For ChitChat on Home, Lifestyle, and the Creative Life. 

Heirloom All-In-One Paint

STICKGOO  Peel & Stick Backsplash

Sherwinn Williams Greek Villa Paint

Before & After

Before & After

Before & After

Heirloom All In One Paint

Solution: Didn’t have budget for a total kitchen renovation so I started with paint. No need to prime. Requires two coats and occassional touch ups. A gallon goes a long way. 

Solution:  I never had backsplash in the house…in almost 20 years. I didn’t have the budget for tile and I lack DIY skills…so I bought peel & stick. It still wasn’t easy–I have a lot of outlets to cut around. BUT it was better than leaving it Jersey Cream (former paint color). 

Solution: The new cabinet color washed out against the Jersey Cream (also from Sherwinn Williams). So, I selected Greek Villa to coordinate with the other choices. It has a yellow understone, which I needed since the rest of my paint in the kitchen is in the yellow/beige family and I’m not going to repaint the rest of it any time soon.

CAROTE 21 PIECE COOKWARE SET 

Members Mark Tri-ply Fry Pan Set with Ceramic Coating 

Pot and Pan Organizer

Bloom Towels

Nespresso Next Deluxe 

Solution:  My anondized non-stick pan set was quality but super heavy. I stored it in the lower cabinets and lifting it out was awkward at best. I opted for a ceramic set with detachable handles that was much easier to store (no handles) and super light to lift. As you get older, it makes a difference. 

Solution: Honestly, I wanted a Caraway pan set but I had higher budget priorities, so I told myself I’d buy the cheaper set and if they worked, I’d make the Caraway investment. I love these so much that I don’t see a need to pay for the Caraway. They are beautiful, non-stick, and I had lids from my multiple anondized sets that fit. These work beautifully for a fraction of the cost. 

Solution: Stacking my pan sets, especially the cast iron, made getting taking them out to cook a major chore. This created friction which made me hate to cook. Getting these not only helped me keep the sets organized they make it incredibly easy to take out and makes me want to cook. 

Solution: I wanted to cut down on using so many paper towels. They dried the dishes even if they left a little lint residue. I hated handwashing dishes because my regular towels never got the dishes dry and they left lint residue. Bloom towels are super absorbent, pretty, leave no residue or lint, and are super absorbent. There may be better towels out there but I’ll never find them. Stopping at Bloom. 

Solution: This is new to my coffee bar. I got it for FREE with credit union points. I prefer to work out early in the morning on my Peloton but early morning workouts drain me all day long. I need an immediate caffeine infusion that is strong enough to keep me awake through the day and I can only have one cup. I hope this is the solution. The pods aren’t cheap but I plan to split time between the Nespresso and the Keurig. 

Solution: I hated reaching under my sink for anything. It was dark and discorganized. I maintained everything in its original container which took up a lot of space so it was junky. I bought these drawers to organize items like dishwasher pods and other necessities. 

Solution: My countertops were noisy with clutter and I wanted to clear them off. First I decluttered the cabinet. Secondly, I moved as much from the countertops to the cabinets or in the pantry. Third, I removed items like my paper towel holder and Kitchen Mixer accessories and hung them beneath the upper cabinets. What a world of difference. 

Solution:  Once I started decluttering the kitchen I found tea all over the place. I kept buying new tea because I always hid purchases from myself. After decluttering and getting a hold of my collection, I purchased holders for my tea bags and now I know how much I have and how much I need to purchase (hint: none…for, like, ever.)

Solution:  One of my first decluttering tasks was the infamous junk drawer. I couldn’t even open and close mine. It was filled to the brim and ridiculously discorganized. I bought this set and used it to organize my drawers and the closet we use as a utility closet. These small containers are great for batteries, screws, lighters, and all the little things I keep separate but together. 

Solution: I decanted some pantry staples, but it ain’t pretty. I bought these containers because they were cheap, see-through, and came with labels. I was not worried so much about aesthetics because the door on my pantry stays shut. I did want airtight containers to keep my food fresh and this fit the bill. 

Solution: This is one of the few things I keep on my counters. My son eats a ton of cereal and he used to keep their boxes in the pantry. We stuffed them in there any way they would fit and never knew how much we kept in inventory…which led to me wasting lots of money buying cereal he didn’t eat or already had in the pantry. Now, we toss the boxes and keep the bags in an open bin. He gets cereal daily from these containers and it makes life so much more organized. 

Solution:  I had an old bamboo organizer that I bought from Burlington’s about 20 years ago. It was time for an upgrade and I had a lot more utensils to separate and organize since I updated my kitchen and started working more. 

Solution: My undersink storage was non-existent. I underwent a search and destroy mission any time I needed even the most basic cleaning supplies. Took me FOREVER. Made me hate cleaning. FRICTION. Now I know where everything is and the organization saves so much time. Now I use them under all my sinks — bathrooms and kitchen sinks included. 

Solution: I usually buy plastic utensils from the big box stores to use when I’m too pooped to clean the kitchen. That happens often because I work long, crazy hours. But those boxes take up a lot of space in my already small pantry. So, I decided to use some of my not well used pantry space for a set of drawers. I use the top drawer for plastic utensils and the bottom drawer for baking supply overstocks. It makes for easy access and sits on my wire shelves. 

Solution:  So, I bought these beautiful Bloom towels but I knew if I put them inside of a drawer, I would never use them. I’d keep using papertowels which were more convenient and in sight. So I bought these towel holders and placed them on the side of my upper cabinet that was bare. Now I rotate my Bloom towels which are too pretty for the drawer. Now I use them all the time and they’ve become part of my kitchen decor. 

Solution: I never knew how many trashbags I had left or when to order because I used to keep them in the cardboard box I purchased them in. So, now I remove all the rolls of bags from the box and I keep the ones we’re using in this holder. No overspending. No running out inconventiently. 

Solution: I used to keep my spices in the lazy susan which is about as far from the stove as you can get. The pantry door, however, is right next to the stove. Hanging this spice rack on the door gives me quick access to spices while I’m cooking, keep the countertops clear while I’m cooking, and when I close the door–no visible clutter. Didn’t cost much but it’s one of my favorite buys. I now use the lazy susan as part of my coffee corner. 

Solution: I use these to keep my freezer a little more organized. These used to work when I kept yogurt bars and iCreami pints. They don’t work with frozen fries and bags of vegetables. I need to get larger containers for that drawer. 

Solution: Raise your hand if you keep a stock of canned goods in your pantry. I keep a stock of things like tomato paste, sauce, soups (very few), and vegetables. I wasted a lot of space keeping them on one level. This shelf allows me to see what I have and what I need at a glance. No more overbuying green beans for Thanksgiving.  

Solution: I needed to move my Kcup storage off of my countertop and I needed something that would allow me to see how many I had left. I had a habit of overoarding and wasting money. Kcups expire. Who knew? Now I know and now I don’t overbuy. 

Solution: These are self explanatory. Like many of the items I listed, you can probably find them at other places for cheaper but the idea is the same. Easy visual inventory is the goal when you’re the shopper. This keeps you from overbuying soda.