10 Storage Ideas for Spices - Organising My Home

I like organising but sometimes I just don't have the proper space or storage container to suit my needs.

Spice storage is something I have had to think about each time we have moved house and I have to say that I looke at many different storage ideas for my spices over the years and have used a few different types.

So when we were getting a new kitchen put in to our present home I again had the opportunity to look at storage for my spices.

So when we were getting a new kitchen put in to our present home I again had the opportunity to look at storage for my spices again.

This time I was going to have a larder / pantry for the first time since we bought our first home and we were designing it as a walk-in pantry (although we would not be able to walk in too far as we were determined to get all the shelf space possible fitted in.

Because we were having full say as to what drawers, cupboards shelving etc. we would have in the kitchen I was open to storing my spices in various ways so here are 10 storage ideas I looked at for my spices.

10 Storage Ideas for Spices

1.  Drawer Storage for Spices

I was keen to have sets of long drawers with a mixture of shallow and deep.

However I never have more than about 15 herbs and spices so this would have been too large for me but oh how accessible all my jars would have been.

Omega National Spice Drawer Insert

2.  Lighter Drawer Storage for Spices

Then also I was interested in having pull out shelving which is a bit like drawers so I thought this type might be good.

This is narrower so would fit better in those 50 mm or 60 mm cupboards where I was going to have the pull out shelving but in the end the cupboard I did allocate for one of these ended up having to be less deep (front to back) because of extra piping etc. needed behind it.

mDesign Adjustable, Expandable Plastic Spice Rack, Drawer Organizer for Kitchen Cabinet Drawers

3.  Worktop Storage for Spices

Some of my worktop space was going to be deeper out from the wall so I considered allowing some of my worktop space to be used for the spices.

Again very accessible for quick grabbing but in the end we decided we would have enough on the worktops and did not really want to have this type of metal storage which would take a lot of cleaning.

3 Tier Standing Spice Rack

4.  Rotating Storage for Spices on the Worktop

I am extremely fond of things being easily "got at" so definitely I would have been interested in looking at rotating storage for nearly anything.

However again the thought of having to clean this on regularly stopped us taking up the worktop space with this.

Kamenstein 30020 Revolving 20-Jar Countertop Spice Rack Tower Organizer with Free Spice Refills for 5 Years

5.  Rotating Storage for Spices on a Cupboard Shelf

In a cupboard this type of storage can not normally be as high as we could have it on a worktop so this was an option.

It definitely was an option for us because I do like rotating storage to make it easy to grab things and I had been planning to put three other rotating storage items in my new larder but when we checked the measurements again we would not be able to fit them all in.

X-cosrack 2-tier Lazy Susan Turntable 10inch Bamboo Spinning Spice Rack

6.  Wall Storage for Spices

Do to the layout of the new kitchen there wasn't going to be a section where we could have some wall space clear that could be used for  mounting some form of open shelving or racks.

If I had been able to consider wall storage this quite simple metal rack would have been very interesting.

mDesign Metal Wall Mount Kitchen Spice Rack

7.  Cupboard Door Storage for Spices

We would have our long larder / pantry door and several other smaller cupboard doors that could be used for extra storage space on the inside.

This was then a thought for a while but in the end we decided that we would rather not have jars knocking together as we opened the door every time we wanted anything within the cupboard let alone the spices themselves.

Spice Storage Rack Organizer Pantry Door

8.  Cupboard Shelf  -  Plastic Storage for Spices

Now in the end we knew that we really wanted to keep our herbs and spices inside our new larder basically to have most if not all the food stored together.

The place we knew we would have room was along the wall on the shelf behind the 3 rotating storage containers as otherwise there would just be wasted space there.

It would have to be free standing or something easily attached to the wall of the larder.

First I looked at plastic versions.

Prodyne A-845 Spice Rack, 20 Bottle

9.  Cupboard Shelf  -  Wooden Storage for Spices

Then I looked at wooden versions.

