The Best Nontoxic Dishes You Can Use in Your Kitchen

Everyone wants to remove toxins from home in hopes of making their family safer. In the kitchen, when accessing what needs to go start with anything plastic and rubber! Finish with changing the products you use for cleaning and the food you bring in.

Silicone

Silicone is one of the best nontoxic dishes you can use in your kitchen to replace plastics! Cooking with plastic utensils causes you to inhale and digest so much plastic and debris from your pan due to the scrapping. To prevent the fumes that burning rubber can emit, try silicone tongs, whisk, and spatulas in the kitchen instead.

Ceramic

Ceramic is a great way to decorate and eliminate toxins if the artist used the proper glaze. There is a glaze that does not contain lead or cadmium. So, when your favorite handmade ceramic mug maker decides to drop an entire dish set, you will be first to preorder it. It will be a safe way to bring a pop of color into the home—an excellent addition to adding more custom pieces to your kitchen besides your ceramic mugs.

Bamboo

Bamboo is an excellent substitute for plastics and nylon utensils too. Instead of grabbing plastic eating utensils while in public, you can travel with a silverware set to reduce your waste. There are also bamboo rolling pins and cutting boards that are lightweight and easy to clean!

Metal

Metal is one of the best nontoxic dishes you can use in your kitchen that is also easily accessible. In addition, they have every kitchen utensil needed in this form, and some may even be nonstick. Some notable mentions are the measuring tools, meat mallets, thermometers, graters, strainers, and eating utensils.

Glass

Glass dishes are the following most easily accessible, nontoxic dishes that one can use. Glass is safe and does not react to any temperature. It also cannot be ruined by gas or liquid variants. If you wanted to purchase anything glass for your kitchen, beware that this can quickly become a theme in your home!

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is a low-maintenance higher-end option. It’s a nonreactive option that can upgrade your home—a superb substitute for toxic dishes and appliances. Stainless steel also has various dishes and utensil options that can quickly turn into a theme, too, because it’s easy to clean.

As you go through the house detoxing the toxins, don't forget there are custom options! If you do not want to make any changes, you can work with the glass and metal pieces you already have.

Organization Keeps Your Restoration Project in Order

Bringing something back to its original quality is incredibly fulfilling and time-consuming. You have to know exactly which parts and tools you’ll need to complete your project. Accidentally skipping steps or missing equipment can ruin a project entirely. Check out a few simple ways organization keeps your restoration project in order so everything stays on schedule.

1. Drawers Separate Your Tools

You’ve found a classic Japanese motorcycle that needs a little work to get back out on the road, but you can’t fix it with a single wrench. You’ll have to get specific threads and bolt sizes to match its parts. That leads to numerous tool parts that could roll around your garage and disappear forever while you’re focused on your project.

Invest in a set of drawers to organize all of your tools. No matter what you want to restore, you’ll know exactly where you prefer to store everything and save time once you get started. It’s also a great way to order parts and keep them in good condition while waiting for other essential components to arrive.

2. Pictures Track Each Step

Once a restoration project begins, you might forget what you previously worked on if you have to wait until the weekend to get back to your hobby. If you’re restoring something like an antique camera, progressing through each step ensures that every component will work.

Take progress pictures with each step and save them to spreadsheet cells. Label each image, record the date and describe what work you accomplished that day. You’ll know exactly where to pick up when you get back. If you’re not sure how to use a spreadsheet, read a handy guide and you’ll feel like an expert in minutes.

3. Notebooks Organize Scrambled Thoughts

Restoring a more extensive project like a classic car takes time and creativity. After you’ve found the model you love and compare types of restorations, you’ll know how to get started. Along the way, you may decide to change a few details to finalize the unique look of your car.

If you track your goals and daily work in a hardbound notebook, you can update your plans with an eraser and pencil. It only takes a moment to add to a notebook and keep your restoration project in order with notes for easy reference.

4. Envelopes Protect Tiny Pieces

Some projects require miniature pieces, like needle clamps and screws inside an older sewing machine. Use letter-sized or manila envelopes to hold everything and label what’s inside. You won’t have to waste time searching for tiny pieces in carpet fibers if they’re always waiting within the sealed confines of an envelope.

5. Labels Clarify Your Work

Before an antique clock can chime again, you’ll have to clean and oil the gears so the wheels and pulleys don’t get stuck. Reinforced labels use thin strings that can tie into small pieces. Record the name of each part and when you cleaned it so you can proceed with the remaining parts even if you have to take a break from your work. They clarify each step so your project goes smoothly.

Keep Your Restoration Project in Order

No matter what you want to clean or fix, these organizational tips will keep your restoration project in order from start to finish. Consider which project you want to begin and what you’ll need to finish the job. You’ll find the best tips for planning and completing any project once you know what you want to do.

Figuring Out How Much Space You Really Need in Your Next House

When buying a home, getting the size right matters. A home that is too small feels cramped and cluttered while a home that is too big feels cold and uninviting and can be difficult to maintain. You might think figuring out how much space you need is a simple matter of determining how many bedrooms you need and whether anyone is sharing a room, but it's more complicated than that.

How Much Living Space Do You Need?

