Tuesday, June 25, 2013

41 Spill It! Your Favorite Fridge Organizing Tips & a GIVEAWAY!

Every Tuesday I get school girl giddy because I get to give away some goodies to my favorite blog readers {a.k.a. YOU!}.  Today, I am like a whole room a giddy girls all wrapped into one, because on top of giving away one of my favorite products, I am also spoiling you with eye candy and tips!


That's right!  Fridge Coasters {a very long time sponsor} and I thought it would be fun to partner up and really make this giveaway one that is not only uber fun, but jam packed with organizing tips!


But where does one find all of these great tips?  Well, a little bribery goes a looong way! {I kid, I kid!}

Fridge Coasters offered up my talented contributors a set of fridge coasters, in exchange for an organizational tip!  Ready to hear what they had to say?  Here we go!




"My number one secret for fridge organization is washi tape!  It's a great way to label foods, including the date cooked or best before date.  I use different colored washi tape to label leftovers, dog food, ingredients, etc... to avoid cooking mix-ups!  Along with the Fridge Coasters, they all add a much needed pop of color to my fridge interior." - Serena, Pretty Fluffy



"I clean out my fridge once a week just before making my grocery list and shopping for groceries.  This keeps the job from becoming overwhelming and getting rid of stale food and taking stock of what we have.  Doing this also ensures I don't end up overbuying at the store." - Megan, Honey We're Home




"We are condiment hoarders, and sine most dressings, etc... have long shelf lives, our collection can start to take over the rest of the fridge!  When I plan my meals for the week, I try to check the expiration dates on items and use them in my recipes to help declutter anything on its last legs.  I'll combine a few salad dressings to create a cool marinade or add a little extra horseradish to spice up a stew {it's GREAT in goulash}.  My Fridge Food is a fantastic resource to help create recipes that use 'em all up!"
- Casey, Pretty Organized



"I really loved adding the Fridge Coasters to our refrigerator!  Most refrigerators these days have adjustable shelves.  Your ability to effectively organize the items in your refrigerator will be determined by the placement of these shelves.  Really take the time to evaluate what items you use most frequently and place the shelf heights accordingly.  It will most likely take a few adjustments, but it's with it.  And never underestimate the power of clear storage containers!" - Anneke, This, That & Life



"I like to keep an Itso bin full of lunch making necessities so that I can easily grab it and make lunch during summertime.  I also keep our fruit bowl where the kids can easily grab it.  We eat it so quickly so it seems to work for us.  Lastly, we keep all of our drinks on the top shelf.  We never have much more than juice boxes and water bottles and I make sure the top shelf always has them lined up.  It may seem silly, but when the rest of the fridge starts to get messy, the neatly placed drinks is my saving grace.  The Fridge Coasters have been a huge hit and they make opening the fridge looks so much more cheerful."
- Courtney, A Thoughtful Place 




"Like Jen, I love to take groceries out of their original packaging and transfer them to other containers.  Yep, even the orange juice!  It just makes the fridge more pleasant and, in my opinion, easier to organize.  One of my favorite containers to use is our porcelain egg crate.  Once I transfer the eggs to the crate and throw away the carton, obviously the expiration dates goes with it.  So, in order to keep track of the freshness, I write the expiration date on the last egg so there's no guessing game.  Oh, and if for some reason I forget, I just use the "float" test to see if they are still fresh." - Ashley, 7th House on the Left



"I use plastic bins {shoe box sized like these} to store individual yogurt, fruit and pudding cups together in the fridge, and popsicles in the freezer.  This system eliminates those half-empty boxes that take up so much space {and make me crazy}!  It is also easy for the kids to see, so they are more likely to grab a healthy snack.

Also, toss all those mis-matched containers, and get a same-size storage set with universal lids {like these}.  Not only do they stack more efficiently when storing leftovers in your fridge, but they'll take up less space in your cabinet {and no fishing around to find a lid that fits!}.  It also lessens the change of finding 'chef's surprise' hiding in the back shelf of your fridge... three months later.  Unless you grown your own penicillin, no one likes discovering those!" - Cassie, Hi Sugarplum!




"You can usually count on me to have a bottle {or two} of wine chilling in my refrigerator.  I like to make use of the little space under our meat and cheese drawer and house the win there.  But one thing I hated was how the bottles would roll around the bottom of our fridge, so I invested in a durable plastic drawer {found here}.  It keeps the wine bottles horizontal, and I no longer have to use other food containers to keep the bottles from rolling around."
- Chelsea, Two Twenty One



"I loosely followed Jen's instructions when she suggested we find a use for the Fridge Coasters in our fridge or pantry: I decided to see what uses I could find for them in my craft room.  But since one of my favorite things is repurposing kitchen items for organizing my creative space, I thought this was par for the course.  The large, square Fridge Coaster fits perfectly in one of the 12x12 square shelves of the much-loved Expedit bookcase.  Because they're decorative, Fridge Coasters give the shelf the look of  being lined without the permanence.  And they help make the shelves even better for storing some of my messier craft supplies, like my ink spray bottles.  If the supply leaks or drips, it gets all over the replaceable Fridge Coaster {looking adorable in the meantime!} rather than staining my white furniture.  I was likewise able to cut down some of the Fridge Coasters to fit into storage containers that hold messy supplies, which will help to preserve my containers in great condition.  The laundry room or bathroom might be a great place to try out this trick as well.  Probably not what the folks over at Fridge Coasters originally had in mind when they designed these little gems, but I love a product that is versatile to my needs!" - Sarah


Seriously, wasn't that your idea of a good time?  I am loving all of the creative tips and tricks for organizing the fridge {and beyond!}.  I adore that Sarah was able to offer other versatile tips for using the Fridge Coasters, and that no two contributors offered up the same tip!  So much goodness!  These beautiful coasters go right in line with my motto of beautifying your organizing, as it just makes it that much more fun to maintain.

