Kitchen Pantries

Here are a few reasons why having your kitchen pantry organized is essential in managing your time and wallet:

• Putting groceries away is quick when every item has a pre-designated spot!
• Prevents over-buying....."I could have sworn I had baking powder somewhere......"
• Grouping like items makes tasks such as baking/coffee making/washing dishes easier.
• Creates space to see items easier including expiration dates, areas that need to be wiped down, and items that are running low.
• Preparing meals is simple when you can just grab and cook.....or grab and put in lunch box!
• Most importantly having a well organized pantry can save you money!!! You'll find meal planning, trips to grocery store, and less food waste when you take the steps to get your pantry in order!

Breakfast items on top and coffees/teas on bottom make busy mornings less hectic.
 

Jars/canisters are a great place to store crackers to keep them fresh and accessible!

Cans in one spot...snacks in another. Baskets make keeping small snack items organized and in one neat place!



 

I have two wonderful friends who were my inspiration to organize my kitchen pantry.

I think of my friend Julie who is uber organized in her kitchen and likes to have every label facing outward so she can see the names of every item.We've had many laughs about it, but it helps keep her organized!!

Kim has a lunch box system where she places items for her children's lunches in different baskets. When it's time to pack lunches the kiddos grab items they like and make their own school lunches! A great idea to keep lunch items organized and helps kids to be more self sufficient!

Brilliant ideas from brilliant women!!!

Perfection vs. Productivity

An Extremely Productive Day:
Wake up before the rest of the family and walk dog. Come home, wake kiddos, and make breakfast for everyone. Shower, dress, and hit the road for a multitude of errands. Arrive back home with exhausted kiddos,  put groceries away, cook dinner, help kiddos with homework, and feed family. After dishes are done, kids are bathed, and a load of laundry done, take poor doggie for a walk/run. Arrive back at home  and work on One Organized Mama business, update budget, fold laundry, put laundry away and fall into an exhaustive sleep with barely enough energy left to give my hunny a quick kiss!

A Very Productive Day:
Sleep in til alarm goes off and get ready for day. Take care of household chores and/or go to work at my current full time job. Pick up kiddos, make dinner and feed family. Add quick trip to park for kids while I walk the dog. Finish up day with clean kitchen and house straightened up. Watch an episode of Mad Men with hunny before bed!

An Absolutely Perfect Day:
Sleep in until the rest of the family wakes up. Either make breakfast or treat the family to breakfast out. Take care of household chores and business duties with plenty of welcome interruptions from kids wanting to share something funny they're doing and Scout (doggie) bringing his squeaky ball to play fetch. Sneak in two episodes of Mad Men with Jorge (hunny) while kids are either napping or playing outside. Cook a leisurely dinner with help from the family and plenty of time at the dinner table telling jokes or sharing stories. A little frozen yogurt before bed and a little messiness around the house that can wait for tomorrow. Everyone in bed and the end of MY kind of perfect day!!

Productivity is certainly essential to living a fulfilled life......but remember to temper it with a "perfect" day thrown in frequently!

Testimonials!

The following is a wonderful testimonial posted on my Facebook page:
If you want your life to get easier just call Janel Ashurst!!! She has a new business called one organized mama where she comes into your home or business and organizes anything you want. She completely reorganized our kitchen and now we just reach in to get the correct plastic lid, the correct lid for cooking-all the food in the pantry is logically organized-she is phenomenal!!!!!THANKS Janel Ashurst

Below is a from a friend I gave advice to for organizing her home office space!

Let me be one of the first to testify! Here's the before:




And here's after. Thank you for your advice!!

A little about paperwork...

So let's talk some more about paperwork. It seems it's one of the areas in our homes that is overwhelming to many of us.

 I am here to tell you that it doesn't need to be! With a few minutes per week you can keep your paperwork pile in order and maintained! Here are a few tips in getting your important documents in order:

• Have your timer ready and set it...(5, 15, or 30 minutes work great!)
• Bring a trash bag and a shredder to your work space.
• Have your file system handy to place documents immediately in appropriate files.
• Begin with one pile of mail/paperwork, set your timer....and BEGIN!
• Quickly decide if item is "Shred/Discard", "File", or "Immediate Attention/Process"
• Place each item in one of the above piles.
• Once your are finished deciding which pile each item belongs in then file items from your "File" , shred and throw away items in the "Shred/Discard" pile, and lastly either handle items in the "Immediate Attention/Process" pile or make a visible "home" for these items.
• Remember when that timer "dings!" YOU'RE DONE! Put the paperwork aside til the next time you can devote time to it.

~Note about the "Immediate Attention/Process" pile~ These are items such as paperwork that needs to filled out and mailed, bills that need to be disputed, or any item that needs work.

 It is IMPORTANT to make a place for these documents that is visible and will remind you that it is there. I have an area next to the computer for such items.

That way if I decide I have a moment to get online....I probably have a moment to handle that document.

Keeps me on track and no more frantic searches for lost important paperwork!

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