Tackling Food Waste

To continue my efforts to live more sustainably, I've focused my attention on tackling our family's food waste.  While I don't feel like my family has been super wasteful when it comes to food, we've definitely tossed leftovers and expired food in the past.  My goal has been to eliminate as much food waste as possible.

Here are a few tips and tricks that have helped my family out:

Buy Only What You Can Eat

This sounds so simple, but can be really difficult!  Grocery stores can be so tempting.  That's why I always meal plan and make a list of exactly what I need before I head to the grocery store.  Poor Archer and Lyla have to hear me say, "Not today," several times each trip when they try to get me to buy random stuff.  But I'm a stickler for only buying what's on my list.  I also try to find ingredients that will carry over to other meals if there are leftovers.  For example, if I am making chicken noodle soup, I can use some leftover chicken to make chicken nachos.  

I also tend to just cook and bake the foods I already know how to make.  That way I don't have to buy a bunch of ingredients that I will only use a little bit of and then leave to spoil in the back of my pantry.  Speaking of my pantry, it's pretty small.  It's just one cabinet with four roll-out drawers.  This also helps me not buy too much since I don't have a lot of space to house it.

Figure Out How To Properly Store Your Food

There are lots of little tricks you can do to make your food, especially your produce, last longer.  You can store cut up celery and carrots in jars of water to extend their life.  I keep lettuce in a sealed container with a damp cloth on top to keep it fresher and crisper longer.  It's better to stick berries in the fridge without washing them until you are ready to eat them.  Apples and citrus will keep longer if you refrigerate them.  Tomatoes do best if left out of the refrigerator.  Once avocados ripen, you can put them in the refrigerator and they'll keep for days!  Dry goods should be kept in airtight containers.   

Make Use Of Your Freezer

One thing that has helped me prolong our food and keep things from going to waste is to use my freezer more.  You can freeze a surprising amount of items.  I like to make homemade buttermilk biscuits, but don't want the hassle of making them all the time, so I quadruple my recipe and freeze a bunch.  All you have to do is flash freeze them before storing them.  Just set them out on a plate so they aren't touching and stick them in the freezer.  After about an hour, you can put them all together in one container and store them in your freezer.  I also do this with cookie dough balls.  You can even bake these items while they are frozen just by adding a couple of minutes to the bake time.    

I don't know about you, but sometimes I don't really enjoy eating the same thing for days on end.  So if I'm going to be making a pot roast or something that will yield a lot of food, I'll use half and then freeze half to use at a later date.  I love using jars to freeze meat.  Just make sure to let things cool to room temperature before putting the lid on it and don't overfill it before putting it in the freezer so you don't end up with a cracked jar.  I've been using jars for years and have yet to have anything crack.  I also really enjoy using Stasher bags (reusable silicone bags) to store things in the freezer.  

   

*I should point out that I know eating meat is not a very sustainable practice.  Maybe one day our family will cut out more meat from our diet, but we're not there yet.  I do get our meat from local farms, so that does help a bit.  I'm reminded of the quote by zero waste chef Anne Marie Bonneau whenever I feel guilty about eating meat: "We don't need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly.  We need millions of people doing it imperfectly."  

Buy In Bulk

One way to eliminate some of the packaging involved with food is to buy in bulk.  At one of my local grocery stores (Sprouts-I believe they have locations in several different states), they have bulk bins full of dry goods, baking goods, dried fruits, nuts and candy.  I bring in my own little canvas bags, fill them up and then store them in old salsa jars at home.  This way, I don't have boxes and bags to dispose of after we've eaten everything up.  

When I do buy items that come with packaging, I opt for the largest-sized amount that will actually get eaten.  For example, Archer adores Cheeze-Its.  Instead of buying the pre-portioned individually wrapped kind, I opt for the large family size box and divvy it up myself at home.     

Consider Your Portions

I've tried to do a better job of cooking the correct portion of food for each meal.  I always used to make way too much pasta when I was making a pasta dish.  And I would save the extra cooked noodles and then end up throwing it away after it sat in my fridge for a week.  So now I cook only what I need and resist the temptation to add "just a few more noodles, just in case."  