A HUGE thank you to all of the contributors that participated today!  Let's give them a giant round of applause for their awesomeness!

Now, who wants some of these ultra fab Fridge Coasters?  Today's giveaway is open to EVERYONE!  


a Rafflecopter giveaway



Fridge Coasters always offers 10% off to IHeart Organizing readers using promo code: IHEART10.

Good luck everyone and...



IHeart Organizing official giveaway entry rules can always be found here.

41 comments:

  1. Loved seeing everyones organized fridges! Please do a freezer one next :)

    Jennifer ~

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    Replies
    1. oh yes please.. my fridge stays easily organised but have a skinny side freezer and no idea how to keep it neat!

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    2. I would love some deep freezer organizing tips:)

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  2. This post just makes me that much more excited to get a shiny new fridge in a couple of months! :) http://practicaldecor.blogspot.com

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  3. Great post. Such cool spaces, pun intended!

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  4. I love organized fridges. I also loved the suggestion of washi tape for labelling.
    Kerri at HollyMuffin

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  5. The link to the wine drawers is not
    Inking to anything. I am very interested to see where she purchased it. Thanks.

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  6. Okay, where's the camera? *looks around suspiciously* How did you know I was cleaning and organizing my fridge today?

    I might just have to buy some coasters now. :D

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  7. Excellent examples and stories! Eyes happy)))
    My refrigerator does not have enough
    My blog http://dubyanskaya.blogspot.ru ...

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  8. I recently posted my organized fridge on my new food blog. Now I can see if it definitely in need of some Fridge Coasters to finish it up! http://shariblogs.com/my-beautifully-organized-fridge-2/

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  9. I was literally looking inside our fridge today and realizing it is LONG overdue for a cleaning! I must have these fridge coasters!

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  10. These are so adorable! I hope to win!!!

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  11. Wait, wait! Where is the link for Chelsea's wine drawer? I NEED one! :)

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  12. Thanks for posting this. I am in love with Fridge Coasters, but I haven't been able to work them into our budget. I hope I win!!!!

    ✰Becca
    Simply 2nd Resources

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  13. Jen your posts are just simply amazing!!! This is one teacher who is VERY excited about this giveaway. Nothing like some cuteness when organizing.

    ((Hugs))
    Tiffany

    One Fab Teacher

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  14. Wooohooo!! Open to non-US residents! Music to my ears!

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  15. Great tips! You make organizing is fascinating :)

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  16. Love these ideas!!!! Love your Blog!!!

    Hugs,

    Morena

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  17. I recently bought vinyl placemats to use as fridge coasters. But I would really love these shown above!

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  18. Love how these brighten up a fridge!

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  19. Like Megan, from Honey We're Home, I clean out my fridge about once a week. I usually do this on trash night. It really helps give me an idea of what we a running low on and it helps me dispose of items that have been in the fridge too long.

    I have a small fridge and I would love to see tips on freezer organization.

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  20. I have some fridge coasters already and I LOVE them! Make my fridge so much happier!

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  21. Thanks for all the great fridge tips and for the coaster giveaway!

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  22. I love the idea of keeping items in baskets for easy access for the kids. LOVE these fridge coasters! :)

    Heather Haugen
    heatherhaugen@netzero.com

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  23. What if you have an older fridge with those wire racks?

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    Replies
    1. Coasters would work great in those fridges as well! In fact, it would help things sit nicely and prevent drips and tips through the cracks of the wire shelves. :) Another option is vinyl placemats, I have heard great things about those as well.

      xo,
      Jen

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  24. So cool! I definitely need to reorganize my fridge.

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  25. Lovely blog, very useful, keep doing and greetings from Mexico City!!

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  26. I told Cassie I would love a set just so I can hear my sweet hubby's reaction, "oh Lord, now she is even decorating the refrigerator!" LOL Love all the fun patterns and colors.

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  27. I have to go through weekly to move things around and make sure things are in a spot where i'll notice them!

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  28. I love how those coasters make the fridge look so cheery! I would have a huge grin on my face every time I opened the door. Using washi tape in the fridge is something I never thought of - such a cute idea!

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  29. I have so many things in the fridge for my business that aren't for eating, it can be hard to keep things straight! Washi tape in the fridge? You bet I am going to get on that one.

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  30. I'd like ideas on what people do to organize the top of their refrigerators. For example, I've been using it to stash cereal/cracker boxes, but it's an eyesore. I've been toying with the idea of putting cookbooks up there instead.

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  31. Did i miss the winner?

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  32. These ideas are really great. I love those refrigerator coasters.

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