First closet, now pantry!

I did it!

I SERIOUSLY cleaned out my pantry.
I cleaned it.
I organized it.
I even bought AND labeled baskets for it! (glad Michael's is currently having a 50% off of baskets..at already good prices..they were CHEAP!)
I wish I had before photos. At the time I was NOT interested in taking any. It was a HUGE mess.
Seriously.
Things were SHOVED in there. Right side up. Sideways. However I could get the boxes in there. Things started out in designated places...veggies here, cereals there, side dishes here...but it didn't stay that way. Not even close.
See, we have a LITTLE pantry. For all of you with huge walk in pantries, just imagine. Mine is smaller than any closet in my house.
ANY closet. Ok...well, maybe it's the size of my small hall linen closet.
It's TINY.

It was really bad.
I couldn't find anything.
I didn't know what I had or what I didn't have.
I had boxes that were even empty but I didn't know it.

Even the floor was FULL of stuff. It was at least one layer deep, if not two.
The actual floor itself was disgustingly filthy. YUCK!

Now that I have to use my pantry more often and more quickly (making lunches for all of us in the morning before school), I knew I needed to figure out the mess and fix it.

I did!
I couldn't be happier.
It's beautiful!

This top shelf is for breakfast items, party goods, and the cookies. The basket is labeled "party". Filled with all of those extra cups, plates, and even a gallon ziplock with all of the extra variously colored napkins! Cookies are up there so little hands can't reach them. :0)

Second shelf is for prepacked sides, soups, canned goods. (Syrup is already out of place I see!) First basket is labeled "sides". Second basket is labeled "bags" and has all of my ziplock bags so I can grab it easily in the morning while packing lunches. Canned veggies and canned fruits.

Third shelf is containers of rice and pasta. First basket is "spices" and it's all my envelopes of stuff (they were always falling through the cracks of the shelves before and I found most of them on the floor!) Second basket is the most important (and therefore biggest), it's "snacks". All of these snacks took up an entire shelf before! Seriously, boxes that had 2 things in them yet took up so much room. This basket is all sorts of snacks for school snacks and lunches. I LOOOOVE it! Then hot school foods. Then the last basket is "baking".

Bottom shelf is all of my extras (when you buy at Costco you always have the extras for later) and my snacks (kids don't care about my tomato and basil wheat thins) :0)

TADAAAA!

the floor has room waiting for my other trashcan I'm buying for recycling. The bin I was using just isn't big enough...

adorable huh?
I really love my pantry.
And I truly think it will last because IT WORKS! It's made life so much easier. (shopping too!)

:0)

Ok..here are a few other photos that I just wanted to share.
It's Georgia and Caleb's latest favorite way to watch tv when relaxing after school.
:0)