I also try to portion out food on my family members' plates according to what I know they'll likely eat.  I err on the side of too little since they can always ask for more.  I know Archer will likely only eat the one required bite of pasta I put on his plate and not much more, whereas Lyla will eat a big heaping pile and then some.      

Compost

One of the best ways to prevent food waste, reduce the production of methane and end up with an end product that will make your garden happy is to compost.  I've been composting my food scraps for a few years now and am happy to report it's simple and easy to keep up with!  I plan to write a a post about my composting experience soon since I used my compost to plant my garden this spring.   

Donate Or Offer Up Food You Won't Eat

If you end up with food that you know you won't eat and it's unopened and not expired, consider donating it to your local food bank.  Or you could ask other family members or neighbors if they would like it.  I love to bake, but don't need to eat entire loaves of bread or batches of cupcakes, so I often share with our neighbors.  I've spoken before about Buy Nothing Groups (you can find your group by searching "Buy Nothing Group + your city" on Facebook or there is a new app you can download from the App Store or Google Play) and this is also a good way to offer up food you won't eat.  In my group, people will give away food that's been opened and people are generally okay with that as long as you disclose that information up front.

So these are my best ideas for preventing food waste.  I'm so proud of my family for taking these steps with me to prevent food waste.  We're not perfect, but being more mindful has certainly improved our behaviors around wasting food.  Let me hear your tips and tricks!  What other habits can I adopt to help eliminate food waste?    

Making Small Changes

Having Archer and Lyla has continued to change me in ways I never dreamed possible.  They constantly make me consider every move I make.  After finding out TIME Magazine named 16-year-old Greta Thunberg as their person of the year, I realized I could be doing more to help combat climate change and reduce my carbon footprint.  Even though climate change is a global issue and it seems like I have little control over it, there are some small changes I can make that will ultimately impact Archer and Lyla's future.

I wanted to share some of these small changes I've been making to help inspire others and to also hopefully get some new ideas on other ways I can help.  Please give me new ideas!!  I am far from perfect, but change doesn't always have to be something monumental.  It can start small.   

Here are a few of my small changes:

I use a reusable water bottle.  I ditched using plastic water bottles long ago and have used some form of a reusable water bottle for years.  My current favorite is stainless steel and the perfect size.  I bring it everywhere and love that the lid stays on tight even when my kids chuck it across the room.  I have to have ice water and this keeps my water cold all day long!

I use reusable bags when shopping.  I always bring reusable bags when I go grocery shopping.  Recently, I even invested in some heavy-duty canvas ones that I hope to have for years to come.  I've also tried to make sure I bring along reusable bags when I go to other stores.  If I do forget to bring them in (does anyone have any ideas for remembering to bring bags inside the store??), I tell the cashier I don't need a bag and just carry the items to my car or stick them back in my cart.

I say "no, thank you" to plastic straws and lids.  Whenever I go out to eat, I decline a plastic straw.  If servers put one on the table for me, I always hand it back to them and say that I don't need it (as politely as possible).  I should probably take it a step further and mention I don't need the straw when I order my drink since some restaurants automatically stick a straw in the drink.  I did get some reusable silicone straws and keep them with me in the diaper bag.  Archer and Lyla aren't quite skilled enough yet to drink from a cup without a lid without the entire drink ending up in their laps, so these straws come in handy.  I actually like that they are softer than plastic and I don't have to worry about them accidentally poking a straw down their throat or in their eye.  (One of the reusable silicone straws is featured in the photo below.)

I bring my own cup to coffee shops. I don't actually drink coffee, but I sure do enjoy hot chocolate.  One of my guilty pleasures is going through the drive-thru of Caribou Coffee (which is a coffee shop attached to the HyVee gas station, classy right?) and getting a hot chocolate when I go out and about with Lyla and Archer.  Recently, I started bringing my own ceramic mug with me.  When I give my order, I just mention that I brought my own cup.  Then when I pull up to the window, I hand it over and they fill it up with delicious hot chocolate.  I even get a discount for bringing my own cup!  (The one I have is ceramic and has a silicone lid.  It was a gift, but I'm sure you can find one similar on Amazon.)

