The Holidays Are Coming-Prepared Or Not!?! Is Your Kitchen Ready?

It’s hard to believe October is already here. Everywhere you look people are putting out their fall decorations and “spooking” out the lawn in preparation for Halloween. Personally, I love Halloween and I already have this years costume for the annual “Thompson-Halloween Gala” held by my neighbors.

We get caught up getting the kids ready for Halloween, buying the latest Super Hero, Fairy Princess, and assorted Ghoul and Goblin costumes or making the other crazy costumes they think up. Then you have to buy the candy to hand out! How much should I buy? Will I have a lot of “Trick or Treaters” this year? Do I get the cheap candy mix or get the stuff I know we will eat if we don’t hand it all out?

Two Tier Cookware Organizer

After all this is done, we tend to forget that Thanksgiving and Christmas are fast approaching. I have been working on organizing my kitchen cabinets for a while now and I’m still not completely ready to pull off a big Holiday dinner, but I’m on my way! Who hasn’t had to dig for a pot or pan in the stack we keep in the cabinet? Organization is the key! Since I have added the Cookware Organizer to my kitchen cabinet, doing a simple Sunday dinner is a breeze. I know without a doubt, it will make my holiday cooking so much easier than last year!  Now I don’t have to kneel before my cabinet and beg it not to dump the entire stack on the floor after I get the one I need. I open the door, slide the unit out and voila, neatly organized lids, pots and skillets.

It does not matter who is doing the cooking, during the holiday season, it is STRESSFUL! There is so much to do and it seems there is never enough time in the day to get everything done we need to do! Now is the time reflect on holidays gone by and remember the things that could have made preparation of dinner easier.

Mixer Lift In-Motion

Do you have a KitchenAid mixer sitting on your countertop? Do you have a full height cabinet? (One with no drawer above it) The Rev-a-Shelf Heavy Duty Mixer Lift could be just the ticket to free up your counter space. The RAS-ML-HDCR stores the mixer in the cabinet until you are ready to use it then, lifts the mixer to countertop height when you need it! With all the prep work you face, that freed space is a blessing! Holidays and baking go hand-in-hand.  You may be baking breads, rolls, cookies and pies. If you have extra space beneath your Mixer Lift once it is installed, you may consider adding a Chrome Wire Pull-out Basket (as pictured) for storing other baking items, Why not add this item to your kitchen and it easier on yourself. It also makes a wonderful gift for baker in your family. Christmas is coming and you and I both know, it’s hard to find things that mom or dad may not already have! If they have the full height cabinet and mixer, this could be their favorite gift from Santa.

Door Mount Spice Rack

If you are like me, you have a cabinet over your stove that has a hodgepodge of spice bottles. I plan to add a Door Mounted Spice Rack to the cabinet beside my stove. I can’t tell you how many times I have to drag a chair to the stove so I can reach the cabinet and get my spices. (Actually, I can tell you! Practically, every night when I cook dinner.) Think about it, during the holidays we constantly need spices and seasonings for our dishes. It is a hassle to dig around the cupboard and find what we are looking for. With a spice rack, it simplifies finding the correct bottle and prevents you from accidentally knocking a bottle in the gravy!

During Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, wouldn’t it be nice to be better prepared than last year? Wouldn’t you love to spend more time with the family and less time fussing with an unorganized mess? As for me, I plan to get my cabinets in order and eliminate the problems I faced last baking season. Now is the time to take a look at your kitchen and see what you could add to make your holidays, joyful.

DIY Terms: For Dummies Like Myself!

I have, over the years, developed quite the DIY vocabulary list. Most of my terms are somewhat technical sounding and I have decided to share some of them with you. Bear in mind, I had no brothers growing up and was dads gopher for much of my early years. Lord knows he tried to teach me right, but I just didn’t grasp the correct name for some of the tools I had to go get for him. To this day, I call things by the wrong name but I can tell you what they are, what they are used for, and I usually use them correctly. There is still the occasion a screw driver will make due when a hammer isn’t within arms reach.

DIY: Simple term meaning-Do it yourself. You do the work. You save the money and if all else fails, you call a friend who has the skills.

