There are so many ways to store spices in kitchens.
laying flat in a drawer
standing up in a pull-out drawer
in a cabinet on a tiered shelf
in a cabinet on a turntable
We spoke to Homes & Gardens and shared our most important spice organizational tip.
Take a look at our other interviews with Home & Gardens over the years
disclaimer:
If you purchase from one of our LTK links, we may earn a small commission.
Can you imagine having a kitchen without drawers? While it’s uncommon, we occasionally come across this design choice which requires us to get a little creative.
Check out our go-to hack for storing kitchen utensils in a kitchen without drawers in the latest Homes & Garden article below.
Let’s be honest we love just about everything from Farmhouse Pottery. This crock is beautiful to contain utensils, kitchen tools or even flowers.
If you’re looking for something fun and vibrant, this is it! We love these crocks for the variety of gorgeous colors they come in.
Our favorite thing about this crock is the divider inside. It keeps your favorite tools separated and easier to remove while prepping, cooking and serving.
Sleek and minimal, this is a great accent to your counter and fits a good amount of utensils! We love that they have matching canisters too.
Take a look at our other interviews with Home & Gardens over the years
disclaimer:
Photos from Le Creuset, Food52, Crate & Barrel & Williams Sonoma
If you purchase from one of our LTK links, we may earn a small commission.
The amount of organizing products that are on the market is overwhelming. It’s hard to determine what’s useful vs. what’s a marketing ploy.
We frequently find organizing supply graveyards at our clients home - piles of products that won’t fit their spaces, that are poor quality or that are not functional. So we spoke to Realtor.com and shared some of our favorite Amazon organizing products for tackling counter top and drawer cutter.
Take a look at our other interviews with Realtor.com over the years
disclaimers:
If you purchase from one of our LTK links, we may earn a small commission.
We’re on a 3-month streak sharing our monthly tips from our favorite book Simple Shui for Every Day: 365 Ways to Feng Shui Your Life by Amanda Gibby Peters. Below are some of the feng shui tips we incorporated throughout the month of April.
The short version is Amanda is the "Martha Stewart of Feng Shui". Amanda makes Feng Shui more digestible and accessible with a "home improvement-meets-self empowerment” approach.
April 1
Adding water to your front door will welcome more money into your life, so we pulled out the birdbath and added it to the right of the front door.
April 9
The kitchen nourishes and replenishes you so it should be free of clutter. We did a quick edit of the kitchen, tackling easy wins first - expired items, take-out utensils and sauce packets, mismatched Tupperware.
Take a look at our quick decluttering checklist for more inspiration
April 12
A mirror amplifies what it reflects so make sure it’s dusted and that it’s reflecting something inspiring or beautiful, not a pile of laundry or stack of papers. We’re guilty of this so we moved that laundry basket far away from the mirror’s reflection. We don’t need to double our to-do list.
April 17
When you’re an entrepreneur it’s hard to shut off your work brain. And it’s even harder when your office is in your home. Try shutting your office door when you’ve clocked out for the day. This will keep your work from spilling into your personal life.
April 21
Keep the toilet seats down and covered to eliminate energy drains.
April 22
Add more red to your life and home. It’s a power color that promotes energy, courage, and attraction. We have bright red kitchen chairs that we were going to replace but we’ll keep them for a little longer now that we know this!
April 24
Your clothing relates to your identity and personality so when we’re working with clients' wardrobes we always ask them to think about who they want to be and how specific clothing makes them feel. If the item doesn’t make them feel their best or doesn’t represent the version they want to be then we encourage them to let it go. Amanda suggests leaving a little open space in your closet to attract new things - a fun tip we started using this spring.
April 28
Our backyard is one giant hill and it’s very challenging to use (it’s a real uphill struggle - ha!) Amanda’s remedy to counteract this energy - adding a flag pole or a weathervane to the property! So now we’re on the hunt for a funky weathervane - any ideas?
April 29
Ah, our favorite April suggestion….Get rid of 27 things! Yes, 27! It’s the quickest way to change the energy of your space. Why 27? It’s a powerful number in feng shui - we can talk more about that later. If removing 27 items from your life seems too daunting, try moving 27 items instead.
disclaimer:
If you purchase from one of our LTK links, we may earn a small commission.