I stopped buying individually packaged food items.  Oh man, this was a hard one to give up.  Those little pouches of applesauce and yogurt were so convenient and mess-free for Archer and Lyla!  But I felt a horrible sense of guilt every time I threw one in the trash.  I also bought tons of pre-packaged snacks for Archer and Lyla.  Since then, I've purchased some reusable snack pouches and just keep those filled with snacks in the diaper bag. They actually seem to keep the snacks from getting as smushed so I don't have to hand over a package of Cheez-It dust to the kids when they want a snack.  I've tried these (which you can put in the dishwasher) and these (which you can put in the washing machine) and like them both.  I think it's nice to have a variety of different materials and sizes. 

I use waxed fabric instead of Saran wrap.  This was an easy swap to make because I hate using Saran wrap.  It just sticks to itself and makes me angry.  So when Adam brought home some waxed fabric from Trader Joe's, I was excited to give it a try.  Now when I have to cover a bowl of pizza dough so it can rise or cover up some leftovers, I use some waxed fabric.  I will say it's hard to get a completely air-tight seal, so if that's what I need, I just store it in a glass container with a lid.  I think there is thinner waxed fabric out there that can give you a completely air-tight seal, so I'll have to look into finding some different options.  (You can see the waxed fabric in the bottom left corner of the above photo.)    

I use a menstrual cup.  This might fall under the TMI category, but I'll share about it just in case anyone out there is interested.  A menstrual cup is a small, flexible cup that is worn inside your vagina (like a tampon) to collect your monthly flow.  It's pretty amazing because you can't feel it once it's in place and you can wear it for up to 12 hours at a time.  I will say there was a bit of a learning curve for me and it took awhile before I got the hang of it.  But I've been using it for a couple years now and haven't bought any pads or tampons!  So I'm saving money and preventing waste from going in the landfill.  The Put A Cup In It website is an excellent resource if you want more information or feel free to ask me any questions.

I recycle everything that can possibly be recycled.  Sometimes this makes me seem like a weirdo when I put "trash" in the diaper bag to take home to recycle or gather all the wrapping paper at Adam's family Christmas get-together to take home to recycle.  But it makes me feel better knowing I am keeping excess stuff out of landfills. 

I hit up thrift stores when possible.  Lately I've been looking at thrift stores before I buy something elsewhere.  For example, Lyla needed a few long-sleeve shirts and I decided to go to a secondhand children's clothing store.  I found just what I needed, spent less than I would at other stores, and gave old items a second life.  I also needed another pie dish this Thanksgiving.  So instead of getting a new one from Amazon like I was going to, I stopped by one of our local thrift stores and got one for a couple bucks! 

I use reusable cleaning cloths.  I used to use a ridiculous amount of paper towels and wipes when I cleaned my house.  I realized how wasteful this was, so I picked these reusable cloths at Target about a year ago.  I've used them ever since and have been very happy!  The green cloths are great for cleaning glass, and don't leave lint behind like paper towels did.  I dampen the blue ones to dust with and use the gray ones to scrub the counters.  I also cut up one of Adam's old white undershirts that got a hole in it and use the little squares to clean things like the toilets.  I also found some super soft cloths that I use to wipe the kids' faces with after they finish eating their meals. 

I use wool dryer balls instead of fabric softener.  I ran out of fabric softener a few years ago and did a few loads of laundry before I had a chance to make it to the store.  I realized I couldn't tell a difference, so I just never bought any more.  A few months back, I got some wool dryer balls with the promise of cutting down drying time.  And I definitely agree that I don't have to dry our clothes as long if I have the balls in the dryer.  I just found some random ones at TJ Maxx, but I see them everywhere now. 

I've stopped buying stuff just to be buying stuff.  In addition to trying to make changes to better our planet, I've also been on a bit of a minimalism kick.  While I'm a long ways away from considering myself a minimalist, I have adopted some minimalist qualities that have made my life simpler.  I've donated tons of random housewares and clothes and just stuff that wasn't serving me a purpose other than taking up space.  Since getting rid of so much stuff, I've also been more conscious of the things that I do buy and bring into my home.  I used to be a sucker for a good bargain, so now I have to ask myself if I truly need and want each item or if I'm just getting it because it's a good deal.  And I've done a much better job of saying "no" lately.  By not buying as much, (in my tiny way) I'm creating less of a demand for products to be manufactured.   

