We’re back to share how we fared when it came to our big cabinet clean-out which we announced late last week and tackled this weekend (hopefully along with a bunch of you guys at home). Remember our pathetic starting point? Of course you do. Those two chaotic double cabinets (where we store every single edible item in our kitchen, except for the stuff in the fridge) were pretty hard to forget:
But now we’ll reveal what they look like after a few hours of weekend weeding out and reworking:
First we followed the 100% empty rule and cleared out both cabinets and placed everything on the counter so we could evaluate what we had, pair like with like, toss anything that was past its prime, and see what we were dealing with.
Once we looked at it all en masse it was easy to see that we had just a few popular categories that kept popping up again and again. So if we could keep things grouped by these reoccurring descriptions we would always know where to put specific things (which practically makes our organization efforts automatic). For the first double cabinet, those categories were: cereal, pasta, sides, snacks, crackers, and cans & soups.
So we decided to hit up Michael’s for some cheap-o metal labels (found in the scrapbooking aisle by the way) that we could hang on each shelf to delineate each area. We especially love that unlike self adhering stickers (like those from a label maker), these metal frames look more polished, and they hold pieces of paper that can easily be switched out if we ever want to recategorize anything at a later date. And at a mere $2.19 for four labels, we came home with more than we needed for just six dollars and some change.
Oh and when it came to hanging them, first we measured to ensure they were all lined up, then we pre-drilled tiny little holes using the metal frame as a template for where the nails would go, and then we gently hammered those nails into the small pre-drilled holes we made. Worked like a charm. Note: for a less permanent hanging job, double stick tape or even velcro could have done the trick. We just knew we’d like having them around for the long haul.
In the photo above you can see that when it came to our “sides” category we had a bunch of slippery envelopes that we used to attempt to stack (yeah, not possible) but eventually we just ended up shoving them between two heavier objects to try to keep them somewhat together. Now thanks to a clear plastic caddy that I already had laying around, they’re much more controlled and easy to store.
And grouping our pasta with our sauce seems like a no brainer, but that idea never occurred to us before since we just mindlessly jammed everything into the cabinets and called it a day. Now we feel oh so elegant for having a little section for that stuff, and of course we love that we were able to swank things up even more with two lidded glass containers (just $5.29 a pop at Target) for our always-purchased-in-bulk snacks (almond biscotti and Wasa crackers). Hey, whatever floats your boat right? Plus they stay a lot fresher since they both come in not-very-easily-resealed packaging. Double bonus.
Oh and if you look on the bottom shelf you’ll see another added organizational item that we introduced: a little wire shelf (that we already had on hand). It really helps us gain more usable vertical space for smaller items that get all jumbled up and lost without some semblance of order. And I even had two green stationery boxes (leftover from a slew of Thank You notes that I sent off after my baby shower) which were perfectly sized for housing some random packets of oatmeal and a bunch of granola bars (sometimes finding a way to lose all that bulky packaging frees up way more space, plus it makes it even easier to grab something on the go).
We even paused to sort through our DIY in-cabinet cork boards full of recipes and nutritional articles to pare things down and eliminate the unnecessary visual clutter (see the original post about those cork boards and how we hung them here).
They cleaned up nice, right?
Now we’ll move over to the other cabinet, which used to house everything from spaghetti and sauce to baking goods, oils, and spices. We immediately realized that it made more sense to dedicate one cabinet to snacks, sides, pasta, crackers, soup, etc- while the other cabinet was devoted to spices, cooking oil, sauces, and baking ingredients. Again, this should have been more intuitive to us, but we’ve lived with our new kitchen for years without reaching this obvious realization. So we looked at all the items that would be going back into this cabinet and arrived at a few more overarching categories that we could use to create a spot for everything. We landed on: powdered mixes, baking ingredients, sauces, baking accessories, spices and cooking oils.
Again we loved how the labels instantly created a system to keep like items together (and that the categories could easily be changed if we wanted to move things around in the future).
But when it came to storing some greasier bottomed items (like cooking spray, canola oil, etc) we had another challenge inside this cabinet. Namely, gross rings left behind.
But it was nothing a few $1.99 placemats from Target couldn’t fix.
