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Pantry Organization Project
Awhile back I shared a photo on Instagram showing the disastrous state of my pantry.
In general, I’m a pretty organized person. But certain areas of the home have been severely neglected since becoming a mother. There’s only so much time in the day.
Week by week, day by day, the overflowing pantry was starting to get on my nerves. It was getting to the point where I couldn’t find things and I was purchasing duplicates due to my lack of organization. This felt wasteful and annoying so I knew it was time for a change.
I embarked on my pantry organization project in an effort to bring more balance and calm into my life. Little frustrations during the day add up to a constant state of stress and I didn’t like the way that was making me feel.
If you’re attempting to eat well, make healthy choices, and save money a pantry organization project may be a good idea for you too.
I started by taking everything out of the pantry and organizing it by category (cereal, baking, snacks, baby, back-ups, cans, etc.).
I then did a thorough wipe down of the pantry which felt really good. (I use Honest natural home cleaning products and absolutely love them).
My biggest area of concern was the bulk items. Things like nuts, dates, raisins, quinoa, flour, etc. These are the items I buy at the store in bags, toss in the pantry to have on hand and then forget about them for months to come.
So I decided to use clear, glass jars to put a more effective system in place. I went through my pantry items and made lists of how many jars I would need to contain my regular staples.
I made a quick trip to Ikea (okay maybe not so quick) to purchase these glass jars along with a handful of bins to create zones that are easily identifiable.
The shopping trip also included a few big green tubs; one for recycling and one for reusable grocery bags that seem to take over the pantry in an unnecessary way.
I also found these adorable chalkboard label decals from Dana Decals that work perfectly with my glass jar system. I love that if I change the food in the jar I can easily re-write the label.
I’m thrilled with the way it all turned out. The decals are my favorite part. They were so easy to use! They can be used on any kind of canister or bin that you already have on hand. It’s an easy way to feel more organized and in control.
I can honestly say I have less stress and frustration on a daily basis due to this simple pantry makeover.
If you’re looking to do something similar in your home the kind people over at Dana Decals have offerred to give away a $25.00 online credit to one lucky lady.
Be sure to check out their site because they have a bunch of other fun wall decals as well!
To Enter:
Simply post a comment on this post and tell me how you’d use decals of your own. 🙂
Cheers to getting organized, saving money and stress-free, balanced living.
xo,
Robin Long
Robin Long, founder and CEO of Lindywell, certified Pilates instructor, Nutrition Therapy Practitioner, and author of 'Well to the Core,' blends 15 years of expertise with a lifelong commitment to holistic health.
Learn more about Robin Long
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41 thoughts on “Pantry Organization Project”
I love these decks and I would use them to organize my pantry especially bins with all those wires/electronic devices that seem to multiply!
Looks good! I would use them for my quinoa and different flours I have.
This is actually on my to do list this weekend along with organizing my office.
Also random question I really do need to purchase a food processor, which one do you recommend?
Thanks
Your pantry looks beautiful! Thanks for sharing! I’ve been wanting to do this for a while.
I would use these labels for bulk items in my pantry as well as to organize my craft supplies.
I’ve wondered though, does the chalk rub off when you grab the jars?
As a teacher, I LOVE the “chalkboard” labels! It looks classic and clean. Thanks for the inspiration…..I know what I will be doing this weekend~ Peace.
Love the jars and the decals! I’m such a sucker for Mason, and Mason-type, jars. They make everything pretty! And it’s a good thing Ikea is about an hour and a half from me…that could be serious trouble ;). Target is dangerous enough as it is!
I would use them for my bulk items – quinoa, lentils, nuts!!! I love the way your pantry looks and cleaning mine out is on my to do list!!
Beautiful!! Ups I need to do mine…
I would the decals to spruce up my own little pantry and filing cabinets (converted into a desk) in my bedroom. In my pantry, I too am a believer in bulk items, and they tend to pile up.
I love it!! I need to organize my pantry too but first need to tackle my linen closet- I’d use these decals to help organize back up body washes and shampoo bins but also my towels, sheets, and wash clothes!!!
Cleaning my pantry and coat closet have been on my to do list for awhile and this post just gave me the extra boost to get it done. I would use the decals for organizing pantry items especially spices and baking supplies! Your pantry looks great by the way!
I would use them to organize my small kitchen cabinets, I love the idea that you can erase and reuse, I am always changing my salad toppings and these would ne perfect! Wish I had a big pantry like yours it looks great.
Great timing! I also just started teaching a class and this weeks project is to clean out your pantry of any processed foods to reveal and use what’s real. I was just looking at my pantry thinking, “How am I going to tackle this mess?” I have bulk bags of quinoa, coconut and almond flour, variety of nuts, etc. that have taken over. Thanks for the motivation and ideas!
