Mess BeGone!!!

PANTRY MAKEOVER

I KNOW RIGHT?? UGH this is called pantry OUT OF CONTROL LOL!  We've done lil' clean ups over the year but it needed some major help!  I'm lucky to be blessed with a large pantry and more cabinets than I know what to do with in my kitchen (and this coming from someone who collects dishes and kitchen contraptions like they are goin' out of style lol)!  It was almost painful to have to look for anything and we had sooooo much stuff that was just BAD, STALE and ready to be pitched ick!

TO THIS...soooo much BETTER!  I know it may NOT look as changed to you as it does to me but lemme tell ya its a BIG difference!  It makes me soooo happy to just open the doors and see the organization and cleanliness!  I would like to cut foam board to fit each shelf because those wire shelves can cause havoc at times but will do that another time.  

We drink a lot of hot cocoa in this family in the fall and winter...A LOT LOL!  So I used one of these bins (from IKEA) to create a hot cocoa bin for us.  We have a few selections of hot cocoa, chocolate stirring sticks and mini marshmallows.  The round chalkboard tags I created myself on Photoshop and printed out (die cut with a scalloped die) and attached with two sided tape (Scor-Tape).  The other shaped chalkboard tags are from Martha Stewart for Staples.

I'm slightly anal...have I mentioned that...and the garbage bag box was bugging me.  I didn't want to get rid of it because we get the same bags from Costco all the time and they fit perfectly inside.  Solution:  Cover that baby to match the tags :)  So out came my black cardstock and my chalkboard marker in white.  Problem Solved!  Another white bin on the floor keeps my potatoes neat.  And then I have a few storage containers with cereal and chocolate chips (bought in bulk) and a basket of chips.  I have teens that have teen friends that are here ALL the time so we go thru bags of chips like crazy, so I try to get extras at all time.

This little container is from the $1 bin at Target...I got a few because they are great for organizing small things and economical which I like :)  This one holds our matches, easily seen and reachable with a chalkboard tag to match (Martha Stewart tag)

Another $1 bin bargain from Target are the little pails I've used to sort sweetners and drink mixes. Once football starts for my son the pail of drink mixes for water will decrease fast..so the pail is a nice place to keep them and easy to grab.

Another schooltime bin for breakfast fixin's...I've loaded it up with oatmeal and PopTarts.  I'm not a PopTart eater myself but some mornings if I can get ANYTHING into my teens before school its a good thing trust me.  So they both like PopTarts and they usually grab one and eat it on the walk to the bus stop.  This is better looking than a bunch of boxes and I labeled them by tearing off the "flavor label" from the box and placing it in the bin.

We eat a lot of crackers and cheese...its a fave snack for the Deans.  The top shelf was a DISASTER of half empty boxes, boxes that were past expiration date and just junk.  So I corraled some more bins to hold the boxes and a few cracker containers for crackers that are currently open.  The spray cheese is NOT mine..icky...Riley likes it for some reason so I buy one every few months...nasty LOL.

On the far left top shelf I have boxed up the numerous paper/cutlery items we have.  We used to throw a lot of parties but now that the kids are older we don't have as many home parties.   We do use these when the teens have friends over though so paper napkins and cheap cutlery are the way to go.  This is NOT all my supplies...I have two shelves in my laundry room with more ;)  But these bins contained them nicely and easy to grab when needed.

 What I Used Bins For In My Pantry:
I buy a lot of the $1 shoe bins from Walmart...clear, cheap and great to corral things
Dollar Store & Target $1 Bin are great resources for inexpensive organizational things too

-rice packs
-soup & dip packs
-Asian cooking products
-Salad Fixins
-Desserts
-Vitamins
-Crackers
-Hot Cocoa Supplies
-Paper Supplies
-Honeys & Jams

Now after I've done this I seriously want to clear the shelves and paint the back wall a bright happy color...hmmmmm!  Might do that this fall and put the foam board on shelves too!  Also have a long pantry rack that hubby is putting on the left inside door for smaller items as well ;)  For the most part I'm pleased...still a few tweaks to go but all-in-all a job well done for me!!

I'm entering this into the foloowing Linky Parties at a few of my Fave Blogs:

A Bowl Full of Lemons
Savvy Southern Style
Not Just a Housewife 
I Heart Organizing