DIY Kitchen Drawer Divider Project

I have a secret the share will everyone today... you ready? When we moved into our condo a few years ago, I instantly set about organizing all kitchen. Oh yes, the cabinets looked good and the "majority" of the drawers looked good. Wait, did  I just say the majority? Yes, I did. You see there there were two drawers in particular that proved to be my nemeses. 

My first nemesis came in the form of my silverware drawer. I have searched high and low for a drawer organizer that is narrow enough to fit the 17 3/4" x 9 5/8" x 4" drawer. However, I never found one narrow enough with a configuration that I liked. So this what we've been living with... and when the Mister constantly complains about it being too messy for him, you know it's time to address the situation.

So I decided to DIY an organizer and defeat my nemeses. But I had two criteria, they were must be removable because this is a rental and must be cute to look at. Then I remembered I had some cute Contact paper stashed away in my hoarder closet and my idea was born. I was going to use foam core board covered in the contact paper to build it. 

Supplies:

- Form Core Board

- Contact Paper

- Measure Tape

- X-Acto Knife

- Ruler (for straight edge)

- Hot Glue Gun (not picture) 

First, I emptied and cleaned out the drawer.

Next I measured and lined the bottom of the drawer and laid out the silverware for placement. Can you see how narrow it is... so frustrating.

Before I cut the foam core I had to measure the depth of the drawer to make sure I didn't cut the sides to high. 

I didn't take any pictures of the cutting part or covering the foam core with the paper, but that's pretty simple and self explanatory, I think.

Here my gorgeous drawer now... looooooove it!

I did run a bead of hot glue down the seams of the dividers for sturdiness.

Now it was time to take out my other nemesis... the utensil drawer.

 Following the same order as the first drawer, I emptied and cleaned it out. This time, I needed to go through all my utensils and even discard a few. Who really needs 4 sets of measuring cups and 4 sets of measuring spoons? Next I played with the configuration before I cut my pieces. (Side point: I hate those knobs, I should think about changing them.)

And here is the final outcome... as you can see I played around with the configuration a few times before I was satisfied. But alas the final nemesis has been defeated!

I was already happy with this project but as I sit here and type this post my smile is getting bigger. It just occured to me how inexpensive this DIY project really was. The form core was $2.50 for the sheet and I still have half of it left. The roll of 18"x 24' (yes, 24 feet) Contact paper was $6.00 and I barely put a dent in it. Hmmm... let's do the math on this one. It would be $1.25 for the foam core. The Contact paper equates to .25/foot, I used about 3.5 feet. So that's .88 cents plus 1.25 for a grand total of $2.13 for two organized drawers?!?!

Makes me wonder what else can I organize with this method?

Target Is And Will Always Be My Friend

Just dropping in really quick today to share some finds from Target this weekend. On Saturday, I went to Target to pick up some... hmm... what did I go for? Oh, I was looking for some goodies for my planner. Eh, let's be honest, it's Target, I went because its my happy place. At any rate, I went with the intention of only spending a few dollars. I guess that's always my plan but when I go into Target there's no way I can leave without taking a detour through the household items. Do you take the same detour?

I've been casually looking for some bar stools since moving into our little condo. Originally I'd been eyeing the Ingolf Bar Stool from Ikea for $69. I see it all over blogland and Pinterest, certainly a cute chair and seems to hold up well... but enter my friend Target.


There I was in the bar stool aisle, minding my own business with my $20 worth of dollar spot and planner items in my cart, when light shined from the heavens and I spotted the clearance tag on these Threshold bar stools. They have a similar feel to the ones at Ikea, but were now marked down to half the price! Oh yeah, the last three of these babies were definitely coming home with me.

And about an hour after arriving home we have this...

Do you see my photo bomber in the background? Look in the lower left corner.

This is a few days after moving in.

Ah... much better! But this picture makes me realize we need some color in this space. Any suggestions?

Till next time...




#target #targetstyle #threshold #thresholdtarget #clearance #barstools #kitchen #kitchenstools 

Why I Started Uncluttered Eating In The First Place?

