Zoning The Southern Pantry

“Dear Mrs. Chaos,

I was cleaning out my pantry and trying to follow the pantry zones from Pinterest. They don’t say where to put my file’ for my gumbo, my crab boil or Maw Maw’s May Haw jelly.

I need some help!

Sincerely,
Mrs. Boudreaux”

Well Mrs. Boudreaux, 

Let’s go organize that pantry!

Here are the general organizing zones of a Southern pantry:

Dry Goods - Baking Supplies

Flours, sugars, herbs and spices, pasta, rice, beans (Here’s where your red beans and rice belong!) Zatarains Fish fry can also be grouped with these items.

I love to put these items in pretty air tight containers.  I have learned its best to keep your Camillia red beans in their 1lb bags so you don’t have to measure to cook! Your surplus Community Coffee can be stored here as well.

Canned (or jar) Goods

All cans and jars, but they are separated into like items.  Jars of Roux (Not that any true Louisiana chef will ever admit to having this!), dill pickles, canned okra, homemade jellies (May Haw!), and preserves can be grouped with these.

Snacks

Salty, sweet, popcorn, nuts, protein bars, etc.

Breakfast

Cereals, grits and oatmeal for a quick breakfast. Of course, I know grits can be for supper too, but they are easy to find if you keep them in the breakfast area. 

Spices

We here in the South really love our spices so we need more space than a typical spice drawer or cabinet.  Your file’ powder, Slap Ya Momma Spice, Zatarains crab-boil, crawfish boil, Cajun Injectable Seasoning and all that salt will belong in this section.  

Oils and Vinegars

Olive oil, peanut oil and any variety of oils and vinegar gets stored in this section.  A Lazy Susan is a great way to contain these so you aren’t reaching over bottles. I keep the kitchen bouquet here too.  

Condiments

Ketchup, mayo, horseradish, mustard, BBQ Sauce

Hot Sauces (any other sauce gets put in the condiment section) - Tabasco, and the 30 other hot sauces get contained in this section.  This is also another great place for a Lazy Susan.

Syrups

These don’t typically get there own space, but in South Louisiana, we like our Steens Cane syrup!  I also keep honey and maple syrup on hand for those that aren’t fond of the Cane syrup.

Breads 

Hamburger and Hot Dog buns, tortillas, and loaves of bread!  (I only keep the one that we are using out, the rest go in the freezer.)

Beverages

Your Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix, Soda’s and water can go here.

Non Essentials

Paper plates, paper napkins, to-go cups, plastic utensils, tailgating gear, lunch boxes.

To be successful at zoning your pantry, it’s truly about grouping like items together. Using tools such as Lazy Susans, clear bins that are labeled, and can organizers can really help keep your essentials an arms reach.

Here’s a few of our favorites.

• OXO Clear Airtight Food Storage

• Bed Bath & Beyond Clear Bins

• Bed Bath & Beyond Lazy Susan Turntable

• Bed Bath & Beyond Can Organizer

And don’t forget, always label as much as you can so that your family can find things too!

And lastly, Happy Valentine’s Day to all!

5 Solutions for Getting Your Tupperware Under Control

I have a confession to make.

Recently I was a guest on the podcast “This Organized Life“ hosted by Laurie Palau. At the end of every episode, Laurie asks her guest where they excel at organization and where they are a hot mess. I told Laurie I am a hot mess when it comes to technology, which is true, but I have a dirty little secret, I have one cabinet in my kitchen that is a total hot mess and that, my friend, is my Tupperware cabinet.

Do you call your food storage containers Tupperware? For me these containers will forever be called Tupperware even though half are probably Rubbermaid or Glade. I guess it’s kind of like Kleenex and tissue. It’s such a frustrating area. Even my husband has complained about it!

So I am now on a journey to find the best solution for our containers. As I have mentioned before, organizing is NOT a one size fits all. It is a curated approach to systems that help your family function at its optimum level.

Here are some “Tupperware “solutions that just might work for you and me!!

XOXO – Lisa

1. Rev-A-Shelf Food Storage Container Organizer Soft Close, Natural

2. Chef Buddy Food Storage Organizer with Swirl Around (49-Piece)

3. interDesign iDesign® Cabinet Binz™ 3 Compartment Lid Organizer

4. White Mesh Food Storage & Lid Organizers Container Store

5. Umbra Peggy Kitchen Cupboard, Shelf and Drawer Organizer Tray - Adjustable Storage System For Food Containers

Bathroom Organization: Makeup, Hair Products, Lotions, and Everything Else!

STUFF!  

Do you realize how much STUFF we keep in our bathrooms!  

Hair…face…body…shaving…bath…shower…personal…samples…back stock (because heaven forbid we run out of stuff)…cleaning supplies…linens… it’s a lot of stuff.  Oh, and please add coffee stuff to MY list because I need my coffee maker as close to my bed as I can get it!

We need this stuff to start and end our day, right?  Well, mostly we do. Let’s take a closer look at our stuff and see if we can streamline our bathroom scene.  After all, do you take all this stuff with you when you travel? My guess would be no and that my friends might help you decide what you truly need.

If you read about our Chaos Method™ in last week’s blog, Lisa talked about our approach to organizing.  Here is a tutorial to get you started with your bathroom organization:

CATEGORIZE

The first step to organizing is always to categorize.  You can start with a drawer or with the entire bathroom, but always start with putting like items together. Yes, that means you will really see how many perfume samples you have in those drawers!

HELPFUL OR HURTFUL

Next, what items are helpful for getting ready for the day or for bed and what items are hurtful to that process?  Having a junk drawer in your bathroom might take up prime real estate that is needed for items that are more helpful to the dressing or undressing process.  Do the children need cabinet space in your bathroom?  Mine did! Do you really need 24 towels? Maybe a better laundry schedule would be more helpful for your family. How many lotions should you have before it becomes excessive?

Too much of a good thing is certainly not a good thing.  When our spaces are full of clutter or excess, we have a difficult time seeing what is in front of us.  Our minds need clear space to process.

ACTION

Toss, donate or keep!  It’s the bathroom, so anything that is dirty, smells funny, used or unrecognizable should be tossed.  If it’s clean, but you haven’t used it, donate and if it’s something you need (helpful)…KEEP!  Make sure to check expiration dates!

Did you know makeup expires?  Here’s a list from our fellow organizer and friend, Lauren at The Intentional Edit. (We believe in Community/Competition and love to share our good organizing information.)

When To Toss Cosmetics…

• 3 – 4 Months (after opening) = Mascara, Eye Liner, Eye Shadow (powder)

• 6 – 12 Months (after opening) = Lip gloss, Liquid Foundation, Concealer

• 1 Year = Lipstick

• 2 Years (after opening) = Powder Based Products (other than Eye Shadow)

We also found this great app about makeup carcinogens from another organizer friend, Heather of HK Power Studio!  

Both organizers have great tips on makeup and product organization! Check them out!

ORGANIZE!

Time to ORGANIZE!  This is the fun part because now things are shaping up and going to look pretty.  It’s time to find bins to contain the items.  Here are a few of our favorites!

These idesign bathroom bins are plastic, clear, sturdy, have handles and are great for storing items like lotions, hair products, extra soap, etc. in your bathroom cabinets or drawers, if they are deep like mine.  They are a definite “go to” item for us!  

I personally like my makeup, toothbrush, and small items to be stored in a drawer because I want my counter to be clean and clear.  But if you have limited drawer space like some of our clients, this makeup organizer might benefit you!

Pro Tip:  Items that need to be on the counter look best if gathered on a tray like this.

These are the drawer organizers that I love!  Be sure to measure your drawer as well as your items before you order to make sure you get a proper fit.

SIMPLIFY

Label everything.  Sure a label is no guarantee that you(Or other household members) will return items to their proper place but it increases your chances exponentially (helpful).

When I travel I like taking notice of how hotels organize their bathroom spaces.  It is typically a streamlined process yet works for the majority of people. I incorporate this strategy into my guest bathroom but I also try to use these spaces as motivation for keeping my master bathroom clutter free and spa like.  

Now that you have gone through our organizing process, light a candle and take a bubble bath in your spa like bathroom.  

Introducing the CHAOS Method™ of Organization

I have started 2019 off with a bang.  

Well, not really.  

I have been sick for two weeks…not a lot of fun. However, I did manage to host a breakfast and do a presentation for 50 realtors at their office on January 8th , which was very enjoyable.  I’m just praying I did not pass on any sickness to them, as it turns out I had strep throat.  I would have thought it was some version of the flu but certainly not strep as my throat was not hurting, and I did not run a high fever.  Anyways, the test came back positive for strep so I quarantined myself to my house and began my recovery. Can you say cabin fever? Holy cow!!  This is why I could never live up north. This southern gal needs her sun, fresh air, AND warm temperatures.

While I was cooped up inside, I decided to see what all the fuss was surrounding Marie Kondo’s new Netflix series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.  I am very familiar with the Marie Kondo method, and I am certainly on board with many of her ideas.

