• Home
  • About
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Blog Favorites
    • Awards & Interviews
  • Sponsor / Advertise
  • Article Categories
    • Business
    • Everyday Life
    • Guest Posts
    • Health
    • Holidays
    • Home
    • Inspirational / Spiritual
    • Organizing
    • Parenting
    • Pregnancy
    • Product Reviews
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Hire Me for Painting!!!
    • MURAL PAINTING
    • FACE PAINTING

Painter Mommy

Fun stuff in the Everyday Life of a Busy Mom & Entrepreneur

Cozy Cooking – 5 Ingenious Ways to Save Space in a Small Kitchen

April 22, 2019 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

Photo by Brooke Lark on Stocksnap

If you live in in a small home, a studio apartment, or a big city where space is at a premium, and you love to cook, you may feel frustrated some days by the minuscule size of your kitchen. There is hope! Instead of allowing the size to discourage you, you could flip your perspective and enjoy the creative challenge of a small kitchen. Below are five ingenious ways you can kill it in the kitchen when the space is tight.

 

  1. Don’t be Afraid to Hang Things

Get out the hammer, nails, and ruler and prepare yourself to hang everything you can. Get your knives up off the counter onto magnetic strips, capture potholders on wall grids, and scoop up your measuring spoons into little containers that you can string off of racks with hooks. When shelf space is a struggle, don’t be afraid to hang your cookware from your ceiling above your stove. Another way to save space and make cooking more convenient is to attach your most commonly used utensils on the wall above your stove.

 

  1. Get Vertical

What can’t fit in drawers could go up! Vertical shelving could be your ticket to additional storage on your counters, above your appliances or in any open space. If you remove the doors, you can add an artistic flair to your kitchen as you thoughtfully decorate with pieces like mixing bowls and mugs. If you do incorporate open shelving, consider investing in either matching or purposefully mismatching jars to store your various flours, grains, and spices—your kitchen will look attractive, clean and organized!

 

  1. Roll Whatever You Can

Your small kitchen most likely does not include a kitchen island, so consider purchasing a rolling island to create some additional counter space anywhere in the kitchen. Another option on wheels is a tiered storage or bar cart that you can seasonally decorate and scoot from place to place easily if company arrives. Finally, if you are feeling crafty, you could consider making your very own rolling pantry.

 

  1. Enlarge your Cutting Board

If you are struggling for space to chop your vegetables or roll out your pie dough, you may want to invest in a cutting board that fits over the top of an open drawer, your sink or the stove. You will immediately gain counter space instead of your cutting board monopolizing precious real estate.

 

  1. Fold Up Your Kitchen Table

Don’t worry, this is not where you go back to your early twenties and eat off a folding card table—instead, it is where you might consider adding a table that can fold up into your wall, similar to the functionality of a murphy bed. Instead of a typical kitchen table chair, you could use a soft bench to create a seamless flow to the room when the table is folded up and make the absence of the table less obvious.

If you enjoy cooking you are going to spend a great deal of time in your kitchen, so why not create something that captures your style while strategically allowing you to save space? When shelving is tight, don’t be afraid to add more and go vertical. Maximize your counter space by hanging whatever you can, finding a cutting board that fits over your sink and adding a rolling island or bar cart. You can even throw tradition to the wind and put in a kitchen table that folds up into the wall. Allow your small kitchen to morph from your nemesis to your most significant accomplishment.

How to Get Rid of Ants From Inside of Your House

August 29, 2018 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

Seeing a few ants every now and then is not the end of the world. But when a long trail of ants is being spotted marching across the floor of your house on a daily basis, this can be a cause for concern. Not only can ants  be a nuisance, but also they can create a health hazard by easily getting into your food causing contamination.

When it comes to controlling ants there are a few different treatment options available, you could  try to solve the problem by doing it yourself.

Here are six steps that will help you to effectively get rid of ants in your kitchen inside of your house and the backyard without the need of hiring a professional.

