A Little Spice, A Lot of Chaos
Finding a little happiness, one organized shelf at a time.
Lately, I’ve been on a journey of rediscovering myself and finding happiness in the everyday things. And while I certainly didn’t expect my spice cabinet to become part of the journey, here we are!
Sometimes it’s the little things that frustrate us the most. You know, those things we walk past everyday, promising ourselves we’ll get around to fixing them eventually.
For me, one of those things was my spice cabinet.
Every time I opened that cabinet door, I was greeted by a jumble of spice jars, half-empty containers, little bags of seasonings, and absolutely no rhyme or reason to where anything belonged.
I’d reach for the oregano and somehow end up with three bottles of paprika. Or worse, I’d buy another spice at the grocery store, only to discover I already had two hiding in the back of the cabinet.
Sound familiar?
Well, I finally decided enough was enough. It was time to tackle this little corner of my kitchen chaos!
The Great Spice Cabinet Cleanout
The first step was taking everything out of the cabinet. And I do mean everything.
That’s when things got interesting.
I discovered a few dublicate spices, at least two jars that were practically empty, and four little bags of spices I’d apparently purchased from bulk bins at some point.
What were they?
Your guess is as good as mine!
Apparently, I had some grand culinary plans when I bought them, but whatever those plans were, they’ve long since disappeared from my memory.
Once I removed all the spices, I discovered a generous collection of spilled seasonings scattered across the shelves. There was probably enough oregano, pepper, paprika, and who-knows-what-else to season an entire meal! All I needed was a little olive oil, a protein and dinner was practically ready.
Needless to say, those shelves got a very thorough cleaning before anything went back inside.
A Little Organization Without Spending a Fortune
Now, I love a beautifully organized kitchen as much as anyone, but I wasn’t about to spend a small fortune replacing every spice jars with matching glass containers and fancy labels.
I wanted something simple, affordable and most importantly, practical.
So off to Dollar Tree I went.
For approximately $18, I picked up some clear organizers to help bring a little order to the chaos.
My original plan was to alphabatize everything. But as I started sorting through my collection, I realized that organizing spices by how I actually use them might make more sense.
After all, when I’m cooking I’m usually reaching for several seasonings at once. Why not keep similar ones together?
Here’s what I ended up doing:
Spice racks on the cabinet door: I alphabetized these so I could quickly find individual spices.
Salt and peppers: I grouped these together in one clear container.
Baking spices: Cinnamon and other baking favorites found a home together .
Blended seasonings: My ready made spice blends, like Tahin and Moroccan seasoning, now have their own space.
Lazy Susan: I used two rotating Lazy Susan organizers on the middle shelf that hold my spice jars right inside them. Now, instead of digging through bottles to find what I need, I can give them a little spin and find the right seasonings!
Is it a perfect system? Probably not. But it’s a system that makes sense to me, and that’s what matters.
The Big Reveal!
Well, would you look at that! I can actually see what I have!
No more digging through a mountain of spice jars to find the cumin. No more wondering whether I already have the garlic powder. And hopefully, no more mysterious little bags of unidentified seasonings hiding in the back of the cabinet.
The best part? I didn’t have to spend a fortune. Just $18, a little time, some rearranging , and a good cleaning.
Of course, the real test will be whether I can keep it this way.
I’m feeling optimistic.
Ask me again in six months!
Sometimes It’s The Little Things
As I stood back and admired my newly organized cabinet, I couldn’t help but smile.
It occurred to me that finding happiness in everyday life doesn’t always require some big, dramatic change.
Sometimes it’s simply taking care of those little things that have been bothering us for far too long.
A cluttered drawer, a messy closet. Or, in my case, a spice cabinet that had taken on a life of its own.
There’s something satisfying about finally taking one a project you’ve been putting off. It’s one less frustration, one little accomplishment, and one more reason to smile.
Will an organized spice cabinet change my life?
Probably not.
But opening that cabinet door without feeling frustrated certainly makes my day a little nicer.
For $18, I’d say that’s a pretty good investment in my happiness!
Now I’m curious!
How do you organize your spices? Alphabetically, by the way you cook, or is your spices cabinet a little like mine used to be - a treasure hunt every time you make dinner?
I’d love to hear your organizing tips, or better yet, your own kitchen organization confessions!
Until next time, keep blooming and you may check the expiration dates on those spices.
