Organization Tips to Clutter Free Eating Space in the Dining Room and Kitchen

Whether you eat at your dining room table, your kitchen table or a bar you need to be able to find it to eat there. Is your space having an identity crisis? Is it a collector of things? Things like the mail, receipts, school work, newspapers, magazines, telephone messages, work papers, scrapbooking supplies, groceries, keys, coats, jackets, collections, scarves, gloves, groceries and the list goes on and on. No wonder these areas have an identity crisis.

Okay so you want to reclaim your eating space, here are some solutions to finding your table again and keeping it clutter free.

Make a goal---what do you want this space to do for you?

• If you want a table that stays clear of 'stuff' like mentioned above one idea is to keep it set with a nice table cloth and place settings of dishes and silverware so it is not as likely to be dumped on.

• Do you want this area to be one where family members or even unexpected drop-in guests can gather for a chat?

• Would you like a place for all the family to be able to eat meals together without the hassle every day of clearing a space, thereby cluttering up another place in the kitchen or dining room?

• Is this space you would like to use between meals as a place to work on hobbies?

After you decide what your goal is for your table then develop a strategy.

• Have a designated basket for mail. Take a moment to sort it and file it as it comes in. If you don't have time right then it can stay in the basket until you do make the time to sort it. This basket does not go on the table or counter.

• Set up strategic baskets in the home for newspapers, magazines, books and other printed material that in the past came in contact with the table. Do not set something down where it doesn't belong thinking you will leave it there just for a second. All too often it takes root and lives there. If you don't have a place for the item, take a moment and make a place and take it to its home.

• Develop an area for children to call their own. Each child has her/his own place for backpack, lunch box, school work etc. Each child is responsible for making sure things are put there and stay neat and tidy. If you have to remove anything of their's from the table then they have to do a chore to earn it back. (Including the all important backpack and school work).

• A chalk board, magnetic board, or cork board can be used to contain memos, phone messages and invitations, displaying items everyone needs to see. For invitations I like to record the date in my planner and then file the invitation in my FreedomFiler system by date so I can refer back to it when needed and not clutter up space on a board.

• Have a pencil/paper box near the phone to write down messages and then put them on the message board or fridge (if you must) with a decorative magnet.

• If you use your table to do scrapbooking, working on collections etc., use a rolling file cabinet or cart to put projects on and 40 minutes before meal time whisk everything onto the cart or into storage bins, the ones with wheels are nice as they can be easily retrieved when necessary. This way you can still have projects out and handy but not cluttering the table. Teach children to clean up after craft time.

• Have a designated drawer as a resource drawer AKA junk drawer to hold rubber bands, bag ties, candle lighters etc. As you take off the twist ties from grocery items put them away immediately, don't place on the counter. These do not live on the table or counter.

• Every family member needs to know the expectation is to hang up coats, jackets, and to put away gloves and scarves in a basket in the coat closet. The same goes for sports assessories/equiptment. They go in their designated areas, not on the table or counter.

• Have a designated place for keys. A cup hook inside a kitchen cabinet is handy and practical.

• Designate a separate location for home-office needs. Even if you don't have an office, keep files and important papers in a separate area of the house.

Keeping the dining room, kitchen or the kitchen bar eating area free of clutter is a lifestyle. Set your goals, have containers available and assign items for different baskets, train family members and remember this is not a one time task. It is a system that is used daily or things take on a life of their own and quickly can pile up.




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Kitchen Cart – One Would Make An Excellent Kitchen Island

You have always wanted to have a kitchen island in your kitchen. Yet, you just haven’t done it because you know that it would take a lot of time, effort, and money to actually put it in. The thing is, there is actually a way to have that kitchen island without putting much effort into it at all. What you need to do is invest in a kitchen cart, it is just the thing that you have been looking for.

