Home Life Series Part 1-Kitchen & a Link up!

Deciding which room I would begin with for this Home Life series was not a hard decision. So much of life happens in the kitchen-so lets just jump right in! I love bright colors in a kitchen, and I'm sure these favorite/most used items of mine will definitely reflect that.

These bowls were one of the first things I purchased for our kitchen right before we got married-


When I walked into Anthropologie that day I was greeted by a bright and beautiful display of these latte bowls in more colors than I can remember. When I picked one up I was pleasantly surprised by the $5 price tag on the bottom and immediately started choosing my colors. $5 may seem a bit steep for just a small bowl, but I can't tell you how much good use I get out of these daily. They are dishwasher safe, microwave safe, and "us" safe (that's saying something. we're kind of clumsy.) I use these for quick snacks, meal times, or just to re-heat leftovers in. and a year later out of the 8 I purchased there's not a scratch or chip out of one. They are still all in perfect condition-and I really have used the heck out of them! But they are also pretty enough to entertain with. These bowls can make a drab table come to life in color!

I also picked up their co-star with these mini versions of latte bowls-


These were I think $2.50 a piece. Once again-microwave and dishwasher safe. I use them all the time for dipping sauces or gravy or salad dressing. When I bought them this was my only purchase I was slightly "iffy" about, but turns out I use them all the time!

I grew up in a paper towel kind of house. I know they have benefits of convenience, and I do fall back on them sometimes. But when we were registering for our wedding I knew that I wanted to be a little more environmentally conscious where I could, and save us some money. So I went on a mission to find really cute kitchen towels-because let's be real, if something is cute I'm going to be more likely to use it-and I found them here.



These towels are from Martha Stewart and they are great quality! In a year I've only had 1 towel (out of about 10/12) fray a bit at the ends.
Along the same lines of using more kitchen towels instead of paper towels, I also wanted some nice cloth napkins! I found these at Target (I can't see where they still sell these particular ones anymore, but they do still sell some great ones)


Target is also where I got these great salt and pepper shakers!!

I wanted something that was simple, but not boring, and would go with any season/holiday! (Yes-I probably put way too much thought into something silly like salt and pepper shakers, but they're at the center of the table for every meal!) I looked for quite a while and finally found them here.

Now onto food storage. Here's just a random tip that I've learned works best for us

When purchasing food storage go for square/rectangular containers over bowls! This is a small idea but it's made such a difference in how much refrigerator space we have. I do use our Tupperware bowls sometimes, but more often than not, I reach for these "flatter" shaped containers. They fit and stack perfectly and make the refrigerator seem so much bigger! For example:


You can find the ones pictured here.

The mixing bowls I definitely grab for first when cooking are these.

These are plastic, but they are a sturdy and durable plastic. I use my hand mixer with these bowls all the time and have never had a problem with scratches. I love all the different sizes that came with this set, and the spout has really come in handy as well when pouring batter. I'm not sure if they still sell these exact ones, but I got these from JCPenney.

Next up, mason jars. I think I started using these kicking and screaming the whole way because it seemed like a silly fad. All of a sudden mason jars were like the new "chic" thing and everyone had them. So I resisted. I'm an individual anyways-and a stubborn one at that. But somehow I caved and got a pack of them at Wal-Mart one day. And what do you know, I use those crazy things all the time.

These are perfect for whipping up salad dressing or marinade-anything that needs to be shaken up. On the mornings that my coffee has gotten cold and I'm still not ready to pour it out, I typically pour the leftover coffee in a mason jar full of ice, with caramel sauce and creamer. (Disclaimer: I'm not recommending that much sugar and caffeine before 9 am is a good idea. But it definitely a delicious one. Moving on to a more healthy idea...)I also love using mason jars for fresh fruit on the go. It's convenient because mason jars fit in most cup holders, and once again, if it looks pretty I'm most likely to use/eat it.


Plastic wrap/Ziploc bag storage:

Nothing special is happening here except one thing that I wanted to make note about. Always keep a marker in the same place you store these kinds of things! This makes it super easy to label leftovers or freezer bags when I'm freezing food.

I also always keep a container of bulldog clips in a kitchen drawer!

It might sound odd, but these are the perfect and cheapest fix for opened bags and packages of food in the kitchen!

This tip isn't exactly a pretty one-so I always simply stick it under the kitchen sink when I'm not using it or when guests are coming over. But this has been such a convenient help!

I noticed that we use a ton of cups with lids that have to be washed by hand and I always hated doing them! So I finally came up with keeping this inexpensive giant plastic bowl near the sink that I simply fill with hot soapy water and drop in the lids and other small pieces. This way I don't have to fish them out of the sink. It's the little things that help the most to me!

My favorite cleaner for kitchen countertops

This is a non-toxic cleaner, and doesn't have a strong "chemical" scent to it, so I feel good about using it in our kitchen. It is also a great price because you dilute the product! You can get a gallon for about $11 here. You definitely get the most bang for your buck here seeing as I clean my countertops daily and my gallon purchase is still half full a year later!

I saved the most important part for last. Memorizing scripture is very important to my husband and I, and we like to work on it as a family. So we have this wall hanging in the middle of our kitchen, because we realized that was where we spent the most time throughout the day. Every Monday we post a new scripture on the board to work on memorizing the upcoming week.


Alright now it's your turn! Grab a button and link up!!

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Part 1-Kitchen
Part 2-Bathroom
Part 3-Craft Room
Part 4-Laundry Room




Linking up with Crystal, Hip Homeschool Mom, Seven Alive, Anne,