Thursday, June 11, 2015

30 UHeart Organizing: A Party in the Pantry!

Today's post is another fab example of how changes in schedules and seasons can cause major organizational updates.

Cassie, of Hi Sugarplum, has been writing for me for quite awhile now and I always appreciate that she finds ways to make me laugh, feel inspired and ready to make something with tassels.  She is one stylish chic in all areas of her life; everything from the home she is decorating to her daily wears.  Speaking of!  She is working on a blank slate of a house which means all sorts of pretty organizing.  And today she is here to share how the recent onset of summer has driven her to whip her pantry into shape.  Are any of you working on your pantry as part of this week's organizational challenge?  If so, be ready for some ideas and eye candy to keep you motivated!



Hello iHeart friends! I'm thrilled to be back on Jen's rockstar blog sharing my latest organized space. I had the honor of participating in the {One Room Challenge} with her, and am still blown away by their Living Room! And don't get me started on her Kitchen. We have girl-time planned for next month, and I can't wait to see her cute face.

School's out in our neck of the woods, which means it's officially Summer. Which also means our house is a revolving door of hungry kids, constantly hitting up the pantry for snacks. It only took a few days before I realized I needed a better system...for both me when trying to put together a meal, and for the all-day snackers!


That's the After...you don't want to see the Before! Which is crazy because we've only lived in this house a few months! But it just proves that without a good system, a space will become prime clutter-zone in no time!

I began like I do every organizing project...emptied everything out, got rid of the junk hiding in the back, and started with a clean slate. I thought about lining the shelves or the back with cute paper...but decided to keep it simple since food packages are so busy. And honestly, I just wanted this done before the next wave of kids stopped by!


Just like our last house's pantry, I used Ikea and Dollar Store bins and canisters to group like items. I've found they keep items from getting lost in the back, and overlooked, especially once they've been opened. It also helps me shop because I can quickly check each category and see what needs replenishing. At the same time, it keeps me from overspending because I only shop for what fits in each bin! #sneaky


The bottom shelves hold the foods the kids reach for most often...cereal, crackers, and snack bars. Labels in my treasured bookplates make finding things easily.

Sidenote: Can we pause a moment to mourn the discontinuation of these Martha Stewart bookplates?! What are she and Staples thinking no longer selling them?!? #asyouwere


Removing individually-wrapped foods from their packages saves a ton of space in bins. And saves you from finding the inevitably empty carton still on the shelf!



A long tiered rack makes the cans and bottles easily seen and accessible.



The higher shelves hold items I use for most meal prep...pasta, rice, baking supplies.




Items that require measuring are stored in air-tight canisters. And I recommend labeling them unless you're absolutely sure you can tell the difference between flour and powdered sugar. #oops

Tip: Flour and sugar packages are rarely the same size as my canisters, so I store the leftover in ziplock bags in the separate bins on the top shelf.




Don't overlook vertical space....the side of the cabinet is a great spot for baskets holding small packets.


We have a hard-core Crystal Light addiction...yes I'm aware our insides are probably the color of Red Dye #9. #dontjudge



The bins at the very top hold extras of the items I buy in bulk. The kids aren't allowed to get a new box of cereal down until one has been emptied! #momlaw



Now I'm ready to face the Summer snackers! What spaces do you need to tackle before the kids descend? You can see more of my organized spaces here, and the rooms we've decorated in the new house here and here. Happy organizing, lovebugs!




 "Hi, I'm Cassie, a DIY and design-obsessed Texas girl, and lover of travel, fashion, sarcasm and Mexican food. When I'm not hanging with my sweet and funny family, you can find me kicking the '80s out of our home, one budget project at a time, on my blog Hi Sugarplum!

30 comments:

  1. Love it Cassie! Great use of space! Where did you findthe white bins with labels? LOVE them.

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    1. Hopefully Cassie can find a moment to pop by and confirm, but I believe I have seen them at IKEA, they look quite similar to some I have picked up there in the past. xoxo!

