Hey guys!
How is your week going? We have really struggled with sickness-kids and myself. I am still going through some “die-off” symptoms and am feeling a bit frustrated that they won’t just “die!”
On a more positive note, today we are going to talk about one of my favorite topics on the planet….ORGANIZING!!! Haha I know what you are thinking, and yes maybe it is slightly true…I am a little crazy! 🙂
Seriously though, don’t you just LOVE how it feels once you have something that was once crazy chaotic transform into peaceful, organized bliss?! Well I do! As one of my favorite writers, Gretchin Rubin says, “Inner order leads to outer calm.” I have found, at least for myself, that this statement holds very true! When my stress is high, it is usually because I am feeling a lack of control in multiple areas of my life.
Presently speaking, those things would include a kiddo who I just can not seem to get healthy, a hurt knee that has stopped me from being able to workout like I love to do, and my own health moving at what feels like a snail’s pace toward my goals. I can NOT control any of those things, so instead of focusing my energy on how frustrating that is, I have learned to channel it in a positive way!
With three little boys and a husband who is the ultimate BIG dreamer (but lacks massively on the small details such as getting socks in a hamper) my house gets out of control A LOT! This allows me plenty of practice on taming the chaos and organizing:)
With that being said, here are my top 10 steps to making your pantry feel like a blissful vacation:
- Take everything out, put it on the floor, and sort into categories.
- Decide what each category needs to be stored in and purchase or hunt around in your house for baskets that you could use. The majority of what I used in my pantry was collected from my house. I did not want to spend a fortune on my pantry. The few baskets I did buy were from Home Goods for a pretty cheap price.
- LABEL your categories!!! Labeling is KING!! If you don’t label, you can’t expect yourself or anyone else to know where things go! See through containers also work well for this purpose.
- Place items that are used least often on top. For us, this included certain appliances, refills on baggies or foil, and surplus ingredients from Costco.
- Place items used most often within reach and at eye level. Consider placing a basket for kid’s snacks at their level, so they can take care of their snacking needs.
- Utilize a Lazy Susan for back corners! These have been super handy for us to keep different types of nut butters, spreads, raw honey, etc. on. The kids can easily spin them around to find what they are looking for, without have to crawl up on a shelf!
- Create a system for your canned goods. It could be a can organizer, a 3-tiered organizer like this, or you can just place a 2×4 at the back of a shelf like I did and have a tiered shelf.
- Set up some large containers for the floor to hold your biggest, heaviest pantry items. We have one large basket for drinks, and one large basket for extra condiments. When we are running low on a condiment, we always check the big basket first before adding it to the grocery list. This way, we never run out while we are cooking!!!
- Use your vertical space!! You have an entire pantry, so don’t disregard the walls without shelves! We use little wall hangers to store small travel snacks, drink enhancers, gum and mints, etc. Use every inch of your wall! You can store aprons and grocery bags in small spaces, such as behind your pantry door. You paid for the space, so give it a purpose!
- Group your baking ingredients into canisters or clear jars and label. This is so much prettier than those folded over bags, plus it will keep the ingredients fresher!
Well I hope this gave you a little inspiration to organize one of the most frequented spaces in your house!! I can honestly say I just enjoy stepping into my pantry now, it is so relaxing. Happy organizing!
