Mar 22, 2018

The Tips You Need To Know for An Organised Pantry, As Told By An Expert

Business development co-ordinator by day and home organisation/wedding blogger by night, Adelaide-based Iryna Federico from From Great Beginnings will give anyone serious pantry envy after looking through her Instagram. We were dying to know just how she keeps such an amazingly organised home so we got chatting with Iryna to answer some of our burning questions! Find out her top tips below.

WHAT WAS YOUR MOTIVATION STARTING YOUR BEAUTIFUL INSTAGRAM PAGE, @FROMGREATBEGINNINGS?

"I have always been an extremely organised person but did not realise that there was a massive community out there of like-minded people who I could learn from. My husband was the one who encouraged me to start blogging and he has been an amazing support ever since.

Originally, I was organising and styling general places around the home and then I realised that implementing a system within our kitchen, pantry and fridge could really help us live a healthier lifestyle. I have a huge weak spot for takeaway food and crave it like crazy, so we started to meal plan healthy recipes that we still enjoyed by utilising healthier alternatives to the ingredients we knew were not good for us.

I use my Instagram account to share what I’ve learnt on my newly found food journey and connect with others who have a lot to offer, which has been a great find."

FOR US UNORGANISED PANTRY FOLK, WHAT ARE THE BEST THINGS ABOUT HAVING AN ORGANISED FRIDGE & PANTRY?

"Keeping things organised truly allows you to have more time in your life. We’re not at the supermarket every day picking up things we’ve forgotten and we’re certainly not doubling up on staples and condiments. Knowing where everything is and having it all easily accessible makes cooking and baking more of a pleasure than a chore. At least, that’s how I feel. I’ve always enjoyed it but would get quite frustrated when I wanted to make something, but we didn’t have all the ingredients on hand.

In the past, I found a lot of the time we would resort to takeaway meals, not because we were time poor, but because we were craving something different and didn’t have a set menu for the week. It was a chore to think of something to eat, so heading out and grabbing something off a menu was a much easier option.

Staying organised and meal planning has completely solved that problem because we know exactly what we’re eating for the week and have all the produce and staples we need to make each meal. It has saved us a significant amount of money and time."

YOU'VE GOT A PANTRY 'COMMAND CENTRE'. FILL US IN!

"A command centre, in general, is a dedicated space in your home where you can organise the little bits and pieces that often get missed. Our command centre is in the pantry and since all our bills and mail are mostly electronic, we use our command centre to meal plan and list the groceries we’re low on to add to the shopping list."

WE WANT TO ORGANISE OUR KITCHEN BUT DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START. WHAT IS YOUR BEST ADVICE?

"I’m an incredibly systematic person, so making a plan prior to making any purchases or decisions really helped me stay on track. I wrote down everything I wanted to keep in my pantry and then arranged all the items on paper to make sure I had accounted for everything.

When I finalised our plans, I would walk around with all shelf measurements saved on my phone so if I ever saw something I thought might work as a storage solution, I knew it would fit. This is how I also kept track of our budget.

For those with an established pantry, I would suggest taking everything out, decluttering and putting things back in a systematic order by grouping like-minded items."

WE'D LOVE TO KNOW, WHAT ARE YOUR HEALTHY LIVING GOALS FOR 2018?

"As of February 2018, hubby and I have been on a massive health kick. We realised we both wanted to get stronger and minimise eating unhealthy foods.

We have meal planned and shopped together every week and exercised together every day.

In 2018, we would like to continue living a healthier lifestyle, however we also don’t want to miss out on all that life has to offer. I love to bake so finding natural and healthier alternatives to traditional ingredients has helped me still enjoy my hobby. I have learnt new things like baking healthy protein cupcakes that make an excellent snack for us after our work out. Having access to sugar alternatives such as monk fruit really makes it easier to ‘diet’ as you don’t feel as restricted. I think we can really do well in 2018!"