Whether you are planning a complete kitchen remodeling or reorganizing the kitchen you already have, improving your storage and organization can save money, time and effort – every time you using your kitchen.
You might prefer country style to contemporary, but storage styles have to do more fundamental preferences. Do you want a kitchen where everything is stowed away in drawers or behind cabinet doors? Of do you find that functional items are a pleasure to look at and prefer to have everything in the open where you can admire them? Or are you somewhere in between?
Sometimes such preferences are personal. Other times there are simple reasons. If, for example, you have an open floor plan and don’t want to see pots and pans while relaxing in the family room, an out-of-sight approach to storage may be your choice. On the other hand, if your hobby is cooking and you like your tools within easy reach, without having to open a door or a drawer, open storage may be the answer.
Some people prefer to keep their pots and pans hanging in the open on pegboard. Most homeowners prefer a bit of both, hiding some items in cabinets and putting others on open shelves, hooks, or racks. Nevertheless, think about the storage style that best suits you. Which approach you select will affect many of the planning decisions that you’ll need to make during the course of you kitchen remodeling or reorganization.
Kitchen Space Savers
Every refrigerator has shelves. Some, however, have removable or adjustable shelves that allow you to regulate space consistent with your needs. A few new fridges even have motorized shelves that go up and down with the push of a button. Others have half-width shelves, so you can adjust one side for taller items. A pullout bin is another great way to stay condiments and saucers together and accessible; you don’t need to reach over other bottles to urge the one you would like. An adjustable bin on the door will allow you to fit that two-liter soda bottle with ease.
Lets not forget the freezer. Often, this compartment comes with none shelving, which makes it a hassle to undertake to urge something at rock bottom of a pile. If you’re uninterested in frozen-food avalanches whenever you are trying to dislodge one package from the stack, buy an aftermarket wire or chrome steel shelf. If you are after secure storage and easy access for all those bags of frozen veggies, look for a model with tilt-out door bins. With the right mix of features, your freezer storage will be much more efficient.
If your refrigerator doesn’t have all the bells and whistles you’d like it to have, invest in some inexpensive save-saving devices. A two-tier can dispenser holds a dozen 12-ounces cans, which roll forward for easy access. Don’t want that gallon of milk to take up so much room? A thin gallon jug – it’s less than 3 inches wide – nestles in along the side-wall. A wine rack hangs from the bottom of a wire shelf. And, of course, there are always the old storage standbys, including lazy Susans for small condiment bottles and clear, stackable containers for deli meats.
Birthdays are special for everyone, young and old, and it’s always fun to have a party held in your honor to allow friends to gather around you to give well-wishes. Entertaining guests at birthday parties can be tricky, especially when planning a party for someone much younger than you, like a child. While status among adults is determined by personal traits and occupation or income, status among kindergarteners comes from the “cool” quotient of birthday parties. Of course, there are staples like cake and ice cream, a well-erected outdoor swing set, and simple games like Pin the Tail on the Donkey, but the most memorable parties include a bounce house.
Renting a kids bounce house may seem like a daunting, expensive undertaking for a birthday party, but with the right guidance, it can be just as simple as getting local food delivery to deliver deli sandwiches to a business meeting. Choosing the right party rental company is often the hardest part. Most companies have a variety of bounce houses for rent, from the classic square space-themed moon bounce to more impressively designed units, often including slides, ladders and even water games! It is imperative that you rent from an insured company and have parents sign waivers as they drop their kids off, releasing you from any personal liability of injury as a result of playing on the bounce house.
Once you’ve chosen from the menagerie of bounce house rentals, that portion of the party will take care of itself. A team of trained professionals will deliver the bounce house hours before the party and begin setup. Before you know it, the unimpressive lump of nylon in your backyard will be transformed into a castle fit for your little prince or princess. From there, the imaginations of the youngsters will take over, turning their familiar backyard into new, unexplored territory, ready to be conquered in the name of fun.
A traditional playground could never hope to compete with the party in your backyard, but bounce houses do have capacity limitations. It is important that you have additional fun available to waiting children, like a wooden swing set, puppet show or pony rides. After this party, your child will never have to worry about his or her status among peers; he who has the bounce house has the gold, so to speak.
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