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Elizabeth
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Real Learning
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Location: Virginia
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| Posted: April 20 2009 at 1:37pm | IP Logged
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MarilynW wrote:
| This is the last item on my nesting list!! |
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 That's a huge accomplishment and such a blessing. You're sure to enjoy your babymoon.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Angel
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| Posted: April 22 2009 at 12:27pm | IP Logged
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I'm working on my kitchen, too. (Must be in the air.) I cleaned out the refrigerator and reorganized my "pantry" (2 cabinets and a skinny closet) yesterday, and I did the pots and pans cabinet this morning... although my toddler followed me into it and reorganized everything for me. (Helpful, he is.)
Anyway, I'm wondering... I would dearly love to have clear counters, but. In addition to having a husband who drops all his tools on my counters, and kids who do the same with toys, shoes, and dirty socks  ... I don't really have anywhere to put appliances. Do any of you have Kitchen-Aids, and if so, do you put those in cabinets? Mine is so big and heavy, but it does take up a lot of counter space. (Or, maybe I'm just afraid of forgetting it if I put it behind a closed door!  )
I also think I'm going to have to dismantle my file crate. It just takes up too much space. Maybe if I could hang something on the wall...
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Angela
Mom to 9, 7 boys and 2 girls
Three Plus Two
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: April 22 2009 at 2:46pm | IP Logged
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Just now seeing this...after attempting unsuccessfully to clean out my kitchen this morning!  Well, not entirely unsuccessfully, but it looks like a bomb went off at the moment.
I'm struggling with the counter space issue. I like clean counters, but if the appliances aren't out, I don't use them. Its a pain to pull out the bread mixer every time. Dh uses his coffemaker daily, so that's a non negotiable on the counter. The toaster is out because it gets used a lot, too. And the vitamix, which gets used daily. And the big electric griddle that gets used daily for grilled cheese, quesadillas, etc. You see my dilemma...I am using these things a lot so I want them handy, but I don't like how it looks!
The other thing I'm doing is getting rid of dishes that don't hold a large-family amount of food. I've had 2 qut glass lidded casseroles since we got married. They don't hold enough food for all 8 of us, so they are going to my mother's house to make room for an oversized turkey roaster.
The plastics are my downfall, though. My kids empty the dishwasher and just toss them in and slam the door shut before they cascade out (and then the 1 1/2 yr old comes along and pulls out whatever didn't fall out when he opened the door. I am all ears for a better strategy. I am working on having the kids do a better job, but part of the problem is that they just don't stack nicely. I'm beginning to wonder if I should just start over with a new set that all stacks inside itself???
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Blessings,
~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and  due 9/10
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MarilynW
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| Posted: April 22 2009 at 2:54pm | IP Logged
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Here is my blog post on my kitchen organization
Training my children to put things away properly is a big one!!! The boys, ahem, I think play games with plates etc (I don't really want to know) how we have so many breakages - especially with the granite countertop which is ruthless on china!
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Marilyn
Blessed with 6 gifts from God
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Anne McD
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| Posted: April 23 2009 at 11:23am | IP Logged
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Hi Angela,
I keep my kitchen aid in the back corner of the countertop. I suppose I see it as an "object d'art"
Personally, I'm fine with keeping the few big stuff we use on a regular basis on the countertops. Its last night's dinner and a week's worth of crumbs that I have a problem with!
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Anne
Wife to Jon
Mommy to Alex 9
James 8
Katie 6
William 3 1/2
Benedict Joseph 1
and baby on the way! 10/14
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: April 23 2009 at 5:53pm | IP Logged
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Bookswithtea wrote:
| I'm struggling with the counter space issue. I like clean counters, but if the appliances aren't out, I don't use them. Its a pain to pull out the bread mixer every time. Dh uses his coffemaker daily, so that's a non negotiable on the counter. The toaster is out because it gets used a lot, too. And the vitamix, which gets used daily. And the big electric griddle that gets used daily for grilled cheese, quesadillas, etc. You see my dilemma...I am using these things a lot so I want them handy, but I don't like how it looks! |
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I was wasting time--er, I mean doing some research today and came across this which made me think of this thread. I thought that it was such an attractive way of keeping the appliances on the counter for easy use but "put away" (you have to scroll down to the picture of kitchen cabinets extending down to the counter surface. Kitchen Idea
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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KC in TX
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| Posted: April 23 2009 at 7:30pm | IP Logged
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Jenn, I like the idea of magazine holders for bills and miscellaneous paper stuff. That's what sits on my counters for months! 
