Tuesday's Tip (Label maker)

Today's tip is keeping a well organized pantry. I have found that if you do so you will save time and money. One of my favorite things to help me keep organized is my P-Touch label maker. This is about the only thing Martha Stewart and I have in common. If you don't have one, you need to invest in one. They are not very expensive at all and they will help you in your pursuit to be organized. The other thing that I love is see through containers. I am not a fan of cardboard boxes. You can ask my hubby. We've moved twice and the first thing I do is unpack everything so I don't have boxes all over the house. They are usually unpacked within a few days. I love clear plastic containers, especially in a pantry, because you can see what is in them and you can tell when things are running low. Cereal for example, is great in containers. Otherwise if you have them in the boxes you have to open the box to see how much is left, or just wait for your child or hubby to say, "Mom we need more cereal".

Now let me say I am blessed to have a big walk in pantry. I know not everyone has a big pantry. I think it's all the more vital to be organized with a smaller pantry. We had a very small pantry at our old house and hardly any cabinet space. I had to make good use of every square inch. So it can be done with a small pantry.

I also keep my chips, crackers and breads in different small bins. That way all the like items stay together and I can see what I am running low on and what I actually have. Otherwise they would be all over the bottom shelf and I'd have to sort through to find what I am looking for. We have all of our recycling at the bottom. As you can see I need to make a run to the recycling center.
The other thing I do in my pantry is make zones. It's hard to tell from the picture, but I have little laminated white cards on the shelves. They read, candy & nuts, baking, canned goods, oil & spices, pasta, etc. You can really make yours whatever you'd like. This also helps the hubby know where to put stuff when unloading the grocery bags. :)

I have some storage on the other side as well. A place for grocery bags, which I recycle and reuse, plastic wrap and aluminum foil and my aprons. Use every inch of your space. Go high and use the back of the door if you have to. There are so many cool organizing tools out there for you to get started. It doesn't have to cost a fortune either. If you are fortunate to live near an IKEA, they have very inexpensive containers. Also check the Dollar Tree or Walmart. It might cost you a little money up front, but it will save you money in the long haul.
I hope this has been helpful. If you live near me and would like some help and suggestions I would love to help you. In case you are wondering, I have always loved to clean and organize. I think I get it from my mom. She's super organized. My first guinea pig was my best friend Christa who lived down the street. I was in 6th grade at the time and I basically kicked her out of her room to make it over. I spent all morning cleaning and organizing her room and when she came back she loved the results. Thus my love for organization was birthed way back then.