Whatcha-ma-thingie: A part that is left over after an installation. Mystery part that even though it wasn’t used, does not affect the function of the item.

Do-Flotchie: Term used when you can’t remember what something is called. (see also: Whatcha-ma-thingie)

Star Screw Driver:  Technical term for a Phillips Head Screw Driver.

Straight Screw Driver: Technical term for Standard Flat Head Head Screw Driver.

The Jabby Think With A Handle: That ice picky looking thing. Correct definition: Awl- A pointed tool for making or marking/starting holes in wood or leather.

Destruction Sheet: The paper that comes with the product that you put in a safe place so you will have it when you need it…..but then can’t find when you start the project! Correct definition: Instruction Sheet: Step by step paper for installation or assembly of what you bought.

Measurey Thing: That thing in a metal case that you pull out to measure long things. Correct definition: Tape Measure-A tape measure or measuring tape is a flexible form of ruler. It consists of a ribbon of cloth, plastic, fiber glass, or metal strip with linear-measurement markings.

Tape Measurer: A person that measures pieces of tape?  (I was corrected many times by my dad using this little gem) Correct defintion: Tape Measurer: A person that measures tape! (Not to be confused with a tape measure which is also known as the Measurey Thing.)

Plastic Gauge Thing With Wires: The black thing that you use to see if there is a electric current. (Much safer than sticking your tongue on a 9 volt battery terminal like dad tricked me into doing when I was a kid).  Correct definition: Ohm meter-used to find electrical malfunctions in your home.

The Angle Cutting Thing: The yellow plastic thing that has cuts all over it. Correct definition: Miter box-A box used to make manual miter/angled edges in woodworking.

The Persuader: Any type of pounding device used to convince two parts to fit together or into one space.  (Not recommended nor should you ever implement the use of…when there is a warranty issue)  Correct definition: Hammer

These are just a few of the “Donna-isms” I use when I’m doing a DIY project. Do you have any “isms” you would like to share?  I would love to hear your comments. Yes, I am still working on my “Mess to Managed Projects” and have another installment for the OVISonline.com Blog, just about ready to publish. Please share your projects before and after pictures with me. I have posted all my ugly before and fabulous afters for everyone to comment on. Now, you show me yours! I may use your images in a future blog article.

Trays In Disarray!

Tray Divider Cabinet Before

Well, I have completed organizing two cabinets and now I’m inspired. The next cabinet is a small one, but is as equally a mess as the first two I knocked out. I stared at my newly decked out, double door cabinet and basked in my “happy cabinets” as I like to refer to them. I have been showing them off to my family and friends. Then I would open the door beside them and my head would hang in shame. Poor sad little cabinet.

It was going to be a very inexpensive, simple and practical organization project. Three 12″ Tray Dividers 597-12-52 was all it was going to take. They come with everything you need for installation (Trays, clips and screws).  The tray dividers are sold individually and only run around $7.00-$14.00 each depending on the size you purchase. My cabinet is a face frame cabinet with a 12″ door opening. The cabinet inside is 13-1/2″ in width. Once again it housed a tiny little useless excuse for a shelf that took up just enough room to keep the door from closing when I put my baking sheets inside. On top of the baking sheets, I balanced my pitchers and the occasional cutting board.

Removal Of Old Shelf

 Start to Finish Steps:

1. Empty all the baking sheets, pitchers, pan splatter guards, cutting boards, wire cooling racks and the long missing store savings card (So that’s where that thing went) from the cabinet.
2. Jigsaw out that pesky shelf and vacuum up the sawdust.
3. Put the fixing clips on the Tray Dividers and determine/measure for the spacing and screw them into place. (Tip: Putting the clips on the dividers makes it easier to stand the trays up for a visual of how you want them spaced in the cabinet. You can remove the clips or leave them on to screw them into the base and back wall of the cabinet.) I measured 3″ in from either side then split the difference for the center divider. There is no “right or wrong” way as to the distance between trays. It’s all up to you!
4. I’m going to be perfectly honest…I did not build the new shelf in the cabinet. My handy dandy-did I mention handy husband built me a wonderful new (to my specifications and then some) shelf for the cabinet. I did install it with (4) 2″ angle braces which attach to the sides of the cabinet. The new shelf is 13-1/2″ wide x 16″ deep. My tallest baking sheet is 12″ so I put the new shelf 1″ higher than the baking sheet.
5. The last step was to put all the stuff back into the cabinet and admire the results.

