Holiday Hangover or Lovely Afterglow?

Yes, I know the December holiday season is over, but I like to linger in the afterglow. I enjoy the slowness of the week between Christmas and New Year. I don't hurry to take down the tree, I continue to bake sweets, and I spend as much time as possible under a cozy blanket watching my favorite holiday films.

Despite my best intentions, I still find myself scrambling to wrap things up in the last days leading up to the holiday. So, after the hustle and joyful chaos of family, food prep, and cleaning before company and then after, I am perfectly content to enjoy the atmosphere of Christmas a little longer.

That being said, it is now 2024 and the gears of society are warming up once more, signaling that it is time for me to stir, rise, and rejoin.

Of course, that means routine, planning, organization, and all of the things that keep the machine well-oiled, right? I can't even be upset about it. If there is anything I like as much as the warm, soft glow of lights on a tree, it is discovering new ways to be organized. Especially since I live in such a small space.

I moved here almost a year ago and have been methodically working on creating a user-friendly space that doesn't feel cluttered. The room I have focused on the most has been the kitchen. It was a storage and utility room in the basement before I lived here and I was lucky enough to have a hand in its design. It's charming and simple, just what I wanted, However, I am mindful of the limited square footage and put a lot of thought into creating functionality. If you have a small kitchen, as well, or just appreciate small space solutions, then these finds may be for you. They have rapidly become some of my favorite items.

1. A prep table. I did loads of research, price comparisons, and review reading before making this purchase. I took charge of the entire dinner from apps to dessert for our family get-together in November and knew that I had to have this if I was to be able to accomplish such a feat. I also knew that it would be utilized daily in lieu of the scant countertop betwixt my sink and stove. Has it ever! It arrived in mid-November and still brings a smile to my face with every entrance I make into the room. I love that it is moveable, unlike many islands, and it has a bottom shelf for easy access to my most often-used items. The openness of it is ideal because it doesn't block your line of sight to the other side of the room the way a solid island would. The contrast of stainless steel in the midst of warm, luxury vinyl and teak countertops is lovely.

2. Magnetic storage. Oh my goodness, magnetic storage! I scored two very cool items recently that I am currently a bit obsessed with. Again, with a small space, it is really important to be mindful of what I put in it and that means it has to be pretty and functional. Since countertop space is prime real estate, I look for ways to keep as much of it freed up as possible. If it can be a display piece, even better. This magnetic knife strip is both gorgeous and a 10/10 on functionality. I opened it, wiped it down, and slapped it onto the side of my vent-a-hood. It holds my bread knife, chef knife, cleaver, and paring knife easily. If I someday have a large kitchen with lots of drawers and countertops, I will still use this. Being officially enamored with magnetic storage, I also purchased a set of magnetic shelves to place on the side of my fridge next to my little coffee bar. Once more, points for moveability and prettiness. I already had a single-brew coffee maker and now I have an iced coffee maker (Thanks, Mom!) so I needed a smart way to keep my syrups and ground coffee handy. This was the perfect solution. Both of these gems are under $30 each. Score!

3. While not a display piece, I have to shout out the tool that allowed me to food prep like a sous chef during the holidays. I was heavily influenced by strangers on the internet to make this purchase and I'm grateful to each and every one of them. The 8 in 1 vegetable chopper is like a grown-up version of the Play-Doh Fun Factory, just without the horror of it not working until you chisel away the dried-on bits. It has a catch tray and a blade organizer. This thing even has a juicer. Perhaps the best feature is that it has resulted in me not only buying more fresh fruit and veggies but actually eating them, too!

4. Honorable mention goes to the rotary cheese grater, simply because I didn't use it as much as the chopper, but it did make the pans on pans of ooey gooey mac and cheese much easier to make. We all know that freshly grated cheese is better for macaroni than the bagged kind. It just is. I don't make the rules.

I have a short list of things that make life in my little kitchen easier and prettier, but these are my most recent and, currently, most favorite items. They're basically my gifts to myself for the holiday which is something I do selfishly and without shame each year. I mean, everything goes on sale, so why not treat yourself?

So, here's to baking bread (or anything that requires enough prep space for dough), chopped salads, iced coffees, and everything covered in cheese in 2024!

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