I am far from perfect and nowhere near living a zero-waste lifestyle.  But I am trying to do what I can and am looking for ways to improve.  My next goals are to shop thrift stores for my own clothes, look into using more eco-friendly personal care items (think wooden toothbrushes, plastic-free beauty products) and look for ways to reduce food packaging waste.  So give me all your ideas!!  And hopefully my small changes gave you a few ideas too. 

DIY Reusable Grocery Bags

I've been using reusable bags for our groceries for years now.  When I remember to get them out of the trunk, that is.  I've been wanting to get some bags that could be washed (hello, leaking chicken!) and would last a long, long time. 

So I hunted down some canvas bags on Amazon.  I picked some that had a bottom gusset, which means they expand a bit on the bottom and were machine washable.  The main reason I wanted to get new bags was so I wouldn't be putting produce in the same bag I used for chicken last time.  I also wanted to get some that were heavy duty and just the right size.  I was previously using some that were huge, but I would overload them and the heavy load caused the straps to start to rip.  Luckily, those old bags were 100% recyclable, so I chucked them in my recycle bin as soon as the new ones arrived. 

I didn't want to have to wash my bags every time I used them.  I just wanted the option in case one got dirty.  So that meant I needed to figure out a way to identify which type of groceries to put in each bag.  Enter, the trusty paint pen.  I had this paint pen leftover from a previous project.  You can find paint pens at craft stores or Amazon.  Just make sure you look for one that says "permanent" if you plan to wash them.   

I ended up getting four bags, so I thought about the four categories most of my groceries could fit in.  Produce, Dry Goods, Meat, and Dairy ended up being my categories.  While these don't cover everything, it definitely covers most of my groceries.  I also bring along this freezer bag for frozen groceries.  (I should also mention I shop at Aldi, which means I bag my own groceries.  I wouldn't expect a bagger at another grocery store to adhere to my bag labels.)

Once I had my categories nailed down, I just neatly wrote the categories down on each bag.  I thought about doing some sort of fancy cursive, but decided to stick with a simple font that can be easily read.  Usually I have Archer and Lyla with me, so I need to hustle when it comes time to bag since the snacks are running low by this point in the shopping trip.      

The paint pen claimed to be permanent, so I wanted to wash them once to test the claim.  The bags came out great and are currently stashed in my trunk!  I tried them out the other day and they worked out beautifully!  

There's nothing like making grocery shopping just a little easier and more exciting!  

Take A Look At My Kitchen Now!

Dare I say the kitchen is now my favorite room in my whole house?  And that's saying something coming from someone who hates to cook.  Just look at it!

Paint has completely transformed this space since that last time I showed it to you all.  Since then, Adam and I painted the walls in Sherwin-William's Eider White.  It's essentially white with just the faintest hint of gray.  Deciding on the wall color was tricky and took many paint samples.  I knew I wanted a cooler color, but it had to look good in both the kitchen and family room.  Several samples we tried would look good in the kitchen, but not in the family room.  But eventually, I settled on the very neutral Eider White.

We typically use Behr paint from Home Depot because it's more budget-friendly, yet still good quality.  We couldn't find a color that was similar enough to Eider White, so we went with Sherwin-Williams.  I know you can get paint color-matched, but the bases aren't the same so the colors always seem a bit off when I've tried to have things color-matched.  Since we had gone through so many samples and struggled to find a color that worked, we just sprang for the pricier Sherwin-Williams Cashmere paint.  But to be honest, both Adam and I weren't thrilled with the paint itself.  We still had to put two coats on the wall and the consistency wasn't our favorite.  Basically, the only thing it had going for itself was the color.   

The new color really does help mellow out the space and let some of the other elements shine.  I was a little nervous that we, color-lovers, were basically painting our walls white.  But everything has come together so beautifully and it definitely proved to be the right color choice.

The more exciting paint update is what went on our cabinets!