We were able to cut one in half and create two different 100% wipeable (and even dishwasher safe) protective mats for under the sticky sauces and the cooking oils that can now be stored without fear that they’ll nastify our shelves.
And you might be wondering what sort of “baking accessories” are stored in that box. Well, we already had it laying around, and it totally works for keeping all of our sprinkles, icing nozzles, cookie cutters and cupcake liners together. And it’s super convenient to just whip out the entire box when it comes time to bake something (instead of losing nozzles and cupcake liners in the back of the cabinets, it’s now much easier to see what we have and get to the business of decorating).
And not to be overachievers, but there was one more kitchen cabinet that was a bit, er, lackluster. We store many of our skillets and pans in the drawer under the stove, but we have a few pots and lids that spill over into the base cabinet on the right.
And it’s not that it looked cluttered or messy per se, it just didn’t feel organized. And if you looked closely you could see that the lids and the bases of the pots were leaving tiny marks on the shelves as they were slid in and out.
Luckily those marks were easily removed with a sponge, and then all we needed to do was pick up a lid rack ($9.39 at Target) and two more of those $1.99 placemats (which we taped together to create one large wipeable protective surface under the pots on the bottom shelf). No more scrape marks- and it looks a lot more organized too.
So that’s how it all went down this weekend when we finally decided to tackle our dreaded kitchen cabinets. And we’re pleased to report that the whole project ran us less than $30 for all of our storage-friendly additions (from those metal label holders and the placemats to the pot lid organizer and the glass jars for keeping snacks fresh).
But enough about us- how’d you guys do? Did any of you tackle your kitchen cabinets and live to tell the tale? Any tips or tricks you implemented to keep things under control? Did anyone attempt an organizational task outside of the kitchen (in the garden, the garage or the basement for example)? Do tell.
Psst- Wondering how we stash and store nearly everything else in our house? Click here for all the dirty deets.
Lindsey Rockers says
Hey… this is completely off base but i have a little bit of random question for you, since you guys live that organic-loving, chemical-free life style so well! i was never really one to worry about “going green” or to consider the types of chemicals that were present in our home or how they may effect our health until we had a baby.
Now that it weighs more heavily on my mind I have slowly been switching to more ‘green’ options around the house…you know, non-hazardous botanical cleansers, low VOC paint… that kind of stuff.
However there is one particularly nasty chemical that I can’t seem to find a way to avoid and it drives me crazy! We have to adorable pooches around these parts, and though we slack in the winter, as summer approaches they are now back on their flea and tick medication. This stuff is nasty… I mean, not only does it kill the pesky little critters it aims to, the stuff will also quite literally kill a cat if it comes in contact with it!
Our little one (5 months) LOVES our dogs (just like yours will… i’m sure!) and is constantly wanting to pet them, grab anything she can get a hold of (ears, lips, tail…), and even tries to bring them to her mouth. I love that our dogs and baby rockers get along so fabulously, but I have definitely been limiting their contact since applying their first dose of the nasty treatment. Since a flea infestation is definitely NOT OK (for us or the dogs) and ticks literally make me gag, going without it isn’t an option!
Do you guys have any other planet-friendly options for your pooch this summer (especially as sweet clara begins spending more time with her soon-to-be best friend) or will Burger be banished to the back yard until flea and ticks are no longer an issue????
Thanks so much!
~Lindsey
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Lindsey,
We’re so lucky that Burger has super short hair (and is actually bald under his entire belly) so we would see any fleas or ticks (they have nowhere to hide) so we made the decision to opt out of any chemical treatments due to the scary warning labels on them. Not only do we worry that they’re dangerous for babies and even grown adults, we also worry that they’re bad for our little pup. So far we have had no issues with pests. Yay! Although we have heard natural things like lavender essential oil and borax can be used as less toxic pest control alternatives (which we’d definitely look into if we ever have issues). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Shannon L says
My organization task was outside the kitchen. I spent my Sunday making use of my mom’s sewing machine and fixing, altering and finishing a huge amount of the little sewing projects I had at home (where I am sewing machine-ness, unfortunately).
