I’m trying something new friends.  At least once a week I stand in a room in my house and say to my husband “I love <insert random thing here> so much.”  And it’s not to pat myself on the back for my good shopping choices, it’s to revel in a simple thing that I can’t believe I lived most of my adult life without.   I know I always appreciate it when other bloggers share products that they love, so I’m going to do my own twist on that idea and share products (and ideas) that I use in different spaces in my house — starting with the room I profess my love for the most, my kitchen.

I’ve mentioned some of these in older posts, but I thought it would be helpful to group together in one place and build upon this list as time goes on.  None of these products are sponsored, and while some are affiliate links (meaning that I would get a super small percentage if you purchase something) these are all products I bought independently, use pretty much every day, and would recommend.

Dinner Plate Shelves – I always hated unloading the dishwasher and having to un-stack plates just to re-stack them, but these super simple (and cheap) Dinner Plate Shelves make me deliriously happy every time I put the dishes away now!

Garlic Keeper – This is one of my newest purchases which I bought when I moved some storage around.  I bought this guy from World Market just because I thought it was pretty cute, but I have been AMAZED at how well it actually keeps my garlic fresh!

Keep a salt cellar, pepper grinder, and oil dispenser next to your stove – I am a big fan of keeping my counter-tops very clear (I actually store my toaster in a cabinet for this reason) but I do keep out the staples that I use daily.  If you like to cook do yourself a favor and invest in a salt cellar for kosher salt (I just bought my dad this one from Hearth and Hand) a simple pepper grinder, and a glass dispenser for olive oil that you can refill  and keep within arms reach while you’re cooking.

Cabinet Organization – There are those areas in of all of our homes that fill us with an unhealthy amount of anxiety, but I truly believe that there are solutions out there to organize these messes and make a huge improvements in our lives.  Now raise your hand if one of those areas is under your sink, your pots/pans/lids, or your crazy collection of tupperware!  I know they were for me, but these three amazing under cabinet organizers from Rev-A-Shelf are probably hands down the best investment I’ve made in my kitchen and well worth the somewhat high price tag (Under Sink Tray  |  Pots/Pans organizer  |  Tupperware organizer}.  A word of advice – with any of these products make sure that you measure very well and pick products that will comfortably fit in your space.

Pull Out Trash Can – The one we have is also a Rev-a-Shelf product but I wanted to specifically call this one out and recommend especially to anyone who has a dog who likes to get into the trash can!  We tried everything to secure our old trash can, but eventually we ended up just bringing the whole thing into the bathroom every time we left the house because nothing worked and we would come home to a floor full of garbage over and over again.  Every since we installed this thing 3 years ago I think our dog has only gotten into it once, and that was because we had left it slightly open and he was able to yank it out.

Touch Faucet – This guy is definitely a bit of a splurge, and not at all a necessity, but if you need to replace a kitchen faucet like we did and are looking for some fun SMARThome technology, we all love our Delta Touch Faucet.  It’s easy to install yourself and I love that my son can reach it to get himself a glass of water because all he has to do is touch any part of the faucet instead of turning the knob in the back, which he can’t reach without jumping up on the countertop.

Organize your Kitchen by Function  – I think a lot of people are familiar with the “coffee bar” idea and the benefits of having all of your favorite beverage supplies in one place, but to really make the most of your kitchen try to apply that philosophy to every area.  I keep my knives next to my trash can since I always chop right next to it; I keep all of my baking supplies in the middle of my island because me and my boys do all of our mixing there; my pots/pans, spatulas, tongs, and spoons all live right next to the stove.

Hopefully you all enjoyed this little round up – if it helps spark the desire to tackle your own kitchen I’ll leave you with my last words of advice….before you tackle any organization assess what you have and de-clutter!!  Get rid of anything broken, donate anything collecting dust, and keep only what makes your life better.