So here we are starting our first full week of 2015 and, from what I hear and read all over social media, people have two primary things on the brain right now... getting healthy and getting organized. I can't say that I don't have the same things on my mind, as well. Today I want to share how I started my uncluttered eating lifestyle.

I'm sure that a lot of you started out the first day of the year with a bang, maybe beginning the journey for a healthier lifestyle, possibly even hitting the gym. Maybe there are a few of you that waited for the first full week. But let's be honest, the most important thing is to get started. It could be the middle of the day, right after eating a huge slice... or five of New York pizza. (Pizza is my favorite food group, so I might be referring to myself. Don't judge me.) Just don't wait for the "perfect moment" because you probably will not find it. You know the ole Nike slogan... just (get your booty up and) do it.  Back in early 2013, I mentioned that I was diagnosed with a plethora of food allergies and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), receiving that information and a list of restrictions from my Rheumatologist was the catalyst for me to just do it.

I took the first step in March 2013 by eliminating wheat from my diet all together, it causes inflammation in my body. But I didn't... I couldn't stop there, I was on a quest to hopefully heal my body. So began the research into what exactly is RA, other than a potentially debilitating disorder with no cure. What causes it? Is it manageable without prescription medication? I did find out that it's an autoimmune disease and causes the body to have inflammation around the joints.  My turning point came when I stumbled upon the movie Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. If you haven't had the opportunity to watch, you should make the time soon.

In the movie, Joe's journey just confirmed that I could potentially manage my RA with fresh fruits and veggies. Thus, began my life as a raw vegan. I thoroughly researched the pros and cons of living this way. I discovered that there will always be naysayers no matter what issue is being discussed. To me the possibility of living pain free was worth giving it a shot despite the naysayers. Thank goodness I did, it turned out to be the best decision I ever made for my mind and body. Right away, I found I had mental clarity and tons of energy. Then within a few months I noticed that the inflammation in my joints had all but disappeared and with each passing day I felt better and better.

Now to be honest with you, I never did a juice fast, that was not for me. I did juice at times, but my eating habits consisted mainly of green smoothies for breakfast, veggies and almonds for snacks, huge salads for lunch and dinner, along with the occasional gazpacho. This remained my routine for the majority of the spring and summer months.

Some may think that eating this way is more expensive, but if you are not buying meat, you are rarely eating out and you eventually save on doctor visits and medication... aren't you really saving money? During the spring and summer I took full advantage of the farmer's markets. This beautiful bounty was about 4 days worth of food for me alone. (The cheese was for the mister.)

Since I was restricted from working out in the beginning, other than taking the dog for walk, I focused so solely on getting my eating under control. I'm here to tell you, the weight literally melted off. The first picture was taken February 10, 2013 in Marshalls and I became a raw vegan two months later in April 2013. The second picture, with my goofy niece, was taken July 27, 2013 and I had lost about 30 lbs by then.

While the weightloss was a bonus, the most important aspect was my body being well enough to walk around the State Fair with my family for hours and not need a wheelchair because I couldn't use my knees the next day. It was an amazing feeling and felt as if I had gained my life back.

If you have considered trying a raw vegan way of life why not start slowly and replace one meal with a raw one. Such as, smoothies for breakfast or a huge salad for lunch. Its my desire to share the rest of my journey with you, if you choose to follow along.

Till next time...

More Kitchen Organizing

This past weekend I was about to rearrange a few of my kitchen cabinets when I realized I had never shared  the original look with you. So I figured there is no time like the present. Then ones I rearranged I'll show you the before and the after, also some of the ones I didn't touch.

What brought on this revamp? I'm about to embark on a cleanse of sorts and have to give up coffee. So I was getting ready to pack away this whole scene and decided to rearrange while I was at.

Goodbye delicious coffee! You have been there for me on many a dreary eyed morning. You will be missed... at least until these headaches go away.

Now that I have mourned, on to the cabinets... the dish cabinet before.

After:

(The hubby says I have a Tweety bird head, so that mug was a reminder gift. It makes me smile every time I look at it.)

For the dish cabinet, most of the changes happened on the top two shelves. I moved the coffee mugs to the top shelf since I will not be using them as often. Also I moved the Le Creuset teapot over here with the other teapots. 

