that I’ve established my alibi for not getting more accomplished toward my 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge, I do want to update you on my progress (and yes, there is some). I dropped off four boxes and one bag of donations to the local charity resale shop the morning we left for vacay. I also left behind two bags of just plain trash for the next pick up day. I managed to sort, clean and rearrange two of the craziest closets in the house, one which houses my son’s craft and coloring supplies and one that holds coats, hats, scarves, gloves, games and puzzles. Yes, that second one sounds like a hot mess, but it actually looks pretty good. . . for the moment. If you’re planning a visit, come now!
So if I add the seven bags and boxes to my first group, it looks like I have 11 total items toward my goal. Okay, so it’s not a spectacular showing at this point, but just wait until you see what’s coming up next. My guest room looks like an F5 flew through it; and although I was too embarrassed to photograph the destruction, my husband so kindly took pictures and passed them along to my mother. . . she wasn’t surprised. I also started the kitchen cabinet clean out this evening, so that will be a fun one to show.
How are you coming on your 40 Bag Challenge? I would love to hear about your progress and see pictures along the way.