Kitchen Organization (repost)

If there's any area of my life that can use a Life Hack, it's kitchen storage.

Specifically for pots and pans.

That, and teaching my kids not to slam the front door.

If I can get a handle on both those areas, 

life will take on a sparkle and shine that puts springtime to shame.

I don't have a before picture of my pots and pans cabinet for you,

but believe me when when I tell you

it was highly unorganized, unsightly, and inefficient.

And also a big mess.

Enter an email forward of a gargantuan collection of Life Hacks that featured these two ideas:

Pot lids stored on a curtain rod   ...    Pots and pans hanging on a tension rod

 (image credit)                                     (image credit)                

I was smitten.

And inspired.

And I had hope that a couple of curtain rods could solve all my problems.

This isn't a post about my own original ideas,
just evidence that if your pots and pans are in a big mess,
there are some really easy Life Hacks that can work for you, too!

I started with the tension rod (it's a shower rod) and curtain hooks.

To get the tension rod in there really snugly, 

I had to put it in not quite straight and then bump it into place.

I also used a binder clip on the rod to use as a stopper for the cookie sheets to keep them standing up -

this was another brilliant Life Hack idea.

Please let me apologize for the condition of my cookie sheet.

The $1.25 for a nice new shiny one exceeds my budget.

Of course I'm kidding. 

 I do not know why I am putting up with a rusty old cookie sheet.

I assure you the other side looks fine.

Once the rod is up securely, pots and pans go on the hooks and life is so sweet!

But wait!  There's more!!

How about those pot lids, Ladies?

Let's get them all organized, too!

The original idea was to mount a curtain rod across the inside of the cabinet door,

but then I saw another idea that didn't involve drilling holes }here{. 

Since I was a little afraid of drilling holes in the cabinet doors,

using adhesive Command Hooks seemed like a much better option.  

It's a fairly easy process - just figure out where you want your hooks and stick them on.  

They're also easy to remove.  

And there are extra adhesive-pads in the package in case you need them.

Ask me how I know :o)

Also: ask me if I'm glad I didn't use power tools to drill holes in those doors after all :o)

Once the hooks are up, you're in business!

I wasn't entirely sure the lids and the pans wouldn't clang together when the door closed,

but I just had faith that they wouldn't and forged ahead.

They don't, and here's a pic from the inside to make a believer out of you, too:

(it looks like the bottom lid is coming in contact with the pans but it isn't)

Now in all honestly I will tell you that if you slam the cabinet door carelessly,

a lid may go flying into the pans and make a great and terrible noise.

We must close the cabinet doors ... ah ... maturely. 

The family has been informed.

As I've been training my children for years not to slam the front door when they come and go,

I'm considering this a challenge round to further sharpen their door closing skills.  

I'm all for the better training and upbringing of our youth.

Especially if it means organized and orderly pots and pans!

I love those Life Hack people ... they make me feel so smart!