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Three Tips from New Kitchen Ideas That Work

I'm excited to share that my first book, New Kitchen Ideas That Work, is ready to ship on Amazon.com!  Here are three tips from its 224 tip-heavy, full-color pages.

TIP #1 INTEGRATE YOUR ELECTRONICS

Got a new iPhone 5 or Kindle Fire recently? Integrate it into your kitchen design. We all spend more and more time with our hot, new portable gadgets. Explore ways of integrating these new “appliances,” as well as your WiFi, television and desktop computer into your kitchen. 

Hide your iPhone safely away when it's not in use
(Photo Courtesy:  S-Box)

There's a whole spread in the Appliances chapter on integrating your electronics into the kitchen!  

TIP #2  GO HANDS-FREE AT THE SINK

Reduce the spread of cold and flu germs with hands-free kitchen faucets. These public restroom staples have been redesigned for stylish, practical kitchen use. Not only do the new hands-free kitchen faucets reduce the spread of cold and flu germs, they also reduce the risk of food contamination and water bills. The newest models come in popular finishes with convenient features like pull-out functionality and multiple spray settings. 

A hands-free faucet brings convenience, water savings and germ spread reduction to  your kitchen
(Photo Courtesy:  Moen)

There's a whole New Vision spread on the New Sensor Faucets in the Sinks & Faucets chapter!

TIP #3 CREATE A FAMILY LANDING ZONE

Create a family landing zone for reduced clutter in this busy indoor season. The dark days of winter are when families spend the most time inside, and are likeliest to get a bit stir crazy from the clutter of everyone’s needs. A family landing zone can ease the stress and keep your kitchen organized year round.

Even a small cabinet with drawers and bag space for each household member can become a family landing zone
(Photo Courtesy:  Grandin Road)

There's a beautiful case study featuring a full-scale family landing zone in the Layouts chapter, and this very same Grandin Road Springfield cabinet in a Working with What You Have section in the Finishing Touches chapter.

Beyond the Kitchen - Post-Sandy Links

Yes, the horse is out of the barn now and the barn might be buried in water or burned down, sad to say.  That doesn't mean that the topic of disaster preparation shouldn't be addressed now -- if only because disasters strike everywhere.  I live in California, which is earthquake-prone.  I've lived in Florida, where hurricanes are a fact of life.  I've also lived in Northwest Louisiana, where tornadoes strike with little warning and devastating impact.  No area is immune to disaster, unfortunately, and help can take days to arrive.

I'm a volunteer for the American Red Cross.  (I started with them in 1992 after the Los Angeles riots; being involved made me feel less vulnerable.)

Here are some useful links from the Red Cross web site:

Prepare your home and family for a disaster.  This section includes how to plan and what to have on hand.

Emergency preparedness for your pet.

Helping a special needs and/or disabled person in an emergency.

Donate money to help disaster victims.

Donate blood!  It's always needed, but especially after a disaster.