Adam and I threw around the idea of painting the cabinets ourselves using chalk paint.  But after visiting a shop that sells chalk paint and chatting with some of the gals there, we quickly realized there were far too many steps involved for us at this point in our lives.  There's no way Archer and Lyla wouldn't have gotten into the paint or the freshly painted cabinets.  We wouldn't have had the time we would have needed to execute the job in a way that would yield the outcome we were after.  So we ended up having my friend Kristen of Made New paint them for us.  I took Lyla, Archer, and Jazzy to my parents for the week so we would be out of the way and allow Kristen to work her magic. 

Kristen did such a beautiful job!  I know we weren't the easiest clients since we are quite particular, but she put up with us and delivered!  She was also kind enough to meet with us twice before she even started painting to help us work out some details and pick the paint color for the cabinets.  I almost chose a lighter gray, but Kristen encouraged me to follow my vision and pick a darker color.  I am so happy she did because I am in love with the color!  (It's Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines Trim & Cabinetry Paint in Cozy Up.)

We ended up not going the chalk paint route.  We wanted something that would hold up well over time and would require little maintenance.  Kristen recommended the Magnolia Home paint and we are very happy with the results.  It has a very pretty semi-gloss finish, with just the perfect amount of sheen.  Kristen also suggested painting the window frame above the sink in a glossy white to tie the window to the white tile and paneled ceiling Adam added.  It turned out to be the right decision and looks beautiful!

The pretty cabinet color also allows all the trim work Adam added to our existing cabinets to shine.  I love the frames he added on the ends of all the cabinets.  They add a nice, subtle detail.

He also reworked the area above the sink and it looks so much more modern and updated!  I love how the corbels he added help tie both sides of the kitchen together.  The trim he added around the bottom of the upper cabinets really adds a nice finished look.  I must admit, I didn't really think all the trim work would make much of an impact, but I was wrong!  It makes our previously-boring 80's cabinets special, with just the right amount of detail.

Another change that helped take our cabinets out of the 80's was switching out the pulls and hinges.  We chose matte black knobs for all the doors and pulls for all the drawers.  Adam suggested using larger pulls on our larger drawers and the pantry and it was a great choice!  It's pretty amazing how switching up the hardware can make such a difference!   

We made other swaps, too.  We swapped out the large swagged chandelier in the eat-in kitchen for a more modern fixture.  Adam and I had a hard time finding something we both liked.  We ended up visiting Rensen House of Lights and found the perfect fixture that we could both agree upon.  That store was huge!  When we walked in, Adam said if we couldn't find something at that store, then we were just too picky!

Finally, I added in some finishing touches that really helped pull the space together.  I talked Adam into ordering this rug.  It's definitely bold, but it works perfectly in our kitchen.  Some of the greenish-blues match the backsplash tile.  It's busy enough that it will (and does) hide crumbs and food stains.  My mom called me a Grandma for covering up our hardwood floors in the kitchen.  I know a rug doesn't always make the most sense in a kitchen, but it works for us.  It helps protect the hardwood flooring from the water splashes that happen when we are reaching for the hand towel on the stove or loading up the dishwasher.  It also gives Archer, Lyla, and Jazzy a place to hang out and annoy me while I'm trying to cook dinner.

I tried to keep the decor and items on the countertops to a minimum.  I don't like a lot of clutter, plus I didn't want to detract from all of the other beautiful things going on in our kitchen.  I added a wood tray to the right of the stove with utensils, a candle, cooking oils, salt, and pepper.  The corner by the stove is my baking area, which houses my mixer, flour, and sugar.

There's a small tray next to the sink that houses the dish and hand soap.  Above the sink on the windowsill I have an aloe plant that I've managed to keep alive for over a year now and a couple of sentimental mementos.

The other side of the kitchen features Adam's little coffee station and the bread box.  I think he likes having his Keurig machine out instead of having to stow it away every morning like he used to.  I think we've managed to create a pretty functional kitchen in a pretty small footprint.

I decided to put in new shelf liner before we put all of the stuff back into our cabinets after we had removed it all before painting.  I forgot how time-consuming it was to measure and cut out the contact paper for each cabinet and drawer!  But with Adam wrangling the kids, I managed to get it finished.  I love the fun little pop of flowers each time I open up a door or drawer now.