Dividers and Shelf Installed

The only complaint I can see from this project is, if you have wide shoulders, access to the inside of the cabinet could be tricky. I’m only 5’1″ tall and still had a little trouble getting the screws to start through the wood. As with my  previous project, I used a Power Drill with a Phillips Head Bit.  I don’t think I could have gotten all the screws to go in as easy if I had used a regular screw driver. It would have been easier if the bit was magnatized and held the screws in place while I positioned the drill. I am learning as I go and will pass what I learn along to those who follow my blog.

Let me know if you try this project yourself. Share your tips and frustrations with us and others may avoid chasing the screws around the inside of the cabinet! I’d love to hear your comments.

Phase One of my Mess to Managed Project Complete

Battlefront: Double Door-Kitchen Base Cabinet

Upon completion of my first college English course, I was told by my boss, write a blog. Me? A blog? Seriously. About hardware? Yes. So, it begins.

I needed to think how to approach the subject. I have a kitchen that is less than Better Homes and Garden quality. We sell pretty much any organization item a person could want for their kitchen, except for a personal chef. This could work! Looking around my kitchen I feel the need! The need (not for speed, Maverick) the need for a pot and pan organizer if we are gonna cook that Goose. Christmas has come and gone but not the heaping pile of pots, pans and mismatched lids. It isn’t easy finding the right pot and lid when you have to remove half a cabinet of chaos, only to realize the pan you needed is already on the stove. You put everything back in the cabinet and take one step away when you hear the crash and clang of the avalanche falling out on the floor.

As you can see from my before pictures, I am speaking from experience! I got home today ready to tackle the cabinet under my stove top. Low and behold, the cabinet door was slightly open and the piles of pans were poised for attack! I was armed with the Rev-A-Shelf 5CW2-1222-CR Cookware Organizer and also the Rev-A-Shelf 5WB2-1522-CR  Double Pullout Chrome Basket. I had called my son earlier to get the cabinet door opening measurements so I would bring home the right sized units.

I have a shelf that needed to be removed before I could install the units. After removing the towers of pans and lids, I got the tools together to tackle the shelf that was impeding my progress. A jig saw and hammer was all I needed to make short work of the tiny and basically useless shelf that had been yet another perch of attack in the cabinet.

As with any project, I had a little flaw in the game plan. I have double doors.  The right side  was the intended  for the 5WB2 unit. I have a 15″ opening but the door does not fully open as it is against a blind corner cabinet. The door to the right only opened to a 90° angle. The hinges use an inch of the door opening space available. Change of attack plan.  The 5WB2 would not be installed in the right opening. The 5WB2 is a  15″ wide unit, so it will now be installed on the left and the 5CW2 in the right opening, as it is 12″ wide.

Products used in Mess to Managed Project

Assembly of the unit was relatively painless. A few screws to attach the drawer slides and supports and the 5CW2-1222-CR Cookware Organizer was ready to attach to the bottom of the cabinet. It was basically the same procedure for the 5WB2-1522-CR Chrome Pull-out Shelf Unit.

Last step was to rewash the pots, pans and lids that had been long forgotten in the rear of the cabinet and place them in the organizers. It was not a difficult installation at all. Had I realized just how simple it was going to be, I would have done this long ago!

I hope you found my first entry entertaining and informative. I have other cabinets that are equally as messy and disorganized as my pot and pan cabinet. I will not hesitate to let you see the before and after shots of my “Mess To Managed” projects.

Football season is fast approaching which means my guys will be in the home theater watching the big game. This will leave me alone in the kitchen and able to tackle another cabinet.

