Organizing the Pantry

It's Week 9 Challenge

at

A Bowl Full of Lemons

Purge Week!

This week I decided to take on cleaning

out the pantry.

I have a nice pantry in my kitchen.

It has deep shelves from floor to ceiling and Scott

has put up two racks on the wall that hold canned goods.

However, there is one thing I wish was different.

It has the world's SMALLEST DOOR!!

I laughed the day they put it in.

I thought that has to be the best diet plan on earth.

If I get too wide, I won't be able to fit through the door!

And at the end of my pregnancy with Jackson,

I was getting pretty close! HA

Seriously...18 inches wide...

that's it...

This morning, I got straight to work!

I decided that I am going to take several days and do this right.

Today I began with a basic clean out and organize.

I couldn't find a thing...

I tell you what...that's a MESS!!!

Nothing had a real home...

baking supplies were in with pasta,

and snacks were all over the place.

There were empty tupperware containers

and odd baskets stuffed in and on top of things.

I jumped right in and pulled EVERYTHING out

of the pantry.

Every shelf and rack was empty.

So everything was cleaned out...

but boy was my kitchen a mess!

I threw out things that had gotten lost and were out of date.

I condensed boxes of similar items.

I grouped some similar things together and I am planning

on buying some cue little baskets or bins from the dollar store

to help make the most of my space.

I found that I was taking up a lot of space

with boxes that were almost empty.

Once everything was cleaned out and thrown away,

I measured the shelves. 

 I am planning on having Scott cut some

thin wood to lay down over the top of the shelves.

I love the wire shelving, but sometimes bottles and such do not

sit just right, so I think the wood shelf sitting on top will help.

I started grouping things together on shelves.

I took a little piece of paper and wrote out

the different catagories that I want to use to label my shelves.

I have several paint stir sticks that I am also going to have

Scott trim down for me and drill a couple of holes

in them so I can tie them to the front of the shelves.

That way, when I have little hands help me

put the groceries away,

they will know where things go.

I have some over sized things that I have on the floor.

Two of the clear bins I use to store alminum pans in.

These are great to use when taking a meal to someone...

you don't have to worry about loosing your dish and they

don't have to remember who to return it too!

Cans and such sorted out

All nice and neat...

and yes, that is 7 cans of pumpkin pie filling!

Every year they panic say that the crops were

so bad, there is going to be a shortage around the holidays.

So this year, I thought I would get smart...

and then every time I went to the store,

the shelves were packed!

Oh well!

I also found an over abundace of plastic shopping bags!

I liked having a lot of these when Jackson was little,

because I would put dirty diapers in them and throw them out

the back door until we ran them down to the big can at night.

But we are getting ready to start

POTTY TRAINING

so hopefully we won't need a lot of these

for much longer!

I also checked the fire extinguisher...

still fully charged.

Do you have a fire extinguisher in your kitchen?

I recommend you get one.

Better safe than sorry.

Sigh...it's only Monday and my trash can is busting

at the seams...and my garbage man does not come

until Friday?!?!?

WOW...that's a lot of trash!

Most of it was empty boxes and a few

things that were out of date.

So tonight I am off to the Dollar Store to find some

plastic bins.  I may even stop by Lowe's and look for my

plywood to make the shelves.

Hobby Lobby has glass on sale this week, so tomorrow I am

going to go by and pick up some jars to use to store

my flour, sugar and other dry goods in.

I may even order some cute little vinyl labels.

My vinyl calendar came in the mail today,

so I am also going to pick up a 16 x 20 frame for it.

Which is also half price this week!

LOVE Hobby Lobby and their

half price sales...every other week!

Stay tuned...

more progress to come!

But is definately feels better to get it

cleaned out and organized a little better.