Wednesday, January 18, 2012

I have mAjOr iSSuEs!

Would you believe it, I have redone our "shelf" 3 times over the past week! I literally woke up at 6am on a Saturday to immediately clean it all out again and go with another plan. Why do I care so much about things like this? I do not know. But, I think I've come to the end of this journey {finally and if anyone even cares}. The problem is, I have way too much stuff in there! and I wished I could do something about that, but it's the only storage place I have for everything that doesn't belong in a bedroom (toilet paper, medicine, paper towels, food-you know that sort of thing).
So I'll post my pics so that someday I will look back and remember how I made it all work during the chaos of living with family :)

It all started with these super cheap storage containers I stumbled upon in our grocery store on sale for $3
{don't you love my "work space"? yeah- it's also our laundry area! note to self-*repeat after me* "this will all be worth it someday soon"}

Then while doing birthday party shopping at JoAnn's, I found these baskets on sale for like $3-$5!

I knew I needed to get them all for this disaster waiting at home...



Yeah, chaos at it's finest! Nothing had a place and everything was lost in the deep dark parts of this "pantry". So I got to work!
I ended up the first time around with this...
{Pictures are SO horrible, I know- it was dark AND my camera was not working so I used my phone....I suck at pictures anyway}

So that wasn't bad, but I felt like I needed a little more from this space. It was still becoming difficult to get to things and the flow wasn't working.
So I did some more research, went to the store, and bought a few more items that I think helped a TON.

On the top shelf I put our medicines (one little basket for the most commonly used & vitamins and then a snap tub for the other stuff), cereals- hot & cold, our toilet paper is in a container as well-who wants dusty toilet paper??...and then, of course, my wine *wink* {someday I'll have the cooler/fridgy thing- if I ever am cool enough to even know what it's properly called in the first place}

Then for the next shelf, I got one of these little shelves for jars and such- so I'm not buying extra sauces because I never saw that ONE I had in the back of the pantry- ya know what I'm sayin?? lOvE this.
Love how my "skinny" pastas fit right under this shelf. For the boxed pastas (which I try not to buy too much of) go in here :)



This little shelf holds my baking stuff and I tucked it in the back because I am not always baking {shocking, I know}

And this little amazing $2 spinner thingee {lazy susan I suppose you could say} is SO helpful with canned items and spices- which I really try to not over-stock on. I only like what we NEED with this. Sometimes I wished when my kids get one of those "clean out your pantry for canned goods" donation things that I was more helpful but I rarely have canned items just sitting in there.
Let's not overlook those pretty little ceramic canisters for my flour, rice, sugar, and hot cocoa (in the back). I can't wait to put these on our kitchen counter someday- but for now, at least they are practical! {love the spoons that came with....not usually a Walmart fan but these met my needs more than any other ones I came across at the store}

The next shelf is our snacking shelf {baking stuff and bigger costco snacks in the back}. Where those containers came in handy. For some reason, I have always been a 3 variation snack person with my kids. Usually a healthy(ish) one {fruit, carrot sticks}, a salty snack {pretzel, cheese-its}, and a treat. So these canisters hold those types of snacks for quick and easy grabbing.


Then I came across the brilliant idea of having a "go-to" snack basket to quickly grab a snack on the run for my growing munchkins....{granola bars, fruit snacks, cereal bars, protein bars, and what not}
So easy to just throw some baggies in there with a snack ready {also makes my sleepy mornings easier when packing lunches!}

Speaking of snacks, I can't seem to ever get enough of this deliciousness...
Just came across some at Trader Joe's too that I'm thinking of trying. Have you had the pleasure of trying this savoring/sweet snack yet? SO good! {I know, it sounds weird, but just try it!}

Under the snacking shelf, is what I like to call, my lunch-packing-central area. Thermos cups, sandwich holders, lids, straws, baggies, paper plates {dinner is the only meal I put on the "fine china" in this household}


Then I threw our water bottles/soda cans/juice on the very bottom, along with a tub of our reuseable bags for my back aching grabbing pleasure {its the best I can do for now}

I also was looking for a bread box, but haven't found what I want exactly so for now I have this bread basket- It works for now!

Then this little cleaning disaster area...

...Turned into this more organized cleaning closet...

And that's all....it was fun and its even more fun now when I put groceries away and have a place for everything- and most importantly to not over-buy because I lost something in this deep shelving area! {which means I might get my house sooner!! haha}


Ya know, it's not a pantry to particularly *swoon* over, and I know someday I will have one more dreamy- but for where we're at and what we're doing- this makes me happy :)


Next post will be pics of the twins' birthday party- it was at a bouncy place and the power went out- so ya know- it will be a bit shorter in length. lol Oh well! Be back with THAT story later...

Off to play some learning games with the girlies which makes me happy- not only to spend time with them but for the Skittles we get for treats! {yeah, Mommy gets some too!}

Love, Me
(Colleen)

2 comments:

  1. Haha you don't have issues, that pantry would have driven me bonkers too!! I love all your organization and creativeness. It looks fantastic!! I love your happy heart and contentment with your situation even more <3 I know first hand what its like to live with parents. Gabe and I just ended that season of our lives so I know all too well how challenging it can be :) But it can be totally worth it. Gabe and I had been trying to pay off our debts for years, with slow progress at its finest. In one year of living with my folks, we were able to almost double how much we paid off, compared to any single year prior, and that's with our income being cut nearly in half with our relocation. God is good! I recommend getting a white board (or something) to keep monthly and yearly record of your progress. That way, when you have one of those days where you wonder what you're doing and just feel like you're not getting anywhere, you can take a quick glance and see just what you're accomplishing. It can be a great motivator / encourager! Keep up the hard work. You'll be so thankful you did. A little bit of sacrifice (ok, a TON of sacrifice) really pays off in the end :)

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  2. Those Honey Mustard & Onion Pretzels are the BEST!!

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