It's Spring! And like most people after a long cold cozy winter, I'm starting to get itchy to get into some spring cleaning!
First stop in our house was the fridge. We have never really felt this fridge worked well for us, but it fits in the fridge recess in our kitchen which is an odd size so we just had to go with it.
As you can see, I have tried to keep it organised, using baskets and such to help corral similar items. We also like to chop up and store veggies in containers ready to be used which saves us time and also keeps them fresher for longer.
But we were forever running out of space and struggling to fit everything in!
This photo was taken a couple of days before a shop, so it's not as full as it usually is. I shop fortnightly for our family so I need our fridge to work efficiently and I need to use the space I have as best I can.
I will also admit that with a new baby in the house - our fridge was looking very messy and we were shoving stuff in there where it would fit!
Following Howards Storage World's philosophy of Stop, Sort, Solve, I stopped and took some time to think about what I needed from my fridge, what my issues were with it (like running out of room!) and that things got lost at the back because of the deep large shelves. This was proving a waste of food {and money!} when I would find an old bag of spinach or container of grape tomatoes behind everything else!
The Team at Howards Storage World came up with a plan for me, and some ideas to try in order to tackle the issues I was having with the lack of space and things getting lost. I was really excited to try their suggestions so I got onto it straight away.
The next step was to take everything out and sort it into groups {and while I was at it, go through everything and throw away anything that was out of date!}
I sorted our food items into groups like sauces and pastes, condiments, breakfast items, dressings, dairy etc.
And then did a nice good clean of the fridge inside and out before putting everything back into their new spots.
And here is my fridge after it's makeover! Note it has a light now too?? Well our newly organised fridge motivated my hubby to finally replace the globe in it since it died nearly 2 years ago!!
I cannot believe how much more is fitting in here and how much easier it is to reach everything. This is a couple of days after a fortnightly shop, so we're pretty full and have most of what we need for the next week and a half, though we will top up fruit, veg and milk before I shop next.
One of the suggestions from Howards was to place all my condiments and cooking sauces on the top shelf of my fridge instead of in the door as I had them before, freeing up the fridge door for drinks and bottles of water.
So now they are all grouped in baskets on the top shelf. Labelled as well - can't get any better than that!
Although I thought it might be a bit of a waste of space to have all the baskets on this top shelf and room for nothing else, it is really working well for us! Not only is the fridge door now able to accommodate much more {most of these items lived in the fridge door!} but it means that at breakfast I can just take out the breakfast basket with our vegemite, peanut butter and jam easily and quickly.
Likewise when cooking I can take out the sauces and pastes basket and I will have everything I need in one place without having to fiddle around with trying to get the bottle I want. We have also grouped all of our condiments together and our dressings together making that simple and quick to take out for meal times when needed. We moved our omega 3 and probiotic supplements from the door to a basket to pull out during the morning rush!
These Marie Storage baskets come in different sizes and are fantastic as they have a handle making them easy to grab! They are also nice and high so no fear of tall bottles of tomato sauce or soy sauce falling out.
On the next shelf down are these nifty Amalie pull out organisers! I would have never thought of using these in there but they have bee proving very useful! Three of the narrow ones fit across our fridge with a little room on the side - perfect for our home made stock paste which I use ALL THE TIME so I love that I have super fast access to it. I also use this space for the kids water bottles which is right next to a pull out organiser labelled 'kids'.
I love that the pull out organiser is big enough to fit their sandwhich boxes in if we have prepared their school lunch the night before, while also having room for the kids yoghurt, juices or cheese sticks which are occasional school lunch box treats. Keeping them all in once place is certainly making packing lunches in the morning a little quicker!
I love how you can easily reach and take note of what is in the back since these organisers are so deep! No more finding old icky food in our fridge! Yay!
Next to this in another pull out organiser with dairy items such as our sour cream, cream, yoghurt and coconut cream. And in the third we currently have bags of lettuce and spinach in there - no getting lost behind containers and going yuck this time!
