Simplify Spices

This week, the kids are back in school and I took down all of the Christmas decorations.  Pine needles and glitter are everywhere!  Since the floors are already a mess, it seemed like a good time to sort through the pantry and organize the spice drawer.  During the winter break, I took the time to try all sorts of new recipes.  I’m not much of a cook or baker, so this was a big deal for me!  After purchasing duplicate spices and ingredients (which gets expensive!) I decided to assess how I store and use spices.  

See before pictures: spices in two places and disorganized...

Before

Generally, I’m not a fan of decanting pantry items and spices into matching containers. It seems like a waste of time and resources. However, I have increased my purchases in the bulk section over the past year and therefore I’m not buying spices in containers. I bring a small cloth sack, or a small glass jar to the store and purchase a few tablespoons of what I need. This has saved our family hundreds of dollars over the past year and also keeps the spices more fresh. Since my spice containers were all different sizes and mismatched, they didn’t fit efficiently in the drawer. My small, reach-in pantry, was getting crowded, so the goal was to get all of the spices/spice mixes out of there and into the drawer. In order to do this, the spices needed to be decanted into uniform jars with a white lid so I could clearly label them. I made sure to measure the height of the kitchen drawer before I chose my glass jars.

I purchased 3 dozen of these small glass jars. I was relieved that they were not swaddled in plastic bubblewrap!

I took everything out, cleaned the drawer, ditched the useless plastic spice “rack” and went from about 25 spices in the drawer to about 40. I did toss a few that were more than a few years past expiration or had lost their smell. Overall, I think it is a huge improvement for a moderate investment.  This project took two hours.  

After

If you live in the Seattle and are looking for help organizing your home, I am here to help! You can book an appointment or contact me using the buttons below.

Happy Organizing!