In the last blog, I shared my favorite organizing products that I use most often when organizing kitchens.  This blog discusses containers and products I like to use when organizing pantries. 


 1.  Clear, square canisters with air-tight lids for flour, sugar, rice, pasta, and other dry goods.  Be sure they stack and come in a variety of sizes.  Don’t forget to label.   

2.  Expandable tiered shelf organizer - This is kind of like “stadium seating” for canned goods.  Expandable is the key.  It will offer flexibility to fit most spaces.   There are smaller tiered organizers for spice jars.  

3.  Clear food storage bins -  A home for snack bars, chips, microwave popcorn, pasta and rice packets.  The bin contains those frustrating packages that get lost or flop over on the shelf.  Be creative and use containers that aren’t necessarily made for kitchen organizing.  Some people use plastic shoe boxes or wicker baskets. Any will work but I prefer clear or opaque so you can see at a glance what and how much is in the bin.  

4.  Under shelf baskets - Food can be stacked only so high so there’s often wasted space under shelves.   My favorite under-shelf storage is the placemat holder.   http://bit.ly/XHoryB   In addition to storing placemats, this can be used to hold cutting boards and baking sheets.  

5.  Turntable/Lazy Susan - Turntables work well especially in corners or those hard-to-reach areas.  They are great for cooking oils, vinegar, and other bottles.  I prefer turntables with a lip around the edge.  I do not like double tier turntables.  It may seem like a good use of space but it’s difficult to see things on the bottom tier and bottles on the top tier may topple when the turntable is spun.  Be sure the turntable is made to be easily cleaned.


What containers have you used to keep your pantry organized?  Please leave your comments below.  

Many of my clients want to know what organizing containers I use in my home.  In this blog, I will discuss my favorite kitchen organizing products that I use in my house and also in many client’s homes.  This is the first of 2 blogs focused on kitchen organizing products.  The next blog will look at pantry organizing products.  

1)  Expandable shelf -  This is one of my favorites because it can literally double shelf space inside a cabinet.  It’s expandable so it fits most cabinets. I use this in upper cabinets for dishes and lower cabinets for pots and pans.  It can also be used as a corner shelf. 

2)  Drawer Organizers - I prefer the modular interlocking variety but this may not work for all drawers.  Utensils can be sorted by size or by purpose.

3)  Junk Drawer Organizer - A junk drawer is a .... drawer full of junk but it can be useful junk if it’s somewhat organized.  Like the divided drawer organizers for utensils and silverware, it allows for easier visibility of the contents.  

4)  Expandable Pot Lid Organizer - Another organizer recently introduced this Ikea item to me as one of her favorites because it not only organizes pot lids but baking dishes, trays and cutting boards.  It’s adjustable so it fits in most cabinets and can accommodate various sizes of lids/ dishes.  At just $5.99, you can’t beat this multi-purpose organizer.   http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70154800/

5)  Food Storage Organizer - Food storage containers and lids can be the bane of my client’s existence.  I hear many complaints of containers and lids falling out or just not stacking neatly in cabinets.  This organizer helps to contain the containers!  http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen/cabinetOrganizers/lowerCabinets?productId=10021557&N=186

What are some of your favorite organizing products?  Do you have some containers/ products that are not what they promised?  Please comment below.

Recently, I asked Inspirational Organizing Facebook fans what they wanted to read about in my organizing blog.  There were many great responses.  One of the requests is the topic for this blog - Organizing Food Storage Containers.  Most kitchens have a good supply of tupperware and rubbermaid.   Typically they’re differing sizes, shapes and brands making it difficult to stack or nest.   Finding the corresponding lid can be frustrating and time consuming if the cabinet or drawer isn’t organized efficiently.  

1. Match lids to containers and toss any without mates.  Another great  option is to re-purpose orphaned or damaged containers for crafts or painting projects.
2. Discard any bubbled or damaged plastic.  These are no longer food-safe.  I recommend tossing all older plastic containers that are not BPA free.
3. Sort by size - Small, medium and large.
4. Donate containers that you do not routinely use.  If you rarely use a container or if it is an odd shape that does not easily  nest with other containers, consider passing it on.  If you have more than one cabinet dedicated to food storage containers, you may have too many.
   