You might have a specific square footage in mind. That can be great for staying within budget, but the layout of the home can make the same square footage drastically different in two homes. For example, one home may have bigger bedrooms than the living room, while another has a larger living room than the kitchen. Your lifestyle and habits can influence which home you should buy. For example, you might spend more time in your bedroom than the living room, or hate cooking and love watching TV.

How Many and What Kind of Rooms Are You Looking For?

You'll usually find that bigger homes have more bedrooms and bathrooms, designed more for a bigger family. Smaller homes have fewer bedrooms and bathrooms, designed for couples or singles. But even if you're a single or a couple, you might want those extra bedrooms and bathrooms for visiting family members, other guests, or a home office or craft room. Determining how many bedrooms and bathrooms you want, as well as whether you want other rooms like dining rooms, dens, or a dedicated laundry room helps you figure out how much space you need.

What's Your Budget?

Your budget will play a huge role in how much space you can afford, whether you need a lot of space or not. In this case, working with a real estate agent can help you get the most space for your budget. Your real estate agent will be able to help you determine how much space you can likely get for the money you have. But more importantly, if you can't afford the space you want in the location you desire, they can show you smaller houses that might still meet your needs or help you find another location where you can afford more space.

How Much Time Do You Spend in Your Yard?

Maybe you spend a lot of time puttering in the garden and flowerbeds or sitting outside on a lanai or patio. Maybe you enjoy spending your days playing tennis, swimming, or playing golf. If you spend more time outdoors than in, you may prefer a smaller home with fewer expenses so you can engage in more of your outdoor pleasures. In this case, you might ask your real estate agent to focus on finding properties with large yards as well.

There are many factors that can go into determining how much space you really need in your next house. And while many of them are ones you can easily consider on your own and make decisions on, some need an expert's help. Let your real estate agent help you with all the details so you can find yourself a home that even Goldilocks would love.

10 Best Organizing Tips for the Tidiest Home Ever

We all want to keep our houses clean and put together, but not every single person has the time to spend hours cleaning their homes. But for all the busy people there are some tips that will help you keep your house tidy and organized without having to spend hours upon hours on cleaning and organizing. For those who need some guidance, there are 10 best organizing tips for the tidiest home ever. 

Create a Command Station

One of the best ways to keep your home tidy and well organized is simply by sticking adhesive pockets on the side of your cabinets. That way you will be able to keep your coupons, recipes and grocery lists in order. 

Try a Tiered Shelf

If you are struggling with keeping your canned goods organized as well as any spices, the key is to get a tiered shelf so you always know when you are running out of something because you can see everything at once. 

Have Rules

Most of us like to collect things, especially kids. So a good rule to have in your family that will apply to every single member is not collecting things. If you get something new that you already have instead of keeping two of the same things, donate the old one.

Repurpose Your Trays and Bowls

One of the best ways to make your home stay tidy is by reusing old dishes and making them into little organizers. That will prevent you from having a junk drawer.

Have a Designated “drop zone”

Another use for repurposed trays and bowls are the drop off zones. Those zones will prevent any clutter on the tables. Instead of having heaps of stuff everywhere, it will all be in a tray or bowl.

Make Storage Labels

The best thing that you can do to keep your house organized is simply by creating labels. You can do it for everything, file folders, bins, inside the drawer and so on. It will encourage people in your house to stay organized and put things where they belong. All you need to make some labels is washi tape and a marker, but if you want to go all out you can get a label maker.

Establish Different Zones

One of the best tips that you can get when it comes to keeping an organized and tidy home is having different work zones. Since most people in Australia are working from home it is also important to do this because it will also increase your productivity. The work zone should have only your work things in it such as desks, computers and printers and you shouldn't use it for anything besides your work. All of your zones should be organized for their purposes and they shouldn't mix. As most people will opt to have carpets in their zones to make them cozy, you should hire professionals such as Aussie Pro Carpet Cleaning to clean your carpets at least every couple of months to ensure your home is tidy. 

Use Color to Avoid Confusion

This is just like labeling things, but it is better if you have kids. That is because when you have little kids they most likely can't read, so the best thing that you can do and help them keep organized is using color as labeling. Give each kid their own color so they know what things are theirs and where to put them back at. 

Use Storage-Smart Furniture

There is nothing more stressful and nerve-wracking than hurrying to tidy up your home before your guests arrive. But when you have storage-smart furniture that can be done in just a few minutes. Choose furniture such as lift-top coffee tables, sofas that have under cushion storage as well as ottomans that open up so you can store your blankets in them. It will save you so much time and it will keep your home looking tidy at all times. It can also make your home much cozier. 

Keep the Bathroom Tidy

Just twisting in your cotton swabs, soaps and other bathroom supplies in your drawers will leave your bathroom looking cluttered and messy. Not only that but you will constantly have to dig through everything just to find that one thing you need. The best thing that you can do to fix that is to buy jars in which you will store things such as cotton swabs, cotton balls as well as toothbrushes. If you have leftovers you can store them under the sink and keep refilling the jars when needed. 

Organizing your home can feel like a big accomplishable thing, but with the right strategy, you can do it in no time. All you need to do is be confident and persistent. Once you have organized your home and set down the rules, you will just have to keep up with the work and your home will always be in pristine condition.