Baby Did a Bad-Good Thing (the Solution)

Remember how I tore up my kitchen trying to reorganize things? What nightmare. I'm still not done, but... I have made huge progress. It's all because of a neighbor. When she came by and saw I was so upset about the mess my kitchen was in, she mentioned the over-the-door organizer she'd bought. (And because she is a sweetheart, she offered to stay and help me reign in some of the mess I'd made!) 

Thankfully, I didn't need help. My life changed once I took the neighbor's advice and got one of the organizers. This is the MayDiary 10-basket version - before and after I loaded it up:

fits right inside my entry closet door

They have a 12-basket version but it goes up another $10. Besides, I'm not yet using all 10 of the baskets I have.

It might not seem like it, but that organizer is holding a lot of stuff. I was able to free up the top 2 shelves of a cabinet where I have now started storing my baking bowls and tools. 

still have room for more!

My spice cabinet was so packed that I couldn't see everything. Now I am going to be able to spread things out:

I can't wait to set this up...

Other things that were taking up space on and around my countertops and in the larger pantry: coffee, tea, jars of honey, my big jars of Old Bay and Liquid Smoke, the immersion blender and accessories, the rolls of vacuum sealing plastic, rolling pins, baking molds, and a few other random things.

My tiny kitchen went from the chaos you saw in the other post to a nice, tidy, cleaner-looking space. As a matter of fact, this is the messiest it's been since I got the organizer - and this is after I'd cooked my dinner.

Not much left to tidy up!

Now, this might not seem like a big deal but these are some of the other options I considered - you know, if I had a couple hundred dollars to spare:

Am I glad that I ran into that neighbor when I did! These storage ideas are cute and all, but they kind of add to the problem of not having enough space in my place. My plan was to rearrange some things in my entryway and park the buffet against the wall. Still... that's 200 bucks and more lost space. The over-the-door solution is really just genius - and I didn't pay over $40 for it.

The one my neighbor has is cute also but the 6 baskets are fixed in place (my 10 are adjustable). I did pay $10 more than she did, but I believe. Both Walmart and Amazon are charging the same for both right now.

Don't forget that, not only did I save money by finding a much cheaper solution to my storage problem, but I also am saving money on shopping. I think in my last post I talked about how I'd unnecessarily purchase things (usually spices) because I didn't notice I still had some left. You know what it's like to hunt through a 4- or 5-deep line of jars and bottles... I really did often lose track of what I had on hand.

The other thing I like is that I just cleared away so much clutter. That was really stressing me out. I am loving the fact that, when baking or cooking, I can find what I need and everything is so organized. I had taken a break from baking my own bread because it was such a hassle to gather the bowls and tools from all over the place. When I finish organizing that one cabinet, everything I need to bake will be within a 3-foot reach. When I cooked last night, it was so awesome to work in such a cleaner, tidier space. Not that my kitchen was always messy but it was very unorganized. I just didn't have the space to keep things arranged in a useful way.

I hope that this might give someone else more affordable ideas for storage. It's been a godsend for me. By the way, even for folks with bigger living quarters, these over-door organizers are real clutter-killers. My SIL is getting one for the guest bedroom the grandkids use when they visit. The organizer will be a place to keep their toys and books. 

Peace

--Free

DISCLAIMER: I have not and will not be compensated in any way for products mentioned in this post.

**REVIEW** Thirteen Chefs Cutting Board/Space Maker

If you have a tiny kitchen (as I do) or live in a camper, van, etc., and need to make more counter space, you must check out the Thirteen Chefs Cutting Board. 

My kitchen is, as my Mama would say, too small to cuss a cat in. I have no idea where Mama got the saying but it means really, really small, aka, my kitchen.

I looked, off and on, for over a year and just couldn't find anything (affordable) to give myself more cabinet space. Most good cutting boards are pricey and the extra-large ones are ridiculous. Except for this one:

30 x 18 x 0.5

I just wanted to show how it fits across the double sink area.

(Excuse my messing baking area in the photo!)

The boards come in 4 sizes and there are up to 6 color choices - depending on which size board you select. At the time I ordered mine, the size I wanted only came in white, which I like for the kitchen. With white, you can see how clean or dirty something is. 

I don't use this as a cutting board. I use mine as a space maker for when I'm baking. I can place the board across my double sink (as shown) and that gives me room for kneading and rolling out dough.

It is really sturdy. I keep it from sliding around by putting a damp dishcloth under the sides. The board holds up even when I'm kneading dough or slamming it down on the board. My neighbors probably hate me when I do that, but that board holds up like a champ!

I can push crumbs and things right into the sink

Later, when I'm washing up a ton of pots, pans, and bowls, I place the board across the stove to use as a dish-drying rack. Mostly, I use it when I'm baking. Before, I had to put my mixing bowls and baking tools on the dining table (which is in my carpeted dining-slash-living room) so that I could use the kitchen for the hot pans and the stand mixer. Such a hassle. With the board, I get 30 x 18 more inches of space without having to run from the kitchen to the living room and back.

The board is also great for use as a cooling rack because it's "heat resistant" up to 180F. I never put scorching hot just-out-of-the-oven bread pans directly on the board but I do use it to hold other cooling racks. 

It's not as hard to wash and clean as I worried about. Although it doesn't fit in my sink, I can hold it up and at a slant in order to scrub it down with soap and rinse it. It's not that much of a hassle. The only hassle I had was with finding somewhere to store it...

When I'm not going to be baking for a while, I keep it on top of the overhead cupboards. No problem. However, when I'm in a baking mood and making something every several days or so, I have to keep it behind the bookcase that I made into a pot/accessories storage.

It's resting on a thick piece of 
plastic

Taking it from behind the case and washing it down is a hassle but not as much hassle as using my dining table.

Now, here is the very best thing about the board: it was only $35 when I bought it a few months ago and is worth every copper penny. I see that the jumbo size I got is not currently available - probably it sold out during holiday sales. When I was looking, any decent size over 20 inches was running from $60 to over $100. I don't even remember how I stumbled over this one.

Anyway, if you are looking to make more counter space, this is a great buy. And, nope, I am not being compensated for this review. I just like sharing when I run across exceptionally good buys.

Peace

--Free