  

The serving dish cabinet before.

And after, its a mix of vintage and new pieces.

You may have noticed that there were originally some canning items in the before serving dish cabinet, they where moved next door. Notice the vintage scale that some crazy person painted green!!! But it was only $2.

Next door to that are our wine and cocktail glasses.

Below the dish cabinet is our "appliance garage."

Now, I had planned on sharing the rest of the kitchen but, after this shot I was interrupted and then drafted. Drafted into what, you ask. Well... I'll let the picture tell you.

The hubs was making salsa and I needed to be his sous chef. You can blame him for not being able to see the rest of the kitchen in this post. Oh yes, the salsa is fabulous!!!


Till next time...

What's Happening In The Pantry and In My Body

Howdy! How's things in your world?

This is a post that I've been tossing around in my noggin' for a while, trying to compose it in a way that it flowed. You see, today I'm back to share with you our pantry retrofit and some... more news. I want to share some of the other news I received at the doctor when I found out about my allergies. This news has given me the extra push to retrofit the refrigerator and pantry. Well, lets give it a go and see if it flows. (Ha, that rhymed)

This retrofit started with a trip to the grocery store and Trader Joe's. My trip to Trader Joe's was most enlightening, they have an entire four page list of gluten free items they carry.  Of course I didn't find that out until an hour into my trip. LOL! Not wanting to go crazy and buy a bunch of stuff I would end up not liking, I simply picked up a few "replacements" for what I would normally eat. 

I have tried most of the items with the exception of the brownie mix, but now that I'm looking at the picture I may rectify that tonight! And I can tell you I will be purchasing each one again. Oh, the yellow package on the far left is roasted seaweed... delish. Turns out I shouldn't have them because I'm allergic to sesame seeds and these are coated in sesame seed oil. Of course I didn't see that until I got home but since it's a mild allergy I ate them anyway! But I promise I will not buy them again. (If you would like a review of what I thought of each just let me know and I'll fill you in. Now let's see where all this goodness is stored.

The barren before:

The well-stocked after:

My go to items are clearly marked for the hubby with the aid of these labels, which are so darling!.

The front basket label says "His Snacks."  Sorry for the wash out. Everything the hubby accesses on a daily basis is right in the front. I tried to make my new eating transition as seamless as possible for him, not that he required it. He has been quite supportive. Goodness, I love that man!

The red topped containers were on clearance at Target. I love the fact that they're airtight... great for chips. We are known to have several different flavors opened at the same time. Does your family do that?

First of all, yes all my canned good labels always face forward. (Checkout the before picture. Clearly it's not staged.)  

On the very bottom there is a basket for potatoes and a drawer system that houses the pooches food, chip bag clamps and plastic bags.

Much more efficient use of space.

        

And since I could not find a easy way to segue into my news I'll just blurt it out. 

When I had lab work done for allergy testing I also had other testing done. Turns out that my achy joints were not the work of a wheat allergy alone, I have Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Hearing that news while you're in mid-thirties is quite a shock. In the last few weeks, I have met with my Rheumatologist to determine how progressed my situation is and what I should/shouldn't do to my life easier. During my visit, he did inform me that along with RA, I also have joint disease in my knees and will most likely need both knees replaced in the next few years. What?!? Hey doc, did I mention that I'm only the tender age of 35?

I left his office with quite a list of to-do's and to-don'ts. 

- Avoid the joint pain triggers - No wheat!

- No stairs - Uh oh! We live on the third floor with no elevator. That's 36 steps up and 36 steps down at least twice a day. (Yes I counted them the day we moved in.) Looks like we are definitely moving. 

- Lose weight - Get rid of some of the junk in my trunk! But do it without heavy weights and running or hiking. Go easy on the joints!

Before I continue, this is where you come in... I can share my new journey with you right here or I can start a new blog which you can choose to follow. Either way I'll be blogging and vlogging about my progress with RA and the necessary changes. I understand you started following for home projects, so I want to give you an opportunity to provide some feedback before I bombard you with the rest of my life.

Till next time...