Steps to an Organized Kitchen

 Kitchens can become the most cluttered room in your house.  However, with a few simple steps your kitchen can become more organized and user friendly.  This will help you know where things are, and it will make cooking a little more enjoyable for you.


 Whether you've just moved into a new space, are settling into a summer rental, or are just frustrated with your kitchen, here are some ideas to help you arrange your kitchen for maximum cooking and cleaning efficiency that will making mucking about in the space a lot more fun.

Start with what you have: You may love them, you may hate them, but unless you've got the money for a full scale renovation, your sink, stove and refrigerator aren't going anywhere. Their position will dictate where everything else goes. Cleaning them up (Magic sponges, Barkeeper's Friend, Mrs. Meyer's All Purpose Spray, Bon Ami and those curly stainless steel sponges sometimes called Kurly Kate's, are my weapons of choice), inside and out, can go a long way towards making them presentable.

Create stations: Taking a cue from restaurant kitchens, mentally assign stations for all of the tasks that you do in your kitchen: cleaning, storage, prepping, cooking, putting food away. I bake a lot, so I also have a baking station.

Organize items according to task: The point is to organize the kitchen so that there's as little unnecessary movement as possible. If, after you've washed the cutlery from tonight's dinner at the sink, putting it away means walking across the kitchen to do so, chances are it will never get put away, no matter how pretty the cutlery drawer organizer is.

Move things around so that what you need is in arm's reach: Cutlery and dishes should be near the sink; spices and cooking implements, whether rubber spatula or skillet, should be near the stove; put knives and chopping boards near your prep area; store sugar, flour, rolling pins, cookie sheets and standing mixer near your baking area.

Out of reach: Put things you rarely use — the turkey platter you pull out at Thanksgiving, the holiday-themed cookie cutters — higher up or lower down. Having to get on a ladder, or even bend your knees, means you'll use something less frequently.

If necessary, buy two of everything: I use cinnamon for cooking and for baking, so I've got one canister near the stove and one in my baking area. While I'm not suggesting you buy two food prep machines, consider doubling up on little items like spices and spatulas.

Merchandise your storage: Yes, I confess, my kitchen is always ready for its close up. I like my kitchen organized, I also like it pretty. Arranging items by size and color as well as by how often you use them can go a long way towards making your time in this room pleasant.

Pretty but also useful: If the canister that you use to store flour is hard to open, it's not useful. Before you buy something, try it out in the store and consider how you'll use it. Does it feel substantial in your hand but also light enough that it's easy to use? Can you open a container with one hand? I've removed rubber sealant rings from many a flour container in order to make them easier to open.

Stick with the place you've given for things: With everything in my kitchen assigned a spot, it's easy to see what I have and what's missing. With a quick glance into my refrigerator, I can tell that I'm out of butter or milk or low on veggies. Since I always keep these things in the same place, a glance at my kitchen cupboards tells me I'm out of glasses and I'd better get washing!

For more information and other apartment tips go to Apartment Therapy.

Read more »

Route 66 Summerfest

This Saturday head to the Route 66 Summerfest.  There are activities for the whole family including a climbing wall, dancing, car shows, and delicious food.   There is a stage and beer garden for the adults, and there is a trolley for the kids.  This is a great event to get your family out of the house, and enjoy the beautiful weather we have been having.

There’s nothing like a street festival to make the most of summer – and is there anywhere better for a street festival than Albuquerque’s old Route 66 herself? We think not. Join in the party on Saturday July 21, 2012, for free live entertainment, car cruise, and more…

Route 66 Summerfest in Nob Hill kicks off at 2 pm through 10:30 pm on July 21, and the free festivities include a car show, live music and dancing, kids’ activities, an arts and artisans’ market, tours of Nob Hill, and sidewalk sales. Some highlights:
 
The KidZone offers a schedule of activities including yoga, sumo wrestling, climbing wall, dances, and a jump rope performance, on Central Avenue between Wellesley and Tulane.
 
