“Cribs” Fridge for the Holidays

Now that the holiday season is in full swing it’s time to get my new house up to snuff before the guests start arriving. I’m starting with the most basic of basics – the refrigerator.

Everyone has seen the famously organized refrigerators on MTV’s “Cribs.” Well, honestly, keeping a refrigerator organized is relatively simple. It will also save you time and money.

First I gathered my supplies…

Then I cleaned the whole inside with the glass cleaner. I threw out any food that was expired, spoiled, or food we bought but no one liked it. I used a grocery list to jot down items that need replaced. I ended up removing…

• 8 fast food catsup packets
• old apricot preserves
• 5 cucumbers
• 1 serving of orange juice
• old ricotta cheese
• 2 mandarin oranges
• applesauce jar with 1 serving left (my daughter had a yummy snack while I cleaned!)
• large bag of kale

I began returning items to the top shelf first. The hubby’s beer stayed right where it was. I moved the lazy susan to the top shelf (because I’m short I can never see what’s in the back up top). This way I can just spin to see what’s hiding up there. This also left me with just enough room for one bottle of white wine. You never know when unexpected holiday guests may arrive — always be prepared.

I label everything. I probably over label, if that’s even a word (I even use stickers since my youngest child still cannot read.)

I also love the type of baking soda that hangs on the side of the refrigerator with a built in replacement indicator. They are more expensive than the plain box, but it frees up shelf space and eliminates any guessing as to when it was placed in the refrigerator. Because, somehow I always would forget to write the date on my baking soda box.The leftovers were labeled with contents and date prepared and then grouped in one area. This eliminates searching all the way to the back of the refrigerator looking for last night’s (hopefully not last week’s) pizza.

The fruit, veggie and pantry drawers were measured for grip liner. The liner keeps your food from rolling around when you open the drawer. It will also keep the fruit and veggies fresh longer, because it allows air to circulate underneath the produce.

Finally, the doors. I decant all liquids that I can. My pitchers fit better in the doors. I also try to save those rubber mesh sleeves to put around the glass containers. This eliminates the noise of them clanking together every time someone opens the door. I have children. Not always so gentle.

The finished product…

So do you like? Can you tell I was always obsessed withe seeing celeb refrigerator’s on MTV’s Cribs? Still miss that show. Anyway, do you have an organized refrigerator or one that needs a little help? Send me photos or questions. Let’s organize all our fridges this holiday season.

If you would like to see more photos of organized refrigerators check out my pins at pinterest.com. You can also check out photos at realsimple.com, organize.com, or containerstore.com.

In Sigma-

Christine