Organized Sink Caddy

I used to have a really nice soap dish with sponge holder that made my sink area very tidy, but after about a year, the soap caddy started to leak (there was no crack...so beats me why) and it was a soapy soapy mess. I ended up returning it (yay for Bed Bath and Beyond) and got another one that looked a bit sturdier. Well...the STAINLESS STEEL rusted after about 6 months and it got tossed. Ever since then my sink area has been an eye sore. I couldn't find anything I liked that also seemed to organize until now. Oh TJMaxx you are my BFF!

Introducing my new sink caddy :) Umbra - Cove Sink Corner Shelf

 

I needed something that would not be in the way, that would hold all my things (soap dishes, sponges, brush, magic eraser), that would air out my sponges and ideally drip the excess water into the sink. Well this does all of the above! It sits a bit awkward on my sink...because my sink is just awkward, but it doesn't get in the way at all.

Little tiny drain :)

Yay for tidiness :)

Tips for a Small Kitchen

I'm not going to lie, but the thing that caught my attention the most from this article was the yellow standing mixer :)  Sigh...what I would do for a standing mixer, most probably in red to match my red hand mixer.

But, in all seriousness, these are some really great tips for those with a really small space.  Luckily my kitchen has a lot of cabinets, much much more than my last condo.  But, because of this, the "Oh, this is so cute, I might be able to use this later" syndrome has hit me hard and I have collected more things than ever before and now have lost all that really great space.

Apartment Therapy

But something that I firmly believe in is white plates.  All my serving dishes and platters are white.  Even my fine china is a shade of white.  You can't go wrong with white and you can always dress it up with something else, flowered bowls or napkins or a colorful tablecloth.  You wouldn't be able to do that if you're dishes were colored or had a pattern.

As for appliances, well, I have a lot.  These are a few things that I absolutely can't live without and would recommend everyone to have, in order of importance (for me).  I use them all the time, the juicer much less often.

1.  Electric teapot and warming tray (totally saves on my gas bill and my time)
2.  Toaster (4 toast slots, not 2...trust me, it makes a difference)
3.  Rice Cooker (takes 15-20 minutes to cook 2 cups of rice)
4.  Hand Mixer (I have the 5 speed)
5.  Blender (the hubby uses this more than I do)
6.  Food Processor - Mini and 11 cup (I have both and the mini is perfect for quick chopping needs)
7.  Juicer (this is a great little juicer for small juicing needs)
8.  Waffle Maker (self-explanatory)

Kitchen Inspiration

I love a big organized kitchen.  The more cabinets, the more room to hide things, and of course the more room for all the crazy cool dishes and things to buy. The kitchen in my small apartment is much better than what I had before because it has LOTS of cabinets, but I lack the counter space I really need and its not the prettiest looking.  Living in a small apartment is really difficult, especially when you see pictures like these.  Maybe someday I'll get lucky and I'll have a cute house with a cute/big kitchen like this...sigh...

 One of my favorites.  Maybe its the pink flowers :)

Another favorite.  Albeit not a white cabinet (which is what I seem to gravitate towards), but the teal colors are just perfect.  I love this shade of blue green/teal!

 I wish I had the room for a china hutch/cabinet.  Someday...

House Beautiful

So when I get my dream house (pictures to come) and dream kitchen, then one of the first things I'm going to get is one of these.  I have no space for this now, but someday I'll make sure I do :D

Can't decide if I want it in Teal, Red or Yellow...oh the choices...

 Of course, white cabinets are not kid friendly (for those with, or thinking about having kids), but you know what, its called a magic eraser! Just saying!