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Thursday, August 15, 2013

How to Organize Your Pantry in 5 Easy Steps. Take 2.

Hi Friends! 

Today I want to share with you 5 steps to help you organize your pantry or kitchen food cabinets. 

Let's face it, not all of us are lucky enough to have a glorious walk in pantry, with beautiful floor to ceiling shelves. 

Mine is a pseudo walk in.
...More like a step in...
Ok, maybe a reach in. 

When we had the pantry re-built after our huge leak, I had the opportunity to have the pantry wall re-built from scratch. 

I had drawings, and specifications. 

Let's just say that it was never going to be a walk in, but it WAS supposed to be wider than what it wound up being when completed. 

I'm not sure where our wires got crossed, but the pantry was built, and it was narrower than planned. 
There was sooooo much going on with the reno, that I let it go, rather than have it re-built to my original specs. Click to see my Post Reno House Tour. I really am happy with how it all turned out!

It actually works quite well for us. Someday, in another home, I may get the walk in pantry of my dreams, but for now, this one works just fine. 

 So here she is...Cabinets closed. Not a walk in, but she sure is pretty!


I had designed it to be able to step all the way in, and reach everything on each shelf with ease. 

This is where the wires got crossed with the carpenter, because the U shaped opening in the center was supposed to be several inches larger, but, C'est la Vie. 


5 Steps to an Organized Pantry

1. Clear out the old! 
-Wipe down the shelves and make sure everything is fresh and clean.

2. Bring in the storage containers!
-Use cute clear containers to store dry goods, and label everything! 
-Try to use matching containers for a cohesive look. (I bought mine at Ikea.)

3. Label. Label. Label.
-I used chalkboard vinyl that came in a sheet. I cut them to size with decorative sheers.
-When everything is labeled it's easier to see what you have, and what you are running low on when you are making out your grocery list.

4. Organize by Shelves.
-It helps keep everything organized, if you have a system in place. 
For example, I have my breakfast items on the first shelf, followed my canned good and grains on the second shelf. Snack foods and misc. on the third, Baking etc, on the fourth, and small appliances on the bottom.

5. Stand Back and Admire your Work!
-It's so gratifying to bask in your accomplishment, so take a minute or two and celebrate your end result. 
(I like to have a little impromptu dance party!) 
...Shhh. Don't tell anyone. ;-)

Check out all that loveliness...
Go on, I'll just be over here shakin' my groove thing! :-)





And that's what I call pretty! 


 Do you like organizing as much as I do?



One more look at the whole thing!


Here's to a great day! 

Thanks so much for stopping by! 

xo-Lisa

See what else I've been up to this week...



Linking to the following...


Home{work} Wednesday at The Everyday Home
Funky_Junk's_Party_Junk_link_party_150 

6 comments:

  1. Looks amazing! I am in love with those chalkboard labels. I had forgotten you had celiacs. Our daughter just received her ALCAT test results today, and while gluten was not showing up as an allergy in her blood work, WHEAT was. They want to do go gluten free these first couple months to get her system to settle down. She has other sensitivities to foods and such we are also having to work around. Any suggestions? Great products? Not so great products? I am going to pack a few things here before we leave since we have a Whole Foods/Trader Joes, but she will have to check her local HEB (they have a good size gluten free section) when she gets to school next week.

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    1. Lauren, It's an adjustment for sure, but there are SO many great products out there! It really depends on what her other allergies are, but I think Glutino makes great products. Yummy pretzels, good cookies, etc. I love KIND bars. They are sort of my emergency food. They have a lot of fat, but it's the "good fat". I also like Udi's bread. But, it tastes best on a grilled sandwich, or toasted with butter, nut butter, or jam. Whole Foods as some amazing gluten free cookies in the freezer section. I like the Whole Foods Brand Molasses Ginger Cookies. I also buy Gluten Freeda G-free Oatmeal at Whole Foods. Yum! Trader Joes has a TON of G-free products. I buy Barbara's Multigrain Puffins there. They also have awesome Vanilla Meringues, and TJ's Ginger Snaps. They have a list of the G-free items they carry, at the customer service desk. Oh, and the Trader Joes Rice Mac and Cheese is A-MAAAAA-ZING!!!! I add a slice of cheese, and use their Nature's Balance Buttery spread instead of butter when prepare it. The corn spagetti they carry is fairly good too, but it's an adjustment. They have several pasta sauces that are g-free as well. Oh, and their frozen g-free waffles are a huge hit at my house. --Which makes me think of Pamela's Pancake mix, and Pamela's Cornbread mix too. I buy those at Whole Foods, but they are available in grocery stores or on Amazon too.

      Amazon is also a great resource for lots of g-free groceries, and I would suggest getting Elizabeth Hassleback's book, The G-Free Diet.

      Sorry it took me a while to respond. I hope this helps. I will do a post on this soon! I know that there are lots of Gluten Intolerant and Celiac people out there like me!

      Best wishes to you all!
      xo-Lisa

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  2. Lisa...you are so wonderfully organized, but I knew you would be...!!...Love your pantry and thanks for all of the great tip!....Have a wonderful weekend!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Shirley!

      I bet you are too!! ;-)

      Hope you had a great weekend! I am behind with some of my comments here!
      xo-Lisa

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  3. What a perfect and neat pantry, I love how you arranged and organized it! I have one in the back, although it's larger it's just packed with ecerything...maybe I should start to revise it, lol. Big hugs,
    FABBY

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I love reading all of your thoughtful comments!