Thursday, February 28, 2013

41 UHeart Organizing: A Pretty Organized Smoothie Station

Today is a special day here at IHeart!  Casey, from Pretty Organized, is joining us today with her first UHeart Organizing contributing post!   And she is sticking with this month's kitchen theme, sharing her newly organized, super fantastic, smart and stylish smoothie station!  She is a sneaky gal, that Casey.  Check out her post below to see what I mean.


Hey guys! I am super excited to stop by today & share one of my latest endeavors during IHeart Organizing's Kitchen Organization month!


This project is part of my new year's resolution to build healthier habits. I have a short attention span {squirrel!}, and if things aren't easy or fun, I have a REALLY tough time finding the discipline to stick with them.

The initial excitement had faded, and my protein shake habit was starting to feel like a real chore:

  • The ingredients & equipment were spread out between three different cabinets.
  • I was tearing my kitchen apart every morning to make breakfast.
  • Things weren't getting put away because it took too long.

{Okay, that sounds totally spoiled and whiny, but you get where I'm coming from, right? Some people possess magical powers and put things away no matter how complex or time-consuming. Some of us forget to close the cabinet doors. On all three cabinets. And then leave our stuff on the counter afterward. Right under the open cabinet doors.}

Let's just say it wasn't working well for me.


Since everything usually wound up getting left on the counter anyway {oops!}, I decided to create this station for my smoothies. Everything is in one place, easy to access, and it actually looks like it belongs now! Cleanup time is SO much faster because I just make everything right at the station, so it's already put away! BOOM. That's my kind of system!

I grabbed some glass containers that I already had, whipped up some sweet labels, and played around until I liked the way they fit on my counter. I know what you're thinking -- why did I stick them in the corner next to that ridiculously awesome knife rack? Wouldn't it save more space if I lined them up flat against the wall? Well, sure, but this set-up has a little secret all its own.


My blender tucks in right behind the protein powders! {Mind-blowing, amiright??} More cabinet space, everything in one spot, and a little bit of hidden storage keeping a not-so-beautiful appliance totally accessible but out of sight. I'm pretty sure I'll be calling this my "breakfast nook" whenever we give house tours to new guests -- fabulous, dahling ;)

Total cost for this project: Free ninety-nine!

Oh, and here's a little present for you, IHeart readers! You can download a free printable version of my labels in aqua & gray or coral & white. I even added a second page with extra categories in case you have other ingredients you'd like to add to your station.

{download the FREE label printable in Aqua here}


{download the FREE label printable in Coral here}
 
You can print them on a full sheet of sticker paper or print them on card stock & use double stick tape. For a more durable finish, you can laminate the labels & then attach them with double sided tape. It should just pop off whenever you need to wash the container!

Happy blending!



"My name is Casey, and I live in a sweet, tiny little house in Delaware with my hubby & our two adorable rescue dogs. As a longtime fan of Jen's phenomenal organizing skills, I am absolutely THRILLED to be a contributor for IHeart Organizing!  

I used to be a total mess, but after I let go of the idea of “perfect,” I found freedom. I stopped trying to fit the mold & learned how to make organization work with my natural habits, and I have become obsessed with creative organizing solutions ever since! When I'm not drooling over the latest amazing project features over here, you can find me happily tinkering away on my own blog, Pretty Organized, where I share my addiction to aesthetics, small space storage ideas, DIY projects, and all things aqua!"



41 comments:

  1. How do you like your magic bullet? My little blender broke today (after 2 years, and it was $15! not bad) so I'm looking for a replacement.

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    1. I love it! It is great for small spaces, & since you can drink right from the mug, that means one less dish to wash! My only semi-complaint would have to be that it doesn't do the best job at chopping ice. If I want to crush ice, I have to put it in the blender alone & chop it before adding other ingredients. (I have had this thing for like 5 years, though -- newer models might be better at handling the ice situation.) We usually just use frozen fruit, so we don't really need ice for most of our smoothies, anyway!

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    2. We've had ours for a few years too. The kids all like different flavours of smoothees, so it makes it easy to make each kid their own smoother.

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    3. I have gone through many blenders because they were not strong enough to handle my frozen fruit. BUT I got a Ninja blender and it has survived! (I wrote about it on my blog Red Star Roost on August 30, 2012 "A New Toy fer Momma." if you want to see the model. ) Anyways, Casey, you had me at Cake Batter Protein. Squirrel!!

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  2. I love it. I'm working on my kitchen and have accomplished alot. I have a question. I have been getting help in the kitchen and they don't think about the fact that the labels will come off in the dishwasher. Any ideas on what to use so it doesn't come off?

    Thank you for your wonderful blog and the wonderful guests you have, Jen.

    Wanda
    http://wandas-quilts-crafts.blogspot.com/

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    1. Hey Wanda! I would recommend laminating the labels & just hand-washing the containers if possible. Otherwise, I have heard that you can try coating the labels with a waterproof acrylic sealer like the Mod Podge Clear Acrylic Sealer sprays: http://www.artistsupplysource.com/home.php?cat=38989 You might even be able to find some extra wide clear packing tape to cover/waterproof your label!

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  3. We just got a Blendtec and loving how easy it is to make healthy smoothies. The smoothie station is adorable, even if it's in a cabinet too. Thanks for the labels!

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  4. Casey- Good job on the post and the organizing! -Sandy

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  5. Cake batter protein is what I took away from this. LOL- one track mind. Where do I find that?