But most of them seemed to sit out a distance from the back of a shelf and I didn't want to lose too much of my shelf depth.

2-Tier Wooden Rack Seasoning Shelf Spice Rack Shelf Space-Saving Multifunctional

10.  Cupboard Shelf  -  Metal Storage for Spices

Then I looked at metal versions.

I am quite partial to black metal and had already ordered two items for another part of the kitchen that were black metal so I felt drawn towards something like those and this is what I found.

So I had my solution and I believe it ended up being the cheapest of all the ones considered so that was an added bonus.
 
Who doesn't like to save a bit of money?

Scroll Wall-Mounted, Traditional Spice Rack 

The one I got was even cheaper than this one but when I went back to get the picture and name of it I found it was no longer available in Amazon.   However to me they look exactly the same.

Although this one states wall mounted, so did mine but it does sit perfectly on my shelf and I have never bothered to attach it to the back of my larder.

This is mine below, all full up and sitting in my pantry / larder.

I do like my decision and in fact I like it so much that I'm now trying to get another one to match it to put beside it to the left where I have some more space and I could store my other small jars and bottles of things for baking etc.  but because it doesn't seem to be available anymore I may just have to get the one shown here as the dimensions are the same.

Although this one states wall mounted and so did mine it does sit on my shelf and I have never bothered to attach it to the back of my larder.

Thinking of redoing your kitchen, or adding some extra storage then why not pin this for later.

Top 10 things I Do Each Day to NOT Keep a Tidy Home

Notice I DID write NOT keep a TIDY Home

AND

This was not a mistake

So here are my very simple honest


 Top 10 Things I Do Each Day to NOT Keep a Tidy House 


1.     Set my alarm and then repeatedly hit snooze

2.     Open the Post and throw it on the table

3.     Go right from breakfast to the computer before filling the dishwasher

4.     Do not read my Todo list until the afternoon

5.     Go through Social Media before lunch


6.     Set my timer, ignore and then set it again

7.     Last thing at night - say I'm going to turn off the lamp and clear the living room - then an hour later......

8.     Say to myself - I can fit some more paper in that waste paper bin in my study but no it overflows on to the floor instead.

9.     Go to check the washings in the Utility room but get waylaid by the draw of a cup of coffee and then forget what I was going to do and end up back at the computer with my coffee mug.

10.    Any other form of procrastination I can think of at any time of the day.

Why don't I keep my home tidy?

I know I sort of filed this in my mind as part of  Coffee & Conversation  because it is one of my short chatty posts but perhaps it actually falls under the category of  Home Organising as illustrated above because let's face it there wasn't actually any housework was there!

Or perhaps it truly belongs under the category of 10 Things because I like numbers

You can choose for yourself where you think it belongs.

How to PREPARE for a Car Boot Sale! - 13 Helpful Tips

Very busy recently with clearing out some of our daughters things from our house while she was here for a short holiday from South Korea.

She was sooooo good about making decisions on the things that she had left behind in our Guest Room.

I should have taken pictures of the before but I didn't think at the time.

Anyway she had things in:

• two sets of drawers, 
• one hanging rail 
• several bags and boxes piled up in another hanging area

Now she has things in:

• one sets of drawers, 
• half of one hanging rail 

Didn't she do well!!

She spurred me on so that I packed up quite a few things for the Church Car Boot Sale (as well as the things she was donating) and actually was able to go and help out at one of them.

Here again I should have got some pictures of the Car Boot Sale but hindsight is a great thing.


I do have some pictures of the things I decluttered and put out for the Car Boot Sale however.

Car Boot Sale

Before going to a Car Boot Sale it really is a good idea to be as organised as possible as well as making sure that the items you are going to sell are clean and not broken or chipped.

I was going with a friend but we were both taking our own cars and setting up our own tables.

# 1.   Make sure you go early, yes earlier than the organisers of the Car Boot Sale tell you to be there because the people who want to buy will come early and you really need to be set up first.