Decluttering can be overwhelming when you try to tackle your entire house in one weekend.
So we’re breaking it down for you - not only by room but by the main categories* that collect clutter.
You can work with this document a few different ways:
You can tackle one room at a time, working down the list
You can start in one room and focus on just one category during that session.
The key is to take a break from decluttering before you get decision fatigue (yes, it’s a real thing).
*These main categories were determined based on our experience working in these spaces.*
Kitchen
-Expired food & spices
-Condiment packets
-Plastic utensils
-Vases
-Menus
-Tupperware
-Plastic bags
-Countertop
Bedrooms
-Mismatched / torn socks
-Stained / damaged clothing
-Old shoes
-Broken jewelry
-Hats & gloves
-Nightstand drawers
-Hidden items under the bed
-Miscellaneous items on top of dresser
Family/ Living Room
-Magazines
-Games / puzzles
-DVDs
-Candles
-Old electronics
-Miscellaneous wires
-Books
-Throws & throw pillows
Bathrooms
-Expired medicine
-Expired beauty products
-Empty products
-Samples / travel sized items
-Towels
-Nail polish
-Products in shower
-Countertop
Spring is a great time for home organizing projects.
While Tidy Nest has been busy on-site helping our clients get ready for Spring, we wanted to share five easy spring tasks that you can tackle on your own!
1. Use Proper Containment
When switching out your winter clothes, use weathertight bins to ensure your clothing is protected from moisture, dirt and pests.
2. Donate
This is a great time to identify the items you didn’t wear this season and donate or give to someone else who will enjoy them.
3. Clean Out The Car
Replace the snow brushes for the picnic blanket, throw away all of those old receipts and food wrappers, and remove all the contents from your car console.
4. Clean Winter Shoes
Wipe down all your winter boots and shoes and store them in show containers to avoid dust and mold. You’ll add years to the lifespan or your shoes!
5. Refresh
Go through your pantry and discard any expired items and donate any non-perishable items you don’t use. Take everything out of your refrigerator, discard any expired items and wipe down shelving and drawers.
Disclaimers:
Photos from The Container Store.
If you purchase from one of our LTK links, we may earn a small commission.
Before we start a project we always ask “What’s your biggest organizational woe in this space?”
When it comes to kitchens and pantries, clients tend to say their food storage inventory in a little unruly.
Some complaints include:
They don't have the correct sizes
The style doesn't fit in with their aesthetic
There’s a mix of styles
Containers are discolored, leak, or have broken tops
They want to reduce their plastic-use
They can’t locate the tops
The list goes on....
So we compiled a list of our favorite food storage solutions below:
OXO really knows food storage. We love their Good Grips Glass Good Grips Glass Food Storage Storage set because they’re durable, easy to clean, stackable and they have a leak-resistant seal that actually works! From an organizer’s standpoint, we think the most important feature is their rectangular shape -- round containers waste lots of space in drawers or cabinets.
Glass containers with bamboo lids are always a favorite with our clients. Ikea’s 365+ glass container line is affordable, aesthetically pleasing and keeps food fresh with its tight fitting lid. The bamboo lid can also be used as a trivet or coaster.
One of the reasons we love Stasher bags is because they are reusable and help reduce the use of disposable plastic bags. They’re a great eco-friendly alternative to single-use plastic bags. Bonus: they come in an assortment of colors and sizes, making them not only a sustainable option but also visually appealing for storage and organization!
We keep several of these Reusable Mesh Produce Bags on hand because while these are great for grocery shopping, we also love to use these eco-friendly bags to store our produce in the refrigerator.
These Bees Wrap Reusable Eco- Friendly Reusable Food Wraps are reusable beeswax food wraps that eliminate single-use plastic and keep food fresh. They will have you covered for everything from school lunches to food storage to snack on the go!
A sleek option that keeps beans and grounds fresh is this vacuum-sealed canister. The Fellow Atmos Coffee Canister extends your coffee’s shelf life by 50%, with an integrated vacuum pump that works by simply twisting the lid back and forth to remove air from the inside. We like to store snacks in these too!