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    1. Oh Em Gee I loooooove my cake batter protein powder!! I even put it in my coffee!! The kind I'm using right now is from Muscle Milk Light. I have a bunch of product links & extra tips over on my blog: http://www.prettyorganized.com/organizing/what-to-eat-for-breakfast

      P.S. The Protein Plus peanut flour is great, too, and if you like Reese's, I would absolutely recommend the chocolate PB2 peanut flour. Life-changing. ;)

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  6. I'm also not a fan of having my appliances out, but until I can afford to have an appliance garage, this looks like a great trick!

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  7. I almost only use fruit in my smoothies, so I don't need a station. Occasionally I'll use soy milk or peanut butter and they already have places.

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    1. Do you just blend fruit by itself, or do you add any sweeteners, extracts, or other ingredients? What are your fave smoothie combos?

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  8. thanks for the post... although the aqua labels download button just brings me back to blogger... is it just my computer? I can get the coral no problem...

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  9. Another option might be to spend a weekend morning pre-measuring and bagging the dry ingredients for smoothie mixes for the week (if someone didn't want to leave all the canisters out on their countertop). These could just go in a pretty basket next to the blender, and the bags could be reused several times. We make homemade oatmeal packets and use them in this way.

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  10. Ooh, that is a great tip! P.S. I am totally going to try the oatmeal packet idea -- sounds yummy!!

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  11. Your labels are adorable! May I ask what the font is so I can make my own?

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    1. Sure thing! It's a Google Web Font called Amatic SC: http://www.google.com/webfonts/specimen/Amatic+SC

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  12. Very nice! I love our magic bullet for making shakes. Where did you get the glass containers from?

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    1. Thanks! I bought the containers at Target 3-4 years ago. They have a few cracks at this point, but they’ve been seriously abused & even survived when we moved from our apartment into our current house. I don’t think Target carries them anymore, but I just found one size on Amazon & added it to my store: http://astore.amazon.com/prettorgan0d-20?node=8&page=5.

      I also found this cylindrical glass canister set at Target for you: http://www.target.com/p/glass-cylinder-canister-set-of-4-assorted/-/A-13071434#prodSlot=medium_1_4&term=glass+square+canister

      Hope that helps!

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  13. LOVE!!! I have been planning to organize all the many grains in my pantry in containers like this, but I never thought of doing it with my smoothie stuff! I make a "Green Monster" every morning, too!

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    1. Ooh, yum!! What do you put in your monster? I know there are a ton of different recipes!

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  14. Ok please can you give me some ideas on smoothies. Ilove the idea of whizzing up my breakfast .

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    1. Sure! Here’s one of my fave smoothies: 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 cup frozen strawberries, 1-2 scoops cake batter protein powder, 1/2 cup nonfat cottage cheese, 1 tablespoon chia seeds. If you want it thicker, just add a tiny pinch of the xanthan gum. You can also add some ground flaxseed or greek yogurt to make it more filling. If you want it sweeter, just sprinkle in some stevia (NuStevia is my fave brand). It tastes just like strawberry shortcake!! Om nom nom! :)

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    2. There are also a TON of yummy, healthy protein shake recipes on Dashing Dish. It's definitely worth checking out! http://dashingdish.com/recipes/shakes/

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  15. Love this Casey! I've been thinking of making my smoothies at home and this is the best inspiration to get started :)

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  16. LOVE this post, - (I had the light bulb moment recently and have started pre-bagging each week all my fresh ingredients for smoothies in little bags and store them in the freezer ready to pop out each day - love the idea for the dry stuff!)
    And Jen, - I found your blog a couple years ago and still you are the first place I go online - I heart this site and just love your growth this last year, and all the new contributors!!I am not naturally organized at all, - but thanks to you am able to fake it as my home and life get there one step at a time!! :) I just love the lightbulb moments your blog gives me as I 'get' how an organized mind works and how to implement it! thanks for all you do! :) Rebecca

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  17. Awesome smoothie station & cute labels! Everyone is talking about Chia seeds! There is cake batter protein? Sounds great.

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  18. Miss Casey, you are so witty-- you had me smiling the whole way through this post! I love your new "breakfast nook," and the labels are adorable. Thanks for sharing your ideas!

    ~Abby =)

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  19. Thanks for the great tips and ideas!
    I have been wanting to start making Smoothies, yours sound great! =)
    And..Im wanting to get a Magic Bullet, they really look awesome for making Smoothies! =)

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  20. Yay, I am so glad you did this. I have been having issues with this same thing. Thank you.

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  21. Where did you get the containers?

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    1. Hey Angie! A lot of people had the same question, so I posted all of the info on my blog for you. Here's the link: http://www.prettyorganized.com/organizing/what-to-eat-for-breakfast

      Hope it helps!

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  22. This is a brilliant idea! I find my coffee station is very disorganized and I think I could use a similar system to keep things tidy and save a few minutes each morning. Where did you find such cute, practical containers? I can't wait to check out your other organizational ideas. It's definitely been one of my resolutions this year.

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    1. Thanks, Ruth!! Here's the info on the containers (scroll to the bottom of the post): http://www.prettyorganized.com/organizing/what-to-eat-for-breakfast

      Oh, and have you seen the awesome coffee station that Ashley from 7th House on the Left posted here on IHeart? Tons of great ideas!

      http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2012/09/uheart-organizing-crazy-cool-coffee_20.html

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