Cool Idea for Kitchen Storage (and stuff).

Maybe I'm wrong, and maybe it was just me, but back in the day when my now husband and I were setting up our little love nest, I was 100% convinced we needed a set of matching canisters or the health dept. would condemn our new apartment straight away.  Matching canisters?  Really?  Oh, yes.  And I could not have been more serious.  I remember that shopping trip to Homegoods:  the cool square glasses we picked out, the cruddy pots and pans that would just as soon burn your food as look at you (now that I think about it, pots and pans don't have eyes and are therefore, not looking at us but still, they sucked), the colander was actually quite handy but the canisters...  Oh, the canisters.

For the next 9 years (seriously) they remained perched on a shelf in order of descending height collecting dust with neither a crystal of sugar nor puff of flour anywhere near their insides.  Completely empty they remained until we finally ditched the Clifton apartment (goodbye, UC!) and moved into our house (hello, westside!).

Let it be said that the state of my canisters was in no way a reflection of my skills or interest in baking. Quite the opposite, in fact.  I baked my little heart out in that 'college days' apartment and still love to bake.  But, I bake right out of the bag-- so much so that when I find a measuring cup to be missing, I know to go check the bag of sugar because that's most likely where it will be.

With setting up our grownup house, decisions needed to be made.  Things that weren't used were given to goodwill. Things that were needed were purchased.  But, what about those canisters?  They had become a much loved symbol to me.  They represented the giddy optimism of youth (I was only 19 years old for that fateful shopping trip) and young love. They were the physical manifestations of endless possibilities and an adult life to be lovingly shaped, formed, nurtured, and grown.  I couldn't throw them away.  What to do, what to do?

So, here it comes.  I promised a storage idea, didn't I?  One I use for coffee; nothing too novel there.  One I use for popping corn.  That's kinda fun.  But, the idea I had that I think is pretty cool is using the medium sized one to hold (drum roll, please!) dishwasher tabs!  You can keep it right on the counter and not worry about it looking unsightly.  I keep my trash can and recycling under the sink so that potential storage spot isn't an option for me.  Also, with the rubber seal on the canister lid, you don't have to worry about the tabs drying out if they're the kind that aren't individually wrapped.  And there you have it.  Canisters.