Want to Take a Peek Inside my Drawers?

 

2019 is the year I get all the systems in place for a smooth life.  Okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but I have talked with Mr. Awesome about how important to me it is that this is the year I pour a little more time and energy into the areas of our home that “don’t matter”.

What do I mean by this?

Our pantry got an overhaul last year.  New containers made the biggest difference in being able to open the pantry and get out what I needed efficiently.  To everyone else in the house, and all of our guests, it truly didn’t matter if we stored our gluten-free brown rice pasta in the retail packaging, or a sleek upright rectangular Lock & Lock, but it mattered to me.  Yeah, I know, brown rice pasta, but I promise it isn’t all that bad once you smother it with a jar of sauce. 

Now let me be honest, I bought TWENTY containers over a two-week span and spent $10 each on them.  It’s simple math, I spent $200 on containers to organize a builder-grade pantry (Mr. Awesome, I’m sorry if this is the first time you’re making this connection).   They just worked soooo well that I kept finding “one more” use for them, and Amazon doesn’t disappoint with prompt delivery.

Sounds crazy, right? 

Maybe, but I don’t regret it one bit, friends.  I tried moving shelves, thought of wallpapering, and putting a dresser in the pantry, but without removing door trim I couldn’t get the extra dresser in there, so I decided new containers made the whole thing look and function Slightly Better”.

You know that’s what I’m all about here, just making things “slightly better”, not PERFECT and Pinterest-Worthy.  Every time I open that well-organized pantry I smile.  Happy Momma=Pure Joy.

Piggybacking off of that project, I popped on Amazon and looked for drawer organizers/dividers, to get my cooking utensil drawer in shape.

Again, what I had worked, but I wanted to open that drawer and get what I needed quicker than before, and I wanted to smile when I looked into that drawer.

I ordered THESE EXACT drawer organizers.  Once I felt the smooth feeling of the spring-loaded bamboo dividers in my hands and placed them in the drawer, it was all over.  I had all the heart eyes going on.  From then on, I decided all the drawers were getting a beauty treatment consisting of some natural elements (bamboo).

 

To keep this short and sweet I’ll just show you some pictures, but I need you to make sure of TWO things if you’re going to tackle a project like this:

1. Measure your drawers, and know which direction you’re going to place the organizers. I honestly didn’t measure the second time I ordered.  I found some I liked on an Amazon Warehouse Deal, and just hoped they’d fit.  They did when I placed them in a different way.  I got lucky!
2. The rest of your family may not* praise your efforts, because what you had in place already was “fine”.  Let them know you’re going for “slightly better”, not flawless/Pinterest-worthy here. Ha! My youngest daughter DID praise my efforts, over and over and over.  I know that I am blessed to have such a good cheerleader in my midst!

 

Here are some Before/After shots for you (scroll to the bottom for links containing what I used):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope sharing these pictures helps to inspire you to take on some small organizing jobs within your home!  I would estimate that cleaning all of these drawers took me less than 1.5 hours on a Saturday, with four kids underfoot and lunch to make in the middle of it all.  I am a quick organizer/purger, but I’m sure you can make a big impact within your drawers too if you get the right tools.

What I used:
 
   
I used these within the drawers (you might remember them from a lunch post, I use them everywhere):

Here are the pantry containers:

I’ve used Lock & Lock for over 12 years and wouldn’t dream of buying anything else.  They stack well, seal well, are dishwasher safe, and my 12 year old containers still look like new!  We don’t microwave them (because we don’t have a microwave), but they have held up perfectly.  You can find them on Amazon.  Tip: Don’t get a knock off, just find the ones within your price range (sometimes they’re crazy high from a 3rd party seller, so lookout).

Just for fun, because I don’t think I’ve shared this here yet… Here is the amazing built-in pantry type area Mr. Awesome built me.  It was actually originally our homeschool art supply “closet” within our mudroom… and this mudroom used to be our laundry room believe it or not! Ha!  The more little loves we add to our family, the more our home keeps evolving to fit our needs (just how it should be).  It holds some extra food, and all of our Instant Pots (I have all 3 sizes of the Duo).

I’m hoping to do something similar to this in our basement this year.  If you’re a wife with a handy spouse, you two should definitely work together to build some custom “thing” within your home.  When Mr. Awesome takes my dreams from paper to reality, it just makes this place feel more like “ours”. ♥♥♥

 

I’ll post an actual pantry update post later in the month.  Until then, let’s see the before/afters from around YOUR home.  I’d love if you tag me on social media (@ASlightlyBetterWife) so I can see what you’re up to and show you some love!