The items I used:

1. 5CW2-1222-CR
2. 5WB2-1522-CR
3. Jigsaw
4. Hammer
5. Phillips Head Screwdriver (I used a Power Drill with Phillips Head Bit “More Power” Tim The Tool Man Taylor would be proud)

Before and after pictures of the Double Door-Face Frame-Base Cabinet project.

    

Top Ways to Organize Your Kitchen on a Tight Budget

Let’s face it, times are tough for most people these days. We’ve got some ideas to make your life a little bit easier and not break the bank.

Your kitchen is the heart of your home. It’s not only a living  and entertaining area, but a work area too. A bit of organization can go a long way to reducing the stress level in your everyday hectic life. So here are my “Big Bang for the Buck Items”

Rev-A-Shelf RV-18KD-2 S White Double Pull-Out Waste Container

The kitchen waste container may be the most used item in your kitchen, if not the whole house. The only other thing that can rival it is the fridge. The Rev-A-Shelf RV-KD series starts at $57.50 and runs up to the $85.77 range and is a very economical way to hide the trash can away, yet be fully functional and practical for recycling and sorting trash.  If you decide now or later, you can mount your cabinet door to the unit with the RV-Door Mount Kit, so it’s one easy pull to access the trash.

Rev-A-Shelf 2 Prong Pull-Out Towel Bar

Our pull out dish towel bars are also an inexpensive accessory it get those dish rags off the countertop and hung up so they dry quickly. OVISonline.com has 3 versions to choose from. My favorite is actually the least expensive ($13.37), the 563-51-c two prong pull out towel bar. As opposed to the 3 prong models it has a ball bearing slide, and travels much smoother. They also make great gift items. OVIS  also has an even cheaper white and chrome fixed towel bar that can mount to the back of a cabinet door.

Rev-A-Shelf 6572-14 Tip Out Tray for sink fronts

Tip Out Trays for your sink fronts are a nice functional storage organizer that keeps scouring pads, sponges, soap, and other clutter from around your sink. For most face frame sink base cabinets, a double 14″ kit works out nicely. It comes with two trays and two pairs of hinges. One tray is called the standard, which is completely smooth. The second tray is called an accessory tray and has a ridged  divider for holding a bar of soap so it doesn’t stick and has a ring post to put your rings on while doing the heavy lifting. The 6572-14 is available in white and almond for less than $19. OVISonline.com also has a wide variety  of sizes in stainless steel. And for easy cleanup, just lift them off and throw them in the top rack of the dishwasher.

Rev-A-Shelf RT Series Drawer Organizers

Rev-A-Shelf’s Rolling Tray Drawer Organizers fill the bill for increasing and organizing your cutlery, silverware and utility drawers. This series of drawer organizers has 2 levels. The bottom level is like a regular drawer divider, but has grooves that the wheels on the upper tray ride in. The top tray rolls to the front or back to access the bottom tray. The top tray can also be easily lifted out for even more access. Prices run for $26 to $37. The RT series is available in many sizes and must be cut to fit your drawer. This ensures a perfect fit so it doesn’t slide around in your drawer. There are two ways of cutting these. One is to score the plastic with a utility knife and then snap the waste off and smooth it up with some sandpaper. The other is to use a tablesaw. Either way make sure to cut equal amounts off each side so it’s centered, and measure twice and cut once! Contact us if you need  help with sizes.

Rev-A-Shelf 4SBSU Sink Base Door Organizer

The Rev-A-Shelf 4SBSU Series ($37-$47) is designed for a sink base cabinet, but I think it can be used in many different ways. Of course cleaners, scouring pads and like, as pictured. But what about foil, plastic wrap, food storage bags, garbage bags. In a food storage cabinet it could hold tall skinny items like pasta, cooking oil, chop sticks and skewers, let you imagination run wild.

