Welcome to day 4 of the 31 Day Series, if you missed any of the previous posts, click here and scroll down.
Seriously, this is the last day I’ll talk about baskets.
It’s not glamorous but, every week we make 17 packed lunches. Last year I got tired of grabbing the cheese, lunch meat, mayo, carrots, lettuce, jam separately…every. single. time. So now we pack everything we need from the refrigerator for lunches into one square basket.
It fits perfectly next to the eggs and yogurt and we can grab everything with one hand. Plus it makes my fridge look all fancy-like. Just pull it out and plop it on the counter.
Why didn’t I do that ages ago?
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I love love baskets for organizing, but I never thought of using one in the fridge! Much nicer looking than the rubber maid tote I use to corral all the salad veggies… same reason… tired of pulling out lettuce, cukes, carrots, tomatoes etc to make a salad (which I do nearly every day). Keeps them fresh like a drawer too!
Love that your ideas are quick and concise and can be implemented on any given day! Can’t wait to hear what comes next!
I bought two baskets at the good ole Salvation Army this morning. Great ideas!
I am glad to learn this lesson before kindergarten starts next year! ;)
AMEN FOR BASKETS!!!! I loooove them!!
This is so clever! I’m so doing this. Thanks!
Fabulous idea! I may have to try that!
Basket brilliance! I’ve been doing that with a bigger plastic container….but that is way not as cute as this!! I’m on it!! ~Chris Ann
I love this idea! I use metal wire baskets in the fridge and freezer to help organize and it makes such a difference. Easier to take everything out to clean the shelves too.
What? We’re supposed to CLEAN the fridge???
Wow. Who’d have thunk? I’m so doing it. Thanks!
Good thinking. Guess what finally dawned on me a few months ago? Every Friday is garbage pick up day so I started cleaning out my refrigerator faithfully every Thursday evening. Now everything that should go in the trash goes and I am much more aware of what is in there to use. Systems….they work when we have one:)
I have a basket in my fridge for lunches too! I also have a basket in a cupboard next to the fridge where the kids know where to put their lunch boxes when they get home from school. Also in this basket their are sandwich baggies, quarters for milk, and snacks for recess. Like you…being a stay home mom for 16 years you learn after a while to make things easier for yourself and them.
I have a similar basket in my pantry. It contains lunch snacks. I will even often place snacks from bigger bags or packages into snack-size ziplocks and place them in the basket. It’s great for packing lunches, but it’s also great to grab-on-the-go to practice, the park, or wherever.
Brilliant! I’m a big basket-lover, too, but I’ve never even considered this! What would we do without you?
How inventive…thanks!
Seriously?! This one tip will totally transform our mornings! You’re a genius, Nester, a sheer genius!
Amazing! This is such a time saver, you are brilliant woman!
You won’t believe how beautiful a bowl of eggs look in the fridge.
You also won’t believe how practical it is……reach in grab two eggs.
It makes me feel like I live on a farm. I had to play with the bowl size I wanted to
use because I have six children and therefore need dozens of eggs
every week!
We keep our eggs on the counter Debra. We use a lot of them also and turns out they also cook better when they are room temp!
Now, this is an idea that I seriously need to implement!
Never thought of a basket in the fridge and don’t have any square baskets. Can’t wait to hit the thrift stores now and search for them. I think this is going to change my life :)
I like it! I got smart and put all of our snacks in a big basket that’s on top of the frig….but this takes storage to a whole new level.
I’m loving 31 days…. thanks Nester!
love this idea…will give it a try for my 15 lunches a week!
I LOVE this idea. Why didn’t I think of that :-) such simple things can make life so much easier! Thanks for sharing
Oh seriously!?!?! Now that is just so clever I cannot stand it!
And I thought I was wasting time reading blogs!
What a great idea! I have heard the same idea but with spices..put all the spices for a apple pie in a basket or small container together.
My momma would of LOVED this idea! She had baskets everywhere and used them to corral almost everything….*sigh* I sure miss her!
Just to clarify, I love this idea, too. ;o)
That is just brilliant. I HATE making lunches because of that very reason. Now to make space in my fridge for a basket! Thanks for the great tip.
