ReadyWrap Giveaway + Phenomenal Tips for An Organized Kitchen

Packing lunches for my three kids is something that I have to do every day of the week during school days. I’m passionate about sending them to school with a yummy and healthy meal. There are days, very few and far in between, that I ask them to just buy lunch from the school cafeteria, but my girls rarely like the food from their canteen, and it’s usually not as healthy as something from home. 

But it’s not just lunch baon I prepare, I also make an effort to prepare delicious and nutritious meals for breakfast, school lunch baon, merienda/after-school snacks, and dinner. I share the home with people who are big eaters and who look forward to each meal with anticipation.

Meal planning and food prepping are two very important areas in my life as a homemaker. But I am also a busy with other homemaking and parenting duties. Not to mention I also try to pursue other areas of interest and manage my social media accounts and update the blog. Having said that, an organized kitchen (pantry + refrigerator) makes meal planning and preparation run as efficiently and smoothly as possible, to leave me with time for doing other things.

A Well-Stocked + Organized Pantry

I like to keep my pantry well-stocked and orderly. A well-stocked pantry full of nutritious food makes it easy to prepare healthy meals for the family.

You can see more photos of my pantry and how I keep it organized in this post: 

http://thephenomenalmama.blogspot.com/2013/04/phenomenal-tip-organized-kitchen.html

An Organized Freezer

I also love to keep my freezer organized so it makes prepping baon in the early mornings a breeze. Everything is labeled, and my time is not wasted looking for items.

It is very important to label everything you put into the freezer because after awhile it all starts to look alike. Right now I use Freezer-Ready Containers, washi tape or masking tape and a black marker. I shared how I organize my freezer here: http://thephenomenalmama.blogspot.com/2013/04/phenomenal-tip-organized-kitchen.html

If you clicked on the link which I shared above, one of the tips which really helped me with my kitchen organization is really the use of plastic containers.  I use Freezer Ready containers to store freezer items, and the regular plastic containers to store a whole lot of things.

One of the tips I can share with fellow baon-packing mamas is to buy your meat in bulk and marinate them right away when you store in the freezer.

Depending on what you are freezing, and the amount of space you have, will determine the size of the containers you use. There are many different types of containers to choose from. However, the most important thing to look for is whether they are freezer-ready and freezer-safe. Freezer ready containers are made specifically for the freezer and will provide better protection against freezer burn than ones that are not. 

Ready Wrap Containers

A few weeks ago, Ready Wrap Containers sent me a big box full of their items. I am a long-time user of their products, and now that they sent over items, I don't have to replenish my supplies in a long time. Thank you!

What I like about the Freezer Ready Containers:

1.It is available in different fun colors and different sizes that will suit to any of your freezing needs. You have the option to color-code your containers: like red for beef, lavender for chicken, blue for fish, green for fruits.

2.The containers are food-grade and also safe to use in microwave. It can go directl from the freezer to the microwave without distortion or cracking. But personally, I do not microwave in plastic. Actually, I almost never microwave.

3. It is durable and can even reused after thorough and proper cleaning. But I suggest throwing them out after several uses to maintain the integrity of the container. They are so cheap and can be easily replaced.

4. Smartly designed to be compact and stackable. They also have snap-together lids so they don’t clutter up your cupboards…a HUGE plus in my book because loose lids always irked me like crazy when I used plastic in the past.)

5. They are environement-friendly. 100% CFC-free and recyclable.

Quick check: 

Good and bad plastics are usually identified by a recycling code number stamped on the bottom inside the chasing arrows triangle. Turn your plastic upside down and check!

Choose reusable food containers made of #5 Polypropylene.  Top plastics to avoid are  # 7 #3 #6.

Ready Wrap plastic containers have the #5 stamped on them. It's safe!

Different Ways I Use Ready-Wrap Containers:

1. Freezer Organization

I use their Freezer Ready line to store freezer items. Like what I already mentioned earlier, Freezer Ready containers are made specifically for the freezer and will provide better protection against freezer burn than ones that are not. 

I pack a portion of the meat marinated, so at any given time, all I have to do is transfer a pack to the refrigerator for it to be defrosted overnight and be ready to cook the next morning.

2. Make-Ahead Baon 

For cold snacks like salads, sandwiches, and the likes, I usually prepare them night before in the contianers and simply add dressing the next day. Remember, packing for three takaw kids can be hectic at times, and I need to find ways on how to make the entire process easier and faster in the morning.

3. Dinner party take-away container

Whenever we have family gatherings, there's always a lot of extra food left. As in, ang dami talaga. Since it's family anyway, it's not considered dyahe to put left-overs in containers, it's just keeping it real, di ba? In our family, it's part of the party protocol already to have Ready Wrap containers on stand-by. That way, everyone can choose what food to bring home, and then the containers can go straight to the freezer or refrigerator.

4. Potluck Parties in School

These clear containers are perfect to store food for classroom potluck because I don't have to worry about my kids remembering to bring them back home. They are affordable, sturdy and stackable. I love having several on hand to use whenever the need arises.

5. Packaging for Food Gifts

I usually prepare something thoughtful and hand-made to give to all the teachers of my kids during Teachers' Appreciation Day. I want to show them that I consider them my partners in educating my children. It is not our practice to give extravagant gifts, and I am always intentional in letting the kids know that the best gifts are the ones that we set aside time to make.

.   .   .   .   .

Mrs. Erase

Since we are on the topic of kitchen, aside from keep it organized, I know everyone also wants it clean.  I just want to share with you one of the newest things I discovered which helps me keep my kitchen and home clean. Mrs. Erase does a good job at cleaning tile floors, getting dirt marks off the walls, clean the kitchen sink, clean the soles of rubber shoes and a whole lot more. And, it does all this with just water alone!

Just slightly moisten Mrs. Erase foam and scrub lightly on a hard surface that you want cleaned. If the surface being cleaned is not hard, it may be finely scratched by the scrub. I've tried cleaning my kitchen walls with it, plastic stools, ceramic floor tiles. Dirt that may seem to stick have "erased" easily.

* Make sure to read the warning that comes with the package to make sure there is no risk of damage to your belongings.

#TPM x ReadyWrap Giveaway

Ready Wrap wants you to experience the benefits of having an organized kitchen so they are giving away a gift set worth PHP1,500!

The package is inclusive of the following:

a. Freezer Ready Containers in rectangular size: 1600ml, 1000ml, 500ml, each packed at 7's (all rectangulars)

b. Microwavable Clear Containers in various sizes- from spherical to rectangular containers at different sizes , such as 2500ml and 1200ml for rectangular containers, 500ml and 850ml for spherical containers, each packed at 5's.

c. Mrs. Eraser- 5 sets, each with pack comes with 2 sponges

Find out for yourself how ReadyWRap can help you be on your way to an organized kitchen!  And Mrs. Erase can help you clean a million messes around the house.

Easy to join. Just follow the easy steps in rafflecopter to make sure your entires are counted:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms:
Raffle period is from September 25 - October 9, 2015 midnight.
One (1) winner will be drawn via Rafflecopter one week after the contest ends, and will be notified via email.
Winner should reply to email within one week from notification date. If no reply, another winner will be drawn.
ReadyWrap Philippines will ship the gift basket to each winner.
Open to all The Phenomenal Mama readers with a valid Metro Manila, Laguna, Cavite and Rizal delivery address.

To know more about Ready Wrap Plastic Containers: 

Webpage | Facebook

FOLLOW ME!