We only have one item left on our to-do list.  I plan to try my hand at making some Roman shades for the window above our sink and the two other windows and door in our eat-in kitchen.  I don't have the best sewing skills, but I will try!  It will certainly be a lot less expensive than buying custom window treatments to fit our odd-sized windows.  I will keep you all posted on that adventure.  I'm looking forward to being able to cross off the last item on our to do list!

1. Get new countertops.
2. Have a new backsplash installed.
3. Paint the cabinets gray.
4. Make some minor modifications to the existing cabinets.
5. Paint the walls a lighter, cooler color.
6. Find a new light fixture for our eat-in kitchen.
7. Replace the cabinet handles and hinges.
8. Replace the window treatments in the kitchen and eat-in kitchen.
9. Replace the sink and faucet.

Here's a few before and after shots to really drive home how far our kitchen has come over the past few months:

 

I am so in love with our gorgeous new kitchen!  I literally smile every time I walk in there now.  I even think cooking in such a pretty space makes me a better chef.  I haven't screwed up any meals in our newly renovated kitchen...yet.  ;)

Archer & Lyla's Jungle-Themed First Birthday Party

When I dreamed about becoming a parent, one of the things I imagined would be truly exciting would be planning my kids' birthday parties.  The thought of creating a day to celebrate my kids just sounded like pure fun.  So I was thrilled to be able to plan Archer and Lyla's first birthday party! 

I can see how some people go completely overboard when it comes to kids' birthday parties.  There are so many cute ideas out there and you can get wrapped up in creating a special day.  But I was able to rationalize that Lyla and Archer won't remember this day.  So while I definitely could have scaled back, I don't think I went too crazy.  

I decided on a jungle theme since Archer and Lyla enjoy animals.  They love to read books featuring animals.  So I set about coming up with a cute invitation, a few decorations, and food ideas.  

The guest list was small and included family and friends who Archer and Lyla knew and were comfortable around.  The day was already going to be a departure from their normal routine, so I didn't want to bombard them with a lot of people they weren't familiar with.  I planned the party to start right after their morning nap and end right before their afternoon nap.  That definitely helped them be at their happiest.  We included lunch, too.  

I whipped up some invitations using Google Drawings and then printed them at home on some cardstock.  It was an inexpensive route and got all the information to our guests.

For the decorations, I used some balloons that my mom and I found on clearance at Party City.  I also got a small hand pump to help blow up all the balloons.  (Shout out to my parents and brother for helping blow up all the balloons!)  They were green and fit the jungle theme.  I hung some big ones on the front porch and then used balloon tape to create a garland in the dining room above the babies' high chairs.   

I made a cute little photo banner that showcased all of Archer and Lyla's monthly photos.  I hung it across the fireplace mantel and it was so fun to see their progression.  It's amazing to see how much they grow from month to month!    

I also cut out the number one and painted it with some craft paint I had laying around.  My intention was to take some pictures of Archer and Lyla with it and begin a yearly photo tradition.  But I forgot.  Oops.  Maybe we'll start that tradition next year.  

We ordered pizza for lunch to make things simple.  I didn't want Adam or I having to prepare anything as guests were arriving, so we opted for the easy route.  I did cut up some fruit and made a cute lion veggie tray ahead of time.  (Shout out to my brother for slicing up all those peppers!)  And I set out some animal crackers, too.  

I ordered some cupcakes topped with cookies from Beautifully Delicious.  They turned out so incredibly cute and tasted delicious!  If any local Kansas City folks need any cute cookies, I highly recommend Katie at Beautifully Delicious!     

I did make a batch of dairy-free (for Lyla), gluten-free (for my uncle) cupcakes too.  They certainly weren't cute, but Lyla didn't seem to mind.  She gobbled up her cupcake in mere seconds!   

Archer enjoyed his cupcake too!  We hadn't given the babies any sugar, aside from a few licks of a popsicle.  So they were all about the sugar!    

I didn't plan any activities, but everyone was content to watch Lyla and Archer and just visit.  It was the perfect first birthday party!  Everyone had fun and we got to spoil Archer and Lyla!  