I really love having our veggies washed and chopped and ready to go in containers and these Tellfresh containers do the job beautifully for us. I try to have carrot sticks and cucumber cut up and ready most of the time for the kids - that makes lunch box assembling in the mornings a little easier. It also means that there are healthy things in the fridge that any of us can just grab when we're feeling like a snack.
Lately with a new baby in the house I have also been chopping up veggies the night before for dinner the next day ready to throw into the pot! I just pull the container from the fridge and add them into what I am cooking. Easy and can be done with one hand!
I'm amazed at the difference! With just a few simple products and a little rearranging our fridge is working much better for us! Moving all the awkward bottles of sauce that didn't really fit as you can see in the photo below from the fridge door and placing them in baskets has made a big difference. We even removed two shelves in the door to accommodate the height of our water bottles and have much more useable space in the fridge after these changes.
Having access to the back of the fridge with the pull out organisers means nothing gets lost in the abyss behind other food anymore.
The other great thing about having everything in baskets, pull out organisers or containers is that pulling everything out takes no time at all now, so getting in there to give the shelves a good wipe is an even quicker job!
Thank you so much Howards Storage World!
Check out Howards Storage World's Spring Revival Catalogue for a look at a heap of awesome products to help you get organised as well as lots of inspirational mini makeovers! If you need a little organising help, take a photo of your area in need of attention and take it into Howards Storage World and see what they can come up with to help get you on your way to organised bliss!!
The fantastic people at Howard's Storage World are also giving one of my lovely readers the chance to win $50 voucher!
To enter simply follow the prompts on the Rafflecopter widget and tell me what you would like to spring clean with $50 to Howards Storage World!!
{giveaway is open to Australian residents now and closes at 11:59pm WST on 10/11/13}
a Rafflecopter giveaway
After seeing this blog post I would love to make my fridge look like yours. Howards Storage World certainly has a solution for everything!
ReplyDeleteSarah Fleming
sarahdanf@bigpond.com
My shoe cabinet is in total chaos at the moment, all our shoes stacked on top of each other and it is driving me up the wall! Definitely need some help from Howard Storage please!
ReplyDeletetan_ying_ying@hotmail.com
To be fair, your fridge looked great before too. You should come and see my fridge. You'd faint!
ReplyDeleteLooks great! Well done!
ReplyDeleteMy fridge could also do with a spring clean out. But so could my pantry. Oh and my bathroom vanity. Um and my shoes. Yep my wardrobe too! Haha
ReplyDeleteHas to be my fridge as well and I agree with Kristy! Your before was great.
ReplyDeleteFeeling the same with my fridge! And I was in HSW the other day eyeing things off. Added to my Christmas wish list. Must try the 'moving condiments' trick.
ReplyDeleteprobably my kitchen cupboards. I really only have 2 corner cupboards to house everything and would like some more organisational tools to make it work better
ReplyDeleteMy pantry cupboards need help - quite a mish mash of storage containers in there which mostly dont work
ReplyDeleteThanks
Melissa (bethunemelissa@hotmail.com
I'd love to try those pull out containers, they are exactly what my fridge needs! My wardrobe is also in desperate need of an overhaul too!
ReplyDeleteI would love to organise the cupboard under my laundry sick-with 3 little ones I like to keep all cleaning products & laundry bits & bobs locked away in the one space so different storage for different rooms would be perfect.
ReplyDeleteMy bathroom cabinet needs help. All those must haves don't have a home.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to spring clean our pantry and whip it into shape! :) I'm logged into RC as Katherine Ryan
ReplyDeleteMy laundry cupboard. A complete mess and can never find what I am looking for. Its always on my to do list but never seems to get done.
ReplyDeleteOh wow! You've got me motivated! My fridge needs some serious organisation!! :) Would love to let loose at Howards!
ReplyDeleteFridges have lights?! I think our light died before the nearly 14 year old was born!! I'd love my fridge to look like that!
ReplyDeleteOh wow your fridge looks great. Mine is organised for about 10 seconds flat and then things are everywhere again.