I feel like I went on a shopping trip, as so many of the items I fixed or altered I hadn’t worn in over a year, in some cases. Considering I am trying to save for a vacation to Europe, it was a nice way to get some new clothes without spending any money. Plus, it put into practice the Re-use and Recycle portion of the three R’s, which always makes me feel good. Instead of these clothes going to the dump, I saved them and gave them a new life. Yay! It’s handy knowing how to sew.
Michele Daggar says
I figured if you guys could do it with a newborn in the house, I could do it with a 12 year old and a 9 year old.!!!
I tackled the kitchen cabinets and found a large amount of expired and half empty bags & boxes. Yuck. My cabinets are so empty now.
I put on my YHL thinking cap and tried to come up with storage options using things we already had in the house. Here’s what I managed to do:
– I grabbed some old Christmas tins from the basement and decoupaged some pretty damask wrapping paper over them to use as storage for granola bars, dog biscuits, etc.
– I had some extra plastic bins laying around and used them to store our spices, honey, syrup etc. So much neater and now I can wipe them out easily without having to wipe the shelves every time!
– I must have been on the same wavelength (if only!) as you guys because I found a pretty box and put all my icing tips, sprinkles, etc. in it.
– I have to admit I bought a few things; wire coated shelves for the corners of cabinets to put plates on; a lazy susan for vitamins/allergy meds that the kids use everyday, and the ever wonderful lid rack. I love that thing.
I especially love that everyone in the house now knows where to put everything when they “help Mom put stuff away.”
Thanks for the motivation Youngsters! Keep up the great posts and snuggle that beautiful baby a lot. It really does go by so fast.
Michele
Meg says
You guys never cease to amaze me. A brand new baby AND you are still tackling organizational projects! I thought you’d at least slow down for a bit! I think I was brain dead for at least 6 weeks after my daughter was born!
Where in the world do you get your energy? The cabinets look great and ironically the post about the corkboard inside the cabinets was what originally brought me to your website! :) Great idea with the placemats! Can you come to my house and organize my desk please? :) It’s lovely this time of year in Southern California!
Lauren McCormick says
You know what? As organized as you guys are, I can’t believe it took you guys this long to do this! I would’ve assumed it was like this the whole time, haha! I picture you guys messing it all up and mixing things together to take the “before” photos and then putting it back the way it always was for the “after”. hehehe
Erin T. says
We already store our food by category, but I took a few extra minutes this weekend to organize our kitchen closet. After repainting our kitchen cabinets last December, we just shoved everything back where we had it before the painting– not necessarily using the space the best way. So I moved some of our smaller stuff (napkins, dog treats, etc.) to different cabinets throughout the kitchen and reorganized the bulkier pots and pans that were left. My hubby helped me hang our reusable grocery bags on the door of the closet (the bags were previously laying on top of our recycling bins, which was annoying when recycling time came around). In about 15 minutes, our closet felt much less cluttered! Thanks for providing a little push to get us reorganizing this weekend!
Amanda @ 24 Maple Lane says
Just wanted to say THANK YOU for inspiring me to get my kitchen in order! It’s not totally done, but we’re off to a great great great start.
http://24maplelane.blogspot.com/2010/06/kitchen-switcheroo.html
Fernanda says
Love it ! Thanks for the inspiration!! We are actually trying to the same after we finish our kitchen renovation… are you also dong the remainder cabinets? I want to see how you tow organize the plastic/glass food containers… those are my biggest challenge now… specially with out little kitchen… they gel most of the cabinets space… and we never find right lid for it…
Thanks a lot!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Fernanda,
We have a set of glass storage containers instead of using plastic tupperware, and since they stack inside of each other we just store them that way (with the lids nested in a smaller pile next to the glass containers). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Melanie Beth says
Oh I SO need to do this to my house! I love the little labels on the ends of the shelves. Seriously, this has motivated me to organize my cupboards… I keep making halfhearted attempts but truly this is what I need! Thanks for always keeping me inspired!
caligurl says
nice job! but then…. did any of us have any doubts with you two doing the organizing?????
i didn’t join in on the kitchen or pantry organizing cuz that was done already…. but i did joing in with our linen closet! when we moved in it was just 3 wood shelved then we bought that wood closet organizing stuff for the bottom… well we demo’d the wood shelves painted the walls and little ceiling and added the closetmaid wire racks, which allowed us to get more shelves, kept just one of the bottom organizers and added one of the pantry door shelving thingies to put bottles, deoderant, etc on… LOVE it!