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KC,
wife to Ben (10/94),
Mama to LB ('98)
Michaela ('01)
Emma ('03)
Jordan ('05)
And, my 2 angels, Rose ('08) and Mark ('09)
The Cabbage Patch
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: April 23 2009 at 8:22pm | IP Logged
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KC in TX wrote:
| Jenn, I like the idea of magazine holders for bills and miscellaneous paper stuff. That's what sits on my counters for months! |
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Me too! Yesterday, I got a package of cardboard ones from our basement and adjusted a shelf in a cabinet to put them on. I liked your idea about labeling by person, too!
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Servant2theKing
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| Posted: April 24 2009 at 11:58am | IP Logged
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You ladies are such an inspiration! I have been dreading the task of organizing certain hotspots in our home, due to an inordinate amount of papers and misc. that had accumulated, especially since my mother's death last Spring. Since most of the clutter involved my mother's paperwork and belongings, as well as ours, it was particularly daunting. This morning, after reading several posts, and some BLOGs, on organizing, I decided to tackle our family command center. After only a couple hours concentrated purging, I am amazed at the difference...I actually survived the ordeal! Finally, thanks to some Real inspiration, I'm once again able to enjoy our "family command center", which my husband so lovingly created when we moved into this home. There is indeed life after chaos...thank you ladies!
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All for Christ, our Saviour and King, servant
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LeeAnn
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| Posted: April 24 2009 at 12:32pm | IP Logged
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I have a small amount of counter space too. I hate keeping things there, but really don't have anywhere else to put the microwave, bread machine, foreman grill, paper towels, knife block, kitchen tools, etc. My kitchen, if you can believe it, has only five tiny drawers. I can't even get all my kitchen towels into those drawers. I do have a big set of shelves in the laundry room that I keep holiday and bulk items in. But I need to go through it all again and pare down. One thing I am considering is having my husband cut doors in the backside of our peninsula to get better access to the lower cabinets and especially that worthless corner space that is impossible to reach.
My personal waterloo is tote bags. I have several around the house that are unpacked from various events. I try to keep the counters clear but it's a constant uphill battle.
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my four children are 17, 15, 11 & 8 - all now attend public school - we read many 4Real recommended books at home
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: April 24 2009 at 12:43pm | IP Logged
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My kitchen has a small eat in space.. no where near big enough for our family to use as a dining area.. it's my office area.. and kitchen overflow.. for instance I added a 3 drawer dresser to the end of the counter.. it's too low for work space but it's great for the coffee pot and canisters.. and then the drawers are for bread and onions and canning utensils. Before it died my kitchen aid lift mixer sat there with the attachments in the drawer with the canning utensils.
My big electric roaster sits on the file cabinet at the junction between kitchen and office space 
So there may be ways to expand the space.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: April 24 2009 at 2:54pm | IP Logged
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CrunchyMom wrote:
[
I was wasting time--er, I mean doing some research today and came across this which made me think of this thread. I thought that it was such an attractive way of keeping the appliances on the counter for easy use but "put away" (you have to scroll down to the picture of kitchen cabinets extending down to the counter surface. Kitchen Idea |
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Took me until now to check this out. How cool is that??? Definitely something to keep in mind when I redo countertops...
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Blessings,
~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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JennGM
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| Posted: April 24 2009 at 3:28pm | IP Logged
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CrunchyMom wrote:
KC in TX wrote:
| Jenn, I like the idea of magazine holders for bills and miscellaneous paper stuff. That's what sits on my counters for months! |
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Me too! Yesterday, I got a package of cardboard ones from our basement and adjusted a shelf in a cabinet to put them on. I liked your idea about labeling by person, too! |
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Glad it was helpful to you. It's my biggest problem, so that's the tip I remembered most!
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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Jen L.
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| Posted: April 24 2009 at 4:54pm | IP Logged
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Marilyn - did you get drawer organizers? I like the plastic one that I got at Ikea - very cheaply. They have some listed online, but not mine. It has given me less trouble and is easier to clean than any fancier wood ones that I've had (or cheapy Wal-mart ones!)
Your kitchen looks great!
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Jen
dh Klete,ds (8/95),dd (12/97), dd (11/00), and ^2^ in heaven
"...the best state in which to glorify God is our actual state; the best grace is that of the moment..." St. Peter Eymard
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Organizing kitchen cupboards and drawers