Have a great idea? Let us know in the comments section below

Kitchen Organization for Mom’s on the Go

Everyone knows when you’re organized your life runs much smoother. Well, how about start with the kitchen?  I know from being a working mother, of 5 kids, that time and organization are key, especially, when it comes to preparing dinner.  So, an organized kitchen for me and I’m sure a lot of you mothers out there is crucial. OVISonline.com offers a variety of very simple retrofit items that have definitely eased some of my kitchen woes.  Have  you seen one of the newer waste container designs from Rev-A-Shelf – the 4WCBM Rev-A-Motion Series Waste Container Unit?  It’s amazing!  I have

Rev-A-Motion, 4WCBM-18DM-2, Double 35 Qt Waste Containe

the 4WCBM-18DM-2 designed for the standard 18 inch base cabinet but it is available in many different size options.   I love it because you barely have to exert any effort to open and close the unit  and when you are doing so a million times while cooking dinner, this gas-spring assisted unit is a lifesaver.

Another timesaver option that I have found to be helpful was the simple installation of a Lazy Susan. The 28 inch Kidney  Lazy Susan – 6472-28-15-52 – in my corner base cabinet has helped me organize my canned goods so that I can find the things I need to cook with in a cinch!

Rev-A-Shelf, 5CW2-2122-CR, 21" Cookware Organizer

I keep my pots and pans organized with our Chrome Cookware Organizer which comes in two sizes – the 5CW2-1222-CR and the 5CW2-2122-CR and of course, I had to have the larger unit! Now I’m not searching all over the place for my lids and pans that coordinate.  This unit is designed with a double pull-out shelving system that stores the lids on the top and pans on the bottom. LOVE!

Other easy, accessible organizers for the “Mom on the Go” that I use to make my kitchen tasks roll along are the simple but handy 18 inch Chrome Tray Dividers - 597-18CR-52, also available in a  White Finish  and 2 different sizes of 12 inch and 18 inch.  I use those to organize my cookie sheets, baking stones, etc.

I have also installed a couple of the U-Shape Tray Dividers – 596-10CR-52 in the cabinet above my refrigerator. I found this space to be useless until I saw these items. Now I put my cookbooks in them for quick easy access to all my favorite recipes. You can use them for many other storage items as well, as they are compact and sturdy. It really has a million possibilities for

Rev-A-Shelf, 596-10CR-52, Tray Divider

organizational uses be it in the kitchen or not. I have even had some of my customers tell me that they have installed them in their offices on shelves to store their books, etc.  All of the items I have mentioned are simple to install – all you need is a screwdriver and a measuring tape. Yes, it’s that simple! As always, I recommend that you double check all your measurements before ordering to insure proper fit. Our new website offers specification sheets you can download for almost every item in our web store.
What do you find makes your life flow easier in the kitchen? Perhaps you can give me some tips.

Kitchen Aid Mixer Storage – No Problem with the Mixer Lift

Rev-A-Shelf, RAS-ML-HDCR, Heavy Duty Mixer Lift

For all you fabulous cooks and bakers out there who are are addicted to your Heavy Duty Kitchen Mixer – We have the perfect solution for not only storing your mixer out of the way but also making it easier on your back with the RAS-ML-HDCR – Heavy Duty Mixer Lift.

Once you have this item, you will wonder how you ever got along without it! This mixer lift unit, creates a way to store your mixer and easily lift it up out of your cabinet, without exerting any strain to your back  everytime you want to use it.  Plus, you get the added bonus of eliminating countertop clutter by neatly stowing your heavy duty mixer in your cabinet.  No more lifting!  Just open your cabinet door and let the lift system do all the work of  bringing your mixer up to countertop height with a simple tug.

Mixer Lift in Stop Motion

A great bonus to this item is that it can installed into any size width of cabinet.  However, you cannot install the Rev-A-Shelf Mixer Lift into any cabinet that has a drawer.   This unit generally requires a full-height cabinet.  Don’t forget – you will need to have a piece of wood cut to fit across the arms once the unit has been installed to serve as your shelf.  This will allow you to match they type/color of wood you desire to match your cabinetry.

All of the necessary specifications and instructions are listed under this product on our website at OVISonline.com if you would like to inquire about the measurements needed or any installation questions you may have.

Check out the product reviews for the RAS-ML-HDCR to see what I’m telling is true – You Are Going To LOVE This Mixer Lift!