We parked the cars side by side and had our Church Charity Banner to tie between the two cars.

# 2.   If you are selling for a charity or special cause do make sure you have some kind of banner or sign up because some people will be a little more generous when they know the money is not just going into your pocket.  

Our church has been doing this for a few years now so we have a good banner and we also have some postcard sized cards with more info. printed for giving out.

I have two tables to take with me:  a large square one and a small, low rectangular one.

# 3.   Not everything you have for sale should be on the one table and two different heights is also a good idea drawing the eyes to look around more.

# 4.   A table always looks better if you have a cloth draped over it.   Yes you are selling things cheaply but presentation still draws people to look more closely.

Then I can also put some baskets on the ground too.


I put all the Dvds into one basket

I put all the books into one basket

I put small items that I could charge 20p for into a tin

I put items I could charge 50p for into a basket

# 5.   Not everything you have for sale should be placed on the table for everything to get moved around by the buyers as things will get hidden from sight and the tables will start to look very untidy very quickly.

# 6.   Putting similar items eg. the dvds into the same basket will draw the buyer to take a minute to look through each one.

# 7.   Smaller items are better in baskets, boxes or tins to have less items falling on the ground or getting missed under larger items and simply to keep the area neater.

I put all the clothes into one bag for carrying there and then they can be placed neatly on a table or hung up on a rail.

# 8.   Clothes should always be kept separate where possible so that people can spread them out and have a good look at them without hiding the other items for sale and a rail shows garments off better than having them all bundled on top of each other on a table.

I put all the kitchen, dining or ornamental things in one bag for carrying to the Car Boot Sale and then these would be placed on the table there.

I put all the candles into one lidded container

# 9.   Use sturdy plastic containers which can be placed on the ground giving another place for buyers to look instead of everyone at the same time trying to stretch over the main table.

I placed all the Christmas items in one bag together.

Yes I know it's only September but people are buying Christmas decorations already.

# 10.   Christmas items will sell at any time of the year but it is better to keep them to one side of the main table or on the smaller table so that they have a specific place and do not seem strange mixed in with other household items.

I had a brand new King size Sheet and a brand new pair of pyjamas to take as well

I had 3 large craft type bags and two handbags but only took this picture of 2 of the bags (all 3 large craft bags sold easily - should have asked for more money)

# 11.   Bags are always an attraction for the ladies to have a look at but remember to try to display them nicely and not just throw them into a bag or box as they are never seen to their best advantage in that way.

I also had a pile of hangers to use or to sell

I also made some notices on card to show the price of the items in certain containers

# 12.   Never go to a Car Boot Sale without some price signs.  People will buy quicker when they know the price (and maybe try to do a deal), whereas they may think twice about asking for the price of every object they are interested in.

All of this makes it easier for you to:

•  pack the car to go to the sale, 
•  unload unto the tables and ground for the sale, 
•  pack the things away again into the same bags 
•  lift the baskets back into the car.

Then of course when I got home again it was easy to unload the bags and baskets etc. into the garage to wait for the next one.

Of course there is the last very important thing that you must never forget and should have it prepared in advance.

#13.   Don't forget to have a float of money with you (and a safe place to keep it) to give 

your customers change from the nice large notes you hope they will be parting with 

and also of course to pay for your spot at the event.

A Car Boot Sale can be hard work but if you are friendly with the people who come to look around then they will be friendly too and make the event more pleasant.   Plus going with a friend means you can have a chat now and again and a break for coffee as you can take it in turn to look after both sets.
So it can actually turn out to be some Funwork instead of Housework for a morning.


The first time takes a lot of preparation but once everything is well thought out and good containers acquired each time afterwards is easier to prepare for and more importantly the prep time is so much shorter.

Then just think of the help this will be in decluttering and organising your home.