Jen says
OMG you are a genius!!!!! I am SO going to use your tips and re due my cabinets!!! Thank you!!!! :)
erin says
I didn’t notice this in the comments anywhere, but you may want to think about storing your flour (especially), Bisquik, sugar, etc. in sealed containers. It will prevent weevils from getting into the flour. Also, a bay leaf in the flour will keep weevils out too and does not impart any flavor to the flour. Weevils don’t get into sugar, but that way your “milled goods” are stackable. It frees up space and looks so pretty, too.
Another thought: I noticed that you mentioned that you were apprehensive about taking down that unused top shelf. I had the same issue in one of our cabinets, and I just rested it on the next shelf. That shelf is now “thicker” because it is two shelves together, but I have a taller, more usable space and I didn’t have to find a place to store the extra shelf.
I love the idea with the labels! I am so going to have to get myself some of those. Maybe that will help keep the pantry from getting too cluttery!
Freida says
I just looked at the ooolllldddd vid. Too Cute! And I like the shorter hair, Sherry. Miss it? You may when Clara starts grabbing things in a few months. LOL
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Frieda,
Haha, that old video cracks us up. And as for the short hair, I must admit that I don’t miss it at all. I’m a ponytail girl through and through, so even though Clara has already tugged on my hair (I know, she’s so advanced to be doing that already, right?!) I just pull it back in a ponytail and I’m good to go!
xo,
s
Mary says
No pantry organizing for me as our kitchen is currently torn up, awaiting new cabinets. But I just wanted to say I have an organizer similar to the pot lid thing you have. I actually have 2, one is for my many cutting boards, and the other is for my cookie sheets. I love that I can store those things standing up, and can just pull one out of the cupboard without dragging all the others along with it.
I scanned the comments and didn’t see an answer, but, what is in the glass cookie jars on the counter? Looks like cereal.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Mary,
Yup, it’s cereal in there. We love keeping it on the counter in glass containers because we can easily pour a bowl in the morning and we always know when we’re running low so we remember to pick it up the next time we’re at the store!
xo,
s
Val says
I am pretty neurotic about the pantry, but you guys put me to shame! I love the placemat idea — I’ve always used contact paper (since that what Mom uses), but I’ve always hated how hard it is to put down and how limited the color/design options are. Thanks for the idea!
jbhat says
The first pics: Oh the horror! My eyes!
The next pics: Ahhh. Much nicer. And by the way, why don’t you use your spices? So full. :)
jbhat
YoungHouseLove says
Haha Jbhat, you always crack us up. And good point about the spices! We’ll have to use them more. I think we rely more on the fresh stuff we grow in the garden so the cabinet spices play second fiddle most of the time…
xo,
s
laura says
Hey guys!
Speaking of food… and money…
Have you ever thought about a money saving/food shopping post? We love all of your money saving advice and have put your tips into practice! Food shopping (and shopping organic) can be pricey — wondering if you have any ideas to save at the grocery store and meal planning etc.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Laura,
Great suggestion! We’ll add it to our (admittedly very long) list of post ideas. Stay tuned…
xo,
s
Beck's Chic Life says
This post is so timely as I just reorganized my own cabinets! I found for the tall bottles (of olive oil and vinegar, and such) that a Lazy Susan was exactly what I needed. I got mine for $5 at Target and they were a life (maybe not life, but definately sanity) saver.
Courtney McIlwain says
I love your cabinets!!! They look great. Do you have any ideas for stylish pet food storage? I dont have enough room in my pantry for the 20lb bag of dog food but dont love the look of the bag sitting in the kitchen. Thanks.