Okay, so you might be thinking, a kitchen cart, is that not a pretty tacky furnishing? Well, that is where you are wrong because nowadays there are actually many eye-catching options to choose from, all of which would really add to the overall appearance of your kitchen space. The guise behind their stunning appearance is the materials that they are crafted from and the ways that these materials are then finished. For example, there are options that are made out of sturdy solid woods, like pine or cedar, and they feature wood grained table top and elegant grooved accents while then being painted in different colors like red, black, even white and yellow. The look of the piece if finished off with beautiful cabinet hardware, like knobs and pulls that are made from stainless steel that has a brushed finish.

Wood is not the only material that a kitchen cart can be crafted from since you can also get one that features a base made from wood and a stainless steel countertop, even a marble countertop. One can also be finished in other ways to like just having a rich stain applied to it or it can even be adorned with graceful painted accents. Basically, there is pretty much an option to suite anyone tastes.

The reason why a kitchen cart would serve as a nice kitchen island in your kitchen is how it is so practical. It provides you with a great place to work thanks to its spacious table top. Plus, you can also store things in it too with its many shelves, drawers and cabinets. And, since most of them come with wheels that lock in place, if you change your mind and want to move it or take it out, you easily can. By putting in a permanent kitchen island, you don’t have that luxury.

To get just the right kitchen cart, forget about going to your local department store or furniture store to do your shopping. A great alternative to that is to go on your computer and shop online. You can browse through the different sites and their products in just a matter of minutes. Then, when you do decide on something you like, it will be shipped right to your home. Now that is convenient because you don’t even have to step foot outside your home to get what you want.

In your kitchen, if you want a kitchen island, just purchase a lovely kitchen cart to make it happen. It’s a great cost effective solution to a huge construction project. What’s even better is if you do change your mind that you don’t want it anymore, just wheel it out of the way and your space will back the way it was in the blink of an eye.



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Kitchen Table And Chair Sets – You Need To Purchase One That Is Durable

In every household, what is one must have piece of furniture other than your bed in your bedroom? If you guessed kitchen table and chair sets, then you were right.

The dining or kitchen area is a hot spot for most families, which is why having a durable set in place is so important. It needs to be able the handle book bags dropping on it, crazy board game battles, and meals where everyone is dashing to get your fill. If you don’t go with a strong, sturdy when then you will be disappointed when you have to replace it since it fell apart after only a few short years.

Now, the better kitchen table and chair sets are crafted out of higher quality materials, that’s basically just a simple rule that you should follow. So, if you never heard of the substance the one you are looking at is made out of, it is safe to say that what you are looking at isn’t such a great, durable choice. Some of the nicer options to go with are stronger woods like pine, cedar, and mahogany and other materials like metal and glass. There are even some that can come with stone or granite table tops. These sets can also be finished in a number of ways to from stains applied to them, to being brushed with or oil rubbed, and you can even get ones that are painted colors.

After you have determined what you are looking at is of high quality, then you can get on to finding something that matches the current style of your space. With all the materials that kitchen table and chair sets can be made from, there are actually a lot of different stylish options you can choose from. Like, you can get a set that is more on the traditional side featuring just a plain look or you can get one that is very ornamental and antique in its appearance. Some of the other choices that you can get include those that have a modern feel, others that are more contemporary, and you can even get ones that combine styles known as transitional options.

In addition to getting something that is durable and looks good, you also want to make sure that the kitchen table and chairs sets you are interested in is comfortable. This is key because you want people to be relaxed when they’re sitting down. So, make sure you get a chair that has a supportive seat and backrests, armrests don’t hurt either, but if you have smaller children it is a safer bet to go without since they might get hurt on them.

To easily check out the many kitchen table and chair sets that are available, just hit the Internet and do some online shopping. Just by the click of the mouse you can get what you want and it will even be shipped to your house, which is really convenient if you don’t have a big truck or van.

In your household, having furniture that is durable in your kitchen/dining area is important because it will get used a lot. For that reason, sturdy kitchen table and chair sets are key and what’s nice is that there are many selections to choose from, all of which will be sure to please.