 

  1. Keep the Area Clean

Ants are most likely to appear in your kitchen and bathrooms first, because of moisture and food being readily available there. All other rooms in your house can also attract ants if there is food left behind. For the most part, ants are drawn to, scattered crumbs on the floor, grease traces on the kitchen counter and sweet products in the pantry.

The most important in not attracting ant is to keep your kitchen area clean. Ensuring that you wash all your dishes and get rid of food stains from the counters is a very good start. Regularly sweeping and vacuuming the floor is always a great help too.

 

  1. Identify the Type of Ants

Ants are one of the most successful, well organized and structured insects. They live in colonies that range from a few hundred to many thousands of individual ants.

There are many different ant types around, but only a few common pest ant species in the urban environment are known to cause havoc inside homes and gardens. The very first step in successful ant control is to determine what type of ants are causing the problem. Take a closer look at them, or have them identified be a professional. Alternatively you can search for information about this particular ant  online in order to find as to what steps can be taken to keep them away from your house.

 

  1. Use Acidic Wips

If you see only a few ants in an area of your house, you can be sure that more will follow, especially if there is a smaller ant type infestation. What works well in preventing ants is, mixing one part of lemon juice with one part of water and using it for wiping all areas and surfaces on which ants are trailing.  Vinegar is also very effective and can be used, mixed with three parts of water for mopping the floors. Ants are deterred by all acidic products and lose their sense of following their tracks. It will eliminate the scent that the outside ants use to follow the trail of those who already inside.

 

  1. Locate and Kill the Ants Nest

When the odd ant appears it makes sense to spray it immediately. But if you are starting to see an army of ants regularly parading on your kitchen counter, it is a sign there may be a more serious issue. In this instance, it is always a good idea to find out where all the ants are coming from. Follow the trail and it will often lead you to the ants nest. You can use vinegar and water mix to kill the colony.

 

  1. Set up Ant baits

While finding the ants nests is not always possible, setting ant baits can be an excellent alternative. All ants are drawn to moisture and food and setting food baits for ants is the most effective way to get rid of these annoying pesky pests in your home. Ants will naturally find themselves going into those traps transferring the poison bait throughout the entire nest.

Once this happens the ant colony will be eliminated and all the ants should disappear. This is one of the better choices to ensure the entire nest is dead and ants are no longer an issue.

 

  1. Weigh up Your Options

It is it not always easy to engage in effective ant control during the hot summer months, especially when the problem gets out of hand. But if you keep the area clean, set bait and use ant traps, you will have a very good chance of eliminating the entire ants nest.

While getting rid of some ants may be an easy task, cases of a severe ant infestations may be best left for the professionals.

Top 10 Essentials For The Modern Kitchen

June 20, 2018 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

The ten essentials for the modern kitchen are important because they provide you with the things that are needed to cook well. You can cook anything that you want if you have all ten of these things, and it is very nice to have them in the drawer so that you can reach for them and get to cooking.

1. The Cleaver

The cleaver that you have in the kitchen helps you take bones off your cuts of meat, and it also helps you be certain that you have the meat cut easily. You can cut through these things without any trouble, and there are a lot of people who forgo the cleaver because they have never cut big portions of meat before.

 

2. The Peeler

You need a peeler so that you can get your vegetables and potatoes peeled. You also need to have your apples peeled when you are trying to have your apple pie look perfect. If it is very simple for you to cut anything when you have a peeler that is easy to hold and swipe across anything.

 

3. The Pizza Cutter

A pizza cutter is something that you can use on a lot more things than a pizza. This makes it much easier for you to have all your dough cut, to cut a pizza, or to just have the something that van cut in long strips.

 

4. The Chef’s Knife

Just one chef’s knife could be used to cut all the things that you want, and you will find that there are many people who want to use the knife so that they can cut out anything. You could slice anything, and you will find that the knife is easy to clean because it is more than long enough to handle just about anything.