5.  File lids with the largest lids in back, smaller in the front.  Use a spare container or purchase a food storage organizer.  Storing all the lids together takes up less space rather than attached to the top of the container. 
6. Nest the containers as much as possible.  Round with round and square with square.

When purchasing new containers, there are several considerations.  

• Plastic or glass?  I like to have a combination of both.  Glass is safer for microwave use but plastic is necessary for  freezer use.  Another option if you are freezing food is zipper freezer bags.  Freeze soup, sauces, meat, etc. horizontally.  After the food is frozen, store in the freezer up-right.  

• Square or round?  It’s personal preference but I like square containers  because they make a better use of space in cabinets and refrigerators.  

• Clear or opaque?  Always clear so you can see what is inside.  Leftovers tend to not get eaten if someone has to take that extra step of lifting the lid to see what is inside.  

With summer here and kids out of school, it’s a great time to get the kids' rooms organized.  This is an opportunity to teach your kids a necessary life skill of organizing!    The extra time this summer will allow for new habits to be developed and in place before life gets crazy again in the fall.  I’ll divide this blog topic into two parts.  This week, the focus will be organizing strategies for younger kids.  Next week, I will discuss keeping teens and pre-teens organized.  

 TOYS-

-Rotate toys rather than have them all out.  

-Use containers that are easy for the kids to use, clear and easy-off lids. 

-Little toys fall to the bottom of a large bins or toy boxes so put little items in small containers or in over-the-door shoe organizers with clear pockets.  

-Label containers, drawers and shelves using words and pictures of the items that belong there so even pre-readers will be able to put away belongings.


CLOTHING

-Place in season clothing within the child’s reach.  Store out of season clothing on higher closet rods or shelves. 

-Use boxes or small bins for underwear/socks whether you keep these in the dresser or on a shelf in the closet.   

-Hang outfits together on the same hanger or sort by pants, shirts, dress clothes, etc.


CHORES

-Laminate a checklist with responsibilities, eg-make bed, brush teeth, put dirty clothes in hamper, hang up towel.  Create separate lists for morning, bedtime and “Clean your room”. 

KEEPSAKES

-Keepsake box-Each child needs a box to store their keepsakes.  When the box begins to get full, it’s time to weed out to make room for more.  Scan artwork and make into photo books.  An under- the- bed storage box is great for this.

MAINTENANCE

-Maintenance  - Have kids pick up their toys and clothing each night before bed.  Each weekend, have your kids do a more thorough clean-up.  This task is much easier if they have something to look forward to after the clean-up is complete.  


Remember that we must be good role models.  Show your kids exactly what you mean when you ask them to clean their room.  By teaching our kids to keep their belongings organized, we are also teaching them to value and respect their surroundings and their things. 

Choosing the right container is usually the last step in the organizing process.  This is an important consideration because using the wrong container can lead to disorganized chaos.  I remind clients when choosing a container, the priority is its ease of use.   Simple storage solutions are more important than how pretty the container looks.  

Things to consider as you choose a container:  

--What will be stored in the container?  Take into consideration the amount of stuff and how heavy it will be.  Storing heavy items in large bins will make moving them very difficult. 

--Where will the containers be stored?  Will they need to be stacked?  If so, you want to have flat tops so that is possible.  You will probably want to take measurements of the shelf, drawer, cabinet, etc. to be sure that the containers will fit.  

--Clear is almost always best.  You can see what is in the container.  

--The more squared off containers are, the more practical. Curves and angles are space wasters.

--Frequently used containers are often better without a lid.  It’s just easier.  You might not put the mail away if you have to lift or unlatch a lid.

--Let the container be the limit or the boundary for what is stored inside.  Once it gets full, it’s time to weed out rather than purchase another container.