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Let’s Use Kitchen Aid Mixer To Speed Up Your Cooking

Apart from kitchen furniture and kitchen overall appearances that people seem to pay a lot of attention to. However, in the following article, we are going to look at some of kitchen equipments that many of home owner usually have it in their kitchen and they seem to be common that every kitchen have to have it, especially if home owners love to bake some cookies and bread. We are talking about kitchen aid mixer. It is one of necessary equipment for baking process; some people may love to mix by hand meanwhile a lot of some other love to use automatic ones.

Kitchen aid mixer is a useful tool that helps us to mix all ingredients together for cooking. It seems that a kitchen aid mixer is expensive and unnecessary equipment because we can mix all ingredients by hand. But please thinking about this for a second, it is ok for you to manual mix all ingredients by hand if you wish to make little amount of food, but imagine what going to happen if you plan to cook for 10-20 people! Is it much better and quicker to have something that helps you to cook? Now you may change you mind a bit to interest having a kitchen aid mixer.

The example of use kitchen aid mixer is when you wish to bake small batch of chocolate cookies, make some whipped cream to go with that fruit pie. This kind of activities can be done by using kitchen aid mixer to help mixing all ingredients. Generally a kitchen aid mixer consists of beater arms which you insert into the base of the mixer, this part is the part that play important role on mixing stuff so you may have to be choose carefully when you shopping for a aid mixer.

Also it would be excellent when you shopping if you can ask sell person to do actual demonstrate how the aid mixer works so you can consider about its functions as well as the design. Basically, the main point you have to focus on is function, during the demonstration you have to see whether the beater snap easily into place with a gentle nudge and then a little click lets you know they are securely locked into place.

There should be a button to release the mixing arms to be clean easily when you finish the mixing work. The cheap model may do not have this function, so if you have some more budget, I strongly suggest to buy the model that mixing arms can be released for cleaning. But if you have limited budget, you can buy a fixed-arms one but you have to be careful when you clean it do not let water come inside the machine when cleaning.

However, for some of you who have limited budget and just want to try a hand mixer first to see if it worth to buy mixing machine, there are a lot of hand-held kitchen aid mixer. The hand-held type is very convenient for small cooking work. They usually have single mixing arm and this mixing arm powered by motor, so the arm will spin when you turn on a power switch. A hand-held type also provide mixing arm rotate in different speed, so make sure that you choose a speed adjustable one for various type of cooking.

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Kitchen Aide Mixer: The Best Kitchen Accessory

home. However, if you are planning to redo your kitchen make sure you get a new kitchen aide mixer repaired that provides various functions of folding, whipping, mixing food items in an easy way. It is a cost efficient way of managing your kitchen works in a systematic way, as it will handle of food ingredients easy.

Kitchen aide mixers are often confused with blenders as they appear as a complimentary kitchen accessory that is used for food processing. It is a common misconception that shows lack of awareness. Blender comes with sharp blades that are used in cutting and chopping food items whereas mixer does not have blades.

If you are planning to buy a new mixer, make sure that you understand your kitchen requirements and its use. This will help you in choosing a perfect kitchen aide mixer that helps in your daily food processing needs. For domestic purpose, it is not essential to buy a heavy duty kitchen aide mixer as a portable handheld mixer will be a good bargain for your home needs.

With mixers, you can make cakes and cookies batter and whip cream along with preparing dough batter. It is usually better to go for lightweight and hand held kitchen aide mixer that are portable and easy to manage. While in an electric goods shop and searching for a quality mixer, it is important to go for a branded mixer that comes with service repair and replacement guarantee.

Apart from this, it is essential to check all the specifications of the kitchen aide mixer such as its power consumption along with its speed settings. If your kitchen mixer offers good speed settings, it will be useful in performing various food items so that the food does not splatter.

Well, if you are satisfied with power settings, make sure that you are equally comfortable with the size and style of the mixer. A handheld mixer should be lightweight and portable so that it requires less storage space. The design should be ergonometric that offers quick grip and easy handling of the device while in motion. This will ensure that you are able to control the equipment in an effective way.