 

5. The Towels

You actually need a lot of tea towels for the kitchen because they help you make certain that you have something to help with cooling cakes, with cleaning up, or to help pick up a pot. This makes it very easy for you to get all your work done if you have a few towels hanging around the kitchen.

 

6. The Serving Utensils

You need serving utensils for your kitchen so that you can make all your food easy to serve in helpings. It is very easy for people to use these utensils because they can help you serve your family or actually make the meals like mixing a salad.

 

7. The Mixing Bowls

You need a couple metal and glass mixing bowls so that you can mix up anything that you like. You will find that the bowls help you make salads or pull dishes together without any trouble.

 

8. The Measuring Cups

The measuring cups that you have in the house must have all the different measurements from the smallest all the way up to a cup.

 

9. The Mixer

A mixer helps you bake, and you could prepare a lot of dough and other things in the mixer so that you do not feel so out of place.

 

10. Mandoline Slicer

You might have asked yourself what is a mandoline slicer?, these slicers can do a lot for you, and they make the slices very thin for all your dishes.

The Delectable Dark: 6 Tips For Designing A Hauntingly Beautiful Black Kitchen

October 16, 2017 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

 

Ok, perhaps the color black doesn’t come to mind when you think of your kitchen colors. The fact is, designers and taste makers are gravitating to this versatile color for the hauntingly beautiful effect it creates in our favorite space in the home. Now, before you splash black on every wall and surface in your kitchen, it’s important to remember these 6 tips.

1. Trust the experts

Everyone loves a good DIY project, but some areas need to be left to the professionals. The kitchen is one of those areas. Industry leaders like Brentwood Kitchens have already taken those risks with daring dark colours and worked up that experience, so fortunately you don’t have to.

They also work to a productive timeline, which means your weekends and weeknights aren’t spent scratching your head when your beautiful black kitchen isn’t ready to go when you think it will be. Turn your Pinterest dreams into a tangible plan and start talking to those in the know about how it will look, and when they can get started.

 

2. Don’t overdo it

The reason black kitchens are finding their way into Vogue Home is because it’s unexpected and done well to balance. Decide early whether it’s black benches, counter tops, appliances or cabinets and stick to those specifications so you don’t get carried away and end up not being able to see the black between the black. The haunting effect will only be achieved if there is a color to contrast against.

 

3. Choose complementing colors

The sky really is the limit here. Everything goes with black, but try and stick to only one or two complementing colours or your kitchen will look like a mid-life crisis. White or cream is of course timeless, although don’t shy away from a bright pop if the rest of your space will allow for that fun. If you are bringing in a new marble bench see if there are any shards of color in the marble that you could use  to complement your black.

 

4. Lighting is key

Black kitchens can be a real feature in any home, but beware the effect it can have without proper lighting. Light bulbs come in all different shades and brightness. Choose a light which compliments the space and offers a contrast to the darkness. For example, a warm white may not necessarily do the job, but a pearl might offer that brightness without clashing.

When it comes to watts you should consider your kitchen at its darkest. If you have natural light during the day great, but think more middle of the evening. Look towards a mid-range wattage for all bulbs. The contrast of the light and the dark kitchen will create a hauntingly beautiful space.

 

5. Know your kitchen style and space

Classic, modern, contemporary and minimalist – there really is so many styles of homes and kitchens. Some house and kitchen styles will be welcoming of the black color palette, and others you may have to work a little harder to incorporate it.

 

6. Make sure it fits the rest of your house

When it comes to bold design features and accents we tend to think every room needs its own flavor. This can be a design nightmare. When planning out the rest of your home try to consider one central theme that can run throughout the home. All the while, ensuring that theme compliments the new beautiful space you’ve just created in the kitchen.

Think accent furniture pieces and perhaps even a complimentary rug or floor piece. All of the elements should work together and offer a level of consistency and style together.

A black kitchen is a room when done right can be hauntingly beautiful. If you want to make that jump into the world of design and style then use these six tips when creating your very own black kitchen.

