Pantry Organization

My latest home organization project is finally completed and I am thrilled with the results. Not only does the pantry look so much better overall, it is functioning so much better on the organization front.

I have posted a video over at the Household Logistics Youtube Channel about this latest organization project, and here is the link for those that are interested in seeing it: Food Pantry Organization.

If you like the video, please give it a thumbs up. I am hoping to do more organization videos soon, sharing the other areas of the kitchen I will be going on to reorganizing, so do think about subscribing if you want to see those videos also.

Magazine holders have proven to be my go-to-item for corralling a range of items like recipe books, the kit for cheesemaking, etc on the top shelf of the reorganized pantry. I purchased these particular holders from KMart and I really love the way they have worked out for doing this particular component of the reorganization.

Here is a link to the actual products used, for those that are interested: KMart White Magazine Holder and KMart Grey Magazine Holder.

I then used my label maker to do the various labels on each magazine holder. I really love how it now looks visually uniform, and as I need to get down any particular item the whole magazine holder container is very easily removed to enable me to access the collection of contents now contained within it.

An expandable shelving system has helped no end to tidy up how we store canned items in the pantry. It has made everything so much easier to see and each items is that bit more accessible now also. It is so much easier to see what we have at any given time. This tiered shelving system was one I got from Storage Box. Here is the link to the product that was used: Madesmart Expandable 3 Tier Shelf.

A Lazy Susan Turntable has helped corral the various cooking oils and vinegars in the pantry, and I am delighted with how well it is working out having this now set up and in place. 

This particular unit was a two storeyed one, but I decided to dismantle it for now and just use the lower storey. Here is the link to this particular product: Madesmart 2 Tier Turntable. Here is the link to a one tier turntable also: Madesmart 1 Tier Turntable, which is just slightly smaller in diameter.

I made the decision to move from using plastic storage containers for dry good storage some time ago. Step by step, I have gradually replaced what I had, and I am really pleased with the result now achieved. 

As a single income family, it takes that bit longer to be able to purchase things like these containers, because I can only just get one or two containers each payday as money allows. Still, with the goal in place, and with a little patience and perseverance, it worked out that I could still achieve my goal of the pantry makeover over time. These particular glass containers (those shown in the above photograph) were purchased from The Warehouse. 

I really like the fact with glass products I can see quickly at a glance just how much of any particular dry good is onhand. It is visually appealing also to see all the various colours and shapes of the rice and pasta, etc, so overall this means of storing dry goods is proving to be one that I am pleased to have set now in place.

Here is a link to a similar product that is still currently available at The Warehouse: Glass Storage Jar. Please note that the link is to a jar that is slightly smaller than those used in my own pantry makeover.

In the above photograph you can see I have used a slightly different and larger glass jar to house larger quantities of such dry goods as flour, pasta, rolled oats, etc. Here is a link to a jar that is similiar to that I used to store these. These storage jars are still currently available from Briscoes. Here is the link: Fido Glass Storage Jars.

If you want to check out more about this makeover project, do click on the link provided above and go on over to see the video detailing what was done. We are all pleased with how the project has turned out, and it was well worthworth putting the time and effort required into achieving it this past year.

Until next time, Happy Home-making Everyone!

The $1,000 Plan: Day Thirty-Six

It's Day Thirty-Six of The $1,000 Plan and today I took up starting the challenge I set myself of sorting out the chest freezer. Alongside our usual homeschool and home life routine for a Monday, I removed everything from the freezer and went about defrosting the freezer to give it a bit of a clean-out.

There was a lot of ice build up within the freezer, so the children offered to help me and they seemed quite delighted to muck in, declaring it rather like shuffling around shovelling a bit of icy snow! Between us, we managed to eventually get it completely cleared and ready for items to be placed back in it. Going forward, I am sure the freezer will work so much more efficiently now it is cleared of it's extra icy parcels, found previously here and there.

I was amazed at just how much we had been storing away in the freezer. As I worked my way through looking through everything, sadly there was quite a bit that had to simply go out to the compost.

We had little meat left in the chest freezer after the past month of 'shopping' it first & foremost for meals, so what was now left and found was mainly garden produce that had been blanched and frozen previously. Still, there was quite a bit that could be saved and I am looking to see how best to make the most of what was located during this big sort and clearout.

I need to still determine a good system of overall organization for this particular freezer. It would be wise to keep a more thorough record of the actual 'best before' dates of every item, and to somehow have a large onhand chartable system that we can refer to, in order to keep a much better system of rotation in place. This will be something I will most definitely need to put greater thought into in the next few days.