YoungHouseLove says
How about using a charming tin or another type of airtight container? You wouldn’t be able to store the whole bag (maybe you can tuck that in a closet) but it would keep enough food on hand to easily feed the dog and even look cute on the counter. We actually store Burger’s food in a white tin container on a desk in the den. You can check out that setup right here: https://www.younghouselove.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02web/palm-leaf-botanical-print-n.jpg
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Stacy says
I’m visiting my mother for the weekend who just bought a townhouse in the museum district. When i saw all her food in boxes laying in the pantry, I thought of you guys and got to work! Now it’s all completely organized. Can you believe someone would have 10 cans of kidney beans? I don’t think she’s going to run out of that any time soon. I also threw away a lot of out of date food, like a taco seasoning packet that expired back in 1997! She’s moved five times since then!
Becky B. says
I love your cabinet organizing. I have a great blog all about organizing that I recently started. I’d love to feature this on there sometime or at least link up! Looks great and I really like your label holders. I am a label maniac, but like pretty ones too!
Becky B
http://www.organizingmadefun.blogspot.com/
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Becky,
We’d love a link up or a shout out! Thanks so much for the kind words!
xo,
s
Laura Ingalls Gunn says
I posted my now clean pantry cabinet last Friday. Yours looks really great.
Doesn’t it feel lovely?
MelissaG says
Is this really all the same food? I only see mostly all organic things when they’re all out on the cupboard but am not seeing those same items when put back away. Just trying to understand if you really fit ALL that food back in the cupboard so neatly? It looks great! You may have inspired me to organize….again! I’m wanting to do something with my spices where I could put them in magnetic/metal containers that can hang on magnets inside the cupboard somehow…not sure if it would work or not but they are a huge pain for us.
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey MelissaG,
Yup, it’s the same food that we had all spread out on the counter in those after pics. A few things were removed from their packaging and put into other containers (like the granola bars, oatmeal, Wasa crackers and biscotti) while other items were stacked in front of each other (like cans and jars). Over the course of the weekend makeover we also ate a few meals/snacks as well (we finished up the bag of raisins, a can of peanut butter, some granola bars, crackers etc). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kate says
That was just the push I needed to get that task done! Four cabinets were tackled on Saturday morning before my husband made it out of bed. It was much more rewarding than getting up to do the regular, hum-drum chores. Not only did the order make me feel better, but we now have two empty, newly lined shelves reserved for baby stuff when #1 arrives later this summer. (Ha! Is it naive to think he/she will only demand a couple of square feet of space in the kitchen?)
Trish Woodson says
Great work putting like items together. When you eventually have sitters over and putting things away in your kitchen you’ll be so glad you did! After we organized our kitchen and labeled everything, our helpful sitters were able to put everything back where it was supposed to be.
Suggestion for your oils and things- a lazy susan is just the ticket.
Jacquelyn says
I did indeed attack my kitchen pantry on Saturday. I took before and after photos, too! Sort of as a “Honey, Look what I did!” Basically, I wanted extra credit for my extra credit project. And cleaning out the pantry inspired me to clean the REST of my house. Oh goodness…..here we go….
Christine says
I did this this weekend too! It was a great ispiration while some of our yard work was rained out!
reb says
oh, what happened to the vintage metal card catalog! is it still storing spices, or something else?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Reb,
Our spice collection outgrew that metal box so now it serves as a fun little breadbox. Love it!
xo,
s
Katie says
I’m so confused by the anti microwave popcorn comments. I looked for the “7 Worst Foods” list on google but didn’t see anything like that saying the Natural Orville Redenbacher is bad for you…I eat it from time to time and think it’s not like you’re eating blast o butter or something.
P.S. You guys did a fantastic job on the cabinets, I’m gonna have to get one of those pan lid things :)
Vicki K says
As we are in the process of getting our house ready to sell I have been cleaning and rearranging closets and kitchen cabinets. Things look so fresh and organized and the closets look so much larger. Ahhhhh….
JessieBelle says
K, reading some of the past comments on here now (instead of you know, working. lol) Anywho, I was reading what others have been organizing rescently, and I noticed a lot of posts about linen closets…AUGH. The bane of my existance. What do you guys suggest? Have you got a particular spot in your house for things like extra towels/bed sheets/pillows/quilts etc? If so, how do you keep them organized? I tried searching the site a little bit, and I couldn’t find a particular section on it.
