Organizing With the Weimans 101

We didn't really get to declutter/pitch anything before we moved due to me having three kids and Dave working on the house non-stop.  So needless to say when we moved everything just got put somewhere and the next two pictures give you a little insight on what our pantry has looked like for the past 5 months.  I was off a couple weeks at Christmas and had a couple things on my "to do" list and the pantry organization was one of those things.  Here are the BEFOR pictures.  Note the bottom part where if you don't know what to do with it then just throw it in the bottom of the pantry.  Nothing was really out of date as I had gone through that a few months ago after I went through my Grandma's cubboards and pitched items that were well over 5 years old so that being said I thought I should do as I preach and come home and do it to my own house.

So that is the before, and here is the AFTER

 

 I found these plastic storage baskets at Menards and then also found the same ones in different sizes at Wal-Mart.  The labels are part of the Martha Stewart collection that they have at Staples.  They are chalkboard stickers and I used a permanent white marker on them for labels.  Note the wine glasses.  Dave and I LOVE to entertain and we haven't had our wine glasses from the old house in our new on so now they finally have a home.

 I'd like to put another shelf up high and one just above the cans so that I can have another layer for stacking my canned goods.  The top shelf I would like for things that I don't use everyday like the cupcake holder and miscellaneous other gadgets, but I was told that there were some other projects to be finished first.

 We keep our microwave in our pantry and have ever since we have lived in our old house.  We like that it keeps it off of our counter.  You don't have to have anything fancy either when you hide it in your pantry.  The shelving underneath was from Lowes I believe, it was from the old house and works well to house pans and bowls.  Right now I have a few cookbooks on the bottom, but I would like to put those on a shelf after I get the top shelf in place.

 I did sort our canned goods, but I have seen some interesting ideas on how to organize them further such as magazine holders. They are good for now though.

Here's a close up of my labels.  I LOVE having my baking supplies in a basket that I can just pull out and bring to the counter.  We have a little overflow to the left and right, but those are things that we don't use all that often, liquor is to the left and crackers, bread crumbs, etc are to the right.

I didn't get new containers for everthing, but I am thinking about it!!  I love things to match, but for now this is what they were in and at least they are labeled.  We have our own cake pop container.  Ava got one for Christmas and her Daddy and her spent until 3:00 in the afternoon making cake pops.  Let's just say that the kitchen was a disaster.  The other two are for icing and sprinkles....maybe I should downsize the amount we have, but at least I will have what I need when I go to use it.  We have a TON of cookie cutters that I've collected over the years.

I didn't think I had one, but found one on my phone of where the coffee pot is.  It works out nicely and Dave's mess stays in the pantry.  I'm thinking about moving the snack box a little higher, but for now it is good.  Bad thing is that Kale can reach all the snacks without my help!

 

Here is a picture (out of order) that was taken before I got "label happy".  I LOVE anything with a label and that is my goal to get my entire house organized and labeled.  Dave just rolls his eyes and lets me go!  The shelf on the left has the coffee pot. I guess I didn't take a picture of that, but we put outlets for both the coffee pot and the microwave so we don't have that on the counter either.  Can you tell that I like to keep my counters clutter free! Up next is my bedroom cabinet and closet.