New Mexico Route 66 Association’s Car Show all afternoon on Central between Carlisle and Aliso, with the 12th Annual Neon Cruise starting at 8:30 pm.
 
Urban Wheels Show with alternative transportation on Central between Aliso and Morningside, and the motorbikes, scooters and bikes will also join the Neon Cruise at 8:30 pm.
 
Summerfest music (in partnership with the New Mexico Jazz Festival) starts at 2 pm on two stages, with a great line-up including headline acts Cadillac Bob & the Rhinestones at 8 pm on the East Stage (Central & Washington) and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band performing at 9 pm on the Main Stage (Central & Girard).
 
Route 66 Cork & Tap has its own stage and beer garden, with music including Mala Mana and 

En-Joy and local breweries on site, at Central and Sierra.
 
Art and Artisan’s Market showing local arts and crafts between Dartmouth and Bryn Mawr.
 
World’s Longest Stroll Dance attempt to grab the Guinness World Record at 4:30 pm. They need more than 221 people to beat the current record, so join in at Central and Solano, opposite the Route 66 Malt Shop.
 
Free trolley rides courtesy of ABQ Trolley Co along Central Avenue from 2-9 pm, as a shuttle to save your aching feet!

Check out the full schedule of Route 66 Summerfest events and times. They also have a very handy map so you can see what’s where.

For more information and coupons for the event go to ABQ on the Cheap.

Read more »

15 Tips to Reduce the Stress in Your Life

Are you stressed out about your family, your household, or yourself?  These tricks will make your life easier, and give you just a little more time to breathe.

Keep a marker in the freezer: If you're the type of person who cooks a lot and freezes the leftovers, or someone who likes to buy in bulk, keeping a marker in the freezer might mean the difference between "what is this?" and "here's the pasta sauce I made last summer when the tomatoes were at their peak". Use it to label and date whatever you're freezing. Bonus: no more frozen mysteries, no more wondering where to find a marker to label stuff.

Collect pint size versions of your favorite toiletries and store them in your suitcase: This is one of those silly ideas that I used to scoff at until the TSA changed the rules and mini became the rule. Whether it's a flight across the country, around the world, or a quick overnighter, keeping small size versions of your toiletries in your suitcase means you're always ready to go. Since all the things I like and need don't always come in small sizes, I pick them up whenever I see them. Bonus: No last minute scramble, and they don't take up valuable real estate in your already crowded linen closet.

Pack up your beach or ski stuff: As for traveling, so for sports. In my beach bag I store sunscreen, a towel, a blanket, bathing suits; my ski boots share space with my ski clothes, handwarmers and another stick of sunscreen. Bonus: always ready to go.

Hang your keys on the back of your front door or have your lock changed so that it's one of the kind that you have to lock from the inside: When I moved into my home it was already equipped with one of these locks. Not only do I always know where my keys are, but I don't have to worry about accidentally locking myself out (something my neighbors have done). Bonus: safe, sound and, with no morning key scramble, sane.

A pen and a pad by my phone's charger: I used to keep them by my landline, now I keep them by the charger. Same purpose — taking notes — different era. Bonus: Being prepared to write down every detail, whether it's directions or a grocery list.

Arranging the medicine chest by how things are used: Yeah, this one's had me called crazy, but since I no longer rub toothpaste into my palms thinking it's handcream, the last laugh may be mine. Especially if you're as blind as I am without my glasses, this little bit of organization brings a lot of order to your morning. Bonus: a faster morning.

 Having a place for everything in the refrigerator: Especially if you bake a lot or live with someone else, having a place for everything not only brings a little more sanity to your cooking times, you can see, right at a glance, if you actually have enough eggs or milk or butter — whether it's for that cake you were thinking about making or for breakfast. Bonus: no more overbuying.

Keep your daily meds in the refrigerator: Vitamins or prescriptions, I keep them in the fridge next to the milk. I know I'll be reaching for the milk for my morning coffee and when I do, it'll remind me to pop my pills. Bonus: Less chance of forgetting whether you already took them today.

