News flash! Winter came to Texas this weekend. While we only saw a little bit of sleet that was barely detectable except that it coated the deck with slush...
A little farther north, our granddaughter was having the time of her life.
Our cold rain made it the perfect day for doing some much needed purging and rearranging, though.
Such a lovely sight.
We moved into our house in December 2017, a mere 10 days before Christmas when we were inundated with family. So despite the best laid plans, by the time January rolled around, my new pantry looked like this.
Three years later, it once again looked like the first image, only with a lot more stuff. So while the rain fell, I rolled up my sleeves and removed everything from the pantry.
As I started putting things back in, I realized I'd forgotten to take a Before picture.
I started by grouping similar items into these old locker baskets I'd had shoved in a cupboard in the mudroom.
Then I did the same thing with some smaller items that tend to get lost in the pantry, grouping them in these small baskets I'd picked up for less than dollar.
The biggest job was repackaging a lot of items. Combining multiple packages of the same thing into one central location.
Those half-gallon size Mason jars are perfect for storage, though I still use some of the Tupperware I bought way back in the 80s.
It took me all day, but as night fell I once again had an orderly pantry. Save for that wayward box of aluminum foil. Who put that there?
What could have been a lazy rainy day turned into a productive rainy day. One that had me so jazzed I couldn't wait to move onto the mudroom. Hooray for newfound space!
What are some of your favorite storage ideas?
Award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, two sassy pups, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at mindyobenhaus.com
Oh! I love your pantry! Our apartment doesn't have enough storage. So my pantry is kind of layer out and a disorganized mess between trying to store kitchen gadgets and pantry items. One day though we will have a bigger kitchen with a real pantry!! Here in IL we got snow a while ago. Unlike last year it didn't melt right away. Temps have stayed low enough for it to hang around.
ReplyDeleteAlso I LOVE that laundry basket sled!!
Katie, speaking as someone who's lived in many apartment and military housing, you gotta work with what you've got. Even in previous houses, the pantries have been really small so I've had to borrow space in nearby closets. I don't understand why builders don't take that into consideration. Unless they just think everyone eats out all the time.
DeleteAnd the snow. I don't think I appreciated it when I lived in Michigan. Now it's a novelty so I'm thrilled when my grands get to experience. Grammy needs to share her stories of walking to school in the snow. ;)
We did the same thing with our pantry this weekend - even though ours is a set of shelves in the basement!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I do LOVE your pantry!
I also use canning jars for storage. They're great for seeing what you have a keeping the vermin out. :-) I also saw some Tupperware just like I have! Great minds think alike, don't they!
But there is nothing like a cleaned and organized pantry, is there? *happy sigh*
Yes, indeed, on that happy sigh, Jan. I think there's something about January that makes us want to purge. And as for Tupperware, unless it's the really old stuff that gets that sticky feel, I can't seem to part with it. I keep thinking I'll find a use for it. The only one I haven't found a use for is the tall, thin spaghetti container. But I'm still holding onto it, because you never know. BTW, I SO miss having a basement.
DeleteOh, what I would give for a pantry that size! Mine is teeny tiny. I did recently add some baskets and wire bins, though. It really has helped. Now I can pull out the bin to see what's behind the front items.
ReplyDeleteGreat job, Mindy!
Missy, I hate those tiny closets builders label as a pantry, but we have to work with what we've got. And yes, baskets and bins are great for corralling a lot of those smaller items that seem to wander otherwise.
DeleteI love your pantry!!!!!!! I turned half of my linen closet into a mini pantry but it's nothing like yours. I get the organizing bug in January too. And go on deep cleaning binge. Nothing like scrubbing baseboards with a toothbrush while listening to an audio book. :-)
ReplyDeleteKav, other than the organizing, I can't take much credit for the pantry. My in-laws built this house back in the 70s, and my MIL, who loved to cook, knew she'd need lots of storage in her new country house. Including spaces for both a freezer and a second refrigerator. Now we get to reap the benefits of their foresight.
DeleteOh, a walk-in pantry is a dream! LOVE THIS! Anyone who loves working in a kitchen would just hug this pantry! And I love your organizational efforts. My pantry cupboards are big and deep and small animals could be reposing in the back quite happily... so I love the access of a walk-in. Thanks for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteRuthy, this is the first walk-in pantry I've ever had and I SO appreciate it. Now let's talk about those animals.
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