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    2. IKEA-Variera series
      http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/series/24984/

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    3. Thank you! Yes, ma'am...those white bins are Ikea. They are really sturdy, and I love the clean, basic lines of them!

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  2. An organized pantry and frig is a must for us. We just function so much better. I love your bulletin board...I see you brought a "piece" of your recently finished bath from the old house ;-)

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    1. Good eye, Lauren! I totally forgot to mention that in my post!!!!

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  3. Oh wow!! I really want my pantry to look like this!

    Her Heartland Soul
    http://herheartlandsoul.com

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  4. Love that Cassie girl! I see she saved some of that gorgeous wallpaper from her last house to make a cute memo board in her new pantry!

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    1. I was so excited to see that popping in on the side! Love that paper!

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    2. Love that you girls recognized the paper! I love that paper so much I had to use it immediately! I can't believe I forgot to mention it in my post! #doh

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    3. when I saw the paper - I thot "I spy!" luv it!

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  5. I adore an organized pantry! It not only looks great, keeps your necessities stocked, but it makes clean eating so much easier. When your yummy/healthy food is fun to look at, it's also more fun to eat! Haha, well at least I think so. :)

    Cheers, Mads
    www.whitewallcollective.com

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  6. would love to know where you got the tiered rack from? I need a few of these!

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    1. I have seen tiered racks at Container Store (used an adjustable one in our pantry and love it: http://bit.ly/1MMJdYp and on Amazon:http://amzn.to/1Qs6PXM

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  7. This was so wonderful I will be using these ideas.

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  8. What size containers did you use for the flour, sugar and similar items? I followed her blog to her original pantry post and can see there are 44 oz and 2 qt options from Ikea and I'm wondering what she used here. I've been looking for ways to better store these items for months! This is perfect!

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    1. Hi Anna! They look like the 44 oz version to me. :)

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    2. Hi Anna! It really depends on the height of your shelf...I believe I have the middle size of the Ikea canisters. The big ones are great, but just too tall for my 12-inch shelves. Hope this helps! xo

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  9. Thanks for the inspiration. I want to tackle my pantry this summer, and you've given me a great start.

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    1. yay, I'm so thrilled you're inspired! It's silly how happy it makes me to open that pantry door now! :)

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  10. Looks nice, but where did you get the small, wire baskets on the sides? I have been looking for some to use in my pantry also

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    1. Hi Tery...those are from Ikea...but really anything similar would work, even if not intended for the kitchen!

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  11. I second Cassie's tip to remove things from boxes if possible. We have a very deep but narrow pantry where things easily get lost and i've found that emptying boxes of snack bars into a long narrow Itso bin from Target helps to save space. Plus I love that I only have to remove one bin to get to the back instead of 5-6 granola bar boxes!

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    1. Amen! And for some reason in my house, there only seemed to be one granola bar in every box! ;)

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  12. Have you found any bookplates similar to the Martha Stewart?

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  13. I love that you have that Ikea kid's cup as a container within a container! I do the same to hold my hubby's razors tucked inside one of those same white bins up on a laundry room shelf so they don't get lost and jumbly

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  14. Crystal Light is my go to drink also! A little vodka in it doesn't hurt either ;) You can score a giant box (Wild Strawberry is our favorite) at Amazon.com for super cheap. I have it set up on subscribe & save....I adore the Ikea containers & bins you've used here and stock up on them whenever I go. Have had 1 container crack...so hopefully that was an isolated incident!

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  15. I desperately need to organize our pantry now that summer and endless kids are home! Thanks for the great tips!

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  16. Do you have a link for the white bins? Thanks! Brooke

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  17. Hi, just came across your blog today and am really enjoying it. Quick question for Cassie - how do your extra sugars/flour do in ziplock bags? I have a hard time keeping my brown sugar moist once its been put into a cannister.

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