Pantry Revamp

Since the arrival of Lyla and Archer, things around my house have not been nearly as organized and tidy as they once were.  But I'm learning to embrace that fact.  However, when I do get a chance to do a little organizing project, I jump for it!

This past weekend, I decided our pantry needed a little revamp.  We have one of those tall cabinets with the drawers that roll out.  I would love to have an actual pantry that you can walk inside or even a pantry closet, but for now our pantry cabinet does the trick.  It was getting a little crazy.  I had some loose organization going on and tried to keep like items together, but I didn't always stick to it and I didn't really communicate this system to Adam.  So even though I tried to keep it organized, it didn't always happen.

Here's what things were looking like before:

Nothing horribly unorganized, but definitely some room for improvement.  (Please excuse the grainy cell phone pictures.  One of these days I'll use my good camera to take pictures again!)  So while my mother-in-law watched the babies (Thanks, Janet!) Adam and I set out on an adventure to buy storage containers.  This was certainly not Adam's idea of fun, but he was kind enough to oblige since it was my birthday weekend.  Before we set out, I made sure to measure the dimensions of each drawer and made a list of the items I wanted storage containers for so I knew what to look for while shopping.

The drawer that drove me the craziest was the drawer with the cereal.  Those boxes are so big and bulky, which means they take up lots of space.  I decided that I needed to get some cereal storage containers that would maximize the space.  When I told Adam about my plan he said, "Oh, so we're going to be one of those households now."  He knew what he was getting into when he married me!    

So, yes, I set out to find some cereal storage containers.  It was a little tricky to find some that weren't too tall for the drawer or didn't cost a fortune.  I wasn't going to spend 20 bucks on a cereal container!  I did end up finding some at The Container Store for $9.  That was much more reasonable and I used my birthday money.  I guess you know you are old when you use your birthday funds to buy storage containers.  Or maybe that's just me. :)  

I also found some small white storage bins at TJ Maxx to help corral some of the smaller items, along with a small jar to hold tea bags.  A napkin holder and small jar for Jazzy's treats were found at IKEA.  And finally a water bottle from Target got a new use as a container to store rice.  I also used some other items I already had to store and organize other items.  

After collecting all my new storage containers, I took everything out of the pantry.  I threw away expired items.  Then I sorted everything into categories.  I assigned a general category to each drawer and made labels so Adam would be able to know what was going on in my head.  I just printed off the labels and glued them on top of some pretty wrapping paper.  I used some packing tape to stick them onto each drawer.  (Packing tape might not be the best thing to use if you are worried about messing up the surface of your drawers.  Ours are old, so it doesn't really matter if sticky stuff is left behind or the finish is removed when the tape is removed.)

Next came the fun part of putting everything in it's new home.  We typically only buy what we intend to use for the next few weeks since we don't have a lot of space to store food goods.  I've also found that if we buy too much stuff in advance, we never tend to use it all and end up throwing things away when they expire.  Once everything was in its place, our pantry looked way nicer!  Now, instead of cringing when I open up the pantry, a little smile comes to my face.    

The top drawer holds all of our baking supplies.  Things like powdered sugar, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, vanilla, vegetable oil, etc.  I ended up using some glass Pyrex containers to store our powdered sugar and brown sugar.  I was going to buy some jars, but couldn't find any that were short enough and large enough.  I have a ton of Pyrex and never use it all at once, so I figured I could spare two containers to hold those items.  I just put some of my favorite tape on the top with the expiration date.    

The next drawer is my favorite!  It has the new cereal storage containers.  One is filled with Cheerios for the twins and the remaining three are for whichever cereal Adam happens to be eating at the moment.  They take up less space than the bulky boxes and don't make as much noise when Adam makes a bowl of cereal in the morning.  No more crinkling bags!  Behind that are things like oats, pancake mix, tea and a bin full of instant oatmeal packets.  

The next drawer has snacks-everything from chips and pretzels to animal crackers and trail mix.  I also added a bin to hold the smaller items like granola bars and popcorn bags.  I always take things like granola bars and popcorn bags out of the boxes to free up more space.  

