Day 137: MORE vinyl in the kitchen!

I can't sing the praises of vinyl lettering enough for fun, decor AND organization!  I LOVE it! For a neat person who would have a special container and a label for EVERYTHING, you just can't beat this! :)  I had to show this lovely photo of a woman after my own heart, who is getting her pantry super neat.  And YOU can do it, too!  Find some containers of your choosing - whether you go to the Container Store or buy Tupperware or you head to the nearest Dollar Tree and get everything for a buck, it's up to you, your style and your needs.  Go with glass, or select plastic... pick one color, or color coordinate!  THEN, get rid of those annoying cardboard boxes and put common, useful things like sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, rice, pasta, cake flour, all-purpose flour and whatever else you'd like (think cookies and crackers, too) into your containers.... and LABEL THEM!  I prefer to use Uppercase Living chalk labels (or dry erase labels).  You can even purchase a whole chalk (or dry erase) panel and cut them down to size!  OR, chose a font and color and custom your own lettering for each container. Just be sure to measure twice; order once! :) 

Now, THAT's neat!

Day 133: Clever containers for the pantry

Like many households, we have lots of little, random things floating around in our pantry.  Actually, they don't float at all, but they do fall down between the wire shelves, get stuck behind (or under) other stored food items or get completely lost and forgotten somewhere in the spaces we can never see - or reach.  For those pesky little things, little things like seasoning mixes, soup packets, drink mixes and other pouches, snacks or small bags of things, I have found that Clever Container's containers are quite a clever solution!

I recently purchased 2 of these little cabinet organizers and put them to immediate use.  Now my pesky pouches and packets are well behaved... and easy to find.  AND... since they are all rounded up and in clear view, it makes it easier for me to see what I have... and what quick meal or snack I can whip up for kids or company!

 

  

Now, THAT's neat!

 

Day 105: The Beauty of Labels

This is not my pantry.... And I am a little jealous! :)


This is the very organized pantry of Lori M., a new acquaintance of mine. And while I do use the Tupperware containers and organize everything as neatly as possible (similar items together and labels out!), I do not have the luxury of putting everything in a container. (I have a LOT more items in my pantry!) And I do not have a label on everything, either. But isn't this a wonderful idea!?!?

This is kind of like my dream pantry.

WHY?
1. I love how just about everything matches. It really is a pretty pantry!!!! But if you don't have every Tupperware container ever made (ha-ha!), then use what you DO have! All sizes and shapes are welcome!

2. I love using containers for just about all the food in the pantry. It's great to have items like flour and baking mix in air-tight containers. It looks good, stacks well... AND it will stay fresh much longer. (It's also more difficult to spill!)

3. I love the labels. I really think I would label everything, if I could! It looks SO neat, and it's so very functional! You can print out labels or just write on the traditional, sticky, office kinds that you can pick up almost anywhere. (Color coding might even come in handy here....) OR, you can do what Lori did in her pantry: cut up a piece of Uppercase Living's chalkboard vinyl into various sizes. (This method won't leave you with sticky residue if you decide to remove the labels.) Then, apply the custom sizes to your containers, and write right on them! Of course, my handwriting isn't as great as my friend's. BUT, this should spark all of our imaginations!

Lori has also given us an EXTRA NEAT tip: write directions, recipes or notes on the containers! This is great for reminding yourself how to make pancakes or biscuits or how long to boil your noodles!




Now, THAT's neat!

Day 89: Quick Tip for Wayward Pouches

I have a bunch of food pouches in my pantry... you know, those mixes for tacos and chili and seasoned fries. Well, those said pouches tend to fall through the cracks, literally. And I was pretty tired of mounting an all-out search for these seasonings and such while in the middle of cooking.

So... simple solution: I took one of those "throw-away" plastic containers and stuffed all the pouches inside. Now, I can find what I need without straining my back while leaning over, balanced on one foot, digging around the bottom of the pantry where extra paper towels and other odds n' ends reside! :)

Add THAT to your neat freak bag o' tricks!



Now, THAT's neat!

Day 41: The Even NEATER Pantry

My kitchen pantry was already pretty neat from the get-go... I mean, I already keep all the "like items" together, and I sort things by size and/or by shape.

NO, I do NOT alphabetize, but that would be cool! But I do keep things in order. For instance, cereals on the top shelf; pasta, rice, noodles and side items on the next shelf (along with baby formula); chips, crackers and snacks on shelf 3; cookies, fruits snacks and sweets on shelf 4; and canned goods (stacked and sorted, of course) and baking goods on the bottom. More or less, anyway! :) There are always a few odds and ends that either won't fit on the proper shelf or don't really have a home that makes sense.


AT ANY RATE, I wanted to get my pantry even more organized and get the food items out of those boxes that never stay fresh. Too, I was tired of using up all my ziplock bags to store food, SO that's where the rest of my recent Tupperware order comes in!


I purchased 2 cereal storage containers (Super Cereal Storer)and a pantry set (Modular Mates Super Set) and put cookies, chips, baby formula, PopTarts, cereal... and more in nice, neat containers! Now the food items are even more easy to spot, they stack neatly, AND they will stay fresher... longer!

Ta-Da!



* And YES, just so you know, I probably WOULD buy a container for everything... if I could! And, NO, Tupperware did NOT ask me to write this post, pay me to do anything or send me free product. But I would welcome it. Tupperware is GREAT! :)


Now, THAT's neat!