As my due date approaches (tomorrow! I think the little lady is pretty cozy in there!), I think I fall more deeply into nesting mode. Dan says I’m a “nester by nature” – and I agree – but I think my nesting tendencies have definitely upped a notch or two in recent weeks.
Besides getting things checked off the to-do list, purging stuff, and organizing baby things, one of my little nesting moments recently was to deal with our coffee/tea situation.
What do I mean by that? I’m talking about this totally un-organized, things-fall-out-when-you-open-the-door cupboard in our kitchen. No rhyme or reason to what went where and tons of almost-empty tea boxes.
I spotted these glass jars at HomeSense for $13 for the pack of 3, and knew they would be perfect for my tea. They have tight seal lids, and were pretty cute with their mason jar look going on.
Organizing always gets worse before it gets better — case in point as I laid out everything from that cupboard.
I took a lot of the teas out of their boxes and sorted them into groups – chai, herbal (mostly mint and chamomile), and black. For any tea bags that didn’t come in individual packaging (other than the black tea), I put them in a small ziploc with the name of the tea on it before putting them into the jar. That way I wouldn’t just have to rely on the sniff test to know which tea it was.
I’m craving a chocolatey chai right about now…
They fit nicely in the cupboard, and I was able to put some of the larger tea boxes and loose leaf teas beside and behind. No rocket science here or ultra pretty pantry organization with labels and chalkboard paint and all those fancy things, just a simple solution that makes me happy.
The middle shelf now houses all coffee-related stuff (I think I need to get some kind of wire basket to hold all of those), and the tupperware and microwave dishes are up top. 
What else do I have to organize around here… no drawer or cupboard is being left untouched!
Do you guys have a scary cupboard or drawer in your kitchen? I know I can’t be the only one. Gotten really fancy with your pantry organization? Any fave tips to share?
Kala M. says
I think I need to get some of those jars. My tea is just hanging out in their boxes and those jars would seal the flavors in better and look a lot nicer.
suzanne says
Hi Gemma! Congratulations! She is almost here!
I did a full pantry reno a few months ago. I painted all of the shelves and wall. One great tip is the Dollar Tree. Do you have that there? They have great baskets in poppy colors.
My kids are famous for eating the last of something and leaving an empty box.
I did a row of baskets where I take all of the pre-wrapped items out of the boxes. I also bought WalMart canisters and got some cute labels from etsy for everything from cereal to cookies to fish. I don’t know how to send you a pic, but it is really cute!
gemma says
Oooh that sounds super cute, Suzanne!! Love the idea of labeling everything… sounds just up my alley! :)
xo,
gem
Kelly says
Where did you get the HUGE bag of Earl Grey? I could def use that!
gemma says
Haha I think it came from Loblaws! :)
xo,
gem
Kenz @ Interiors by Kenz says
You are more than welcome to bring the nesting to my house. I hope my pregnancy nesting hormones kick in soon. That’s crazy your due date is TOMORROW! Good luck with everything when she decides to make an entrance.
Jade says
Too funny, I just bought two packs of those exact jars at HomeSense to organize one of my cabinets – I put my salad/smoothie add-ins in them (sunflower seeds, hemp hearts, chia seeds, etc.) Think I may need to go back for more! p.s. -I am not pregnant nor nesting – just in love with pretty organizing solutions!
gemma says
Too funny! They are cute jars, right? Perfect size for that kind of thing too!
xo,
gem
Mary Eileen says
Oh I am totally a natural nester too, it is just intrinsic to me preggo or not. It did go into high gear though with both babes. My husband and I were coming out of Fab Baby Gear the other day and I swear I recognized you but wasn’t sure. You looked adorable at full term if it was you. Also now I have pantry shame. I have to clean that up before September comes. Ugh!
gemma says
Funny that it went into high gear with you too – glad I’m not alone! :) And it probably WAS me coming out of Fab… was it the one on Wellington? I was there earlier in the week!! Too funny! Hope I wasn’t looking like too much of a straggled mess! Feel free to say hi next time!! :)
xo,
gem
Stephanie says
What a difference! I did something similar with our pantry. Got large wire bins for categories of staples (baking, sauces, vinegars, oils, cans) and hit up Dollarama for large glass jars for individual ingredients I use all the time. Now I can clearly see what I have, I’m more likely to make recipes using it all :) Great job!
gemma says
Sounds great, Stephanie! I definitely agree that if you can see it, you use it!
xo,
gem