The Prokeeper+ Coffee Container has a hinged lid and an air-tight silicone seal that keeps your coffee fresh. It also includes a tablespoon scoop for measuring. We love the entire ProKeeper+ line as they make storage containers for snacks, cereal, flour, sugar, you name it! They keep all of our favorite food fresh and its sleek design makes it fit great in cabinets and pantries.
The Iris Weathertight Pet Food Container is our favorite for keeping food fresh and sealed for our pets. We love that it comes in two sizes and the wide opening makes filling and dispensing both convenient and tidy. The wheels make it so easy and convenient to pull in and out.
The difference between this Iris 3-Piece Weathertight Pet Food Container and our choice above, is the additional 2 pieces included- the bin and scoop. The scoop makes it easy to measure out how much you want to give your pet, and the small container easily stacks and is great for treats!
disclaimers:
photos from The Container Store, Williams Sonoma, Amazon & Ikea
If you purchase from one of our LTK links, we may earn a small commission.
For the last couple years we’ve enjoyed working with the Nicolet family on a variety of projects in their lovely New Canaan home. Through the many things we’ve worked on together, this project stands out as the showstopper. Their designer Jeanne Collins of JerMar Designs, created centerfold-worthy spaces, and we relished the opportunity to work within the parameters of her functional and stunning designs.
During the project, the Nicolets had to relocate their kitchen into their living room, and after various inventory delays due to covid, their kitchen-living room had become rather overwhelming.
Take a look at the photos below to see the evolution of the spaces — from storage bins to magazine-ready!
Take a look at our press mentions in Bedford & New Canaan Magazine over the years.
We had so much fun last year with the first edition of our holiday gift guides. We received such great feedback from everyone.
We created a handful of guides this year from our own picks to stocking stuffers to organizing supplies.
Next up is our favorite organizing gifts!
As we did last year, we’ll be gifting someone a little something from one of the guides. All you have to do is comment below (or better yet, comment on our Instagram or Facebook posts) and tell us what item you have your eyes on this season.
We are constantly asked how to properly preserve keepsakes like home movies and photos.
We love LegacyBox’s digitizing kits to safeguard irreplaceable memories - there are multiple packages to choose from based on the quantity of memories you’re preserving and options to save your files on a thumb drive, disc or cloud.
It feels like we’ve researched every spice jar that exists and this one is one of our favorites. These airtight glass jars are made with food-grade high quality borosilicate glass. The lids are handmade from eco-friendly sustainably sourced Acacia wood. You can even add a matching acacia spice spoon to compliment your jars. It’s a great gift for the chef in your life and we love these as a housewarming gift too.
p.s. the etsy shop owner is wonderful.
We like the minimalist design of this jewelry organizer which can be used for necklaces, watches and bracelets. The bottom tray can be used to prop a phone or hold loose change, rings, and earrings. The little hooks along the top are perfect for keeping necklaces untangled.
Available in 9 sizes and 25+ colors, these bags are incredibly versatile. We use them grocery shopping, as gift bags, as food storage, in place of baskets in bathrooms, the list keeps going. They are hand washable so you can reuse them over and over again. And when they are not in use, you can store them flat.
The number one complaint we get from parents….they don’t know what to do with their children’s art work. We always recommend Artkive. Just send them your favorite artwork and they will produce an artbook or framed-mosaic print of the masterpieces. You can either have them return the artwork to you afterwards or you can have them responsibly recycle it (you know our vote)!. Preserve your child’s art in one neat and organized place.
We love this 6-in-1 bamboo charging station because we really dislike having cords everywhere.. It charges up to 6 devices (including a watch and airpods) simultaneously and comes with a wall output plug which helps keep your desktop neat and tidy. It also comes with 3 types of charging cables- a lightning cable, a type C, and a USB micro charging cable. The easiest way to keep all your devices in one centralized place whether it be your desk, counter or nightstand.
We still use wall calendars and the bigger the better! With this wall planner, we like to display all 12 months because the entire color scheme is fantastic. This calendar comes open-dated so you can use it anytime. Poketo also sells the Acrylic Poster Hanger if you want to hang up one month at a time.
We came across this bag while organizing a basement and I think we may have ordered the bag while we were still on-site. We love this bag because you don’t have to worry about it getting messy or dirty because you can simply rinse it off when you’re done using it.