ReplyDeleteLove Howard's!! I would LOVE to Spring Clean our bathroom cupboards :-) Arrrrgggghhhh!!!!! ;-)
ReplyDeleteOur new fridge gets delivered this week so I would love to set it up properly right from the beginning. Howard's would be my first port of call.
ReplyDeleteThe pantry! It's such a shamozzle at the moment and it's hard to see what we actually have.
ReplyDeleteFabulous! Love Howard's too. I need to sort out my pantry - it's woeful at the moment :(
ReplyDeletelooks great Biance, mine needs some love again, now we are cooking so much cleaner most of our food is refridgerated. thanks for the motivation
ReplyDeleteLOVE Howard's Storage soooooo much AND I LOVE your fridge <3
ReplyDeleteOur pantry is pathetically disorganised!
ReplyDeleteLove to spring clean our garage - the car no longer fits
ReplyDeleteI'm getting ready to spring clean my wardrobe - I'm still in the planning phase lol! Maternity clothes from 2 years ago, too-small clothes from 3+ years ago and a present stash precariously close to outing Santa! It will be a big job!!
ReplyDeleteI would love to spring clean my pantry with Howards storage world so that I can daily see what is at the back of each shelf & use the item before its expiry date...
ReplyDeleteYour fridge makeover looks great!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to spring clean my storage cupboard and get some organisation happening in there!
Definitely my lounge room. We live in a small apartment and my sons toys are everywhere. I woulc love to have a bit of order.
ReplyDeleteLove to use some of those baskets for the fridge.. We use a lazy Susan on the top shelf to help get to the back more easily which is pretty good but I think we could do with something like those labelled container pulls. Thanks for sharing it with us Bianca.
ReplyDeleteMy Wardrobe we do not have much shelving in there and it very messy and hard to find anything. Would love to give it a makeover.
ReplyDeleteI want my fridge to look like yours!
ReplyDeleteMy fridge is a huge mess it needs a makeover :-)
ReplyDeleteI have some baskets for my fridge, but I'm not utilising them as best I can. Like some of your ideas here - Think a fridge overhaul is on the cards for me too!!!
ReplyDeleteMy desk, I find myself telling everyone to just put in on my desk. Next thing I know I can't find my desk!
ReplyDeleteMy bathroom cupboard is an absolute eyesore that's what I'd tackle.
ReplyDeleteI would love to get all our wardrobes organised, mine in particular... : )
ReplyDeleteMy pantry, such a mess. I often find expired food there and I really hate wasting them.
ReplyDeleteMy storage system in our kitchen needs a complete overhaul. Where is the vegemite muuuuummmm?
ReplyDeleteI want a fridge like yours!!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to spring clean my wardrobe, it's a bit of a mess right now!
ReplyDeleteI've recently reorganised my pantry but I think it could be improved with some of the baskets that you have your dressings and breakfast items in. They look just the right size.
ReplyDeleteMy sewing room.... not the fabric, but things like my scissors, pins, patterns, rotary cutters and the like. I so need to get them organised.
ReplyDeleteLots of containers so i have everything in place so it is easier to find :)
ReplyDeleteI don't know where I'd start - fridge, panty, bathroom... Umm.... Maybe the fridge - used daily, constant source of frustration with hubby & kids!! Yes, the fridge needs some lovin'!
ReplyDeleteAndreaB
Where do I start?!! Breaking my arm 6 weeks ago means my whole house needs reorganizing!! I think I could start with the fridge, then the pantry, then the bathroom cabinets! That should be enough to start with!!
ReplyDeleteOh I would definitely tackle my fridge - although my pantry is in desperate need of help too so it would be a toss between them!
ReplyDeleteBy giving myself more storage space to stow away my beloved possessions! Be the best Spring clean ever not having to throw anything away!!!! - Diana O.
ReplyDeleteThe pantry could do with a great going over. For all I know a troll lives down the back.
ReplyDeleteThe baby room. Currently, it looks like a cross between Kennards Storage and shoe cupboard.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to organise my daughters toy shelf! Looks more like a junkyard than a shelf lol
ReplyDeleteI would like to organise my laundry cabinet, and with the help of Howard's Storage World ,make I a Little more Delightful!