Make sure that you keep your mixer clean so that it remains hygienic. These are some of the points that should always be kept in mind while going for a kitchen aide mixer. While buying a mixer, never compromise on quality, as a good food processor is an important kitchen ware. It helps in performing various tasks by cutting down the time that is used in manual processing of food. Therefore, a good mixer will make you free from unnecessary botheration.

So, keeping all these tips will help you in buying a best kitchen aide mixer of your choice that will solve all your food processing needs. If you are getting a discounted deal on a branded mixer, it will be a cheery on the pie! Or make any other your favourite cakes.

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Collecting Vintage Kitchen Accessories By Color - The Dimestore Years

Hunting for kitchen collectibles by color is lots of fun. It's like going on a treasure hunt with a plan of action already in place.. ..searching by color. Bingo, you spot a yellow pot holder, or a set of red canisters or a green bowl which will fit in just perfectly. Whether you plan to use what you find or collect kitchenware for show only, building a collection with color as your theme can provide lots of hours of pure enjoyment as well as some great looking kitchens .

Collectors can be very creative about how they use color and patterns in their kitchens. For example, recently I visited the home of a collector friend who has a passion for vintage kitchenwares and textiles in the color orange. "Orange" of course, is not a typical Dimestore era color. In fact, believe me, orange is not an easy color to find pre-1960s ! Yet to my amazement this gal has found 1930s-1940s odds and ends here and there in the color orange and has grouped them together with white and black accessories. Wow...does she have an adorable kitchen. There was nothing Halloween about it, it was simply warm and charming. She was able to blend these colors together in a new way creating a very pleasant and cheerful kitchen.

Artists know that colors and color combinations create different moods and invite different reactions.. There is a whole literature on color theory and color psychology and much interest among manufacturers, especially in the textile world to have a pulse on color matters. In fact in 1915, a trade organization called The Textile Color Card Association of America TCCA was established to chart American taste in color. This group consisted of industry representatives who would choose colors for the following season. They also developed a standardized chart of colors that garment manufacturers and allied industries could refer to and continue to meet.

In the context of the Dime Store Era, it is interesting to know that in the 1940s, the war influenced the availability of materials and even what colors would prevail. The U.S. Government War Production Board closely monitored the textile industry reserving certain fabrics, textiles and metals for military uniforms or equipment. In the Spring of 1948, The Textile Color Card Association issued their color chart and you begin to see a change from the drab colors of the war years to the beginning of more colorful palettes.

Other industries were also greatly influenced by the war efforts. We begin to see major changes in the household products available after the war with numerous improvements. Aluminum, plastics, glass are examples of materials which advanced greatly as a result of wartime technologies.

When the war ended, the post war years would see a calmer nation ready for a return to family living and home concerns. Magazine articles in popular women's magazines shifted from subjects about how women could be thrifty during the war to topics about home décor and entertaining. Manufacturers encouraged adding color to the home and ran advertisements encouraging women to buy products for their "gay modern home". Housewares which had been softer in tones in the 1930s would now be produced in strong reds and deep yellows.

Garments would be influenced by Christian Dior's "New Look" of 1947 with colors of pale grays and blues, Blues would also find their way into home décor and on industry packaging. There was nothing pale however about home textiles. Everyday tablecloths, dish towels, curtains and upholsteries were bold, colorful and often patterned with florals, abstracts or whimsical themes. Color was everywhere from outside packaging and advertisements to the products themselves.

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Senior Safety - Kitchen Hazards and Quick Fixes

Are your parents safe living at home? Are they mentally pretty clear, but beginning to have physical or judgment deficits which might impact their safety? Does your elderly parent have the judgment to safely handle a knife in the kitchen? Do you worry that Mom may fall down and not be able to get to the phone? According to The National Safety Council, falls are now the leading cause of injury deaths in people 65 years of age and older. Fall risk is just one of several safety issues specific to the kitchen. In this article, I will show you how to identify and reduce these hazards, keeping your elderly loved ones safer.

