My Newly Organized Pantry

I've been meaning to clean out our pantry for a few weeks now.  It was a total mess.  I would just throw stuff in and quickly shut the door hoping it would stay.  I've never been crazy about the design of our pantry.  The shelves are so deep that stuff would get shoved to the back and never see the light of day again.  I was reading Lisa's blog over at Popcorn Served Daily and she had just posted pictures of her organized pantry.  I was completely inspired and started on ours that evening!

One of the biggest changes I made that has helped a TON was taking out two of the shelves.  You would think that more shelves would equal more storage.  Nope.  Taking the selves out made organizing so much easier.  And you can actually see the back of the pantry now!

Look at this mess!

I made some fun container labels using Photoshop. 

These aren't really necessary but once I start organizing I get a little carried away.

A well stocked stash of popcorn and hot chocolate is essential for these cold winter evenings. :)

I have all the baking items in this corner.
It's so handy to have the flour and sugar right there instead of digging around in cabinet for it.
Why didn't I do this sooner?!

I've found that Big Lots has a great selection of little shelves and bins.  What I didn't find there I got at Target.

It was a big job to tackle the mess but It's making things so much easier in the kitchen. 

Thanks Lisa for inspiring me to organize!!
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Linked to: Inspiration Friday @ Southern In My Heart, Show & Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home, Kitchen Clean Up Party! @ Beneath My Heart, Between Naps on the Porch, Organize It @ Thrifty Decor Chick

Getting Organized

Is it just me or do other people have a problem with mail and paperwork taking over their kitchen table and counters?  I have the best intentions of being organized but I often fall short, especially when it comes to paperwork.  I have a filing cabinet in the office upstairs, but most of the time I feel lazy and don't want to run up and down the stairs to file something.  I saw this idea on Alyssa's blog and thought I would give it a try.

I found this cute file holder at Big Lots for super cheap.

Then I stumbled upon these file folders at Michaels.  They were on sale - 50 cents for a 4 pack.  Score!

The idea is to keep the filing system around where you open your mail so things get filed right away. Then every week or so you transfer everything to your primary file cabinet.  So far it's been working great!

Thanks for the idea Alyssa!

Linked to: Toot Your Horn Tuesday @ A Silly Little Sparrow, Make It Yours @ My Backyard Eden, Pony Tails and Fish Scales, My Romantic Home, Remodelaholic's Anonymous, Organize It @ Thrifty Decor Chick