It comes in a dozen fun colors and each bag has two removable clear pouches that clip into the holes on the side of the bag. While this bag is a great beach/sports/pool bag, we actually use it as a supply bag on jobs! It’s perfect for a fall tailgate or a summer day at the beach. Our favorite part is that it’s tip proof!
You already know how much we love our Stasher bags, so it only makes sense how excited we were to find this. A simple solution for drying and storing reusable food bags of all sizes, the best part is that the prongs keep the bags open to air-dry. It’s easy to clean and made from BPA-free plastic.
disclaimer:
If you purchase from one of our LTK links, we may earn a small commission.
We had so much fun last year with the first edition of our holiday gift guides. We received such great feedback from everyone.
We created a handful of guides this year from our own picks to stocking stuffers to organizing supplies.
First up is Shannon’s picks!
As we did last year, we’ll be gifting someone a little something from one of the guides. All you have to do is comment below (or better yet, comment on our Instagram or Facebook posts) and tell us what item you have your eyes on this season.
This is the best utility bag. It folds up for easy storage, has unbreakable handles, great colors and…IT IS ON WHEELS. Not only do we use this when we’re working but we even use this bag instead of a shopping cart when we’re grocery shopping or at The Container Store.
We are always on the hunt for clean beauty products and I’ve been loving anything Westman Atelier. These petite sticks come in a set of 3 - highlight, contour and blush. They have no silicones, no parabens, no phthalates, no mineral oil, no synthetic fragrances and are not tested on animals. The petite size is great to keep in your daily makeup bag or for travel.
Ellis Brooklyn is another clean beauty line we love. This limited edition gift set includes 5 of their best-selling scents, which are paraben-free, phthalates-free, cruelty-free and vegan. The bottles are composed of glass and can be reused or recycled. These mini rollerballs are great for travel too.
This has been on the top of the wish list for two years now. These gorgeous retro-inspired glasses are made in Italy from blown lead-free glass. They are handmade by master Italian glassmakers, and come in tumblers, goblets (and even bowls). Plus the color options are gorgeous.
Surprise, surprise, another MZ Wallace item on our wish list! We just love this brand so much - all their bags are so functional and durable. This new crochet print is so colorful and fun and reminds us of our grandmas.
Made from recycled nylon and extremely lightweight, this bag is perfect for commutes, travel and everyday life. It’s spacious and has detachable interior pouches as well as interior and exterior pockets in all the right places.
This is by far my favorite clean-ingredient product. This skin elixir is packed with omega fatty acids, vitamins, lipids and hundreds of bioactive compounds. My favorite thing about this is that it is an all-in-one cleanser, exfoliator and moisturizer- which means less bottles at home and less bottles to pack when traveling.
This is a great gift for the tea or coffee drinker in your life. Available in 13 great colors, this kettle is temperature controlled and has an incredibly fast heat time. We love the minimal design but the best part is that it holds your desired temperature for 60 mins.
If you know Shannon, you know she loves jewelry and never leaves the house without earrings. This cuff is magnetic(!!) so it can be worn anywhere on your ear. It comes in purple and yellow (purple wins) and it’s sold as a single cuff. It makes a great statement piece and an easy way to add a little glam to your day!
We are big proponents of meditation over here and have been loving the Headspace app. It comes with so many helpful meditations, relaxing sleep exercises, focus music, podcasts, sleep sounds and mood-boosting workouts such as yoga. You can purchase a monthly subscription or pay annually but use our link and you’ll get a 30-day guest pass.
disclaimer:
If you purchase from one of our LTK links, we may earn a small commission.
Since our holiday gift guides were such a big hit we decided to keep the fun going with our Mother’s Day Gift Guide.
Want a quick closet facelift? Low profile hangers are the way to do it. Plastic tubular hangers and wooden hangers take up more space than you realize and wire hangers can easily damage your clothes (and look messy). These non-slip velvet hangers save an incredible amount of space in your closet with their slender profile. Plus having uniform hangers is aesthetically pleasing.
We love a tote and this one is the perfect size for everyday errands. The striped seagrass material is great for the summer and the reinforced handle makes it super durable.