• Floors and floor coverings: Some floor cleaning solutions and floor wax leave the surface very slippery and should not be used. Throw rugs should be attached to the floor with double sided tape. If a cane or walker is used, throw rugs should be eliminated altogether.
• Lighting: Light switches need to be within easy reach. There should not be any areas inside the kitchen that cannot be illuminated.
• Water temperature: Set the hot water heater to no more than 120 F to lessen the risk of burns.
• Fire safety: Keep a fire extinguisher handy, especially in the kitchen, and be sure to review its use with your elder loved ones. This is also a great opportunity to discuss fire safety in general, such as: avoiding loose hanging pajamas or loungewear while cooking; exit strategies, etc.
• Clutter: This may sound like a no-brainer, but it is often overlooked. Clear away unwanted items, especially from all pathways in the home. Besides reducing tripping hazards, this will help lessen fire risks.
• Heavy Objects: Go through the kitchen and move out-of-reach and heavy objects to a more convenient place to discourage use of a footstool, which would pose a fall risk.
• Use of sharp utensils and electric appliances: Observe your older family member cutting with a sharp knife or cooking with the microwave. If judgment is adequate, but lack of strength or coordination interferes with opening a jar or using a kitchen tool, there are many adaptive or assistive devices which can help. Rocker knives, eating utensils with thicker handles, and jar-openers are just a few examples.
• Food preparation is best done sitting at a table to prevent fatigue and fall risks.
• Food safety: Refrigerator temperature should be no greater than 40 F to slow bacterial growth, per the FDA. Food leftovers should be labeled with dates and discarded according to recommended time guidelines, or if they smell or look "off". As my mom always used to say, "If in doubt, throw it out!" Since many elderly people may have a dulled sense of smell and poor vision, routinely check what's in the refrigerator when you visit.
• Emergency plan: Be sure there is a smoke detector properly functioning on each level of the home. Attach an easy-to-read list of emergency phone numbers near every phone and review emergency procedures with your elderly family members. Since a large percentage of falls occur in the kitchen, installing a phone in this room is a great idea. You may want to consider a mobile safety alarm which is worn on the wrist or as a pendant, to automatically summon help with the push of a button.

If you still are not sure whether your loved ones just need a few new devices or if they truly need more involved help to be safe, you may want to obtain a safety evaluation performed by a Physical or Occupational Therapist specializing in geriatric care. These professionals are experts in determining one's safety and judgment while performing activities of daily living and also can recommend appropriate assistive devices and alternative living environments if a change is needed.

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Kitchen Exhaust Fans

It is important to keep the kitchen area clean because food is always being prepared here. Installing a kitchen exhaust fan helps maintain cleanliness in the kitchen. It can suck out heat accumulated from continued use of stoves and ovens. It also eliminates smoke and other unwanted smells brought about by cooking.

Bad odors can be harmful to our lungs. Kitchen exhaust fans prevent these odors from circulating in the kitchen. The overall indoor air quality is improved.

The impeller and blower types are the two most common kitchen exhaust fans. The impeller fans circulate air with blades, similar to an airplane propeller. The blower type is more popular and better than the impeller. It works similar to that of the hamster wheels.

Good quality exhaust fan runs quietly when turned on. The air circulates evenly. The fan does not cause back drafting of combustion appliances. Lightings are low-wattage compact fluorescent lamp types.

There are some things to consider when choosing the appropriate kitchen exhaust fan. The good qualities of a kitchen exhaust fan should be considered. The most quiet and energy efficient unit should be selected in the size range of the desired exhaust fan. The choice would be with parts replacement options and lubrication is permanent. Higher priced unit could perform better and could be a wiser choice.

Branded exhaust fans are generally more reliable and trusted. They get good reviews from consumers. However most people on a budget need not rely on brand alone to get good quality exhausts. Just be keen when canvassing. There are many low-cost units at par with branded ones. Consider the smooth flow of the exhaust ducting component. The exhaust hood should be located in an area where no exterior damage is possible. Controls should be installed properly.

The size of the kitchen matters in what exhaust fan to install. A small exhaust may not be powerful enough to service a big kitchen. Choose the appropriate models to install relative to the characteristics of your kitchen. Industrial exhaust fans are used mainly in restaurants with big kitchen areas.

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