Another 30 Minutes

Remember my little challenge to myself to spend 30 minutes or less each week (for the month of August) organizing the chaos around our house?   It is so much easier to get motivated to organize when you know you’re only going to be doing it for 30 minutes or less!

This time I tackled the pantry.  A while ago I painted the fronts of the pull out shelves with chalkboard paint so that I could label them easily.  That was an improvement for our tiny, little pantry; but in the last few months, I’ve realized that labeling wasn’t the only thing this pantry needed.  I felt like I didn’t have enough storage space, and it always looked cluttered.

Do not judge us by our sugary cereals 😉   I only let my kids eat cereal for breakfast on the weekend! I had already wiped the chalk off when I took this pic.

The pull out shelf on top wasn’t being used to its full potential.  I couldn’t see what was up there (which was baking supplies) without getting on a step stool.  It was definitely time for a little rearranging – 30 minutes or less style.

I started by pulling everything out and wiping down the shelves ( this took the longest – 10 minutes or so).

Then I searched for containers that I already had to use for storage.  I emptied the not-so-fresh-anymore red vines, cleaned out the container, and put all of my fun baking stuff inside.  It’s a sturdy little plastic container.  I think it will last for a while.

I used another storage container that I already had for all the other baking related items.

This way I can easily pull them out when needed.

This is what the pantry looks like after my 30 minute re-org.

I moved the cans to the top,  reduced the amount of space the baking supplies were occupying, and brought in another basket for snack food items.  By utilizing a couple of baskets and some storage containers I already had, I was able to create a little more space in my teeny, tiny pantry.  Now I even have a place to keep my step stool which is pretty awesome to this 5’3″ girl!

The top cabinet looks like this now.

I actually have extra space for paper towels now!

I realize that this is not a major blow-your-mind kind of project; but it does show that with a small amount of time utilizing things you already have, you can organize an area of your home.  It doesn’t have to take a lot of time or money.  It has also shown me that it’s not about the amount of space you have; it’s about the way you use that space that counts!

Have you been organizing anything lately?  If so, leave a link to your project in the comments section so we can all get a little organization motivation!