My fiance and I live in an old 1940’s farm house (built by hand by his grandpa) with lots of amazing built in cabinets. The only problem is, storage spaces like our linen closet are extremely deep, so things like wash clothes, pillow cases and table cloths get lost towards the back. I would put things in baskets of some sort, but I would almost feel guilty about not using all that extra space…I dunno what to do! lol
Any suggestions?
YoungHouseLove says
Here’s a post all about that: https://www.younghouselove.com/2008/07/open-wide/
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kimberly Pinkerton says
My cabinets look great from the outside but the inside is a different story. Let’s just say they need some organizing. Where did you get your metal label holders?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kimberly,
We got them from Michael’s in the scrapbooking aisle. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Amy Drinkie says
I cleaned our pantry out last night b/c I couldn’t fit anything else in there (due to poor arrangement) and didn’t have 2 things that went together! I did mine like this:
Top shelf, prepackaged cookies/crackers. 2nd shelf, baking stuff. 3rd shelf, canned goods (arranged by fruits, veggies, tuna, and so on). 4th shelf, rice/grains, pasta, sauces. 5th shelf, foil/wraps/Ziploc/trash bags. I also have a wire rack screwed onto the pantry door, running top to bottom, which holds gravy/marinade packets, spices, oils, and a few other things that don’t really fit in with the shelf items. The rack is kind of a mishmash right now but at least I can see everything.
After the cleanout and rearrangement, I was able to fit several other items that had overflowed onto the counter back in the pantry where they belong, and take inventory to replenish things that were missing. Yay!
ABC says
Y’all need more groceries. :-)
Seriously, very inspiring make-over, definitely attainable. I crack up at pantry re-dos that cost more than all the groceries in my house! Luv yer style!!!
yael says
wow so cute and practical
good luck
http://www.SunFlowerGC.com
Mary says
This is a great beginning! Having things organized so that some cooking can happen without a lot of frustration is actually a good tie-in with your wonderful commonsense posts on saving money. I’ve also made the discovery that having corrals for the little packets makes it easier to keep the big items in their places.
Ashley Noa says
holy cow! a pot lid organizer?! i had no idea these existed and have to say you have made my evening! we’re constantly moving pots and pans around to get to the lids behind, in and under everything else and this lid organizer sounds like a dream come true (who doesn’t love Target?!). We’re about to move into a new rental house so we have NO excuse not to start out in the new place totally organized. I will be taking many cues from your stylish organizing and storage posts.
THANKS for the great ideas!
Shelia says
I love your blog! Congratulations on your new addition! I wanted to let you know I stopped by Goodwill tonight to donate garage sale leftovers. I took a quick look and found Target placemats to use in my cupboards. Alas, they’re striped and not a cool graph pattern but at .49 x 6 placemats, I’ll manage! I never would have thought about using placemats if I hadn’t seen your blog. Thanks for all the inspiration you give us!
Kay in Tempe says
My kitchen cabinets are getting painted this week (yippee! a professional is doing it), so with the help of my adult sons, we have removed every pot, pan, dish, glass, small appliance, piece of junk, etc. to my patio and new TuffShed. Younger relatives will come and pick through stuff they might need. I’m 70 years old and have been in this house since 1985, so there are lots of treasures I don’t need. MY HINT: I “lined” the shelves of my pantry ten years ago or so with stick-on floor tile. I got a box of tiles for $6 I think at Big Lots. It’s easy to cut, and if a simple pattern with lines is available, the work is almost done for you. It sticks, it lasts, and it’s very easy to wipe.
Jen says
Yet again you guys amaze me! my boyfriend and i have decided to get some containers for all our dry food because for some reason at our new apartment we have moths. i love the ikea jar ideas and we will def be hitting it up. but i LOVE the pot lid rack. i’m def getting one at target tonight, as another reader stated i didn’t know these existed but i need one!!
Lynn says
You guys rock, I love the blog, and you have satisfied my strange desire to snoop in other people’s cabinets! I can’t help but notice that you guys buy a ton of organic stuff (I know that you have blogged about it in the past) and that rocks. I just thought I’d throw a little tidbit out there from one parent to another, that BPA (the same nasty stuff found in plastic baby bottles etc) is also found in the lining of almost EVERY SINGLE Canned food item. We have stopped purchasing all canned goods (with the exception of EDEN ORGANIC brand canned foods, that are the only company that do not line their cans with BPA- although their tomato cans still have it because the tomatoes are so acidic). So, now that I have gone off on that tangent, I hope you guys have a healthy day!