Have a box for your first aid supplies and medications: If you have kids, keeping meds in the refrigerator might not be a great idea. But then, neither is keeping them in the medicine chest. Sure, you might want to make a place for your cough medicine if you're right in the midst of battling something nasty, but most of us have stuff around that we only grab on occassion. Stick it all in a pretty box (or a lock box if you have wee ones in the house). You may want to date stuff (even medicine has a shelf life); in which case, do as with the freezer and keep a marker in your box. Bonus: a medicine cabinet filled only with things you need, and knowing where everything is when you actually need it

Keep a set of cleaning supplies in the bathroom and in the kitchen: Avoid a marathon cleaning session by wiping down the sink (and, if you shed as much hair as I do, the floor) each morning with a rag and spritz of cleanser, or try those packages of pop up wipes. Supplies in each wet room means you're more likely to have them at hand, keeping these rooms clean. Bonus: Saturday mornings having brunch instead of cleaning.

Empty your pocket change into a jar by the door each night: This is one of those silly things a friend told me they did once when I asked them where they'd found the money for something (we were both equally broke at the time). It may seem super old skool (and it is) but it's also a painless way of saving and avoids the rattling hangbag or ripped pocket syndrome. Bonus: change for the laundry and less guilt about a splurge for the home.

Clean while you're on the phone: Whether it's doing the dishes, swishing the toilet, Swiffering the floor or feather dusting the counter tops, here's a simple way to multitask. Bonus: no mindless phone eating (my personal downfall).

The next time you line your trash can with a new bag, stick an old dryer sheet in the bottom and line the bin with all the trash bags at once: Then all you have to do is pull out the old bag; the new one's already in place. Bonus: come party time or a big mess, at least you won't be scrambling for trash bags.

Keep your laundry supplies at the bottom of your hamper: Are you sensing a theme here? Guilty. Also guilty of not having a lot of storage space. Also in my laundry bag: a roll of quarters, stain stick (it's right where I need it so I can treat a stain before it goes in the hamper). Bonus: the detergent and the laundry sheets also act as deodorizers for my dirty clothes until I get around to washing them.

Store your bedlinens under your mattress: I don't know about you, but I don't have loads of extra space to use for storing sheets and pillowcases. Instead, I fold up everything and stick it underneath the mattress (or between the mattress and the boxspring), next to my life savings (just kidding, though I'm sure you're thinking this idea's just as insane). (In the same vein, I also store my towels by hanging them on the back of my bathroom door). Bonus: Everything's close at hand, and I get that ironed look without ironing.

For more tips check out Apartment Therapy.

Read more »

Activity Ideas for the Summer

It is July, which means kids are starting to get bored with playing outside or going to the pool.  Then the very popular phrase is spoken from your child's mouth, "I'm bored".  If this phrase comes out of your child's mouth too often, here is the perfect cure so your kids can never claim they are bored again.

Some years ago we asked you what you do when your kids declare, "I'm bored!" It's an affliction that is especially rampant during the summer when days are long and activities are fewer. It's taken a while, but we think we've found a clever cure for the boredom blues: the I'm Bored Jar.

Shay from Shaydes of Life recreated a vivid memory from her childhood with the "Bored Jar". She remembered her mother having one, and so she passed the idea on to a close friend. Using any kind of vessel you want, you put scraps of paper with activities written on them inside. Whenever someone claims she is bored, she must choose a paper and do whatever is written on it.

The trick is to include some undesirable activities, like "take out the trash" or "vacuum your room." With only a few of these and a majority of fun ones, kids take their chances when they declare they are bored: you just might pick "clean the toilet," or you might get "go get some ice cream." It's a clever way to provide activity for those moments when inspiration is thin, and yet the zingers discourage kids from finding themselves bored in the first place.

For more ideas for your kids this summer go to apartment therapy.

Read more »