Love love love this! Organized my pantry for the start of TPB and would use these in there AND in my home office to keep business, personal, savings, bills, invoices, etc. from going together. I could also see myself using these in our closets for gear labeling – ski clothes, climbing stuff, bike parts, hats, and gloves without having to open the tops of the large containers to peek in. Your pantry looks great!
As soon as oyr new kitchen is finished I am totally going to “start fresh” in my pantry organizing! Next weekend will be so geat!:-)
I would use them to organize my pantry as well, the kids have their own shelf and it’s a disaster! I would love to be able to create bins for their snacks and jars for my items. With 2 kids it’s hard to stay organized!
It looks great1 My pantry is on my to-do list also. I would use the decals for my own labeling in the pantry.
I actually own these decals – they’re great! And I am slowly but surely stockpiling our pantry with those same ikea glass jars to get organized. It’s been a slower process than I would like and I can’t wait to add more jars to my collection and put my decals to good use.
We’re glad you liked them!
We actually just transferred 80% of our pantry to jars. We have an ant problem and this seems to be the only way to keep them at bay. I’d like to label the jars with something other than masking tape with something removable since eventually we’ll probably switch out jar sizes. Although- I’m thinking the music notes would look great in the dance studio/workout room of our next house.
(World market has great glass jars from Anchor Hocking, much cheaper than we could find on Amazon)
So inspiring. We just moved and I am excited to organize myself. I would use Dana Decals exactly the way you did: on clear glass jars and fill it quinoa, rice, and nuts! Cheers!!
I already have most bulk items in Ball jars, but I could really use the labels on those. I will forever have to stop and think it it’s millet or quinoa – and a label would be so much easier!
Whoa! Awesome! I think the decals would be great for the pantry and the kids’ craft supplies. Thanks for the great post!
My pantry desperately needs an overhaul! So if I won I’d be forced to finally organize it as nicely as yours
I would use them to organize my daughters’ collection of craft supplies. So many pompoms and crayons and misc. stickers! 🙂
I would use them to either organize my cupboards/pantry as you did… Or I would use them to begin tackling the storage room that needs some organizing!! :/ I think they would be great to use on storage containers holding all the baby stuff as I begin packing a lot of it away!
I need to organize SO badly in my pantry!
I would use them on my existing jars that have no labels. I LOVE the chalk idea to change labels as needed…how smart!
I use them at home myself on old tea tins, to label the different teas that go in there now. They come in really handy.
Looks great, Robin! Our pantry is fairly small and so I’m sort of forced to keep it organized so that everything fits. Cooking is one of my passions and so it’s fun for me to keep things neat and tidy, ready to whip up into something yummy. But at work… totally different story. I can definitely put those labels to great use! Your comment about making zones in your pantry set off the lightbulb in my head that I need to do that at work so I’ll know where all of my paperwork and resources are for my job. I’m a SLP in a school and I’m constantly having to refer back to process guidelines or paperwork to-do in between student groups. The busier I get, the more challenging it can be to find what I need without wasting so much time (that I don’t have)! I completely agree about little stressors creating a state of constant stress. I’ve read that researchers are finding that a constant state of low-level stress may actually be more detrimental to us than periods of more extreme stress, because our bodies/minds learn to adapt to it and no longer recognize the effects of the stress, whereas periods of extreme stress tend to be short-lived and get our attention right away and we end up taking steps to reduce the stress. Anyway, longest post comment ever. Love the labels!
These decals looks amazing! I would love to use them in the kitchen to organize the bulky items, but also (if there are varying sizes) for spices.
I always have too many spices or dried herbs and they definitely need a reorg. Buying stackable and same-sized containers, along with these decals, would go a long way.
I’d also use it to organize other household/personal items – make-up bins, cleaning supply bins, hair/body product bins, etc. It would make finding things easier and more clear to find.
These decals would be great to have! Thanks for the amazing tips Robin!
Thanks for your post! That is exactly what I have been looking for to organize my pantry!
I like your idea and while I have some jars similar to yours, to store my bulk items, I don’t have a great way to label them. These decals would be perfect!
So cute! We just moved, and our kitchen, especially the pantry, is still a mess. That’s exactly what I need to get organized!
Love the post. I use glass jars as well and they could use some pretty labels. 🙂
The Ikea jars are wonderful (I believe The Container Store also sells some that are similar). Love the idea of using these for organizing crafts, as some of you have mentioned, or using them in your classrooms.
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I would organize my shelves in my kitchen including my spices!!
Definitely the bulk foods, and the other dry goods all piled up in the cupboard. Love your new system, I might need some of those idea jars 🙂
I use glass jars for bulk items as well – these decals look perfect for it! The educational chalkboard would be cute, too, for my toddler’s room.
Your pantry looks great! I would use the decals for a very similar function. My poor pantry hasn’t been organized since we moved in. Now that I am working on keeping it stocked with healthy foods and meal planning, organization is a must!
I’d use them in my pantry on all the jars I have too (Currently they are labeled on the lid) and in my hall closet!!