There is quite a bit of a revamp and makeover needed to get the freezer in much better shape going forward, however I really think it will be time well worth investing. Slowly, but surely I am sure each of these changes we are implementing will have substantial financial benefits. The $1,000 Plan is being worked out, step by step, in some very productive and practical ways.

A Sneak Peek at a Master Bedroom Closet Makeover

While sorting laundry today I worked a little in the master bedroom closet, reorganizing items with storage totes. The totes just need their labels & then they will be all good-to-go!

I am making a big effort to get all drawers, closets and cupboards about the house as clutter-free and as organized as I possibly can. 

I am hoping this will prove to be the key, to achieving the break-through on the home organizing front that I am aiming to achieve.

My theory is: If I thoroughly sort the 'unseen' places, the 'seen' places should come together so much better. 

Here's a peek at a shelf that's looking a little prettier now. Yay!

Do you approach organizing this way? Has it worked out well for you? How do you like to corral items in the closet areas of your home? Please leave a comment & feel free to share some storage solutions you have found worked well for your household closet organization projects.

Gift Wrapping Supplies Organization

Need some ideas for setting up a gift wrapping station? Are you wondering how best to store all thse leftover ribbons, rolls of Christmas paper, etc now that it is after Christmas? Are you keen to somehow put a little more effort into how you go about wrapping gifts throughout the coming year, yet don't want to spend too much money achieving that goal?

The latest video, Gift Wrapping Supplies Organization, is now live on Youtube. In this video I share how I went about organizing my gift wrapping supplies and greeting cards. I also share some budget-friendly ideas about how you can go about making gifts for others look a little more put together and extra special, without ruining your household budget. Budget-friendly ideas are always winners, aren't they?

Here is the link to this lastest video over at the Household Logistics Youtube Channel: Gift Wrapping Supplies Organization. If you would like to see other videos like this, subscribe & like this video, and you can always leave a comment letting me know what you found most helpful from this latest video also.

Happy Home-making Everyone!

After Christmas Organization

After Christmas there can be a lot of extra cleaning up to do, as well as things requiring sorting and re-organizing. After Christmas Organization is the focus of the latest video posted on over at the Household Logistics Youtube Channel.

In the video I share the post-Christmas clean up that occurred recently in our household, and various ways that Christmas decor are stored after being put out for the festive season.

Everyone loves budget-friendly ideas, so if you would like to know what we have found both useful and budget-friendly, go on over and check out this latest video. Here is the link: After Christmas Organization

Happy home-making, Everyone!

Cupboard Makeover

As much as you can try to keep everything in its place, it doesn't always work out that way, does it? It can just take a couple of loads of laundry, or shoes or bags, etc not getting put away in their rightful places, and before you know it chaos has crept into household linen and storage cupboards.

The hot water cupboard in our neck-of-the-woods required some TLC and I finally got around to sorting it out. The shelves were full to over-flowing with several loads of laundry that had not been re-homed. Scattered shoes, raincoats, surplus bags... had all helped this cupboard quickly become a jumbled mess.

Perhaps one day it might be fun to do a fast forward type of video to document the process taken to restore areas such as this one. A video where you get to see things going from a muddled, jumbled chaotic mess to blissful, delightful order in what appears to be a blink of an eye... with  all the sorting and re-ordering being achieved with lightening speed before your eyes! It will be something I will quiet consider looking at perhaps doing at a later point in time, as there is sure to be another area or cupboard needing attention also!

However,  I will share the transformation achieved on this occasion by sharing photographs instead. It is quite satisfying to see a "Before" photograph and an "After" photograph when a task like this is done. It is really does make it clear just what was achieved. 

I plan to get more of the white Sistema brand containers for this cupboard, so things can be stored in them. It will help with the sorting of laundry and it will eliminate the overall visual clutter in the cupboard.

I will look at doing an update once I have got the extra containers. In the meantime, I am sure you will agree that it looks a lot better already. 

What do you find helpful to keep laundry cupboards & linen storage areas orderly? I would be interested to hear your ideas about what you have found works well for you and your household. Leave a comment & share what the helpful tips that you have found effective.

Also! Feel free to also go on over & like the Household Logistics Facebook Page and catch up with the previous home organization projects that have been done. 

Here is the link to the Household Logistics Facebook Page: /https://www.facebook.com/householdlogistics/