November 19, 2014

Pampered Pantry

The spice cabinet is this week's beneficiary of my paperwork avoidance. I don't know why it is, but the sheer volume of paper that enters my house defeats me. If it weren't for the existence of the IRS, I would gleefully get rid of nearly all of it. But the taxman requires me to save nearly all of it, and in some semblance of order. In reality, because I resent having to file and track all our expenditures, the papers stack up all over the place. So, in avoiding those precarious stacks for just a bit longer, I'm turning the jumble of bulk spices into organized ranks. There's a name for this, isn't there? When one procrastinates the task at hand with another similar task. Regardless, it's an improvement.
First up, the package of giant bay leaves. The slim, vacuum packed 3.5 ounce (100g) bag filled a bulky 2 quart jar. More space is needed to hold the jar, but I'd much rather encounter this pretty, albeit big, jar than the ratty bag clipped with a clothespin when I open the door of the cabinet. It's also a little bit soothing to coral the chaos into sparkly jars.
And since I tend to save glass jars, thinking they'll come in handy for something, someday, I have plenty to choose from. After diligently removing all traces of labels and glue from these jars, I was loathe to add labels back onto them. Yet, considering that many spices look alike and considering that I have no idea how old some of my bulk items are, I do want to mark these jars with their contents and - for the ones I can remember - the date of purchase. The other day I happened to pick up a small roll of washi tape that was on clearance. As I've never used washi tape before now, I've never understood it's explosive popularity, and brushed it off as an overpriced fad. Fad or not, it's absolutely perfect to label these jars. It stays in place, yet peels off easily without leaving any adhesive behind. Perfect.

2 comments:

  1. Ha! Sounds like you and I are way too similar with that paperwork. I love to have order in my surroundings but my filing system, or lack there of, and the subsequent pile on my desk because of that lack just makes me groan. Maybe that can be my intention for the new year? To create a fun, inviting system and keep on top of it weekly. Oh and it has to be pretty, like those jars and washi tape - now that kind of organising gets me giddy :-)

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    1. You know, you just might be onto something there. Pretty file folders and a file cabinet makeover could be just the inspiration I need. Then again, refinishing the file cabinet is probably a paperwork procrastination technique. Oh well, it'll make me happy and it's not as if the stacks of paper are going to get up and walk away.

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