ReplyDeleteMy walk in wardrobe is a mess, so I would do that!
ReplyDeleteKim
galwayst@hotmail.com
love to organise my bedroom cupboard
ReplyDeleteshirley wan
I would love to reorganise the three overhead cupboards we call a 'pantry'
ReplyDeleteI would really love to organise the pantry in my caravan :) it's the tiniest space and I just shove everything in!
ReplyDeleteI prepare all my meals from scratch and take my lunch to work everyday. Winning this prize would help me stay organised for the week ahead!
ReplyDeleteWell i didn't realise until now but my fridge needs a serious overhaul! Hello baskets for condiments, why have i never thought of that before?!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to organise my pantry! It's too tall, too deep and too dark! Food gets lost, and ends up living in there wel past expiry date.
ReplyDeleteThe infamous junk drawer in my house could really benefit from some organising baskets and labels!
ReplyDeleteMandy
Would love to clean out my pantry. I have open packets and all different containers everywhere. It is so dis organised :( Love the way your fridge turned out
ReplyDeleteWith four kids and Christmas approaching the battery organiser is looking very very tempting! I get sick of old and new batteries being mixed together (so the tester would be very handy) And trying to find the right size can be a pain.
ReplyDeleteAlso I think the vac seal containers look great to help spring clean our fridge and bodies by having things fresh and ready to eat.
Under my bed. Although that prospect is daunting and terrifying, I'm fairly certain that if a clean doesn't occur within soon, health hazards will ensue.
ReplyDelete- Ben
I would love to use their storage ideas to organise the toys in the kids room. so chaotic!
ReplyDeleteI need to tackle the laundry cupboard which has a motley assortment of dog gear, hardware and more hardware - as well as the usual cleaning stuff. Sad...
ReplyDeleteWith 7 kiddies I am forever running out of space in our fridge lol,but my worst organising area would have to be my laundry.I still can't find a way to stay on top and organise it.
ReplyDeleteYou have inspired me to do something about the black hole that we call our fridge. My pet peeve is never being able to find condiments because they get put back wherever by the other members of the family. I love that idea with the baskets! I'm looking over at my fridge with "that look in my eye" which my husband hates, because he thinks it's going to cost him money. And guess what... he's right!
ReplyDeleteMy pantry. My recent strive for ultimate health has seen me buy lots of different bits and pieces from health food stores, like seeds, nuts, powders etc. I would love some Howard's Storage World help to make my pantry look a little more organised and sectioned off from all the naughty temptations.
ReplyDeleteKrystal
It'd make my job easier, expediting time spent on cleaning to give me more time to spend with the family!
ReplyDeleteThe home office is the bane of my existence and desperately needs some love and attention. I would definitely concentrate on organising that.
ReplyDeleteWould love to spring clean the pantry. It looks like a war zone
ReplyDeleteI need to spring clean my shoes, the pile in the bottom of my wardrobe is getting out of control!
ReplyDeleteI'd really love to do something with my pantry. It is in such a mess!
ReplyDeletetanyaeliseclarke@yahoo.com.au
DeleteMy fridge after seeing this. I have that many condiments in my fridge it drives me nuts trying to find what I need at dinner time.
ReplyDeleteA place of dreams and peaceful snoozing,
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to my bedroom, I’m constantly losing
The battle against clutter, mess and STUFF
And I know when to say enough’s enough.
I’ve tried to sort the clothes in piles,
To put away stacks of notes and files.
But even still, when I open the door
It’s a dog’s breakfast I can no longer ignore!
I need some assistance, SOS, help me please!
With my sad disorganisation disease.
Howards Storage World would be the ultimate solution
To this current junk and clutter pollution!
Hi Bianca. I love your blog! My little organising heart craves a bit more order in my fridge too! A great idea to have the baskets on the shelves for the condiments rather than having them loose :) Getting the jars out one at a time to get to the back ones can get to you ;) Mel
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU everyone who entered!!!!!! LOVED all your responses! I am hoping I can bring more Howards Storage World amazing-ness to the blog in the future :) xx
ReplyDelete