Kitchen Organizing -- More Please!

Hey everyone!  If y'all have followed me for any length of time, you know I love nothing more than tweaking and/or organizing things in our home.  It seems my craft room and the kitchen get most of this, and today I am sharing some changes I made in the kitchen.  The Man use to grumble a bit when I changed things in the kitchen & he couldn't find something.  Now, he just goes along, because I do almost all of the cooking, and he realizes that I need to change things up in order to remain motivated in my cooking endeavors after almost forty-five years!  My latest challenge involved my dried herbs & seasonings.  

This is what I had going on prior to the changes.

This was a gift from The Man several years ago after we had finished a complete kitchen remodel in our previous home.  It was a much better fit in that kitchen to have this out on the counter.

Well, my range of cooking and experimenting has greatly increased over the last couple of years, so I also had "stuff" in this cabinet.  As you can imagine, I never knew if what I needed was in the spinner or in the cabinet & often times I would end up with duplicates.

So......I took a look at my space and realized I had this drawer that was almost empty & quickly purged & cleaned it out to accommodate my "plan."  

I had discovered these spice jars from IKEA a few years ago and was already using them for my baking spices.  After measuring the drawer, I figured I could put 20 of these in the drawer.

A nice feature of the jar is this flat surface on one side so the jar can sit at an angle or tilt which would make it really easy to see and access.

After thoroughly purging anything old and herbs that I never use, I got out my trusty label maker and went to work.  At the same time, I made a list of everything that needed to be replaced.  Do y'all have WINCO stores in your area?  They have just about every herb, spice and dry mix you could ever want and they are in bulk form -- just scoop out what you need into little baggies, write the code # on the twisty and you are set.  The prices are a minuscule amount compared to the pre-filled jars you get at the regular grocery store.  I'm so happy with this new way of storing the dried herbs, and I like that they are not right next to the stove top -- that heat really diminishes their flavor fast.  And, yes, I have them alphabetical -- just makes it easier to find what I need!

For the herbs & dried mixes that I use a higher volume of, I utilized my blue Ball jars.

Hmmm.....I need a few more jars!

Well, sometimes I just cannot stop, so I did a bit of tweaking in my baking area, too.

I use the handheld mixer and the mini-Cuisinart all the time, so having them on this shelf in the upper cabinet feels like the perfect spot.  My rices, Quinoa, & other dry goods are just above.

Right next to that cabinet is my baking center area.  I'm fortunate to have enough cabinets to have this dedicated baking center.  I would not like having to go to my pantry for my baking goods.

My big mixer and canisters are located on the counter in my baking center.

When I'm baking, the door to this cabinet usually remains open.  I have also added cork squares to the inside of several doors to hold recipes as I'm cooking or other info that I use frequently.

I may be a bit strange (okay, very strange), but I just love walking into my kitchen & opening a door or drawer and seeing everything well-organized.  FYI -- sometimes I do this just to make myself smile!

Thanks so much for stopping by.  If you have any questions about anything I did or used (or my sanity!), just ask away!  Stop by anytime.

I may be partying with some of these fine bloggers this week:

The Tablescaper at The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays

Karen at Sew Many Ways for Sew Darn Crafty

Cindy at Dwellings--The Heart of Your Home for Amaze Me Monday

Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday

Kathryn at The Dedicated House for Make It Pretty Mondays
Toni at A Bowl Full of Lemons for One Project at a Time

Maria Elena at Our Home Away from Home for Tuesdays at Our Home

Marty at A Stroll Thru Life  for Inspire Me Tuesday

Leslie at House on the Way for Twirl & Take a Bow

Mary Beth at Cupcakes and Crinoline for Project Inspired
Suzy at Worthing Court for The Scoop

Karin at The Style Sisters for Centerpiece Wednesday

Kelly at Live Laugh Rowe for Live Laugh Linky Party

Richella at Imparting Grace for Grace at Home

Pamela at From My Front Porch to Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday