Six handy organizers in the kitchen

In our house, we're mostly sporadic organizers. Or sporadic messies, depending on whether you're a glass-half-full or glass-half-empty kinda person.

But in the places where I need to find stuff day-in and day-out, I like to keep things pretty neat, because searching for stuff makes me nuts!

Here are a few cheap, easy things I've found that help keep my stuff findable. Most of the containers are items you'd find at an office store, Target, or the like.


Batteries in a magazine file
In a house full of computer nerds, we go through batteries like crazy, so I buy the huge multi-packs at Sam's.   For the longest time, I just stashed them willy-nilly in my office shelves, but one day as I was deciding whether to throw out this magazine bin, it hit me that this is the perfect size for those big battery blister packs.

Spices* in a CD box
*or anything else that comes in flat bags or envelopes
We buy most of our spices from a local specialty store (yay, The Spice Merchant!), where the spices are packed in these flat plastic bags that are 4 or 5 inches wide. I've found a CD bin works perfect for this, and is just the right depth to stash in an upper cabinet. This would also work for instant soup packs and small boxed mixes such as Rice-a-Roni or Zataran's.

Nuts* and clothespins
*and other things that come in paper bags
Nuts are both healthy and versatile, so I always keep a good stash of several different kinds on hand. The ones we eat most (walnuts and pecans) go in big canisters, but the ones that we buy in smaller quantities, I keep in the original bag (shout-out to another local: Nifty Nut House!), in another metal-mesh bin in the pantry. Writing the name on a clothespin helps me see what's behind the front row at a glance.

Bread-making kit

I keep everything needed for homemade bread -- including the recipe -- all in a bin in the pantry. (Well, everything that doesn't need refrigeration.) So when I want to bake a loaf, all I have to do is grab this, and I'm good to go.

Medicine chest

When my kids were small, it dawned on me one day that I almost always gave them their meds in the kitchen. So why was I keeping everything down the hall? I corralled all the cold, allergy and asthma meds in one small plastic crate, all the tummy and fever stuff in another. Instead of digging through a shelf full of bottles, I can just pull the pertinent bin. (Make sure you keep this stashed on a high shelf to keep out of little hands. Or behind a lock, if you have a climber.)

Shopping bags in a folder holder
An office organizer, usually used to hold folders, is the perfect place to stash shopping bags of various sizes. When I have too many to fit in the holder, I know it's time to start throwing them in the recycling. Or passing some on to Goodwill.

But don't hate me because I'm organized...

Keepin' it real

Lest anyone think every corner of my kitchen is always in perfect order, here's a dose of reality for you. There are still parts of my pantry that look like this:

 And on most days, my kitchen table looks something like the pic below. It's only gotten worse since my kids are at college, 'cause now I only have to clear off two places for dinner instead of four!

Keeping a kitchen organized is a bit like putting an octopus to bed. You get one part tucked away neatly, and another tentacle pops out somewhere else! But you gotta keep trying. Can't let the octopus take over!

(Octohug t-shirt by sharpshirter, Etsy.)