The Pantry (aka my dirty little secret).

My conversation with my mom Sunday night went something like this....

Me:  "I'm cleaning out my pantry.  I think I'm going to blog about it later this week."
Mom:  "Oh No!  You can't do that!  Your pantry is awful."
Me:  "I know.  That's why I'm cleaning it."
Mom:  "Well, you sure can't blog about it.  People will be disillusioned by you, they'll think you don't have it all together."

She can't help it.  She's just a good momma who wants others to think well of me.

For the record (and I hope most of you already know this)  I do not have it all together.  And that's OK.  Actually, it's more than OK, it's downright great.  I don't think I would want the pressure of having it all together.  I'm actually pretty comfortable being a big, hot mess of a work in progress. 

Back to the task at hand.  My horrible pantry.

Avert your eyes from the horror!

At my mom's begging request, I'm only going to show you the top of the pantry.
I have organized and reorganized this pantry more times than I care to count.  It always ends up the same way.  We live in an old house and the storage is sorely lacking.  I actually converted this from the back entry closet into my makeshift pantry. 

The answer to my lack of organization, I finally have decided, is a lack of shelving.  I decided that I would install wire shelving in the closet for our food. 

Then I remembered....

1. I really don't have any extra money right now.
2. I'm not that handy.

Solution:  Pre-made shelves that I had bought for both our school room and our outside storage building, affectionately known as the "Utt Hut".  I had an extra set that I wasn't using yet.  I could just swipe those and replace them after my next work day at UHC.  So smart. 

Step one is always the same - everything out. 
Then Ronnie busted down the rickety shelf and clothes rod.
Next, scrub a dub.  I washed down the walls with my favorite - Murphy's Oil Soap.  It's one of those smells from when I was growing up.  It just smells like clean.
Once it was clean & dry, Ronnie & I shoved arranged the shelves in the closet. 
Then it was simply a matter of grouping like items with like items. 
Ta Da!!  A mere four hours later and I'm done.  (Four hours!)

I think I like the shelves just as well as installed shelving.  I'm almost sure I couldn't have gotten them for the same price.  The shelving unit I used was only $59 from Sam's Club and holds 700 pounds per shelf.  With my mad handyman skills any shelves I installed would probably hold some paper plates and two packs of Kool Aid.  I'm pretty sure I'm better off this way.



Two baking shelves




Cereal & snack shelf
Black crates with cake decorating & party supplies
Top crate holds baggies, foil, ect.




Pasta/Box meals/Condiments top shelf 
Drinks and canning supplies on bottom.




Storage on back of door for pudding, jello, and packets/mixes.


My final task is to install a lock where little hands can't reach it.  This is the boys favorite closet.  They like to pretend it's an elevator/spaceship/superhero fortress.  This is a big reason it's a mess.

I'm really enjoying my 31 Days to Clean book.  Not only have I cleaned areas that really needed it, I'm also maintaining it.  I think day to day life tends to make us not see the "stuff" that lives all around us.  Even with last weeks sickness, I have a clean fridge, clean kitchen window - including curtains, clean cabinets, clean stove and now a clean pantry.  It feels great.

I hope I've inspired you to tackle your big dirty area.  Remember, perfection is not the goal.  My goal is to get past all my stuff to create a warm, comfortable environment for family and friends.

Day 7 down....24 to go......


I'm linking up with Raising Homemakers here. and Linda's Lunacy here. and Organizing Junkie here. and A Slob Comes Clean here. Check it out for more great homemaking ideas.