Graceful Order

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Gadget Drawer Organization

March 20, 2014 · by Maria · 7 Comments

The gadget drawer can either be a pleasure to open or a pleasure to close.  Mine used to be the latter.

I was never really happy with my gadget drawer(s) before.  I would put the items into baskets within the drawer but the organization never lasted.  The items would shift around in the drawer and I was back to square one.

I found these organizers about a year ago and they are called DrawerDecor.  I only bought one at a time because they were not inexpensive and I wanted to make sure they were worth the investment.

They are so worth it, I loved them instantly!

It is basically a repositionable basemat which you can cut-to-size, so that it perfectly fits your drawer.   The mat includes dividers that are also repositionable; you can adjust both the mat and the dividers to fit your gadgets or utensils.  If you ever need to change the positioning, you simply lift the matt or the dividers and use them over and over.  Genius.

They have them in an assortment of colors and since I am such a crazy gal…I chose…drumroll…NATURAL.

I totally meant to choose red or something more fun but let’s face it, my idea of fun involves rocking chairs.    Natural was the color for me.

Organizing Gadgets

I had more gadgets than I had dividers, but the cool thing is that since the mats are non-skid, I was able to place large items (like my kitchen timer) and they didn’t shift.

After I fell in love with this organizer, I ordered another set for my other gadget drawer.  However, I used the repositionable dividers that came with it, for the drawer pictured above and simply used the mat to hold larger items.

I placed all my timers and miscellaneous bowls and brushes in this drawer and they don’t shift at all.  I have had these organizers in place for over a year and they work great for me.

Organizing Gadgets

Of course, there are other ways to organize your drawer that don’t involve buying these mats.  This is just what worked for me.  I wonder if any other silicone mat will have a similar effect.  You wouldn’t have the dividers but it may hold the larger items.  Also, acrylic dividers that come in different shapes are a good option.

So lets get to work.

1.  The first step in organizing your gadget drawer is to take out all the utensils and gadgets.  This is very important because once the items are out of the drawer, you will be pickier with what you allow back in.

2.  Get rid of doubles.  Unless we are talking about timers.  In that case you need 14.  I am kidding, but I do collect them and around the holidays I actually use quite a few of them, at once.

3.  Lastly, get rid of gadgets that you don’t ever use.  Sometimes we have the best of intentions when we buy something and it just ends up taking up space.  I usually give items away so that I don’t feel guilty about not keeping them.

You will be left with your favorite tools — the ones that make cooking more fun.  Your drawer will now be a pleasure to open!

You can find the organizers that I mentioned in my amazon store HERE
.  I only recommend products that I love and have made my life easier or prettier.  This one checks off both boxes.

How do you organize your gadgets?  A crock, in the drawers like me?

Filed Under: Kitchen, Top Navigation · Tagged: Gadgets, Kitchen, Kitchen Organization, Utensils

Kitchen: Refrigerator Organization

June 27, 2013 · by Maria · 6 Comments

Give them food and they will come…the fridge.  Everyone congregates in the kitchen and everyone is always checking out what there is to eat in the refrigerator.  With all the hands coming in and out of the refrigerator it is bound to get messy fast.  There are ways that I have discovered to minimize the mess.  Here I will share with you how I organize the refrigerator in my home.  These systems work for me and maybe they can work for you too.

The fridge.  We have had this refrigerator for about 5 years now.  When it is clean it is perfection.  When it’s not….its gross.  I have to clean it everyday to keep it looking like this.  It’s part of my night routine to give it a little wipe down before I sit down to watch some TV with the boys.  Considering that I have a toddler that is always putting his little sticky hands on the freezer drawer, it doesn’t stay clean for very long.  I must admit it is kind of cute when I see his little hand print there at the end of the day.  When I see my 40-year-old husbands hand print it isn’t quite as cute 🙂 .

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Here it is on the inside:

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It’s ready for its close-up!

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The first thing I want to share with you are these adorable fridge coasters that you can see below and also peeking through the picture above.  They are so cute!  This proves that you can bring beauty to anything and everything.  They are from fridgecoaster.com and they are very absorbent and should be changed out as often as you change out your water filter unless they are still in great shape.  They come in many colors and designs.  I couldn’t decide on one design so I mixed and matched different designs in the yellow.   I don’t endorse the product, I just love it.  I will be doing a giveaway on the coasters at a later date so I will keep you posted!

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You see the huge blue water bottle?  How could you not?  Well, here is the story behind it:  I used to buy individual water bottles which I would later recycle.  The recycling helped me feel better about the environment but not about the BPA that was in the bottles.  I found these gallons at Whole Foods Market and they are BPA free and just cents to refill.  I place two of these in the bin (I took one out so that you could see the cute coaster).

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Here is the deli drawer.  My favorite drawer (also my toddlers favorite because it’s the only one he can reach) because somehow it stays organized most of the time.  I purchased the clear refrigerator containers that you see below and they help keep the items from shifting and the refrigerator clean from spills.

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More bins!  I have one container that I use exclusively to hold meat that is defrosting or marinating.  So many times I have had to clean one whole side of the refrigerator because of some spill from meat…gross.  This avoids that problem so I don’t put anything else in the large shallow container.  Next to it is a smaller container that I use for the boys juice boxes.  My 9-year-old started taking his lunch to school so I grab a juice from here everyday.

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Below is where I place the milk and creamer since I now place the large water gallons on the door bin.  As you can see the shelves on my refrigerator don’t line up.  I move them around to fit what I currently have in the fridge.  I have a really tall space for the milk and then a really narrow space for tortillas and small items.  You can really maximize the space in your refrigerator if you do this.  The bins on the door are also removable and I have moved those around as well.  Most newer refrigerators have bins and shelves that can be repositioned.

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The freezer.  I don’t like it.  I love the rest of the fridge so much that I just try to work with the space in the freezer.  We have to have a separate freezer in the garage because this one is so small and I can’t stock up here.  Also the ice bin takes up quite a bit of space.  In the top wire bin I keep homemade chicken stock and homemade waffles.  The bottom wire rack has an awkward shape so I just place things in there the best I can.  I do love the design of the fridge and having the freezer in the bottom.  I just think the freezer should have a better design.  Oh well!  That’s a first world problem.  Not a big deal!

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Enjoy organizing your refrigerator and thank God for the sticky hands!

Maria 

Filed Under: Kitchen, Top Navigation · Tagged: Bins, BPA Free, Containers, Freezer, Fridge, Fridge Coasters, Gadgets, Kitchen and Dining, Organization, Refrigerator, Whole Foods Market

Welcome! I'm Maria, the blogger behind Graceful Order. I hope to share with you helpful ideas about organizing, cleaning and entertaining. I am passionate about living a healthy, balanced life with my husband and two boys. A life where I am in charge of my home and not the other way around. A life with a little bit of order, and a whole lot of grace!

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