 

Imagery:

https://au.pinterest.com/pin/Ab8I_sdXx5nWu97nUwF1Y7UIRJ7KVGNYAJopckQHGUpANhiBlFL0AgQ/

 

Tools of the Trade – Fitting Your Kitchen Out Like a Pro

September 18, 2017 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

A bad worker always blames his or her tools, or so the saying goes. While this cliché might be a little tired, when it comes to how we work in the kitchen, it is still as relevant as the day the phrase was first coined. Whether you love cooking or dread the daily chore, there are plenty of ways that the equipment that you use can make a tangible difference to the quality of the food that you turn out. Let’s look at what you need in your kitchen to get the best out of it, whatever your culinary skill level.

Ware and Tear

The quality of your cookware sets drastically impact not only the food that you cook but also the experience of cooking it. Pots and pans that stick, stain easily or don’t cook evenly are every chef’s nightmare and can severely affect the experience for anyone, particularly those with less experience. You are far better served investing in something a little sturdier and upmarket than settling for a poor-quality set of cookware based on the lower price.

 

Cuts Like a Knife

I never cease to be amazed at how many people struggle through the food preparation process with substandard, blunt knives. This perennial frustration is easily fixed by ensuring that you have the right selection of quality knives on hand at all times and keeping them sharp. Most people can get by perfectly well with a decent chef’s knife, a paring knife and a Santoku knife. For extra credit, I always keep a couple of simple serrated knives to cut vegetables with tough membranes, such as tomatoes and bell peppers.

 

Like White on Rice

One appliance that I cannot live without is my rice cooker. My family are adventurous eaters, and we frequently sit down to Asian and Indian style meals serve with rice. Cooking rice on the stovetop is a skill requiring precision and attention. One slip and you can end up with a gluggy mess, or hard, undercooked blobs. With a good rice cooker, you can just flick the switch and forget about it, which is a dream come true for busy households preparing for meal times.

 

Microplane and Simple

A microplane is one of my best friends in the kitchen. These handy little implements are perfect for grating garlic, ginger, hard cheeses or nutmeg, as well as zesting citrus. Microplanes are far easier to use for smaller jobs than graters, and allow the flesh to retain juices and oils far better. Best of all, they are a cinch to clean and won’t end up shaving the ends of your fingers.

 

Can You Feel the Heat

Many home cooks struggle to get the balance right when it comes to cooking meat and poultry. Achieving a beautifully seared skin while ensuring that the meat is adequately cooked all the way through can be a bit of a guessing game. This is where an instant-read thermometer can come in exceptionally handy. Ensuring the right internal temperature is the secret to a perfect beef, lamb or turkey or steak, so utilize this handy tool to take the guesswork out of the process.

 

Going Slow

If there is one appliance that is essential to busy, modern lives, it is the slow cooker. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve hurriedly thrown in a random assortment of meat, vegetables, herbs and spices and come back a few hours later to find the most succulent flavors. These fabulous machines are incredibly versatile and will save you time while making cooking deliciously simple.

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »

Advertise Here

BEST Marraige Proposal EVER!!!!

Search This Site…

Connect with Me!

RSS twitter Facebook you_tube linked_in

Affiliations & Sponsors

Speak Now for Kids

Speak Now for Kids

BlogWithIntegrity.com

Top Mommy Blogs


Proud member of Mom Blog Network

badge-small

Grab My Button!

Painter Mommy Button

Categories

Recent Posts

  • Rainy Day Decadence – 6 Lush Ways to Enjoy a Rainy Day at Home
  • 5 Tips To Be Productive At Home
  • Happy and Healthy – 6 Tips For Ensuring Your Kids Are Getting The Nutrients They Need
  • Modern Mom – 5 Health And Safety Essentials For Parents In 2020
  • Baby Bounty – 7 Essentials That Should Always Be In Your Diaper Bag
© 2015 | All Rights Reserved | www.PainterMommy.com
Wordpress Website Developer & Graphic Designer: DPK Graphic Design