Ok friends, let’s talk about our poor neglected kitchens.
This room is the hub of the home! The place where we gather with the most important people in our lives! The place where we talk about what’s going on in our day to day and hold some of our biggest discussions…“What’s for dinner?”, “Did you do your homework?”, “What do you mean we are going to your mother’s for Thanksgiving?!?!”.
And let’s not forget about those guilt inducing studies that show how actually sitting down with your family every night for a home cooked meal will help keep your kids off of drugs (I mean, hey, it may drive the parents to drink…but that’s a different blog for a different time.).
So here we have the heart of the home and yet it is, more often than not, the last place to get some organizational love. What ARE we thinking?!
Well, read on! Below you will find a few tips on how to organize your pantry on the quick and for cheap! That checks off all the major boxes, right? And speaking of boxes, let’s start with those beautiful creations!
WAIT! So, sorry…First, before you can do any organizing….you really, REALLY need to assess and purge. That’s right, take everything out of your pantry. Toss out anything that is expired (Be sure to check those spices! Their flavor can change or weaken as they age), remove items that simply do not belong in the pantry, and absolutely do not keep anything that you are not going to use. Take any of your unused, non-perishable items to your local food bank!
Back to boxes and baskets!
Great example of baskets, chalkboard labels, tiered shelving.
Boxes and baskets are God’s gift to the lazy housekeeper. All you need to do is get yourself a load of cute baskets, group your common items together, toss them in your baskets, place those baskets on your pantry shelves and boom! You’ve done a ton of organizational work super fast! The great thing about boxes and baskets is you can almost quite literally find them in all shapes, sizes, looks and price points to meet your needs.
One thing you may want to keep in mind is the height of the sides of your baskets. If they are too high you won’t be able to easily see in them and you may find yourself in a constant state of push and pull as you try to find what you need. That can get frustrating pretty quick. “Where are the blasted pinto beans?!?!” This is supposed to make your life better, not crazier.
If you really want to impress yourself, label these guys. You can use a label maker with a fun font and color, hang mini chalkboards on the outside, or even have a nice mix of both – stick on chalkboard labels! It’s really a thing! However, if you don’t want to be an overachiever, just be sure to buy baskets that can easily been seen through, like we mentioned above – meaning they have a loose weave or short sides so items stick out above the basket.
And how about another wonderful invention…clear containers!
Clear containers, Lazy Susan, hand written labels from classyclutter.net
The beauty of these guys is that you don’t have to label them at all. In fact you can pour your cereal, chips, rice, beans…you name it…into a clear container (with a tight lid – that’s key! Stale food is no fun no matter how organized it is!) and you are good to go. Place these clear containers side by side, grouping them in a like manner and voila! Organization!
If you want to be creative, look at non-conventional organizational items.
- Shower caddies can be hung on the side of you pantry wall and used to hold spices or that day’s menu items.
- Sink organizers provide a great home for all those little powder drink packets you have.
- File holders are an excellent way to store items like those long narrow boxes of cling wrap and aluminum foil.
- Shoe organizers hung on the back of the pantry door are both space savers and a safe home for all the small items that get lost in the dark corners of your shelves.
And of course we can’t forget the old faithfuls – Lazy Susans, spice racks, tiered shelving. These hard workers have stood the test of time because they work!
No matter what you choose to use, organizing your home is a major way to help you stress less, keep the crazy under control, and actually live life more. And what better place to start your home organizing than in the heart of hearts of your home, the kitchen pantry. It may take a tiny bit of time on the front end, but it will all be worth it!
If you find yourself with too little time and too much dirt, don’t let yourself get overwhelmed with the craziness! Give your local Two Maids & Mop a call and we will be happy to come to the rescue.
Two Maids & A Mop, a maid service worth talking about!!