Here’s my take away…

Marie Kondo’s method of dumping everything belonging to a category accomplishes a few things.  

1. It makes you realize, truly realize, what you own. This may sound like a silly question but you might be surprised at just how many white shirts you own, or how many koozies are scattered around your home.  Do you know what you actually own? This can be a wow moment for a lot of people!

Below are the five categories the Marie Kondo Method uses:

1. Clothing

2. Books

3. Papers

4. Komono (miscellaneous items)

5. Mementos (items with sentimental value)

2. It forces you to do something with all of your things.  When you dump all of your belongings by category onto your bed or the middle of your living room, you are FORCED to address the pile because it cannot stay there for long.  Eventually you will need to go to bed or you will have company over and you just cannot leave it in the middle of your living space.  It’s important to note, even the neatest person can probably benefit from doing this once in their life. After all, I have seen many posts on Instagram from professional organizers’ work and read the comments of readers that the newly organized space simply looks like organized hoarding - and I have to admit that sometimes it is.  Just because you have the space to keep that much stuff, should you??

In our Daily Challenges on social media, we are working on closets these two weeks.  This is the perfect time to think about truly analyzing your belongings.

3.  Organizing is a family affair.  It doesn’t work if only one person in the family is doing it.  However, we must make it easy for the members of our household to stay organized.  It is always best to set your family and yourself up for success.

We use the CHAOS Method™ to organize.

C – Categorize

H – Is it helpful or hurtful

A – Take Action

O – Organize

S – Simplify  

C - Categorize  

As you are going through your belongings, it is important to put them into categories.  Like items with like items. You will get a better idea about whether or not you need to hold onto four can openers, for instance.

H - Hurtful or helpful

As you go through your belongings ask yourself, is this item helpful or hurtful?  Are you asking yourself how a tank top can be either helpful or hurtful? Well, what emotion does it elicit?  This follows what Marie Kondo talks about and she has a valid point. What emotion do you feel? Go with your gut.  If the emotion is not positive, that probably means you should eliminate it from your life.

A - Action

Take action once you have decided how you feel about a possession.  Discard, donate, or keep.

O - Organize

Get containers to store your items.  

S - Simplify

Label everything to set your family and yourself up for success in maintaining your organization systems.

Now enjoy the fruits of your efforts, sit back, and relax!  If you have any questions about our method or would like our help with getting organized, give us a call.

XOXO,

Lisa

7 Tips to Help Your Closet Look and Feel More Organized

1 - Keep the floor clear.  

If it’s clean enough to hang on the “chair” then you can hang it back on its hanger.  You know we ALL have that place we like to leave the ½ dirty clothes. (I’ve worn them, but they aren’t dirty enough to wash or dry clean.) Hang them back up!

2 - Keep like items together.  

Group the pants, skirts, and shorts together. Tops can be grouped by sleeve length.  Dresses, coats, vests, and exercise clothes all get their own hanging space. You can use garment tags to help remind you what goes where!

We LOVE these garment dividers.

3 - Group like items by color.  

ROYGBIV - Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.  Neutrals can be grouped at either end.

4 - Use the same hangers.  

Whether you like the velvet-lined, plastic, or even (gasp) wire, using the same hangers is visually appealing and helps your closet appear more organized. Velvet hangers are great at keeping the sleeveless shoulders on the hangers.  Plastic and wire are easier to pull clothes off and on. (A must for my husband!) Wood hangers are excellent for keeping a nice shoulder shape to a garment such as a sports coat or jacket.

Here are some of our favorite hangers.

5 - Group shoes by category.  

Tennis shoes, heel style, sandals, flip-flops, short boots, and long boots all get their own space.  To keep tall boots standing up, use boot inserts, pool noodles (cut in ½) or simply a magazine!

Here are those boot inserts we’re talking about.

6 - Don’t forget the accessories!  

Jewelry gets its own space, too.  I love using belt and tie hooks hung on the wall for necklaces and slender bracelets.  Jewelry trays or ice cube trays works great for storing earrings or rings. Bangle bracelets can be stored in a bin on a shelf or in a drawer. Scarves get folded in a bin unless you have hanging space. (Less wrinkles if they are hung.)

These jewelry trays are to die for!

7 - The stuff has to fit the space!!!  

Your closet will never feel organized if it looks like boudin (Louisiana sausage) trying to come out of the casing!  As one friend put it, “I was feeling like I needed new clothes this weekend but if I buy new clothes, I’d need new hangers.  I have 250 hangers! That’s way more clothes than I need! I refuse to have more than 250 pieces of clothing.” Limit the clothes to the space.

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