That’s a really good idea! I also like what the other Natalie {the Nester} said about having milk money and other must-have items. Such great tips, everyone! :)
Genius!!!!! I hate doing it to and I’m just making my own lunch! You have such good ideas.
Oooh! I love this. I don’t have to make a lot of sack lunches (I am SAHM to a toddler and a baby on the way) BUT I hope I remember this in a couple of years. And I really like all the basket ideas. Once I have some spare change, I am going to start looking for good deals on baskets.
genius, genius, genius!
Oh my gracious… can’t tell you how much I love this idea. This is going to make my morning life so much easier! Love it.
I don’t do that, but I do have a basket in my fridge for all those little jars of condiments: tartare sauce, mustards, and the like.
I also have two fruit platters in my kitchen. One is for the boys to choose from for their lunches or any time they want fruit. The other holds tomatoes and any fancy fruit or anything earmarked for a recipe.
Brilliant!
I love this! I just emptied a couple of baskets. This may appear in my fridge soon!
This idea is brilliant!! I have a basket on top of my fridge with all the snacks for lunches (if it’s in the pantry, everyone eats up all the good stuff!) but I never thought of this. Thanks! Can’t wait to try it.
I always hated packing lunches when my kids were in provate school! If I had thought of this it would’ve life a whole lot easier! Now the kids are all grown!
Bernice
http://bernicewood.wordpress.com/2010/09/14/moving-towards-simplicity/
Thank you SO much for posting several super fabulous ideas about baskets! I have bazillions of them, and I have even gotten rid of some in garage sales (gasp)!!! I am so grateful that you’ve shared your wisdom!!!! Now, I will NEVER throw one away again!!!!!
The basket isn’t affected by the moisture from the fridge? I suppose plastic would work too, but your option is so much cuter. This would be perfect for putting all my girls healthy snacks in one place. Pull out the basket, “pick one”, and go. Yay for baskets! And this series!
Oh my word! I just found your blog today and I implemented this in my home a few days ago. Funny! I stumbled upon this idea at Stacy Julian’s blog (scrapbooker). It has totally helped my am lunchmaking routine!
OH OH OH!OH! Brilliant! I tried to make a “deli drawer” in my fridge but couldn’t fit everything. Off to look through my dollar store baskets. NOW.
a basket in the refrigerator… i think it is genius, but my husband might beg to differ.
20 lunches a week at our casa…and by the time i’m finished stuffing the last brown bag, i’ve walked roughly 2.6 miles around my kitchen (pantry, ‘frig, sink, counter, back to pantry, oops-forgot the string cheese, back to ‘frig, darn it-left the ziplock baggies in the pantry, etc, etc. etc.)
great tip! going to organize my NEW lunch ritual NOW!!
I’ve just been catching up on your 31 days…been loving it!
I have a square basket in my fridge too – how crazy is that. Some of my friends thought it was little silly, but I love having a natural material in their with all the other natural stuff. My basket holds snacks that my kids can grab anytime and that I use to pack their lunches.
I’m going to walk around ALL DAY thinking I’m as clever as YOU!
great for the ol’ self esteem. :)
I have been reading your 31 days and loving every one!
We just got back from a fun weekend at a hotel/waterpark and just tonight I was thinking about the next time we would do that, or even just go swimming as a family. It dawned on me.
Why should I put everyone’s suits back in their drawers, beach towels away only to have to go collect (search and find) 5 swimsuits, 5 towels, 3 floating rings, 2 goggles and so on. From now on, I am going to keep a swim bag in my closet with all that stuff! Then when we want to go, all I need to do is grab the bag and go.
Maybe everyone already does this and I am a little slow on the uptake, but that’s ok! ;)
I have a little basket I use to keep canned biscuits & cinnamon rolls in the fridge – I got tired of them rolling all over the shelf :)
hi nester, what a great idea! my 5 year old likes to make his own lunch sometimes, as well as my husband’s lunch. this would help speed the process up from 30 minutes to maybe 25 instead! great idea. i am a new reader of your blog and am enjoying it so much!! thanks!
Genius. Pure genius.
So clever…I’m through the packing lunch stage…don’t miss it at all.
xo Jana