I am a pretty organised person, but I have found of late some of the systems I put in place when we first moved in (almost two years ago) just aren't doing what they should be. I wish I had I taken before pictures but I just didn't think about it at all, I really need to get into blogger mode and photograph everything! Basically, I had too much in my pantry, I had baskets on the top shelf which stored pantry overflow, this didn't work for me as it was too heavy to pull down and I couldn't just have a quick peek to see what was in there, I'd have to get the stool and get up there. I also had more items stored in baskets and containers and again I couldn't see with a quick glace what was in there. I have a weird little corner and had items pushed in there and up the back in jars etc. (labelled, but labelled does no good if you can't see it!) none of it was user friendly...basically it just wasn't working.
So after doing a little grocery shopping and going to put away my groceries I started pulling things out and then realised I had 2 x 2kg bags of sugar and guess what...yep I had just purchased another 2kg bag, I thought I was losing my mind, swearing I had bought sugar not so long ago and knowing we really don't use sugar except for baking?! I often have the big kids put groceries away, which translates to shove everything in back and in those horrible corners and put the pretty containers in front so mum thinks we did a great job! Ha! With the kiddies off to school, I got stuck in!
I apologise in advance for the quality of the photos, this mama really needs to invest in a camera! All my photos are taken on my iPhone so are a little grainy.
Here is the end result...
The details...
On the top shelf of the pantry I have all my glass jars which store flours, pastas, rice etc. they are all labelled and I can see exactly what I have. Behind these I have stored any extra glass jars.
On the second shelf I have my canned items, spices, sauces etc. basically 'cooking' items. I have oils, vinegar, salt and pepper and some spices stored on a lazy Susan. It saves room and means I can easily access items I use everyday for cooking. The rest of the items are stored on a 3-tier shelf I picked up from Kmart, and I can see exactly what I have. I have nothing stored in those 'corners' of the cupboard which are on the right of the picture, now what I see is what we have.
On the third shelf I have our cereals
which are in containers from Kmart, I have used Kmart blackboard labels to
label the cereals (and the glass jars on the top shelf). I have porridge
(quick oats) in the white container, and have used Kmart kraft tags and string to make labels.
Above the porridge, is a Tupperware container which holds whatever snack I
baked that week for the kids, at the moment it is muesli bars, they are easy to
access when I am making lunches. Off to the side and slightly into that
'corner' I have another lazy Susan which has spreads on, it's perfect for that awkward spot and whilst you can only see one
jar, with a spin you can easily access all the spreads, I have nutella, peanut
butter, honey, vegemite etc. all on here.
On the fourth shelf I used only container, and I know I can't 'see' what's in there but I put in these containers things I don't really need to see...I have one big container which stores the kid's lunchbox snacks i.e. packets of ricewheels, vegechips etc. I will also package my own little bags of snacks, i.e. trail mix, nuts etc. it nice and easy to pull out when I'm making lunches and the kids just pick an item and it slides easily back into it's little spot. Above that I have an empty container, I think it's important when organising to remember there will times when you have more food or items than you do at this very moment so it's always good to have empty container or space in your pantry. In the next big container I have all my baking and cake decorating items, I love having this all together (this is one of the things I have had in place for a long time and love), when I am baking I just pull one container out and I have everything I need on the bench. I have my food colouring, food gels, baking soda, bicarb soda etc, essences, sprinkles, piping bags and tips all in here. In the two smaller containers above I have all my different sized and patterned cupcake liners. In the last big container I have some boxes of cake mix for those super lazy days or the days when the kids ask me to whip up cupcakes with 2hrs notice! Always handy to have on hand.
On the bottom of the pantry I have two big
open baskets, in the first one I have the kid's lunch bags and spare drink
bottles, I have spares on hand for those super-hot days and days that they play
sport. After school the kids empty the containers into the sink and put
the lunch bags straight into these, that way I know exactly where they are when
I pack their lunches that night, and they are not cluttering up my bench.
The second basket has what I guess is pantry overflow; it has any extra
unopened pasta or rice packets, noodles and chips.
It feels so good to have the pantry organised! At the end of the day I believe that any space needs to be organised in a way that is going to function best for you, your family and your needs.
Having 'organised' my pantry and home when we first moved in, and living in our home now for a while, I now know what works and what doesn't. I am slowly working my way through the home to organise those spots that just aren't working, I find after living in a space for a while it's always clearer what you need.
If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below or head over to my Instagram account and I'll be more than happy to answer any questions or help where I can!