Cheers!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip! We did actually hear that recently, which is why we moved to buying soup in those boxes you see on the right. The other canned stuff is a bit older so we hadn’t known about the BPA thing when we picked them up (you know canned stuff, it lasts forever!) but in the future we plan to do our best to avoid cans as much as possible.
xo,
s
Hesper says
Any tips on storing chips? We generally have ours rolled up with a clothespin to help keep them fresh and then they’re thrown up onto the top shelf. Not exactly pleasing to the eye!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s actually what we do as well when we have them (we generally only buy chips when we entertain so most of the time the whole bag is finished off so we don’t have to store it). You could probably use glass containers though, like the ones we have for biscotti and wasa crackers. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Elaine says
I’m revisiting your pantry clean out post and am planning to do the same this weekend! Would be very interested in seeing a pic of your Clara cabinet, with bottles etc.
YoungHouseLove says
Well right now it just has three bottles in it (when theyre not out in use or in the drying rack). Perhaps we’ll snap some pics when there’s more in there (sippy cups, snack packs, etc).
xo,
s
MistyLou says
Love your labeling idea, very classy! Can’t wait to do it for myself…
SarahR says
This post totally made me laugh. The other day my brother text me a pic of a can of coconut flakes he found in my moms cabinet. He wanted me to guess how old it was…..it was from 1985!!! It is amazing to think of the things we have lurking in our cabinents because we don’t realize taht they are there.
YoungHouseLove says
No way! That’s crazy. Too funny.
xo,
s
Maribel Quesada says
I so love your website…I”m into blogs right now and came across yours. I’m curious to know about your other kitchen items..do you have alot of kitchen gadgets? How many place settings to you keep? serving platters etc etc. How do you store all that other kitchen stuff. Your pantry looks great mine is always a mess stuff just thrown in there.
YoungHouseLove says
We have eight place settings with basic white plates and cups and bowls (no fine china, just pretty but basic stuff). We don’t have a lot of platters (maybe two or three along with a few bowls and one pitcher). We try to store only what we use regularly (and not acquire special occasion items which seem to sit in storage and come out only once a year or so). We don’t have many kitchen gadgets at all (a toaster, a blender, and a griddle- that’s about it). By keeping things simple it’s super easy to store and find and use. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
maribel says
Wonderful! Trust me I’m in learning to live with less mode. This weekend is the big yardsale.
Katie says
Hey!!! I was just looking at one of your pics and noticed how much organic food items you have, I also love to eat organic but notice it is alot more expensive.. Is there any tips you can give to saving money and still eatting organic?
YoungHouseLove says
We try to use our Kroger card (where we shop) which routinely offers discounts to cardholders (then we buy whatever organic stuff that we actually eat is on sale with the Kroger card then). Otherwise we’re ok with paying full price for good food (as opposed to crap) and we just try to limit the amount of snacks and desserts we get (which always costs a lot more money). Oh and we don’t eat meat very often (maybe twice a week) so that saves us a ton.
xo,
s
Tina says
I actually read this entry several months back, but I wanted to let you know that I was inspired to clean and organize my own pantry. I used the placemat idea for my oils and other things that could cause a mess. I couldn’t find the nice metal label holders that you used so I just labeled the categories with my label maker. I put things into pretty glass containers and used square baskets when I could. It’s such a small thing, but it looks so nice nd makes me happy every time I open that pantry door. So, thanks!!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, so glad! Makes me want to tackle ours at the new house now!
xo,
s
Lindsey says
Hey. I am new to your blog. {well, who am I kidding, I am new to the blogging world} But I was going to tackle my pantry and found alot of inspiration in this post. So I wanted to tell you thank you for the inspiration. My pantry makeover is complete and can be seen here. http://simplypaigecountry.blogspot.com/ I would love to hear your comments and any suggestions if you have the time. Otherwise I just wanted to say “THANKS” for the inspirations!!!! Great work.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh- it looks amazing! Thanks so much for sharing the link- you did an amazing job!
xo,
s