One of our organizers introduced us to this book and it’s been on our minds ever since. From the creators behind Atlas Obscura, Gastro Obscura shares culinary hidden gems around the world.
This Cricut is much smaller than their main machines which makes it a little less intimidating. We use ours to create custom labels - surprise, surprise but the personalized options are endless.
These adjustable gloves are extra long in length to protect arms from scratches and dirt and the whimsical floral print elevates any gardening outfit.
This yoga mat bag has adjustable straps, is made with water repellent fabric and has a few pockets to store your keys and/or water bottle.
We love this Ayurvedic beauty brand. This set includes botanicals like clary sage, sandalwood, chamomile, and lavender (in the bath oil), and clary sage, sandalwood, chamomile, and geranium (in the body oil), to create amazing calming scents.
Give the gift of a massage with just a push of the button. This mini Theragun is easy to pack, is super light and packs 20lbs of force. Plus it’s rose.
We love a matching bakeware set especially when it features a toxin-free ceramic surface. Extra points for Caraway for creating storage organizers to keep the 11 piece set tidy in your kitchen.
If you purchase from one of our links, we may earn a small commission.
We loved working on this spice jar project. It took us awhile to source the perfect vessels. We ended up using these tall Weck jars and replaced the regular clipped tops with these wood tops (that have a seal gasket) and then we added these sweetest little jars from a great Etsy shop. We had to keep the Coleman’s mustard tin container because it’s just so classic!
It was an absolute pleasure to be able to work in a space designed by the fabulous @scribe.studio. It was like getting to color in the most sophisticated and beautiful coloring book. They design not only for beauty and elegance, but for functionality as well. We’re grateful for the opportunity to work in one of their homes and will share more photos from the project soon!
Glass Spice Jars with Acacia Wood Lids
The spice jars are airtight and made with food-grade high quality borosilicate glass.
Weck 11.5 Oz. Zylinder Glass Canning Jar
These jars have been around since 1900 and there’s a reason. They are classic and versatile. And that Strawberry is the cutest.
Weck wooden lids
Weck wooden lids come with removable silicon gaskets which help keep ingredients fresh.
If you purchase from one of our links, we may earn a small commission.
We’re so excited to be sharing the first edition of our holiday gift guides. We covered different categories from our personal picks to stocking stuffers to items for the cat lover (I know, big stretch but we love our cats).
Next up are some of our favorite gift ideas for those of you who want to get organized.
Drawer organizers are essential in nearly every space - they can tame utensil drawers, utility drawers (formerly known as a junk drawer), office supplies, bathroom cabinets, nightstands, etc. We prefer bamboo over plastic and we especially like these because they are 100% bamboo (many have MDF bases). We always have various sizes on hand and play a little Tetris to find the perfect configuration.
These baskets from Folden Lane are fairly new to the organizing scene and we're so excited to welcome them to our repertoire. They are made with a buttery soft vegan leather and stainless steel hardware. They are shipped flat (that's right, flat!) cutting down on carbon emissions and packaging waste.
Surprise, surprise, we love a basket. Anything designed by Neat Method is going to be thoughtfully designed and made with top of the line materials. This basket is made with acacia wood, another one of our favorite materials. The perforated metal sides not only add an interesting texture, but it assists with visibility and airflow.
Okay, you get it… another basket. But hear us out…we love options. We refer to this basket as the more modern wicker basket. These baskets are made by hand and are super light which is perfect for those overhead shelves.
Another genius product from the Neat Method. There are three ways to use these labels and we’re here for them all.
Magnetize - if you’re attaching to metal, just use the front plate. If you’re attaching to cloth, use both the front plate and the back plate.
Thread - the back plate has 2 small holes on either side, use a nylon tie (it comes in the package) and thread through the woven material and then twist in the back.
Tie - use string through the holes of the back plate.
Decanting spices is not for everyone but if you’re into it, these are our go-to vessels. The shape of the bottle ensures that they properly stand up in cabinets or lay in drawers without rolling around.
These metal bins are incredibly versatile. We’ve used them in pantries, playrooms, offices, mudrooms and they go with both a modern decor and a farmhouse decor.
