Here is good news for everyone who loved and missed the Desktop Gadgets in Windows 8.
Gadgets Revived, yet another alternative (and probably the best one) of Sidebar, is a very cool sidebar gadgets package with ALL original features like control panel items, Windows Search items and gadgets gallery!
Very lovely thing, it even brings back "View running gadgets" item via control panel!
Things which are "revived":
Desktop context menu
The show/hide gadgets command:
Full Control Panel integration including working links inside the "Appearance and personalization" category and search! See:
Start Menu Support (StartIsBack and ClassicShell at least)
The gallery contains OVER 900 gadgets which are checked manually to be compatible/working in Windows 8/8.1
Check out http://gadgetsrevived.com/