Organization Upgrades: Kitchen Pantry Edition

A few weeks ago, I performed a major pantry overhaul. Which means that I basically turned my kitchen pantry inside out. Every single item was removed, sorted, cleaned, and resorted; every horizontal surface of my kitchen was piled high; and chaos reigned for several days while I painted every inch of the walls, ceiling, and shelves inside.

That was fun.

Then came the even more fun part. I carefully, cautiously and deliberately put the pantry back together. For the most part, I was still satisfied with my old arrangement, so it was a fairly small matter to put things back in their places.

But in my organizational book, there is always room for improvement; here are three practical and useful upgrades I made to my fresh-as-a-daisy pantry

1. I spread my dish towels out along the shelf in front of the spices. 
By making several low stacks, I can see exactly which towels are ready for duty, and choose the best one for the job at hand. Before, my towels were crammed into the back of a drawer, and I had to yank the whole mess out into the daylight in order to survey my options. This simple changed has removed a surprising amount of annoyance from my life, and that is exactly how good organization works.

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2. I created a special treat basket and stocked it with my daughters' favorites. 

No one - repeat, no one - is too old for yummy snacks, and my mostly-grown daughters still wander through my pantry daily, looking for something quick and delicious to eat between meals. For some unknown reason, it finally dawned on me to just create a treasure trove of treats that would satisfy them. So far, this idea has been a big hit - I'm having fun keeping the stash interesting and ever-changing; my daughters are just happy to eat. 

{Please notice that Ranger's treats are located front and center, on the most easily accessible shelf in the whole pantry. It may have taken me years to create a goodie basket for my daughters, but Ranger's snacking needs have always been a priority.} 

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3. I added some art.

Here's something I have learned about myself. If I am happy about how a space looks, I will go to great lengths to keep it looking good. This is especially true of clutter-prone storage spaces, like dresser drawers, cupboards, and closets. Adding small but visually interesting details, like matching baskets or cute organizers, motivates me to stay on top of my messes, and framed bits of art increase the effect exponentially. 

For this little piece, I doodled the word "eat" with a Sharpie till I was pleased with the effect, then traced it over onto white card stock. An old picture frame got a few fresh coats of red spray paint, and I used two Command strips to attach the finished piece to the inside of the door. And every time I open the door and see that loopy little word in the bright red frame, I smile.

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My three upgrades are simple, obvious, and cost me almost nothing. I just needed a bit of time and energy to identify a few rough spots in my routines, and then problem-solve around them. These ideas won't change the world, but hopefully they will buy me some time before my next major pantry overhaul.