The Zen Inducing Reasons I Use Mason Jars In The Kitchen

 

 

Is it possible to make just about every piece of your life and home a mindfully intentional fixture with the hopes of bringing both calm and joy on a daily basis? Apparently me and all the ladies over at goop.com believe so.

While it has taken me almost 4 months in my new home for it to start feeling like “my home” with little home decor elements as simple as house plants, I truly believe I unconsciously took my time about it to make the decisions in each room intentional and not just based on need, budget, and what’s available at that moment in stores.

Recently, I was faced with tackling my ridiculous collection of bulk and dry goods. If you’ve been following me on Instagram for some time, you would know that I love shopping the bulk/dry goods section of my local health food store. It got to the point where I had an entire pantry full of items that I loved possessing “just in case” I needed tricolor quinoa or french lentils on a random Tuesday night. (Please read that line with an air of sarcasm to truly know how I said it in my head while typing this)

When I started packing up to move, I knew that I couldn’t take them all with me. I had nowhere to store them and, quite frankly, I didn’t use them nearly as much as I had hoped.

So, I downsized and got rid of as many items as possible. I also had to rethink the storage system itself because all the items I kept would not be hidden behind a pantry door in my new house.

I have always loved the way jars look when the labels are removed and lined up neatly. I used some mason jars as storage in the past, but I wasn’t as diligent about the entire approach to decor because I opted for the bargain version using empty jars from food we were already using during consumption.

But after a couple of hours on pinterest, I decided that using proper mason jars in the kitchen would be the best and more economical way to merge style and function in my new space.

Once I started putting the system in place, I noticed there were additional benefits to using this method that I didn’t initially expect.

1. Visually Appealing and Soothing 

It’s pretty hard to deny the fact that mason jars are pretty chic. Lots of restaurants are using them for  nostalgic appeal. I love looking over on my shelves and seeing how beautiful they look lined up.

I’m not sure if it’s the symmetry or the way light reflects on the glass, but I find them incredibly soothing. In the past, I would use opaque and plastic boring tupperware that also made it hard to know what was in each of them which actually unnecessarily stress me out. Which leads me to number 2.

 

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2. Eliminates Unnecessary Stress In The Kitchen

One of my personal resolutions for 2018 is to find the little stressors in everyday life and try to make the necessary adjustments to reduce or eliminate them. Yes, it sounds impossible but it really isn’t when you take on the tasks one at a time.

My kitchen and it’s flow has long been a source of stress due to several factors. The first was my tendency to keep things that I thought I would need at some point, but never actually used. This included tupperware, spices, packaged foods, and utensils.

When we moved my other half jokingly declared that our new kitchen (and house at that), would NOT end up like our old one. So I decided to get rid of all the mix and matched jars and tupperware that we had up until that point and invest in matching mason jars to both his and my approval.

Grouping the jars according to frequency of use and strategically placing them in areas which made sense based on our cooking styles made a world of difference. Cooking became a more pleasant experience and we wasted less because we could always see how much or little of a product we had.

3. Helps With Health Journey 

One of THE most frequently purchased items from the bulk area is granola, nuts, and dried fruits. When people start on their new health journey, these are usually the first items purchased to help curb cravings and replace unhealthy snacks.

However, leaving the snacks in the plastic or paper container you receive from the store often leads to them getting lost or thrown about.

Whether we like to admit it, we are very visual creatures. By storing the snacks in an attractive way, we were more likely to reach for them along. We are also able to keep track of what we have left and purchase only as much as we can storage in the containers. It becomes a bit of an addiction after a while and you almost forget about non healthy snacks especially if you make it  point to NOT bring the bad stuff in the house.

4. Chic Without Breaking The Bank 

At the end of the day, the chicest storage solution is only effective if it is getting used. If you are overly concerned about the price of the initial investment plus the cost to replace or expand the system, it may all fall apart.

Using mason jars is the perfect solution because they are super affordable and can be found pretty easily by the dozen. If one breaks, you can easily replace it without going broke. When they get dirty, they can be thrown in the dishwasher and are pretty durable even when dropped.

Some people take their decorating further and paint the jars to coordinate with their home. Those projects can be found on pinterest and  seem pretty easy.

 

 

As you can tell, I’m all about things being easy, affordable, and as stress free as possible. It may seem silly to think some silly jars can bring joy of any sort, but they have for me. Click here to check them out on Amazon.

Let me know below if you use mason jars in the kitchen and how.

FTC DISCLOSURE: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase, I will receive a small finder’s fee on the sale. This does not increase your price in any way shape or form. Using these links help support the continuation of this website. All opinions are my own. Thank you in advance.

 

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