Then comes the dinner/stuff for Archer and Lyla drawer.  The left side has canned goods and pasta, while the right side has baby food and baby snacks.  Again, I used a bin for the smaller items that I took out of their boxes.    

Finally, the last drawer has Jazzy's food and poop bags, along with paper plates and party napkins.  

The whole pantry looks much tidier and should stay that way thanks to the new labels and storage containers.    

There was one moment during the organizing process that made me super proud, but then immediately bummed out.  I saw this water bottle at Target and thought it would be perfect for storing rice.  I could easily pop off the top and and pour out the amount I needed.  Whenever I am pouring rice out of the bag or box, it tends to go everywhere!  So I thought this would be the perfect solution.  I even wrote the expiration date, water to rice ratio and cooking instructions on some tape and added it to the side of the bottle.  I was tooting my own horn as I went to put the rice in the dinner drawer, but it was too tall!  Whomp, whomp.  So it has to live in the snacks drawer, even though I would never eat rice for a snack!  But I am getting better at letting things go these days, so live it up with the snacks, Mr. Rice Container.  

Rice container height aside, it was a successful organizing project!  I was so excited to have the time to work on this organizing project.  In the end, it will save more time while I'm getting items from the pantry.  I won't have to pull out every drawer to find what I'm looking for.  Now I'll know just where to look!  

Preparing for the Twins

Adam and I have discovered there are roughly one million things to do before the twins arrive.  As quickly as we can cross things off our to do list, more and more seem to be added.  But I think we are getting pretty darn close to checking off the last few items.  

I still have a ways to go in my pregnancy.  I am currently 31 weeks along and would love to make it to 38 weeks.  But there are a few different factors that might result in an early delivery.  Our hope is that the more prepared we are, the more likely I'll deliver later rather than early.  

We got the nursery completed pretty early on.  And our sweet family and friends were so generous in filling it up for us with all of their gifts.  So we feel like we have all of the baby "stuff" that we could possibly need.  

We also wanted to stock up on all of the paper goods, cleaning supplies and other products we use on a daily basis.  So we came up with a list of the things we use, everything from shampoo and toilet paper to hand soap and laundry detergent.  Then we went to Sam's Club and bought the items we could in bulk. The remaining we either got at Target or ordered from Amazon.  We filled our cabinets and put all the excess in our basement.  Although it looks a bit crazy and as if we are preparing for the apocalypse, I'm sure we'll be happy we don't have to run out to the store when we're happily bleary-eyed from lack of sleep.  

Next up on our to do list was to prep some meals we can easily prepare once the babies arrive.  I stocked up on frozen pizzas and meals from the grocery store.  I also scoured Pinterest for some crock pot meals that I could prepare in advance and then freeze.  So our freezer is pretty full at the moment, but I'm sure we'll be thankful to have decent meals to eat while we are operating on mere hours of sleep.  

One of the things that has been in the forefront of my mind is to make sure that Jazzy is well taken care of during my hospital stay.  I want to make sure she doesn't miss any meals and gets to go on her walks. Adam and I are fortunate to have family in town and my parents will be around when the twins arrive, so there will be plenty of people around to take care of our other baby.  I decided to put together this chart to help everyone make sure Jazzy's needs are met.  We're not quite sure who will be taking care of Jazzy, but wanted an easy way to keep track of Jazzy's needs in case several people break up the responsibility. Our plan is to leave this chart on the kitchen counter so people will know what's been done for Jazzy and what still needs to be done.  

From there I worked on packing my hospital bag.  I saved this task for last because I hate packing!  Plus, I didn't really have a clear idea of exactly what I would need to pack.  I found some lists on Pinterest, but I felt like some of the women who put those lists together were packing for month-long stays on a deserted island.  Luckily, when Adam and I went to tour the maternity ward at the hospital I'll be delivering at, one of the things they provided me with was a "What to Bring" list.  The list noted all the things the hospital would provide, pointed out the necessary items to bring and included optional items I might like to have. It certainly helped me pare down to packing only the necessities.  Plus, I figure if there's really something I need, there will be plenty of family around to make a house run for us.    

Even though we're getting close to being ready for the babies to arrive, they need to stay put for a few more weeks!  (You hear that, babies?!)