An Organised Medicine Cabinet - Organising My Home

Yes I do like to keep my Medicine Cabinet organised so that I can get things quickly and easily.

It is probably one of the best organised things in our home.

But then that kind of storage space is one of the things I enjoy working on when it comes to Organising my home.

I didn't always have a medicine cabinet so I had to think of other easy to get at and easy to keep organised places.

In one house we used part of a vanity unit in the ensuite

and

in another house we used a couple of shelves in a kitchen cabinet

but this time when we moved back to Northern Ireland in Dec 2010 we moved to a house which had a medicine cabinet over the wash hand basin in the back toilet.

Yes a real medicine cabinet just like I always saw in the films and TV programmes - you know they are tall and shallow out from the wall with a mirror door.

Now if this had been our main bathroom I suppose I would have been tempted to think I would need to use it for Bathroom things - but it is in the back toilet.  This is the small room that is off the utility room and I really think it would have made more sense to use the space as a pantry or large storage closet (because you can never have too much storage space and I do not have enough storage space).


We have an ensuite off our bedroom and an ensuite off the guest bedroom as well as the main bathroom so let's face it this back toilet is never really used as a toilet and who wants to have to clean 4 bathrooms and toilets when mostly there are only two people in the house?  -  NOT ME!


Anyway back to my Medicine Cabinet which makes me happy again.


Twice a year I do an overhaul of this cabinet

and because I do it regularly you can see it is not in bad order.



Firstly 
I check all the dates of the medicines etc. and throw out the ones that are past their date.

(NOTE:  A doctor did tell me once that many medicines can be used for up to 6 months after the date written on them but that it is definitely okay to use them up to 3 months after the date.)


I used to have to literally check each packet for the date every time I would do this but now I use my "Things" app on my ipad to keep a note of the expiry dates (typing these into the app when I put the product into the Medicine cabinet) so I only have to go into the app & use my tag of "medicine cabinet" and I get the list and the dates all in one go.

These will each show in my Todo list 14 days before they are up so I normally will be ready and throw them out as they expire and don't even have to do it all at the overhaul.




Secondly 
I do an inventory of the cabinet.


I have the list of all the items I like to keep in stock, shelf by shelf

I had used ( my other beloved iPad app for making lists) the "Pocket Lists" App for making a full list of everything I would like to have here and because I did it shelf by shelf it makes it really easy to go through.


Which means that now each time all I have to do is tick off all the things I can see on the shelves and whatever is left unticked is obviously missing.  This is due to not knowing when the hubby finishes off something or just something being taken out and not returned.

This happened with the scissors - to cut a long story short they ended up in a bin at a foreign airport.




Thirdly 
I make a list of the things that will need to be replenished soon.


In my "Things" App I made a Project list and it just gets changed each time.

Well the list here is not too long this time because on one of my last trips to the chemist I knew roughly what was getting low so had already got some things.



Forthly 
I tidy up what is in the cabinet and decide if I want to make any changes to the position and order of the items.


Sometimes there are different things that have been added if someone needs to have a new medication or you decide to start taking a new vitamin etc.

An Organised Medicine Cabinet in Organising My Home at Sandra's Ark

So the finished cabinet was just a little more uncluttered than to start with and neater.

Of course the few spaces you see will be filled up when I go and get that list of items next week.



You know when you have a cupboard you can easily fill it?


Well I have done that of course and then needed more space so I had to use part of the vanity unit below.

Mostly the things here were really the items that were too large to put in the shallower medicine cabinet or would not sit so well piled up on a narrow shelf so I would have needed another location for them even if the medicine cabinet wasn't filled up.

So bandages etc. in the left hand drawer, extra cotton buds and hand sanitizing wipes in the right hand drawer and the larger heating pad and creams in the right hand cupboard.

And just a wee reminder of my "MUST HAVE" in any kitchen or bathroom

it is

the packet of wipes (and a sponge) in the left cupboard, 

nothing is handier for quick clean ups than wipes.