We have so many devices these days - watches, ipads, iphones, airpods - and our charges are never where we need them to be. That’s why we started incorporating these charging stations in our office projects. They are sleek and can charge up to 5 devices including an apple watch and airpods.
All we can say about this little gem is that...
We. Can’t. Live. Without. Her.
Shannon was recently featured in a Redfin article about Creative Fridge and Pantry Organization Ideas.
Do you want to know what the ONE thing Shannon says to do to keep your pantry and kitchen organized?
Family Handyman recently published a “Homeowners Guide to Organizing Your Kitchen”. Take a look at our contributions to the guide.
Woman’s Day recently published “27 Quick and Easy Ways to Organize Your Kitchen Pantry”.
Take a look at our contributions to the list.
Chewy recently published “How to Finally Organize All of Your Pet’s Stuff Once and For All According to Home Organization Experts”
Take a look at our contributions to the article.
Reminders are key
Labels show the household and guests where to find things and act as a reminder to store things in their proper home.
Avoid running out of an item
Labeled areas help you identify when you’re running low and need to replenish.
Add notes
Add expiration dates and cooking instructions to decanted containers using washi tape or masking tape. Conceal the expiration date by placing a label on the bottom of the container.
‘Miscellaneous’ is not a category!
Avoid using this label. It invites a junk drawer/basket/shelf. Everything should have a home.
Get Creative
You don't have to buy fancy labels or an expensive label maker; just use what you have around the house. The back of business cards, masking tape, paint swatch cards, etc... Just be sure your labels are uniform, that they’ll last and that they’re legible (remember, you're not the only one who will be reading them).
Need: Even organizers need to take time to edit, edit again, re-sort, and change up their organizing solutions.
Solution: Review all content in cabinets, evaluate current organizing systems and make any necessary changes to the products, placement, and cabinet use.
Method:
Clear out each cabinet
are no longer of use.
Review contents – discard expired items, donate both duplicates and items that are no longer of use.
We are sticklers about expirations dates (Shannon more than Jared) and even we found spices in our cabinet that had expired. It was a horrifying moment for Shannon, but a good lesson that even the expiration police can miss a date!
Analyze previous placement and make any necessary changes
We originally had our baking supplies in mismatched jars, and after a few crazy months of non-stop work and travel, our baking cabinet got a little out of control, with no system whatsoever. We decided to forgo the mismatched jars and put all our flours and sugars in the ProKeeper containers from The Container Store. This line has snap-out levelers, dusting spoons & screens and terracotta disk inserts.
Implement new systems and products when needed
We had an abundance of various teas in a corner of the cabinet. It was hard to identify our inventory and all the labels caused visual overload every time we opened the cabinet. We removed all the teas from the boxes and found a great storage solution. Now the tea nook is super calming… exactly how a tea nook should be.
Label!
We prefer handwritten labels in our kitchen – we like the homey feel. We replaced all our printed labels with handwritten chalkboard stickers and washi tape labels.
Tidy Tip:
As mentioned earlier, we’re the expiration police - when you’re swapping out containers, remember to write the expiration date on a piece of washi tape. You can conceal the label by hiding it on the bottom of the jar or container. We think washi tape works best here. We also like to label the inside cabinet door with the inventory for easy reference (see spice cabinet photo).
Products:
· The Container Store: ProKeeper Baker’s Storage
· The Container Store: InterDesign Linus Spice Rack
· The Container Store: Linus Tea Storage Box
· Target: Threshold Round Glass Spice Jar With Copper Metal Lid
When working on our tea & coffee cabinet we identified that the biggest issue contributing to the chaos in the cabinet was the various tea boxes we had accumulated. Tea boxes are never the same size, style, font, etc., which caused “visual overload” every time we opened the cabinet. We decided to remove all the teas from the original boxes and looked for a storage solution to house our collection. We knew we wanted something see-through even though we love a good wooden tea box. We ended up with the Linus Tea Storage Box from, you guessed it, The Container Store.
Because of our abundant collection of teas and coffees, we knew we’d need more than one box. We liked the stackable option and the 8 deep compartments of the Linus Tea Storage Box.
Now the tea/coffee cabinet is super calming… exactly how it should be.
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