Camille loves to cook. Every night she makes dinner for her family (husband Jeff, eight-year-old Jeffrey, five-year-old Jared, and three-year-old Jack). Convenience foods don’t often find a place at her table; instead, Camille relies on basics like broth, canned beans and tomatoes, and olive oil. Not that she spends all day planning dinner: Camille also watches a relative’s baby several days a week. Changing diapers and cleaning up spills—while pursuing a master’s degree—leave little time for organization.

Pantry Problem
The walk-in pantry in Camille’s recently built house is huge, but there was no organization. “I’ve never had this much space before,” Camille says. “I had a hard time trying to figure it out. The pantry ended up being where I threw everything.” Cleaning supplies were stacked on the floor, and overstocked staples, like cans of diced tomatoes, took up valuable shelf space. Coloring books, paper, and crayons, along with bottles of wine, packed the back of the pantry. She even stashed her wrapping paper there.

Solution
To make life easier for the busy mom, McCreary put items that little ones can serve themselves, like cereal, into plastic containers on low shelves. Candy, cookies, and other snacks that require parental approval were placed on higher shelves. Potentially harmful items were moved away from the food to an easily locked cabinet under the sink. This left eye-level space in the pantry for frequently used items. With ingredients in plain sight, Camille no longer wonders whether she’s low on staples, which makes shopping easier. As a bonus, McCreary organized a hall closet, where she added a Rubbermaid gift-wrapping station to house Camille’s paper collection.